Politics
Aide Carpets Onoh Over Statements Against Peter Obi
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Media Assistant to Mr Peter Obi, Valentine Obienyem has dismissed what he called uncomplimentary remarks by first son to late Chief CC Onoh , Dr Josef Ummunakwe against his boss over unfilled promise to late Chukwuemaka Odumegwu Ojukwu over the welfare of his family describing it as most ungreaful.
In a widely circulated statement published in newspapers and on social media platforms, Onoh accused Obi of reneging on a promise to the late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu. Obienyem dismissed this as both “distasteful and desperate,” and challenged him to name those promises Obi reneged on.
According to Obienyem, Onoh is only trying to make cheap popularity by deciding the Presidential candidate of the Labor Party Mr Peter Obi contending that it is indeed a show of ungreafullness.
“It is unbefitting for Dr. Onoh to drag Ojukwu’s name into cheap political commentary,” Obienyem said. “Mr. Obi treated Ojukwu with deep affection, visiting him over ten times in a UK hospital”
“Upon Ojukwu’s death, Obi, who had just returned from visiting him and was at the Abuja airport, immediately switched on his phone”
“Looking pale and sullen, he showed me a message from Ojukwu’s wife, which read: ‘Thank you very much. You have tried your best”
“He is gone. I am in pains.’ Obi had to take the next available flight to Lagos and returned to London that same morning on Virgin Atlantic, where he managed to secure an economy ticket”
“He did this out of profound respect for Ojukwu. To the best of my knowledge, Mr. Onoh did not even make a phone call, let alone visit once to see his brother-in-law or his sister, who tended to him with deep affection.”
“Even in death, Mr. Obi’s reverence for Ojukwu was unmistakable,” Obienyem recalled. “The burial accorded Ojukwu, organised under Obi’s leadership, remains one of the best in history.
He condemned what he called ‘the reckless invocation of revered Igbo names like Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu by political opportunists desperate for visibility and favour.’”
“I sincerely doubt,” he added, “if others from other parts of the country would take in vain the name of their dead prominent people in such a disrespectful manner. Why then do some Igbo politicians degrade their own icons this way?” Obienyem asked pointedly.
Turning to Onoh’s own record, Obienyem stated: “This is a man who has been dogged by allegations of academic forgery, ranging from a questionable WAEC certificate to disputed NYSC and university credentials.”
He also criticised Onoh’s political inconsistency, describing it as rooted in “stomach infrastructure rather than principle.”
“Here is someone who vigorously defended Tinubu in 2023,” Obienyem noted, “only to turn against the same administration after failing to secure an appointment. Now, with elections approaching, he is once again signalling his readiness to be used – even against his own people.” He further described Onoh’s public utterances as “abrasive, self-serving, immature, and driven more by ambition than reason.”
Reaffirming Mr. Peter Obi’s one-term vow, Valentine Obienyem stated: “Mr. Obi’s commitment reflects a deep sense of responsible leadership and moral clarity.
For someone like Josef Onoh, dogged by controversy and demonstrably lacking a moral compass, to question that vow is both ironic and offensive.”
Obienyem went further to challenge Onoh: “Let him name one promise Obi made and failed to keep. Obi’s record speaks for itself.” He also dismissed arguments against single-term leadership, asserting that the framers of Nigeria’s Constitution were not naïve in prescribing a renewable four-year term.
“Their intent was clear – and within that constitutional framework, a leader still has every moral right to voluntarily commit to serving only one term, especially to achieve noble end such as respect for equity as represented by zoning.”
He concluded with a rebuke: “In a sane society, character matters. Before one throws stones, they must ensure the platform beneath them is not riddled with rot. Dr. Josef Onoh lacks the moral standing to speak on Mr. Obi – or on any matter requiring sober reflection.”
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Ahead of the 2027 National Assembly elections, a mass protest voting movement may be building up in Anambra South Senatorial District, following reported moves by members of major political parties to support the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Ebuka Onunkwo.
The development is said to be linked to grievances among some members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and remnants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the treatment allegedly meted out to Onunkwo during previous political contests.
Onunkwo, who had previously contested the Anambra South senatorial seat under APGA, later emerged as the NDC candidate for the 2027 election.
Although the ADC is currently embroiled in legal disputes over the authentic candidates and the conduct of its primary elections, some members of the APC and APGA are also reportedly dissatisfied with developments within their respective parties.
It was gathered that a section of APGA members, in particular, are backing Onunkwo as a form of protest over the conduct of the party’s senatorial primary, while some members of other parties are also believed to be considering voting for him irrespective of their party affiliations.
Confirming the growing support for Onunkwo, the Chief Executive Officer of NOWAS Oil and Gas Limited and a major stakeholder in Anambra South politics, Chief Ignesus Ikechukwudere Nnubia, said the NDC candidate currently enjoys widespread acceptability across party lines.
Nnubia said the growing support for Onunkwo had made his party affiliation less significant, arguing that voters would ultimately vote according to their conscience and assessment of the candidates.
He said, “At the moment, the number of APGA members with him and supporting him makes one wonder what is left of that party. Even the remnants of the PDP have pitched their tents with him, while members of the ruling APC at the national level are also behind him.
