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Tag: ishaku

  • Tribunal upholds Ishaku’s election as Taraba governor

    Tribunal upholds Ishaku’s election as Taraba governor

    The Taraba State Governorship Election Tribunal has dismissed the petition by Abubakar Danladi of the All Progressive Party (APC) challenging the re-election of Governor Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 9, 2019 governorship election.

    A three-man panel led by Justice M.O. Adewara unanimously held that the petitioners failed to prove their claims that the marred by irregularities and substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

    Justice Adewara, who read the lead judgment, also held that since a Federal High Court in the state, gave a judgment on March 6, 2019, in suit: FHC/JAL/CS/01/2019, disqualifying Danladi from contesting the election, he could not be said to be a candidate in the election.

    The tribunal also held that since judgment was upheld up to the Supreme Court, it meant that APC had no valid candidate in the election, did not participate in the election and was not qualified, along with Danladi, to have presented a petition before the tribunal.

    The tribunal further held, that even if the petition was to be considered on the merit, the petition failed to lead sufficient evidence to establish their claims that Ishaku was not validly elected by majority of lawful votes and that the election was marred by irregularities, non-compliance and corrupt practices.

    Details shortly…

  • Taraba: Tribunal dismisses Danladi, APC's petition against Governor Ishaku's election

    Taraba: Tribunal dismisses Danladi, APC's petition against Governor Ishaku's election

    The Taraba Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Wednesday dismissed the petition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Abubakar Danladi in the March 9 governorship election in the state.
    The petition was dismissed as a result of the Supreme Court judgment on July 5, which upheld the Appeal Court judgment that disqualified Danladi on the grounds of false declaration of age.
    In his ruling, the chairman of the tribunal, Justice M.O. Adewarahe said the dismissal was necessitated by the supreme Court’s judgment which disqualified the candidacy of the APC on the grounds of false declaration of age.
    The governorship candidate of the APC, Danladi and the party had approached the tribunal to challenge the victory of Governor Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
    The petitioners claimed that the governor was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast in the election.
    They further claimed that the governor’s election was invalid by reason of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
    The petitioners further claimed that Ishaku’s election was invalid reasons of corrupt practices.
    Joined as respondent in the petition, is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
    The apex court dismissed the appeal filed before it by Danladi, challenging his disqualification by the Federal High Court in Jalingo.
    A five-man Panel of the Supreme Court headed by the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Mohammed, dismissed the appeal filed by Danladi for being incompetent and failing to meet the requirements of the law.
    Danladi was disqualified from contesting the 2019 Governorship election in Taraba state on March 6, 2019, by the Federal High Court, Jalingo presided over by Honourable Justice Stephen Pam.
    The court based its decision on allegations of false declaration of age by Danladi in the documents provided to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
    However, on March 7, 2019, the Court of Appeal sitting in Yola stayed the execution of the judgment of the lower in favour of Mr Danladi, which enabled him to stand for the March 9, Governorship election in Taraba state.
    But the appellate Court subsequently struck out the Appeal for being incompetent.
    Danladi further appealed to the Supreme Court which affirmed the judgment of the appeal court.

  • Taraba poll: Aggrieved politicians killing innocent people because I won, Ishaku cries out

    Taraba poll: Aggrieved politicians killing innocent people because I won, Ishaku cries out

    The Taraba State government on Friday cried out that innocent people were being killed since the day Governor Darius Ishaku was declared winner of the governorship election in the state.

    The Commissioner for Information, Simon Dogari, who briefed reporters on the incidents trailing the outcome of the election, said the attacks were being masterminded by the opposition parties who lost at the polls.

    He said the attacks were intended to give the impression that the governorship election in the state was not credible.

    Dogari said: “There have been several cases of attacks on innocent and defenceless people in Jalingo by miscreants hired and armed by those who lost the elections.

    “Their intention is to create tension and anarchy in the state such that the impression would be created that the elections were not credible.

