Politics
Group blasts Umahi for moving against Peter Obi
***Says he can’t tell them presidential candidate to vote
The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in Diaspora (AEISCID), a socio-cultural organisation with interest in politics and governance of the state has taken a swipe at Ebonyi state Governor, Engr. David Umahi for insinuating that the people of the State will vote Tinubu rather than Peter Obi in 2023 general election.
The group said it was disappointing, disgusting and unfortunate for Umahi to go against the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo” after his lost at the All Progressives Congress presidential primary election.
He was quoted to have said Ebonyi people won’t vote for Peter Obi or any other presidential candidate in 2023 general elections but Bola Tinubu of the APC.
The Ebonyi governor got a paltry 38 votes from delegates of state at the recent APC presidential primary election.
But reacting to Umahi’s comments where he attacked the leadership of the Ohaneze Ndigbo, AEISCID through a statement released in Abuja, Tuesday by its President worldwide, Ambassador Pascal Oluchchukwu, asked all the eligible voters in the state to ignore the governor and go ahead to vote their conscience in 2023.
Oluchukwu said: “Ebonyi people should therefore disregard his utter gibberish and be ready to elect candidates based on their pedigrees and credentials, competence and capacity across all levels in the 2023 general elections!
“AEISCID will always be there to make informed comments and opinions on who and which candidate will be capable to restore and redeem our lost image and rescue our beloved State from the clutches of Umahi’s tyranny.”
“In the most bizarre manner, Umahi proclaimed that Ohaneze Ndigbo President, Prof. George Obiozor was no longer his President and that he wouldn’t have anything in common with the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization.
“In another worrisome media statement credited to the Governor, Umahi had in a near public threat waggishly thundered that Ebonyians will only vote APC’s Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu and all APC candidates in the 2023 elections. As in the days of the infamous Roman Emperors in the first Century who often centralized authority only in their own hands using the dual control strategy, Umahi’s dictatorship has so grown that he now assumes Ebonyi and by extension, Igbo nation to be an instrument under his imperial peerage.
“Even the PDP that provided him the tallest ladder to power and the men who were behind that have all been thrown under the bus by a rapaciously greedy and selfish Governor Umahi. In November 2020 when he defected to the APC thinking he would have coerced Ebonyians to sink the PDP boat in the State and follow him, Umahi boasted that his mission was to actualize the Igbo Presidency and he has severally mentioned it in the media that he would be in sever pains if the APC fails to give an Igbo man its Presidential ticket.
“How the Uburu butterfly began to assume himself a bird is unimaginable to this noble association. But now that he has tested his unpopularity and eaten from his own poisoned chalice of the betrayals that is Nigeria’s national politics, Umahi should be advised to lick his wounds in silence and not try to create a bad blood between Ebonyians and their loving Igbo brothers.
“He has in the first instance never been seen to genuinely or even pretentiously fight any Igbo cause needless to talk of assuming he would be rallied round as an Igbo Presidential material. Igbos know their own and those who love them. And it is certainly not those fighting against their collective interests and agenda who would sell them out to their enemies like an Umahi who even denies his true identity.
“The vociferous threat that Ebonyians will vote his APC and not any other candidate is one of the most undemocratic assertions that chiefly points at how much of a Lord Manor he assumes to have become in Ebonyi with his prebendal survivalist politics. Only a man who suffers serial inferiority complexities like Umahi would want to force his choice of Tinubu on Ebonyians and we dare that he would never succeed.”
Speaking on what Umahi termed betrayal in Igbo land, Oluchukwu said: :When we watched and read Umahi lament in frustration about what he termed betrayal from his Igbo brothers at the APC primaries, AEISCID the world over, actually wondered if his frustration was not degenerating into depression.
