Igbo Corner

Tribunal: Details of pre-hearing session report on PDP suit challenging Tinubu’s victory

Published

2 years ago

June 23, 2023

The attached document is a Certified True Copy (CTC) containing details of the pre-hearing session report filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) holden at Abuja on Tuesday, the 23rd Day of May, 2023, before their Lordships Haruna Simon Tsammani, Stephen Jonah Adah, Misitura Omodere Bolaji-Yusuff, Boloukuromo Moses Ugo and Abba Bello Mohammed with case file: CA/PEPC/05/2023.

The petition was instituted between Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), herein referred to as “Petitioners”, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), herein referred to as “Respondents”.

The report of pre-hearing session reads:

A: INTRODUCTION:

The Petitioners filed this Petition on the 21st of March, 2023. The 1st Respondent’s Reply was filed on 11th April, 2023. That of the 2nd Respondent was filed on 12th April, 2023. That of the 3rd Respondent was filed on the 11th of April, 2023. In response to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents’ Replies, the Petitioners filed Replies on 20th April, 2023, 23rd April, 2023 and 20th” of April, 2023, respectively.

In the Pre-hearing Session held from the 9th of May, 2023 to the 22nd of May, 2023 the following were considered by the Honourable Court:

B: JOINDER OF PARTIES:

No joinder of additional parties was sought by any of the parties during the pre-hearing period.
C: AMENDMENTS: No amendment was made by the parties to their pleadings.

D: ORDER OF WITNESSES:

The Petitioners indicated that they will call more than hundred (100) witnesses but stated that they will require three weeks to prove their case since the issues are getting narrower. The Respondent stated its intention to call the two (2) witnesses listed in its Reply and to conduct its case within seven (7) days. The 2nd Respondent had thirty-nine (39) witnesses and undertook to conduct his case within nine (9) days. The 3rd Respondent which listed twenty-five (25) witnesses also sought for nine (9) days to conduct its case. All the parties however indicated that they may call expert and subpoenaed witnesses.

From the submissions of the parties, there are a total of one hundred and sixty-six (166) witnesses to be called in this Petition.

E: INTERPRETER

The 2nd and 3rd Respondents all indicated that they will need the services of interpreter to interprete the proceedings from English to any of the Nigerian languages as may be required.

F: EXPERTS: All the parties indicated that they may call their expert witnesses.

G: SETTLEMENT OUT-OF-COURT: Parties stated that no settlement out of Court is being contemplated.

H: ASSISTANCE BY COURT:

All parties categorically stated that they cannot be assisted by the Court without a hearing; so all the parties subscribed to the hearing of the petition.

I: SETTLEMENT OF DOCUMENTS:

All the parties stated that they will rely on the list of documents contained in their respective pleadings. At the pre-hearing session, all the parties indicated that they will not be objecting to all electoral documents duly certified by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but they reserved their respective rights to object to all other documents. Hence, parties were only able to settle and agree on all the documents duly certified by INEC. Since those documents are public documents which have been consented to by the parties, the said certified documents shall, in line with Paragraph 41(2) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2022, be tendered from the Bar and admitted during the hearing. All the parties agreed that arguments on documents objected at the point of tendering should be reserved and reasons given at the address stage, with the proviso that separate addresses on such objections may be made by the parties. The parties also agreed to file and exchange Schedule of the Documents which they intend to tender before the date of hearing. As agreed by all the parties, it is hereby so ordered.

J: INTERLOCUTORY APPLICATIONS: A total of ten interlocutory applications were made by the parties and considered by the Court. Two were ex-parte applications made by the Petitioners for inspection of documents and for substituted service of the petition, while nine were preliminary objections separately brought by the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents challenging the competence of the petition or seeking to strike out some part of the Petitioners’ pleadings. In line with the dictates of Section 285(8) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, the Court heard those interlocutory applications and deferred rulings on same to be delivered at the stage of final judgment. The Petitioners also filed an application for live streaming of the court proceedings in this petition. After hearing the application, the Court found that the application relates to an issue that borders on judicial policy, which is outside the jurisdictional mandate of the Presidential Elections Petitions Court. Consequently, the Court struck out the application.

