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Kano Governor-elect Not Qualified, APC Tells Tribunal

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Kano Governor-elect Not Qualified, APC Tells Tribunal

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano state has requested that Abba Kabir Yusuf’s election as the state’s next governor be annulled on the grounds that he was ineligible to run for office.

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), which Yusuf was elected on behalf of, claimed in its petition that Yusuf was not a party member at the time the election was held.
It stated that a political party may only sponsor a member for the elective office of governor of Kano and that a candidate for governor who is not a member of the political party claiming to be his sponsor is ineligible to run for office.

The party said Yusuf was not validly and duly nominated by his party, NNPP before being presented as it’s candidate for the election.

The APC urged the tribunal to set aside his election and declared its candidate, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, as the winner of the election having scored the highest number of votes.

Read Also: Immigration officials detain Peter Obi in London for hours, suspicion impersonation

The petitioner said, “In Part A of the INEC Form EC 9 – Affidavit of Personal Particular of the 2nd respondent submitted to the 1st Respondent reflects that the membership number of the 2nd respondent is NNPP/HQ/KN/GWL/DS/001. No such number is contained in the 3rd Respondent’s (NNPP) register of members. The plan of the 2nd Respondent (Yusuf) to provide a conscripted membership card is a failed attempt to claim membership of the 3rd Respondent in order to mislead the 1st respondent (INEC) that the 2nd respondent possessed the constitutional qualification to contest the election into the office of the governor of Kano State, while indeed he was not qualified to contest the election, being not a member of the political party that sponsored his election.
“Your petitioner says that the Affidavit of personal Particulars wherein the 2nd Respondent claims membership of the 3rd Respondent as Member No. NNPP/HQ/KN/GWL/DISO/001 is a false certificate because no such membership number or name exists in the Register of the 3rd Respondent.”

The party said the 3rd respondent could not have validly sponsored the 2nd Respondent, who, not being a registered member or a person whose name is on the register of members of the 3rd Respondent, submitted to the 1st Respondent before the primary election of the 3rd Respondent in compliance with the relevant provision of the Electoral Act, 2022.
“The petitioner avers that the 2nd respondent, not being a registered member of the 3rd Respondent, could not validly have been sponsored by the 3rd Respondent as its candidate for Kano State Governorship Elections held on March 18, 2023. The membership Number stated in Part A of the said INEC EC 9 are not those of the 2nd Respondent nor does he have any at any point material in time to the fact of this petition.
“The petitioner claims that all 1,019,602 votes recorded on March 18, 2023, for the second and third respondents are invalid and wasted votes because the second respondent is/was not eligible to run in the election in the first place.

Read Also: Kogi is not Rivers, will not worship foreign god, Melaye responds to Wike’s shots

“That the petitioner’s candidate is, therefore, entitled to be declared the winner of the election because she has received the greatest number of valid votes—890,705 in the Kano State Governorship Election, as shown in the table below—and she has complied with all legal requirements.

The party claimed that “the second respondent was not duly elected by majority of lawfully cast votes at the election.”

Gunmen attack Osun community, kidnap resident

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Gunmen attack Osun community, kidnap resident

On Wednesday, armed men broke into the Ago Igbira community in Osun State and kidnapped Mohammed Jubril, one of the residents.

Prior to the victim being eventually taken away, a gunfight broke out between the attackers and some locals, during which Hassan Jubril, another local, was hurt. It was found out

Eight armed men attacked the village early on Wednesday, according to a resident who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons.

Read Also: Immigration officials detain Peter Obi in London for hours, suspicion impersonation

The source reported that police, members of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Services, Amotekun Corps, and a few other volunteers had already combed the forest.

We don’t know their purpose, but today there was a hail of gunfire here, and they kidnapped a man.
When asked about the current situation of the settlement, the source said some residents are fleeing the area over the fear of another attack.

Another witness, who identified himself simply as Quadri, explained that “heavy gunshots” by the attackers woke up residents of the community.

