[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is believed that Senator Peter Nwaoboshi is not just a threat but a political bulldozer and trailblazer who has his
political machinery and goodwill that made him the choice of Anioma any day, any time.
With the political intrigues that is currently playing out, it is maddening to observe the level of desperation at which politicians seek political positions saying there is no gainsaying in the fact that the political situation and democratic process in Nigeria is a game of highest bidder which often leaves a situation of crying hues by losers after various elections.

“This is what is playing out for weeks now with the pronouncement at the Federal High Court, Abuja. Usually, as it has always been the case in Nigeria, after the primary election, contestants who were not satisfied with the turnout of the results are given fourteen days to file their cases. Yet, no one did for the Delta North senatorial primaries within the stipulated time. This further adjudged the result to be wholly accepted in good faith by Ned Nwoko.

It is therefore a travesty of justice to note that an application contesting unfair primaries will be attended to in a court of competent jurisdiction in this country after the fourteen days window to file a petition has elapsed. “I have actually decided to lend my voice to this unhealthy imbroglio based on the fact that a result that was publicly declared and accepted in good faith is now wearing a different garb. It is interesting to note that from 506, the current votes scored by Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi is now 406, while Prince Ned Nwoko who got 453 votes is now adjudged the winner. The facts coming out of the purported investigations are alleging gross irregularities and electoral malpractices.
“Invariably, it is no longer news that the unseen hands of some political gladiators in Delta State are actually instigating the entire campaign of hatred but soon the God almighty will shame them.With the recent issuance of a certificate of return to billionaire politician, Prince Ned Nwoko of Delta North Senatorial District by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), despite a pending appeal before the Court of Appeal in Abuja, and having been served a stay of execution on the judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja, it is clear that the electoral body has been unduly influenced by the billionaire politician who prides himself in using his money to achieve whatever he wants.

Recall that the April 3, 2019 horrendous Federal High Court judgement by Justice Ahmed Abubakar against Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, who billionaire Prince Ned Nwoko contested against in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial primary election for Delta North senatorial district, directed the PDP to publish the name of Ned Nwoko as the candidate for the election; an order already overtaken by events. Since there was no consequential order to INEC to issue a certificate of return to Ned Nwoko, the question begging for an answer is: on what legal foundation did INEC erect its decision on?
Having been served all appeal processes, one wonders where INEC derived its powers to issue certificate of return to Ned Nwoko. Ned Nwoko went as far as presenting ballot papers in court which were not given to him by the PDP. The party objected the admissibility of the ballot papers since they were not given to Prince Nwoko by the party.This is the party that conducted the election coming out to tell Prince Ned the ballot papers did not come from them. This leaves one to wonder the basis upon which Justice Abubakar went ahead to admit it as evidence and eventually ruled that Ned won the case.
Only a blind man will not see that the only thing that could have made the judge to give such a horrendous judgement is Judicial magic. Prince Ned Nwoko, notorious for bragging of his capacity to buy his way, succeeded in creating the eight wonder of the world by securing himself a judgement that lacked judicial ethos.

On the other hand, why should INEC, after been duly served a notice of appeal; stay of execution, and record of proceeding duly transmitted to the appeal court, went ahead to issue Ned Nwoko a certificate of return when the judgement did not direct them to do so? The question on the minds of many is what could have happened? With a man who brags openly and claimed that even the appeal court is wrapped under his armpit, and that the case before the appeal is a foregone and concluded matter, could it be that justice in present Nigeria is for the rich? An average Nigerian cannot get justice? Although INEC has chosen this inglorious part even when the matter is pending at the court of Appeal, all hope for justice is not lost since Nigerians have implicit hope that the revered Justices of the Appeal court shall rise to the occasion and redirect the wheel of justice to restore sanity and orderliness to the sacred temple of justice. Let justice be done, and seen to be done.

Where was Hon. Ned Nwoko in the build up to the 2014 PDP gubernatorial primaries, when it became clear that the aspiration of Anioma producing the governor was on the verge of evaporating. It was a time that moves to truncate the realisation of a governor of Anioma extraction became apparent.I say this with clear conviction as I was in the battle field during that period. It was this time that men with balls appeared, vowing to do whatever that was needed to ensure governorship comes to Anioma in the spirit of unwritten agreement to rotate the position amongst the three senatorial districts. The battle was not fought by the PDP alone. It was an Anioma project. Barr. Nwaoboshi was amongst the Anioma sons and daughters that organised several nocturnal meetings and lobbies to actualise the dream. At a time, Barr. Peter Nwaoboshi offered to bury his senatorial ambition even if it amounts to Ika Nation producing both the governor and the senator.

When eventually Dr. Okowa picked the governorship ticket, it was so easy for Barr. Nwaoboshi to emerge at the time.
Since he became a senator, public assessment of his performance is high. This is not necessarily because he has done very well. Many think he is a victim of poor media management and vitriolic attacks stimulated by his apparent deserved political leap.

I am one of the many persons who rated Senate Nwaoboshi very high,I had used the performance barometer I applied for Senator Okowa to score him. I just reminded myself that Dr. Okowa was a senator when his party held sway at the centre. Despite the convivial environment, Senator Okowa operated in, he raised the bar to the chagrin of his colleagues at the time. I have left Senator Patrick Osakwe out of this discourse for obvious reasons. Barr. Nwaoboshi has within the last three and half years put out his scorecard for public scrutiny. This document has clearly shown that he has done well in the nine local government areas in the district and remain the senator ever produced in the history of Anioma nation.

