TheNewsGuru

Tag: Appeal Court

  • Appeal Court Judgement: Police uncover plans to cause violence in Kano

    Appeal Court Judgement: Police uncover plans to cause violence in Kano

    The Police Command in Kano State on Monday alerted the public of plans by some groups of political party supporters to cause violence in the state.

    According to the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Kiyawa, the groups plan to take to the street to protest the Appeal Court’s verdict on the governorship election in the state.

    He however said that the command had taken appropriate security measures to prevent escalation of tensions that may lead to breakdown of law and order.

    “It is on this note that the police command issue this warning to residents of the state to be extra careful as whoever intends to conduct any protest or procession should do so in accordance with the provisions of the law,” Kiyawa said.

    He said that the Commissioner of Police, Usaini Gumel, has urged residents to be calm and avoid any form of unlawful gathering, protest or procession that may trigger violence.

    The spokesman said joint security teams have been deployed to strategic locations to safeguard peace and order throughout the state.

    “Whoever attempts to disrupt the peace in the state will be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law,” he added, and urged residents to report any suspicious movement, persons or items to security agents for prompt response.

     

  • Judiciary killing democracy in Nigeria – Shehu Sani

    Judiciary killing democracy in Nigeria – Shehu Sani

    Shehu Sani, the former Kaduna Central senator has expressed distrust in the nation’s judiciary, describing it as the coffin of democracy in Nigeria.

    Sani made this point while reacting to the Appeal Court judgement that sacked Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Appeal Court had set aside the judgement of the governorship election tribunal that upheld the election of Mutfwang as governor of the state.

    The court declared Dr Nentawe Yilwatda of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the governorship election while ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a fresh certificate of return to him.

    Reacting, Sani said the verdict of the appellate court was unfortunate and unacceptable.

    Posting on X, Sani wrote: “The Court of Appeal judgement against the electoral victory of the Plateau State Governor is unfortunate, unacceptable, and condemnable.

    “A broad daylight heist of the will of the people. The bench is becoming the coffin of democracy.”

  • BREAKING: Appeal Court sacks Mutfwang as Plateau Gov, declares APC candidate winner

    BREAKING: Appeal Court sacks Mutfwang as Plateau Gov, declares APC candidate winner

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has nullified the election of Governor Caleb Muftwang of Plateau State.

    A three-member panel, in a unanimous decision on Sunday, held that Muftwang was not validly sponsored by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as provided by Section 285(2) of the Nigerian Constitution.

    The panel held that the appeal brought by Nentawe Goshwe of the All Progressives Congress (APC) succeeds as the issue of qualification was both a pre and post election matter under Section 177(c) of the Nigerian Constution, 1999 and Section 80 and 82 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

    The panel agreed with the appellant (Goshwe) that the failure of the PDP to comply with the order of the Plateau State High Court in Jos in suit no: PLD/J304/2020 between Bitrus B. Kaze & 11 ors vs the Peoples Democratic Party & 24 ors directing it to conduct valid ward, local governments and state congresses before nominating its candidates for the various elective posts and the Court of Appeal order in CA/J1/93/2021 was a breach of the law.

    Thus, the panel set aside the judgement of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal for being “highly inconsistent and breach of fair hearing by relying on expunged witnesses’ statements to refuse Goshwe’s appeal”.

    The panel ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Muftwang and issue a fresh one to Goshwe.

     

    Details later…

  • Call appeal court Judges to order, group urges Tinubu

    Call appeal court Judges to order, group urges Tinubu

    The Arewa Christians and Indigenous Pastors Association (ACIPA), has called on President Bola Tinubu to call the Judges of the Court of Appeal to order over what it described as ”controversial judgments” recently delivered on some elections across the nation.

    Chairman of the group, Rev. Luke Shehu, made the call in a statement on Sunday in Jos.

    He said that the judgments were becoming “a national disgrace”.

    Shehu stated that recent appeal court judgments that sacked some members of the national assembly from Plateau were a ”miscarriage of justice”

    He insisted that the president must intervene in order to restore public confidence in the judiciary “and democracy in general”.

    ”We wish to use this medium to call on President Bola Tinubu to call our judges to order; they need to be reminded that the judiciary is still the last hope of the common man.

