PDP LEADERSHIP SAYS EX-CONVICT JAMES IBORI IS A UNIFYING FACTOR TO WREST POWER FROM APC

In his own submission, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said the former governor laid the foundation of development in the state and established a political structure which served as a bridge builder and development agent across the country.

Okowa thanked the people of the state for their support and called for greater unity among Deltans and assured them of more democratic dividends, while Emmanuel Uduaghan on his part, called for an end to rumour mongering and sycophancy in the state

Penpushing recalled that, Ibori had on February 27, 2012, pleaded guilty in a London court to 10 counts of money laundering and conspiracy to defraud and before Judge Anthony Pitts, he (Ibori) admitted stealing $250million as alleged by the prosecution.

The former Governor was accused by Metropolitan Police of spending some of the stolen money buying six houses in London – paying £2.2m in cash for one Hampstead mansion – and putting his children in expensive British private schools.

After he pleaded guilty, Crown Prosecution Service lawyer, Sasha Wass, made a short submission, saying the prosecution was discontinuing Ibori’s trial because the former governor had “accepted the entirety of the prosecution’s case as it has always been set out.”

He was later sentenced to 13 years in UK prison, and on completion of the prison terms, he was however released and deported to Nigeria in February 2017.

In his response, James Ibori advised the political class especially those seeking political office not to heat up the polity, saying power belongs to God and that only He can give power, adding that he has forgiven all those who played one role or another in his incarceration.

Meanwhile, at the event nobody made reference to  Ibori’s corrupt past or even to the need for public officials to desist from stealing public resources.