Tussle for BoT chair resumes

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The embattled National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Oyegun, had resumed work monday amidst speculations that his position may still be shaky.

Ahead of next week crucial meeting of the major organs of the party, there are indications that the struggle for the chairmanship of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) is resurfacing again.

But Oyegun said contrary to speculations, the issue of leadership change is not on the party’s agenda.
The APC leader who spoke to journalists in his office, was beaming with confidence, saying he was taken aback by reports of plots to oust him from office, and that what the party was planning to do was to set in motion a process to organise congress in order to fill vacant positions in the National Working Committee (NWC).

“I’m glad to be back. I told you I was going on a break because I needed it. I had a good break; I had a bit of rest and I am back to the office,” he said.

On whether the meetings of the major organs of the party will go on as scheduled, Oyegun said: “Yes, all the scheduled meetings of the party will run as planned; the caucus on March 21, the BoT on the 22 and NEC on the 24 of this month. Everything will go as planned.”
The APC chairman however said the party is experiencing a challenge in getting the right replacement for its former spokesman who is now the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

According to Oyegun, the search for a qualitative replacement has been on but that it appears the party may have to ignore the existing zoning arrangement in order to appoint a good hand for the job.

“I think arrangements have been completed to hold the necessary congresses to nominate the spokesperson. I think that should be done very shortly. In fact, the issue of getting somebody who can be as close as possible to the outstanding performance of Mohammed has been a major challenge.

“I think that has been the issue. As a matter of fact, if it means making adjustments, a good match is priority number one and afterwards, you can make adjustments in zoning subsequently,” he said.

However, there are indications that moves to effect leadership change in APC cannot be entirely ruled out as feelers from some party members showed that the chairman and members of the NWC were strategising on how to counter such plot.

THISDAY gathered that ahead of next week’s meetings of key organs of the party, the NWC has mapped out plans to ward off any plot that may put their job in jeopardy by making sure that the agenda of the meetings are controlled.

It was also learnt that the choice of a chairman for the party BoT is still giving the party’s leadership sleepless nights. A highly reliable source in the party said of the party organs, it is the BoT that is presently posing a serious challenge on how to handle the various tendencies seeking to hijack it.

“This explains why the party had for long kept the inauguration of the BoT in abeyance to see how things can subside, but at the moment, it seems the tussle can no longer be swept under carpet. We have to face the issue frontally,” he said.

There has been brewing controversy over who among the political gladiators in the APC will clinch the BoT chairmanship seat with several groups canvassing competing interests. Among the likely contestants for the position are the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; protem National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman, Abubakar Baraje.

