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Enugu guber: APGA candidate, Nweke denies stepping down for Ubah
A week to the governorship election, the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance Frank Nweke has denied media report that he has stepped down for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Barrister Peter Mbah.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday at his campaign office in Enugu, Nweke said he never stepped down for anyone and insisted that he remain a man to beat.
He urged the public to ignore reports making round, adding that purveyors of the fake report are afraid of him.
“I will begin with addressing the upsurge of fake news, misinformation and the misrepresentation of my character in the media As I shared in my statement yesterday. I believe that calumny, fake news and character assassinations are disrespectful to our people who face real and dire challenges in their everyday lives.
“Those who spread such falsehood have no interest in service but desire to keep Enugu in a web of lies and ineptitude. Therefore, will address these issues summarily. Yesterday, an attention seeking propagandist reported that I stepped down for the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Peter Mbah
“Please, tell everyone you know, that Frank Nweke Jr is in this governorship race to win it for the good of Enugu,” he said.
Speaking on Enugu State PDP’s plan to disrupt the State General Election of March 11, 2023, Nweke said that PDP have compromised the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, warning that they will not take lightly any plan to subvert or abuse the democratic process.
“I am compelled to bring to the attention of the public the grand and devious plans of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State to compromise INEC officials and adhoc staff to bypass the use of BVAS and generally disrupt the governorship and house of assembly elections in the state through the use of thugs to cause mayhem. with a view to dispersing voters at polling units in order to have opportunity to rig the elections, subvert the will of the people to achieve victory at all costs.
“Since suffering massive losses across the state on February 25, 2023, the PDP have held series of meetings at various locations to perfect their nefarious plans to ensure that they disrupt the electoral process, compromise INEC staff and deploy maximum violence.
“A source that attended the meetings reported that they lamented that they were falsely led into believing that BVAS was impregnable by INEC and that manual voting was impossible.
“According to them events in Port Harcourt and some parts of the country had demonstrated otherwise, and that they must now take advantage of it by deploying sums of money to compromise INEC staff, buy votes and cause maximum violence to scare voters who do not vote for them and intimidate others into voting for them against their will.
“They have therefore resolved to buy INEC staff to sabotage the elections as described above, and also to specifically ensure that the original result sheets are neither brought to the polling units nor the ward and local government collation centres.
“Since the iREV malfunctioned last Saturday, they reasoned that they would calmly write new results when the representatives of other political parties disperse at various collation centres in the belief that results had been announced.
“The compromised INEC team is led by a staff of INEC called ‘Ifenna Onoh’ who for several years has been the liaison between the State government and in particular, the Chief of Staff, Enugu Government House and INEC officials. It would appear that the relationship has been groomed for years in preparation for this election.
“It was reported that Mrs Ifenna Onoh has been a beneficiary of land allocations, and pilgrimage allocations and in exchange, has succeeded in recruiting staff for the benefit of the governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, particularly into the ICT department.
“We have also been informed that sums running into hundreds of millions have been exchanged over the years and through third-party agents to conceal the money trail. Mrs Onoh is therefore under obligation to do everything in her power to ensure the declaration of Peter Mbah as the next Governor of Enugu State,” he said.
According to him, currently, INEC maintains a secret office at Fontana Hotels located at Independence Layout for the purpose of rigging election.
“They have also produced Security Systems Uniforms for thugs to disguise as escorts to INEC personnel from the point of dispatch to a pre-arranged location where rigging will be carried out using the non-collected PVCs of voters across the 17 Local Government Areas.
“The above information has been shared with the National Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the State Security Service, the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Defence staff and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“The purpose of this revelation is to let Ndi-Enugu know that the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Enugu will do all that is possible to guarantee the safety of our people. Ensure that you exercise your right to vote on March 11 and see that your vote is protected,” he said.
On the purported endorsement and congratulatory message to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nweke Jr, denied endorsing him, saying it was absolutely false and concocted from the imagination of mischievous Individual, adding that he is Obidient and believe on competent of Peter Obi.
“I can confirm that it is absolutely false and concocted from the imagination of a mischievous individual. have never hidden the fact that I support Peter Obi and as have often said, I am Frankly Obidient. My position on who I believe is most competent to lead our nation has not changed,” he said,
The Ex-Head of Service of Rivers State, George Nwaeke has revealed how the embattled Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara ordered bombing of the State House of Assembly complex in 2023 to avoid impeachment moves by legislators loyal to Chief Nyesom Wike.
The governor who was suspended from office in the heat of crisis rocking the State however, swiftly denied the allegation and urged the public to disregard it.
The former HoS who resigned from office recently gave the revelation during a press briefing on Friday in Port Harcourt, adding that bag of money was allegedly handed over to the former House of Assembly leader, Edison Ehie, who later became Fubara’s Chief of Staff to attack the Assembly complex located along Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
He said, “First, it all started with the Rivers State House of Assembly, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara directed his Chief of Staff (Edison Ehie) to burn down the Assembly to avert his impeachment. That evening, Edison was in Government House with two other boys, including the former Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA, one Chijioke.
“I was there with them when a bag of money was handed over to Edison for that operation, though I do not know the amount inside. I want to tell the people of Rivers State today that the House of Assembly Complex on Moscow Road was deliberately brought down by Edison Ehie under the instructions of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. I challenge him to an open confrontation, and I will provide more details.
“A day after that incident, I almost resigned, but I was very scared because I knew the power of a sitting governor. He knew that I was aware of the whole plan and that I was uncomfortable with the unconscionable act and his deliberate posture of innocence.
“Another attempt was also made to destroy the residential quarters of the House of Assembly members. If not for the press conference held there by Rivers youths, Rivers elders, and National Assembly members, that would have been another barbaric demolition in Rivers State.
