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You’re Products Of Manipulation, PDP Replies APC Govs
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, said the reason governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), are defending last week Supreme Court judgment on Imo governorship election is because many of them “are products of huge electoral manipulations.”
This is even as the party noted that APC governors’ attempt at cheap blackmail will never stop it and millions of Nigerians from demanding a review and reversal of the judgment in which the Supreme Court “manufactured and donated fictitious votes to name a 4th position candidate, winner of the Imo State governorship election.
In a statement issued by the party’s spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, the PDP said: “It’s rather not surprising to many that the APC governors could allow themselves to be enlisted to haul insults at the PDP with a view to blur and distort this grave miscarriage of justice because many of them are products and beneficiaries of electoral manipulations.”
The statement continued: “The APC governors’ part in this script appears very glaring. Of course, who else will the flies support except a person with open smelly sore?
“This is also why APC governors are encouraging their party to engage in underhand measures and supporting injustice instead of following democratic processes.
“In comparing the Imo State judgment to that of Zamfara and Rivers states governorship elections, the APC governors forgot that Nigerians are abreast of the facts.
“The APC governors deliberately veiled the fact that they lost Zamfara and Rivers as a result of their internal wrangling over their failure to conduct a credible primary, which voided their votes and left the party with the second-highest number of votes as the winner.
“This is different from the judgment on Imo where fictitious votes were manufactured by the Supreme Court and donated to the APC to lift it from the fourth position and declared winner.
“In making their plea for the rejected judgment, the APC governors should explain to Nigerians how the Supreme Court, in its bid to award votes to APC, ended up declaring total valid votes of 950, 952 votes above the INEC’s official 823,743 a total number of accredited voters for the election.
“Can the APC governors explain to Nigerians how and where the Supreme Court manufactured the extra 127,743 votes above the number of accredited voters.
“What can they say to the fact that the Supreme Court could not produce the details of the votes from each of the fictitious 388 polling units, upon which it based the ruling?
“Furthermore, can the APC governors explain why the Supreme Court somersaulted on its declaration on a host of cases, particularly the Atiku vs Buhari case, that for a petitioner to succeed in allegation of infraction of any provision of the Electoral Act, especially one complaining about malpractice, the petitioner must call witnesses polling unit by polling units.
“The APC governors should, therefore, steer clear of the Imo judgment as the PDP will never abandon the determination to get the judgment reversed.”
Meanwhile, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, has criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) over allegations of distracting purposeful leadership ahead of the awaited Supreme Court ruling.
The apex court will this month rule of the suit by All Progress Congress (APC) candidate, Emmanuel Jime against Governor Samuel Ortom.
Last November, Jime lost his suit at the Court of Appeal.
The PDP State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, in a statement, said APC was attempting to distract the purposeful leadership in the state.
He said: “Benue PDP states with emphasis here that it has no need for any protest in Makurdi or anywhere regarding the matter of Jime’s legal challenge to Governor Ortom’s victory at the 2019 polls; as such we are not sponsoring anyone to protest anywhere.
“Yet, as was clearly stated by the Benue PDP State Chairman, Sir John Ngbede, when the Benue matter at the Supreme Court was adjourned, members of our great party in the state have been oriented not to be distracted by the very obvious and commonplace antics of the opposition”.
The Publicity Secretary of the APC, James Ornguga, had in a statement, alleged that, “the objective of the protest, we understand is to blackmail the Panel of Supreme Court Justices, create a tense atmosphere in the state.
“And court unmerited sympathy in line with calls by the National Chairman of their party, Prince Uche Secondus who has been lampooning the Supreme Court and alleging a travesty of Justice since his party lost Imo, a state PDP never won ab initio.”
The Rivers State Chief judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi has granted pardon to six inmates standing awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt maximum correctional center.
The six lucky inmates granted pardon on Tuesday by the state Chief Judge included Nwekeala Chizoba, Samuel Emmanuel, Aniete Kelvin, Ebube Fubara and Goddey Okpara who were on awaiting trial as murder suspects and have all spent between 10 years to seven years in the custody without a proper information filed against them in the court.
Justice Amadi during a special gaol delivery exercise last Tuesday at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre opined that the special gaol delivery was part of activities lined up to commomerate the 2024/2025 legal year in the State and restated the commitment of the state judiciary in decongesting the correctional centre and ensuring that those inmates who are not supposed to be there are removed from the custody.
The state chief judge stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together to build a society that supports rehabilitation and gives a second chance to anyone or group of people who have fallen short of the expectation of the law and have been punished accordingly.