ThisDay

Engr Chris Osa Ogiemwonyi, A Blessing To APC and Edo People

By: By EGHAREVBA IGBINERHA

The coming of Engr. (Dr.) Chris Ogiemwonyi into the All Progressives Congress, APC on Friday 28 November, 2014 is quite significant not only to the party, but to Edo State in general. barely two years to the end of the second term of Comrade Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole’s administration in Edo State, the declaration of Engr. Ogiemwonyi for APC is quite germane, because Edo People are already thinking and scouting for who will take over from Comrade Oshiomhole, especially in the continuation of peoples oriented projects and transformation of Edo State, already started by the Comrade Governor. Therefore, the coming of Engr. Ogiemwonyi into APC is a sign of good things to come in Edo caliber of people who declared with Engr. Ogiemwonyi into APC, including a cross section of Palace Chief led by Chief Obaseki, Chief Osula, the Arala of Benin Kingdom, some former chieftains in the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, Youths and Women groups. the stage is set for that to be achieved. Besides, the entry of Ogiemwonyi into APC has assumed public debate, with majority of the, people supporting his declaration urging him to aspire for the number one seat in the state, which is the Governorship position. According to the people, including Hon. Edoba Asemota, Hon. Osbert Agho, Hon. Emy Eke and Mr. Gold Idehen, Engr. Ogiemwonyi  will make a good candidate for APC in the 2016 gubernatorial elections. They said Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi shares the same idea, vision and mission with the Comrade Governor, and he would be able to continue from where Oshiomhole will stop. Indeed, there is no vacuum in governance, and the most important thing is the transition process. Continuity of government policies and programmes is very crucial in order not to have myriads of abandoned Projects, which had been the bane of previous administrations in the state.
For the Comrade Governor, Adams Aliu Oshiomhole, the formal declaration of Engr.. Chris Ogiemwonyi is a plus for the APC in Edo State. He described Ogiemwonyi as a technocrat whose wealth of experience at the NNPC and as Minister of’ State for Works will no doubt add value to governance in the state. Comrade Oshiomhole disclosed that Engr. Ogiemwonyi is a selfless man, \\ho has been supporting the party even before he became member of the party. He commended Ogiemwonyi  for taking a bold step to dump PDP for APC and urged Ogiemwonyi to join forces with him to develop Edo.
The APC Chairman in Edo State, Barrister Anselm Ojezua said the coming of Engr. Ogiemwonyi  into APC was quite significant as it will boost the winning capacity of the party in the state.
Across the three senatorial districts of Edo State, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi seems to be their choice to succeed Comrade Oshiomhole. According to the people, this is because of his humanitarian disposition, leadership qualities and experiences, entrepreneurial and managerial skills, political competence, humility, accessibility and open handedness. These are indeed the good qualities a leader should possess, especially in a democratic setting such as ours.
Since the declaration of Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi on 28 November, 2014, many individuals and interest groups have been paying solidarity’ visits to pledge their support for him and the APC. Engr. Ogiemwonyi on his part has been engaging in series of consultations and talks with the APC Leaders in the state to determine the next line of Action and the way forward for APC in the state, especially as it concern the 2015 general elections. Engr. Ogiemwonyi is very passionate about APC and ensuring victory for all its candidates in the 2015 elections. According to him, he is ready to do everything possible and within his powers to secure victory for APC in the state. Towards this end, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi mobilized voters during the last round of voters registration exercise. He has equally gone to his ward (Ugboko ward 5) in Orhionmwon Local Government Area to formally meet with his people, party leaders and supporters where he was officially issued the APC membership card. The Chairman of APC in Orhionmwon Local Government Area, Hon. Matthew Ehigie led other party executives and leaders to receive Ogiemwonyi. According to our local parlance, a masquerade must dance at home before going to dance outside. That was demonstrated when Engr. Ogiemwonyi met APC members in his ward. He did not only receive the blessing of his people, he equally got their support, and he was certified fit and proper to represent them and the good people of Edo State.
In a game of politics, where you have many people aspiring for the same position, there is no doubt that the coming of Engr. Ogiemwonyi into APC has caused panic in the spine of some aspiring politicians. Many feel threatened and intimidated by the unbeatable credentials of Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, to the extent that they have began to cast aspersions on his character and personalities.
Such politicians are feeble minded and lack the maturity to play politics according to the principles of fairness, honesty, equity and justice. This time around, Edo people are wiser by the purposeful leadership and outstanding performance of Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole and they are not ready to compromise good leadership for mediocrity in 2016. It is going to be a case of who the cap fits, let him wear it if it is Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi that will be better for APC and Edo State, so shall it be. The Comrade Governor himself would not want less a person to take over from him, he would not want a person who will come and lower the standard of leadership and development after he has completed his 8 year tenure. He could not want anyone who will destroy the foundation he has laid for development to thrive in Edo State. Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi is the change that Edo people would seek for in 2016. He is the one who will be able to wear the ‘big shoes” of Oshiomhole in terms of actual development of Edo State. He is the one who will be able to continue with the campaign for “one man, one vote. He is the one that will not relegate the people to the background, but ensure that the .people continue to lead in line with democratic principles. Engr. Ogiemwonyi is a man with impeccable character, with a vision and mission for a better Edo State for all to enjoy.

No regrets dumping PDP –Gen Airhiavbere (retd)

