Author: Editor

…Says party won’t hesitate to field Otti if he defects Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has expressed confidence that the party will bounce back strongly before the 2027 general elections. The former Senate President, who spoke with journalists in Umuahia, said the PDP would not hesitate to field Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, as its governorship candidate should the governor decide to consider the party as a platform for his second-term bid. Wabara said the ongoing efforts of the Tanimu Turaki–led National Working Committee (NWC)…

Our Reporter, Abuja  Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has criticised the House of Representatives for refusing to criminalise vote-buying at the level of party primaries, describing the decision as a setback to Nigeria’s democratic reform efforts. In a statement posted on his X handle on Sunday, Obi said Nigerians had hoped the House would take a decisive stand against what he called the “cancer of vote-buying,” but lamented that such expectations were dashed by the lawmakers’ action. According to him, by declining to outlaw vote-buying at its foundational stage, the House had chosen to “protect…

By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu All judges are politicians whether they know it or not.” Enrique Petracchi, former Chief Justice of Argentina, (2002). Among lawyers trained in the traditions of the Common Law, judicial power is often mis-understood. In Nigeria, the 1999 Constitution divides the powers of the federation between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. The first two are elected. Judges are not. In the elected arms, it vests the legislative and executive powers of the federation. In turn, the same constitution vests the “judicial powers of the Federation” in the courts. This suggests that judicial power is political…

Our Reporter, Abuja  Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, has launched a blistering attack on the Federal Government, accusing it of presiding over what he described as a dangerous descent from padded budgets to the forging of laws, warning that Nigeria’s constitutional order is under grave threat. Reacting to allegations over unlawful insertions into the newly passed tax laws in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday, Obi alleged that laws currently being enforced by the executive arm of government contain provisions that were never passed by the National…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The Minister of Works and former Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator David Nwaeze Umahi, has come under intense criticism over his recent claim that Ndigbo should abandon the agitation for Biafra because the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has ended all forms of marginalisation against the Igbo. However, Igbo groups in the diaspora, including the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), Rising Sun Foundation, and Ambassadors for Self-Determination, have strongly disagreed with the minister’s position. In a joint statement issued on Saturday, the groups described Umahi’s remarks as “unguarded” and an “insult to the sensibilities…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has vowed not to seek any political office after completing his tenure as governor. Otti made the declaration while reacting to allegations in a viral video that his recent visit to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, at the Sokoto Correctional Centre, was motivated by an alleged vice-presidential ambition. In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, the governor dismissed the claims, insisting that he harbours no vice-presidential, presidential or senatorial ambition after leaving office. While acknowledging…

By Owei Lakemfa It is difficult to be a patriot when  you don’t know where the truth lies. It is good to stand by your country. But at least, you should know where your country stands to be able to stand by it or with it. However, where the vision is blurred, it becomes difficult to know where to stand. That is the dilemma of not a few Nigerians.  But let us start from the good news that the eleven Nigerian military officers on board the C-130 aircraft that made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso were freed on December…

Lawrence Ndubeze, Awka The Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), Anambra State Chapter, has issued a stern warning to cultists and other criminals to desist from operating in the state, as security agencies intensify efforts to ensure zero criminality during and after the Christmas celebrations. The warning was issued during an advocacy walk themed “Promoting Peace, Preventing Crime This Christmas,” organised in collaboration with the Anambra State Police Command, the Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN), youth associations and other stakeholders. Participants converged at Ekwueme Square, Awka, and marched through major streets of the state capital, including the…

Lawrence Ndubeze, Awka Nawfia community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State has announced the suspension of its major Igbo cultural festival, Igu Aro, until further notice, citing rising insecurity and repeated gunmen attacks. The community said the decision was taken to forestall further loss of lives, noting that “perpetrators of these evil acts are still devising further measures to cause pain to innocent residents of the town.” In a statement signed by the traditional ruler, His Royal Highness, Igwe Daniel Ogochukwu Obelle, the monarch explained that the suspension followed wide consultations with stakeholders and the traditional council of…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday intervened in the leadership crisis rocking the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urging the contending factions to reconcile in the interest of upcoming off-season elections. INEC said the intervention became necessary in view of critical polls scheduled for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils as well as the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, convened a joint reconciliation meeting in Abuja, bringing together the faction led by Tanimu Turaki and the group backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory,…