The National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal for Oyo State ordered a re-run election for Saki West state constituency on Thursday in Ibadan.

INEC had earlier declared Mr Shittu Ibrahim of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the election held on March 18.

It declared that Ibrahim scored 13,692 votes to defeat the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Julius Okedoyin, who scored 13,422 votes.

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Dissatisfied with the declaration, Okedoyin and the PDP headed to the tribunal alleging over-voting, irregularity and non-compliance with electoral guidelines.

Delivering a unanimous ruling of the three-man panel, its chairman, Justice Jubril Anaja, held that the petition had merit and that the petitioners proved their allegations beyond reasonable doubt.

Anaja ruled that the cancellation of results from Ward 6 Unit 7 and Ward 11 Unit 19 of the constituency with 1,285 voter cards collected, could substantially affect the outcome of the election.

The tribunal noted that whereas the declared winner led the petitioner by 270 votes in Ward 6, Unit 7 and Ward 11, Unit 19, the number of voters disenfranchised was more than 1,000.

It held that the more than 1,000 voters disenfranchised by INEC in the affected wards might have over-turned the result if they were allowed to vote.

“The certificate of return issued to the first respondent (Ibrahim) by INEC is hereby set aside pending the re-run election to determine the winner of the election for Saki West constituency.

“INEC is hereby ordered to conduct a re-run election in Ward 6, Unit 7 and Ward 11, unit 19 within 90 days,’’ Anaja declared.

Reacting, Ibrahim’s counsel, Mr Sikiru Adewoye, said his client would appeal against the judgment of the tribunal.

Conversely, the petitioners’ counsel, Mr Yusuf Ogunrinde, commended the tribunal. (NAN)

The Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has reserved judgment on the petition challenging the outcome of the 2023 governorship poll in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Mr David Ombugadu, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is challenging the declaration of Gov. Abdullahi Sule of the APC as the winner of the 2023 governorship election.

The sitting on Thursday was slated for the adoption of final written addresses by counsels to the petitioner as well as the first, second and third respondents.

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The Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, reserved the judgment after counsels to the petitioner and respondents adopted their final written addresses.

The chairman, therefore, said that the tribunal would communicate to the parties through their counsels on the day of judgment.

Earlier, Kanu Agabi (SAN), lead counsel to the petitioner, told the tribunal that he had adopted all the arguments in his written address.

The petitioner’s counsel urged the tribunal to annul the Nasarawa State governorship election for noncompliance with the electoral act and declare the candidate of the PDP as the real winner of the election.

Agabi also explained that there was no relationship between the votes in the IREV and the final result that was declared.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that the PDP’s candidate had the highest number of votes cast at the election, based on the records in the IREV and the information of the BVAS machines that were used at various polling units.

On their parts, counsels to the INEC, APC, and Gov. Sule, Mr Isiaka Dikko (SAN), Hassan Liman (SAN) and Messrs Wole Olanikpekun (SAN), adopted their final written addresses and called on the tribunal to dismiss the petition for lacking in merit.

Counsel to APC, Olanikpekun, also argued that the petitioner had dumped BVAS machines and IREV records at the tribunal without showing what was contained in the records.

He said that the petitioner only presented the records in the IREV and BVAS machines to the tribunal without displaying them for everyone at the tribunal to see.

He, therefore, said that the petitioner had failed to prove anything and urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition. (NAN)

Daily Gazette recall that Dr. Adebule Idiat Oluranti, former Lagos state deputy governor had polled 361,296 votes to defeat Adewale Adesegun Sunday who got 248,653 votes in the election for Lagos West Senatorial Zone.

Dissatisfied with the INEC declaration and return, Adewale of the Peoples Democratic party approached the Tribunal with a petition marked EPT/LAG/SEN/04/2023, seeking to reverse Adebule’s victory as affirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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He listed Adebule, APC, and INEC as the 1st to 3rd respondents.

But the Tribunal, in a unanimous decision, upheld Dr. Adebule’s argument that Adewale and the PDP abandoned their petition.

The Tribunal noted that the Petitioners failed to apply for the issuance of a Pre-Hearing Notice, which was mandatory under Paragraph 18 (1) of the 1st Schedule to the Electoral Act 2022.

Its decision followed the judgment in CA/LAG/EP/SEN/02/2023 and CA/LAG/EP/SEN/03/2023, wherein the justices found that the Pre-Hearing Notices filed by the Petitioners further to Paragraph 18 (1) of the 1st Schedule to the Electoral Act 2022 was defective.

Today, the Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja affirmed the election of Adebule as the validly elected senator representing Lagos West Senatorial Zone at the National Assembly.

A three-man panel of the court, in a unanimous decision, dismissed a petition by PDP and its candidate, Adewale Adesegun Sunday challenging Adebule’s victory.

The appellate court upheld the August 8, 2023 judgment of the National and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lagos that dismissed Adewale’s petition seeking to nullify Adebule’s win in the February 25 senatorial election.

