Politics

Why Obi Can’t Win At Supreme Court – Rivers LP Chairman

Published

2 years ago

October 22, 2023

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has been advised not to further spend resources to appeal the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPT, at the Supreme Court against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Obi’s legal team was blamed for not presenting adequate facts and evidences at the Tribunal which led to the party and the presidential candidate losing out at the Tribunal.

Speaking exclusively with Vanguard in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, the chairman of LP, Hon Dienye Pepple said Obi’s insistence to appeal the earlier judgment was a misplaced decision which will only amount to lose of time, energy and resources.

“Every party has the right to appeal. The truth is that and I must be realistic to you, I don’t see anything coming out of that case because base on the judgment that the Tribunal gave, if you take time to analyze it, you will see that our party did not present our case well.

“Yes, we have a lot of evidences but those evidences were not well registered at the tribunal. They just took the result sheets and dumped them somewhere there. The lawyers of Peter Obi and that of the labour Party did not do their jobs well. One thing about the court is that they don’t believe in social media noise or people’s opinion. There must be facts to prove your point.

“The legal team did not prove their case well. Going to the Supreme Court will be a job in futility. The party did not even pay its agents. Former LP national chairman, Julius Abule refused to release money to pay the agents. That was why the agents have refused to come out and testify. The legal team and Abule killed the chances of the party at the court”.

Pepple claimed that he had to personally pay the agents just to get the results sheets from them. “I had to personally paid the agents to release some result sheets to me which I took to Abuja. There is nothing to prove that our result was reduced. What figure did we score and what figure was it reduced to? What are the evidences that we won the election? Nobody wins election without releasing money to the agents and LP did not do so”.

The same way they handled the tribunal case is how they will handle the Supreme Court case. Nothing difference will happen. Is a white goose chase.

I believe that Obi won the election. But is a legal matter which has nothing to do with opinion. The law believes in evidence and facts.

Speaking on the forthcoming local government elections in March in Rivers state, Pepple said “we are thinking on how to win the forthcoming election in March, all things being equal. We are working towards clinching most of the seats as the third biggest party in Rivers state. We have one federal House of Reps member here in the state. We will have more councilors and chairmen in the council election”.

He called on the national leadership of the LP to begin preparations for the 2027 general elections where the party hopes to do better. “We have to go back and look at where we made mistakes so that in 2027 we can be well prepared. Obi’s coming into the Labour Party was a bit late. Now we have room to prepare very well”, he said.

Politics

Crack In Edo APC As Group Accuses Party Chieftain Of Acting Opposition’s Script

Published

14 hours ago

November 25, 2025

Editor

All seems not well with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as a pro-APC group known as Sustainable Development and Progress accused a chieftain of the party, honourable
Luqman Mohammed of playing the script of the opposition parties to destabilise the APC in Edo North Senatorial District.

This, according to the group, is responsible for the sharp division in Etsako West Local Government Area.

A statement by the spokesman of the group, Peter Mohammed, the body accused Mohammed and “his cohorts of convening a secret meeting at the residence of a top chieftain of the party where it was decided that the destabilization of the APC would begin from Edo North ahead of the 2027 General election.”

The cracks in the APC were sad to become obvious when Mohammed, who they claimed is an ally the immediate past Attorney- General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN), allegedly led some leaders to suspend Alhaji Shaka Okwilague, the leader of ward 11 in Etsako West Local Government Area (Edo North ) of the state.

This action, according to the group, worsed an already tensed political situation in Edo North APC, and in retaliation, the suspended leader, Okwilague alongside other members moved against those that they claimed are behind the suspension—allegedly led by Mohammed.

The APC group also accused the former Edo State House of Assembly member of being a mole and a willing tool planted by the opposition leaders to destabilise the existing peace in the party.

The group alleged that “Luqman Mohammed attends APC meetings during the day and PDP’s meetings at night,” and vowed to expose and resist his efforts.

The group, while stating that Mohammed’s action amounts to “…working against the interest of the party,” alleged that “his recent outburst against the party was part of PDP and ADC’s plots and called for a thorough investigation of the weighty allegations.”

Meanwhile, a communique issued by the Ward Executive Committee and leaders
Etsako West Local Government Area, a resolutions, part of which is the suspension of some executive officers, and members.

