Peter Obi Flags Off Labour Party Campaign In Bayelsa

Mr Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25 Presidential election, has flagged off campaigns for the November 11, 2023, governorship election in Bayelsa, with an assurance that the party will be victorious. Obi, who spoke in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital, alongside the National Chairman of LP, Mr Julius Abure, to flag-off the governorship campaign of Mr Udengs Eradiri, said that the party has overwhelming support base in the state coupled with its performance and excellence. Obi urged the people of Bayelsa to come out en mass and vote Eradiri as the next governor of the state on November 11. He said that the process that produced Eradiri as the party’s governorship candidate in the state was credible. He said: “what Nigeria is lacking is verification and that is one of its major problems. If you don’t know where you are coming from that means you don’t know where you are going to. “As I was coming from Port-Harcourt to Yenagoa, you will see poverty, Nigeria has failed Bayelsa in 57 years after oil was discovered. “After Sokoto as the poorest state, then Bayelsa is the next. The state suffered from one of the worst flooding incidents last year, since the history of Nigeria.” National chairman, Abure, said he was confident that LP would form the next government in Bayelsa. He said that the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) had failed Nigerians and the people of the state in particular. He said: “We will change the economic narratives of Bayelsa state. Eradiri is the only governorship candidate of Labour Party in Bayelsa state. “LP is founded on integrity, performance. PDP and APC have failed. We have tried PDP and APC and they failed. “Their results are insecurity, poverty and infrastructural decay. Labour party has come to change the narratives. Vote Udengs Eradiri, vote LP come November 11,” he said. Speaking after the party’s flag was handed over to Eradiri, the governorship candidate of the party, promised to fix the state if he wins the governorship election. He said his programme is to engage the people but not about making noise but to reach out to the people in the rural areas to let them know his ambition. Eradiri promised not to play politics with the development of Bayelsa, but will ensure they have a better life if he is elected governor. He said that he has held various positions from the grassroots, state government level and at national level, promising that his experience in those places will position him to solve problems in Bayelsa state.

APC’s petition challenging Obi’s LP membership incompetent- Tribunal

The Presidential Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Wednesday in its final ruling, declared APC suit challenging Peter Obi as a bona fide member of the Labour Party as incompetent. Justice Abba declared that Obi emerging as the flagbearer of the Labour Party was an internal affair and lacks competence in the suit.   The Tribunal also touched on the issue of non-joinder of Atiku Abubakar who came second and wondered how Obi & LP’s petition could be effectively determined without joining the candidate who placed second in the polls.

Presidential Election: Tribunal strikes out Obi, LP’s claim of irregularities, corrupt practices 

The ongoing Presidential Election Tribunal has struck out Mr. Peter Obi, and Labour Party’s allegations of irregularities and corrupt practices leveled against the election that produced Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The court ruling in the preliminary objection held that the affected paragraphs were “vague, imprecise, nebulous and failed to meet the requirements of pleadings”. The judgement posited that Mr Obi and his party failed to mention the number of lawful votes they scored and the number of the unlawful votes recorded by the electoral body. The ruling read by Justice Abba Mohammed, insisted that the petitioners failed to establish the polling units or wards were irregularities, corrupt practices and manipulation of results were carried out. Justice Mohammed explained that  “averments” must not leave room for confusion or ambiguity, adding that the aim of pleadings is to avail respondents of the facts of the case so as to prepare adequately. Mohammed held that, “petitioners failed to specify polling units where anomalies occurred or where agents complained of alleged malpractices and irregularities. “According to the ruling in a case of alleged malpractices in over 500 polling units, it does not suffice for the petitioners to say some polling units or collation centers without being specific. “Averments must not be general but specific.” Further in the ruling, the panel noted the total of over 18, 000 polling units where the petitioners alleged that INEC uploaded “blurred results ” unto the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) Portals, not one polling units was cited. “They did not specify polling units where election results were not uploaded” or where scores attributed to them was reduced or added to Tinubu”. “They did not show the majority of votes they claimed they had scored “, the tribunal held, adding that petitioners only make generic allegations of irregularities and malpractices. Mohammed further faulted the petitioners for relying on a spreadsheet analysis, inspection results and experts reports, adding that such documents ought to be served on the respondents to enable them do their own analysis and respond accordingly. “The spreadsheet report, inspection results and experts reports were not served but only listed as documents to be relied on in adjudicating the petition”, the court held. “It is unimaginable that a petitioner will allege widespread rigging in 176,000 Polling units, over 8,000 wards, 774 LGAs, 36 States and FCT without stating the specific place where the alleged irregularities occur.” Consequent to the above, the tribunal strike out the affected paragraphs as requested by the petitioners. On Obi’s membership of LP as he was still a PDP member. The court overruled the respondents claims stating that  Obi and LP certified the provisions of Obi being a member.

