Tag: election

Presidential election court adjourns Atiku, PDP’s petition

The Presidential Election Petition Court, (PEPC), has adjourned pre-hearing in the petitions filed by Peoples Democratic party (PDP) challenging the outcome of the Feb.25 presidential election until Saturday.

The five-member panel, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned after listening to the agreement by all counsel in the petition on their applications and suggestions in resolving issues.

Tsammani said that the court recognised that the issues the parties were to resolve were narrow and that they should come back on Saturday

He then adjourned until Saturday for continuation of pre-hearing.

In the petition marked CA/PEPC/05/2023, Abubakar Atiku and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are challenging the outcome of the Feb.25 presidential election.

Respondents in the case are the Independent National electoral Commission (INEC), Sen. Bola Tinubu and All Progressives Congress (APC).

Earlier. Counsel for the petitioners, Chris Uche, SAN told the court that various applications served by the respondents have been answered by the petitioners.

Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN counsel for INEC, said he filed two applications which he hoped to adopt and rely on.

The first application, he said, was filed on April 19 seeking the order of the court to strike out the 32 paragraphs listed in the petition.

The second one, he added, was filed on May 7 seeking for an order of the court to strike out the reply on point of law.

Responding, Uche told the court that in opposition to the applications, INEC was fighting a proxy war which a neutral body should not do.

“INEC ought not to be here to fight the battle of Tinubu, INEC ought to be neutral and at best, defend only the election, he said.

In his submission, Counsel for Tinubu, Wole Olanipakun, SAN asked Yusuf Ali one of Tinubu’s counsel to take the applications.

He told the court that the 2nd respondent filed three applications on May 13, striking out the entire petition.

He urged the court to dismiss the petition as incompetent.

Responding, Uche urged the court to dismiss the applications of the 2nd respondent for lacking in merit and hear the petition on its merit

Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said he filed two applications on May 8, the 1st is praying for 15 reliefs asking for the dismissal of the petition.

He added that the 2nd application dates May 8 is asking for an order striking out some identified paragraphs of the petition.

He adopted it and urged the court to grant the applications.

Responding, Uche said the petitioners filed a counter on May 13 and May 14 in response to the 3rd respondent’s application.

He urged the court to dismiss the 3rd respondent’s applications for wanting in merit.

Meanwhile, the court reserved ruling on all the applications.

The petitioners ‘ counsel, Uche told the court that they have agreed to come together and sort out the modalities to apply.

Responding, all respondents counsel separately told the court that it was just mentioned but not agreed on yet.

They urged the court to give them until Monday to sort things out.

May 19, 2023
10th HoR: Jaji joins parade of those gunning for Gbajabiamila’s job

…declares intention

Hon Aminu Sani Jaji has officially joined those gunning for Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila’s job as he declared his intention to vie for the position of Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives.

TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports that Jaji is a member of the G-7, a group of aspirants who feel aggrieved over the choice of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), of Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and Hon. Benjamin Kalu as anointed candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker positions respectively.

While declaring his intention on Thursday in Abuja, the speakership aspirant said that he will work with the executive arm of government to address the issue of unity and trust in the country.

For Jaji youth empowerment is paramount even as he noted that there are lots of imbalance in the Nigeria political equation that needs to be addressed.

“Today I’ll like to submit myself to you once more to tell you that I am contesting for the office of the speaker of the tenth assembly. We are not looking for the continuation of the ninth assembly. If we are there we will do our best to restore sanity to the National Assembly” Jaji said.

He comes with a six points agenda which amongst other things will enhance the image of the National Assembly.

Jaji said he will strengthen the Legislative process of the National Assembly, ensure that in Appropriation there must be correlation between what is been appropriated and MTEF and added that there is the need to monitor oversight.

Present at the declaration were members of the G-7 who are also contestants.