He stressed that the National Judicial Council(NJC) encourages judges to pay more attention to criminal matters to enable them to decongests the correctional facilities, noting that since his assumption into office, his administration has been able to reduce the number of inmates in Nigerian Correctional Centres and the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre in particular, to less than 2,000 as against the over 4,000 inmates previously in the faculty.
According to him, “as they release the deserving inmates, they affirm their commitment to justice, compassion and rule of law but that they must not forget the fundamental principles of justice delivery system which is truth and fairness, integrity and equality before the law.”
I encourage you all the released inmates to return to your families and become better citizens. You must not engage in action that will return you all back to prison. Let me say that while the judges show empathy to you all, it does not absolved individuals from being held accountable for actions against individuals, corporate organisations and state which the law frowns at, ”he stated
The Chief Judge thereafter stood down the exercise to enable the DPP to intervene to case files following the fact that majority of the persons listed to benefit from the exercise are facing murder charges and adjourned to a date that will come before December.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the outgoing state Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Centre, Port Harcourt, Felix Lawrence, who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Controller General, commended the state judiciary led by Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi for their continuous effort aimed at ensuring justice and decongesting the facilities.
Other activities lined up for the event included special church service at St Paul’s Cathedral , Anglican Communion, Rebisi Port Harcourt, inspection of guard of honour by the state Chief Judge mounted by officers of the Nigerian police and a special court session held at the ceremonial court hall.
By: AkujobiAmadi
The Director General of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement (RBoPP), Dr. Ine Briggs, has explained that the Sir Siminalayi Fubara administration plans to enforce transparency in governance through public procurement.
Speaking at a one-day Public Procurement Enlightenment workshop organised in collaboration with the State Local Government Service Commission for newly elected chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries and leaders of legislative assemblies, Dr. Briggs said it is key for grassroot development.
She stated that the Sir. Fubara administration plans to reduce wastage and at same time infuse efficiency in public expenditure.
The RSoPP DG said the local government political office holders remain key drivers in the new vision hence the workshop is to arm them with knowledge on how to execute projects in tandem with needs of the people.
“ Your role in the prudent management of public resources is, therefore, not just administrative it’s the cornerstone of delivering the dividends of democracy. Every procurement decision you make must reflect a commitment to fairness, transparency and accountability” Dr. Briggs submitted.
One of the key goals of the administration she further reminded the participants was to use their offices to foster economic growth through public procurement.
She warned that the law establishing the agency empowers it to penalise defaulters, but that what is more important is voluntary compliance to the laws.
In addition to that, she said urged the local government council leaders that champion the practice and implementation of public procurement law.
On his part, Acting Chairman of Local Government Service Commission, Pastor GoodLife Ben Iduoku averred that the aim of the workshop is to arm key stakeholders in the local government system to generate new ideas, innovation and strategies in tandem with government policies and programmes.
The workshop dealt on various topics on procurement planning, methods, Understanding Bid Process, including types of Construction Contracts and law.
Some participants were awarded excellence and meritorious awards as part of the programme.
By: Kevin Nengia
The 19th anniversary of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Rivers State Chapter, recently ended in Port Harcourt in grand style, with participants from various schools including proprietors, the academia, civil society groups and top government functionaries charting the way forward for educational improvement.
The 19th NAPPS anniversary christened, ‘Innovation and Adaptation: Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities’ was held at Casoni Hotels, Port Harcourt.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the association, Dr. Jaja Adafe Sunday expressed gratitude to the members and executives for their untiring efforts towards the achievements of the body.
He sought the intervention of government on the lingering crisis on the economy as it is affecting the running of schools.
He decried high cost of things including fuel and raw materials which has adversely affected the running of schools and payment of teachers.
Dr. Sunday hinted that the current economic situation in the nation is biting hard on the operations of schools, saying inflation, removal of fuel subsidy, fuel scarcity, poor electricity supply, tariffs and lack of government grants are some of the challenges faced by schools, and urged the members to brace up to the challenges, as it is the panacea to building a brighter future.
Guest speakers from the health sector and the academia thrilled the gathering on the essence of basic education which they said is the key to national development.
Former Dean of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Professor Azuru and the Chief Medical Director of Meridian Hospitals, Dr. Odo Iyke were some notable guest speakers who delivered lectures at the occasion.
Some distinguished proprietors also got special recognitions and awards.
The 19th anniversary cake was cut by the Rivers State NAPPS Chairman with representatives of the state government assisting.