Perhaps if Governor Peter Obi had not kick started the Zoning debate in Anambra State, the good people of the State may not have had the opportunity of evaluating and putting Zoning in proper perspective. That is, they will not be asking the fundamental question of:  If Zoning is done to ensure Equity or to correct Injustice, as they are currently doing. The political maneuvering in the State, particularly the media propaganda deployed against Andy Uba after his unjust removal from office in 2007, will still be alive and kicking. Specifically, the plethora of solidarity and support coming Uba’s way arising from the goodwill he has purchased via Peter Obi’s blunder on zoning would not have been if Anamberians have not been offered the opportunity of juxtaposing Peter Obi’s position with the injustice done to Andy Uba in 2007. Possibly, Nigerians may have now realized that opposition to Andy Uba’s quest for justice after his removal from office was in-fact, born out of sentiment and inferior argument in the first place. Events after 2007 in Nigeria have made people to conclude that injustice was actually done to Andy Uba.

On the issue of governorship election in 2014, the questions the people of Anambra State are asking Peter Obi are:  As he wants the Governorship election in 2014 zoned to Anambra North based on his interpretation of Equity, what happens to the fellow that was asked to vacate office 17 days after swearing-in, for offence he did not commit? Has justice been done to the zone or possibly the Local Government Area where Andy Uba hail from?  Which out of Equity and Justice ranks higher in order of priority? From the point of view of politics, what constitute equity? Is Peter Obi implying that all registered political parties in Nigeria must cede their Governorship positions to Anambra North, come 2014? Is he as well saying that Anambra North has no electable candidate[s]? Or is the Governor saying that the people of the zone are weak in all ramifications and therefore cannot compete politically in the State?

These questions and more have made the people of the State to be wary of Peter Obi and what he is trying to represent. In a nutshell, there is nexus between Peter Obi’s shifty call for zoning and the current call by majority of Anamberians for the righting of the injustice done to Andy Uba in 2007. Perhaps the multifaceted nature of the injustice has made people to be vociferous in their call for compensation for him. In the first place, he was asked to vacate office by the Apex Court after 17 days. Secondly as the holder of the mandate of the people of Anambra State, he was not allowed to continue his term when Peter Obi finished. Thirdly, in defiance of the party’s unwritten policy of allowing anybody holding its mandate to  represent the party in an election, Vincent Ugbulafor led Peoples Democratic Party[PDP], refused to allow him fly the flag of the party in 2010 Governorship election for reason[s] best known to it.

Media reports on count down to 2014 Governorship election in the State have been suggesting that Nigerians are aware that indeed, injustice was done to Andy Uba in 2007 and therefore the need to right the wrong in the interest of justice and peace. The reports show that people are impressing it on PDP on why Andy Uba should fly the flag of the party in Anambra State. Compensation for the injustices from the Court and PDP under the leadership of Vincent Ogbulafor is the uniform call. It could be recalled that when Peter Obi’s court induced tenure came to an end, Vincent Ogbulafor, the PDP chairman then refused to allow the holder of its mandate, Andy Uba, to represent the party at the governorship election. To the surprise of many Nigerians, Vincent Ogbulafor led PDP conducted fresh primary election in Anambra State, where very unpopular candidate, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, emerged as the flag bearer of the party.

Political pundits have reasoned that the current outpouring of solidarity and support for Andy Uba by the people of State is a function of the matured and democratic manner he, Andy Uba went about his case in 2007. Having pursued the reversal of his removal from office to a logical conclusion, he stopped and refused to take laws into his hands; instead, allowed providence to fight for him. By now, he may be pleasantly surprised at the turn of events in Anambra State.

Being a serving Senator in Nigeria has even placed him in good position for 2014 Governorship elections in Anambra State. The surmounted hurdles firmly placed on his path by the incumbent Governor in the 2011 Senatorial elections and in the Re-run election that took place after the Appeal Court in Enugu State cancelled his earlier election on technical ground; appeared to be the greatest advantage he will be carrying into the Governorship election proper. It could be recalled that Andy Uba defeated Chuma Nzeribe, heavily backed by the incumbent Governor, Peter Obi in the Senatorial re-run election in 2012. Analysts believed that for Andy to defeat a candidate with financial backing from a sitting governor, nobody can threaten his hold on power in Anambra South Senatorial Zone.

Come 2014 Governorship election, Andy Uba will surely have the solid support of Anambra South behind him. His populist policies in the State will also put him in good stead ahead of 2014. In general, the call by majority of Anamberians that he should be compensated with the Governorship position of the State is perhaps, the main advantage he will be carrying into the battle field. Surely, Andy Uba has purchased Goodwill, Solidarity and Support from the people of Anambra State, courtesy of Peter Obi’s hypocrisy on Zoning.

The chairman, Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih has urged Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State to use his connection and political experience to rescue the party which is facing its most difficult period from collapse.

He said people like Governor Lamido had vital role to play in tackling the challenges militating against the party and begged him to come on board to achieve the desired goals.

“You are an important stakeholder, and you have moral responsibility not to allow the party to lose its glory in this critical period,” he said.

The  BoT chairman made the plea yesterday during a courtesy visit  to the governor at the Jigawa State Government House.

Chief Anenih who was accompanied by top members of the PDP said they were in the state as part of their nation wide tour to find a lasting solution to the crisis bedeviling the party.

“The challenges we have now in the party made me feel that I needed you more than ever”, declared Anenih.

He said contrary to a publication in one of the national dailies that Lamido had been hobnobbing with the opposition parties, “I know the Sule I know would not do so even on the face of the firing squad, he is a person that I know that stays where he has the conviction that it is the right place to be.”

Anenih assured Sule Lamido that even as his support is paramount at this crucial time, “we do not use people and dump them.”

