Politics:  

 

 Return Of Old Brigades

An Onitsha High Court orders the reinstatement of the Uchenna Emordi-led Anambra State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP thus fuelling speculations that peace may still take some time to return to the party

 By Tony Oraeki

 The power play in the Anambra State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), seems to be taking another dimension. An Onitsha High Court on September 16 ordered the immediate re-instatement of the former Uchenna Emordi-led executive members of the party. This has further compounded the control over the party structure in the state.

Emordi was until July 2006, the PDP Chairman in Anambra State but in the run off to the 2007 party primaries, the executive was shoved aside to make way for “preferred candidate of the party. Dr. Andy Uba, then the domestic aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had his eyes on the governorship of the state. Incidentally, his younger brother, Chris was also nursing the same ambition. The party executive therefore became the battle ground, and whoever was able to control it was as good as picking the PDP sole ticket. It was in this wise that a seed of discord was sown among the party executives. They allegedly found a ready ally in Chris Orajekwe Newton Iloegbunam, who accused other members of the executives of embezzlement. The duo stormed the party's secretariat, sacked other members of the executive and seized control of the party. The crisis that followed this later paved way for the Tony Nwoye-led party executive, believed to be sponsored by Andy Ubah. The executive cleared the road for Andy, who later emerged governor of the state before the Supreme Court declared Peter Obi's tenure still subsisted. 

Emordi and some members of the executive had gone to court to challenge their removal. For two years, the case was in court until last month when Justice C.E. Iyizoba ordered the national leadership of PDP from restraining the Emordi executive from carrying out its duty or interfering in the activities of the executive. Consequent upon the judgement, Emordi and his team stormed the party secretariat at Udoka Housing Estate Awka on September 26, 2008.

The turn of event is generating concern among party members in Anambra State. The party's national secretariat last month set up Professor Jerry Gana-led committee to reconcile warring factions of the party in the state, the second since the national convention that produced Prince Vincent Ogbulafor-led national leadership. Observers foresee more court judgements, which will further complicate the already factionalised party. Bright Nnebedum, Chairman of Andy Ubah faction of the party is already in court seeking the revalidation of his election, following the cancellation of last year's party congress in the state. The congress, canceled following the recommendation of Senator Jim Nwobodo reconciliation committee. But Ubah group rejected the outcome of the committee's work, insisting that the congress that produced Nnebedum was in accordance with the party's guideline. PDP factional chairman in Anaocha local government area, Hon. Joe Ezeife said Bright Nnebedum is the authentic chairman until his election is vacated by court. He said: “Uche Emordi and his executive are gripped by frustration and illusions, because they can only be mentioned as a reference point in history.” Party chieftain, Chief Damian Ogene, also said the judgement did not give cause for jubilation because the efforts by party leadership for peace to return in Anambra state will take longer time to produce results. The new executive noted that there is no victor no vanquished. According to Emordi, “we are not here on a vengeance mission but to complete what we have started earlier,” adding that the leadership would be an old administration with a new style, where everybody will be carried along and ears would be on ground to listen to anybody's complain. He said the emphasis would be on card-carrying members, who pay their dues and no longer how highly connected one was or one's financial muscle. Emordi notes preparedness of the new executive to organize result-oriented congress, based on option A4 when it falls due in 2010.

Reuben Okpalaoka, the secretary of the new executive, promised that the party will run an all-inclusive policy. The deputy chairman, Ben Udeozor also noted that they took over the party secretariat, based on the instructions from the national executive of the party.

A release, made available to Newsworld from the party described the recent developments in the Anambra state PDP as a “very painful relief, a direct solution to the insoluble political logjam in the national executive of PDP and Anambra State PDP in particular. All the same, it is a no victor, no vanquished situation and purely an act of God.” 

Other members of the new executive, who were at the party's secretariat on 26 September were the secretary, Chief Okpalaoka, deputy chairman, Ben Udeozor, women leader and Mrs. Tessy Ezechukwu, as well as a few other party supporters.

