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  • Presidential tribunal dismisses Obi’s allegation 2023 election rigged to favour Tinubu

    Presidential tribunal dismisses Obi’s allegation 2023 election rigged to favour Tinubu

    The Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja, has dismissed the allegation by the Labour Party, LP, and its candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, that the 2023 presidential election was rigged in favour of President Bola Tinubu

    The court, in its preliminary ruling that was delivered by Justice Abba Mohammed, held that Obi and the the LP, did not by way of credible evidence, establish their allegation that the election that held on February 25, was characterized by manifest corrupt practices.

     

     

     

    It held that though the Petitioners alleged that the election was marred by irregularities, they, however, failed to give specific details of where the alleged infractions took place.

     

     

     

    The court noted that whereas Obi and the LP, insisted that the election was rigged in 18, 088 polling units across the federation, they were unable to state the locations of the said polling units.

     

     

     

    It further held that Obi’s allegation that fictitious results were recorded to President Tinubu and the APC, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was not proved.

    More so, it held that the Petitioners were unable to state the figures they claimed were reduced from election results they garnered in different states of the federation, especially in Ondo, Oyo, Rivers, Yobe, Borno, Tabara, Osun and Lagos state.

     

     

     

    It held that the Petitioners equally failed to state the polling units where over-voting occured or the exact figures of unlawful votes that were credited to Tinubu by the INEC .

    stressed that though Obi and LP said they would rely on spreadsheets as well as forensic report and expert analysis of their expert witnesses, they failed to attach the documents to the petition or serve same on the Respondents as required by the law.

     

     

     

    The court held that though the petition contained serious allegations that bordered on violence, non-voting, suppression of votes, fictitious entry of election results and corrupt practices, the Petitioners, however, failed to give particulars of specific polling units where the incidences took place.

     

     

     

    It held that several portions of the petition that contained the allegations, were “vague, imprecise, nebulous and bereft of particular materials.”

    Therefore, the court, struck out paragraphs 9, 60, 61, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 76, 77, 78, 83 and 89 of the petition.

     

     

     

    Nevertheless, the court dismissed the contention of the Respondents that Obi was not validly nominated by the LP to contest the presidential election.

    It noted that the Respondents had argued that Obi left the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on May 24, 2022 and joined the LP on May 27, 2022.

     

     

     

    The Respondents argued that as at May 30, 2022, Obi, was not a valid member of the LP and could not have duly participated in its presidential primary election.

     

     

     

    They insisted that his name could not have been contained in the membership register of the LP, which ought to be submitted to INEC, 30 days before the primary election held.

     

    However, the court, in its ruling, held that the issue of membership is an internal affair of a political party, which is not justiceable.

     

     

     

    It held that only the LP has the prerogative of determining who is its member, adding that the Respondents were bereft of the legal to query Obi’s membership of the LP.

    Likewise, the court, held that contrary to contention by Tinubu and the APC, the Petitioners, were not under any obligation to join Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who came second in the election or his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the case.

     

     

     

    It held that both Atiku and PDP are not statutory Respondents or necessary parties to the petition.

     

     

     

    Having decided the preliminary issues, Chairman of the five-member panel, Justice Haruna Tsammani, is currently reading the judgement of the court on the substantive matter.

  • NERC okays 40% price increase for meters

    NERC okays 40% price increase for meters

    The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission on Tuesday approved a 40 per cent upward review of unit costs for end-use meters under the Meter Asset Provider and National Mass Metering Regulations.

    NERC disclosed this in a Notice order signed by its Chairman, Sanusi Garba and Commissioner Legal, Licensing and Compliance, Dafe Akpeneye.

     

    Accordingly, a single-phase meter price has been increased to N81,975.16 from N58,661.69.

    Also, the Three-Phase Meter price was increased to N143,836.10 from N109,684.34.

     

    The implication is that electricity consumers will have to pay an additional N23,313.64 for a Single-phase meter, which is 40 per increment and N34,151.76 to get a Three-phase meter, representing a 31 per cent increase

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  • Fire guts section of Lagos International Airport

    Fire guts section of Lagos International Airport

    A fire outbreak has razed a section of the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos State, Wednesday morning.

    The incident affected the primary gateway section of the airport, halting some operations.

     

    It was gathered that firefighters were swiftly mobilised to contain the inferno while passengers and airport personnel have been evacuated from the affected building.

    The Director Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Federal Airport Authority, Abdullahi Yakubu-Funtua confirmed the development in a statement.

     

    He said the swift response and professional efforts of the firefighters from the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (ARFFS) of the airport “have successfully brought the situation under control”.

