Category: Politics and Governance

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kaduna has declared the 2023 governorship election in Kaduna state inconclusive.

 

According to report from Vanguard correspondent, the tribunal, during its resumed proceeding on Thursday, in a split decision of a ratio of 2:1, declared the election inconclusive and directed that a supplementary election should be held by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within 90 days.

The 3-man panel led by Justice Victor Oviawe therefore ordered a rerun of election in 24 polling units in seven wards of four local governments consisting of 16,300 registered voters.

The verdict was announced via Zoom after the judges shunned the physical hall.

 

Recall that The petition was filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Isah Mohammed Ashiru.

 

PDP’s Ashiru is challenging the election of Uba Sani as the Governor of Kaduna State on the grounds of alleged irregularities and electoral fraud, saying that its Candidate (Isa Mohammed Ashiru) won the election.

 

Details shortly

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has fixed September 21 for the governorship election in Edo State, and November 16 for that of Edo State.

National Commissioner and Chairman, the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun disclosed this in a statement Wednesday in Abuja.

He explained that the tenure of the Governors of Edo and Ondo States will end on 11th November 2024 and 23rd February 2025 respectively.

 

Olumekun said as provided in Section 178 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), election into the said offices shall be hold not earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the tenure of` the last holder of the office.

 

According to him, the latest date for Election to the office of Governor, Edo State, is 12th October 2024 while that of Ondo State is 24th January 2025.

 

Similarly, Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 requires the Commission to publish Notice for the Election not later than 360 days before the date of the election, he said.

 

“In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution and the Electoral Act, the Commission issues the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Edo and Ondo State Governorship elections as follows:

 

“The Governorship election will hold on Saturday 21st September 2024.

 

“Party primaries will hold from 1st – 24th February 2024 while the submission of the list of nominated candidates via the online portal will start at 9.00 am on 4th March 2024 and close at 6.00pm on 24th March 2024.

The Governorship election will hold on Saturday 16th November 2024.

 

“Party primaries will hold from 6th – 27th April 2024 while the submission of the list of nominated candidates via the online portal will start at 9.00am on 29th April 2024 and close at 6.00pm on 20th May 2024.

 

“The final list of candidates will be published on 18th June 2024 while campaign in public by political parties commences on 19th June 2024 and ends 24 hours prior to election day on 14th November 2024.

 

“The detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the two elections have been uploaded to the Commission’s website and social media platforms.

By this ample notice as required by both the Constitution and the Electoral Act, the Commission appeals to political parties and candidates to note the activities in the Timetable for strict compliance”, he added

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct a mock accreditation of voters in Balyelsa, Imo and Kogi, ahead of the governorship elections scheduled for Nov. 11.

This is contained in a statement signed by the commission’s National Commissioner of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr.Sam Olumekun, and made available to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday.

Olumekun said that the mock accreditation scheduled for Oct. 14 would be done using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and upload of polling units results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

He said the decision was taken at the commission’s meeting held on Monday, where it among other issues reviewed the preparations for the forthcoming off-cycle governorship elections in the three states.

“As it was the case in recent off-cycle governorship elections, the commission will conduct a mock accreditation using the BVAS and upload of polling units results to the IReV,” he said.

“The test run will take place simultaneously in the three States on Saturday Oct. 14 from 8.30am to 2.30pm.

“A maximum of three polling units in each Senatorial District have been identified across each of the three States, covering a total of nine Senatorial District and 27 polling units.

“Lessons learnt from the exercise will be taken into consideration in ensuring a seamless process on election day,’’ Olumekun said.

He said that the full details of the polling units, including their locations by Local Government Area (LGA), Registration Area (RA)/Ward, Delimitation Code and number of registered voters have been uploaded to INEC website and social media platforms.

The News Agency (NAN) reports that the LGAs selected for the exercise in Bayelsa are: Brass, Nembe, Ogbia, Sagbama, Ekeremor, Yenagoa, Kolokuma/Opokuma and Southern Ijaw.

Aboh Mbaise, Ngor Okpala, Owerri West, Ideato South, Ohaji Egbema, Nkwere, Ihitte/Uboma, Isiala Mbano and Obowo LGAs of Imo.

In Kogi, the exercise will hold in Lokoja, Kabba/Bunu, Yagba East, Adavi Ajaokuta, Okehi, Dekina, Idah and Omala LGAs.

Olumekun appealed to registered voters in the selected polling units to turn up with their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) for the exercise.

“The general public is informed that the exercise is strictly a test accreditation and not the actual election” he added.

NAN

The Plateau State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Jos, the state capital, has dismissed the petition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the election of Governor Caleb Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Tribunal held that the PDP held a valid congress in Plateau State on 25th September, 2023.

