Minister of Labour and Productivity for State, Rt. Hon. Nkiruka Onyejeocha has been fingered in the Kangaroo judgment secured from a Federal High Court in Kano that sought to sack the governor of Abia state, Alex Otti, who is the only elected governor of Labour Party (LP), from office.
This accusation was made by Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.
He alleged that Onyejeocha is pulling all her strings to pull down the labour party because she lost the Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal House Representatives election to the party’s candidate, Hon. Amobi Ogah.
“What connects the Minister of States for Labour, Hon. Nkiruka Ony, mocha, and the Labour Party that she will go to length to instigate and fund crises within the party.
“ We’re aware that the former lawmaker is fighting a personal and proxy war against the party.
“Onyejeocha has been in the national assembly since 2007 until the February 25 general election when she was defeated by Hon. Amobbyah with a very wide margin.
“Her loss to Amobi Ogah was a pill too hard to swallow hence she has vowed to use all her connections to ensure that the election declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC is upturned in her favour.
“Her political ambition was to be the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives. She has also boasted that powers that be in Aso Rock have promised her the speakership, a position she contested in 2019 but lost to Femi Gbajabiamila, who now is the Chief of Staff in the Tinubu administration. Onyejeocha believes that the Isikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency is her fiefdom, , however, the result of that election altered all the plans and permutation for Onyejeocha who saw her ambition drifting.
“For her to be the Speaker she must first win the seat at the Reps and Amobi Ogah was the only stumbling block. Therefore, he must go at all costs.
“Onyejeocha with strong support from the Presidency plotted to be part of the 10th NASS using the instrument of the Tribunal.
“She had worked tirelessly to ensure that the tribunal pronounced her the duly elected member by turning the rules of the election on the head. With her limitless access to funds, it wasn’t difficult for her to get Amobi Ogah sacked by the Tribunal.
“Not because he lost the election but because the trial judge canceled all the votes of the Labour Party on the grounds of his membership of the party. Of course, the electoral law has been interpreted by even the Supreme Court to suggest that only a political party has the power to determine its membership.
“Nigerians are still wondering what motivated such judgment but the answer is not far-fetched. She simply deployed her huge financial war chest and bought the judgment.
“Not satisfied with the slow pace of the Tribunal route to the National Assembly, Onyejeocha went for the ‘Killer Punch” by using a Federal High Court in Kano to attempt to sack all elected political office holders from Abia State, the governor inclusive. The Kano judgment rattled and quacked the entire political space.
“Onyejeocha, who connived with some expelled members of the Labour Party led by Lamidi Apapa had applied to be a Joiner in the case but was refused by the judge for filling out of time.
“However, most of her pleading before the Court was granted even when the court lacked the locus. It took the ululation from the general public before the matter was overturned by the appellate court.
“Not done, Hon Onyejeocha after the ruling of the Tribunal was appealed against and the venue of the sitting moved to Lagos, also initiated a crisis by using her Aso Rock connections to bully officials of INEC into committing a mortal mistake of pitching two Senior Advocates and legal luminaries, J.O Asoluka (SAN) and Yunus Ustaz Usman (SAN) against each other in an open court on who holauthorityhourity to represent INEC.
“Specifically on the 11th of October, 2023, the INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony in a letter titled Letter conveyed the appointment of John Asoluka (SAN) by INEC to file an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Owerri Division on behalf of the Commission against the decision of the Abia State National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in No. EPT/AB/HR/8/2023 — HON. Nkeiruka Chidubem Onyejeocha & Anor vs. INEC & 2 Ors
“But in a twist of event, INEC went further to engage the services of Yunus Ustaz Usman (SAN) on the same matter before the Appeal Court.
“We sincerely believe that INEC was everything but independent as the commission acted helplessly and as a body being dictated to by unseen forces.
