Politics
2023: Plot to secretly appoint thousands of politcial aides in Abia exposed
The Coalition For Abia Unity (CAU) says it has uncovered a clandestine plot by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led administration in Abia State to appoint thousands of political aides secretly to enable them to deliver Abia South Senatorial Zone to their candidate and also use the same thousands for governorship elections.
A statement signed by the CAU Chairman, Chief Uzo Chukwu said the discovery was made after a painstaking investigation into the activities of the state government of late which has proven to be an obvious copycatting of some political strategies of their Rivers State counterpart who recently has said he would increase the appointment of Special Advisers, Special Assistants and Liaison Officers to a whopping 100,000 people.
He said; “Well, we are not from Rivers State and we wish him well after all they are not in the same predicament as Abia.
“In Rivers State, they pay salaries, they don’t owe doctors, they don’t owe teachers, their pensioners are not dying, their schools are not losing accreditation like ours, they have motorable roads and many other good things, so they can afford to play politics as they want.
“What is however unacceptable is for us is for “the rat to join the lizard to play under the rain” knowing fully well that while the water dries on the lizard’s body easily, it will never be the same for the rat because it will surely die of cold considering its hair.
“Let us remind Abians that some days ago, the Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu relieved all Senior Special Assistants/Special Assistants of their appointments. Let nobody get it twisted, he has the right to dismiss his appointees. After all, he appointed them.
“However, the undercover plot to appoint several thousand people with a similar portfolio to those dismissed and pay them with Abia money to win the election for the PDP is unacceptable.
“Our investigation revealed that following the obvious failure and arrogance that comes with it, the current Abia government has concluded plans to recruit hordes of aides albeit secretly in all the 17 local councils of the state, intending to use them to prosecute the forthcoming general elections.
“Let it be made clear that these secret political aides that will not be announced to the general public as we have discovered, are not really aides in its reality but polling henchmen who they have given the name “Third Force” because they will serve as a different organ to the party campaign team and the candidates’ campaign team.
“We want Abians to be alert and see why this government having realized that it has failed, comfortably accepted their failure in-house despite their public space denial but has decided to get power through the backyard by using money they hoarded, which could have improved the welfare of our suffering teachers and doctors to recruit aides to win elections.
“While our hospitals have only mortuaries functional, while our teachers are now hawking petty goods on the streets, while our doctors are now roadside sellers of all manner of things, the Abia government want to hire thousands of aides to pay them between N60,000-N80,000 as salaries to help them win election.
“Of course, we will not allow it which is why we’re exposing them earlier now. We’ll never allow the common patrimony of the people of Abia state to be used to maintain and sponsor some unproductive political hirelings to subvert the will of the people at the polls.
“We’re constrained to alert the good people of Abia on this evil plan to deploy the resources of the state for the achievement of the desperate ambitions of some political elements who already know that they have failed woefully and do not have any political relevance.
“Take note that we’re telling you now that these so-called Assistants, whose appointments may not be made public, will be drawn from all parts of the state’s LGA with the majority of them however coming from the Abia south senatorial district.
“Someone may ask why Abia South? The answer is simple; if the Governor loses his Senatorial ambition, the PDP will suffer massively in the governorship election and State Assembly elections so, all plans are geared towards delivering Abia South or burst!
“So, we want to alert Abians that the major assignment of these appointees, who we have equally learnt will form the nucleus, of what will be known as a “Third Force” will be to ensure the victory of the PDP senatorial candidate in Abia South.
“We’re also aware that their activities have been scheduled to be coordinated by one of the influential members of the current Abia State cabinet who will marshal the thousands of polling henchmen who must deliver or watch their political dynasty crumble and fall like the Tower of Babel
“We are also aware of a recent meeting in Aba where some top members of the current cabinet were instructed on the kind of people to recruit into the “Third Force” and were also given the orientation that the failure to achieve this senatorial ambition in Abia South will have a negative multiplier effect on the gubernatorial contest in the state.
“So, the good people of Abia State must realize that they’re desperate. They’re coming with Greek Gifts. They’ll appoint your brother, your sister, your cousin and your nephew to help them win the election.