    ”We also wish to remind our president that the international community is watching while the judiciary is making pronouncements that appear to make a mockery of the process of justice and democracy.

    ”The votes of millions of Nigerians cannot be thrown away using legal semantics or technicalities.

    ”Some judicial decisions by some election petition tribunals and appeal courts judges are unacceptable and need to be stopped now.”

    Shehu also called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to review the recent appeal court judgments on Plateau elections toward ensuring that the right thing is done.

    He further called on residents of Plateau to unite, devoid of religious and ethnic affiliations, toward the growth and development of the state, adding that only a united force could fight together.

    The chairman advised religious leaders to pay attention to building good morals in society, rather than delving into politics and hiding under the guise of spirituality.

  • Kano NNPP Chairman reacts over Appeal Court judgement

    Kano NNPP Chairman reacts over Appeal Court judgement

    The Kano Chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Alhaji Hashimu Dungurawa, has described the judgement of the Appeal  Court that sacked Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf as a threat to the survival to democracy.

    Dungurawa disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Kano on Friday.

    “This judgement pose a great threat to our nation’s democracy because the electorates elected Governor Yusuf through the electoral process,  in a free, fair contest only for the Appeal Court to do otherwise.

    “The judgement is very unexpected. We never expected it will happen this way. The way things are going and with the way the judicial system is, definitely democracy is coming to an end in this country.

    “I see no reason why a person will go to the grassroots and introduce himself to the people, they will go to polling booth to cast their votes, and the Independent election umpire will issue him a certificate of return.

    “He will enter office and just one, two or three people will sit down and remove him. This is very unbecoming and is not helping matters”.

    Dungurawa described democracy as a game of numbers which his party had proven to be ahead of other contenders in the state but their expectations had been dashed by the Appeal Court’s verdict.

    “Democracy is said to be a game of numbers and the person in question happens to get the highest numbers in the election.

    “In all the Assembly members we are having 26 out of 40, we are having two out of three senators. And even the Presidential candidate is from the state and has the highest votes in a state in the presidential contest.

    “We are not happy with this judgement and consider it not acceptable. We will take all the necessary steps to reclaim our stolen mandate.

    “Because this is a stolen mandate and we will not allow it. People of Kano state are not happy with it, NNPP people are not happy with it,” he declared.

  • BREAKING: Appeal Court affirms verdict of Kano tribunal, sacks Gov Yusuf

    BREAKING: Appeal Court affirms verdict of Kano tribunal, sacks Gov Yusuf

    The Court of Appeal has affirmed the verdict of the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that sacked Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had declared Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the March 18 election.

    Yusuf, who contested the election on the platform of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but was sacked by the tribunal.

    In a judgment delivered on Friday, a three-member panel of the appellate court led by Justice Oluyemi Osadebay held that the NNPP breached constitutional provisions by sponsoring Yusuf who was not a member of the party.

    The decision of the court was grounded in the invalidation of 165,663 votes attributed to a deficiency in signatures or stamps by INEC. The adjustment brought Yusuf’s total votes to 853,939, whereas his APC counterpart, maintains 890,705 votes.

    Despite Yusuf’s dissent with the tribunal’s decision, the Appeal Court upheld the finding of electoral malpractice arising from the absence of signatures on the ballots.

    As a result of the Appeal Court’s judgement, Gawuna is the Governor of Kano State.

  • Kano Govt calms nerves as Appeal Court delivers judgement today

    Kano Govt calms nerves as Appeal Court delivers judgement today

    The Kano State Government has called for calm and advised people in the state to remain peacefull and avoid acts capable of causing breach of the peace as the Appeal Court delivers judgement today.

    This is contained in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Baba Dantiye, in Kano on Thursday.

    The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) had appealed against the judgement of the Kano Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

    Dantiye said the advice became necessary as some unscrupulous persons  may take advantage of the situation and cause a breach of the peace

    He stressed the need for the people to maintain the peace for the development of the State and the country at large.

    He also called on the security agencies to redouble their efforts in ensuring that law and order were maintained as well as ensure the full protection of of the  lives and properties of  the citizens in the state.

    Appeal Court judgement: APC, NNPP leaders sign peace accord in Kano

    Meanwhile, ahead of the Appeal Court’s judgement, executives of the two main rival political parties,  NNPP and APC, on Thursday signed a peace accord before the State Joint Security Committee.