BY NDUBUISI ORJI
When General Charles Airhiavbere (retd) dumped the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) for the All Progressives Congress(APC) immediately after the last presidential election, not a few was shocked.Airhiavbere was the PDP governorship candidate in Edo State in 2012 and remained in the party since until April this year.
But why did he have to abandon a party that gave him its platform to contest , a gubernatorial election, almost immediately he retired from the army? In this interview, the retired soldier turned politician rationilises that decision. Airhiabvere, who is seeking to contest next year’s Edo State governorship election on the platform of his new party, APC also speaks on his chances of clinching the party’s gubernatorial ticket. He also gave a peep into his programmes for the state if elected governor.
Excerpts:
You left the PDP immediately after the presidential election, what exactly happened?
Let me start this way. In Nigeria, we have political alignment. And what influences my political alignment is not the political ideology, but the platform with which you can showcase what you have; the leadership structure you have for your people. Now, with my background as a soldier, an army general, it is easier for me to reach the center by advocating that my state should key in to the centre. From my experience in the PDP, our state was in opposition for a period of six years. After the court case victory to ACN. I know what we lost. Because everything meant for Edo State was given to just one person. At every level PDP deferred to him. so, it was a defective process.
So, it was easy to take a decision immediately Jonathan lost at the centre. President Muhammadu Buhari came on board; it was clear that there was going to be a change. And that change was going to be effective, because the then president-elect, as the time I moved was a former Military Head of State even though he was there for a period of a year and eight months. It was clear he was coming to do justice and to effectively change the political structure in our country. So, it did not take me time, and above all things have been in place in the event of Jonathan losing, I have a new commander-in-chief to whom I will be 100% loyal.
Many perceive you as not being grateful to PDP as a political party, because you joined the party not long after the party fielded you as a candidate in the last Edo governorship election, then at the onset of trouble you jumped ship, probably to advance your own personal interest of governing the state.
First and foremost, PDP should be grateful to me for coming to rescue them, because as at the time I joined the party there were two factions; the Uyigue faction and the Dan Orbih faction. I merged them, I brought them together. I used my influence. I used my political dexterity, my grassroot movement of that particular time. And as at the time I came out into the PDP, I already visited 18 LGAs of this state on my own NGO platform. And I have to rebrand it as the new PDP. Even during my first interview aired by AIT, I told them, I made it clear. They said I am coming in with two baggage’s; the first baggage is the PDP and the second baggage was coming from the military background. It was well cleared. And I told them that the PDP we were building, the platform we are building for the PDP is because of the PDP at the centre was to ensure, as at that time, that the PDP has a muscle. But as it were, I later discovered that it was a party of impunity. I was in the court, they left. And as a candidate of the party, PDP Edo State didn’t deem it fit that I should be the first to be a national delegate. They left me out. I stayed with them, because PDP was the party at the centre. And immediately they lost the centre, I didn’t have any one second to stay further. There were a lot of things that were wrong there which we should leave for the historians. And don’t forget that PDP is the most monopolistic party. The monopolistic graph of super profit is always difficult to break but I broke it and I was there. So, they can’t tell me that. They should look back at how I took the PDP through the 192 wards. So,many of their former candidates didn’t even know their wards. They didn’t know where they came from, because they were injected from the top. And me, through the grassroot, I made sure that we visited the 192 wards in our campaign and that is how PDP came on board in Edo State. They were gone. As at today, they are gone. (cuts in) They were gone as in?
PDP would not cough in Edo State.
But they did well in the National Assembly and presidential election… That was before I moved. After I moved what happened in the (state)House of Assembly? It was clear. It was crystal clear. That my movement caused that lost.
What are your chances of picking the governorship ticket of the APC for the next governorship election, viz a viz the fact that most of the governorship aspirants in the PDP are now in the APC?
Where were they, the candidates you are talking about when I faced the incumbent? You, see Edo State needs a vibrant leader. A focused one. A dogged and prepared leader, who can take Edo State to the next level. Governorship of Edo State is not for the weak. Edo State is a very highly intellectual state, rich in human, material and even natural resources. We need a leader who can think outside the box, and that is where I come in. I always tell people, I have a rich family heritage. I have heritage of a profession that I started at the age of 11, I rose to the rank of Major General. I have experience of having been a diplomat; having worked at the embassy. I am an Accountant. I hold MBA from the University of Ibadan and I led my corps for three years. So, these are things qualify me. Of all of them, I have been the only governorship candidate that took a party to second position in the last election. As you can see, I am the candidate to beat in the two parties(APC and PDP).