 

The Tribunal also held that the issue of nomination and sponsorship of a candidate is a pre-election matter.

After what looked like a protracted crisis, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, apologised to his boss, Governor Godwin Obaseki, on Thursday and begged for forgiveness

 

He apologised after his investiture by Catholic Men Organisation Nigeria, CMN.

 

Speaking to journalists shortly after the investiture, Shaibu asked Obaseki to forgive and forget, just as he announced that he had relocated to his new office in accordance with the governor’s directive.

 

However, he added, there were still some work to be done in his new office located at 7 Osadebey Avenue.

 

Asked if he had resumed at his new office, Shaibu said: “We have resumed but there is still a lot of work to be done there.

 

“There is no problem about it. The governor has asked us to go there. Like I have always tried to prove, I am a loyal servant and nothing has changed.

 

“I took a personal vow to support my governor and you can see my Catholic people are here. When I took a vow with God, nothing can change it and I wish that the relationship that we had will come back in the next few days and weeks.

 

“I am missing my governor and by the grace of God, He will touch the governor’s heart and touch all of us and even those that are between us.

 

“I mean well. If there is any mistake I have made as human, it is not out of wickedness because I know I’m not wicked. I have a very clean heart.

 

I want to use this medium to appeal to Mr. Governor that if there is any thing I don’t know that I have done, please forgive me so that we can develop our state together.

 

My Governor, I’m sorry and I need us to work together

 

By Flowerbudnews

Security has been beefed up in Enugu metropolis as Enugu Governorship Election Petition Tribunal delivers judgement in the 2023 Governorship Election.

A correspondent, who monitored the development on Thursday, observed that the state’s Rapid Response Squad (RRS) patrol vehicles had been positioned in strategic locations within Enugu metropolis to quell any violent protest.

It was gathered that nine hilux vans and three Armoured Personal Carrier (APC) had been situationed in and around the tribunal premises.

There about 50 police personnel, including soldiers, DSS and NSCDC personnel, drawn from various specialise police formations are currently situation at the tribunal premises.

Reacting, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said that the security beef up remained a routine of the police.

Ndukwe said that the deployment was to ensure safety of all before, during and after the judgement. (Flowerbudnews)

 

By Flowerbudnews

Enugu: The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu, on Thursday, dismissed NYSC certificate forgery suit brought by the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and the Labour Party against Gov. Peter Mbah.

The three-man tribunal, chaired by Justice Kudirat Akano, said there was no evidence before it to support the petitioners claim that a forged certificate was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr Chris Agu of the PRP and Chijioke Edeoga of the LP had separately filed suits against Mbah challenging his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate on the ground of it being forged.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the petitioners had alleged among others that Mbah was not qualified to contest the election and was not lawfully elected.

According to the tribunal, section 177 of the 1999 constitution is not a requirement for contesting governorship election.

The tribunal rejected Edeoga’s witnesses and ruled that the LP candidate did not present any admissible evidence to prove that Mbah’s certificate was forged.

On PRP’s petition, Akano said that the issue was not contained in the petitioner’s affidavit, stating that to prove forgery, both the original and the supposedly forged certificate ought to have been exhibited before the tribunal.

The tribunal held that the petitioner failed to prove that the respondent possessed the minimum requirements to stand for the election including school certificate or its equivalent.

It said therefore, there was no evidence to substantiate the claims adding that Mbah was not qualified to stand for the election.

On the issue of plea bargain by Mbah, the tribunal averred that the exhibit presented by the petitioners did not show any plea bargain by the respondent.

Akano further ruled that Mbah was duly elected by majority of votes cast at the election held on March 18. (Flowerbudnews)

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu State, on Thursday, upheld the election of Governor Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

 

Mbah’s election was challenged by Barr Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party, LP.

 

Major grounds of Edeoga’s petition centred on Mbah’s alleged forgery of National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, certificate, irregularities during the election, over-voting, among others.

 

Kudirat Morayo Akano dismissed the petition in favour of the respondent, Mbah.

 

It struck out Edeoga’s application seeking to disqualify Mbah over alleged forgery of NYSC certificate.

 

The panel held that NYSC certificate, according Section 177 of the 1999 Constitution, is not a requirement for contesting the governorship election.

 

It ruled that Mbah did not submit his NYSC certificate to INEC in aid of his qualification to contest for office of the governor, since he was already qualified without the NYSC certificate.

 

The Tribunal equally dismissed allegations of over-voting and bypassing of BVAS.

 

The panel also said that the witnesses presented by the Labour Party were not duly accredited agents by INEC and that their testimony was invalid.

 

It held that Mbah was duly elected as governor by majority of lawful and valid votes cast during the election.

 

It had also earlier in the day dismissed the petition filed by the People’s Redemption Party, PRP, governorship candidate, Elder Christopher Agu.