    “The state government is happy that this motive has not been achieved. We give the credit to God and to all the good people of Taraba State who have ignored the call to arms and have in various ways helped to defuse tension rather than yield to the temptation to react violently.

    “The elections were generally free, fair and peaceful. There were no major incidents, as voting took place in all the centres.

    “It is also instructive that one of the major contestants in the gubernatorial election, Senator Aisha Alhassan, also rated the election as free, fair and credible, even though she lost.

    “Yet, the main opposition group has embarked on a mission of organising armed youths to confront people who came out in their numbers to celebrate the PDP victory.

    “The most unfortunate and dangerous dimension to this campaign was the religious colour their group tried to assign to the crisis.

    “It is disheartening that a man who is aspiring to a high position of leadership of this state would resort to religious bigotry to achieve his ambition.

    “Again, we thank God and the larger section of the populace for refusing to cooperate with him to cause more tension and damage to lives and properties.”

    He said that Governor Darius Ishaku “deeply appreciates the contributions of all the good people of the state in achieving peace and wishes to thank everybody, including Christian and Muslim leaders, who have been part of the peace building process.”

    The state government said it would ensure that all law abiding people are protected in order to go about their lawful activities without molestation.

    “Governor Ishaku also wishes to remind all of you that peace is the bedrock on which every positive human endeavour can thrive, hence his peace mantra: Give me peace and I will give you development.

    “We urge you to refuse to be used as political thugs, to shun violence and all forms of drug abuse and to support the government to build that future you deserve.”

  • Governors Ortom, Ishaku attack Emir Sanusi for accusing them of sponsoring militia

    Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom and his Taraba State counterpart, Mr Darius Ishaka, have hit out at the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, after he accused him of sponsoring the militia causing havoc in the states.

    Sanusi claims Ortom training militia to attack the herdsmen.

    During a meeting with the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Niger State, Sanusi regretted the attitude of the states towards open grazing.

    He said: “We hope that the Vice President will speak to the Governors of Taraba and Benue in particular, on the manner the militias have continued to implement these obnoxious and unconstitutional laws”.

    “We hope that he will speak to the governors and the traditional rulers of the Bachama, the Tivs. This country cannot afford ethnic conflicts and hopefully we will sit down with them and find a way forward.”

    Reacting to the statement, Ortom’s Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, absolved his principal of the allegations.

    Akase argued that if the Governor was sponsoring the militia, they would not have launched an attack on the state.

    Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ishaku on Media and Publicity, Bala Abu, described the allegation as “false and unfair.”

    “The government has not recruited militia and is not involved in the training of such people anywhere in or outside of the state.

    “The government advises the Emir to rather use his vantage position as a traditional and religious leader to complement the peace efforts of the government than raise unnecessary alarm capable of causing disaffection among the peace-loving people of Taraba State,” Abu said in a statement.

  • Ten hours after Gov Ishaku’s alarm, herdsmen invade Taraba, kill four

    Ten hours after Gov Ishaku’s alarm, herdsmen invade Taraba, kill four

    Barely ten hours after Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State raised alarm over impending attacks by Fulani herdsmen, they (herdsmen) went on a fresh rampage on Thursday night killing four persons, including a couple at Ngutwsem village in Gassol Local Government Area.

    The couple were named as Mr. Shiriga Vaawombo and his wife, Ngunan.

    A relation who witnessed the invasion said that as soon as Shiriga heard the first sound of gun shots,he took his wife to a place outside their house where he thought she could be safe.

    “He was returning to pick their baby when the invaders shot him. His wife then cried out from where she was hiding. She was gunned down too,” he said.

    Shiriga’s second wife, Iveren, 35, was all tears, yesterday.

    She was not at home during the invasion, having travelled to Sabon Gida.

    Some journalists were however in the village on Friday in the company of Ishaku’s media aide Bala Dan Abu, a senior assistant to the governor on Revenue Mobilisation, Jerry Tyolanga and three policemen.

