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Democratic Coup … How Governor Okorocha Lost Out in APC Congresses and Power Game

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After a successful conduct of Ward and LGA Congresses of the Imo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress, and subsequent upheld of the exercise by the party’s electoral appeal panel and by extension the National Working Committee, NWC of the party. Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Anayo Ethelbert Okorocha who was completely schemed out in the exercise by a powerful Imo APC stakeholder coalition, led by Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, Senator Osita Izunaso, Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu, Chief Tony Chukwu, Chief Uzoma Obiyor, Hon Emeka Nwajiuba, Hon Jasper Azuatalam, Prince Eze Madumere, Sir Jude Ejiogu, Hon TOE Ekechi, Hon Longers Anyanwu, and many others. The Imo Governor became apprehensive of his political future and fate, especially as regards his determination to install his Son-in-law, Uche Nwosu as the candidate of the party and by extension the Governor of Imo State come May 29, 2019, while himself return to the National Assembly as Senator representing the twelve LGAs of Orlu Zone.

Worried that all his protests , petitions and demonstrations against the hijack of the APC structure in Imo State by those he referred to as ingrates fell on the deaf ears, the lookwarm altitude of President, Muhammadu Buhari, Vice president Prof OSINBAJO, Leader of APC Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Secretary to the Federal Government, the Chairman of All Progressive Congress, Chief John Oyegun and members of the National Working Committee,etc, Governor Okorocha returned to Owerri, the Imo State capital to seek for self help.

With plan to stop Saturday May 19th scheduled State Congress of the ruling All Progressives Congress which will produce the State Working Committee of the APC and possibly replace his former political ‘boy’, Chief Hillary Ekeh now turned man and his albatross , Governor Okorocha first enlisted the support of Ohaji-Egbema /Oguta ex-militants he was alleged to have granted amnesty as a decoy to achieve political gains. Assured of maximum corporation; as a powerful force of coercion or intimidation against any opposition to his plan. Maximising the power of his office, as Imo chief executive with enormous power and access to state treasury, a court injunction was secured by 4:30pm Friday evening, and a no gathering and movement order by the Imo State Police Command issued . Okorocha’s foot soldiers went to town celebrating, “who born monkey” . “I am in charge the Governor boasted” .

On Friday evening, around 5pm, his nemesis; Imo APC Stakeholders coalition all returned to Imo State with a chartered Aircraft that landed at Imo Airport, followed by another aircraft carrying State Congress Electoral Committee, INEC Observers from Commission head office Abuja, Police Officers from Force headquarters Abuja and DSS, they all went straight to a hotel in Owerri waiting for Saturday May 19 for the scheduled conduct of the APC State Congresses across the Federation.

On the fateful day, while the Abuja Coalition used the night to brainstorm and strategies on how to overun the Governor with full compliments of State apparatus, Governor Okorocha was busy mobilising his thugs, and and State Security architecture to deal with any body who challenges his authority.

Imo State police command deployed trucks of Police van and personnel to the Imo State University junction state Secretariat of the party burnt few days before as a way to stop the Abuja group not to access the facility for the state congress. The Police Public Relations officer through a press statement warned the good people of Imo State of the danger of coming out on the said day for any form of gathering or assembly in the name of party congresses , coupled with a court order to be served within 48hrs of issue.

In order to evade services and avoid disobedience of the court order while keeping to the rules of engagement as stipulated in party’s constitution and extant laws, the Imo APC Stakeholders coalition mobilised their members and delegates from the 27 LGAs of the State and proceed to the venue for the state congress in observance to the law. Between the hours of 5am to 6am on Saturday May 19, the scheduled date for the state congress, all delegates had arrived the venue for the congress at Ehime-mbano magnificent council hall. It’s Imo APC state congress, the party office previously burnt, any venue approved by the Party State Working Committee, SWC, led by Chief Hillary Ekeh is recognized by law as long as it’s within Imo territory. Ehime-mbano Council Hall was idle.

