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Wike Blasts Uzodinma Over False Claim Against PDP …Seeks Protection Of Judiciary From Destructive Tendencies Of APC … PDP Expresses Concern Over S’ Court’s Reserved Judgement On Zamfara Poll
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has berated the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma for alleging that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was responsible for the attempted removal of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, saying that the allegation was baseless and untrue.
Wike also declared that the APC was out to destroy the Judiciary, and urged the Judiciary to protect itself from the destructive tendencies of the APC.
In an interview at the Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday, Wike said the comments credited to Uzodinma are unfortunate.
He said: “I read that Senator Hope Uzodinma said that the PDP conspired to plot the attempted removal of APC national chairman. That is an unfortunate lie.
“It is unfortunate that Senator Hope Uzodinma will have the temerity to make that false allegation. Hope Uzodinma was an APC agent while he was in PDP. That was why APC used him as an agent to support Ali Modu Sheriff, but they failed.
“It is unfortunate that people of questionable character are in government. Hope Uzodinma cannot talk about the attempted removal of APC national chairman and mention the PDP. What is our business in the attempted removal of Oshiomhole? “
Wike said that the APC is not a political party that means well for the country.
“APC does not mean well for Nigeria. It is a party of strange bedfellows merely formed to take over power.
“If Senator Uzodinma dares to make such false comments again about the PDP, we will tell the world about him.
“That he fraudulently took the mandate of PDP does not mean that PDP is weak. Hope Uzodinma lacks the capacity to discuss the PDP.”
Wike said that Nigerians must be vigilant and work towards protecting the Judiciary.
“We must protect the Judiciary to do its work. But the Judiciary should protect itself. APC has destroyed the Judiciary,” he said.
Wike wondered why the Judiciary should allow leaders of the APC to toss it around as has been witnessed during the party’s internal crisis.
He decried the situation where the Court of Appeal granted a stay of execution on the suspension of the APC national chairman, but the FCT High Court went ahead to declare another person the acting national chairman.
He said only the National Executive Committees of political parties have such powers.
Wike said: “The Judiciary should be very careful. The Judiciary should be alert. It should not allow itself to be used. It should not allow itself to be destroyed.
“APC should not be allowed to destroy the Judiciary. Judiciary was there before APC. It was there before any political party. I cannot see the Judiciary being destroyed and keep quiet.
“I am not interested in what happens in the APC. But I am concerned with the Judiciary and its survival.”
He urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria to caution judges.
“With what the APC is doing today, we may not have the Judiciary and everyone will pay the price. The party is trying to destroy the hope of the common man,” he said.
Wike regretted that the APC and her supporters attack the Judiciary when judgment is not in their favour.
He pointed out the attacks on Justice Mary Odili in the Bayelsa State Governorship matter.
The governor said that the recent order by the wife of the member of a House of Representatives wherein she reaffirmed the freedom of the former Emir of Kano, was hailed, even though she was the wife of a PDP member.
He said that the APC is an association that was only concerned about the removal of former President Goodluck Jonathan, adding that having removed Jonathan, APC has been unable to use power to the advantage of Nigerians.
The governor wondered how a national official of the APC, who resigned to contest the deputy governorship position in Rivers State, would still go to court to seek to be acting national chairman.
Wike agreed with the former governor of Lagos State that the struggle in the APC was about 2023.
“I agree with the former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu that the crisis in APC is about 2023. Everyone wants to be President or Vice President. This virus is indeed worse than Coronavirus,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed concerns over the Supreme Court’s decision to reserve its judgment on the Zamfara governorship election matter in which the All Progressives Congress (APC) was asking the Apex Court to review its judgment.
The party expressed the concern in a press conference addressed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan yesterday in Abuja.
“Our party is concerned that the surprising decision to reserve this judgment is not in tandem with the established practice of the highest court.
“This was reaffirmed in its judgments on the Bayelsa and Imo governorship elections, where it dismissed the applications for review on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction to review its own judgment,” Ologbondiyan said.
He urged the Supreme Court not to allow itself to be manipulated into a “judicial summersaul
The Supreme Court had adjourned till a yet to be announced date, its decision in a application by the Abdulaziz Yari faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for a review of its May 24, 2019 judgement in the intra-party dispute in the Zamfara APC.
The Supreme Court had, in the judgement, held among others, that the APC did not hold valid primaries preparatory to the 2019 general elections, voided its (the party’s) victory in the elections and made a consequential order, directing the party with the second highest scores in the election to claim the victory.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara State benefited from the effect of the consequential order.
But, in an application argued yesterday by the lawyer to the Yari faction of the Zamfara APC, Robert Clarke (SAN) prayed the court to review the consequential order, on the grounds that it was wrongly made.