     

    “In accordance with our unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of passengers, staff, and all airport users, the Terminal building was promptly evacuated due to the smoke that had permeated some areas of the facility.

    We are pleased to report that the situation is presently under control.

     

    “FAAN remains committed to her core values of safety, security and comfort”, he added

  • Video: Commotion as police tear gas protesting UNILAG students

    Video: Commotion as police tear gas protesting UNILAG students

    There was a commotion on Wednesday after officers of the Nigerian Police Force fired tear gas at students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

     

    The students had converged around the school to protest the increase in tuition.

    The National Association of Nigerian Students had on Tuesday warned the Department of State Services not to prevent students from exercising their rights to protest, saying it is a universally recognised human right.

     

    The National Public Relations Officer of the union, Giwa Temitope stated that the statement made by DSS on Monday that some politicians were mobilising student leaders for violent protest against the Federal Government over socioeconomic matters was propaganda.

     

    He boasted that the protest would go on as planned.

  • Police fire tear gas at protesting UNILAG students, arrest two

    Police fire tear gas at protesting UNILAG students, arrest two

    Two protesters were on Wednesday, arrested at the University of Lagos Junction while protesting a fee hike at the institution.

     

    The two students, identified as Femi Adeyeye and Philip Olatinwo, were arrested by policemen and put in a police van stationed in the area.

     

    “They mobilised policemen from many stations,” Adeyeye said in a distress message sent to our correspondent, sharing another video of himself and Philip in the van.

     

    Another protester, Bayo, told our correspondent that policemen fired tear gas at them and many students that had gathered, dispersed.

    Many students have fled the scene. I’m hiding somewhere. Femi and Philip are inside the Black Maria. They have not moved them to anywhere,” Bayo said.

     

    A video shared with our correspondent showed some of the protesters carrying placards as they ran from the tear gas said to have been fired by the police.

     

    The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, has not responded to calls and text messages sent by our correspondent as of the time of filing this report.

  • Breaking: APM’s petition against Tinubu incompetent – Tribunal

    Breaking: APM’s petition against Tinubu incompetent – Tribunal

    The Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja, has dismissed as incompetent, the case the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, filed to nullify President Bola Tinubu’s election.

    The court held that issues the APM raised in its petition contained pre-election matters that could only be determined by the Federal High Court.

    Chairman of the panel, Justice Haruna Tsammani, who read the ruling, upheld preliminary objections that all the Respondents raised to challenge the competence of the petition.

     

    Justice Haruna noted that since the petition centered on the qualification or otherwise of President Tinubu to contest the presidential election that held on February 25, the APM, ought to have gone to court within 14 days after Tinubu was nominated by the All Progressives Congress, APC.

     

    He held that since the cause of action bordered on a pre-election matter, the APM, lacked the locus standi to challenge Tinubu’s nomination.

     

    More so, Justice Tsammani held that the Supreme Court had earlier decided that a political party does not have the right to challenge a nomination that was made by another political party.

     

    He held that section 131 and 237 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, made provisions for the qualification or disqualification of candidates in an election.

     

    The court noted that the main grouse of the APM was on the alleged invalid nomination of Tinubu’s running mate, Kashim Shettima.

     

    “It is clear that the claim of qualification it non qualification of the the 3rd Respondent (Tinubu) centered on alleged invalid nomination of the 4th Respondent (Shettima).

    It is a pre-election matter,” Justice Tsammani held.

    He further held that section 84(3) of the Electoral Act, 2022, stipulated that political parties should not impose qualification criteria on a candidate, except as provided for in the constitution.

    According to the court, sections 65, 66, 106, 107, 131, 137, 185 and 187 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, settled the issue of qualification and nomination of a candidate for an election.

    It held that where an election has already been conducted and result declared, the qualification of a candidate could no longer be challenged on the basis of sections 131 and 137 of the Constitution.

    The court held that since the APM failed to challenge President Tinubu’s nomination within the constitutionally allowed period, its case, therefore, had become statute barred.

    It held that where the constitution has qualified a candidate for an election, no other law can disqualify such candidate except the constitution itself.

     

    The court held that the issue of double nomination as canvassed by the APM, was not a legally cognizable ground for disqualification.

     

    Besides, the court held that it found no reason why Mr. Ibrahim Masari was cited as the 5th Respondent in the petition since he would not in any way be affected by the outcome of the case.

     

    Consequently, it struck out his name from the petition.