Do you think that as good as you are that standing on the APC platform you can make any headway in the election, owing to the fact that many people on the streets are not happy with the APC?
I am working very hard right now. That is why I am coming into the field to make sure I win the APC primary. It wasn’t easy for me to move my followers from the PDP, to move them to the APC even as I stand. If you look at the result, the two weeks we had between the presidential election and the House of Assembly election, the result was clear that we made an impact. Because as at that time the people in the field were already getting disgruntled about what was happening. But I can assure you , I am working hard. By the time we hit the ground running for the campaign and I pick the ticket . I can assure that once I get that ticket, people will collapse into the APC. That I can assure you. I know the two parties. I was fielded as their (PDP)candidate and I would like to refer you to the results of the (2012) governorship primaries. I came a distant first. the person, who came second was over 200 votes below me. So, Edo State, the last election between me and the governor exposed the political game. It took the stakes high. This was a major general, and a very popular, well established labour leader, who had always confronted government. So, it raised the stake in Edo politics. That is where we are. It is going to be a difficult terrain for so many people to play and to understand. Things can always change. That why it is politics. I don’t see the challenge. I dont see it as insurmountable task. I believe when the chips are down, only the tough will keep going. you watch what will happen in few months.
If you become the governor and by paraventure in 2019 , the APC loses the presidency, are we going to see you moving to another party as it seems you detest being in opposition.
It is not that I detest being in opposition. But I can tell you, I am not the man that saw tomorrow. I can tell you that President Buhari has come in as a messiah and I know Nigerians will give him a chance to bring the change that they have being yearning for. I can assure that his credentials will work for him in the second term. Let me remind you that PDP was in power for 16 years and every other person was in opposition. Don’t forget that General Buhari contested four times on different platform. So, he will consolidate on power. you have seen the action of the last few weeks he is already creating a new platform for everybody to fly. By May, he would have done a year and there will be a lot to talk about. You will see him from January next when the new ministers are going to start operating with a new budget. I think that will prepare him for 2019. So, I don’t see APC losing out. I also don’t see myself moving out of APC.

What would be offering the people if you emerge as governor?
Well, I will just give you a graph of an institution. You have a point of entering and you have a point of exit. my point of entry, my covenant with the people of Edo State, which I call my contract with them. Once I win, I have signed a contract with them to create jobs, using agriculture, our natural resources, strengthening industries, and creating an enabling environment and a very secured state for investors to come. I can’t do it alone. I have always told people that I don’t have a reason going to Lagos through Ore,when from Ekenwan Road you, can hit Gelegele port and collaborate with other states and do another road, which is a state road, you can toll it if you want to. there is no reason why I cannot collaborate with federal government to do federal state roads which are within my state. I am excited to be in the next election. it is an excitement for me and as I said earlier, I am the candidate to beat.

