January 28, 2008
Saharareporters, New York
A seven-judge panel of the Supreme Court today threw out an appeal by Emmanuel Nnamdi (Andy) Uba to be returned as the governor of Anambra State.
Mr. Uba, a former domestic aide to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, was last April declared winner of a fraud-ridden governorship election in Anambra. Mr. Uba, a widely despised politician, spent a mere 17 days on the seat before the Supreme Court removed him on June 14. The court ruled that Governor Peter Obi, winner of the 2003 governorship election but who claimed his office after almost three years, was still the legitimate governor till 2010.
Uba's removal was greeted by widespread celebrations in Anambra as well as throughout Nigeria. An indigent California-based businessman before he was asked to
become a presidential aide, Uba had acquired one of the largest stolen fortunes in Nigeria's history.
During Obasanjo's eight-year term, Uba virtually ran the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the nation's cash cow. A top security source in Abuja told Saharareporters that a covert probe team was quietly collating information on the billions of dollars stolen by Mr. Uba for himself and on behalf of former
President Obasanjo.
Uba, who dropped out of college without finishing a first degree, also passed himself off in Nigeria as a holder of a Ph.D. Most Nigerians newspapers and magazines still address him as "Dr."
Last November, Uba hired an expensive team of lawyers and returned to the Supreme Court to persuade its judges to reverse the ruling that removed him. He
pleaded that the court exceeded its powers in restoring Obi to office and accused one of the justices of bias.
Several sources within Uba's camp revealed to Saharareporters that the former presidential aide had budgeted more than $7 million as bribe for each justice if they would return him to office.
Despite his cache of millions of dollars, most lawyers and legal scholars gave him no chance of persuading the justices.
The Supreme Court today proved the emptiness of Uba's petition, dismissing it as lacking in merit.
"The people of Anambra and Nigeria have again being saved from a scam artist," said an exuberant Okwudili Okoye, an accountant from Anambra State who lives in
Abuja. Mr. Okoye told our correspondent that he came to the premises of the Supreme Court hoping that the justices would give him and millions of Nigerians
cause to celebrate. "Thank God the justices ruled with wisdom and the fear of God," he said, dancing.
Our correspondents also report the outbreak of spontaneous celebration in Anambra as well as other cities of Nigeria as news of the court's verdict spread.
Today's verdict was delivered after a long session in which the court berated Mr. Ifeanyi Okonkwo who sided with Uba in asking that the court invalidate its June
14 verdict. Okonkwo, a gubernatorial candidate of the Nigeria Advanced Party (NAP), had told the court that Governor Obi induced him to withdraw as a party to the original case. The justices sharply rebuked him for trying to bring the Supreme Court to ridicule.
After a short recess, Justice Nikki Tobi then read a unanimous decision announcing the court's dismissal of Uba's application.
One close aide of Uba's confided in our correspondent that the twice-disgraced politician had contemplated using the members of the Anambra Assembly to impeach
Governor Obi. In last April's fraudulent elections, Mr. Uba got the electoral commission to announce his candidates as winners of all the state and federal
legislative seats. But Uba's confidante said the ex-presidential aide was likely to soft-pedal since he had received intelligence that certain forces in Abuja
were pressuring Umar Yar'Adua to probe the source of Uba's wealth.
Reached for his reaction on today's verdict, a member of the Anambra Assembly said many of them were now jittery about sustaining their "elections." He said his priority now was to save his seat, not to concern himself with "Chief Uba's headache."
The legislator said he and other Uba-anointed lawmakers were willing to co-operate with Governor Obi.
Our efforts to reach Mr. Uba for this story were unsuccessful as our correspondents reported that his cell phone was shut off.
A seven-judge panel of the Supreme Court today threw out an appeal by Emmanuel Nnamdi (Andy) Uba to be returned as the governor of Anambra State.
Mr. Uba, a former domestic aide to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, was last April declared winner of a fraud-ridden governorship election in Anambra. Mr. Uba, a widely despised politician, spent a mere 17 days on the seat before the Supreme Court removed him on June 14. The court ruled that Governor Peter Obi, winner of the 2003 governorship election but who claimed his office after almost three years, was still the legitimate governor till 2010.
Uba's removal was greeted by widespread celebrations in Anambra as well as throughout Nigeria. An indigent California-based businessman before he was asked to
become a presidential aide, Uba had acquired one of the largest stolen fortunes in Nigeria's history.
During Obasanjo's eight-year term, Uba virtually ran the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the nation's cash cow. A top security source in Abuja told Saharareporters that a covert probe team was quietly collating information on the billions of dollars stolen by Mr. Uba for himself and on behalf of former
President Obasanjo.
Uba, who dropped out of college without finishing a first degree, also passed himself off in Nigeria as a holder of a Ph.D. Most Nigerians newspapers and magazines still address him as "Dr."
Last November, Uba hired an expensive team of lawyers and returned to the Supreme Court to persuade its judges to reverse the ruling that removed him. He
pleaded that the court exceeded its powers in restoring Obi to office and accused one of the justices of bias.
Several sources within Uba's camp revealed to Saharareporters that the former presidential aide had budgeted more than $7 million as bribe for each justice if they would return him to office.
Despite his cache of millions of dollars, most lawyers and legal scholars gave him no chance of persuading the justices.
The Supreme Court today proved the emptiness of Uba's petition, dismissing it as lacking in merit.
"The people of Anambra and Nigeria have again being saved from a scam artist," said an exuberant Okwudili Okoye, an accountant from Anambra State who lives in
Abuja. Mr. Okoye told our correspondent that he came to the premises of the Supreme Court hoping that the justices would give him and millions of Nigerians
cause to celebrate. "Thank God the justices ruled with wisdom and the fear of God," he said, dancing.
Our correspondents also report the outbreak of spontaneous celebration in Anambra as well as other cities of Nigeria as news of the court's verdict spread.
Today's verdict was delivered after a long session in which the court berated Mr. Ifeanyi Okonkwo who sided with Uba in asking that the court invalidate its June
14 verdict. Okonkwo, a gubernatorial candidate of the Nigeria Advanced Party (NAP), had told the court that Governor Obi induced him to withdraw as a party to the original case. The justices sharply rebuked him for trying to bring the Supreme Court to ridicule.
After a short recess, Justice Nikki Tobi then read a unanimous decision announcing the court's dismissal of Uba's application.
One close aide of Uba's confided in our correspondent that the twice-disgraced politician had contemplated using the members of the Anambra Assembly to impeach
Governor Obi. In last April's fraudulent elections, Mr. Uba got the electoral commission to announce his candidates as winners of all the state and federal
legislative seats. But Uba's confidante said the ex-presidential aide was likely to soft-pedal since he had received intelligence that certain forces in Abuja
were pressuring Umar Yar'Adua to probe the source of Uba's wealth.
Reached for his reaction on today's verdict, a member of the Anambra Assembly said many of them were now jittery about sustaining their "elections." He said his priority now was to save his seat, not to concern himself with "Chief Uba's headache."
The legislator said he and other Uba-anointed lawmakers were willing to co-operate with Governor Obi.
Our efforts to reach Mr. Uba for this story were unsuccessful as our correspondents reported that his cell phone was shut off.
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