Nwobodo returns to PDP, says it’s for Igbo Presidency

A FORMER governor of old Anambra state, Senator Jim Nwobodo has
returned to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, citing the dire need
for an Igbo to become Nigerian president in 2023 as one of his
reasons for the volt face.

Nwobodo also said he was convinced that his former political
party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, will not win the
February 16 presidential election.

Nwobodo defected back to the PDP that he was part of the
founding fathers, on Friday, in his country home,
Amaechi-Awkwunanuw, Enugu South local government area, in mist of
major political gladiators in the Southeast, who came and pleaded
with him to abandon the APC.

Senator Nwobodo equally stated that he had considered himself
more of a statesman than a partisan politician, but because the PDP
has offered the Igbo a window of assuming Nigerian presidency in
2023 through the extension of the vice presidential ticket to Mr.
Peter Obi, he was convinced to return to the party he was part of
its formation.

Those who came to urge Nwobodo to return to the party included
the former minister of state for aviation, Chief Dubem Onyia,
former chairman of the Police Service Commission, Chief S.N Okeke;
former Minister for Health, Prof. ABC Nwosu; former secretary to
the government of Abia state, Chief Eme Okoro; former SSG of
Amanbra state, Chief Osaeloka Obaze; former Presidential Adviser,
Senator Ben Obi, Ms Chidi Ekwueme, among others.

Responding to their demands for him to return to the party,
Nwobodo said “When we formed PDP was in Kirikiri Prison, along with
Alex Ekwueme and Bisi Akande my cell mate. Nigerian politicians
forget history. At this stage of my life I am an elder statesman
than a partisan politician. I’ve served Nigeria in state and
federal level with fair share of ups and downs and I’ve made
mistakes.

“Experience on issues confronting Nigeria, the economy,
insecurity and dichotomy; between tribe and arms of government-
these three are symptoms or deep rooted issues that must be
discussed.

“As democrats we must tell the president the truth. I know how
difficult it is to know true situation of things. Crisis evolves
easily as APC member and as a democrat I was concerned as my fellow
members boasted that the 2019 election was as good as won – I
wondered how.

“The ongoing attempt to rusticate and desecrate the judiciary by
arresting the CJN is dangerous; I can’t be part of it, President
Muhammadu Buhari must stop this desecration and respect the rule of
law. No genuine investor will come to a country where the judiciary
is made fun of . My expectation is to be hopeful for our people,
the disparity of former leaders will not be the way to groom and
mentor the young.

“On the return to democracy in 1999, I was one of the founding
fathers of PDP, we agreed on rotation between north and south to
strike a balance. Obasanjo took first shot and handed to Yar’Adua,
followed by Jonathan. Of the three southern zone only the SE is yet
to produce a president. It’s been our hope that Nigerians will
rally in support a president emerging from the SE.

“I had hoped that the route to Igbo presidency would be via APC
but comments by top APC officials are not encouraging. Igbo and PDP
leaders approached me to return, some of you are part of Ohanaeze –
it’s difficult for me to ignore such calls. That Atiku named an
Igbo man his Vp candidate means I can’t stay away. We will now go
to the next level after the VP slot.

“I’m with the Igbo and I will be with them always. Let me say
the as an igbo Nigerian born in Lafia, went to School in Zaria and
attended University of Ibadan and thought at Kings College Lagos,
I’m a full Nigerian. I succeeded in bringing Zik and Awo in my
residence in Enugu as a governor. They met over lunch for the first
time in many years.”

Nwobodo further regretted not being invited by by the APC to the
inauguration of Zik’s mausoleum in Onitsha on Thursday, stating
that “We must follow an Igbo vice presidential candidate, Peter Obi
– in our enlightened self-interest. Ensuring equity and justice
calls for accommodation. I have no regret about returning to PDP. I
recall how Buhari as head of state jailed many second republic
politicians giving them sentences of over 100 years each.”

