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Ebonyi 2023: Zoning won’t count group declares

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Ahead of 2023 governorship election in Ebonyi state, some indigenes of the state under the platform of Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in the Diaspora (AESID) have said that competence and credibility will determine who emerge the next governor and not zoning.

The association implored Ebonyi people to continue to study the records in and out of office of any contender and place same side-by-side with the prevailing challenges facing the state and seek out for only those who can reverse the negative indices.

In a statement signed and released to newsmen on Sunday by its President, Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, urged the people to ignore “paid political permutators, jobbers and hatchets men mislead, misdirect or misinform Ebonyi people as they battle to choose a credible and competent leader who would take-over the baton as Governor David Nweze Umahi’s successor.”

The association was reacting to an opinion piece by one Sunday Okwerike- one of the Izhi youngsters on social media who lamented that the rest of Ebonyians should probably leave the battle of Umahi’s successor in 2023 to only his Izhi clan.

But while responding to the development, the AESID said Ebonyi people will also not support to be elected into the office of Governor in 2023, any leader or persons who have records of having been used particularly by the Umahi administration to dispense mindless violence on Ebonyians with many of such leading to deaths of the young and elderly.

“First, AESID wishes to assert that the number one criteria which we implore every Ebonyian and lover our dear State to seek out in any intending aspirant or candidate is COMPETENCE and CREDIBILITY which would ultimately translate into such a leader’s capacity to reverse the numerous growing negative statistics and economic woes that the current government of Umahi has brought upon our dear State.

“Apart from the incontrovertible fact that there has never been a time when the rest of the zones in the State allowed only aspirants and candidates from a particular part of the State to seek the Governorship office in keeping with the so-called unwritten charter of equity, power as such pundits and analysts should be made to know only comes from above and it is never given but taken.

“Much more than the zone of an aspirant, AESID would, we reiterate implore Ebonyi people to continue to study the records in and out of office of any contender and place same side-by-side with the prevailing challenges facing the young State and seek out for only those who can reverse the negative indices.

“We, as a group has variously raised the alarm over the rising poverty in the State which has placed us in a woeful third position among the 36 States of the federation and whoever wish to succeed Umahi must not only be worried about this ugly trend but have the feasible prognosis to proffer credible solutions to them.”

According to Oluchukwu, the government of Engr. Umahi has remained a family business with capital flights being the order of the day.

“Governor Umahi boasts that he knows even the costs of production and supply of ordinary nails, all because he is the sole supplier all to and by himself and his family. This is why the government has placed higher premium on concrete roads, flyovers and decorative water fountains cum lights over and above the economic survival of a greater number of Ebonyians. Come 2023, Ebonyi people should choose, follow, support and elect a leader who would run an all-inclusive government that would see humans as humans and not as machines.

“It is our firm believe that the economic prosperity of Ebonyi people is more important than the antiquated zoning of political positions that would not afford us to put our best foot forward as Umahi’s successor in 2023. More so, our people will not elect any leader who has shown manifest greed and looting of previously or presently occupied public office, neither would we encourage them to support anyone hanging on the shoulders of any leader who has vaults in his massive country-home wherein he’s been saving looted public funds.

“Only people with records of genuine love and peace for all Ebonyians who have not shown manifest discriminations should be supported and elected into office in 2023.

Finally, we caution politicians against any sponsored divisive articles or positions that may cost Ebonyi the opportunity of redeeming its vanishing image and glory caused by Umahi’s rapacious greed, selfishness and extremisms against our people. AESID rather urge Ebonyi people to remain watchful, vigilant and determined to right the many awful wrongs of the Umahi administration despite Party and self-interests come, 2023 elections.”

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Exclusive: Tension as Fulani militia camps in Omala community to disrupt governorship election in Kogi East

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Working in synergy with the leadership of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, MACBAN in Kogi State, Fulani militia are daily flooding Bagana, a riverine area in Omala Local Government Council in Kogi East Senatorial District, CAPITAL POST, reports.

Bagana, a community situated by the lower River Benue part of Kogi East once have a robust and thriving trade by barter transactions which has lasted for centuries, but got embroiled in communal clashes with Patanyi and Omagede communities claiming ownership of Bagana in few years ago.

Before the crises snowballed into uncontrollable level in barely eight years ago, it has all been animosity among residents of Bagana, Patanyi and Omagede, but in Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration, the communal clashes became deepened due to political interest introduced into it.
The cause of crises were due to revenue generated on market days as traders came from all parts of Kogi East, Enugu and Anambra due to its trade by barter and cheap food items including fresh and dried fishes which were majorly supplied by the Agatu speaking people.

When our correspondent visited Bagana in the guise of buying dried fishes, to the consternation of all imaginations, Fulani people have taken over the entire community and could be seen collecting revenue and issuing receipts to motorists.

It was also discovered that motorists plying Abejukolo, headquarters of Omala and Bagana road including those coming to the market from outside the LGA have surrendered their fate to Fulani impostors and were willingly paying levies to them.

Read Also: Insecurity: Address reasons armed Fulani herders keep killing Nigerians, Ortom’s CPS tackles Buhari’s media aide
Apart from the fact that they look alien, and hardly speak ‘pidgin’ English, their Hausa accent is that of Nigeriens. Fully armed, each Fulani sighted has an AK47 including some on guards in readiness to pull trigger in case of any eventualities.

As at the time of CAPITAL POST’s visit to Bagana, no single residential building was standing on its own, no thanks to the last crises which the Patanyi and Omagede people unleashed Fulani hirelings on them.