“Everyone here is currently living in fear because they don’t know what the next minutes hold for them.

Read Also: Tinubu victory: My life in danger – Lagos ex-Deputy gov, Sinatu Ojikutu

“We can only appeal to the police to beef up security around our settlement before these people either kidnap us all or kill us all,” Mr Quadri said.

Efforts to speak with the police spokesperson in Osun, Yemisi Opalola, were unsuccessful as she did not pick up her calls nor reply to a text messa

Tinubu victory: My life in danger – Lagos ex-Deputy gov, Sinatu Ojikutu

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Tinubu victory: My life in danger – Lagos ex-Deputy gov, Sinatu Ojikutu

A former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, on Wednesday, raised the alarm that her life was being threatened over the emergence of the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Sinatu Ojikutu, first female democratically elected deputy governor in the country had prior to the 2023 general election, vowed to go on exile if the former Lagos Governor emerges winner of the election.

Speaking with newsmen at her residence in Ikoyi, Lagos yesterday, the former deputy governor said her life is no longer safe since Tinubu was announced winner of the February 25 polls.

She claimed that her rift with Tinubu, former governor of the state, began over 20 years ago when she opposed his governorship ambition.

According to her, a move by the former president, Olusegun Obasnajo to reconcile her and Tinubu failed a long time ago.

She said: “I came out before the presidential election to say that if Tinubu won, I, Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu, would renounce the citizenship of Nigeria and I have my reasons.

“It came to me before the elections that Tinubu was asking, am I still alive? When somebody mentioned my issue to him, I understand, he said, ‘Is she still around?’ What does that mean?

“What does he mean? Yes, I am alive, hale and hearty. Have they planned my death? Why should anybody be asking if I am still alive?

Read Also: Federal High Court marks 50 years of justice delivery

“Am I safe? And there are many people like that in my category who are not safe too.”

Speaking on her move to relocate from the country, she noted that when Tinubu won the election, people called to assure her that “he would not harm me but I know this man and I have known him for over 20 years. I know what he has done to me personally”.

Federal High Court marks 50 years of justice delivery

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Federal High Court marks 50 years of justice delivery

The Federal High Court, FHC, will on Thursday mark 50 years of justice delivery in the Nigerian judicial system.

The FHC, which was established on April 13, 1973, was formerly known as Federal Revenue Court.

It was established by the Federal Revenue Act 1973 (1973 No.13) and began with four judges with a president as its head.

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The court was, however, renamed the “Federal High Court” by Section 228 (1) and 230 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1979.

While Honourable Justice S.O. Lambo was the first president of Federal Revenue Court and served between 1973 and 1975, Justice John Tsoho is the 10th and current Chief Judge of FHC.

The court, which had grown structurally over the years, presently has divisions in all the states of the federation, including Abuja, where its headquarters is located.

The FHC, as part of its drive for capacity and human development, recently launched an electronic filing platform.

An Abuja-base legal practitioner, Yunusa Ibrahim, described the 50 years of FHC in the justice delivery as a milestone in the administration of justice.

He said the court had contributed in no small measure to justice delivery through its several judgments and decisions.

According to Ibrahim, to facilitate the expeditious determination of civil cases and matters before the court, the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2000 was enacted by Justice Tsoho pursuant to Section 254 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

He said the rules had several innovative provisions for a just and expeditious disposition of cases.

Besides, Josephine Ijekhuemen, also a legal practitioner, said the importance of the court in Nigerian judiciary cannot be over-emphasised.

She said due to its indispensable role, the new Electoral (Amendment) Act, 2022, conferred additional jurisdiction on the FHC to hear and determine pre-rlection complaints.

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Justice Tsoho, while delivering a speech at a special court session to mark the commencement of the court’s 2022/2023 Legal Year on Dec. 12, 2022, said in response to the enormous time-bound responsibility by the new Electoral Act, he constituted a special task force of judges for the swift disposal of pre-election matters.

