| Theodore Ahamefule Orji | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office May 29, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Orji Uzor Kalu |
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| Born | 1940 Abia State, Nigeria |
| Political party | Progressive Peoples Alliance |
Theodore Ahamefule Orji is the current Governor of Abia State. He was elected on May 29, 2007 amid widespread allegations of electoral fraud. Prior to his election, Orji, a career civil servant, served as the Chief of Staff to former Abia Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu. On February 25, 2008, Theodore Orji's election was annulled on the grounds that he was ineligible for office. [1].
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Politics
Indictment for financial fraud
Following his nomination as the gubernatorial candidate for the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Theodore Orji was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for his supposed involvement in looting the Abia State treasury [2] [3]. Though Orji's party claimed his arrest was politically motivated, the EFCC had substantial evidence to prove that Theodore Orji, along with three other senior Abia state officials in the Orji Kalu administration, facilitated the embezzlement of close to 40 billion Naira (320 million USD) on behalf of Orji Kalu [4].
Allegations of electoral fraud
Though its candidate remained incarcerated, the PPA was determined to get him elected on the April 14, 2007, gubernatorial elections. On April 12, two days before the election, governor Orji Kalu ordered his Finance Commissioner to release the sum of 250 million Naira from the Abia state treasury to Mrs. Mercy Orji, wife of Theodore Orji, to "offset some campaign expenses" [5]. A day before the election, political thugs with ties to the PPA purportedly tried to assassinate Onyema Ugochukwu, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and frontrunner in the 2007 Abia state guber election. The assailants fired shots at his motorcade, fatally wounding one of his State Security Service (SSS) bodyguards, who suffered gunshot wounds through his head and hands [6] [7] [8]. Theodore Orji was declared winner of the election on April 15, 2007. He was subsequently released on bail to be sworn in as governor—and thus gained immunity from persecution; a move that was criticized by legal bigwigs such as Gani Fawehinmi [9].
Islamic mosques
On May 1, 2009, it was reported that Orji planned secretly to build Muslim mosques in each of the seventeen local government areas of Abia. This drew the vocal attention of the Human Rights, Justice and Peace Foundation, which expressed confidently its conviction that this was part of a long-term endeavour to legislate sharia law in the region. In a statement released by the HRJPF, Chidi Nwosu wrote, Another school of thought believes the conservatve tradition associated with the north galvanized his desire to build mosque.
It is regrettable that Orji who swore to uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria would, rather [than] address the fundamental problems of hunger amidst plenty, continued infrastructural decay, mass illiteracy, student cultism, armed robbery and kidnapping for ransom/rituals that have characterized the state since his emergence; be hell bent on foisting on his Christian-dominated people the Sharia legal system. This is capable of fuelling the problems of the ill-fated state.[1]
Condemning it outright, he called on citizens of the state to engage in non-violent resistance.[2]
Election Tribunal
On February 25, 2008, Theodore Orji's election was annulled on the grounds that he was ineligible for office. Pending the outcome of the appeals court, Onyema Ugochukwu of the PDP was declared the lawful winner of the 2007 Abia State gubernatorial election. [10].
External links
- Okija shrine video on YouTube
- Group petitions EFCC over N250m released to campaign organisation
- Gani Faults Theodore Orji's Bail
- Theodore Orji Gets Bail, Sworn-in as Abia Gov
- Ribabu And Money Laundering Law
- A Governor in Chains
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References
- ^ Nwosu, Chidi. "Press Release." Human Rights, Justice and Peace Foundation, 1 May 2009.
- ^ Nwosu 2009.
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