BREAKING: Court strikes out APM’s double nomination suit against Shettima, Tinubu

The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja has struck out the suit filed by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) accusing Vice-President Kashim Shettima of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of double nomination in the 2023 general elections.   The Chairman of the panel, Justice Haruna Tsammani, who read the lead judgement, held that an invalid nomination or double nomination did not qualify as a ground for disqualification in respect of the presidential election as provided in sections 131 and 137 of the constitution. He also held that Mr Ibrahim Masari, who was nominated as a placeholder by the APC (for the position of the Vice President), was not a necessary party to the petition because he was neither a candidate nor did he win the election. He also held that the question as to the qualification or not of any candidate for any election is a pre-election matter which is outside the jurisdiction of the PEPC. In addition, he ruled that the matter of  qualifications of candidates to contest an election is entirely an internal party matter which non-members have no locus standi to challenge.

Presidential Tribunal to announce verdict Sept 6, okays live broadcast

Putting an end to two weeks of suspense, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has officially confirmed that it will deliver its judgment on Wednesday, September 6. This landmark decision comes after three petitions contesting the victory of Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election. The Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal, Umar Mohammed Bangari, disclosed this important date in Abuja on Monday, putting to rest the speculations that had been swirling around the case. Bangari assured that the court is taking every measure to ensure a smooth and trouble-free delivery of the judgment in response to the three petitions. These petitions were filed by Abubakar Atiku, the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP); Peter Obi, his counterpart from the Labour Party; and the Allied People Movement (APM) under the APC umbrella. In an effort to maintain order and security, Bangari mentioned that stringent security measures have been implemented. Access to the courtroom will be restricted, permitting only invited members of political parties and the general public to enter. This approach is intended to prevent overcrowding and potential security breaches. Furthermore, Bangari announced that interested television stations would be allowed to broadcast the proceedings live, without any associated costs to the court. However, to ensure security and crowd control, certain restrictions will be in place around the court premises. A notable decision by the court was to reserve judgment on the petitions submitted by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, scheduling them for delivery on the same day as Peter Obi’s Labour Party petition. Notably, last week, the court refuted the claims that it had set September 16 as the date for the judgment, clarifying the actual date as September 6.

Peter Obi leads LP rally for LG election in Edo

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, on Monday in Benin, led a mega rally for the party ahead of the September 2 Local Government Area election in Edo State. Addressing the teeming party members who trooped out for the event, Obi described the local government area system as “where development, particularly of the grassroots is domiciled. “Local government is the nearest to the people and it is supposed to be the root for ensuring development for the people. “The three most critical areas of development are health, education and poverty eradication and they are responsibilities of the local government. “So, for the system to work, for a country to develop well, it is the local government as everything that has to do with development is domiciled in the local government. “That is why it is critical to our development and sustainability. As a governor, I was prevented by litigations from conducting local government election for over six years. “So, we are here today to support our candidates in the forthcoming local government election in Edo. We will support them with everything,” he said. Obi, however, tasked voters in the state to vote en mass for candidates of the party in the election, assuring them that in doing so, their future would be protected. Speaking earlier, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr Julius Abure, commended Governor Godwin Obaseki for putting modalities in place for the conduct of the election but warned, however, that the election must be free and fair. “We have the best candidates that can man the local government system in Nigeria, hence, the need for the people to vote for all our candidates in the coming local government election,” Abure said. Also speaking, Mr Olumide Akpata, governorship aspirant for the 2024 election in Edo,  urged the electorate not  to entertain fear but to go out and vote all LP candidates in the election. Akpata, immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said the candidates were persons of impeccable character, who could deliver on the programmes of the LP. 