“These appointees will play different roles. Some will come as blessings to your family (temporary). Some will tell you of promises made if victory is gotten. Some will come with evangelism while the last resort will be the lowest cadre of field agents for elections.
“Mind you, if we all this to happen, they’ve already secured thousands of votes with such appointments because they’ll never appoint anyone who cannot vote. It is an indirect and expensive system of vote buying which they’re willing to do to pay for their failure which is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf.
“Abians, shall continue to sell our votes hoping that God will send us a Messiah someday? How many of us will look at our teachers, our doctors, our schools and our suffering pensioners and say no to these Greek Gifts?
“For the people of Abia South, how many of you can boldly look at the Ariaria International Market, Ahia-Ohuru, Ohanku road, Obohia road, Port Harcourt road, Uratta road Omuma road Faulks road, Old Express road, Ozuomba road, Cemetery road, Amaukwu road, Azumini-Aba road, Obehie-Azumini road, Obehie-Owaza road and the laughable pipe dream and land grabbing project called Enyimba Economic City and say enough is enough?
“What could be more evil, wicked and inhuman than hoarding money meant for payment of salaries, pensions, infrastructural development and other necessities to win the election when good governance and sincere service to the people could have won the election in the first place?
“Let us make it very clear to all those plotting this acrimonious stratagem that copycatting Rivers State Governor’s political theories when you’re actually not working or putting in place dividends of democracy for your people as he has done for his people is tantamount to self-destruction.”
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld a Federal High Court judgment restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising state congresses conducted by committees appointed by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a split decision of two to one, the three-member panel affirmed the earlier ruling of the Federal High Court, holding that the congresses organised under the caretaker committee violated an existing court order.
Justice Okon Abang, who delivered the lead judgment, ruled that there was no basis to set aside the restraining order issued by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on April 29.
The appellate court also upheld the lower court’s decision barring the caretaker leadership from interfering with the functions and tenure of the party’s duly elected state executive committees.
According to the court, the ADC Constitution vests the responsibility for conducting state congresses in the elected state executive committees, not the national caretaker leadership.
Justice Donatus Okorowo concurred with the lead judgment, while Justice Abba Mohammed dissented, arguing that the matter was an internal affair of the political party and therefore outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
The suit was filed by aggrieved members of the ADC, who challenged the legality of committees established by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership to conduct state congresses. They argued that the appointments breached the party’s constitution, insisting that only duly elected party organs had the authority to organise state congresses.
In its earlier ruling, the Federal High Court held that the four-year tenure of the ADC’s State Working Committees and State Executive Committees remained valid until fresh congresses and a national convention were properly conducted.
Justice Abdulmalik further ruled that neither the 1999 Constitution nor the ADC Constitution empowered the caretaker committee to appoint committees to conduct state congresses.
While noting that courts generally refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of political parties, the judge held that judicial intervention is justified where constitutional or statutory provisions are alleged to have been breached.
Affirming the lower court’s decision, the Court of Appeal declared the state congresses and national convention conducted by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership null and void for being carried out in defiance of an existing court order.
The appellate court stressed that once a dispute raises constitutional issues, it ceases to be merely an internal party matter and becomes subject to judicial review.
Consequently, the court dismissed the ADC’s appeal, upheld all the orders of the Federal High Court, and awarded ₦10 million in costs against the party.
By Chinedu Sabastine
A pro-Yoruba women group, operating under the banner of Yoruba Women in Politics (YWIP), has applauded the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Benjamin Obi Nwoye, for strengthening the party across the Southern part of Nigeria barely three months he assumed office.
They said: “Dr. Benjamin Obi Nwoye is a very honest and open person. He has done considerably well,” the group said.
He was also praised for displaying high democratic ideals and delivering electoral victories for the ruling party in Southern Nigeria.
Chairperson of the women group Mrs. Dorothy Akinyele, in a statement issued in Akure, the Ondo state capital on Saturday applauded Nwoye “for his loyalty, strength of character, and consistency of purpose to the cause of democracy.”