Credit: The Sun

Edo 2016: Why I Consider Myself The Most Suitable – Prof Osunbor

Being A Statement Issued By Senator (Prof.) Oserheimen A. Osunbor On The Occasion Of His Declaration Of Intention To Contest The Edo State Governorship Election 2016 On The Platform Of All Progressives Congress
Protocols
It is with great pleasure and gratitude to God that I make this public declaration today of my intention to seek my party the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket and thereafter contest election to the Office of the Governor of Edo State in the general elections coming up later in the year.
I have been motivated and encouraged to run as a result of the popular clamour by the good people of Edo State for me to make myself available to sustain the impressive developmental strides of the Comrade Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiornhole and to re-enact the impressive performance I had established during my brief stint as Governor between 2007 and 2008.
Out of respect to the Comrade Governor who appealed that aspirants should tarry a while before commencing campaign in order not to distract him from governance, I have deliberately waited this long before publicly declaring my interest. This should now lay to rest any speculations about whether I am in the race or not.
I offer myself as an aspirant in the forthcoming elections as a man that is well known to the people of Edo State and beyond. I have built for myself over the years a reputation for excellence, integrity, hard work and a remarkable track record of achievements. I state with a deep sense of humility that I am an academician and intellectual, an outstanding legislator and law reformer with a legacy of impressive performance in governance. Throughout the length and breadth of Edo State I enjoy tremendous goodwill.
Let me make clear that I have respect for all the other aspirants in my party APC and the other political parties who seek to govern Edo State from 12th November 2016. I believe that most, if not all, may meet the minimum requirements to be governor. But Edo State deserves the best as governor. With due humility I present myself to my party leaders and delegates in particular and the people of Edo State in general as the best to fly the party flag in the general election and take over the baton-from the Comrade Governor
Permit me to state the reasons why I consider myself the most suitable. For those who do not know, let me share the following highlights about my profile.
Educational/Academic Qualifications
1. LL.B. (First Class) Honours UNN 1975 — The First Nigerian to ever do so in that faculty.
2. Best graduating student in Nigerian Law School 1976.
3. Ph.D. University of Warwick (Straight from LLB with exemption from a Master’s Degree.
4. Rhodes Scholar (Like former USA President Bill Clinton).
5. From Senior Lecturer, I became a Professor of Law with only 8 years lectureship and publications.
6. Visiting Fellow at the Queen’s University of Belfast 1986/87
7. Dean, Faculty of Law, Lagos State University 1996-1999.
Legislative Experience
1. Delegate to the Constitutional Conference 1994/95 — (Chairman Sub Committee on Population).
2. Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria — Held various chairmanship positions including:
a. Chairman, Senate Committee on INEC
b. Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters
c. Chairman, several Senate Ad-hoc Committees and National Assembly Joint Committees.
d. Chairman, Sub-Committee on Legislature and Legislative List, National Assembly joint Committee on Constitution Amendment. So profound was my impact that I was nicknamed by my colleagues “Attorney General of the Senate”.
Executive Experience
1. Governor of Edo State 2008 — 2009
2. Member and later Chairman, Nigerian Law Reform Commission May 2011 March 2015.
My impressive performances as governor in all spheres are too well known that it is not necessary and indeed is impossible to enumerate them all here but suffice it to mention a few:
• Roads construction and rehabilitation across the state,
• In crease in workers’ salary twice within a year,
• State-backed access to bank loan for workers,
• Increase of subvention to educational institutions,
• Payment of bursary to students,
• Payment of gratuity and pension to retirees,
• Supply of dental equipment to general hospitals,
• Respect to traditional rulers and institutions, etc.
Edo State voters have demonstrated in the past that they vote based on the track record of performance by the candidates rather than geography or any other primordial considerations. The singsong that “only a Benin man can win” has been proved wrong in the past, notably in 2012 when a non-Benin man defeated a Benin man in a landslide. Given my track record, I am confident that APC will win by a wide margin if granted the privilege to fly the party flag as the party candidate in the election. If the delegates nominate me I cannot see any other political party being able to field a candidate who can match my record. When the campaign starts we shall unveil our detailed programme of action and vision for Edo State, located within the general ambit of the APC manifesto.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am not unmindful of arguments about which senatorial zone’s turn it is to produce the next governor. I believe that this is a legitimate issue to raise in order to ensure fairness, equity and justice amongst the component parts of the state i.e. Edo South, Edo Central and Edo North. Nevertheless, I want to be assessed based on my antecedents and record of performance rather than simply on arguments based on zoning.
All my working life I have assisted and touched the lives of people across the three senatorial districts. From Lecturer to Professor at the University of Lagos and Lagos State University, I assisted Edo State students to gain admission irrespective of the senatorial district they come from. This is verifiable. As Senator, my doors were open to persons from Edo South and Edo North including Edo Central that I represented) and I assisted them without discrimination even when they could not reach their own Senators. Specifically, I influenced and assisted Presidential nominees from Edo South and Edo North to get Senate confirmation of their appointments, when their Senators were unavailable, inaccessible or refused to help them. I will respect their privacy by not mentioning names. Many of such beneficiaries remain grateful to me till date. As governor I spread development projects across Edo North, Edo Central and Edo South and all the benefiting communities remain grateful to me till date. It is this show of appreciation across the State that propels me to run. As they say, one good turn deserves another.
The other issue that I have heard raised against me is that I am new in APC because I allegedly joined after the Presidential election on 28th March 2015. This is far from the truth. It is a well-known fact that I parted ways with PDP after the manipulated primaries of February 2012. Thereafter, I supported and campaigned for the Comrade Governor in the July 2012 governorship election. I openly supported and campaigned for the ACN candidates in the Local Government Council elections in 2013. Before the 2015 general elections I hosted a series of meeting with APC leaders in my Senatorial District and especially my LGA and ward. I provided financial support and campaigned for APC on NTA lruekpen and NTA Benin, the week BEFORE the elections. Prior to this, I had been issued my APC membership card in my ward. What the public witnessed at the rally in Ekpoma on Tuesday 7th April 2015 was the governor formally welcoming and receiving me into the party. This should not be misconstrued as the day I joined the party. I was already a card-carrying member of APC from my ward when I appeared on TV, campaigning for the party candidates BEFORE the election. There must be many here who watched me on television campaigning before the election. You should help put the record straight. It is wrong to group me along with those who joined after the election.
Finally, let me emphasize the point that modern governance is complex and requires a multi-dimensional approach by a leader with vast experience. The in-coming governor will be stepping in at a period of declining statutory allocations from the Federation Account occasioned by the drastic fall in the price of crude oil. This will test the ability of the in-coming governor for financial creativity and, above all, prudence in the management of lean resources. I affirm that I possess the qualities needed to lead Edo State at this point in time. Happily, this is in tune with the Comrade Governor’s own thinking as to the attributes of the person to succeed him.
I will end this address by appealing very strongly to His Excellency the Comrade Governor, my party leaders and delegates that the choice they make during the primaries will determine whether Edo people will enjoy good governance or bad governance post 2016. Your future and that of generations yet unborn lie in your hands. Do not settle for less when you can have the best. Avoid “Had I known”.
Thank you and may God bless you, God bless Edo State and God bless Nigeria.
Oba gha to okpe-e, Ise!