“Umahi, as many would know is a man whose political life and records is laddened with serial betrayals beginning from his entry into Nigeria’s political murky waters to his meteoric rise to the exalted position of a State Governor yet on the betrayal of his erstwhile boss and predecessor, Chief Martin Elechi. This is a man whose betrayal records in Nigeria’s politics are most unprecedented in history. It is on record that his word has never been his bond in both business and politics as self preservation and self-centeredness is often at the epicentre of virtually all his political antecedents and decisions.
“His betrayal records are clear and verifiable that in 1999, he was the first to betray in Ebonyi politics when he dumped his elder brother, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu who had drafted him from Portharcourt to assist in his Governorship campaign council and worked for his opponent, Dr. Sam Egwu who eventually emerged the first Civilian Governor of Ebonyi State. In 2007, it is on record that he, Umahi still betrayed the same Dr. Onu for the second time by working for the victory of Chief Elechi in 2007 against his brother- a development that had angered some youths from his Uburu village into burning down his property and consequently ‘banishing’ him.
“It was in order to compensate him for the ignoble betrayal role he played in his emergence as Governor that Elechi unilaterally imposed him as the State’s PDP Chairman and later made him a running mate in 2011 while empowering him with several contract awards. Three years after when Elechi’s succession plans topped gear, Umahi was the very first to betray his choice of Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu as his preferred successor. We recall that he had while pretending not to be interested in the pursuit of his gubernatorial ambition any longer pressurized Elechi to pay him back all he was owed in contracts so he can peacefully retire with same.
“As soon as he was paid, Umahi made a u-turn and rushed to PDP’s Waddata plaza where his already-established contacts helped him reach out to the Presidency which assisted him plot a comprehensive hijack of the Party against Elechi. That was how he emerged Governor in the first place after cutting deals with some Anambra business moguls that funded him. Today, he has betrayed all of those who held the ladder for him to climb to power. He had since betrayed many confidential cause and moves even within the PDP hierarchy and publicly boasted that he was 100% APC and 100% PDP.
“How about the thousands of civil servants in Ebonyi who were also betrayed by Umahi after he promised them a humongous 100% increase in their salaries and emoluments? Immediately he was sworn in to office, a very unfaithful Umahi told the workers that he is not God that makes and fulfills promises. And what also about the promises he made to various communities during his campaigns in 2015 and 2019 that has remained unfulfilled? Did he not also betray the youths who he promised to pay N1m each after the EndSARS imbroglio who are still demanding he fulfills his promise? Where he has left majority of the people that worked for and assisted him rise to power? We maintain that if betrayal was a Course to be studied in School, Umahi would be Dean of Studies!”
Politics
NASS caucus assures PDP Will Bounce Back, insists Party is greater than Wike, Damagun
Senate minority Leader and key member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus, Senator Abba Moro, has reiterated the party’s commitment to restructuring and regaining its electoral strength.
Speaking after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Assembly caucus meeting on Wednesday, Moro addressed concerns about the party’s recent setbacks and ongoing efforts to prepare for future electoral challenges.
Moro emphasized that the PDP remains resilient despite recent losses, including gubernatorial elections, and is strategizing to strengthen the party.
“We discussed the affairs of the party, particularly as we approach a critical meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC)to take vital decisions on the state of the PDP,” Moro said.
“We are intensifying efforts to ensure the party grows stronger and prepares for subsequent elections without distractions.”
Addressing allegations of vote buying in recent elections, Moro expressed concern over the state of Nigeria’s democracy and the conduct of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Everyone is worried about Nigeria’s democracy,” he said. “INEC has faced criticism, but every failure is a lesson. We must ensure that mandates stolen from the people, like in Edo State, are restored. Failure should become a mechanism for future success.”
Responding to criticisms of PDP’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun, Moro dismissed claims that his leadership has been detrimental to the party.
“The PDP is not just about one individual,” he stated. “Damagun is the acting chairman, but PDP is about all its members. We are working round the clock to return the PDP to its winning ways.”
He also downplayed the influence of PDP members like FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who has been associated with the APC.