May 18, 2023
YAPJEN makes case for youth inclusion

Amb. Timothy Nwachukwu, the President of A Global Goals Advocacy Organisation, Youth Advocates For Peace Justice And Empowerment Network, YAPJEN, has called for the inclusion of young people in leadership positions across all strata of government in Nigeria.

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja over the just concluded Commonwealth Youth and Students Summit organised by the Commonwealth Students Association, CSA, Commonwealth Youth Council CYC, and Pan African Youth Union, PAYU, for African Region and sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in Nigeria.

Nwachukwu commended Nigeria’s Honourable Minister for Youths and Sports, Hon. Dr. Sunday Dare for hosting the epoch event which provided the youths an ample opportunity to deliberate on policies, programs and action plans aimed at strengthening and promoting the leadership capacity of youth and student leaders in the Commonwealth .

The summit focused on the role students and youth leaders can and should play in the realisation of the United Nations Global Goals also known as Sustainable Development Goals. The Summit further facilitated opportunities for young people to build their capacities to become advocates for promoting quality education and youth inclusion.

He appealed to the federal government to create mechanism across the three levels of government for the implementation of the laudable outcome of the 5 days summit to promote the inclusion of youth of student leaders in core decision making processes to ensure youth and student voices are heard in the drive to promote quality education job creation and youth empowerment across the African region of the Commonwealth

Nwachukwu advised that the policy implementation should be supported by performance based management of institutions, strengthened by mechanisms for close interagency coordination that bring together government and youth organizations, and informed by systematic data collection and participatory monitoring and evaluation systems.

May 18, 2023
10th Assembly: We will stand with Tinubu, APC – Gov Sule tells Abass, Kalu +Photos

The governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has said that he and his counterparts from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North would not go against the choice of the president-elect regarding the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

Governor Sule noted that they are loyal party members who would want the incoming Tinubu administration to succeed.

Speaking when he received a delegation of the Hon. Abbas Tajudeen/ Hon. Benjamin Kalu Campaign Team at the Nasarawa State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja on Thursday, Governor Sule said as a governor, he also has preferred candidates for the leadership of his State Assembly and that “nobody would disagree with me on such decision.”

Governor Sule said going against the choice of the President-elect and the APC could create problem for the administration.

He said Northern governors were the ones that stood their ground for the presidency to go back to the South, and that the “best has emerged,” saying “If people hear that we’re disagreeing with the president-elect, they will laugh at us. We won’t disagree with him.”

The Tajudeen/Kalu Campaign Team visited the governor as part of efforts to get the support and blessings of all the relevant stakeholders ahead of the inauguration of the 10th Assembly in June.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC had on May 8 released the zoning formula for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

The party picked Sen. Godswill Akpabio from South South as its candidate for the President of the Senate; Sen. Jibrin Barau for Deputy President of the Senate; Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas as the Speaker, and Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu as the Deputy Speaker.

Governor Sule told the delegation, led by Tajudeen Abbas, that “I sincerely thank you for finding me worthy to be among the people to be visited for this project.

“We cannot in any way fight the choice of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We cannot in any way fight the choice of our party,” he said.

Rather, Governor Sule said when the president-elect returned to the country, “we’ll sit down with him and ask him what is there for us in the North Central.

“I’m a governor, and when I indicate interest in who becomes the Speaker in my state, nobody argues with me.”

He advised both Hon. Abbas Tajudeen and Benjamin Kalu to reach out to the other contestants for the top positions so as to carry them along and get their buy-in.

“You asked me for advice, and I’ll give you one. I saw you with PDP, LP and the rest of them. That shows you’re serious. Also visit all the other aspirants. Visit all the opposition parties and ask for their support, so that they won’t penalize their members for supporting you.

“I wish you well. I like the way you’re carrying the campaign. Try and carry everybody along. We know that the next administration is coming into an economic storm, so the president needs total peace and stability. From the governors, I promise you we’re going to give him the total support.”

Earlier, the APC candidate for speakership, Rt. Hon. Abbas told the governor that the team visited him to seek his support, cooperation and blessings for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker’s offices .