Nigeria’s Solicitor General, Director Of Public Prosecutions Fingered In Plot To Scuttle Saraki’s Trial

by SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK Mar 12, 2016

An investigation by SaharaReporters has exposed the officials of Nigeria’s Ministry of Justice who collaborated with lawyers representing Senate President Bukola Saraki to obtain a controversial adjournment by filing a motion challenging the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) to try the senator. Bukola Saraki

At a session of CCT yesterday, Mr. Saraki’s lead lawyer, Kanu Agabi, obtained a weeklong adjournment by claiming that he had filed a motion on March 4, 2016, contesting the tribunal’s jurisdiction. However, several officials of the Ministry of Justice, as well as a staff member of the CCT, told SaharaReporters that Mr. Agabi’s purported motion was a carefully orchestrated scam to scuttle the Senate President’s trial. “The so-called motion Agabi talked about was never served on the tribunal. And as such the lead prosecutor [to the tribunal] was never made aware of the motion,” a lawyer with the Ministry of Justice declared. He added: “The whole thing was a ruse, and it was calculated to ridicule the judicial process and scuttle the Senate President's trial.”
After a report by SaharaReporters exposed the fact that the tribunal’s secretary was also not aware of Mr. Agabi’s so-called motion, an investigation by the Federal Government found that Mr. Saraki and his lead lawyer colluded with the Solicitor-General of the Federation and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Taiwo Abidogun, as well as the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Sa'idu Diri, to hide the motion secretly filed at the Ministry of Justice. The judicial officials colluded with Mr. Saraki and his lawyers to hide the motion from the tribunal and the lead prosecutor, Rotimi Jacobs.
A highly placed security source told SaharaReporters that investigators had obtained records of phone conversations between Mr. Saraki and Mr. Abidogun discussing strategies for scuttling the corruption case against the senator, who for eight years was the governor of Kwara State. Part of the said conversation centered on the need to hide the motion from the tribunal. The investigator disclosed that Mr. Saraki used two phone numbers, 0802 454 4666 and 0810 451 2566, as he engaged in several conversations with Mr. Abidogun, whose phone number is 0803 316 4271.
Our source revealed that Mr. Abidogun claimed that he had informed the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Justice Danlami Umar, that a motion challenging the CCT’s jurisdiction had been filed and served on his tribunal. Justice Umar was observing the lesser hajj in Saudi Arabia at the time.
Our investigation revealed that, shortly after the deal was struck, Mr. Abidogun called Mr. Jacobs to a meeting and asked the prosecutor to “cooperate,” asserting that the Ministry of Justice had decided to bring an end to Mr. Saraki’s trial.
Our security source claimed that once Mr. Abidogun and Mr. Diri arranged to fraudulently thwart Mr. Saraki’s trial, they assured the senator that the case was as good as “finished.” That assurance explained why Mr. Saraki was upbeat when he arrived at the tribunal yesterday.
Another lawyer at the Ministry of Justice told SaharaReporters that it was obvious that Mr. Saraki’s lawyers had connived with a few top officials of the ministry to thwart the case because Abubakar Malami, SAN the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation had minuted on the motion and instructed the DPP to respond to the motion at least 48 hours before he departed to London for a conference. “Justice Umar ought to have thrown ought the motion and commenced with the trial since [Mr. Agabi’s] motion was improperly filed,” said the lawyer. Instead of dismissing the motion, Justice Umar said he would hear the motion next Friday before proceeding with the trial.
When SaharaReporters contacted the Solicitor General, he feigned ignorance about the issues. At first, he claimed that Mr. Agabi’s motion was not served on him but on the Ministry of Justice. He also indicated that the Attorney General was traveling. Asked why, as Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, he did not know that something was amiss with the case, he answered that he simply did not know. When our correspondent asked if he had ever been in contact with Senator Saraki about the issue, he claimed he had never met or spoken to Mr. Saraki, a claim that is at odds with what investigators told SaharaReporters.
This website had revealed that Mr. Saraki’s recruited his new lead lawyer, Mr. Agabi,  because he had hired Justice Umar to work at his law practice  in Calabar when the judge was a fledging lawyer. Mr. Agabi, a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had also recruited Mr. Jacobs to work with him during his tenure in the cabinet.