They expressed delight and satisfaction “with the high degree of determination so far exhibited by Nwoye to applying the principle of fair play in treating all party members and asserting independence and neutrality in most cases.”
The highly revered South West women body also commended Nwoye “for deepening the party’s structures in the South-west, South-South and South-East, empowering women and youth and building a stronger APC and a more inclusive future for Nigeria.”
In particular, the women lauded Nwoye “for mobilizing support for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election, preserving the progressive ideals upon which the APC was built and curtailing the abuse of democratic norms in the ruling party.”
According to them, “Dr. Benjamin Obi Nwoye is level headed, has milk of human kindness flowing in his veins and committed to the success of President Tinubu and the party in 2027 and beyond,” YWIP said.
It therefore, described Dr. Nwoye as “the influential exponent of national unity,” extolling him for ensuring a smooth internal
Democratic process in his home state Enugu, the coal city state.
The Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has dismissed a public debate challenge from the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, saying the minister must first become a presidential candidate before seeking such an engagement.
Obi made the remark during an interview with media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo, where he responded to Umahi’s challenge following his criticism of the condition of Nigerian road.
The former Anambra State governor argued that presidential debates are reserved for candidates seeking the nation’s highest office, insisting that Umahi does not fit that category.
According to Obi, the controversy over the poor state of the roads had already produced results, noting that his criticism prompted repairs.
“If he is inviting me to a debate as a presidential candidate, then he has to become a presidential candidate first,” Obi said.
Drawing an analogy with international football, the NDC presidential flagbearer likened Umahi’s challenge to a team that failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup inviting a qualified team to a match.“The World Cup is going on now. You cannot stay outside and invite a team that qualified for the World Cup to come and play against you simply because you think you are good. No. There is a qualification process,” he added.
Obi maintained that leadership should be measured by performance rather than rhetoric, suggesting that the repairs carried out after his criticism underscored the importance of holding public officials accountable.
His response comes days after Umahi declared that Obi posed no political threat to President Bola Tinubu or the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while challenging him to a public debate over the state of federal roads and infrastructure across the country.
Ada Ogbu, who made the clarification in a statement posted on her official X account on Saturday, was responding to Keyamo’s ultimatum demanding that Obi apologise to airport officials, pay a ₦25,000 parking fine or face action by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).Executive Branch
Ogbu, who described herself as an eyewitness, maintained that she was among those who accompanied Obi to the airport on Saturday, July 4, and categorically denied the minister’s claim that the politician was driven by a police officer.
“As a member of the team that accompanied His Excellency @PeterObi to the Abuja airport on Saturday, July 4, I can state categorically that he does not have a police officer as his driver in Abuja. Therefore, if airport CCTV captured a police officer entering the driver’s seat of a vehicle, that vehicle could not have been Mr. Obi’s,” she stated.
She further argued that the incident highlighted by Keyamo was different from the one Obi narrated during his interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo.
According to her, Obi’s frequent travels across the country have exposed him and his aides to repeated hostile treatment by airport personnel.Government
“It is also important to note that Mr. Obi travels through as many as ten Nigerian airports every week. Over time, there have been several acts of hostility directed at him and members of his team by airport personnel across different locations,” Ogbu said.
She concluded that the aviation minister had referenced an entirely separate incident.
“Based on the account shared by the Honourable Minister, it is clear that the incident Mr. Obi referenced during his interview with @Chude did not occur on the date or at the airport cited by the Minister. They are plainly two different incidents.”
Her reaction comes hours after Keyamo released CCTV-based findings from an internal inquiry into the airport incident, insisting Obi must publicly apologise to airport workers and pay the prescribed parking fine within one week or risk further action by FAAN.
President Bola Tinubu on Friday formally retained Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
This was as political parties made last-minute moves to beat the Independent National Electoral Commission’s deadline for the submission of presidential and National Assembly candidates.
The ruling All Progressives Congress presented the nomination forms of Tinubu and Shettima to its National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, in Abuja for onward transmission to INEC, effectively ending months of speculation that the President could replace his deputy with a northern Christian.
