The legal battle for the soul of Owerri Senatorial Zone has entered yet another dramatic dimension with more people signing in, against the declaration of Hon. Sam daddy Anyanwu as Senator-elect in the now concluded but legally disputed National Assembly election in Imo State.
Not sure that the Elections Petitions Tribunal would do justice in time to stop the Ikeduru born politician who has achieved fame or better still notoriety by dint of hardwork, having served as Executive Chairman before his emergence as member of the Imo State House of Assembly for 8 consecutive years now, opponents of Sam Daddy Anyanwu have resorted to the Federal High Court Owerri to press home their demand for his disqualification even as Senator-elect.
According to sources very close to the Tribunal, Sam Daddy Anyanwu as the Executive Chairman of Ikeduru LGA in 2003, or thereafter was indicted by a House of Assembly Committee that investigated his tenure and activities and roles in office. Following the indictment which had emphasis on fraud, diversion or misappropriation of council funds and award of phony contracts, Sam Daddy Anyanwu was suspended from office by the ex-Governor Achike Udenwa administration for a couple of months while the investigation was going on. He was even accused of positioning as Deputy Governorship candidate to Chief Senator Ifeanyi Araraume for which he was alleged to be appropriating public funds to execute.
In his testimony, during the House of Assembly investigation, Sam Daddy Anyanwu had admitted that one of the contracts worth over #10 Million which he presided over, was abandoned after it was awarded to late Chief Mrs. Eudora Iwuanyanwu, wife of Engr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, apex PDP leader in Ikeduru, after the entire contract sum had been paid. It was also on the bases of the above alleged fraud and improprieties and malfeasances that the House of Assembly recommended that Sam Daddy Anyanwu be removed from office and banned from contesting for or holding any elective office for a period of not less than 10 years. Notwithstanding this resolution of the House, Hon. Sam Daddy Anyanwu contested in 2007 and won election into the State House of Assembly and successfully represented Ikeduru State Constituency for 4 years. He was again re-elected in 2011 and just before his second tenure of 4 years will expire, he sought for and was elected Senator for Owerri Senatorial Zone, always under the PDP political machinery.
Unable to fault the process of the 2015 general election which perhaps may not have been substantially adequate to grant the prayer that have vitiated the emergence of Sam Daddy Anyanwu, his opponents nevertheless decided to dig deep into the archives to expose the fraud that Sam Daddy Anyanwu allegedly represented while serving as Executive Chairman of Ikeduru LGA, during which period, there was according to reports, no iota of accountability, prudence or financial discipline at Ikeduru LGA, headquarters, the plaintiffs are of the impression that the road to the High Court in a pre election matter is shorter to justice than resort to challenging the victory at the Tribunal.
Last week at the Imo State Elections Petitions tribunal, Hon. Uche Onyeagocha who contested against Sam Daddy Anyanwu on the APC platform, joined the legal battle already instituted by others positing that by virtue of the indictment, Sam Daddy Anyanwu was not qualified in the first place to seek for election into office as Senator. Uche Onyeagocha who reportedly took the second position in the now disputed senatorial contests, contends that with Sam Daddy Anyanwu’s eventual disqualification, the coasts will be cleared for him to assume the position of Senator and possibly go ahead to present himself for the swearing-in ceremony during the inauguration of the 8th Senate. When the case came up last week, the judge granted the request for accelerated or expeditious hearing and ordered for substituted service on Sam Daddy Anyanwu who was accused of evading service having gone into hiding at Abuja after the induction and orientation course for newly elected National Assembly members.
Courtesy: Community Watchdog Newspaper
