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Okorocha Blames Oyegun for His Travails, Says He’s on ‘Vendetta Mission’

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The Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has accused the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Oyegun, of collaborating with the National Organising Secretary of the party, Sen. Osita Izunaso, to cause problem in the state chapter of the party .

Okorocha, who accused Oyegun of being on “a vendetta mission against him” following his position on the protracted tenure elongation for the national leadership of the party, said he (Okorocha) remained the face of the APC in the South-East .

Okorocha spoke in a statement issued on Friday by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemedo.

He challenged the members of the party fighting him to allow party congresses to hold in the 305 wards in the state than to “run to Abuja to manipulate the process .”

The statement read in part, “The so-called Imo stakeholders can only ‘cage’ Governor Rochas Okorocha like they have claimed in the media in the offices of the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun and the National Organising Secretary of the Party, Chief Osita Izunaso, who are on vendetta mission against the governor over his innocent and patriotic stand on the issue of tenure elongation.

“And in any case, only ingrates can claim caging the man God used to uplift them politically.  All those in the insolvent group called coalition are all beneficiaries of Okorocha’s political successes in Imo.”

The Imo State governor said he thought that the outcome of the Anambra State governorship election would have made some of the NWC members of the party to be in a position to “detach noise making from reality.”

Okorocha further stressed that the recently held APC ward congress in the state was marred by confusion and controversies.

In another statement, the governor stated that the state’s Independent National Electoral Commission had released the report of the congress, which he said had confirmed that sensitive materials, including result sheets, were not provided during the election.

It claimed that the state’s INEC Administrative Secretary, Mr. T.O.N. Ongele, confirmed that the exercise was characterised, “in its entirety”, with confusion and controversies.

The statement read in part, “It is pertinent to state that the ward congress in its entirety was characterised by confusion and controversies as reported by the officers who monitored the congress at the various wards and local government areas.

“At a point, we were told that the Congress Committee Panel that was posted to Imo State was swapped with that of Anambra State, but no letter to that effect was received by the Resident Electoral Commissioner.

“In some of the local government areas, the INEC observers reported that result sheets were not provided and in some areas, electoral personnel were not seen. In some other instances, the INEC monitors were told on arrival that the congress had been concluded. In some other places, there was no evidence that the congress took place.”

The statement quoted the Electoral Officer for Mbaitoli Local Government Council, Mary Odilinye, as saying that INEC staff were redeployed to various party officers to monitor the exercise but that on reaching there, the different party offices were locked up.

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Court Grants Malami N200m Bail in DSS Terrorism, Firearm Charges

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Justice Joyce Abdulmalikof the Federal High Court Abujahas admitted a former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, and his son Abdulazizto N200 million bail in the charges bordering on alleged terrorism and illegal firearms possession brought against them by the Department of State Service (DSS).

Malami and his son were, however, ordered to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the perfection of the bail conditions imposed on them by the Court.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik granted them bail while ruling on their bail applications, which were argued by their lead Counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN).

The judge ordered the former AGF and his son to get two sureties each, one of whom must own landed property either in Maitama or Asokoro.

Justice Abdulmalik said that the title of the property must be deposited with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court, along with valid international passports.

The sureties are also to depose to an affidavit of means and submit their two recent passport photographs to the court.

Malami and his son were also ordered to submit their international passports and recent passport photographs to the court.

The judge subsequently fixed March 4 for the commencement of the trial.

The Department of State Services (DSS) had arraigned Malami and his son, Abdulaziz, on a five-count charge bordering on terrorism and illegal firearms possession.

In the charge, Malami was accused of refusing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers, whose case files were handed to him while he served as the AGF and Minister of Justice.

Malami and Abdulaziz are equally accused of warehousing firearms in their residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birain Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, without lawful authority.

The DSS accused Malami in count one of the charge, with knowingly abetting terrorism financing, while the ex-AGF and his son are charged in counts two to five, with unlawful, possession of a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, 16 Redstar AAA 5720 live rounds of cartridges and 27 expended Redstar AAA 5’20 cartridges, contrary to and punishable under relevant Sections of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and Firearms Act, 2004.

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Fubara Appoints New SSG, Chief of Staff

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Governor Siminalayi Fubara has appointed Dr. Dagogo S.A. Wokoma as the new Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG) and Barrister Sunny Ewule as Chief of Staff, after the recent shake-up of the State’s political and administrative structure.

The appointments were announced on Thursday in a Special Government Notice signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onwuka Nzeshi, and made available to journalists. Both appointments take immediate effect.

In a statement issued on Thursday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onwuka Nzeshi, the governor appointed Dr Dagogo Wokoma as Secretary to the State Government and Mr. Sunny Ewule as Chief of Staff.

The statement said the appointments take immediate effect, adding that the new appointees would be sworn in at 2:00 p.m. at the Executive Council Chamber, Government House, Port Harcourt.

The development comes amid the protracted political crisis in the State, which recently escalated into impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, by the State House of Assembly. The crisis was eventually diffused following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.

Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, had last week announced during plenary that the Assembly formally withdrew the impeachment notice against the governor and his deputy after the President’s intervention.

Political observers suggest that the dissolution of the cabinet may be part of efforts to rebalance the power structure in the following the peace accord. However, it remains unclear whether the new appointees are aligned with the governor or loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The statement read in part: “The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has appointed Dr. Dagogo S.A. Wokoma as the Secretary to the State Government and Barrister Sunny Ewule as the Chief of Staff.

“Both appointments are with immediate effect. The new appointees will be sworn in at 2:00 pm.today, Thursday, February 26, 2026. The swearing-in ceremony will take place at the Executive Council Chamber, Government House, Port Harcourt.”

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Court Strikes Out Forgery Case Against Ozekhome As FG Withdraws Charges

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The Federal Government has formally withdrawn the forgery charge filed against senior lawyer Mike Ozekhome, bringing an abrupt pause to a case that had drawn public attention.

The charge was originally instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).
It followed a judgment delivered by a London court over a property linked to the late former FCT minister, Jeremiah Useni.

In January, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation took over the matter from the ICPC for what it described as effective prosecution.

However, proceedings took a new turn on Tuesday at the FCT High Court.

The Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, informed Peter Kekemeke that the Federal Government was withdrawing the case file for “further instruction”.

He explained that the decision was taken in line with the provisions of Section 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

Counsel to the defence, Paul Erokoro, SAN, told the court that his team had no objection to the withdrawal of the charge.

In a brief ruling, Justice Kekemeke held that since the application was not opposed, it was granted.

He consequently struck out the charge and ordered that the case be dismissed.

The withdrawal effectively halts legal action against Ozekhome over the alleged forgery linked to the disputed property transaction.

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