Plot to remove Saraki thickens

THE travail of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Abubakar Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over a 13-count charge of false declaration of assets at the instance of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), has been taken to higher pedestal.
National Daily can authoritatively report that the judgment of the Supreme Court, a fortnight ago, which ordered that the case should continue at the CCT, has reinforced the opponents of the Senate President to oust him from office.
It has been established that the genesis of Saraki’s trial at the CCT is the power tussle for the leadership of the National Assembly which the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) lost to majority of lawmakers who stood for the autonomy of the National Assembly.
Preceding the inauguration and emergence of the Presiding and Principal Officers of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, APC leaders had endorsed Senator Ahmed Lawan, from the North East, for Senate President, Senator George Akume, from the North Central for Deputy President of the Senate and Femi Gbajabiamila for Speaker of the House.
ALSO SEE: Supreme Court returns Saraki to CCT
The APC leaders led by the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun were in the vanguard of sponsoring Lawan for the senate president after the Akume project failed.
Apparently, Saraki’s main opponent in the leadership crisis is well known. Since the CCT trial, Tinubu has reportedly strengthened his relationship with Governor Nasir El-Rufai, widely perceived to be playing critical role in the Saraki’s trial.
Saraki and his team defeated the Tinubu team in all the political battle for the leadership of the senate, including the appointment of principal officers and‎ attempts to impeach the senate president has hit the rocks, making the political battle difficult for the antagonists to have their way.
The legal battle provides a seeming approach that could unseat the senate president on technical ground with minimum resistance.
Saraki’s approach of the Federal High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court questioning the jurisdiction of the CCT and the perceived improper constitution of the CCT was anticipated to provide him soft landing in the power tussle. But the courts decided otherwise.
Since the judgment of the Supreme Court, opponents of the senate president have reportedly upped their game to nail Saraki on the cross of guilt.
National Daily learnt that the camp of the opponents has been enlarged with the inclusion of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
It was reliably gathered that Malami was instigated to urgently urge the CCT to resume sitting immediately after the final judgement of the apex court.
ALSO SEE: We’re all guilty of corruption—Saraki
‎Since becoming minister, Malami has never hidden his political sentiments in handling the prosecution of Saraki at the CCT which commenced before his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.
With the trial fixed for March 10, opponents of the senate president have allegedly conceived new strategies to mount pressure on the CCT Chairman, Justice Danladi Umar, to pronounce Saraki guilty.
The antagonists, it was also learnt are working assiduously to get more documents to indict the senate president in the 13-count charge.
Beyond getting more incriminating documents, there are said to be plans to stage walk outs as well as create a deadlock to force Saraki and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu to step down, with security agents already briefed to be on stand by to do the bidding of those behind the plot.
The battle becomes clearer when the CCT resumes sitting in March.
Meanwhile, Senator Dino Melaye, Committee Chairman on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has attributed the said indictment of Saraki by the CCB and his subsequent prosecution at the CCT over alleged manipulation and false declaration of assets as the former Governor of Kwara State to the politics of power in the APC.
He told National Daily in Lagos that those calling for the resignation of Saraki are clowns.
‎Speaking with venom, Melaye narrated that from his preliminary investigations, the whole accusation against the senate president was “an affront on the integrity of the senate.”
According to him, “I want to announce that it is not all about the senate president, it is about the integrity and the institution of the senate. We all know that this is purely political and it emanated from the confidence of the senators to exercise their legislative powers, to determine who will be their leader, and because of that independent-minded posture of majority of the membership of the senate, that is what brought about the emergence of the Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President.”
ALSO SEE: `We will ensure speedy passage of 2016 Budget’ – Saraki reassures
The APC Senator pointed fingers at opponents whom he said have been concocting different strategies to ensure that the integrity of the senate and the senate president become questionable and would ultimately lead to his resignation or impeachment.
“The opponents have been calling for his resignation because that is what they want. They want to bamboozle him using the courts to harass him, thinking that maybe under pressure he would resign. The senate president will not resign. I want to assure Nigerians that he will spend his four years intact by the grace of God. I want to say that the battle to save him is total, we, in the senate, it is a battle of no retreat no surrender,” Melaye declared.
He further lambasted those clamouring for his resignation as clowns. “Those asking for the senate president to resign or step aside are clowns, they are clowns. After four years, I will remind them again,” he stated.‎

Inside Saraki’s Latest Legal Maneuvers To Frustrate Corruption Trial

by SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK Mar 11, 2016

SaharaReporters has unearthed a fresh plot by Senate President Bukola Saraki to frustrate his corruption trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). Mr. Saraki has been charged with false asset declaration and other financial crimes.  Saraki's lead attorney, Kanu Agabi Sahara Reporters Media