K: SETTLEMENT OF ISSUES:

Parties filed and adopted their respective issues for determination. The Petitioners filed 7 issues for determination on the 11th of May, 2023. The 1st Respondent filed 5 issues on the 12th of May, 2023. On the 10th of May, 2023, the 2nd Respondent filed 7 issues, while the 3rd Respondents filed 4 issues for determination. Since the parties have not agreed on the issues to be determined in this petition, the Tribunal shall after consideration of all the issues formulated by the parties and the evidence adduced by the parties at trial, distill the issues for determination in this petition.

L: EXAMINATION AND CROSS-EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES:

The Petitioners stated that the parties have agreed that 30 minutes be allotted for examination-in-chief, 15 minutes for cross examination and 5 minutes for re-examination of the Petitioners’ star witnesses, while for other witnesses 10 minutes each should be given for examination in chief and for cross examination, as well as 5 minutes for re-examination. They also proposed 30 minutes for examination in chief, 30 minutes for cross examination and 5 minutes for re-examination of the Respondents’ star witnesses. The 1st Respondent, confirmed the position as stated by the Petitioners. On the part of the 2nd Respondent, 20 minutes for examination in chief, 30 minutes for cross examination, and 5 minutes for re-examination was proposed for expert witnesses, while for non-expert witnesses, 5 minutes was proposed for examination in chief, 15 minutes for cross examination and 5 minutes for re-examination. The 3rd Respondent also suggested 20 minutes for examination in chief, 30 minutes for cross examination and 5 minutes for re-examination of star witnesses, while for other witnesses, 5 minutes, 15 minutes and 5 minutes was proposed for examination in chief, cross examination and re-examination, respectively. Since it is apparent that the parties were unable to fully agree on the modalities for examination and cross examination of witnesses, the Court here orders that, in line with paragraph 41(3) of the 1st Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2022, there shall be no oral examination of witnesses. Parties are only to lead their respective witnesses to adopt their written depositions on oath and identify documents where required. For star witnesses, their examination in chief shall be for a maximum period of 30 minutes while their cross examination and re-examination shall be for maximum periods of 20 and 5 minutes, respectively. As for other witnesses of the parties, maximum periods of 10 minutes each for examination in chief and cross examination shall be allowed, and 5 minutes for re-examination. Where Respondents are cross examining each other they shall have 5 minutes to do so. Given the time bound nature of this petition, the time so allotted shall be monitored and strictly enforced by the Court.

M: PRESENTATION OF CASES BY THE PARTIES:

Given the time bound nature of this proceedings the time for presentation of cases by parties is hereby set as follows: The Petitioners have three weeks to prove their case. The 1′ Respondent shall have 2 days, while the 2″ and 3′ Respondents shall have 5 days each to present their respective cases.

N: CONSOLIDATION OF ACTION: (Paragraph 50).

The Petitioners and the 1st Respondent were not opposed to the consolidation of this petition with Petitions Nos. CA/PEPC/03/2023 and CA/PEPC/04/2023. However, other Respondents opposed consolidation of the petition with the other petitions and gave various reasons. In line with requirement of Paragraph 50 of the 1st Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2022, this Court hereby determines that justice demands that this Petition be consolidated with Petitions Nos. CA/PEPC/03/2023 and CA/PEPC/04/2023 and be dealt with as one petition since they all relate to the same election and return.

O: ADDITIONAL PRE-HEARING SESSION:
No extension of the pre-hearing period was sought and none was granted.

Hearing shall commence on Tuesday, the 30th day of May, 2023. The Registry shall issue the requisite Hearing Notice as required by Paragraph 20(1) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2022.

See the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the report of pre-hearing session below:

Read more.

—

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Analysis

Nigeria is radicalizing the Igbo, one injustice at a time ~ by Abolaji Rasaq

Published

3 months ago

May 21, 2025

kevin 'Jakpor

There’s something about persecution that does two things to a people: it either breaks them, or it makes them beasts of survival.

For centuries the Jews… they were hunted, hated, and humiliated by empires. But they didn’t vanish.

They evolved. They adapted. And today, the Jews are arguably the most powerful tribe in the world economically, intellectually, and politically. Ruthless when necessary.

They are unapologetic about their survival. Now, look at the Igbo. A tribe known for industry, resilience, and brilliance.