He said since his first election to the House in 2011, he has been making modest contributions in the Legislature, which culminated in his sponsoring 74 Bills from 2019 to date, out of which 21 were signed into law.

The Iyan Zazzau noted that he has what it takes to be the Speaker in the incoming 10th Assembly as his 12 years in the Legislature have been productive.

He noted that before becoming a lawmaker, he had been a teacher from primary to tertiary institutions, and that he established three different departments in Nuhu Bamalli and the Kaduna State University (KASU).

He was accompanied on the visit by members-elect for the 10th House from the APC, PDP, Labour Party, NNPP, among others.

May 18, 2023
Again, disgraced LP factional leader, Apapa vows to appear in court on Friday

After echoes of ‘ole, ole’ greeted him last Wednesday while in court, LP factional leader, Lamidi Apapa has vowed to appear before the Presidential Election Tribunal on Friday.

Apapa has vowed that he will again, storm the Presidential Petition Tribunal on Friday to receive another round of insults.

TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) recalls that Apapa and Mr Julius Abure’s factions clashed during the court proceeding on Wednesday as they both claimed leadership of the party.

He also accused the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, and the suspended National Chairman, Julius Abure of allegedly sponsoring thugs to beat him out of the Presidential Petition Tribunal on Wednesday.

According to him, he was in the court on Wednesday because “it was my responsibility as the authentic acting National Chairman of the party to exercise my authority as representative of the party”.

May 18, 2023
Speakership: G-7 splits as Doguwa, two other aspirants support Abbas

… declare support for zoning

There seems to be a split in the camp of aggrieved Speakership aspirants in the 10th House of Representatives otherwise known as the Group of Seven (G-7) following the withdrawal from the race by the Majority Leader of the 9th House of Representatives, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa.

Doguwa who announced his withdrawal from the race in support of the APC anointed candidate, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, was also accompanied by two other aggrieved aspirants, Hon. Abdulraheem Tunji Olaoye, from Kwara and Hon. Makki Abubakar Yalleman from Jigawa respectively.

These all played out at the second meeting of the Tajudeen Abbas/Benjamin Kalu campaign group organized by the Joint Task -10th Assembly, a coalition of all 8 political parties with seats in the incoming 10th House of Representatives.

Addressing the gathering which was chaired by the outgoing Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Doguwa who referred to Gbajabiamila as “Mr Fix It” stormed the venue of the meeting with some of his supporters saying that the time has come for him to act to a good party and establishment man who also benefited from the system.

“Perhaps it won’t be out of place Mr Speaker if I put your name on quote as the Mr fix it of this time. I wish you well and I hope you will continue to fix it for the Nigerian people. I call you ‘Mr fix it’ because the way you are fixing it, I can see that you are doing it for the overall interest of the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“My respected honourable colleagues and my brother the Prince of Zazzau, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas this year will be highly eventful for the Zazzau Emirate.

“My Honorable colleagues, especially those who are looking at me eyeball to eyeball. Don’t imagine that my appearance here is by accident. Don’t think you are day dreaming, you are not day dreaming this is reality. Before you is Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, the Chief Whip of the 8th Assembly and by the leave of my colleagues, Honourable Speaker, the Majority Leader of the 9th House of Representatives.

“I am here to put on the record that not just from today, that right from day one that the NWC, the National Working Committee of My party put it on the table that they have come up with their zoning arrangement, and after zoning with all sense of morality micro-zoned it to the North West, and micro-micro-zoned it to my brother Tajudeem Abbas, representing Zaria Federal Constituency of North West Nigeria, as from that day, I therefore called my bid to contest for the speakership of the 10th House of Representatives off.

“I had to do that because I’m a man of the establishment. I had to do that because I’m also a beneficiary of the same kind of arrangement. I have benefited from party arrangements, I have personally benefited from this zoning arrangement. That was what gave me the position of the Chief Whip of the 8th House of Representatives even when there were issues, still the zoning helped me.