“I realised that they actually wanted to demolish that second building because, weeks later, he personally told me that if he had known earlier, he would have pulled down their hall before targeting the residential quarters of the Assembly. He didn’t realise they had such a beautiful hall where they are now holding their sittings.
“I was shocked and asked myself: how could a man who wants to lead his people be destroying state assets and wasting public funds on a needless ego fight?”
Nwaeke stated that he resigned voluntarily, countering speculations that he was sacked or pressured to leave.
“With the load of misinformation in print and electronic media, I have chosen to set the record straight.
“I was not sacked, nor was I pressured to resign; I did it willingly from the depth of my heart,” he clarified.
Nwaeke further alleged that another attempt was made to destroy the residential quarters of the House of Assembly members but was thwarted by a press conference held by Rivers youths, elders, and National Assembly members.
According to him, Fubara had openly expressed a desire to demolish more state property, raising concerns about his leadership style.
He also claimed that Fubara had made comments about using the Ijaw people to influence Nigeria’s presidency, referencing control over oil pipelines and potential disruptions.
Reacting, Fubara denied the allegations levelled against him, asking Nigerians to disregard them.
The governor described Nwaeke’s allegations as “laughable” in a statement he signed on Friday.
“The truth is that Dr. Nwaeke has been compromised, and whatever he is saying is only aimed at fulfilling his promise to those who may have paid or coerced him to lie against me.
“I call on all well-meaning Nigerians and the good people of Rivers State to disregard everything said by Dr. Nwaeke as they are mere desperate attempts to discredit me and my administration, and undermine the peace process by Mr. President,” he said.
Overland Airways, Nigeria’s longest serving private domestic airline is pleased to announce the resumption of flight services from Abuja to Jalingo and return. Overland Airways has also introduced Lagos to Jalingo flights through Abuja.
Overland Airways has been the pioneer airline on the route for years but flight services were temporarily suspended in November 2024 due to expansion work at the airport. The airline is now set to reconnect the two cities providing passengers with convenient and reliable travel options.
Effective April 3, 2025, Overland Airways will resume three (3) weekly flights on the Abuja-Jalingo-Abuja route. The flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays using Overland Airways’ brand-new Embraer 175 aircraft. Flights will depart Abuja to Jalingo at 10:00am and Jalingo to Abuja at 11:30am.
Passengers across Overland Airways network including Lagos, Akure, Ibadan, Minna and Ilorin, amongst others can connect to Jalingo through our hub in Abuja.
Capt. Edward Boyo, Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Executive of Overland Airways says: “We are excited to reintroduce our Abuja-Jalingo-Abuja services which will not only enhance connectivity but also boost economic activities in Taraba State in particular and the Northeastern region of Nigeria in general. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Governor of Taraba state, His Excellency Dr. Agbu Kefas for his unwavering support and commitment to the development of the Danbaba Suntai Airport. We would like to also thank our customers for their patience and understanding and assure them of our usual excellent customer services.”
Jalingo has been a long existing route for Overland Airways, and for the very first time, Overland Airways will be operating our brand-new Embraer 175, a dual-class 88-seater modern jet aircraft featuring Premium class seats with spacious legroom and the regular Economy class on this route. We are keen on providing our Jalingo travellers with unparalleled convenience and comfort.
Overland Airways service offering has evolved from an all-turboprop fleet to a mixed fleet with the introduction of brand-new Embraer E175 jets. In October 2024, Overland Airways renewed its IOSA safety certification for the 5th consecutive time reaffirming its position as a safe and leading African carrier.
Member representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and Minority Leader of the House, Honourable Kingsley Chinda said, the Tax Reform Bills would serve the interest of citizens of Nigeria.
He spoke in defence of the passage of the recent tax reform bill, describing it as a product of diligent legislative work aimed at serving Nigerians’ interests.
Speaking to journalists at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Hon. Chinda emphasized that effective opposition does not require public confrontations but strategic engagement. He noted that the tax reform bill, initially flawed, was subjected to thorough scrutiny and stakeholder consultations before passage.
“We saw that the bill was not good enough for Nigerians, so we pushed for reforms,” Chinda stated. “We engaged the National Assembly leadership, consulted governors, state parliaments, and civil society groups to ensure the final version better served the people.”
While acknowledging that no law is perfect, he maintained that the revised bill represents significant progress, balancing public interest and economic needs.
On the PDP’s internal crisis, Chinda expressed disappointment over conflicting interpretations of the Supreme Court’s judgment affirming Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s national secretary. He dismissed claims by some members still recognizing Chief Ndubuisi Okoye, describing such actions as misleading.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling was clear—Anyanwu was never lawfully removed and remains our national secretary,” Chinda said. He criticized the party’s National Organizing Secretary for causing confusion and urged members to seek clarification from the Peoples Democratic Party’s legal adviser instead of spreading misinformation.
Chinda, who is a leading opposition voice in the House, called for unity, cautioning against public disputes that damage the party’s image. “We must avoid washing our dirty linen in public. The judgment is final, and we should focus on strengthening the party ahead of future elections,” he advised.
Despite the Peoples Democratic Party’s challenges, Chinda expressed optimism about the party’s resurgence after its upcoming congresses and national convention. He urged members to prioritize Nigeria’s interests over personal ambitions, emphasizing that internal disagreements would not diminish the PDP’s role as a viable opposition.
On concerns about Nigeria drifting toward a one-party system, Chinda dismissed fears, stating that the PDP’s revival depends on strategic repositioning rather than the ruling All Progressives Congress’ actions. “We must go back to the drawing board, put the country first, and rebuild,” he concluded.
The Minority Leader’s remarks underscored his commitment to legislative diligence and party discipline, even as the PDP navigates its current turbulence.
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