Moro likened such political dynamics to bipartisan endorsements seen in the United States, emphasizing that PDP remains focused on rebuilding.
“Anyone working against the PDP today will have to contend with the resilience of PDP members,” he warned.
Highlighting the party’s long-standing reputation, Moro described the PDP as a resilient brand that has always bounced back from challenges.
“PDP is a brand,” he declared. “Despite temporary setbacks, we will bounce back. Once our electoral laws are strengthened, future election results will not be the same.”
When asked who should be blamed for the party’s challenges, Moro refrained from finger-pointing, stating:
“The most important thing is that something is not right. We are working to fix it, and we will get it right.”
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from the PDP Senate caucus to revitalize the party and ensure better outcomes in upcoming elections.
Politics
Prince Adewole Adebayo Condemns Ondo Election, Calls It an “Ondo Auction”
***Describes Process as “Victimless Crime” in Scathing Critique
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has issued a critical assessment of the recent Ondo State Governorship Election, labeling it an “Ondo Auction.”
Adebayo argued that the election was less about genuine democracy and more about transactional politics, with “willing buyers” and “willing sellers” dominating the process.
Taking to his X account, Adebayo suggested that the Ondo election could serve as a case study for the Central Bank’s foreign exchange practices, given the efficient “marketplace” nature of the vote.
He lamented what he saw as a lack of authentic voter engagement, claiming that ballots appeared to be traded as commodities rather than cast with genuine intent.
Adebayo extended his criticism to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the police, and major media outlets, whom he accused of watching passively as the alleged auction unfolded.
Offering sarcastic congratulations to those who “purchased” the victory, he sympathized with voters, whom he felt had unknowingly relinquished their democratic power in a flawed process.
Quoting a biblical phrase, “Father Forgive Them For They Know Not What They Do,” Adebayo expressed sadness over the state of democracy in Ondo and called for divine intervention to steer Nigeria towards a more transparent electoral future.
In his post, Adebayo remarked: “The Ondo State Governorship Election of yesterday is what criminologists would term as victim-less crimes: a spectacle of willing buyers @OfficialAPCNg meeting willing sellers in a perfect market that should be an example for @cenbank in the foreign exchange markets. Ondo Auction is smoother than the Dutch Auction. Four years sold so freely and openly that no one should lie that they were coerced or intimidated or browbeaten. And @PoliceNG and @inecnigeria @AIT_Online @ARISEtv @KAFTAN_TV @channelstv @NTANewsNow all witnessed it live.
“No one should pretend that they need someone to interview over this. It is in order to congratulate the buyers on their purchased ‘victory’ while shedding some tears for the sellers with the Calvary elegy that ‘Father Forgive Them For They Knoweth Not What They Do.’ God Bless Nigeria and may God Guide Ondo State.”
Adebayo’s post has since sparked conversation across the country, with calls for reform and a stronger commitment to electoral integrity in Nigeria.
Politics
Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus Reinstated as LP’s Candidate for Ondo Governorship Election
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the reinstatement of Olorunfemi Ayodele Festus as the Labour Party (LP) candidate for the Ondo State governorship election, replacing Olusola Ebiseni just hours before the vote.
The decision followed a Court of Appeal ruling which overturned an earlier Federal High Court judgment that had named Ebiseni as the party’s candidate.
In an official statement shared on its X handle, INEC confirmed receiving the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the appellate court’s judgment.
INEC’s statement explained that the Federal High Court in Abuja had initially directed the Commission on September 27, 2024, to recognize Ebiseni as LP’s candidate, but the Court of Appeal nullified this decision, citing jurisdictional issues.
In compliance with the appellate court’s ruling, INEC restored Festus’s candidacy, adding his name to their website as the official Labour Party nominee for the 2024 Ondo State Governorship election.
This unexpected development introduces a last-minute shift for the Labour Party, which has been actively preparing for a competitive election.
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