Gov. Tambuwal Emerges Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum

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January 27, 2020

Sokoto state governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has emerged the chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governors forum.

He was elected by his colleagues at a meeting Sunday night.

A statement by Muhammad Bello, the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to governor said his emergence was as a result of a unanimous appointment by the PDP governors while in their 88th National Executive Council meeting.

By this development, Tambuwal now replaces outgoing Bayelsa state governor, Seriake Dickson, who was absent at the meeting and whose tenure will elapse on February 3.

Tambuwal while accepting the leadership responsibility entrusted in him by the PDP governors, he pledged to run an inclusive administration hence contributing his quota in moving the party forward.

Also speaking at the party’s NEC meeting, the Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jubrin, said that the party will never change its name.

APC candidate wins Okigwe North federal constituency rerun

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Alex Enemanna

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January 27, 2020

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Okigwe North Federal Constituency in Imo State, comprising Isiala Mbano/Okigwe/Onuimo, Ms Miriam Onuoha, has won the rerun election.

Onuoha, defeated her opponents, Obinna Onwubualiri of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Uchenna Ubah of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA in Saturday’s reelection.

Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Frank Collins of Nnamdi Azikwe University, who announced the result said Onuoha scored 23, 690 votes, to defeat Onwubualiri of PDP who scored 10, 010 votes, while Ubah of APGA came 3rd with 263 votes.

He put the number of registered voters at 200, 684, while accredited voters were 38, 244 and the total number of rejected votes was put at 815.

The total number of votes cast was 35, 198, while the percentage turnout was 19.06 per cent.

While declaring Onuoha of APC as duly elected, Collins noted that 28 political parties contested the election, adding that the margin of lead between the person that took the first and that of the second position was 13, 680.

The Appeal Court also ordered supplementary elections in 18 polling units of Orlu/Orsu/Oru East Federal Constituency and 12 polling units of Njaba state constituency.

The results of Oru/Orsu/Oru East Federal Constituency and that of Njaba were being awaited.

PDP chairman denies resignation report

By

Alex Enemanna

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January 27, 2020

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The Imo State chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Charles Ezekwem, has denied resigning from the party.

This comes as a resignation letter allegedly signed by him and addressed to the National Chairman of the party and copied to his Local Government Area, Ward chairmen in Okigwe, as well as the state Secretary of the state party.

When contacted by our reporter on phone on the authenticity of the resignation letter, the state PDP said: “Don’t mind what the Newspapers are saying . It is false but I call you later over the issue.”

When contacted, the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Hon Damian Opara, said that he could not confirm the resignation of the chairman as he had only seen the resignation letter on Facebook and that he is yet to confirm the information from the chairman himself.

Brothers arraigned for killing sibling in Ebonyi

By

Alex Enemanna

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January 27, 2020

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An Ebonyi State Magistrates’ Court sitting in Abakaliki, on Friday, remanded two brothers, Matthew Nwokora, 45; and Amos Nwokora, 37, in a correctional facility for allegedly killing their sibling, Chukwuebuka Nwokora, who was believed to be mentally challenged.

The deceased, it was gathered, had on several occasions boasted that he would kill the first accused person, Matthew before he was allegedly murdered.

It was also alleged that Chukwuebuka on January 14, 2020, met Matthew on a bush path and inflicted machete cuts on his head.

The accused persons chained Chukwuebuka to a tree and on getting there the following morning to give him food, he was said to have died.

It was further learnt that the brothers committed the offence at the Noyo-Alike Ikwo community in the Ikwo Local Government Area of the state on January 15, 2020.

They were arraigned before the court on two counts of murder and felony.

The police prosecutor, Mathias Eze, told the court that the offences were punishable under sections 324 and 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.

The charges read, “That you, Matthew Nwokora, Amos Nwokora and others now at large on January 15, 2020, at Noyo-Alike Ikwo, under the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit; murder, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria.

“That you, Matthew Nwokora, Amos Nwokora and others now at large, on the same date, place and in the aforesaid magisterial district, did kill one Chukwuebuka Nwokora by chaining him to a coconut tree, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State.”

The defence counsel had applied to the court to admit his clients to bail, but his application was not granted by the court.

Chief Magistrate Nnenna Onuoha said the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.

She directed that the accused persons be remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Abakaliki, while their case file should be transferred to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the state for necessary advice.

The matter was adjourned till Friday, February 6, 2020, for a report of compliance.

Edo PDP attacks Umahi for endorsing Obaseki

By

Alex Enemanna

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January 27, 2020

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The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday, urged the National Chairman of the party, Mr Uche Secondus, to caution Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and other PDP leaders endorsing Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State for a second term.

The state party chairman, Mr Dan Orbih, in a letter dated January 25 and addressed to the national chairman, expressed worry over the recent action of Umahi which he described as an act of indiscipline and ingratitude.

He said, “This practice, you will agree with us, is condemnable and smacks of indiscipline and ingratitude.

“It defeats the spirit of camaraderie that is supposed to exist within a political party.”

He said the 2020 election represented the party’s brightest chance of winning the state back because of the crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state.

Orbih said it was therefore painful for the party members in the state to hear leaders, members of the board of trustees and even some governors, engaging in an uncharitable endorsement of Obaseki.

BREAKING: Maryam Sanda to die by hanging for killing husband

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ABN TV EDITOR

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January 27, 2020

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The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Monday convicted and sentenced Maryam Sanda to death by hanging for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.

Delivering judgment, Justice Yusuf Halilu, held that there was circumstantial evidence coupled with her testimony and statement to the police that she “fatally” stabbed her husband to death in Abuja on November 19, 2017.

The judge orders that she should be remanded in Suleja prison till she exhausts her right of appeal.

Her deceased husband has been variously report as a son or nephew of a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Haliru Bello.

Sanda, the mother of two, her mother and her other relatives broke down in tears immediately the judge pronounced her guilt.

Her mother who was occupying a back seat sped out of the court as she wept.

Sanda herself, while crying rushed out of the courtroom which was next to the dock.

The judge ordered that she should be brought back to the courtroom.

In the middle of the confusion, the defence lawyer attempted to make a plea for allocutus (plea for mercy), but the judge said he needed to rise for the courtroom to restored to normalcy.

The judge said he would return to deliver the sentence after some minutes.

When the judge returned from the break, he said the offence for which the convict was convicted being one based on Section 221 of the Penal Code, there would be no room for allocutus.

“It has been said that thous shall not kill. Whoever kills in cold blood shall die in cold blood,” the judge said.

“Maryam Sanda should reap what she has sown,” he said, adding, “it is blood for blood”.

Sen. Shehu Sani Pleads Not Guilty To Bribery, Fraud Charges

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ABN TV EDITOR

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January 27, 2020

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Former Senator representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly Shehu Sani has pleaded not guilty to two counts of bribery and advance fee fraud.

The charges were brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Senator Sani, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges on Monday during his arraignment by the anti-graft agency at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Upon pleading not guilty to the charges, his counsel, A. Ibrahim, asked the court to grant his client bail.

The lead counsel to the EFCC, on his part, said he was just served the bail application notice a while ago.

Thereafter, the presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, stepped down the hearing of the bail application to 12pm.

He explained that the hearing was suspended to enable the prosecutor study the bail application.