 

The Final Battle

The Appeal Court sitting in Benin City begins hearing in the appeal filed by Governor Osarheimen Osunbor of Edo State against the judgement of the state election petition tribunal that nullified his election

  By Ndubuisi Orji

 Nearly six months after the judgement of Edo State election petitions tribunal, the Appeal Court sitting in Benin on September 25 began hearing on the appeal filed by Governor Osarheimen Osunbor of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, challnging the nullification of his election by the tribunal. The lower tribunal led by Justice Peter Umeadi on March 20, 2008 said Adams Oshiomhole, candidate of the Action Congress, AC, scored the highest number of votes cast in the April 14, 2007 election and therefore ought to have been sworn in as governor and not Osunbor.

The delay in constituting the appeal tribunal by the president of the court of appeal, Justice Umaru Abdullahi, to hear the appeal had drawn the ire of many Nigerians. It was speculated that the delay was part of the strategy by PDP to twist the appeal, at least for a re-run election instead of outright victory to AC. However, the commencement of the appeal last September has restored political activism in Edo State.

Chairman of the appeal tribunal, Justice Saka Ibiyeye, assisted by two other justices, at the commencement of hearing granted Osunbor two additional grounds of appeal. Also granted was leave to the appellant to amend his brief of argument earlier filed. This was sequel to an application by the appellant counsel for leave to consolidate the appeal of the motion granting stay of further proceedings as filed by the appellant on October 4, 2007. The governor and the PDP had filed an interlocutory injunction in the court praying that the case then in the tribunal be stopped for lack of merit. But Justice Ibiyeye who had presided over the case then had ruled that the case be allowed to continue at the tribunal before coming to the appellant court.

The court also granted the prayers of the counsel to the INEC, Chief Kalu Agabi to consolidate the appeal of October 4, 2007 with the substantive appeal while granting Oshiomhole's counsel, Chief Akintola eight days leave to file his consequential brief in response to the new grounds of appeal filed by Osunbor's counsel.

Osunbor is challenging the judgement of the lower tribunal on 13 grounds, while his party, the Peoples Democratic Party is challenging the judgement on 20 grounds. The governor averred that the justices of the lower tribunal “erred in law by returning 1st petitioner (Oshiomhole) as governor of Edo State having held that the election was void in at least 12 local government areas by reason of corrupt practices contrary to section 147(1) of the Electoral Act 2006,” while the party described the judgement as a miscarriage of justice. “There was no pleading or evidence that the 1st petitioner satisfied the mandatory requirement of section 179(2)(a) of the Constitution of the federal Republic of  Nigeria, 1999,” the party argued. It further argued that “if as held by the tribunal, corrupt practices and non-compliance with Electoral Act, 2006 were proved in 12 local governments in dispute out of the 18 local governments of Edo State and that election in two of the remaining six local governments were cancelled, the entire election ought to have been nullified and a fresh election ordered.”

Consequently, Osunbor and the PDP are praying the court to allow their appeal and set aside the tribunal judgement and for an order that the “first appellant (Osunbor) was validly elected as executive governor of Edo State in the gubernatorial election of 14, April 2007.” In the alternative, the appellants are seeking for an order that a fresh election be conducted in the affected local government areas of Edo State.

But an Action Congress chieftain in the State, Hon. Omon Ezomom told Newsworld that the appeal by the governor and his party was a ploy to buy time apparently to enable them tidy up before vacating office. Ezomon, who is a former deputy speaker of the House of Assembly, described the March 20, 2008 judgement of the tribunal as an act of God. According to him, March 20 this year was “a day God came down himself in Edo State in the likeness of men. The state was liberated that day; liberated from tyranny; liberated from backwardness; liberated from dictatorship that has been the lot of the state for a long time.”

Though there are speculations that factionalisation of the PDP in the State will work against Governor Osunbor at the Appeal, but the PDP state vice chairman (south), Owere Dickson Imasogie who belongs to the Anenih faction said, “whether there is faction in our party or not has nothing to do with the case.” Imasogie said the tribunal members were unanimous in their ruling that there were serious irregularities in at least 12 out of 18 local government areas, arguing that whoever that will rule Edo State should not rule with only six local governments. “So a re-run is the best alternative,” he told Newsworld.