“So, the party that he belongs to is not a factor at all. You know that it is a game of numbers, and people are going to vote according to their conscience and not necessarily because of the political party they belong to.
“People are not bound to vote for their party, and some of them are ready and willing to vote for him.
“We are not talking about the party because he will surely get votes from the NDC, APGA, APC and even other political parties that are already closing ranks to support him as their candidate.”
Nnubia further described Onunkwo as the candidate currently standing tall among the contenders for the Anambra South senatorial seat, expressing confidence that his emergence would usher in what he described as a “new dawn” for the district.
He said political parties should not be the major consideration for voters, stressing that what matters most is the ability of elected representatives to improve the lives of their constituents.
According to him, political parties exist because of the people, and therefore the influence of party structures and incumbency has its limits during elections.
Nnubia said those factors would ultimately be tested by the electorate in the 2027 election, which he described as a contest in which voters’ choices would determine the outcome.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 Ebonyi State election, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has pledged to attract more than ₦2 trillion in private-sector investment to the state within six months of assuming office if elected.
Odii made the pledge while addressing supporters in Lagos ahead of the formal commencement of his campaign.
He said his investment strategy would cover key sectors of the Ebonyi economy, including mining, hospitality, real estate and manufacturing.
According to the PDP candidate, he has identified more than 2,000 prospective investors, each capable of investing about ₦1 billion in the state.
“I have over 2,000 people who can invest ₦1 billion each. When you multiply it, you will get over ₦2 trillion. This has been structured in such a way that all aspects of the economy will be involved,” Odii said.
He said the proposed investment drive was designed not only to inject capital into the state but also to create jobs, expand the productive base of the economy and provide opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs.
Odii said Ebonyi’s natural resources and strategic location placed it in a strong position to attract large-scale investments if its economic potential was properly harnessed.
He promised that his administration would prioritise private-sector participation, industrialisation and job creation while creating an enabling environment for both local and foreign investors.
The candidate also said existing businesses in the state would be supported to expand, while new investors would be encouraged to establish operations across various sectors.
His pledge comes amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with economic development, employment generation and wealth creation featuring prominently in his campaign message.
The proposed ₦2 trillion investment target within six months, if achieved, would represent a significant boost to Ebonyi’s economy and rank among the most ambitious private-sector investment mobilisation plans proposed in the state.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The planned visit of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to Anambra State has sparked controversy following a protest by the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Emma Anosike, that the party was not informed about the visit.
Anosike said the APC in Anambra was never consulted or briefed about the proposed visit, adding that the party was taken aback by reports that the wife of the party’s national leader and presidential candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would be visiting the state without recourse to the state chapter.
He said, “It is indeed strange that the First Lady of our presidential candidate is visiting Anambra State without recourse to the party in the state.
“The party wishes to state categorically that we are not part of the arrangements for the reception of our First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, because the party was never put in the picture.”
Anosike also dismissed the mantra that “The Progressives Are Working Together”, being canvassed by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), describing it as a smokescreen by the ruling party in Anambra to hijack President Tinubu’s re-election from the APC.
He said, “For instance, the APGA-led government in Anambra State did not interface with us on the organisation of the visit, and the party wonders if the progressives are indeed working together.”
The APC chairman, however, said the development would not compromise the First Lady’s visit, urging all APC members and supporters in the state to turn out and give Senator Oluremi Tinubu a warm welcome.
He stressed that despite the party’s reservations over the arrangements, APC members remained committed to welcoming the First Lady to Anambra State.
Former Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Sagir Saleh, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Saleh, who served as deputy governor under former Governor Isa Yuguda, announced his resignation in a letter submitted to the party leadership in Katagum Local Government Area.
He cited personal reasons for his decision but did not provide further details.
His exit comes amid growing disagreements within the Bauchi APC following the party’s 2027 governorship primary. Other prominent members, including former governorship aspirant Bala Jibrin and Sunusi Kunde, an associate of Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, have also reportedly left the party.
Jibrin, a former National Auditor of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), resigned on August 31, 2026, following his opposition to the emergence of former Bauchi Governor Muhammad Abubakar as the APC’s 2027 governorship candidate.
He had criticised the primary process and questioned how the candidate emerged.
Kunde also resigned from the APC in August, submitting his resignation to the party chairman of Beti Ward in Misau Local Government Area.
The latest departures are coming as efforts continue to resolve internal disputes and disagreements among APC members in the state.
The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to assassinate former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general election.
Ayodele issued the warning in a video shared on his verified X account on Sunday, urging both opposition figures to strengthen their security and remain vigilant.
The cleric did not identify those allegedly behind the purported plot but claimed that attempts were being made to eliminate Obi and Atiku.
According to him, divine intervention would prevent the alleged plan from succeeding.
“Obi and Atiku, be very conscious of your security. They are looking for any means to eliminate Obi and Atiku.
“But God will never allow it to happen. Watch out and be cautious about your security,” he said.
Ayodele also urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider travelling to the United States, alleging that there were forces in America working against his political fortunes.
The claims come as political activities and realignments intensify ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
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