Obi conveys grief over soldiers’ tragic demise in helicopter crash

Peter Obi, the former Governor of Anambra State and the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, has shared his profound sorrow following the tragic accident involving an Air Force helicopter that resulted in the loss of 36 soldiers in Niger State earlier this week. Obi conveyed his sentiments through an official statement posted on his verified social media handle (formerly Twitter) on Friday. The unfortunate incident occurred on Monday morning when an MI-171 Helicopter, engaged in a casualty evacuation mission, crashed in Niger State. The Nigerian Air Force, in an announcement made on Thursday, disclosed that the crash transpired in Chukuba Village, Niger. A preliminary investigation is underway to determine the cause of the aviation mishap, according to Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Force. In his statement, Obi expressed profound distress at the loss of the soldiers, who were reportedly victims of a terrorist ambush in Niger State. The simultaneous occurrence of the ill-fated military helicopter, engaged in a rescue operation within the same state, only adds to the somberness of the situation. He highlighted the distressing reality of rampant insecurity that pervades many regions of the country, a situation that continues to exact a heavy toll in terms of human lives, property, and the overarching economic well-being of the nation. Obi extended his heartfelt sympathies to the families of the valiant soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice while courageously defending their homeland. According to Obi, these individuals, who fell victim to the tragic events, stood unwaveringly against the scourge of insecurity that grips the nation. He added that their contributions, which is marked by selflessness and dedication, will always be remembered and revered. “The continual loss of lives, of our military men and other citizens, to insecurity is very painful and disgusting. “We must unite as a people, to subdue this monster of insecurity threatening our collective existence, without which, no development will be experienced in the country,” he said. While commiserating with the military agencies over the sad incidents, Obi urged them not to be dispirited over the challenges they faced but to see them as the inevitable path to go before achieving a safe and secure nation for all. He said: “I commiserate with our military agencies whose personnel have continued to pay the supreme price, for peace and security in our nation. “I want you to remain courageous and resilient in the fight. I will also like to encourage a full-scale investigation to be carried out to unravel the cause of the helicopter crash as a way of preventing future occurrences.” The former Anambra governor restated his commitment to ensuring safe and secure Nigerians, adding that fighting insecurity in the country would always be his top priority. According to him, fighting insecurity squarely, remains my priority in the New Nigeria, and so should it be, for long-lasting peace and progress in Nigeria. Finally, Obi prayed God to grant eternal rest to the dead, console their families and console them as a nation over this great loss. He said they would never give up on their nation as it was their greatest heritage in whose service all their sacrifices became noble acts.

LP crisis deepens as new factional exco emerges in Lagos

The crisis within the Labour Party (LP) has escalated further as the Alhaji Lamidi Apapa-led factional National Working Committee (NWC) officially inaugurated a rival 24-member caretaker State Working Committee (SWC) for Lagos State. This move comes amidst the emergence of a separate faction led by Prince Olumide Adesoyin, intensifying the turmoil within the party. The faction, led by Alhaji Lamidi Apapa has publicly disowned the Executive Committee led by Mrs. Dayo Ekong, which steered the party during the 2023 general elections under the leadership of Mr. Julius Abure. The recent inauguration of the Adesoyin-led LP State Working Committee by Apapa marks his resolve to assert control over the party’s affairs. Apapa, along with other NWC members, emphasized the party’s commitment to adhering to legal processes and underlined that no individual is exempt from the law’s constraints. Apapa stated unequivocally, “Labour Party will not tolerate any acts of indiscipline or illegality. Our allegiance to the rule of law is the foundation of our present position. Those who choose not to align with us should know that our journey is onward. We invite them to join us, as we seek to broaden our support.” He highlighted the grievances with former National Chairman, Mr. Julius Abure, alleging that he assumed a position above the law. Legal interventions have restrained Abure from assuming the National Chairman role, thereby validating Apapa’s leadership claim. Asserting his position, Apapa clarified that his ascendancy to the role of Acting National Chairman was a result of destiny, nature, and rightful procedure rather than a personal pursuit for power. He also emphasized the string of court victories his NWC has secured in the Federal High Court and the Appeal Court. With regards to the upcoming off-cycle governorship elections, Apapa reassured party members that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would ultimately acknowledge the candidate list produced through the faction’s primaries. Apapa argued that INEC, being an institution governed by law, is bound to uphold their legitimate candidate list. While saying that he’s not opposed to reconciliation, Apapa underscored the importance of adhering to legal pathways. Meanwhile, Adesoyin, in his inaugural address, asserted his team’s authority over the party’s state affairs, emphasizing their commitment to navigating the party through this tumultuous period. Apapa’s leadership has been heralded by Mr. Abass Aroyeun, the National Vice Chairman (South West), who sees Apapa as breathing new life into the party. Aroyeun urged party supporters nationwide to remain steadfast in their support of Apapa’s NWC for the party’s eventual success. The newly inaugurated SWC members include key figures such as Messrs. Omotayo Anjorin, Olanrewaju Ibrahim, Kayode Yusuf, Felix Odusanya, Peter Olusegun, Nnaemeka Anajemba, Richard Oliseyenum, Azubike Peters, Akinrele Abioye, Kunle Okunola, Ademola Hassan, Abass Ibrahim, Dupe Awe, Elliot Ebije, and Samad Okufuwa, among others. The event saw the attendance of LGA and Ward Chairmen of the Labour Party, along with various stakeholders loyal to Apapa, including Chief Moshood Salvador. Notable acting NWC members also participated in the event, including Mr. Abayomi Arabambi, Alhaji Saleh Lawan, Prince Favour Reuben, and Alhaji Mohammed Alkali, reinforcing Apapa’s support within the party’s leadership ranks.