Governor Rochas Okorocha with more than 200 security operatives including state own security outfits, more than 20 buses loaded with thugs, the governor embarked on search operations looking for anywhere with resemblance of gathering of APC Congress, touring all the Local Government Areas in Owerri zone, disguised as project inspector , Okorocha’s long convoy went to Okigwe Zone and houses of Top members of the Imo APC Stakeholders coalition were monitored. After a an unsuccessful search operation, in a decoy, Governor Okorocha ended up at the project site of Okigwe Township stadium where he granted a press conference calling the Imo APC opposition group cowards.

But unknown to him, while he was full of himself,calling the opposition leaders names, smart and tactical opposition group are in a mini stadium hall in Ehime-mbano LGA carrying out the accreditation and voting to elect would be State working committee members of the Imo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress.

Youths of Ehime-mbano had all gathered at the boundary leading to the Hall and field in solidarity to their worthy son, Chief Tony Chukwu and possibly chase away any Invader including Okorocha himself. For No institution or government has done to Ehime-mbano local government areas what their son Chief Tony Chukwu has been able to do, so the traditional, religious institutions, men, women and youths can risk anything to protect whatsoever is the interest of their revered son, no wonder, APC Coalition opted to choose Ehime-mbano as best destination.

By 4pm, the accreditation and voting was over, and Chief Hillary Ekeh, Hon Ugochukwu Nzekwe, among others were reelected as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Imo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress and duly returned by the Imo APC State Congress Electoral Committee and acknowledged by the Chief John Oyegun led APC National Working Committee as duly elected.

And it was all jubilation in the streets of Owerri, and across the 27 LGAs of IMO state how the Governor of Imo State Owelle Rochas Okorocha who developed to an empiror was caged, palmed off and humiliated by members of his party as a prelude to a revolution awaiting him from Imo pensioners, civil servants, traders, artisans, politicians commercial transport workers, Imo electorates, etc.

How has the mighty fallen, truly absolute Power intoxicates. Okorocha’s Imo, a planned political estate has started to crumble. And Imo people are happier for it!

IfeanyiCy Njoku writes from Ehime-Mbano LGA of Imo State

#IFEANYICYMEDIA #IFEANYICYBLOG #EVENTCOVERAGE #EVENTPLANNING #EVENTMANAGEMENT © IFEANYICY.COM

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15th Hijrah: Muslim Clerics Task Nigerians On Good Morals

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15th Hijrah: Muslim Clerics Task Nigerians On Good Morals

as Speaker charges religious leaders on impactful messages

 

 

Nigerians, irrespective of religious affiliations, must begin to embrace good morals and practise honesty, two guest lecturers at the 15th Annual Hijrah Lecture of the Lagos State House of Assembly, have urged.

 

 

 

This is as the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, also charged Nigeria’s religious leaders to teach messages with greater positive impacts on citizens.

Sheikh Sulaiman Onikijipa Al-miskinubilahi, general overseer of Al-Amani Islamic Organisation, and Sheikh Ridwanullah Jamiu, Chief Imam of the Central Mosque, Lekki Phase 1, said moral conducts and honesty would help create a decent society.

Speaking at the event with the theme: ‘The Increasing Wave Of Moral Decadence In The Society’, which held at the Assembly complex on Friday, the guest lecturers condemned the spate of moral decadence in the society.

Dr. Jamiu told guests that there was need to enforce laws against anti-decent practices like homosexuality, gambling, adultery and corruption.

According to him, Allah blesses those who are kind, just and are morally upright.

“People should run away from three things: indecency, aggression and wickedness. For a society to progress and develop, it must move away from what Allah kicks against.

“Justice means giving people their rights. As a boss, you have duties to your employees. Treat others the way you expect to be treated. Allah commands kindness and generosity,” he said while urging parents to be role models to their children.

On his part, Sheikh Onikijipa lamented what he described as a growing level of corruption in the society.

“At this stage of our existence, we all know that almost everyone is corrupt,” he said while urging leaders to be more transparent.

The cleric further stressed that leaders must be determined to end moral decadence in the society, adding: “See the way the government stopped the abuse of naira with necessary legislation. The same should be done for other forms of moral decadence in the society.