The Bagana which was home to Agatu and Igala speaking tribe has completely been deserted after gun battle with hired Fulani mercenaries by the Patanyi and Omagede communities, thus, every houses are either reduced to rubles or set ablaze by the invaders. Currently, the residents have been turned into Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Abejukolo-Ife.

Political Interest/Crowding of Fulani militia ahead of Governorship election

Presently, the Fulani militia are flooding Bagana on the invitation of those earlier hired for gun battle by the Patanyi and Omagede communities for purposes of dislodging Bagana residents.

Speaking with one of Bagana’s youth leader who pleaded anonymity, he told CAPITAL POST that Fulani militia has gone beyond the communal crisis and has metamorphosed into Kogi State Governorship Election now. He revealed that the militias are crossing River Benue down to Bagana from the neighbouring Nasarawa axis. A development he said, was on the involvement of the leadership of Kogi MACBAN who chose to assist Yahaya Bello’s administration in the forthcoming governorship election in the Eastern Senatorial district.

Read Also: Senator Adeyemi commends Bello for appointing Okun people into government
He said, Bagana has become a camping ground for the militias preparatory to invade Omala in connivance with thugs loyal to the All Congress, APC who are familiar with the forest in order to make the affected LGAs inaccessible for election.

“I was in Bagana market and it’s fearful, the sophisticated guns being brandished by the militias. I can confirm to you that on Wednesday last week I sighted some militias coming into Bagana and currently their number has gone up to 300.or thereabout.

“The authority has interest in using them to distabilise Kogi East so that election will not hold”, the youth leader said.

In the similar vein, the President of Ife Development Association, IDA, Dr. Aaron Omale confirmed the camping of Fulani militias in Bagana for election purposes. He lamented how political leaders in the State and at the LG are feigning ignorance of strange faces in Bagana because of political interest.

According to him, the leadership of the socio-cultural group has scheduled a meeting with the traditional rulers in Omala LG in order to discuss the challenge and push it up to the appropriate quarters.

A local vigilante leader in Abejukolo, speaking on the development, admitted that there is tension over the presence of militia with the high calibre of weapons they are brandishing.

He said, they will remain law abiding, pray and calm, believing that government would take action at the right time.

Read Also: Greenfield incident: Bagudu, Badaru visits El-Rufai
Meanwhile, calls and Watsapp messages sent to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Williams Ovye Ayah to react if the Police was aware of the presence of Fulani militias was not responded to before filing this report.

CAPITAL POST recalled that the leadership of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Kogi State Chapter on Saturday, September 16, paid a courtesy call on governor Yahaya Bello at the Lugard House, Lokoja.

The Chairman of the Fulani group in Kogi State, Umar Yusuf Damina assured the governor of their support for the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Ododo Ahmed Usman.

The MACBAN leader in his address claimed that Bello has numerous achievements to his credit, saying that the governor has secured the State in past years.

In his welcoming address, Bello lauded MACBAN’s endorsement of APC’s Ododo ahead of November 11, governorship election, adding that he was “deeply moved by this display of unity,” while he reiterated his administration’s stance against any form of discrimination against the Fulanis in Kogi State.

He lauded MACBAN for its valuable contributions in sharing information and gathering intelligence, which had aided conventional security forces in identifying and eliminating criminal elements among the Fulani community in the state.

Governor Bello expressed his conviction that the Fulanis, known for their unwavering commitment to their word, would undoubtedly throw their support behind the APC during the November 11 polls.
(Source: CapitalPost)

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More Troubles for GYB, APC, , as Tribunal declares Natasha Akpoti winner of Kogi Central Senatorial Election

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The election petition tribunal sitting in Lokoja has declared Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as the winner of the February 25 Kogi Central Senatorial election.

The tribunal Chairman, Justice K.A. Orjiakoin in his ruling on Wednesday said Uduaghan scored 54,064 votes to defeat his closest rival Sadiku-Ohere who polled 51,291 votes.

He urged Ohere to pay Akpoti-Uduaghan N500,000 for the cost of the petition.

Ohere is of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Recall that the Kogi East Senatorial Election Tribunal had, on Tuesday, sacked the senator representing the district, Jibrin Isah, on the ground that elections were cancelled in 94 polling units.

The tribunal also ordered Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a supplementary election in the affected 94 polling units.

The Tribunal Chairman, K.A. Orjiako, who delivered the judgment on the petition brought before it by Victor Adoji, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 25 February election, agreed with the prayers of Mr Adoji.

Mr Adoji, had through his Counsel, Johnson Usman (SAN), challenged the return of Mr Isah of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the ground that elections were cancelled in some polling units where the PVCs collected were more than the margin of his win.

The petitioner had pleaded with the tribunal to anull the election of Mr Isah, who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs Excise and Tarriffs, on the ground that elections were cancelled in 94 polling units and ordered for a supplementary election in the affected 94 polling units in the senatorial district.

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Muri Ajaka Congratulates Shaibu Audu on Ministerial Nomination

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By Odaudu Ojone Grace

The Kogi State Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, (SDP) Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka has congratulated Alhaji Shaibu Abubakar Audu on his nomination as a Minister by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Alhaji Audu, son of one time Governor of Kogi State, Late Prince Abubakar was among the second bath of Ministerial Nominees sent to the the Senate by the President on Wednesday.

Reacting to the development the SDP Candidate celebrated the choice of Audu as a fulfilment of the electoral promise of President Tinubu to involve young Nigerians in his administration.

“Your nomination is a glaring testimony of the commitment of His Excellency President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to youths empowerment and political inclusiveness”

Ajaka said given the background, experience and antecedents of Alhaji Audu the people Kogi State are indeed proud that one of their best has been given the opportunity to contribute to national development.

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