OLU IBEKWE

The Federal High Court in Owerri on Wednesday March 27, 2013 dismissed the suit filed by Mrs. Ijeoma Nwafor seeking to nullify the January 8, 2010 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary for the Mbaitoli/ Ikeduru House of Representatives seat won by Hon. +Bethel Amadi. The suit which had Hon. +Bethel Amadi, the PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as respondents, was instituted immediangtely after the January 8, 2010 Party primary on allegation of irregularities including over-voting and holding the primary at the Dan Anyiam Stadium which is outside Mbaitoli/ Ikeduru Federal Constituency. Delivering the close to three-hour judgment, the trial judge held based on Mrs. Ijeoma Nwafor’s pleading that there was over-voting by about 60, if 33 invalid votes were subtracted, the actual over-voting would be 27 votes. The judge held that it was wrong for Mrs. Nwafor to argue that there were 33 invalid votes and at the same time, add the 33 invalid votes to the tota...

The President of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) and member representing Mbaitoli/ Ikeduru Federal Constituency in the Nigerian House of Representatives, His Excellency Hon. Bethel Nnaemeka Amadi has stressed the need for future development agenda to be informed by democratic principles. Addressing a recently concluded African thematic consultation on governance and post 2015 development agenda held in Midrand, South Africa, sponsored by the UNDP and hosted by the Pan African Parliament, Hon Bethel N. Amadi extolled the significant gains in some of the key thematic areas of the millennium development goals. H.E. Hon Amadi stated that the deficiencies manifested in sustainable development in Africa can in large measure be ascribed to a lack of representation, participation, transparency, effective decision-making and oversight. This in his opinion underscores the importance of underpinning post-2015 development framework on democratic principles, values and institutions. He also...