“Today I’m the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives courtesy of the National Working Committee of my party.

” My great brothers and sisters, courtesy demands that it’s only fair that I also stand by the position of the National Working Committee of My party.

“It’s not like the table is turning against m, no. It’s just that time has come for me to also pay back. And I think paying back in this circumstances is a great responsibility that I must oblige.

“I rise before you this evening my colleagues and Honorable Femi Gbajabiamila, and flanking me are Hon. Abdulraheem Tunji Olaoye and Hon. Makki Abubakar Yalleman. We are here individually and collectively stepping into the shoes of this great campaign.

“We all wanted to be Speakers not because we knew there could be so many Speakers at every given point in time, there can be only one Speaker and we have individually and collectively decided to come and surrender our bids to be Speaker to our great party, and we also defer on record to our great gentleman that was picked by the party to run for the Speakership officially on behalf of our great party, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.

“We are also of the opinion that the selection process of Hon. Tajudeen Abbas was not in any way biased. We are also quite aware that the person of Tajudeen Abbas and his running mate, are qualified to hold their respective offices,” he said.

Recall that the Group of Seven comprising the outgoing Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase(Plateau), Muktar Aliyu Betara (Borno), Aliyu Sani Jaji (Zamfara), Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (Plateau), Miriam Onuoha (Imo), Alhassan Ado Doguwa(Kano) Sada Soli Jibia(Katsina) and Makki Abubakar Yalleman (Jigawa), with the exception of Olaoye all swore to back one aspirant from them to run against the party’s anointed candidate.

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May 18, 2023
Speakership Race: consider Nigeria’s interest first, Ooni of Ife tells Abbas, Kalu

…backs APC anointed candidates

A foremost Yoruba monarch, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi has admonished the front runners in the race for the Speakership and Deputy Speakership positions of the incoming 10th House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Abbas Tajudeen and Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, to always have the interest of the country at heart in the discharge if their duties as presiding officers.

Recall that the duo were endorsed by the leadership of the ruling all Progressives Congress (APC) on May 8 as the party’s preferred candidates for the position of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 10th House respectively.

Since the party’s zoning and endorsement, Hon. Abbas and Hon. Kalu have been visiting stakeholders in the country for consultative meetings and to solicit for support.

The Ife monarch who played host to the duo on Wednesday evening in Abuja after they paid him a courtesy visit enjoined Hon. Abbas and his aspiring Deputy, Kalu to always have the interest of Nigeria at heart in the course of discharging their duties.

He said: “Carry everyone along so that they will love you for who you are, not for the fact that when you get to be the Speaker, they will lobby you for positions. But they’ll love you for the great things you will do for the betterment of our dear nation.”

The monarch who reminded the Candidates of their changing positions and their attendant responsibilities noted that the country must come first in their leadership estimation

“You have become a servant from your constituency, you want to be a bigger servant to be the Speaker of the House and a much bigger servant to serve our dear nation.

“Always remember that the interest that is number one to you is the interest of our dear nation, followed by the interest of your party, for what is important is that you carry your people along,” Ooni said.

He therefore offered his royal blessings for the duo with prayers in anticipation of their success, just as he urged them to support and encourage the women among them.

“May God almighty be with you. May God almighty bless you. May God almighty honour you, guide and protect you.

“Also, give women support and encouragement, the Feminine ones, support them,” he said.

May 17, 2023
Inauguration: Why Asiwaju should pilot state affairs with technocrats-ED ADSC,Walsh

As Nigerians patiently wait for the inauguration of the incoming administration, the Executive Director of African Development Studies Centre, ADSC, Victor Oluwafemi Walsh has advised President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to pilot the state of affairs with technocrats.

The ADSC ED disclosed this at an interactive session with critical stakeholders in the private and public sector on Wednesday in Abuja, Walsh said:

“Asiwaju is an embodiment of technocracy and this should be reflected in his cabinet as we inch towards inauguration as appointing core politicians in the past has led to the collapse of some Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAS.

