Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has denied reports in a section of the media that he had sacked the State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi; his Chief of Staff, Hon. Chidi Amadi; and suspended the Chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas.
Speculations were also rife that the governor sacked his Chief Security Officer in the wake of the crisis that rocked the State House of Assembly following the move to impeach him and the ensuing pandemonium.
Some media outfits had reported that Fubara wielded the big stick against the aforementioned loyalists of former governor and now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to stamp his authority.
Our correspondent reports that Fubara’s CoS, Hon. Amadi, is Wike’s kinsman from Obio/Akpor LGA. Amadi was appointed under the Wike-led administration while the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Tamyy Danagogo, served in the same capacity under Wike.
The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Johnson, in a statement issued on Tuesday morning said there was no iota of truth in the said reports in various media platforms which he described as unfounded.
Johnson describes Fubara as a ‘technocrat with robust civil service background’ and a kind-hearted individual who does things according to laid down rules and with the fear of God.
The statement entitled ‘Unfounded Reports’ reads, “There had been unfounded reports making the rounds on various media platforms about His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, sacking certain categories of his aides and local council chairmen.
“This is to clarify that His Excellency has not given me such directive as the official spokesman of the state government as of today, Tuesday, October 31, 2023.
“Our dear governor is a technocrat, with a robust civil service background, kind-hearted and a very humane person who does things according to laid down rules and with the fear of God.
“We therefore ask Rivers people and the general public to jettison such unconfirmed reports as the public will be properly informed of who may have been removed by His Excellency at the appropriate time.
“It is pertinent to note that as the Commissioner for Information and Communication, I shall keep the public updated on events in due course.
Earlier, the appellate court affirmed the judgment of the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal, which declared Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the validly elected Senator representing Kogi State Central Senatorial District.
The court also affirmed the tribunal’s nullification of Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who was earlier returned by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the election.
In the unanimous judgment, read by Justice Hamma Barka, the court held, among others, that Sadiku-Ohere failed to provide convincing evidence why the judgment of the tribunal should be reversed.
The appellate court, while dismissing Sadiku-Ohere’s appeal, was of the view that INEC, saddled with the responsibilities of conducting elections and collating the results, failed to provide reasons why the results of the elections in some Local Government Areas (LGAs) were rejected and excluded from the overall results announced after the conduct of the last National Assembly election in Kogi Central.
The judgment was on the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/EP/SEN/KG/35/2023 filed by Sadiku-Ohere.
INEC had declared Sadiku-Ohere winner of the February 25, senatorial election, a decision Akpoti-Uduaghan
before the tribunal on the grounds that INEC failed to input results from Ajaokuta, Adavi and Okehi Local Government Areas, where she scored more votes.
The tribunal held in her favour and sacked Sadiku-Ohere, prompting the APC candidate to appeal to the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
The Court of Appeal also dismissed the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/EP/SEN/KG/57/2023 filed by INEC against the tribunal’s judgment.
The appellate court held that the appeal by INEC was of no utilitarian value and a mere waste of judicial time.
The court held that such an appeal from INEC, supporting a particular candidate, should be discouraged,.
It further held that INEC ought to be an unbiased arbiter and proceeded to award N500,000 cost against the electoral umpire.
(Punch)
