Tribunal overrules Wike on admissibility of election documents

ABUJA—The Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, yesterday, overruled Governor Nyesom Wike on the admissibility of the election documents All Progressives Congress, APC, tendered through one of his witnesses.

Wike and Peterside

Wike had, through his legal team, led by Mr. Emmanuel Ukala, challenged the propriety of the tribunal allowing APC and its governorship candidate in the state, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, to submit a bundle of voters’ registers through a witness he produced before the tribunal yesterday.

The said witness, Dr. Christopher Iyimoga, was a National Commissioner of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, when the governorship election held.

Iyimoga, who is currently retired, was among INEC’s delegation that monitored elections in Rivers State.

The Justice Suleiman Ambrosa-led panel had, sequel to an application by Wike, subpoenaed him to appear and testify before the tribunal.

In his evidence, the witness told the tribunal that the governorship election was peaceful and conducted in accordance with the Electoral Act.

The tribunal yesterday adjourned till October 9 for the parties to adopt their written addresses, after which it will deliver judgment in the matter.

Senator Magnus Abe is seeking the nullification of the election of Olaka Nwogu of the PDP who was declared winner of Rivers South East senatorial poll.

He asked the tribunal to nullify the election on the grounds that it was fraught with malpractices and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Addressing journalists yesterday, the petitioner insisted that what ýthere was no election in Rivers State.

He said: ý”Our case is that what happened in Rivers State does not constitute an election under which anyone can hold office. We don’t accept the process that took place in Rivers .

“What occurred in Rivers state on April 11 is legally unacceptable. We believe that Rivers People have a right to vote and elect who will govern them. ýWe have faith in the judiciary to do the right thing”, he added.

‘2019 Election: Best time for Ndigbo to produce Nigeria’s President’

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, a chieftain of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Campbell Umeh-Nzekwe has said that it is time for the South-East to produce the next president.

Umeh-Nzekwe who is the deputy national organising secretary of APGA said that 2019 is the best time for Ndigbo to work in unison to produce the next number one citizen.

Igbo Chiefs
Ndigbo
He added that his party has a better chance of winning the presidential election as votes from the North will be divided following the zoning of presidency to the north by the All Progressives Congress and Peoples Democratic Party.

The APGA chieftain said that his party will key into this likely division in the north to consolidate on its position in the South-East.

He frowned at the situation where people from his zone gave other geopolitical zones bloc votes at the detriment of their own people, saying that he is very confident that his kinsmen in the PDP will do the right thing by backing an igbo candidate from APGA in 2019.

Umeh-Nzekwe: “The PDP has zoned its presidency to the North while the national chairman slot has been zoned to the South-West. APGA has thus zoned the presidency to the South-East. Hence, the PDP will be buried in the South-East in 2019.

“Those Igbo who used the PDP to destabilise the Igbo race will naturally rejoin their brothers and sisters in APGA to work towards the Nigerian presidency.

“Since we helped a Yoruba man, Olusegun Obasanjo, to become President; a Fulani man, Umaru Yar’Adua, to become President and an Ijaw man, Goodluck Jonathan, to also become President, no self-respecting Igbo man will deny his fellow Igbo the opportunity of becoming the President in 2019.

My new song,“Somebody Great”, is a prophesy, says Korede Bello

 Korede Bello, the rave of the moment in the music industry, has said that his new song entitled “Somebody Great’’, is a prophesy to inspire people to greatness.

Bello said that he wrote the song to make people visualise success in their minds and then work hard to achieve it.

The new song currently enjoys massive airplay on radio just like the first single, entitled “Godwin’’.

“ (It’s) about the people, how we were born into this world and we don’t know how the journey will go and how one love will take us from nobody to somebody.

”How I one day hoped that my voice would unite people and stop bombing and fighting and tribulations.

“That my voice would command authority; it’s not just me, it’s about alleviating people from oppression and mental poverty.

“You can be somebody great from nobody to somebody, you can be anything you want to be: have love for God, love for people, one love.

“But also one of the reasons why I wrote that song is for people to see themselves as great.

“Because before you can be somebody great, you need to first see it in your mind and you need to prophesy it to yourself, you need to say it to yourself.

“And I guess, those are one of the privileges of being a musician because you can put things out there in a melodic form that can change people’s lives forever.

“The song is more like a prophesy for everybody that listens to it to be able to command authority; command respect and most of all, have mental wealth.’’

Korede also told NAN that the song was about his personal struggles, and how he triumphed to become a star from nothing.