I’m sad GSK is leaving Nigeria after 51 years- Peter Obi

The Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, has decried the exit of Pharmaceutical giant, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), from Nigeria after 51 years of operations. Obi, who is also aformer Governor of Anambra State, made this known in his official tweets handle on Saturday morning in Lagos. On Thursday, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a British pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, said in the coming months, it plans to exit Nigeria after 51 years of operations. Its Spokesperson, Omongiade Ehighebolo, said in a statement that the challenge in accessing currency was affecting its ability to maintain a consistent supply of medicines and vaccines in the market. GSK has a manufacturing facility in Agbara, on over 25 hectares of land. The company had directly employed no fewer than 400 highly technical workers including pharmacists, microbiologists, biochemists, chemists, dentists, and doctors just to mention, and also employed over 1000 other staff. Obi said the company that indirectly provided jobs and business opportunities for thousands of Nigerians across the nation, regretted that it was now leaving all these behind, and pushing more people back into unemployment. The LP standard bearer said that their reason for leaving portends a gloomy future for the country’s investment climate. He said: “Today, I was saddened to hear that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), is exiting Nigeria after 51 years of operations. “Their reason for leaving Nigeria is even more disheartening, that they are no longer perceiving any future growth of the country, which will be anchored on productivity.” He said it was painful that the country was at the point in the nation’s journey where multinationals were leaving the country and the local ones were closing down. Obi added that this was the consequence of poor management of the economy, hence, millions were losing their jobs and the poverty index was worsening. He said these multinationals leaving the country, not only create jobs but create immeasurable training that contributed immensely to human capital development. The LP standard bearer recalled his consistent position that “in turning the nation around, it must move the economy from consumption to production. According to him, part of this includes encouraging and supporting local and foreign investments, like GSK, in the country. Obi finally stressed the importance of creating an environment that creates and sustains multinationals to invest in the country was key to the dream of greatness. He said in the new Nigeria that they seek to create, the emphasis on production would encourage investors to stay and expand on its shores.

Presidential Tribunal: Atiku, Obi, Tinubu to present final addresses

The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja is nearing the conclusion of its proceedings, with Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) set to adopt their final written addresses on Tuesday. These addresses precede the judgment date for all petitions related to the February 25 presidential election, including the challenge against President Bola Tinubu’s victory. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election, with 8,794,726 votes, defeating Atiku Abubakar who secured 6,984,520 votes and Mr. Obi with 6,101,533 votes. Disputing the results, both Atiku and Obi filed separate petitions, claiming victory and challenging Tinubu’s eligibility to run for the presidency. The petitioners seek to have the court declare that President Tinubu did not obtain the majority of lawful votes and to withdraw his Certificate of Return. They are also calling for a fresh presidential election, excluding Tinubu, whom they contend was ineligible to participate in the first place. Obi presented 13 witnesses and various documentary exhibits, while Atiku produced 27 witnesses and additional evidence before the court. INEC and President Tinubu each had one witness in their defense, and the APC did not produce any witnesses. The Respondents, including INEC, President Tinubu, and APC, have all submitted written addresses urging the court to dismiss the petitions for lack of merit. They argue that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations beyond reasonable doubt, as required by the law. Atiku’s joint petition with the PDP (marked: CA/PEPC/05/2023) asserts that Tinubu’s declaration as the winner of the presidential election was invalid due to non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022, and contends that he was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes. The proceedings continue as the nation awaits the judgment that will determine the outcome of the closely contested presidential election.