User:LynneMackennal5

Theodore Orji of Abia state really threw warning and statesmanship to the winds within the construct as much as the April 2015 governorship election within the state, when he shoved all the opposite governorship aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Celebration (PDP) apart, thus paving the way in which for his marionette, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, to succeed him in workplace.


Orji in an obvious show of political recklessness and rascality out-maneuvered all of the bigwigs within the get together in furtherance of his egocentric ambition to unilaterally determine the man that may take over from him after he had falsely and shadily endorsed different notable aspirants for the plum job.


The record of those that turned victims of his characteristic antics included former Minister of Labour and Productiveness, Chief Emeka Wogu, former Deputy Gov.ecowas.int Acho Nwakanma, Sen. Nkechi Nwaogu, Authorized Practitioner, Chief FN Nwosu, former Nigeria Consul-Common to South Africa, Amb.nbcnews.com Okey Emuchay, former Managing Director of defunct Hallmark Financial institution, Chief Mark Wabara, in addition to oil service provider and profitable businessman, Dr. Uche Ogah, and former Commissioner for Housing, Chief Okezie Orji.
Every of those distinguished and eminent aspirants obtained Orji’s blessing, secretly and independently. After all they'd no identified blemish, not even the ethical burden of tax evasion, but they have been dumped and publicly ridiculed throughout the PDP kangaroo primaries in Umuahia.


Dr. Alex Otti, who's in the present day the governor-elect, following the Dec. 31, 2015 judgment of the Courtroom of Attraction, sitting in Owerri, would even have been a sufferer, having additionally acquired the same false endorsement by Orji forward of the primaries. However just like the man who sawtomorrow, Otti learn the handwriting on the wall and envisioned that the primaries, starting from the ward to the state congresses, can be every part however democratic and credible. So, no sooner did he get hold of the expression of intent kind than he bade the social gathering a fast farewell.


For Orji, having neatly and efficiently eradicated his potential threats in PDP, the coast appeared clear for him to masterly foist Ikpeazu on the supposedly subdued folks of God’s personal state. He might have additionally reasoned that with PDP retaining energy on the centre, it could be carry-go for the celebration in Abia and different PDP-managed states. How he goofed!!


Just like the Catholic liturgical quotation, Orji might even have concluded that ‘’As it was to start with, it’s now and ever shall be, world with out finish, amen.’’ He didn't reckon that the one everlasting factor in life is change, change and solely change. He underestimated the battle forward. Certainly, he beneath-rated the capability of Dr. Alex Otti to show the desk in opposition to him.

EARLY Indicators OF IKPEAZU’S FAILURE

Indicators that Ikpeazu’s candidacy would hit the rock started to manifest early within the day. With the take off of the campaigns, PDP out of the blue realized that advertising and marketing Ikpeazu was a tough nut. It quickly grew to become obvious to the celebration that it was swimming towards the tide. And whereas some communities merely obliged the occasion their civic centres, halls and squares for its campaigns, many others blatantly shut their gateways in opposition to Ikpeazu’s marketing campaign practice. It was this unhealthy however characteristicof PDP, the people’s inalienable and constitutional proper to decide on who ought to govern them was of little or no which means. So the early warning indicators however, PDP pressed on…nothing mega! To the occasion, ‘’Whether the folks vote or them no vote, Ikpeazu have to be gov’nor.’’

THE ALLEGED TAX CERTIFICATE FRAUD In opposition to IKPEAZU

Hardly had the mud generated within the social gathering because of Ikpeazu’s imposition by the Abia PDP-Dictator-In-Chief (Ochendo) settled than some aggrieved members of the social gathering dragged him to the Federal Excessive Court docket, Abuja, difficult his alleged ‘’fraudulent’’ cost of three-12 months taxesin one dayto allow him qualify to contest the governorship election of the state.


The duo of Messrs Obasi Uba Ekagbara and Chukwuemeka Mba took their case to the Federal Excessive Courtroom Abuja and of their swimsuit No FHC/ABJ/C8/1086/2014, they contended that Ikpeazu was not eligible to contest PDP’s governorship primaries. They alleged that ‘’he didn't pay his taxes for 2011, 2012 and 2013 as at when due.’’


The plaintiffs produced proof on the listening to of the case to show that ‘’taxes allegedly paid for 3 years had been paid on the identical day.’’ They maintained that the event vitiated the authenticity of the tax clearance certificate issued to Ikpeazu and his INEC ‘’Form CF100.’’