“The facts are in the public domain, just do a fact check you will discover that most agencies handled by core politicians or better still former governors end in tatters.

“Asiwaju experimented in Lagos with core professionals and the results are just there for everybody to see.

“The IGR of Lagos state became number one in Nigeria and that legacy was fiercely enforced years after he left the saddle.

“His keyword for now should be core professionals and tested hands that have proven to be capable hands either in the private or public sector of the Nigerian economy.

“He can also look beyond the frontiers of Nigeria, there are so many Nigerians in the diaspora who have proven their mettle in various fields yearning to serve their fatherland.

“In our centre that’s our specialty as we build human resources for African States willing to use our various instruments in elevating developments across board.

May 17, 2023
Few days to go: Buhari presides over FEC meeting, to consider 60 memos

President Muhammadu Buhari is presiding over the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting.

Buhari, on Tuesday, returned from a two-week vacation to the United Kingdom.

This meeting is a precursor to the forthcoming valedictory session for cabinet members next week.
The Council, as learnt, will deliberate on approximately 60 memos, as the administration rapidly approaches the end of its tenure.

In attendance are the Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; and the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd).

May 17, 2023
Tinubu opposes live broadcast of election petition proceedings, says It’s abuse of court’

Following the application of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, for a live broadcast of proceedings, the President-elect, Bola Tinubu has urged the Presidential Election Petition Court to dismiss the application.

He argued that the relief sought by the applicants are not such that the court could grant it.

“With much respect to the petitioners, the motion is an abuse of the processes of this honourable court,” the respondents stated.

According to him, the court is not a soapbox, stadium or theatre where the public should be entertained.

The team of lawyers, led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, wondered why a petitioner would file an application to distract the court and waste its precious time.

The team of lawyers stated, in the counter affidavit, that the application relates to policy formulation of the court, which is outside the PEPC’s jurisdiction as constituted.

“The application also touches on the powers and jurisdiction invested in the President of the Court of Appeal by the Constitution, over which this honourable court as presently constituted cannot entertain.

“The application touches on the administrative functions, which are exclusively reserved for the President of the Court of Appeal.

“The application is aimed at dissipating the precious judicial time of this honourable court.

“The said application does not have any bearing with the petition filed by the petitioners before this honourable court.

“It is in the interest of justice for this honourable court to dismiss the said application filed by the petitioners,” they said.

In an attached written address, the respondents faulted the applicants’ reference to the fact that virtual proceedings were allowed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That Atiku and his party failed to draw the court’s attention to the fact that practice directions were made by the respective courts for the exercise.

“Another angle to this very curious application is the invitation it extends to the court to make an order that it cannot supervise.

“The position of the law remains, and we do submit that the court, like nature, does not make an order in vain, or an order which is incapable of enforcement,” the respondents stated.

“At the very best, this application is academic, very otiose, very unnecessary, very time-wasting, most unusual and most unexpected, particularly, from a set of petitioners, who should be praying for the expeditious trial of their petition.

“Petitioners have brought their application under Section 36(3) of the Constitution which provides that the proceedings of a court/tribunal shall be held in public.

“The word ‘public’ as applied under Section 36(3) of the Constitution has been defined in a plethora of judicial authorities to mean a place where members of the public have unhindered access, and the court itself, sitting behind open doors, not in the camera.

“Even in situations where a class action is presented, the particular people constituting the class being represented by the plaintiffs or petitioners are always defined in the originating process.

“Here, in this application, the public at whose behest this application has been presented is not defined, not known, not discernable.

“Beyond all these, it is our submission that the court of law must and should always remain what it is, what it should be and what it is expected to be: a serene, disciplined, hallowed, tranquil, honourable and decorous institution and place.

“It is not a rostrum or a soapbox. It is not also a stadium or theatre. It is not an arena for ‘public’ entertainment.

“With much respect to the petitioners, the motion is an abuse of the processes of this honourable court.”

May 17, 2023