A people who just want to live, do business, and thrive. But Nigeria doesn’t want that. Nigeria wants control.

Nigeria wants submission. And the one thing the Igbo have never known how to do is bow. And that’s the real issue.

So what does Nigeria do? It sidelines them. Isolates them. Provokes them. Bombs their villages under the guise of security.

Locks up their agitators. Shuts down their businesses. Mocks their pain. Ignores their history. Prevent them from voting. Play politics with their education. Sponsored bigotry on them.

And then Nigeria pretends to be surprised that there’s growing radicalization in the East?

Let me be clear: The Igbo didn’t start this fire. Nigeria did.

And history, the very same history we keep refusing to learn from, has shown us that when you keep pushing a tribe that knows how to survive, they evolve into something stronger, something unstoppable.

It’s happened before. With the Jews. Europe tried to exterminate them. Instead, they became the backbone of global finance, media, tech, and diplomacy.

You don’t touch a Jew today without consequences. You don’t push them to the wall and expect them to stay quiet.

Now Nigeria is doing the same to the Igbo, pushing, prodding, provoking.

But here’s the warning: when you push an animal to the wall, it doesn’t stay calm. It fights back. It bites. And this time, when it bites, don’t act shocked.

But this isn’t just about the Igbo solely. Nigeria has perfected the art of creating monsters, then acting surprised when they bite.

The Niger Delta? Radicalized. The region was exploited for oil, polluted beyond repair, and ignored until their youths picked up arms.

The Fulani terrorists? Radicalized. Left behind by the same government that claimed to represent them, now manipulated by religion and resentment.

The Almajiri? Radicalized. Abandoned by an elite that used their poverty as a vote bank and then left them to rot.

The Agbero? Radicalized. Uneducated, weaponized, and unleashed as tools of political chaos.

Even the middle class is slowly being radicalized, not with guns, but with hopelessness. That, too, is a ticking time bomb.

A nation cannot continue to marginalize its most brilliant tribe and expect peace.

The Igbo are not docile. They are not quiet. They are not forgetful. They are survivors, and survivors don’t beg for space forever. At some point, they take it.

The Igbo didn’t set out to be radicals. They were made into one by a country that won’t stop seeing their confidence as a threat.

You can’t keep pretending unity means silence. You can’t keep preaching peace while planting injustice.

The Igbo are not asking for too much, they just want to live, build, and grow.

But if you insist on turning their dignity into defiance, their enterprise into enmity, and their survival into sedition, then you are creating a monster.

And if history has taught us anything, it’s this: when a persecuted people decide that survival is no longer enough, when they decide to stop running and start resisting, they don’t just fight back. They win.

Nigeria must understand this: you cannot keep pushing people into a corner and expect submission.

When you back a lion into a wall, don’t expect it to purr. It will roar. It will claw. It will tear through anything standing between it and freedom.

So here’s the final warning, for those who still care to listen: Nigeria is radicalizing the Igbo.

But worse, Nigeria is radicalizing everyone. And it won’t end well.

When the fire spreads, when the rebellion multiplies, when the beast we created begins to fight back, don’t act shocked; no tribe will be left untouched.

Don’t pretend it wasn’t preventable. We all made it happen. You don’t corner a lion and expect peace.

Abolaji Rasaq is a public affairs analyst.

Post Views: 41

Igbo Corner

Crisis hits Nnewi over Uruagu PG election, as BoT members protest, resign

Published

4 months ago

May 9, 2025

kevin 'Jakpor

Palpable crisis is brewing in Nnewi over the election of the President General of Uruagu Community in the industrial town of Anambra State, with a business mogul and owner of Organiser Plc., Chief Innocent Okoli, accused of upsetting the apple cart.

The crisis has led to protests and resignation of members of the Board of Trustees (BoT).

One of the resignation letters sighted by News Band was from a legal practitioner, J. N. Obi, Esq.

Barrister Obi, until his resignation served as the Secretary of the Executive Committee and member, Uruagu Board of Trustees.

Tendering his resignation letter, Obi cited brazen violation of the Constitution of Uruagu Nnewi Community Development Union.

The letter was referenced OB/03 /296/2025, dated May 8, 2025, and addressed to His Highness. Obi A. C. Obi (Ogidi IV).

