20032019 -Petition: My case against Buhari, by Atiku

Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019—15
Imo communities continue to live in
fears after elections
By Chinonso
Alozie
O WERRI—FEAR
has enveloped the
Federal Polytechnic
Nekede, FEDPONEK,
and it’s host community in
Owerri West Local
Government Area in Imo
State, following reports of
multiple killings in the
area.
Investigations by
Vanguard yesterday in
Owerri revealed that the
killings which have earlier
been blamed on activities
of rival cultist groups
fighting for supremacy,
were the outcome of the last
Governorship/House of
Assembly elections in the
area.
This is as the
FEDPONEK, Public
Relations Officer, PRO,
Ever Nwosu said that
students of the institution
were never part of the
reported killings.
No fewer than five
persons were said to have
lost their lives.
A source from one of the
affected communities,
Umuoma, who spoke to
Vanguard on the ground of
anonymity said: “The truth
is that we started seeing
these fights between these
cult members after the
Governorship/House of
Assembly elections.
“On the day of the
elections, we saw some
boys who were threatening
fire and brimstone over the
sharing formula of the
amount of money given to
them by politicians they
worked for and the next day,
we woke to hear gun shots
between the cult groups.
“Probably, they could not
arrive at a sharing formula
and in the process, one
group made away with the
money. As this was
happening, you could see
members of the community
talking with some
students."
He also told Vanguard
that, “This is why it is so
difficult to know whether
the battle is just a cultrelated
matter or a
community crisis. The truth
is that they are young boys
and they could be
students.
“In fact, all I can tell you
now is that it is a mixed
kind of battle; you hear of
the community's youths
fighting today and
tomorrow, you hear of
students fighting. Don’t be
surprised that bad elements
might have taken
advantage of the ugly
development.
“All we are praying for is
the security of our people
and for calm to return. By
the way, elections are over
and there is no need for the
mayhem to continue.”
However, Vanguard
obtained a reaction of the
FEDPONEK through its
PRO, Nwosu, on the story
that it was students of the
institution that were killed
due to cult activities.
According to him: “To the
knowledge of the the
Federal Polytechnic, none
of its students had been
killed, maimed or harassed
in the midst of any cult war.
No incident as reported
ever took place in Federal
Polytechnic Nekede,
neither were academic
activities grounded in the
Polytechnic as a result of
cult war or any cause .
”The management
reiterates once again that
none of those incidents took
place in the Polytechnic,
neither was any of its
bonafide students affected
or its academic activities
grounded in any guise.
“There is no police
deployment into the
campus. The polytechnic
however expresses it’s
implicit confidence in the
ability of the State Police
Commissioner and State
Director of DSS to handle
any incident on alleged
breach of public peace in
any part of the state.”
CELEBRATION: Enugu State Governor and Governor-elect, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (left), with
the Chairman, Post Primary Schools Management Board, PPSMB, Nestor Ezeme (2nd left)
acknowledging cheers from jubilant teachers in the state, during their programme to celebrate
the governor’s victory at the polls, yesterday.
Imo gov candidates laud INEC over polls
By Chinonso
Alozie
OWERRI—TEN Imo
governorship
candidates under the aegis
of Forum of 2019
Governorship Candidates
of Political Parties in Imo
State, yesterday gave the
State Independent
Electoral Commission,
SIEC, a pat on the back on
the just concluded
Governorship/House of
Assembly elections in the
state.
The reason, according to
their spokesperson, Excel
Nwaneri Ochiama, of the
Fresh Democratic Party,
FDP, is that the election
which produced Emeka
Ihedioha of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, was
free, fair and credible.
INEC had declared
Ihedioha of the PDP, winner
of the 2019 governorship
election in the state where
he soared above every
other candidate with the
total of 273,404 votes.
Son-in-law to the
outgoing Governor Rochas
Okorocha, Uche Nwosu, of
the Action Alliance, AA,
who came second position
in the race, with the total
votes of 190,364, had
declared his intention to go
to court to challenge the
outcome of the election.
The candidates who
backed Ihedioha’s victory,
included Chris Ezuma of
Alliance for a United
Nigeria, AUN; Bruno
Oparaocha of Action
Peoples Party, APP; Edwin
Uche of Alliance for
Democracy, AD; and
Chuks Okonya of All
Grand Alliance Party,
AGAP.
Others were Okere
Nnamdi of Reform and
Advancement Party, RAP;
Chibuzor Abanno of
Coalition for Change, C4C;
and Chima Chukwudi of
Action Democratic Party,
ADP, among others.