     

    The APM had in its petition marked: CA/PEPC/04/2023, argued that the withdrawal of Mr. Masari who was initially nominated as the Vice-Presidential candidate of the APC, invalidated Tinubu’s candidacy in view of Section 131(c) and 142 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

    The party argued that there was a gap of about three weeks between the period that Masari, who was listed as the 5th Respondent in the petition, expressed intention to withdraw, the actual withdrawal of his purported nomination, and the time Tinubu purportedly replaced him with Senator Kashim Shettima.

     

    It further argued that Tinubu’s candidature had elapsed as at the time he nominated Shettima as Masari’s replacement.

     

    According to the petitioner, as at the time Tinubu announced Shettima as the Vice Presidential candidate, “he was no longer in a position, constitutionally, to nominate a running mate since he had ceased to be a presidential candidate of the 2nd Respondent having regards to the provisions of section 142 of the 1999 Constitution”.

     

    The APM contended that Masari’s initial nomination activated the joint ticket principle enshrined in the Constitution, stressing that his subsequent withdrawal invalidated the said joint ticket.

     

    It, therefore, prayed the court to declare that Shettima was not qualified to contest as the Vice-Presidential candidate of the APC as at February 25 when the election was conducted by INEC having violated the provisions the of Section 35 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

    An order nullifying and voiding all the votes scored by Tinubu in the presidential election in view of his non-qualification as a candidate of the APC”.

     

    As well as an order to set aside the Certificate of Return that was issued to the President by INEC, reliefs that were rejected by the court on Wednesday

     

     

     

     

  • Makinde issues 7-day ultimatum for clearance of shanties around public schools

    Makinde issues 7-day ultimatum for clearance of shanties around public schools

    Governor ‘Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has issued a directive for the removal of shanties and commercial centers built around public schools in the state within seven days.

    The governor gave the directive Tuesday, during a series of midnight inspections conducted across public schools in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    Makinde expressed concern about the presence of these shanties surrounding schools in the state, saying such encroachments do not align with the state’s image and its education system’s standards.

     

    He said: “The entrance is almost blocked by people who have their shops very close to the entrance of the school, which is not conducive for learning.

     

    “So, we have gone round and what we are saying is that if you have anything attached to the fence of a school, you must remove it.

     

    “We are going to give them about a week to remove those things. They should clear them so that when our children come back to school, we will know they are coming into an environment conducive to learning.

     

    “Also, we have taken the opportunity to look at the situation with solid waste management. You can see most medians have become dumpsites but this has to stop.

     

    “Where we have single carriage roads, you don’t see people dump their waste by the roadside. How come they have made the medians the dumpster?

     

    “So, we will, again, go back to the drawing board because something is not obviously working with the architecture that we have in place.

    In the same vein, the governor reassured residents that the prevalent practice of indiscriminate waste disposal along roadways would soon become a thing of the past, adding that plans are underway to overhaul the state’s waste management system.

     

    We are working to look into what has to be done next to have the kind of environment that we really want to be proud of,” Makinde said.

     

    The governor was in company of the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade; his counterpart in the Ministry of Environment, Mr. Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola; and the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of Oyo State, Barr. Abiodun Aikomo.

  • Oyo Govt. Completes Rehabilitation Of Roads Across 33 LGAs

    Oyo Govt. Completes Rehabilitation Of Roads Across 33 LGAs

    Oyo Govt. Completes Rehabilitation Of Roads Across 33 LGAs

     

    By Adewale Owoade

    Oyo State Government has completed the rehabilitation of deplorable roads earmarked for re- construction across all the 33 local government areas in the State.

    While briefing journalists over the development on Tuesday during the inspection of the rehabilitated roads, the Chairman of Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA), Honourable Busoye Ogunlade appreciated the state governor, Engr. ‘Seyi Makinde for providing all the needed materials for the agency which resulted to seamless working condition on the affected roads.

    The OYSROMA Boss who was accompanied by the management staff and engineers of the agency expressed satisfaction over the level of the job done so far on the affected roads.

    Some residents that spoke with journalists could not hide their joy, as they were praise singing the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde for the prompt intervention on the affected roads.

    Mr Olawole Akinwale, a farmer who is a resident of Iwere-Ile, in Iwajowa local government area, who spoke on behalf of the entire community said, “I thank the Almighty God for giving us Governor Makinde in Oyo State who is making life more easier for us in this community, I also thank God for making us witnessing this kind of project under this administration, this is will surely bring a better change in our community, and I can say it is like a dream come true for us, this road is very crucial in moving our farm products from farm to the main city.”