Ikpeazu raised objection towards the jurisdiction of the Federal Excessive Court docket Abuja to entertain the case. The courtroom over-dominated his objection, forcing him to attraction towards the ruling. The Courtroom of Enchantment upheld his floor of objection and dominated that the case ‘’ought to have been filed on the Abia state Excessive Courtroom.’’ Non permanent reprieve for him!


However dissatisfied with the choice of the appellate court docket, the plaintiffs proceeded to the Supreme Court docket, the place the 5 Justices, led by Justice Mohammed Muntaka-Coomassie, put aside the judgment of the Court docket of Enchantment and ‘’affirmed the competence of the Federal Excessive Courtroom Abuja to attempt the case.


Consequently, the court docket remitted the case again to the Federal Excessive Courtroom Abuja for an accelerated trial of the swimsuit, which challenged the eligibility of Ikpeazu to face for the governorship election.


So as to make sure that the case didn't undergo undue delay, the Supreme Courtroom ordered the Chief Decide of the Federal Excessive Court docket of Nigeria ‘’to be sure that the case is heard and decided expeditiously.’’
In its January 25-27, 2016 publication, theNigeria Spectator said that ‘’The current ruling exhibits that Ikpeazu has not been in a position to counter the critical allegation from his opponents that he fraudulently and criminally evaded cost of taxes to the Federal Authorities till he started to run for election.’’


In response to the paper’s evaluation, the implication of the foregoing is that ‘’If Ikpeazu loses the pre-election case on the Federal Excessive Courtroom, he will probably be ordered to vacate the workplace of the governor of Abia state, since he was not competent to have contested, discuss much less of profitable the election.’’


Certainly, not many Nigerians had been conscious that the tax case was nonetheless pending in courtroom, till the Supreme Courtroom judgment was revealed within the media.


Feasting on the report in its entrance web page lead story, ‘’westafrica BusinessNews’’ entitled it ‘’More troubles for Abia Gov. as S/Court docket orders re-trial,’’ whereas the Nigeria Spectatorcaptioned it ‘’Gov. Ikpeazu in hassle over tax fraud case, with a rider, ‘’Supreme Courtroom orders retrial of case on the Federal Excessive Courtroom.’’


T.A ORJI’S CONNECTION
The rumour that Orji had tipped Ikpeazu to succeed him gained momentum shortly after he appointed him (Ikpeazu) because the Deputy Common Supervisor of the Abia State Environmental Safety Company, Aba Zone. Over time, the rumour turned out to be actual.


So as to make sure that the venture sailed via, Orji deployed state sources to sponsor the marketing campaign for the zoning of the governorship slot to Abia South Senatorial District, after all inside PDP. In his desperation to see that he put in Ikpeazu, he turned blind eye to a vital constitutional infraction because the allegation of tax evasion by his anointed candidate. Or perhaps he settled to handle the matter his common approach of getting issues carried out by hook or crook.


So, when it grew to become essential for Ikpeazu to point out proof of tax cost for 3 consecutive years as required by legislation for political workplace seekers, Orji carried out his conventional abracadabra that helped to supply the tax clearance certificate, after fee was made, a technique or the opposite justin in the future.


As we speak, just like the proverbial pregnancy, which can't be hid advert infinitum, the reality about Ikpeazu’s tax fee standing is starting to unveil fatally in opposition to his purported election as governor and political profession.

IKPEAZU’S Attraction versus OTTI’S COUNTER Attraction On the S’COURT

However past and above the case of allegedly acquiring a tax clearance certificate in essentially the most ignominious and fraudulent method is the battle over the large electoral fraud, which Orji, Ikpeazu and PDP conspired with corrupt officials of the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee to perpetrate towards the land and good folks of the state, who trooped out enmasse through the governorship poll to solid their votes for Dr. Alex Otti, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in accordance with their conscience and want for change.


These enemies of the folks conspired, in probably the most brutish and barbaric method by no means skilled within the nation’s electoral course of, to ambush and brazenly steal their mandate in a broad day gentle robbery, utilizing the election outcomes from Obingwa, Osisioma and Isialangwa North Native Authorities Areas (LGAs) as catalyst to perform their mischief.


It was this unforgivable electoral fraud, which was deployed within the sustained try to bury the people’s want, that has, greater than the rest, threatened Ikpeazu’s occupation of the federal government Home, making his keep extra precarious and unsure.