Bearing in mind that Section 285 (10) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that pre-election cases must be concluded within 180 days from the date of filing of the suit, the CJ drafted judges from their substantive bases to help complete all pre-election cases in other judicial divisions that had a glut of these cases ahead of the 2023 general elections.

He, therefore, commended the judges for their resilience and sheer determination to deliver justice within the time frame.

He also thanked the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, for approving an emergency fund to support the court in the assignment.

Tsoho, during one of the programmes for the 2022/2023 Legal Year, assured judges and staff of better welfare package.

The CJ said though the court had 76 judges across all its divisions nationwide, efforts would be made to recruit more judges.

He said the process for the appointment of judges to the Bench of the court would also be based on competence and merit.

According to him, only persons with intellectual ability with broad and sound knowledge would be considered for appointment to the Federal High Court Bench.

Justice Tsoho urged the judges to always discharge their duties with the fear of God.

APC House of Assembly member-elect passes away

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APC House of Assembly member-elect passes away

The elected member of the Borno State House of Assembly for the Chibok constituency, Nuhu Clark, has passed away.

The politician from Borno reportedly died in India while undergoing treatment for an undisclosed illness.

Read Also: Immigration officials detain Peter Obi in London for hours, suspicion impersonation

The news was confirmed on Wednesday in Maiduguri by Babakura Abbajatau, the Borno State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information, and Culture. He acknowledged that the state will make a formal announcement following consultation with the Clark family.

Umar Kadafur, the state’s deputy governor, also offered his condolences, describing Clark’s passing as a tremendous loss for his family, the residents of Southern Borno, and the state overall.

Kadafur went on to say that Clark’s contributions to the growth and development of the state were invaluable and that his passing was a significant loss to the All Progressives Congress (APC) family.

Before running for the Assembly elections, Clark served as the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation. He resigned from this position on April 25, 2022, to compete in the Chibok State Constituency election under the APC.

Immigration officials detain Peter Obi in London for hours, suspicion impersonation

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Immigration officials detain Peter Obi in London for hours, suspicion impersonation

Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) candidate for president, was allegedly detained by UK immigration authorities in London last Friday.

After his British Airways flight touched down at Heathrow Airport on Friday morning, Obi was reportedly detained for hours and questioned by the authorities.

Read Also: 10 interesting facts about late ex-governor of Anambra, Mbadinuju

This was revealed on Wednesday morning by Prof. Chinyere Okunna, a well-known mass communication expert and the deputy vice chancellor of Paul University in Awka.
Okunna, who worked with Obi as commissioner for information, commissioner for economic planning and coordinating commissioner for development partners said Obi who lived honourably in the UK narrated the ordeal to her in private, and expressed pain about his ordeal, and others, which is meant to hound and chase him out of Nigeria.

Okunna said: “I suppose he told me all this confidentially. My very sincere apologies, Your Excellency, for ‘breaking’ this confidentiality, but History beckons and I CANNOT KEEP QUIET.

“Obi spoke to me at the Official Opening of the Specialist Hospital of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Sisters, Nkpor (on Tuesday). He had arrived at the event after flying in from London.

“I actually had no idea he had travelled out of the country, until the ovation over his presence in a London Church went viral on the Internet.

“He arrived at Heathrow Airport and joined the usual queue to pass through Immigration, and that was when his ordeal began.

“He was stopped and questioned for a long time and subsequently handed a detention note and told to wait for further interrogation and investigation.

“This was terribly unusual for a man who had lived honourably in the UK for a long time.

“In the face of this harassment, some well-meaning Nigerians, knowing who he is, raised their voices in protest, demanding to know why he was being treated that way.”

Okunna revealed that in the face of seeming protest by some Nigerians, the immigration officials revealed that someone was impersonating Obi in the country.

“The shocking revelation by the Immigration Officer was that his (Obi’s) identity ‘was duplicated’. This revelation has definitely set off alarm bells.