Clarke argued that the order the Supreme Court ought to make was that directing the APC and INEC to conduct fresh primaries and elections in Zamfara State, instead of voiding the party’s victory.
He argued that, by the consequential order, the Supreme Court made it possible for the PDP, which was not a party in the Zamfara APC’s intra-party dispute, to benefit from the outcome of the dispute.
In a counter-argument, lawyer to the Senator Kabir Marafa. faction of the APC in Zamfara, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) urged the court to dismiss the application with punitive cost.
Ozekhome argued that, not only is the application without merit, it constitutes an abuse of the process of the court.
However, another faction of the APC in the state led by Senator Kabiru Marafa, urged the apex court to dismiss the application marked SC/377/19 for being incompetent.
In a preliminary objection they filed through their lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, the Marafa-led group, argued that the Supreme Court had become functus officio in the matter.
Ozekhome attached as Exhibit A, a similar application the Applicants brought before the Supreme Court in 2019.
He said the apex court struck out the application on July 22, 2019, for being in contravention of Order 8 Rule 16 of the Supreme Court Rules.
Besides, Ozekhome contended that in view of Section 285(12) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the matter, being a pre-election issue that ought to be decided within 60 days from the day the initial notice of appeal was filed, had become status barred.
He said the instant application which was filed about 10 months after the Supreme Court gave its final judgement on the Zamfara matter, amounted to gross abuse of the judicial process.
He drew attention of the court to its recent judgments in Bayelsa and Imo states, wherein, it stressed that it lacked the jurisdiction to review its final judgement.
On its part, INEC said it would abide by the decision of the apex court on the matter.
After it had listened to all the parties, a five-man panel of Justices of the apex court headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad, reserved ruling on the application.
The CJN said the ruling date would be communicated to the parties, though he cautioned counsel to the Applicants, Clarke, for saying that the apex court placed itself in “a dilemma” with its decision in Zamfara.
He said all legal authorities and submissions of the parties would be considered and each member of the panel allowed to take his decision.
He added that, with the recent two decisions of the Supreme Court, in the governorship disputes in Bayelsa and Imo states, the applicant ought not to have quietly withdrew the application.
Ozekhome prayed the court to dismiss the application with punitive cost.
After listening to the lawyers, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, who led a five-man panel that heard the application, announced that the court’s decision is reserved until a date to be communicated to parties.
The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ekwe Ibas (rtd), has charged the new Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof Ibibia Lucky Worika to bring his wealth of experience to bear in governance of the State.
Vice Admiral Ibas (rtd) gave the charge shortly after swearing in the new SSG at the executive chambers of Government House on Wednesday night.
The Administrator who congratulated Prof Worika on his appointment said the choice was not merely an administrative decision but a statement of intent.
Vice Admiral Ibas (rtd) explained that the new SSG has an unparallel expertise in law, policy and international governance, which align perfectly with the mission to restore law, order, integrity and public trust in Rivers State.
He said: “To our new SSG, the task ahead is onerous, but your track record leaves no doubt in our minds that you will prove your mettle. Rivers State needs your intellect, grit and unweaving dedication. Together, we will write a new chapter of progress for this great state.
“Prof Worika’s role will be critical in driving this vision, ensuring that every policy, every decision and every action is in consonance with this administration’s mandate to restore law and order, stabilize the polity and to create the necessary conditions for the restoration of democratic institutions and representations.”
Vice Admiral Ibas (rtd) pointed to his maiden address to Rivers people wherein he emphasised that his administration will be committed to delivering an effective governance that is anchored on transparency, accountability and service.
He therefore, enjoined the new SSG to brace up to the demands of his office, and offer his best service as required while also working cooperatively with civil servants.
Vice Admiral Ibas (rtd) said: “You have no time to settle down. You must roll up your sleeves and get to work with the team.
“Our civil servants with whom we will work closely to run this administration are critical stakeholders and we must work with them to ensure that the state continues to function effectively during this administration.
“To the Permanent Secretaries and civil servants as a whole, once more I will ask your kind cooperation and support as we work to achieve our objectives at this time,” he added.
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I Am One Of You, Sole Administrator Tells Rivers People …Warns Against Violence, Crude Oil Sabotage
The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), has assured residents that he is not in the State as a partisan actor or political competitor but as a stabilising force to restore governance and order.
In a state broadcast yesterday, Ibas, who assumed duty at Government House, Port Harcourt, emphasised his commitment to protecting civil liberties and ensuring the safety of all citizens.
However, he issued a stern warning against crude oil sabotage and violence, urging residents to resist any temptation to return to past hostilities.