Again, Judge Sets Up 3-Man Panel on Dasuki’s
Trial

A Federal Capital Territory High Court has set up a three-man
panel to resolve the logjam arising from the trial of Colonel Sambo
Dasuki in the alleged money laundering charges along with Aminu
Baba Kusa, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral
Hospital.

The three-man panel headed by Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf is to
proffer a way forward for the court in the dilemma being
encountered by the court in the trial.

Dasuki who had been in detention of the Department of State
Security Service (DSS) since December 2015 despite about six court
orders that granted him bails, had written to the Federal High
Court that he would no longer appear for trial in protest against
violation of court orders by the Federal Government which put him
on trial.

In the letter sent to the Federal High Court through his legal
team, Dasuki made it abundantly clear that the Federal Government
has lost both moral and legal right to continue to prosecute him
having deliberately violated subsisting and valid court orders.

In the strongly worded letter, the former NSA claimed that that
FG has proved beyond reasonable doubt it has no respect for the
rule of law.

At the resumed trial today, at FCT High Court, counsel to
Federal Government, Mr. Oluwaleke Atolagbe informed Justice
Baba-Yusuf that the matter was for the continuation of trial and
that he was ready to proceed. He, however, said that a fresh motion
on notice just filed by the defendant had been served on him and
that he needed time to study the direction of the motion and then
respond appropriately.

Atolagbe subsequently pleaded with the judge to grant him a
short adjournment.

Counsel to Dasuki, Mr. Victor Okwudili had admitted that a
motion was served on the prosecution and that the motion ought to
be decided one way or the other before the trial could continue.
He, however, did not object to the request for an adjournment by
the prosecution.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Solomon Umoh, a counsel to the
second defendant Aminu Baba-Kusa had faulted the claim of the
federal government that the former NSA deliberately refused to
appear in Court for trial.

The Senior lawyer argued that that the blame for Dasuki’s
absence in court, should appropriately shifted to the federal
government for using one hand in holding Dasuki in its custody
illegally, and at the same time using the second hand beckoning on
the same Dasuki to appear in court.

Umoh therefore, agreed that the issue surrounding Dasuki’s
decision not to be in court should first be resolved before the
trial could proceed.

Justice Baba Yusuf in his ruling agreed that the issue must be
resolved in the interest of justice to both parties and therefore
put in place a three-man panel that would proffer solution for the
way forward for the court.

Apart from Justice Baba-Yusuf who is presiding, others in the
panel are Justice Valentine Ashi and Justice Mary-Ann Anenih both
of FCT High Court.

Justice Baba Yusuf, therefore, adjourned the matter till
February 19, 2019, after the Presidential election.

During his tenure as the National Security Adviser in the
immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan, Sambo Dasuki
had reinvigorated and facilitated the expansion of troops of
Multi-national Joint Taskforce (MNJTF) with neighbouring Benin,
Cameroon, Chad and Niger towards combating the dreaded Boko Haram
insurgency.

Dasuki also facilitated collaboration with foreign technical
advisers towards ensuring the recovery of several major towns in
Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states from Boko Haram terrorists. Some of
the liberated towns, during his tenure included: Abadam, Askira,
Baga, Bama, Bara, Buni Yadi, Damboa, Dikwa, Gamboru-Ngala, Goniri,
Gujba, Gulag, Gulani, Gwoza, Hong, Kala Balge, Konduga, Kukawa,
Marte, Madagali, Michika, Monguno, Mubi, Vimtim among others.

However shortly after leaving office, the Federal Government
filed charges against him in different courts and was granted bail
in line with the provision s of the law but has remained in an
illegal detention since December 2015 prompting him in writing
Federal High Court in Abuja where he is being prosecuted for
charges of illegal possession of firearms and money laundering,
requesting that he be allowed to stop submitting himself for
trial.

He based his request on the Federal Government’s continued
refusal to comply with a series of court orders granting him bail.
He cited six court orders, including one by the Court of Justice of
the Economic Community of West African States, which had ordered
his release but were ignored by the Federal Government.

By PRNigeria