The spokesperson,
Ochiama, further said that
part of their resolution was
to defend at whatever level
the victory of Ihedioha,
adding that the election
was a true reflection of the
peoples will.
He said that the days of
the outgoing regime,
which he described as
“days of suffering” were
over, pointing out that
Nwosu should forget going
to court as there was no
case to be argued.
Part of their submission
read: “As everybody is
aware, the 2019
governorship election in
Imo State has come and
gone. To the glory of God,
Imo now has a new
governor-elect in the
person of His Excellency
Emeka Ihedioha of the
PDP.
“At this stage, we are
appealing to all contestants
and political parties to join
hands with Ihedioha in his
mission of rebuilding Imo.
We harbour no doubt that
he will discharge his
expected duties diligently
as governor of Imo State.
“To us, the governorship
election in Imo State was
free, fair and credible. The
winner, Emeka Ihedioha,
emerged through a
transparent process which
conformed with the
constitutional requirements
of the Electoral Act as
amended."
INEC ad hoc staff protest unpaid
allowances in Anambra
Group laments drop in political
participation by women
N
N
By Vincent
Ujumadu
AWKA—SOME ad hoc
staff of the
Independent National
Electoral Commission,
INEC, in the February 23
and March 9 elections in
Anambra State yesterday
protested non-payment of
their allowances.
The protesters, who
demonstrated in front of
INEC secretariat in Awka,
described the continued
withholding of their
allowances by the electoral
body as "wicked and
unconscionable."
They were however
prevented from gaining
entrance into the INEC
premises.
Spokesperson for the
protesters, Ikechukwu
Mike said: “Only few of
By Chimaobi
Nwaiwu
E W I —
DISSATISFIED
with the level of women
involvement in the current
political dispensation, the
Shoulder for Gender
Support and Development
Initiative, has called for
more women involvement
in Nigerian politics.
The initiative said that
women and men should
,therefore have equal
rights,
voice,
responsibilities and
opportunities in societies,
political, economic
environment and at work
place and in the home
stead.
Speaking yesterday in
Nnewi during a seminar,
Executive Director of the
Initiative, Mrs Chioma
By Dirisu Yakubu
A BUJA—FORMER
governor of Anambra
State and Vice Presidential
candidate of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, in
February 23, 2019 election,
Mr. Peter Obi has said that
by challenging the outcome
of the election at the
tribunal, the candidate of
the party, Atiku Abubakar
and the PDP have chosen
the most civilized manner
to seek redress and growth
in the nation’s democracy.
Obi also eulogised Atiku
“for always standing for
democracy” even as he
lauded the PDP for
“successfully nurturing
democracy for 16 years and
conducting one of the most
credible elections it lost and
seamlessly handed over.”
The former governor in a
short statement from his
us employed by INEC as
ad hoc staff were paid
while many were left empty
handed in spite of the
harrowing experiences we
passed through during the
polls.
“We have made our
complaints known to the
desk officer in charge of
payment in INEC who
asked us to compile our list
with bank details, but
nothing positive has come
out of it.
“Some of the people you
see here worked in distant
communities outside Awka.
When we first reported
here, we were directed to
the local government areas
where we worked, but
again it became a whole of
trouble to see the Returning
Officers at the local
government areas."
Okeke said political
processes, particularly the
political electoral aspect of
politics in Nigeria can only
get better if women are
actively involved.
The seminar with the
theme, “Balance for Better”
disclosed that women if
involved in political
processes achieve better
and are focused in any
assignment they are given
and issues that concern
their constituents.
“However, in the current
political dispensation, we
have noticed to an alarming
rate, the inadequate
participation of women in
Nigerian politics which has
distanced them from
governance and other
political positions of
authority and leadership in
Nigeria."
Obi hails Atiku, PDP for
standing for democracy
media office after they filed
a petition against the
victory of President
Muhammadu Buhari and
his party, the All
Progressives Congress,
APC, in Abuja; said all
lovers of democracy and
justice should be happy
with the development.
Obi said it would have
been suicidal to ignore “the
monumental fraud that
characterized the February
23 Presidential election and
let it go unchallenged,”
stressing that as a party that
believe in justice and the
rule of law, the PDP chose
to head to the tribunal to
seek redress.“By
challenging the fraud, we
have decided to deepen
democracy the civilized way
as a party and a people that
believe in the rule of law,"
the statement read.