“For decades, I have dedicated my life to the service of our great nation—first as the 20th indigenous Chief of Naval Staff and later as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Ghana. I answered this call out of the need for peace in Nigeria, and most importantly, in Rivers State,” Ibas stated.
Describing the prolonged political impasse as a major setback to governance and democracy, he acknowledged the hardships faced by families and businesses due to the prevailing uncertainty.
“As a son of the Niger Delta, I am one of you. I feel the weight of this crisis on families, businesses, and the future of our people,” he said.
Ibas commended President Bola Tinubu’s decisive action in declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State, stressing that it was a necessary move to restore stability and revive economic activities.
“My mandate is clear: restore law and order, ensure stability, and create an enabling environment for economic growth. But this mission requires collective support from all stakeholders, regardless of political affiliation or ethnicity,” he stated.
He discouraged attacks on oil infrastructure, reminding residents of the devastating environmental and economic consequences of such actions.
“The Niger Delta has moved beyond the destruction of oil facilities. We must resist the temptation to return to those ugly days,” he cautioned.
While pledging to uphold civil liberties and the rule of law, the Sole Administrator warned that lawlessness and violence would not be tolerated.
“We will not act arbitrarily, but we will not hesitate to deal decisively with anyone who threatens the peace and stability of Rivers State,” he declared.
Ibas revealed that he had concluded a State Security Council meeting where strategic measures were outlined to de-escalate tensions and prevent further conflict.
Expressing gratitude to President Tinubu for entrusting him with the responsibility, he also acknowledged the National Assembly for approving the emergency declaration.
“I will work closely with the national leadership under the guidance of the President. I am optimistic that Rivers State will emerge stronger and greater,” he concluded.
The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department has confirmed that 10 persons have died in the truck explosion that occurred near Karu bridge, along the Abuja-Keffi Expressway, on Wednesday.
The FEMD’s Head of Public Affairs, Nkechi Isa, confirmed the numbers in a statement, yesterday.
The Acting Director General of the Emergency Department, Abdulrahman Mohammed, had earlier confirmed that eight persons had died as of yesterday morning, with five confirmed dead on the scene, and four others burnt beyond recognition.
““Five people were taken dead from the scene yesterday (Wednesday). Out of the people that were injured, one died, making six. Then this morning (yesterday), when I asked my people to go round, they discovered that two had already died again, making eight. Four of them from yesterday were burnt beyond recognition.”, he explained.
However, in her statement, Isa said the Head, Forecasting Response and Mitigation of FEMD, Mr Mark Nyam, said eight bodies were deposited at the Karu Hospital Morgue, one body at the Asokoro Distinct Hospital Morgue while another body was deposited at the National Hospital.
He added that some victims had been referred to the Gwagwalada Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, and Cedercrest Hospital Abuja for proper care.
Part of the statement reads, “The FCT Emergency Management Department FEMD can confirm that 10 persons lost their lives to the truck explosion that occurred at Karu bridge along Abuja / Keffi expressway.
“The Head Forecasting Response and Mitigation of FEMD, Mr Mark Nyam said eight bodies were deposited at the Karu Hospital Morgue, one body at the Asokoro Distinct Hospital Morgue while another body was deposited at the National Hospital.”
He informed that over 30 persons suffered various degrees of burns.
“Some of the victims have been referred to Gwagwalada Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Centre,Keffi and Cedercrest Hospital Abuja for proper care,” he said.
Isa also stated that no fewer than 10 vehicles were burnt during the incident, adding that the FEMD boss after a visit to the incident scene, appealed to motorists to observe traffic rules and regulations.
He also cautioned against reckless driving, dangerous overtaking and poor maintenance of vehicles, while urging FCT residents to always use the 112 emergency toll free number in the event of an emergency.
Meanwhile, barely 24 hours after the incident, another fertiliser-laden truck has collapsed on the same spot.
The Tide learnt that the incidence occurred at about 3:54pm yesterday.
The Head of Public Affairs of the FCT Emergency Management Department, Nkechi Isa, confirmed the accident in a statement, stating that the truck collided with a Hijet and a dump truck, adding that no life was lost.
She cautioned road users to drive with caution as the Federal Road Safety Corps was making efforts to tow away the affected vehicles, to avoid traffic built up.
“Another accident has occurred under Karu bridge along the Abuja-Keffi Expressway. Thankfully, no life was lost to the incident. Our Search and Rescue say the accident occurred when a truck laden with fertilizer ran into a Hijet and a dump truck also known as tipper.
“Motorists are advised to drive with caution as the Federal Road Safety Corps is taking steps to tow away the affected vehicles in order to avoid traffic built up,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, several videos showed some persons trying to clear the fertiliser bags from the fallen truck to ease traffic.