    Signing of the peace accord was conducted at the State Police Command.

    The members of the two political parties agreed, among others, to shun all forms of celebration or protests during and after the judgment.

    The State Secretary of APC, Ibrahim Zakari- Sarina and the NNPP Deputy Chairman, South, Ibrahim Dahu, made the vow before the Police Commissioner,  Usaini Gumel.

    The duo said that they would make sure that the state remained peaceful before, during and after the deliverance of justice at the Appeal Court.

    They said, ”It is true that we have no state better than Kano as such, our sentiments, passion and political parties support based should not be a yardstick to create violence because of the Appeal Court Judgement.”

    Zakari Sarina on his part said, “I will personally mobilize all my party members to remain calm  whatever happens at the Appeal Court and this is because we are known for keeping peace in Kano.”

    Dahu also said that his members have been forewarned long ago by the state government to desist from violence, adding, ”anybody found fomenting violence will be dealt with without delay.”

    Gumel, alongside the State DSS Director and other security chiefs  said that they have taken all the necessary measures to ensure that Kano remained peaceful.

    “We have worked extra mile to ensure that we maintain the peace Kano enjoyed and we are doing all we could to arrest any unforeseen circumstances that might truncate peace” the joint security chiefs vowed.

  • Zamfara: APC reacts to Appeal Court judgement

    Zamfara: APC reacts to Appeal Court judgement

    The Zamfara chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday commended the judgement delivered by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on the governorship election in the state and urged its members to remain calm and be law abiding.

    This is contained in a statement issued in Gusau on Thursday by the state APC Publicity Secretary, Malam Yusuf Idris.

    He said the APC welcomed the judgement, adding it would lead to the return of its “stolen mandate”.

    The Appeal court on Thursday declared the Zamfara governorship election inconclusive and ordered for re-run in three local government areas.

    Idris said that the party viewed the judgement as a great honour from God, and expressed optimism that “very soon, Bello Matawalle will be back to his rightful position as the governor of the state.

    “We are confident that our stolen mandate will soon be returned.”

    To the party supporters, Idris said they must remain peaceful and exhibit high sense of discipline.

    “We wish to appeal to our members especially the youth who have remained patient, calm and law abiding amidst the intimidation, harassment, threats and so on, to continue to display high morals and discipline.”

    “God’s time is always the best, and we promise to continue to champion the cause of peace, harmony and development of the state,” the state APC spokesman said.

  • BREAKING! Appeal Court dumps Zamfara Governor, orders rerun

    BREAKING! Appeal Court dumps Zamfara Governor, orders rerun

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has dumped Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Lawal winner of the March 18 governorship election.

    But Bello Matawalle of the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenged the victory of Lawal, who ran under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The tribunal had upheld Lawal’s election, but the Matawalle, now Minister of State for Defence, proceeded to the Appeal Court.

    On Thursday, a three-member panel of justices annulled the victory of Lawal and ordered a rerun of the election in three local government areas.

    The affected LGAs are Maradun, Birnin Magaji and Bukuyun.

  • Appeal Court reserves judgment on Gov. Sule’s case

    Appeal Court reserves judgment on Gov. Sule’s case

    The Court of Appeal on Wednesday reserved judgment on the appeal filed by Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State challenging the annulment of his election by the Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal.

    The tribunal, in a split 2-1 judgment on Oct. 2, declared David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of March 18 governorship election.

    Sule had won the poll on the ticket of the All Progressive Congress(APC).

    At the hearing of the matter in Abuja, parties argued their grounds before the three-man panel led by Justice Onyemenam Uchechukwu.

    The panel thereafter reserved the judgment and said that the date would be communicated to the parties.

    The court also reserved judgment on the cross appeal filed by the PDP candidate challenging the dissenting judgment of the tribunal.

    Earlier, Messrs Woke Olanikpekun (SAN), Counsel to Gov. Sule, adopted his five grounds of appeal and called on the court to set aside the judgment of the tribunal and uphold the dissenting judgment.

    On his part, Kanu Agabi (SAN), counsel to Ombugadu, adopted his brief of argument and urged the court to dismiss the appeal by the governor and uphold the judgment of the tribunal.