“For people who are knowledgeable about such matters, this is a very dangerous development because the implication is that someone is impersonating Peter Obi.

“And that someone could implicate Obi in all manner of dubious and even criminal activities, and rope him into any number of offences; he could get Obi framed for one criminal act or another. The frightening scenario of what can happen is unimaginable!!!

“This is the height of it all for a man who has been under sundry intimidation and emotional torture: Bugging of his phone and those of his wife and children; keeping him constantly under surveillance; calling him names; putting him under severe pressure to leave (run away from) the country; wrongly accusing him of negative things he knows absolutely nothing about, etc.

“As he was telling me his ‘Heathrow tale of woe’ at Nkpor today, I could see a man who was in severe pain and under unbearable stress, who many would expect to be at the point of despair.

“But, as he confirmed, he is ready to suffer this pain and is as determined as ever to pursue the path which he has chosen to enable him arrive at the destination which well-meaning people in Nigeria and far far beyond are expecting him to arrive at.”

10 interesting facts about late ex-governor of Anambra, Mbadinuju

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10 interesting facts about late ex-governor of Anambra, Mbadinuju

Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, a former governor of Anambra State, was pronounced dead on Tuesday at the National Hospital in Abuja. He was 78 years old.

He passed away after a brief illness, according to a press release issued by his son, Mr. Cheta Mbadinuju, on behalf of the family on Tuesday.

We announce the passing of our father, grandfather, uncle, friend, and associate, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, a former governor of the state of Anambra, with heavy hearts but the deepest gratitude to God for a life well lived.

Read Also: Kogi is not Rivers, will not worship foreign god, Melaye responds to Wike’s shots

The highlights the following 10 facts about the former governor of Anambra in this report:
1. Chinwoke Mbadinuju was born on June 14, 1945, in Uli, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.

2. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Doctorate in Government. He also had a law degree and was an editor of Times International.

3. He was Governor of Anambra State from May 29, 1999, to May 29, 2003, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

4. Fondly called “Odera”, he will be remembered for signing into law the bill that created Anambra Vigilante Services and establishing Anambra State University, Uli.

5. Mbadinuju was a one-term governor of Anambra State. He did not return in 2003 as he lost his reelection bid. He first lost the PDP primaries after which he defected to the defunct Alliance for Democracy, where he emerged as the party’s standard bearer, but later lost in the 2003 general elections.

6. He was believed to have governed Anambra at a time when the state experienced the highest level of political turbulence.

7. Before joining mainstream politics, he was an Associate Professor of Politics and African Studies at the State University of New York.

8. He was personal assistant to the governor of the old Enugu State, Dr Jim Nwobodo, between 1979 and 1980.

9. He also served as a personal assistant to former President Shehu Shagari between 1980 and 1983.

10. He was married to Nnebuogo Mbadinuju, and they have five children: Ada Mbadinuju, Chetachi Mbadinuju, Nwachukwu Mbadinuju, Uche Mbadinuju and Chima Mbadinuju.

Kogi is not Rivers, will not worship foreign god, Melaye responds to Wike’s shots

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Kogi is not Rivers, will not worship foreign god, Melaye responds to Wike’s shots

Dino Melaye, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for governor in Kogi State, struck back against Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, for dismissing his bid to succeed Governor Yahaya Bello.

Wike had downplayed the former Kogi West senator’s chances in the PDP governorship primary in the North-Central state during a press conference in Port Harcourt.

You know Dino won’t win in Kogi State when you give him that ticket, he said.

Why would residents of Kogi claim they would support a candidate like Dino? Are you serious?

Melaye, however, reminded the governor that Kogi is not Rivers State, where he has the power to select his successor, in a message posted to his verified Facebook page on Tuesday.
He insisted that such an authority instead belongs to God.

The former federal lawmaker expressed surprise that Wike has suddenly become the self-appointed public office regulator who could determine what would happen in states.