In the letter entitled “Letter of resignation as member, Board of Trustees (B.O. T) Uruagu Nnewi. Obi announced his resignation based on the following reasons:

Article 8. 9 (a) of the Constitution of Uruagu Nnewi Community Development Union. 2022 (As Amended) states and I quote:
“The Board shall “Ensure the observance of this Constitution”.
Article 14.4 of the Constitution of Uruagu Nnewi Community Development Union 2022 (As Amended) states and I quote:
“Each ward shall submit a list of the Electors In writing to the Secretary General of the Union, one month before any election.
“The submission of the list of the Electors shall be done by the Ward Chairman In consultation with the Ward’s Obi.”
“The election sought to be conducted on Saturday, 10th day of May 2025, did not comply with the above provisious as it was on the Union’s general meeting of the I3th day of April 2025 that the expiration of the tenure of the Executives was announced.”

The legal pratictioner, however, noted that the election to be held on May 10 will not be up to one month.

He, therefore, resigned his membership of B. 0. T for failure to abide by the above provisions of the Constitution as stated above.

On his part, the former President General of Uruagu Nnewi, Chief Ambassador Charles Nwonye, decried series of illegalities in the proposed election championed by Chief Okoli.

He recalled the efforts of past and present stakeholders to ensure that Uruagu Nnewi Community Development Union is recognised as a legal and responsible entity in the state.

He, however, speaking in a voice note obtained by Diaspora Digital Media (DDM), regretted:

“It’s very, very unfortunate that those counsels that instituted Uruagu Development Union are no longer alive.

“They were the ones who were known for speaking out the truth. But at the same time, we will not all keep quiet.

“I, hereby, wish to bring the following to the attention of all Uruagu indigenes, scattered all over Nigeria and in the diaspora that four years ago, a similar thing happened.

“Uruagu Nnewi Constitution was also flagrantly violated four years ago.

“At the end, a lot of stakeholders asked the former Executive Committee to resign and leave en masse.

“The Constitution, however, allowed them to recontest.

“The Executive Committee then honourably resigned and no one of us recontested, ushering in a new Executive Committee.

“They argued that following the election, the Constitution will be amended to correct all the flaws and ensure no such flagrant abused repeats itself.

“They went for the election and what happened there was the same illegality we’re talking about.

“Some of our youths went and connived with mischief makers, disrupted the election and declared the present Executive Committee members winners.

“The youths stood by them in their misguided thoughts that the Executive Committee members enjoy special gains in the office.

“They disrupted the election and ensured that the present crop of Executive Committee members was ushered in.

“The election was heavily flawed and rigged in favour of Eloka Ike and Innocent Okoli, but we let go and left peacefully.

“The new Executive Committee promised to preside for only four years and leave, but we are currently seeing the same illegalities.

“I dare ask: Should Uruagu be known only for illegalities? I thought Ndi Uruagu are smart people?

“I have observed that there are certain individuals who are hell-bent on ensuring that the Uruagu leadership fails.

“They seem bent on destroying all our efforts, acting as agents of chaos and destruction.

“How can one man gather a bunch of Umuezeagu indigenes and take them to the court, claiming that they sued the union to court?

“They deceived the High Court and got a frivolous injunction against Uruagu people, all in the name of election!

“When I got this information, I knew that something was wrong.

“How can someone, after serving a tenure fraught with irregularities, fight his way to a second tenure against the people’s wish?

“I want to make it clear to all the delegates in the so-called election that it will not be possible to make an illegality legal.

“Anyone who casts a vote in that sham election is an agent provocateur, as well as a villain.

“Let it be on record that I denounced the so-called election founded on illegality and fraud and all participants, be it a delegate or participant in any manner is an enemy of the people.”

Chief Okoli and other responsible people of Nnewi leadership could not be reached for comment at the moment of this publication.

More details will follow…

Post Views: 36

Celebrity/Entertainment

Late Mbaise monarch—Eze Nwabueze Ugorji to be buried May 22, 2025

Published

5 months ago

March 14, 2025

kevin 'Jakpor

The remains of HRH Eze Stephen Nwabueze Ugorji, Orji Ukwu 1 of Lorji Nwekeukwu Autonomous Community in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area, will be laid to rest on Thursday, May 22, 2025.