The communique reads: “The ward 11 APC Executive Committee and leaders held a meeting on Monday 10 November, 2025 at 6:00 pm in the party secretariat Jattu-Uzairue Etsako West Edo State.

“The meeting aimed to discuss the following. The purported suspension ‘carryout’ (sic) by the Ward Chairman, Secretary and Youth Leader against Uzairue Leader Alhaji Shaka Okwilague aka Shamac.

“Anti-party activities fractionalizing and creating parallel party disobedience in carrying out lawful directives of the party. The meeting was focused to know if those allegedly suspended ‘violate’ article 21 of APC party constitution.

“It was unanimously agreed to set up a disciplinary committee to investigate and report back to the house which was headed by Comrade Osumah Musa Afuosino.

“According to the disciplinary committee set up which was headed by Comrade Osumah Musa Afuosino, the Ward Chairman Daudu Jafaru Abubuakar, the Ward Secretary Yusuf Bala Bello and Youth, leader Francis Aliu ‘contravene’ and violated the article 21 of APC party constitution thereby recommended immediate suspension for them.

“At the end of the investigation the Ward Executive Committee (WEC) considered the report of the disciplinary committee which was headed by Comrade Osumah Musa Afuosino. Having carefully reviewed the finding and recommendation, the Ward Executive Committee resolved to approve their immediate suspension from the APC in Ward Eleven.

“Their actions had undermined the unity and integrity of the party, warning them against identifying as a member or acting on behalf of the party in any capacity. The LGA, ‘part’, SEC party and NWC party should as a matter of urgency ratify the above ‘mention’ names.

“It was unanimously agreed again that the Vice Chairman Mrs. Josephine Dokpesi should immediately be the Acting Chairman in line with the APC party constitution and oversee the political affairs of the ward pending time lifting of the suspension of the above ‘mention’ names.

“The entire Ward Executive Committee of Ward Eleven passed an implicit and undiluted vote of confidence on our indefatigable leader, the person of Alhaji Shaka Okwilague aka Shamac.”

Reacting, Mohammed denied allegations leveled against him and blamed the crisis on outsiders who have invaded ward 11 where he is the number one leader, to impose their stooges.

The former Deputy Governor of the state, Comrade Philip Shaibu is also from the ward.

While defending himself via a telephone interview, the former Edo House of Assembly member and later Board member of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), frowned at the composition of the panel established by the State Working Committee to investigate the crisis in ward 11, especially the appointment of Mr. Blessing Agbonmere as head and Alhaji Shaka Okwilague, the suspended leader as member of the panel.

Mohammed said Okwilague cannot be a judge in his own case and that Agbonmere is an interloper working to implement a script.

Politics

Oshiomhole Blasts Amaechi, Says He Built Railway To Niger Republic Instead Of Port Harcourt

Published

2 days ago

November 24, 2025

Editor

Senator Adams Oshiomhole on Monday criticised former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, accusing him of poor judgment and misplaced priorities during his tenure in office.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Oshiomhole said: “Rotimi Amaechi is the most terrible. Look at the choice of language. A guy who shut down Rivers judiciary because he wanted to appoint his own personal favourite as chief judge of Rivers State. Once he couldn’t have his way, the Rivers State judiciary was shut down for almost two years.

“Look at the crisis in the railway system that he superintendent over for eight unbroken years. He was unable to get the priorities right, playing to the gallery.

“Now he rather constructed a rail, not to Kano, not to Port Harcourt, where he came from, but to Niger Republic.

“Which goods are we sending to Niger Republic? He was a minister. And if you were a minister under Buhari, you will be fair to him, life or death, that Buhari gave anyone he appointed free hand to do the job he assigned to you. That is what Buhari was.”

Politics

State Police Can No Longer Be Delayed – South-West Governors

Published

2 days ago

November 24, 2025

Editor

The Southwest Governors Forum is set to create a South West Regional Security Fund to strengthen responses to insecurity in the region.

This initiative aims to address the rise in kidnapping, banditry, illegal mining, and unregulated interstate migration.

The decision was reached during a meeting of the six governors on Monday at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Ibadan, Oyo State.

In the communiqué issued at the end, it was agreed that all six states would support coordinated operations, joint intelligence sharing, and rapid-response initiatives across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti states.

The governors also emphasised that the establishment of state police “can no longer be delayed.”

They applauded President Bola Tinubu for security interventions in states affected by kidnappings, while urging sustained attention on regional development.