In affirming his purported election, the three-member governorship election tribunal, headed by Hon.vfsglobal.ca Justice Usman Bwala, dismissed all of the reliefs pleaded by the petitioners, viz: Otti and APGA.


However the landmark judgment of Thursday, December 31, 2015, delivered by the 5-member Enchantment Courtroom, headed by Hon. Justice Oyebisi Omoleye, which upturned the judgment of the decrease tribunal, has additional compounded Ikpeazu’s wahala.


In his official response to the judgment, the embattled governor introduced that he would search redress on the Supreme Court docket.goal.com That is definitely a misfire towards a judgment that triggered off spontaneous and widespread jubilation within the land, bringing again to life, those that actually died out of the shock they suffered on account of their stolen mandate.


Ikpeazu’s resolution, although his entitlement, has been interpreted in lots of quarters as his deliberate ploy to purchase extra time to allow him to finish the continued highway building in Aba, which he awarded with out regard to due course of. Like Theodore Orji, like Ikpeazu!!
One other college of thought believes he could have been spurred to combat on by the Pyrrhic victory that was awarded to him by the trial tribunal in Umuahia at an enormous value to the state. Apart from, it is not uncommon information that the extra price of in search of redress on the Supreme Courtroom would nonetheless be bankrolled from the coffers of Abia state.


Apparently, in reviewing the judgment of the tribunal, the Courtroom of Attraction didn't solely annul Ikpeazu’s election, it additionally lampooned the tribunal for failing to dutifully acquit itself within the discharge of the petition as required by regulation. Hear what the Appellate Courtroom has to say concerning the tribunal on web page forty two of its judgment:


‘’We discover it perplexing that the tribunal, as an alternative of studying and contemplating fastidiously the pleadings and proof adduced within the petition and figuring out all the problems raised by the respective events, appeared extra involved with getting rid of as lots of the reliefs as doable by placing them out for one unacceptable purpose or the opposite.


‘’All the explanations given are untenable and at the tip of the day quantity to depriving the Appellants of truthful listening to assured underneath the Structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.


"These generalizations that the claims of the Appellants/Petitioners weren't grantable with out giving plausible and particular causes are unacceptable in regulation,’’ the justices said of their unanimous judgment.


Ikpeazu enjoys the constitutional proper to hunt redress within the nation’s Apex Court docket if he felt dissatisfied with the judgment. In like method, Otti has additionally proceeded to the Supreme Court docket in train of his elementary human proper with a cross-enchantment to hunt the apex court’s determination on the sundry different reliefs he pleaded in his petition, which weren't particularly addressed by the Courtroom of Attraction.
It's gratifying that the Courtroom of Attraction affirmed Otti because the duly and legally elected governor of the state and premised its judgment on the confirmed case of over-voting within the controversial and infamous Obingwa, Osisioma and Isialangwa North LGAs.


This nonetheless didn't diminish the truth that there are different reliefs that had been fatal to Ikpeazu’s purported election, that are nonetheless begging for acceptable judicial consideration and the one window nonetheless open to the Appellants/Petitioners to ventilate their grievances remained the Supreme Court docket.


These pending reliefs embody however not restricted to the legality or in any other case of the annulment of the contentious outcomes of the above-talked about council areas and subsequent de-annulment by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, after he was reportedly intimidated and harassed by a delegation of PDP chieftains, led by Theodore Orji and the embattled Nationwide Publicity Secretary of the social gathering, Chief Olise Metuh.


Otti additionally expects the Supreme Courtroom to resolve on the propriety or in any other case of an area Authorities Agent of PDP signing a number of consequence sheets for the ward and native governments repeatedly within the contentious three council areas and the compliance of such an motion with the particular provisions of the Electoral Act on the signing of election outcomes.


These and different established circumstances of electoral malpractices, which largely vitiated the outcomes of the affected three native authorities areas and rendered them considerably non-compliant with the Electoral Act, represent the nucleus of Otti’s cross-attraction, designed for the willpower of the Supreme Court docket.


Certainly, time is longer Ikpeazu’s good friend and any second from now, the dying knell would sound and it will likely be farewell from the federal government Home, Umuahia and a resounding welcome to Otti, the man after the peoples’ coronary heart. To God be the glory!!


Feel free to surf to my weblog; Nigeria