The late Eze Ugorji will be buried in his palace at Orji Ukwu Estate, Lorji, following a Catholic funeral Mass at St. Andrews Catholic Church, Lorji.

News Band was informed that His Excellency the Catholic Bishop of Ahiara Diocese, Bishop Okezuo Nwobi, has been invited to officiate at the ceremony.

Bishop Nwobi, it was learnt, has also accepted the family’s invitation to officiate at the funeral rites of the late grand traditional ruler.

This information was provided to members of the press in Owerri by the Opara Eze (First Son of the Eze), former Commissioner for Homeland Security and Vigilante Affairs, Dr. Ugorji Okechukwu Ugorji.

His Lordship Bishop Okezuo Nwobi, the Catholic Bishop of Ahiara Diocese (Mbaise) and Eze Nwabueze Ugorji’s First Son, Dr. Ugorji Okechukwu Ugorji

“The family is grateful to His Lordship for granting us a rare request to officiate at a funeral on a Thursday,” Dr. Ugorji said.

“Our father will feel honored and appreciated because he was not just a devoted Catholic, he shouldered the building of the St. Andrews Catholic Church at Lorji until his death,” the former commissioner added.

Post Views: 44

Igbo Corner

EXCLUSIVE: Ngozi Orabueze dissolves Biafra Govt In Exile as Simon Ekpa may spend longer time in prison

Published

6 months ago

February 13, 2025

kevin 'Jakpor

Dr. Ngozi Orabueze has abruptly dissolved the Biafra Government In Exile following secret information that his former boss, Simon Ekpa may not be coming out from Finnish detention in a hurry.

News Band reported that Mrs. Orabueze, a former Chief of Staff to Mr Simon Ekpa, the self-acclaimed Prime Minister of Biafra Government In Exile, toppled his principal after he was thrown into prison for promoting violent agitation and terrorism in the Southeast of Nigeria.

Ekpa’s trial is scheduled to start in May 2025.

Ngozi, a former chairperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Atlanta, United States in a statement on Wednesday, announced the dissolution of Biafra Government In Exile.

She said all assets of the Biafra Republic Government In Exile and it’s affiliates shall be transferred to the secretary of the State of the United States of Biafra.

Orabueze also directed all officers of the former exile government to report to their counterpart with the United States of Biafra for reassignment.

The statement reads, “It is resolved that the Biafra Republic Government In Exile (BRGIE) is hereby dissolved as it’s reason for the existence has been superceded by the November 29, 2024 Declaration of the restoration of the Independent United States of Biafra

“All assets of the Biafra Republic Government In Exile and it’s affiliates(BRGIE corporation ID: D237527271) shall be transferred to the secretary of the State of the United States of Biafra.

“All officers of the former exile government shall report to their counterpart with the United States of Biafra for reassignment. All activities of the Biafra Republic Government In Exile shall cease as of February 15, 2025”.

Meanwhile, an insider source in the movement reliably told News Band that Ngozi decided to dissolve BRGIE after receiving intel that Simon Ekpa might spend longer time in prison.

The source also revealed that the Nigerian government is doing everything within it’s power to nail Simon Ekpa for all his atrocious acts in the SouthEast region.

So, the only way to keep the agitation going in the absence of Ekpa is to dissolve BRGIE.

“Yes, Ngozi Orabueze dissolved the Biafra Republic Government In Exile so as to be fully in charge of the assets belonging to the movement. With the way the Nigerian government is going about the case of Simon Ekpa, he may spend longer time in prison”, the source said.

Moreover, before now, Orabueze has been at war with some arrowheads of the separatist movement who refused to acknowledge her authority.

This however, has led to series of fights, accusation and counter accusations among the agitators.

Post Views: 32

Igbo Corner

A tribute to Mrs. Roseline Udu Eze

Published

7 months ago

January 29, 2025

kevin 'Jakpor

We celebrate the life of Mrs. Roseline Udu Eze, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and pillar of strength.

Her unwavering love, kindness, and selflessness left an indelible mark on all who knew her.

Though we mourn her passing, we take solace in the legacy she leaves behind and the cherished memories we hold. Rest peacefully in the arms of the Lord, dear Roseline.

You will forever be missed.

May her soul rest in perfect peace.

Amen.

Post Views: 34