    In Ibadan metropolis, Mrs Adebola Adeshina, a trader in Agbowo UI Axis, who resides in Major Salawu Street, in Ibadan North Local Government Area commended Governor Makinde for fulfilling his electoral promises, most especially in the area of provison of basic infrastructures in the axis.

    She is optimistic that rehabilitated road will definitely put a stop to the hardship faced by the masses, especially the motorists. Mrs Adebola noted that most of the roads rehabilitated were in deplorable condition before the intervention of the state government.

    A resident of Igbeti, in Olorunsogo local government Mr Olajire Oyebisi, stated that most of them never believe that the rehabilitation of the roads could be in their life time, as most of the roads have been abandoned for a very long time.

    While speaking on rehabilitation of Ring Road, Mobil, Sharp Corner to WEMA, Apata Junction, Hon Busoye Ogunlade said the work will ease traffic congestion in the axis.

    Speaking on behalf of residents, the Chairman of landlord Association in Oluyole Extension, Chief Akinwunmi described the ongoing rehabilitation project prayers answered by God.

    He said, “We are full of joy and gratitude to Governor Seyi Makinde, the Executive Chairman of Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency OYSROMA, Hon Busoye Ogunlade for coming to our aid by fixing these roads.”

    Chief Akinwunmi said, the gesture by state government will usher in more developmental strides that will encourage businesses in those areas, as well as attract investors.

    According to him, “On behalf of the residents, motorists, commuters and peace-loving people of Ring Road, Mobil, and environs, I heartily appreciate the most performing governor in Nigeria, His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde, I thank OYSROMA for coming to our rescue, especially on the clearing of the refuse dump and dirty along the sharp corner road.

    “We’ll continue to support the present administration in its sustainable development agenda that will return the state to her pace setting standard in the country.This intervention on our roads will no doubt ease traffic and enhance free flow of traffic in which crashes will be reduced to barest minimum.”

    Recall that the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde had declared operation zero potholes across the state and has promised equip OYSROMA to perform optimally when the Governor paid an unscheduled inspection to the agency’s office at Eleyele some weeks ago.

    Upon his reappointment, Hon Busoye Ogunlade swung into action by embarking on the spot assessment of some of the dilapidated roads under his agency’s purview and assured that the State Government would fix the dilapidated portions where necessary.

  • Oyo State’s budget performance is at 75 per cent – Makinde

    Oyo State’s budget performance is at 75 per cent – Makinde

     

     

    Oyo State’s budget performance is at 75 per cent – Makinde

    By Adewale Owoade

    Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State says the state’s 2023 budget performance is already at 75 per cent and should exceed 80 per cent by the end of the year.

    Makinde gave his administration a pass mark while speaking at the Stakeholders’ Consultative and Engagement Meeting on 2024 Budget, held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.

    He maintained that his administration would continue the tradition of engaging with residents of the state in the making of the state’s annual budget, noting that this would help the government to serve the people better.

    He urged residents to take the engagement meetings, which would be held across the seven zones of the state, seriously as inputs from the meetings would be captured in the budget.

    “It is not just a yearly ritual; it is an exercise that is extremely important. We are not coming around for this exercise just for the fun of it.

    “The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning said we are at 75 per cent performance and before the end of the year, we will surely go beyond 80 per cent; I believe this is a pass mark.

    “Thankfully, the people of Oyo State gave us an opportunity to serve them further. So, we will continue to hold this stakeholders’ engagement under my watch for another three years.

    “So, we must let our people know that this is not a jamboree. It is an avenue for our people to let us know what they want us to do for them,” he said.

    The governor equally advocated for better synergy between the state and the local governments so they can serve the interests of the people better.

    He said that the creativity of his government had ensured the construction of Oyo-Iseyin Road, a federal road, and the rebuilding of Akesan Market, Sasha Market and the Iseyin City Hall, which were local government projects.

    Some of the issues raised by stakeholders at the event were the recruitment of teachers into primary schools and the completion of 351 primary health centres.

    The governor assured that his administration would address all the issues in the next budget.

    Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Prof Musibau Babatunde, said the state government had been using the stakeholders’ meetings to influence its budget since 2019.

    “So what we have been doing is all about people and I believe that with this particular one that we are trying to do, we are also going to get it right and move Oyo State forward,” he said.

    In separate goodwill messages, the Director-General of DAWN Commission, Mr Seye Oyeleye; Chairman of the House Committee on Budget, Public Accounts, Finance and Appropriation, Hon Sunkanmi Babalola; and representative of Ibadan Main LGs Chairmen, Alhaji Ramoni Adepoju, commended the government for the budget initiative. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)