“There is no religion if we don’t have morals. If you observe all the five pillars of the Islam and you are morally corrupt, then you are deceiving yourself.

“If you pray regularly and you don’t have morals, then it is a waste of time. Indecent dressing should be condemned in all places,” he said.

While noting that Nigeria is challenged at the moment, Onikijipa appealed to citizens to be patient with the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

He urged religious leaders and citizens in the country to dedicate a day for fasting and prayer instead of embarking on a protest, which has a tendency to escalate into destruction of properties.

In his remarks, Speaker Obasa said everyone has roles to play in achieving an upright society.

Obasa, who said that Hijrah is meant to celebrate the clerics, added: “You would be proud of the group you belong to when people feel your impact. We should ensure that we change our immediate environment and make things better in our time.

“We must all join hands to make our society better so that we can all have a morally upright place. It is not enough to make laws, people must exhibit good qualities.”

 

 

15th Hijrah: Muslim Clerics Task Nigerians On Good Morals

Eromosele Ebhomele
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

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Planned Protest: Tinubu, Sultan, Ooni, NSA, IGP In Emergency Meeting

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Planned Protest: Tinubu, Sultan, Ooni, NSA, IGP In Emergency Meeting

Planned Protest: Tinubu, Sultan, Ooni, NSA, IGP In Emergency Meeting

 

The protest against economic hardship, which is gaining traction on social media, has been scheduled to be held across all states in August.

As the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest slated for August draws close, President Bola Tinubu on Thursday entered an emergency closed-door meeting with top traditional rulers, security top brass in his government and governors of his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The high-delegation meeting was held at the State House in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

The APC governors were led to the meeting by the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.

Some first-class traditional rulers were spotted at the meeting with the President. They include the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi; the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Saad Abubakar III; and other traditional leaders across the country.

The meeting was also attended by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; as well as ministers and other members of the President’s cabinet.

A delegation of Islamic scholars (Ulamas) later joined the high-powered meeting with the President.

Last-Minute Efforts
Tinubu, former Lagos governor, who was sworn in as President in May 2023, has appealed to displeased youths to shelve the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest slated for next month.

As part of moves to placate aggrieved citizens, the President sent a bill to raise the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 to the National Assembly this week. Both chambers of the legislature speedily passed the bill on Tuesday, awaiting the President’s assent.

On Thursday, the military authorities warned that unscrupulous elements plan to hijack the protest and use it to stage anarchy like what was recently witnessed in East African country Kenya.
The police had also warned against bloody demonstrations come next month just as Uzodimma surmised that the protest could be hijacked and turn violent like the EndSARS nationwide protest against police brutality back in October 2020.

The protest against economic hardship, which is gaining traction on social media, has been scheduled to be held across all states of the Federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The organisers of the protest have been faceless.

Prices of food and basic commodities have gone through the roof in the last months, as Nigerians battle one of the country’s worst inflation rates and economic crises sparked by the government’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and unification of forex windows.

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Tinubu mourns Iwuanyanwu

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Tinubu mourns Iwuanyanwu

Tinubu mourns Iwuanyanwu

 

 

President Bola Tinubu has extended his condolences to the family of the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who passed away on Thursday.

Tinubu’s condolence message is conveyed in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, titled ‘President Tinubu mourns Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.’

The family confirmed his demise on Thursday evening in a statement that partly read, “The Iwuanyanwu family of Umuohii Atta, in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, announces the demise of our patriarch, Chief Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Iwuanyanwu-Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo.

“Chief Iwuanyanwu died on Thursday, July 25, 2024, after a brief illness. He was aged 82.”

 

 

He was an accomplished businessman and notable politician.

Ngelale said, “President Tinubu condoles with the Imo State Government, the friends and associates of the deceased, and Ndi Igbo over this irreparable loss.

“The President affirms that Chief Iwuanyanwu will always be remembered for his remarkable legacy.”

 

 

Tinubu, therefore, prayed for the repose of the soul of the departed elder statesman and comfort for his family

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