Politics

Anxiety Heightens Over Enugu, Abia Gov Results

Published

3 years ago

March 22, 2023

Anxiety over the release of the results of the governorship elections in Enugu and Abia States continued, yesterday, as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Labour Party, LP, continued to lay claims to victories.

Both parties have continued to mount pressure on the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, to declare the results and announce their candidates as the winner.

They have also laid siege at the INEC office, vowing not to depart until the results were declared.

In Abia State, the story is the same, as both the LP and PDP accused INEC of trying to manipulate the results.

The contention in Abia were votes from Obingwa Local Government Area, but Ferdinand Ekeoma, Media Aide to the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Dr. Alex Otti, has argued that even if the entire accredited voters in the local council were allocated to the candidate of the ruling PDP, Okey Ahiwe, Otti would still win the poll.

Meantime, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has charged the INEC to expedite action on the release of the results of the governorship elections, held in the two states, as further delay had the potential of calling the credibility of the results to question.

LP supporters besiege INEC office, say Edeoga won

In Enugu, members of the “Obidient Movement,” as well as the supporters of the Labour Party governorship candidate for Enugu State, Chijoke Edeoga, have besieged the premises of the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, Enugu, insisting that Labour Party won the election.

The irate supporters who had been keeping vigil for two days along the major roads leading to INEC office since security agents barricaded the road, mounted canopies and have stayed put until they reclaim their supposed mandate.

The supporters also pulled resources together and have been eating and drinking since the vigil began.

Speaking to our correspondent on the incident, the Enugu State chairman of LP, Casmir Agbo said that they were there because they didn’t want PDP to manipulate the outcome of the election.

“We are here because of the governorship election that PDP is trying to manipulate. We won convincingly in all the 17 local government areas. We won by more than 11,000 votes. We have seen the results. The only problem is Nkanu East.” Agbo said.

The Director General, DG, of Take Back Enugu For Edeoga Initiative, Nnamdi Anigbo said they would not bulge until they reclaim their mandate.

PDP protesters also occupying INEC office

Similarly, PDP, protesters have vowed to keep occupying Enugu INEC office until Mbah is declared winner.

The protesters, who mounted several canopies with food and drinks at the WAEC Junction just before the state headquarters of INEC, disagreed with the commission on its decision to suspend the announcement of the final results and declaration of Mbah as the winner of the governorship contest.

They also accused the INEC of adopting different rules from the one it used during the national collation of presidential election results, where it ignored complaints from the agents of opposition parties.

Spokesman of the protesters and former member of House of Representatives, Usa Igwesi, who spoke to newsmen, accused INEC of usurping the duties of the Election Petition Tribunals and warned that Enugu State was running out of patience as a result of the continuous withholding of the governorship election results.

He said: “We don’t need any soothsayer to tell us that Peter Mbah won the election. We’re surprised that INEC is still holding this result undeclared. We want to inform them that Enugu State is running out of patience. We are asking them to declare the result and announce Mbah of PDP winner. As long as they keep holding the results, we keep occupying Enugu”.

Announce collated results from 17 LGAs

Meantime, political parties in Enugu State under the auspices of Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, have called on the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to direct the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu State, Dr. Chukwuemeka J. Chukwu and the State Returning Officer, Prof. Maduebibisi O. Iwe to as a matter of urgency announce the already collated results of governorship election from the 17 local government areas and declare the winner of the election without further delay.

IPAC which made the call during a press conference in Enugu, yesterday, stated that “any action short of this will be outside the law and could bring anarchy to an already fragile situation,” stressing that “INEC has no power under our laws to review collated results.”

Leaders of the political parties at the press conference were Edwin Ikechukwu Alor of Accord Party and State Chairman of IPAC; Innocent Ezeoha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Deputy Chairman of IPAC; Dr. Afam Ani of APP; Ken Ikeh of APM; Elvis Ugwoke of ZLP who is the Secretary General of IPAC; and Nnaemeka Oko of AAC.

Others were Stella Chukwuma of ADC; Dr. Mrs. Chinyere Madike of ADP; Louis Chiedozie Ugwu of NRM and Magnus Ezea of SDP.

