_ As Ruling Imo APC Lay Ambush For Ihedioha
.....Commends IMHA For Passing Uzodinma's Executive Bill, Imo State Financial Crimes Commission And Complaints Bill
As the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP releases time table/schedule for the 2023 Imo PDP Governorship primaries, prospective delegates have been admonished to vote wisely so as not to end up regretting their decision.
This is coming on the heels of sledge hammer delivered by a Federal High Court in Akwa Ibom State sentencing governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Sen Bassey Albert to 42 years in prison for fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had in 2019 arraigned Albert on a six-count charge of allegedly taking possession of six vehicles worth N204million when he was Finance Commissioner in Akwa Ibom State.
Albert Bassey was said to have collected one of the vehicles from Jide Omokore, an associate of Diezani Alison Madueke, a former minister of Petroleum.
Omokore reportedly had dealings with the state when he offered Albert the vehicle.
Albert, a serving Senator representing Akwa Ibom Northeast district, was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP but was schemed out from the political calculation as the sitting governor had already anointed his successor against the candidacy of Albert Bassey.
Our Correspondent gathered from impeccable sources that the incumbent governor of the state discovering the overwhelming influence Albert Bassey's portends may have influenced the revisit of Albert's criminal charges pending in EFCC resulting to recall of his files with the Crimes Commission which was followed up with litigation in Court.
It was learnt that Albert was advised to drop his guber ambition which he vehemently declined, no wonder his perceived political opponents dusted his files in EFCC custody in relation to criminal charges which led to the recent Court judgement sentencing him to prison some couple of days ago.
In similar development, We gathered that a former governor of Imo State who was sacked by the apex Court on grounds of not securing two-third votes across the 27 LGAs in the state in comformity with the Electoral Act as amended.
Our Imo State House of Assembly Correspondent gathered that some couple of months ago, the House of Assembly passed an Executive Bill otherwise referred to as Imo State Financial Crimes Commission And Complaints Bill, a bill which was sponsored by the governor to empower the state to prosecute financial crimes against the state.
Few weeks after passage of the bill, it was learnt that the Imo State House of Assembly petitioned the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC urging them to investigate a whopping sum of *19.5Billion* misappropriated by the sacked Imo governor, Hon Emeka Ihedioha during his Seven months short-lived administration.
Ihedioha our Judiciary Correspondent gathered filed a suit, praying the Court to grant him perpetual injunction on any trial or prosecution by the Imo state government linking him to any financial Misappropriation during his tenure as governor of the state.
IMOBREAKINGNEWS gathered that with the recent Supreme Court judgement giving powers to the state to prosecute financial crimes by individuals against the state thereby shutting out the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC from prosecuting crimes against States of the Federation, the Imo State Financial Crimes Commission And Complaints Bill sponsored by the Imo State Government was timely and an ambush should incase Hon Emeka Ihedioha declares Interest to contest Imo governorship come 2023.
In an interactive chat with a Labor Party Chiefraincy in the state and legal luminary who pleaded on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the sponsored Imo State Executive Bill was designed specifically for the Imo state ousted governor, Emeka Ihedioha.
Continuing, he said "I advise Imo PDP to trade with caution and review their strategy.
As a leader in Labor Party, am only interested in the Presidential Election as am very convinced that Labor Party lacks capacity to produce Uzodinma's successor.
Hence, I will advise the only coordinated opposition Political Party in the state if they put their house in order will reclaim their victory come 2023.
For clarity sake, Imo PDP should by now discover that Uzodinma wants to return as governor by hook or crook and he had already shut out any governorship hopeful in Imo APC imposing himself as the sole candidate of the party ahead next year's Imo APC Guber primaries. It becomes pertinent that the only visible and articulate opposition political party in the state, the Imo PDP should go back and review the emergency Imo State Financial Crimes Commission And Complaints Bill, while reviewing, they should inquire to know why the Executive Bill was hurriedly passed by the Imo State House of Assembly.
Also, they should investigate further, who sponsored the petition to EFCC mandating the financial crimes commission to prosecute Hon Emeka Ihedioha where they alleged misappropriation of 19.5Billion Naira linked to Ihedioha.
A Commission of Inquiry set up by Ihedioha which when Gov Hope Uzodinma took over, extended their mandate by adding the Ihedioha's 7 months administration found Ihedioha guilty and recommended for his prosecution.
Also the Imo State House of Assembly also, set up an Investigative panel which also found Ihedioha guilty of Financial Misappropriation recommended his prosecution.
The big question here is why did the Gov Uzodinma's administration after passing the Financial Crimes Commission And Complaints Bill and signing it into Law did not proceed to charge Ihedioha immediately but hid the panel report and the Financial Crimes Bill to buy time and wait if Ihedioha will pick the PDP Guber ticket before they will proceed with his prosecution.
Finally, I will advise the party to counsel Ihedioha in his best interest not to contest the governor else, he may be heading to Prison like Sen Albert Bassey from Akwa Ibom, he said.
Meanwhile, when NewsGaztte reached out to Imo PDP Chairman, Engr Charles Ugwu to get his view regarding the controversial Imo State Financial Crimes Commission And Complaints Bill, all efforts proved abortive.
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