In his remarks, Governor Sule Lamido said, PDP was the only political party with the capacity to maintain the existence of Nigeria as a single entity, therefore they  cannot take the risk of allowing the country to be in the hands of the smaller political parties.

Others in Chief Tony Anenih’s entourage include the secretary BoT, Senator Wali Jibrin, Barnabas Gemade, Ahmadu Ali, Senator Ken Nnamani, Hassan Halliru, Chief Ebenezer Babatope and Air Vice Marshal Larry Konya.

Source:Leadership

The controversy over the acronym APC has continues to linger as yesterday, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, refused to register the application by the African Peoples Congress, as INEC said that the APC violated Section 222 (a) of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution as amended.

Speaking for INEC, its Director, Public Affairs, Emmanuel Umenger said that the APC had failed to meet the predetermined necessities saying: “The Commission has written to this political association and had stated in very clear terms that they are in breach of section 222 (a) of the constitution with the additional explanations stated in the letter. The Commission also observed that the submission made on form PA 1 does not contain the addresses of the national officers of the political association as stipulated and it means this association has the responsibility to prove, because these are  the things the commission has observed and the law says if you do not meet any of these requirements you will not be registered as a political party”

“The commission has gone ahead to explain in its letter I have on my table. The letter we have sent today was duly signed by the Secretary to the Commission Abdulahi Kaugama and it is self explanatory, the letter is dated 21, 2013 which was signed and collected by one Michael Ogani of APC.”

INEC in its letter with reference number, INEC/DPPM&L/APC/490/V.1/76, dated March 21, 2013, addressed to  “The Chairman, Proposed African People’s Congress,” and with the title Re-Application for Registration as a political party, it stated that African Peoples Congress breached Section 222 (a) of the Nigeria Constitution.

The letter thus: “Your application for registration as a political party dated 28th February, 2013 refers. The Commission has observed that your association is in breach of Section 222 (a) of the Constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) which stipulates as follows: “No association by whatever name called shall function as a political party unless; the names and addresses of its national officers are registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission. A close observation of your submitted form PA 1 established that it does not contain the addresses of your national officers as stipulated in the provisions above. Consequently, the commission shall not register the proposed African Peoples Congress (APC) as a political party.”

Fresh facts emerged, Monday, on the presence of more illegal aliens suspected to be terrorists in Ijora area of Lagos, as information at Vanguard’s disposal revealed that the suspects, who are Malians and Chadians, were occupying a three-storey building owned by a state government.

Last Thursday’s raid by the Department of State Security, DSS, and men of OP Messa, led to the arrest of two suspected terrorists and recovery of arms and explosives in a building on Aromire Street, Ijora.

However, investigations revealed that the three story-building alleged to be used by the suspected terrorists is also located on Aromire Street, Ijora, close to the house that was raided last week.

Monarch raises alarm

Lagos monarch, Oba Fatai Oyeyinka Aremu, who spoke when traditional heads of major northern tribes resident in Lagos, led by the Seriki Hausa of Lagos State, Alhaji Sani Kadiri Garuba, visited him in his palace, said it would have been a case of the worse casualties in the history of bombings in the country.

He blamed the government that owns the building for the development. The monarch said: “You see, this problem comes from the state government that owns that property. If you go to the house in Ijora, you will see all these Malians there.

“They are squatters and we have written to the state government concerned several times without any response. Ask the Area Commander and the DPO, they will tell you. On our part, we are trying our best.”

Without mincing word, the monarch urged the Seriki Hausa of Lagos to call his people, particularly those in Ijora to order, saying “I am not happy with what happened because your people have been living with us here since. I have been here since 1994 and this kind of thing had never happened.

“We have been taking your people as brothers and sisters. You don’t have to turn back and do this kind of thing to us. Do something because I am not happy at all. Since that day (last Thursday), I have not been sleeping. Please, let this stop. I am giving them warning. Ijora is a no-go area for them.

“If they still remain in Ijora, I will flush them out, Insha Allah. They should not use Ijora as a base. Ijora is not a base for criminals. I do not tolerate nonsense. Please, I am giving them warning again, they should leave my domain. My domain is not meant for criminals. I am talking to you (Seriki).

“Please, call your men to order. Lagos is a no go area for bombings. These people referred to as Malians, Nigeriens live with your people. Please, talk to your Serikis.”

Seriki Arewa speaks

Earlier, the Seriki Hausa and Chairman, council of Arewa chiefs in Lagos, explained that the purpose of the visit was to commiserate with Oba Oyeyinka on what he described as a sad incident, and to pledge the solidarity of northerners under the Arewa councils of chiefs as peace-loving people.

He said: “We will also like to seize this opportunity to emphasise that for intensive security in our nation, we appeal to the Federal Government to do more. Although it is trying its best to check the menace, we urge them to intensify and broaden their security scope, so that this kind of thing will never happen again.

“Lagos is a mini Nigeria and anything that happened to Lagos will affect the whole nation. Finally, I will like to also appeal to other agencies and nationalities with the state to be calm and patient as we continue to live in harmony with each other.”

93 suspects handed over to Immigration

Meantime, a total of 93 illegal aliens were, yesterday, handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service, Alagbon, Ikoyi, for onward prosecution.

The aliens, whose mission in the country could not be ascertained, were mainly Malians, Nigeriens and Chadians.

Their arrest followed a raid by joint security operatives following the discovery of a suspected terrorists’ hideout in Ijora area of Lagos, last Thursday.

Confirming the arrest, spokesman for the Nigeria Immigration Service, Mr. Muyiwa Odunubi, said the suspects would be paraded tomorrow by the Command.

He said: “I can confirm to you that we received 93 suspected Boko Haram members, who were handed over to us by the Police and other security agencies.”

Source: Daily Post