The parties maintained that “the results of the 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs), including those of Nkanu East and Nsukka LGAs, were all collated by the State Returning Officer on March 19, 2023” stating that “by the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, the only other duty remaining for the State Returning Officer, who is acting on INEC’s behalf is to add up the figures, announce them, and declare the winner in line with Section 65 and 66 of the Electoral Act 2022.”

Even if PDP is allocated all votes from Obingwa, Otti still leads Abia poll —Aide

Ekeoma, Otti’s aide who addressed a press conference yesterday in Umuahia, explained that Otti according to the results declared by INEC from the 16 Local Government Areas is maintaining a comfortable lead with 92,720 votes as he polled 171,747 as against PDP’s 79,477.

He further explained that since only 26,884 voters were captured as accredited voters from Obingwa LGA according to INEC record, Otti would still win the contest even if the entire votes from Obingwa were awarded to the PDP.

Ekeoma said it was strange and imaginary for the PDP to claim to have garnered over 100,000 votes from Obingwa which recorded fewer than 27,000 accredited voters during the polls.

He further explained that the House of Assembly election which held the same day using the same accredited voters did not produce more than 27,000 voters for both state constituencies in Obingwa.

He, therefore, urged INEC to quickly declare Otti winner of the Abia governorship election without any further delay to douse the building tension across the state.

Obi charges INEC to release Abia, Enugu guber polls results

Meanwhile in a statement by the Obi-Datti Media Office, in Abuja, the LP presidential candidate frowned at the continued delay in releasing the results of both elections held on Saturday.

“Obi noted that further delay will question the commission’s intent and credibility of the election.“He said: “Having carefully followed the unfolding events relating to the Gubernatorial Elections in the above two states, let me categorically emphasize the imperative of releasing the gubernatorial election results of Abia and Enugu states immediately.

“I am aware that the Independent National Electoral Commission said they are reviewing the Collation of the Results in these two states. However, I would like to urge them to accelerate action on this as their continued delay is questioning INEC’s intent and the credibility of the Election.”

He expressed disappointment that “48 hours” after the elections were conducted, it is disheartening that the commission is yet to resolve whatever issues that are holding back the release of the results.

“The records of the elections from polling units should not be difficult to calculate if the electoral officials are committed to the integrity of the exercise in line with the stipulated guidelines,” he added.

Politics

Probe Natasha’s Allegations Against Akpabio, Afenifere Urges FG

Published

2 days ago

September 26, 2025

Editor

The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has urged the Federal Government to investigate sexual harassment allegations levelled by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The call followed the Senate’s decision to lift Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension.

This, Afenifere said should not overshadow the need to establish the truth of her claims.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Afenifere’s National Organising Secretary, Kole Omololu, said the senator’s recall reflected commitment to the rule of law.

“We commend the Senate President, His Excellency Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Senate leadership for taking a decision that further reinforces the country’s rule of law,” Omololu said.

The group, however, insisted that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations must not be ignored.

“For over six months, where are the facts and evidence of her grave allegations?” Afenifere asked.

It called on the “Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to carry out a full investigation into the matter.”

Afenifere also recalled Akpoti-Uduaghan’s past false sexual harassment claims against former presidential aide Reno Omokri, which ended in an out-of-court settlement.

“Does this not suggest that, without proof, her allegations against Akpabio are suspicious?” Omololu asked.

The group further criticised Akpoti-Uduaghan for taking her claims to international media, including BBC, CNN, Sky News and Deutsche Welle, saying the move portrayed Nigeria negatively abroad.

It also queried her participation in a session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in New York.

“If Natasha truly participated in the IPU meeting without due nomination, then it simply revealed her compromise or manipulation of our public institutions for pecuniary ends,” the group said.

In March 2025, Natasha was suspended for six months after a row in plenary and her petition accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.

She claimed the incident happened in December 2023, but the Senate’s Ethics Committee dismissed her petition on procedural grounds. Despite a court order halting disciplinary action, the Senate went ahead with her suspension, which also froze her pay and barred her from official duties.

Akpoti-Uduaghan challenged the suspension in court, insisting it was tied to her allegations. While the Senate said it acted over misconduct, the case attracted global attention after she granted interviews to international media. The matter remains unsettled, with Afenifere now urging federal authorities to investigate her claims.

Meanwhile, Natasha formally resumed her duties at the National Assembly on October 7, 2025, after her six-month suspension ended – and immediately claimed that Akpabio is a dictator.