The development came as INEC confirmed that it had received the presidential and vice-presidential nominations of the African Democratic Congress, Nigeria Democratic Congress, Social Democratic Party, Action Alliance, African Action Congress, Peoples Redemption Party and Young Progressives Party.
Meanwhile, several other political parties continued uploading the names of their candidates ahead of the commission’s Saturday midnight deadline.
The electoral commission had fixed July 11, 2026, as the deadline for political parties to upload the nomination forms of their presidential and National Assembly candidates through its online nomination portal in accordance with Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The submission exercise, which commenced on June 27, covers Forms EC9 and EC9A to EC9E for presidential, vice-presidential, Senate and House of Representatives candidates.
According to the timetable released by the commission, political parties are expected to begin uploading the names of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates from July 18, with the exercise ending on August 8.
INEC is scheduled to publish the personal particulars of presidential and National Assembly candidates on August 1, while those of governorship and state assembly candidates will be displayed on August 29 to allow members of the public raise objections where necessary.
The commission also fixed August 22 as the deadline for the withdrawal and substitution of presidential and National Assembly candidates, while governorship and state assembly candidates have until September 19 for withdrawal or replacement in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The July 11 deadline marks one of the most critical stages in the build-up to the 2027 general elections, as only candidates validly nominated by political parties through primaries monitored by INEC are eligible for submission.
The commission had repeatedly warned political parties against submitting the names of candidates different from those who emerged from duly monitored primaries, insisting that any nomination outside the provisions of the Electoral Act and its regulations would be rejected.
Against this backdrop, the APC used Friday’s presentation ceremony to publicly affirm its presidential ticket, signalling that it would head into the 2027 contest without altering the Muslim-Muslim ticket that secured victory in the 2023 presidential election.
Following President Tinubu’s emergence as the APC’s presidential candidate during the party’s convention, political discussions had intensified over whether the President would retain Shettima or opt for another running mate to broaden the party’s electoral appeal.
Those speculations gathered momentum in recent months amid reports that the ruling party was considering a northern Christian as vice-presidential candidate to address concerns over religious balancing.
Friday’s submission, however, ended the uncertainty, with the APC formally presenting Tinubu and Shettima as its flag bearers for the 2027 election.
The nomination documents were presented on behalf of the President by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ibrahim Masari, during a ceremony attended by members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, the National Assembly, the Federal Executive Council, the APC National Working Committee, state chairmen of the party and APC governorship candidates.
Earlier, the APC National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, described the event as the formal presentation of the duly completed nomination forms of the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
Argungu noted that President Tinubu had earlier secured the party’s presidential ticket through what he described as a transparent primary election, and urged party members to remain united ahead of the 2027 polls.
He also commended the President for what he described as the achievements of his administration before formally handing over the nomination documents to the APC National Chairman for onward submission to INEC.
Speaking on behalf of APC governors, Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, reaffirmed the governors’ support for President Tinubu and the party leadership.
“We are delighted that this event is coming after a well-organised and thoroughly supervised primary process. We reiterate our commitment to continue supporting President Tinubu and the party,” he said.
Uzodimma said the APC remained committed to internal democracy and inclusiveness, adding that the governors would continue mobilising support for the President across the country.
“We will continue to support him in the larger interest of Nigerians and to take the country to greater heights. To the National Working Committee, we reaffirm our support. Together, we are going to deliver victory for President Tinubu and ensure the party wins all elective positions, including the National and State Assemblies,” he added.
Receiving the nomination forms, APC National Chairman, Prof. Yilwatda, described the event as a reflection of the confidence reposed in President Tinubu by millions of party members across the country.
According to him, the President’s endorsement by members of the party demonstrated widespread support for his administration and its policies.
He stated, “Today is a reflection of the wishes of over 12 million members of the APC who overwhelmingly voted for Mr. President as the party’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election. We are proud that APC members across the country cast over 12 million votes for Mr. President and overwhelmingly endorsed him.
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