EFCC storms Alison-Madueke’s Abuja residence, as ex-minister is arrested in London

The Asokoro, Abuja residence of the immediate-past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, on Friday, was stormed by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in what has been described as part of a multinational investigation of the former minister.

This is even as reports say the former minister was arrested in London, UK, today, by the newly formed International Corruption Unit (ICU) of the country’s National Crimes Agency.

Details later

D’Banj blows up Computer Village, becomes SLOT Brand Ambassador

HIP Hop maestro, Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo, popularly known as D’Banj last week, put all activities at the popular device market, Computer village Ikeja, to a halt when he stormed the area to sign Ambassadorship deal with Slot systems. Not even the rain which started prior to the unveiling of the man known as the Koko Master by his teeming fans, was enough to deter the multitude of music lovers who wanted to catch the glimpse of their idol.

•From right: Nnamdi Ezeigbo,Managing Director of Slot Systems, Hip Hop artiste, Dbanj  and Deputy Managing Director, Slot Systems, Mrs. Nkechi Ezeigbo as D’banj becomes Slot brand ambassador


In his typical fashion, the show master, on arrival immediately climbed the roof top of his car, displaying his ‘no long thing’ symbol to the thunderous  applause of the crowd. He was later to be whisked away by a combination of plain clothed security men and mobile policemen to be able to move down to where he penned the deal.

Managing Director of Slot Mr. Nnamdi Ezeigbo admitted that it was a great pleasure and privilege to have D’Banj pen down a brand Ambassador deal with his company.

According to him: “This event is the celebration of partnership of two great brands, SLOT and D’banj. SLOT, is a household name for top quality phones and accessories. From having just one outlet in 1998 when we started, we now have 50 top notch outlets scattered around the country, and as part of our vision to continue to be Nigeria’s number one phone seller, we have decided to partner with a true Nigerian and African music icon, Dbanj, to be our brand Ambassador”.

D’banj is a singer-songwriter, harmonica player, and businessman. He has won several music awards, including the awards for Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2007, Artist of the Year at the MTV Africa Music Awards 2009,Best International Act: Africa at the 2011 BET Awards, Best-selling African Artist at the 2014 World Music Awards, and Evolution award at the 2015 MTV Africa Music awards among others.

D’banj is the founder of Koko Foundation for Youth and Peace Development. He is also Nigeria’s first United Nations Youth Ambassador for Peace. Dbanj is a ONE campaign ambassador; he released the song “Cocoa Na Chocolate” in support of agriculture investments. ‘The song featured 18 other African artistes and won Best African Collaboration at the All Africa Music Awards in 2014.

He was recently applauded by World Bank Chief, Jim Yong Kim for using his music power and high celebrity status to bringing attention to serious and critical issues in Africa with special focus on agriculture and poverty alleviation.  Ezeigbo said that these achievements were also part of the reasons his company appointed him brand ambassador.

Man allegedly rapes neigbour’s 3-year-old daughter

A 32-year-old man, Tope Thomas, appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Thursday for allegedly defiling his neigbhour’s three-year-old girl. The accused, who resides at No. 4, Mafo Close, Off Abeokuta Road, Ogba, a suburb of Lagos, was arraigned on a two-count charge of defilement and causing the breach of peace.

The Prosecutor, Sgt. Jimah Iseghede, told the court that the offences were committed on Aug. 28, at the accused residence. Iseghede said the accused invited the three-year-old girl to the toilet and raped her.

“The victim’s mother, who heard the daughter crying, rushed to the scene and met the accused raping the little girl,’’ the prosecutor said. The offence contravened Sections 137 and 166(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Chief Magistrate, Mr Tajudeen Elias, ordered that the accused should be remanded in Kirikiri Prison. Elias adjourned the case till Nov. 11, for the Directorate of Public Prosecution’s legal advice.

See ‘gynaecologist’ docked for raping his patients in Kenya

A Kenyan man has been charged with 12 offences including rape, impersonating a gynaecologist and operating a clinic without a licence in Nairobi, BBC reports.

The accused, Mugo wa Wairimu pleaded not guilty and has previously denied that he raped his patients.

Mugo wa Wairimu

Kenya’s Medical Practitioners Board has denied Wairimu is a registered doctor after a Kenya TV report in a footage revealed  an unidentified man allegedly assaulting an unconscious woman on a clinic bed.

The secretly recorded footage was filmed by a suspicious staff member.

BBC reports that Wa Wairimu has been in custody since his arrest, as it was argued that releasing him might endanger his life because of the public outrage over the affair.

The court ordered, Friday, that he remain in custody until Monday 5 October when his bail application is to be heard.