The justices, in APPEAL NO: CA/LAG/ EPT/SEN/LAG/04/2023– ADEWALE SEGUN SUNDAY & ANOR VS ADEBULE IDIAT OLURANTI & 2 ORS which lead judgment was delivered on September 9, 2023 by Justice Oluwayemisi E. Williama-Dawodu dismissed the appeal as being frivolous and unmeritorious.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has set aside the July 24 judgment by the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal in Asaba, declaring Ndudi Elumelu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the last election for Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State.

In two judgments on Thursday, the appellate court declared Ngozi Okolie of the Labour Party (LP) as winner of the election.

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It faulted the tribunal for voiding Okolie’s election and proceeded to dismiss the petition filed by Elumelu before the trial tribunal and on which the voided judgment was given.

The Court of Appeal agreed with lawyer to the Labour Party, Mahmud Magaji (SAN) that contrary to the finding of the tribunal, Okolie was duly nominated and sponsored by his party and that he resigned his appointment as a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Delta State Government as required by the Constitution.

More details soon…

Ireti Kingibe, Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has warned the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to desist from working without the supervision of the National Assembly.

Kingibe said Wike does not have the executive powers but must operate within the constitutional frameworks of the country’s legislative arm.

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The FCT senator said this while addressing a press conference after the National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal upheld her victory in the February 25 polls.

Kingibe said, “You also have to remember that the minister of the FCT – I’m not sure we have had a former governor as minister, I think we have had one. Some [former] governors may think that as FCT minister… the minister does not have executive powers. He works hand-in-hand with the National Assembly and the president to administer FCT.”

She also faulted the recent appointment and inauguration of the mandate secretaries of the FCTA by Wike, saying they were supposed to be screened by federal lawmakers.

According to her, the National Assembly would serve the legislative duties to the FCTA as the state Houses of Assembly does to the state governments, adding that as state assemblies were to the states, so was the FCTA to the National Assembly.

“The National Assembly has the duties to screen them as the state houses of assembly usually screen the state commissioners before they would be sworn in,” she stated.

Kingibe said Wike was new to the FCT and therefore, needed to be guided to discharge his duties as the FCT Minister.

She said, “You must remember that the minister and I have different goals. I was elected by the people, so, I’m answerable to you the people of the FCT, he is not. But working together, I hope we can merge our interests.

“I cannot force myself on the minister. You have to remember that and the senate is in recess. I am a lawmaker. I have not been around. So, they are not approving anything, you cannot get approval from a house that is not sitting.

“Yesterday night, the election tribunal affirmed my election as duly elected senator of the federal capital territory. I feel a great sense of relief that I can now start facing the work the people of the FCT elected me to do. First, I would like to thank the best legal team, the best lawyers anybody could have. I’m really blessed to have had them

“I have been engrossed in my case and the minister is new. We have not met. We spoke for the first time today (Tuesday) when he called to congratulate me and we assured each other that we would work together.”

Speaking on threats of demolitions in the FCT, Senator Kingibe said, “For one thing, I’m not telling you that there would not be demolitions. There are many problems within the FCT. Look at the flooding taking place in FCT, why? Houses are being built on flood channels, permission are being given to people to build estates on flood plains. There are so many things that we need to fix.”

Citing the building on the green areas and water ways, using the Trademore estate as an example, the senator said such would not be allowed to continue, but added that the welfare and interest of the people in the FCT would be protected.

She said the Abuja indigenes were aware of the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) that the FCT cannot enjoy a special status.

“After the matter has been disposed of at the Supreme Court and if the same position is maintained, then we will agitate for a governor, three senators and other status of a state, but for now, let the matter remain as it is,” she added.

…We’ve No Information Yet – Police

A chieftain of the ruling Labour Party in Abia State, Maduka Zachary popularly known as ” Power Zac”, has been reportedly beheaded in his house.

The deceased was the Campaign Director of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections in Uturu, Isuikwuato Local Government Area of the state.

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He was also the Campaign Director of the member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Amobi Ogah.

The late Zachary was also the home branch Chairman of Uturu Union.

Reports said he was slaughtered in his Uturu country home by his yet-to-be-identified assailants who reportedly took away his head.

Vanguard reports that the victim was part of the local security team combating the rising insecurity in Uturu.

But when contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Abia State, Moureen Chinaka, said she had yet to be briefed about the incident.

She, however, promised to get back to our Correspondent after getting information about the sad development.

“I’m yet to be briefed. I have no information for now with regard to that. So, I will get back to you when I’m briefed”.

However, the Chairman of Labour Party in Abia State, Ceekay Igara, confirmed the incident to our Correspondent.

He said that he had spoken with the LP Local Government Chairman in the area who also confirmed it to him.

” I have spoken with the Chairman of our party in the LGA and he confirmed it. He said it might not be unconnected with insecurity because the man was strong in the fight against insecurity and cultism in that region.”

The incident, according to him, occured Tuesday night.

Insecurity has been a major challenge around Uturu) Okigwe/Umunneochi/Isiagu axis cutting across three states.