He wrote: “On recovering from his inebriation, Wike should be reminded that Kogi is not Rivers, and the people of Kogi State would not worship any foreign god.

“Above all, Wike should also understand that power belongs to God, and he gives it to whoever he wants, even the basest of men.

“Today, Wike can take a swipe at me, and mark me down as unqualified to govern my state, but has he forgotten that he believed my gubernatorial aspiration in 2019?

“ Can he be reminded that I have served as a member of the Federal House of Representatives and have also been elected twice into the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?”

Next month’s Africa Soft Power Summit to take place in Kigali

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Next month’s Africa Soft Power Summit to take place in Kigali

Africa Soft Power Summit will hold from May 23 to 27 in Kigali, Rwanda.

The signature event of the Africa Soft Power Group (ASP) offers the largest stage for the continent’s creative, knowledge, and digital industries. It brings together public and private sector organizations as well as trailblazing figures from the fields of law, finance, technology, sports, media, the arts, and entertainment, academia, philanthropy, politics, and more.

The five-day event is divided into three parts: the inaugural RAW Women’s Leadership Conference, the Creative and Innovative Industries Conference, and the Africa Soft Power gala and awards. It is advertised for the Kigali Serena Hotel.

Read also: Bandits kidnap Kogi Monarch, kill Aide, kill female worker

“Over five days, three key events, and a variety of networking activities, we’ll see the spotlight shone on creative endeavor and its commercial viability, not only on the continent, but around the world,” said Nkiru Balonwu, the founder and creative director of Africa Soft Power.

“During a packed-out week, the creative and digital economies of tomorrow will meet with the financial and business powerhouses of today, together forming clear pathways to future economic success for our women, young people and the wider global community. “Introduction of the inaugural RAW Women’s Conference is a particularly welcome addition to this year’s proceedings, and we are confident that more broadly, the often still largely unheard African voice – and those who join us from around the world – can examine new solutions to some of the key public and private sector issues of the day.”

Bandits kidnap Kogi Monarch, kill Aide, kill female worker

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Bandits kidnap Kogi Monarch, kill Aide, kill female worker

Lokoja – In Kabba Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, hoodlums thought to be bandits have kidnapped the traditional chief of Oghara and an aide, while a female domestic worker was killed by the gunmen.

Early on Tuesday morning, around 3 am, the incident took place.

Our correspondent learned that two people—Chief (Pa.) David Obadofin, the village’s traditional leader, and one Temidayo Elewa—were kidnapped by the thugs, while Toyin Onare, a domestic worker who worked in the palace, died in the attack.
The Kogi state police command spokesman,SP William Aya while confirming the incident said the hoodlums were said to have arrived the palace around 3 am while residents were sleeping and shot sporadically to scare residents before gaining access to the palace.

In the process,Chief Obadofin, a major cashew farmer and,a traditional ruler with one of his boys were seated in front of his house enjoying the cool breeze, when a staccato of gunshots jolted them to alert.

Toyin, a widow who had gone to lend a hand in the farm received a bullet.

Promptly, the gunmen whisked the traditional ruler and Temidayo, another farm hand to the bush, abandoning the poor widow in a pool of blood. One person, however, escaped, to tell the story.
Toyin was rushed to hospital in Kabba, headquarters of the LGA, about 35 minutes drive where Doctors confirmed her dead on arrival.
On hearing the report,the state Commissioner of police Hekeem Yusuf deployed a tactical team of officers to the area to fish out the perpetrators and rescue the victim”.Aya said in a telephone chat with our Correspondent.

At the time of filling this report, the kidnappers have not made any contact, raising the level of apprehension among the locals.

“This is a terrible situation. Fulani herdsmen have long surrounded us. We raised alarm when they started coming, but our concerns were ignored. Now we are seeing the result. This is unfortunate. Government should quickly come to our rescue,” a source who pleaded anonymity lamented

 

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