Barr. Peter Nwaoboshi is a first timer in the red chamber, yet, emerged as the Senate committee chairman on Niger-Delta Affairs. His diminutive stature does not obscure his intellectual strength. He is in fact a political maverick.He has offered himself for sacrifice to secure the interest of Anioma. He is a cat with nine lives. He has survived previous ferocious battles. The year 2019 will certainly not be a war the ‘Oracle’ will lose. I found him most appropriate to represent Aniomas beyond 2019 in the Senate. Senator Nwaoboshi is the authentic winners of Anioma Senatorial seat.Our God will secure the judgement in your favour and shame the devil. Igbuzo mali umu wa !!!

By: Ike Abiagom

Publisher: Newsbreeze

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]resident Muhammadu Buhari on Friday called for return to true Federalism where every component state uses its resources to develop their state.

At long last President Muhammadu Buhari, who had adopted lackluster  attitude towards true Federalism through restructuring of the country had cued into it.   He has become one of the Champions  for  the demand for true  Federalism to achieve a lasting peace in the country.

The President   may have been encourage  to  sing a different  song  with the high level of insecurity in different parts of the country.  From Bayelsa, Delta,  Rivers, Cross River, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara,  Kaduna,  Benue, Nasarawa,  Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe, Borno to Gombe, the story is the story: Insecurity. Take for instance, the north eastern states of  Yobe and Borno, the Islamic Fundamentalists, BokoHaram,  has been desperately fighting in the last 10 years  with government forces   and Multi-national Joint Task Force, MNJTF, to create  an Islamic  state in the region  while Bandits have  gradually taken over Zamfara state in the north west geo-political region  and spreading their tentacles to Katsina, the President home state, Kaduna,  and Nasarawa states.

The Katsina state born Nigerian  President   who could not hide his feelings  at an award ceremony  organised  by the  governors of the  All Progressive Congress, APC,  in his honour in Abuja, said   ”true  Federalism  is necessary  at this  juncture of the nation’s political and  democratic revolution”.  He noted that  ”some few privileged  individuals  and groups in the society  are exploiting the  and manipulating  the ethnic  and religious front-lines  for seeking  personal and partisan advantage ”.

This is a remarkable departure  on his stand on the matter  in the past. Recall that last year  he had told Nigerians based in France  that ”there should be  proper definition  of what Nigerians  want before  the  government   can delve into restructuring”.  Recall that  when the pressure  for the restructuring exercise   became pronounced in all  nooks and crannies  of the country between  2016 and 2017, Buhari had set up  a Committee  Chaired by Nasir el-Rufai, former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, and now governor of Kaduna state  to look into the matter and make its recommendation to government  on how to achieve true Federalism for the country.

The Committee did not see it  as the government  throwing its weight on the   Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President  and Presidential Candidate of  the People’s Democratic  Party, PDP, in the 2019, Presidential election,  idea,  as it  looked at the matter passionately.  It was said to have recommended  to the government the devolution of power to the states, resource  control,  creation of  state police  and merger of states  which are essential ingredients for true Federalism.

Many had expected the President to implement the recommendations of the Committee  as promised but that was how far he could go. They noted  the President would have saved the country of the increased rise in militia groups in the  different geopolitical regions of the country in the last four years.  This is evident going by the killing spree of Herdsmen in Benue  and Nasara states. The activities of Bandits in the north western state of  Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto  speaks volume.

Edwin Cark , an Ijaw leader, who has been  at the vanguard for the call for true Federalism in the country   over the years  has  repeatedly argued that for  the Buhari  anti-Corruption  war to be taken serious,    the power  presently concentrated  at the centre  will have to give way  which was in line with the Devolution of power recommended by  the El-Rufai Committee on Restructuring of Nigeria  to government last year. Note that  Victor Atta, a former governor of Akwa Ibom state  had lent his voice on how to achieve true Federalism   for the country when he stated the need  for resource control by states in the country , which  was also adopted by the El-Rufai Committee in their report.

He noted that the government diversification agenda would not achieve the desired impact   if it is still playing hide and sick with the restructuring of the country.  Recall that in  a paper   delivered   to mark Clark 90th birth day in Abuja, titled  ”Restructuring , true Federalism and  resource control: panacea  for enduring peace  and sustainable development in Nigeria, he had stated that in true Federation, a governor of  a state  may want to tap the potential n another state and invest in it to generate income. He noted that it would force the oil producing states to sit up to protect  these  oil resource which may be exhausted one day  with its state police.

Political watchers believe that  the country is on the match to achieving true Federalism now that Buhari, who had been against it over the years has thrown his weight behind it. Analysts believe that  the President may have seen that the north  has nothing to lose  if the government should go ahead to implement the  El-Rufai report on the restructuring of Nigeria which is gathering dust in the Presidency. This is because the seven states that make up the north west geo-political region is heaven for other  mineral resources in the country including gold,  which was why Bandits  are  on rampage in the region to protect the illegal miners   who making millions  of dollars annually.

More so,  oil has been discovered in Bauchi state, which had  remained the pride of the people of the Niger Delta.  With the increased support of the  Buhari Administration, Shell Petroleum Development Companies, SPDC, and other undisclosed oil Companies  have intensified their search for oil in the Lake Chad Basin.

A source  told Grassroots Publishers that both not for the  Boko Haram Insurgence in the  Borno state in the last ten years as their  Engineers and other support Staff are operating under fear to avoid falling into the awaiting  hands of the criminal elements who have no pity for human live.

By: Ngidi Onyebuchi Maureen