Bandits have made movement around the area a nightmare as kidnapping for ransom has also been on the increase even along the Enugu Port Harcourt Expressway way.

…says sack of LP lawmakers by tribunals shocking

The Labour Party has expressed shock at the spate of judgments emanating from the National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunals where several of its elected lawmakers have been sacked.

National Chairman of the party, Barr. Julious Abure, in a statement, in Abuja, on Tuesday, said most of the judgements are conflicting with matters already settled by the Supreme Court.

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According to him, it was amazing that lower courts arrived at judgments on matters bothering on internal nomination processes of political parties while ignoring a subsisting judgment of the highest court in the land.

The party chairman noted that the LP took Nigerians by surprise by rewriting the political narratives and ending the dominance of the two major political parties in Nigeria. during the last general elections.

With this feat, he said, the LP became a household name with over 10 million members and supporters across the nation.

He, however, expressed sadness that this feat is being reversed by the pronouncements coming out from the various tribunals.

Abure said, “We are worried because the reasons for reversing our victories are matters that have been settled by the superior courts in the past.

“It is even incomprehensible and ludicrous when different tribunals give conflicting and diverse judgements on thesame matter, a matter that has since been ruled by the Supreme Court and very recently at the Presidential Election Petition Court in APC v Peter Obi.

“The courts have in a plethora of cases held that the court has no jurisdiction to intervene in the internal affairs of a political party.

“The issue of nomination of candidates as well as membership are internal affairs of the party beyond the jurisdiction of courts.

“It is only a political party that can determine who its members are and who their flag bearer for an election should be.

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“In its judgment in SC/CV/501/2023 which was sighted for the Tribunal, the Supreme Court held that: “A political party that files a suit to challenge the nomination of the candidate of another party will be a nosy busybody, a meddlesome interloper, peeping into the affairs of his neighbour without any backing in law. No court of law can entertain such a Suit”

He further said, “In the case of ARDO & ANOR v. NYAKO & ORS (2013) LPELR-CA/YL/15/2012 (CONSOLIDATED), the court of appeal, per Per DENTON-WEST, J.C.A., held that; “However it is a notorious principle of law that courts have no right whatsoever to descend into the internal affairs of political parties as to choose their candidates for them” or decide the status of their membership.

“This position is more vividly expounded in the case of AGI v. PDP & ORS (2016) LPELR-SC.256/2016, where the Supreme Court held that; “… a party is supreme over its own affairs……A party is like a club. A voluntary association. It has its rules, regulations, guidelines, and Constitution…”

The LP National Chairman equally noted that Part of the rules and guidelines of the Labour Party is to accord membership to any Nigerian whoso desire, and including by way of a waiver.

Adding, “ If you look at our guidelines, it is very clear, that we can grant a waiver to people who are joining us during the election, and Labour Party in observance of its own relevant rules and guidelines discharged its obligations by granting a waiver to as many as requested for it. So, It is our inalienable right under our own rules and we activated it to the fullest.

“The decisions of the tribunal against our elected lawmakers are clearly in contravention of established jurisprudence. Where the leadership of a party regards a person as a member of the party eligible to contest the primaries, no member of the party can complain against such a decision.

“ Such an issue is within the the domestic and internal affairs of the party over which the courts have no jurisdiction as such is not justiciable.

“It is therefore a mockery of our judicial system for lower court to upturn a judgement already delivered by the Supreme court.

“Though the tribunal is not the final court but we frown at the recklessness of our judicial officers in entering a judgement that looks suspicious.

“We are therefore calling the attention of the Nigeria Judicial Council to the injustice on going and to review the activities of some of our legal officers who may have been compromised and found wanting in the discharge of their duties.

“Labour Party must be encouraged to widen the political space and end the one party system being vigorously pursued by the ruling party. Pushing the party under a moving trailer will not in anyway help any one.”

The National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Jos, Plateau State, has nullified the election of a two-term member of the House of Representatives in the state, Dachung Bagos.

Bagos, who represents Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party during the February 25 National Assembly poll.

Nullifying Bagos’s election, the tribunal declared the Labour Party candidate, Ajang Alfred, as the rightful winner of the poll and ruled that the PDP candidate was not validly nominated by his party to contest the poll.

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Bagos was the third PDP candidate whose elections had been nullified in the state by the tribunal.

The other two were Senator Napoleon Bali who represents Plateau South, and Peter Gyengdeng who represents Barkin Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency.

Officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency have commenced the demolition of distressed structures on Lagos Island, Mushin and other areas across the state.

This was disclosed in a statement on the official X handle of the Lagos State Government on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the evacuation and partial demolition carried out by the agency became necessary in order to compel the occupants of the distressed buildings to relocate to safer accommodations, adding that it was going to be the last move by the agency before the final demolition.

The statement revealed that the agency had earlier marked the buildings unfit for habitation and the occupants were expected to have vacated the affected buildings for their safety.

It further read, “The affected buildings include units of three and four flats in Oke-Arin and Doherty Streets of Lagos Island and four-floor one-unit residential buildings in Idi Araba areas of the State, among others.”