Mr. Saraki’s latest effort to thwart his trial began to materialize today when the Code of Conduct Tribunal granted him a weeklong adjournment after his legal team, led by former Attorney General of Nigeria, Kanu Agabi, claimed that he had filed a submission at the tribunal on March 4, 2016, challenging the tribunal’s jurisdiction to try the senator for corruption.
In a curious twist in today’s proceedings, neither the Secretary of the CCT nor the prosecutor, Rotimi Williams, was aware of the ostensible motion. Court processes require that all the parties to a case, as well as tribunal officials, must be informed of the kind of critical submission Mr. Agabi claimed he had filed.
Instead, a highly placed judicial source told SaharaReporters that Mr. Agabi’s so-called filing was illicitly handed to the tribunal judge, Danlami Umar, in Saudi Arabia where he had gone to observe the lesser hajj. Mr. Umar arrived back in Nigeria last weekend.
A lawyer familiar with the case told SaharaReporters, “Today’s developments [at the Code of Conduct Tribunal] smacked of a design to ridicule the process. The Supreme Court already reviewed the issue of jurisdiction in this case, and okayed the continuation of Dr. Saraki’s trial. So for a seasoned lawyer like Agabi to re-open the matter of jurisdiction was a mystery to me.”
Another legal source told SaharaReporters that Mr. Saraki new lawyers were also working quietly and reached an advanced stage in the motion they submitted at the Federal High Court in Abuja arguing that the continuation of the senator’s trial at the CCT amounted to a violation of his fundamental human rights.
Mr. Saraki’s case at the Federal High Court seeking again to nullify his trial is largely underreported, in part because the senator has compromised many of the judicial reporters following his trial. But a lawyer told our correspondent that the senator’s attempt to use the Federal High Court to scuttle his trial “should have been thrown out the moment the Supreme Court of Nigeria ruled against the Senate President who challenged the Court of Appeal which also ruled against him. Unless the [Federal High Court] judge wants to take the position that his court is superior to the Supreme Court.”
In fact, two lawyers told SaharaReporters that the judge in question, Justice Abdul Kafarati, was known in legal circles “for being susceptible to high-level corruption,” in the words of one lawyer. The judge had been found to have N2 billion in his account according to sources at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission which he claimed to have made from farming. Justice Kafarati has fixed March 22, 2016 for his judgment on Mr. Saraki’s suit.
Our legal sources disclosed, that Mr. Saraki’s strategy was to delay the CCT proceedings until March 22nd, when he hopes the Federal High Court in Abuja would rule in his favor. “The delay which Chief Agabi secured for the Senate President at the CCT today, by again challenging the CCT’s jurisdiction, is part of a scheme to debate the frivolous matter [of jurisdiction] until the March 22nd ruling comes down.”
A lawyer who has followed the case said told SaharaReporters that he anticipated that, next Friday, Justice Danlami Umar of the CCT would take oral arguments and reserve his ruling till the following Friday. “The adjournment would enable Senator Saraki to get a favorable judgment from Justice Kafarati,” he said. He added: “The senator and his lawyers are banking on the scuttling of his case if they get the Federal High Court in Abuja to find that his fundamental human rights have been violated.”
In an earlier report, SaharaReporters revealed that Senator Saraki’s new lead attorney, Kanu Agabi, was the principal partner in a law firm that first hired Justice Danladi Umar of the CCT when he was a fledging lawyer. One lawyer suggested that the long-term relationship between Mr. Agabi and Justice Umar had already influenced the senator’s trial at the CCT, pointing out that Mr. Agabi had been able to secure two adjournments in questionable circumstances and to purportedly file a motion that the tribunal’s secretary and prosecutor did not know about. In addition, Mr. Agabi also succeeded  in prevailing on prosecutor, Rotimi Jacobs, not to file fresh charges that show that Mr. Saraki continued to receive his full salary as governor, several years after he left the seat.
 SaharaReporters also learned Agabi was able to negotiate for trial dates not to fall on work free days at the Senate as Saraki and the horde of Senators that typically accompany him to the tribunal feared a backlash from Nigerians regarding their abandonment duties to attend to Saraki each time he has a case at the tribunal.
Mr. Saraki arrived at the tribunal today accompanied by more than 60 lawyers and at least 30 lawmakers.  Senators in the courtroom with Saraki Senators boarding buses back to Saraki's house Some rented supporters carry placrads Security agents accompanying Mr. Saraki's bus