    The village was largely deserted ,most residents taking to the bush to hide and fleeing to Sabon Gida..

    No policeman was sighted in the area.

    On seeing the journalists and the policemen, the hiding villagers came out and hurriedly used blunt diggers and hoes to dig two graves for the purpose of burying the victim.

    The graves were shallow and there was no coffin to put the dead inside.

    A cursory look at the bodies showed that after being shot, the assailants proceeded to cut them in the head, neck and back with machetes to ensure that they had no chance of surviving.

    The women cried uncontrollably.

    Recall that Governor Ishaku had said on Thursday that he received a warning from some people that they would strike within 10 days

    He said: “We are on notice that in 10 days, we (Taraba) shall be attacked. I have alerted all security agencies. We are waiting.

    “A helicopter has dropped arms and ammunition in the night without its mission established. It is not a time to keep quiet; we are living in fear,”

    The governor spoke at 12:47 pm. The killer-herdsmen struck at 10:09 pm.

    Simon Tsavwua, 45, a brother to one of the victims said he had gone to bed leaving some members of the household outside.

    Suddenly, he heard gunshots repeatedly.

    He knew they were under attack.

    He quickly ran outside and hid.

    The attackers were over 20,he said.

    They wielded automatic rifles and machetes.

    “But where I hid was close to where one of my brothers was killed. He cried before giving up. There was nothing I could do,” he said.

    He said he and some of the family members ran further into the bush. “When we returned to the scene later, we saw four people dead,” he said, displaying some of the bullets fired by the attackers.

    Sources said some of the militiamen were sighted in Sabon Gida, wearing mask, and armed.

    “We are afraid, “one of the survivors said.

  • ‘Taraba will be attacked in 10 days,’ Gov Ishaku warns

    ‘Taraba will be attacked in 10 days,’ Gov Ishaku warns

    Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, yesterday said that suspected insurgents have threatened to attack the state within 10 days.

    Ishaku stated this when the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, visited him at the Government House in Jalingo, to commiserate with him over the recent killings in Taraba.

    “We received a notice that in 10 days, we shall be attacked. I have alerted all security agencies. We are waiting.

    “A helicopter has dropped arms and ammunitions in the night without its mission established. It is not a time to keep quiet, we are living in fear,” the Governor stated.

    The Taraba State Commissioner of Police, David Akinremi, had in a statement dismissed the report of arms-filled chopper landing in Taraba at night as “unfounded and misleading rumour.”

  • Fulani herdsmen are killers, not victims –Taraba govt

    Fulani herdsmen are killers, not victims –Taraba govt

    Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, has said any blackmail and propaganda employed by cattle breeders to turn themselves into victims will fail, saying the herdsmen are the killers and not victims.

    Ishaku statement is coming on the heels of the comment by his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom, that the claim by the herdsmen that some state governments were arming militias to attack them was a lie.

    The apex body of Fulani cattle herders, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, in an earlier press conference on Sunday, had said the governments of Benue, Taraba states and others were sponsoring a hate campaign against herdsmen and also arming ethnic militias to kill them.

    The National Secretary of MACBAN, Usman Ngeljarma, spoke for the group in Abuja on Sunday.

    The MACBAN secretary said, “It is no longer hidden that some state governments are sponsoring ethnic militias against our people, recruiting and arming locals to kill our people and rustle their livestock as seen recently in Benue and Taraba states.”

    But the Taraba State governor, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Bala Abu, said the Miyetti Allah was trying desperately to turn the truth upside down.

    “The people who were given mass burial were not the Fulani. National television stations and newspapers published the story. No single Fulani man was killed; instead, they (Fulani) were the killers.

    “I challenge them to come out with evidence against the governor that he is training ethnic militia against the Fulani. They should also name the location where the training is taking place so security agencies can move in to effect arrest.

