Our report revealed that Next International (UK) Limited failed to submit its annual accounts for the year 2020, hence, the company was struck off and dissolved in 2021.
The Labour Party presidential campaign office has reacted with a false claim to a PREMIUM TIMES' report on the dissolution of Next International (UK) Limited, a company that was owned by the party's presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
On Wednesday, PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported how the company was removed from the UK Companies House register in September 2021 following a first and second gazette notice of a "compulsory" strike off of the entity by authorities in the UK.
Our report revealed that Next International (UK) Limited failed to submit its annual accounts for the year 2020, hence, the company was struck off and dissolved in 2021.
However, a statement by the Head of Obi-Datti Media Office, Diran Onifade, claimed that "owners of the company voluntarily liquidated the firm as it was no longer in operation."
Mr Onifade added: "When our principal insists that you go and verify facts about him and the information he dishes out, he didn't say go and falsify facts.
"For the record, the entity was 99 per cent owned by Next Nigeria International Ltd and established as its buying office in the 90s and Peter Obi as its CEO.
"At the time Peter Obi became governor of Anambra State in 2006, his wife assumed management of the winding down of the company and about one year ago requested that the company be dissolved under the voluntary strike off of the entity on grounds of dissolution and being inoperational, which is normal in winding up an entity."
However, Mr Onifade's claim that the company was voluntarily dissolved is a lie, contradicted by official documents.
First, a voluntary strike-off in the UK is when a company director voluntarily requests that their company is struck off the register by submitting a DS01 form to Companies House and paying the appropriate administration fee, according to UK Liquidators.
"A notice will be placed in the Gazette declaring your intention to dissolve the company, and following two months - supposing no objections have been received - the company's name will be removed from the register held at Companies House and it will cease to exist as a legal entity," the financial consulting firm explains.
Also, documents obtained from the Companies House show that Mr Onifade's claim is not correct as Next International was "compulsory struck off" and "dissolved" and there is no record of voluntary liquidation.
To confirm the company was struck off compulsorily, a first official notice was issued to the firm on 22nd June 2021, warning that a failure to file its annual report will lead to its removal from the Company House Register.
Two months later, on 31st August 2021, the company, founded by the ex-governor of Anambra, received a second and final notice to submit its annual account. When the Companies House didn't receive any reply to its letters, a final gazette to dissolve the entity was issued on 7th September 2021.
Running foul of UK laws
Before its final dissolution, records show that at various times, UK Companies House had to always issue a warning for "compulsory strike-off" before Next International filed its annual report.
In one instance, the Registrar of Companies gave notice on 1oth September 2013, saying "unless cause is shown to the contrary, at the expiration of three months from the above date, Next International (UK) Limited will be struck off the register and the company will be dissolved."
On 18th September 2013, a week after receiving the above notice, the officers of the company filed their annual report with the Companies House. Consequently, a notice was issued to discontinue the strike-off action.
"Cause has been shown why the company should not be struck off the register and accordingly the Registrar is taking no further action under section 1000 of the Companies Act 2006 pursuant to the notice dated 18th September 2013," the gazette read.
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Then, for four consecutive years (2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020) authorities had to always issue a warning of removal from the Company House Register before the entity filed its annual accounts, records show. Immediately after a warning was issued, the company would submit its annual report and a gazette would be issued to discontinue the compulsory strike-off action by the Company House.
A private limited company, Next International, was incorporated on 16th May 1996. Mr Obi was listed as a director while his wife, Margaret, served as secretary. Next International (Nigeria) Limited (with 999 ordinary shares) and Mr Obi (with one ordinary share) were listed as shareholders.
Records show that the company was registered as business "agents involved in the sale of a variety of goods" in England and Wales. The firm reported taking a mortgage from Lloyds TSB Bank Plc for a property on 53 Clyde Road, Croydon.
Mr Obi resigned as a director of the company in 2008, more than a year after becoming a governor, thereby violating Nigeria's code of conduct law for public officers.