And almost immediately, Akpabio’s media aide Kenny Okolugbo debunked the claim.

Politics

2027: Drama As Atiku Disowns Media Consultant Over Statement On Yoruba

Published

3 days ago

September 25, 2025

Editor

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has denied any association with a media consultant named Kola Johnson.

This is as he also rejected statements released by the media consultant on Wednesday that he would protect Yoruba interests if elected as president in 2027.

Atiku, in a statement issued on Thursday by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, alleged that “faceless mercenaries” are behind the false press statement just to discredit him.

He also dismissed the claim as “false and offensive,” describing it as part of a calculated propaganda project to ridicule him in the media.

The statement specifically mentioned one Kola Johnson, described as a “self-styled media consultant,” who allegedly released a publication claiming that an Atiku administration would be dominated by a single ethnic group.

The statement read, “Our findings point directly to the Presidency, which, in its desperation to smear opposition leaders, has resorted to hiring faceless mercenaries to fabricate fake stories and circulate unauthorised statements on Atiku.

“Particularly offensive is the false claim attributed to this individual that an Atiku administration would be dominated by a single ethnic group. This disinformation is part of a calculated propaganda project designed to ridicule Atiku in the media.

“Let it be clear: Atiku Abubakar has never engaged one Kola Johnson as a media consultant, aide, or associate. Any statement issued in that name is fake and should be disregarded. We urge media houses that have published such falsehoods to immediately retract them.”

The statement also clarified that authentic information on the former Vice President is only released through his Media Adviser or Special Assistant on Public Communications.

“Editors and media gatekeepers are strongly advised to verify with the Atiku Media Office before publication,” the statement added.

It was widely reported on Wednesday that Atiku has assured people of the South-West geo-political zone that their interest would remain central to his policy direction if elected President in 2027, noting that his long-standing marital and cultural ties to the region make him family.

The report quoted a statement by one, Kola Johnson, as saying that the former Vice President spoke during an engagement with select stakeholders.

The report said Atiku described the people of the South-West as one of the finest species of the human race, noting that his marriage to a Yoruba woman in the 1970s forged a permanent bond between him and the Yorubas.

He dismissed fears of Hausa/Fulani domination under his leadership as unfounded, insisting that the Yoruba were his larger extended family and in-laws.

The former vice president added that his Yoruba connections extend beyond family, as some of his closest friends and associates were from the region.

“In case you don’t know or have forgotten, I was married to my first wife, Titi, a Yoruba woman, in the 70s, and we have four Yoruba children together. She is now over 75 years old, and we are still together.

“Besides, the Yoruba are so sophisticated and highly educated that you can only toy with them at your peril,” Atiku stated. “My Ijesha-born Yoruba wife is more than a wife to me. Aptly put, she is my Jewel of Inestimable value and anybody who knows about my family, even from a distance, can easily tell you this.”

Politics

PHOTOS: Atiku, El-Rufai, Tambuwal, Others Attends ADC Meeting In Abuja

Published

3 days ago

September 25, 2025

Editor

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on Thursday attended a meeting of the African Democratic Congress coalition leaders in Abuja, alongside several prominent politicians.

Among those present were former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai; ex-Minister of Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; ADC National Chairman and former Senate President, David Mark; former Kwara State governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed; and ex-Sokoto governor, Aminu Tambuwal.

In a post on his official X handle, Atiku described the gathering as part of efforts to resist what he called entrenched interests holding back Nigeria’s development.

He stated that the meeting was also against the oligarchs who promote poverty and insecurity in the country.

He wrote, “I am currently at the stakeholders meeting of the Coalition African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abuja. It’s a meeting of the Nigerian people against the oligarchs who promote poverty and insecurity in the land.”

The ADC coalition was adopted in July by opposition politicians as the platform to challenge for power in the 2027 general elections.

The African Democratic Congress, originally formed in 2005 as the Alliance for Democratic Change, later changed its name to ADC and was officially registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission in 2011. The party positioned itself as a centrist alternative to the dominant Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress.

Over the years, it has attracted defectors and reform-minded politicians seeking to build a third force in Nigeria’s political landscape.

Other members of the coalition include former PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus; 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi; ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; former House of Representatives Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha; ex-Kogi Central Senator, Dino Melaye, and a former National Chairman of the APC, Odigie Oyegun.