    “We are aware of their plot to stop the implementation of the Taraba State Open Grazing Prohibition Law which is due to commence soon, but the governor won’t be deterred in his quest to bring peace to the state,” he said.

  • Governor Ishaku loses aide in convoy crash

    Governor Ishaku loses aide in convoy crash

    Darius Ishaku, governor of Taraba state, on Thursday escaped unhurt when his convoy was involved in an accident.

    The accident occurred at Garba Chede axis, along Bali-Jalingo road around 5pm on Thursday.

    A police officer attached to the governor lost his life in the accident.

    David Misal, spokesman of the state police command, said that “several persons” were also injured in the accident.

    “We confirmed that the governor’s convoy had an accident but it did not affect the governor’s car,” he said.

    “One life was lost and several sustained injuries and have been taken to hospital for treatment. The person that died happens to be a police officer attached to the governor’s convoy.

    “I can’t confirm the number of persons (that were injured) now, we would need to find out from the people on ground.”

    Misal said the name of the dead officer had not been confirmed, adding: “I still expect more details.”

    When asked the cause of the accident, he said: “At the moment we can’t actually say what actually caused it but in due course, we will find out.”

  • Ishaku, Fayose, others mourn as ex-gov, Suntai is laid to rest

    The remains of the former Governor of Taraba, Danbaba Suntai was laid to rest on Saturday in his hometown, Suntai in Bali Local Government Area of the state amidst tears and eulogies.

    Gov. Darius Ishaku of Taraba, described the late Suntai, as an epitome of humility with great sense of humour and passion for the development of the state.

    Ishaku, however, thanked all Nigerians, especially those who stood by the late governor during his trying moment and in death.

    He said that the love they showed him was a great source of strength to the family and the people of the state.

    The governor urged Suntai’s family to be consoled by the legacies and virtues of the late icon, who he said would be remembered by people for what he believed and stood for.

    Earlier, Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti, urged the people of Taraba to imbibe the virtues of Suntai. Fayose said they should imbibe his virtues and continue to promote the good things he stood for while alive for the development of the state and country.

    In his remarks, Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe said the late governor did well for the people of the state.

    The President of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN), Most Rev. Musa Philibus, at the funeral service, enjoined Nigerians to live a life of service to humanity. Philibus said that Nigerians should bear in mind that all must die to give account of their stewardship to God.

    “There is glory and happiness in death when we live a life that pleases God. “We should think about pleasing God rather thinking of how to bring others down in order to get to the top,’’ he said.

    The funeral was attended by dignitaries from all walks of life, including Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau and the immediate past governor of Benue State, Dr. Gabriel Suswam.

    Others were the First Executive Governor of Taraba, Rev. Jolly Nyame, the pioneer military governor of Taraba CP Ambrose Afolahan, representatives of the governors of Adawawa, Benue and Nasarawa as well as some National Assembly members among others.

    The deceased, who was aged 55, died on June 28, in the USA where he was recuperating from treatment he sustained injuries when a private aircraft he was flying crashed on October 25, 2012 in Yola. He was the governor of the state between 2007 and 2015.

  • Gov Ishaku, Taraba Speaker, others mourn Suntai

    Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Abel Diah, have described the death of a former governor of the state, Danbaba Suntai, as a huge loss to the state and the entire Nigeria.

    Ishaku said in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Nelson Len, that Suntai was a treasure.

    The statement was issued on Thursday in Jalingo.

    The governor said that Suntai would be remembered for his contributions to the development of Taraba.

    He prayed God to comfort the deceased’s family and the entire Taraba people.

    Similarly, in a statement he signed, the speaker described Suntai as a pillar of Taraba.

    He said that the former governor died when his services were much needed.

    He prayed God to give Taraba people the strength to bear the loss.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Suntai died on Wednesday in Florida, U.S., where he was undergoing rehabilitation from brain injuries he sustained from a plane crash in October 2012 in Yola. He was aged 55 years.