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An Officer of the Department of State Services, DSS, Mr. Yahaya Isah Muhammad on Wednesday flooped while testifying in favour of Peter Mba, Enugu PDP Gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 general elections, at the election Petitions Tribunal sitting in the state.

Mr. Yahaya who said during cross examination that he is the Deputy Director Strategy of the DSS, was subpoenaed to appear before the Tribunal.

He however admitted his deposition was not authorized or signed by the Director General of the Department Of State Services, DSS.

A six page report he tendered before the Tribunal was neither stamped nor written in DSS letter-headed paper.

The DSS officer further admitted he was not aware that Mbah was Chief of staff as at the time he should be serving as a Corp member in Lagos.

Daily Gazette recall that no other authority or institution can authenticate or validate an already disclaimed certificate by the issuing authority.

The three-man tribunal headed by Honourable Justice Akano however adjourned the matter to Thursday, 20th July 2023 for the continuation of the trial.

At the ongoing legal fireworks between the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic party

As Governor Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party opens his defense against Barr. Chijioke Edeoga and Labour Party’s petition challenging his declaration as Governor by INEC, he has admitted to the incidence of over voting and computational error in Nkanu East as the deposition he made on oath varies with INEC certified true copies of documents already tendered before the Tribunal.

Governor Mbah who was represented by the Enugu former Chief of Staff, Dr. Festus Uzor, made the admission on Wednesday at the resumed hearing of the petition.

Uzor while in witness box, admitted that there was over voting in polling units of Owo and Ugbawka wards.

Stay glued to Daily Gazette for more reports from the Proceedings.

Supporters of the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress in the 2023 general elections in Enugu, Chief Uche Nnaji, have vowed to go to the supreme court to recover the mandate of their candidate.

This is contained in a statement signed by the state Secretary of the party, Mr. Robert Ngwu on Wednesday, in which he expressed dismay over the dismissal of Nnaji’s election petition by the Appeal court.

Ngwu said that tension flared on Tuesday as the Court of Appeal in Enugu dismissed Nnaji’s appeal against Gov. Peter Mbah and six others in the March 18 governorship election.

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He explained that supporters of the APC candidate expressed deep disappointment, saying that the case should have been allowed to proceed on its merits rather than being dismissed on procedural grounds.

The state secretary hinted that the appeal, which sought to challenge the qualifications of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and six others, was dismissed by the Enugu Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for premature filing, a decision that was later upheld by the Court of Appeal.

Ngwu said that Nnaji’s legal team and his supporters believed that the case was dismissed unfairly and prematurely, denying them the opportunity to present their arguments and evidence in support of their claims.

He, however, said that they asserted that the petition was validly filed within the designated timeframe, noting that any delays in serving the respondents should not have been attributed to them but to the court registry.

“Our legal officers have expressed concerns about the broader implications of the Court’s ruling. They argue that dismissing cases on procedural grounds rather than examining the substantive merits sets a worrisome precedent, potentially discouraging candidates from exercising their right to legal redress in future elections.

“The supporters have vowed to continue their fight for justice, indicating that they might explore other legal avenues to contest the Court of Appeal decision.

“Nnaji’s legal team has emphasized that they followed all prescribed procedures and timelines diligently. They maintained that their case has substantial merit and deserved a fair hearing.

“The dismissal, they argue, has left them disillusioned and raises questions about the impartiality of the judiciary, the aftermath of the Court of Appeal’s ruling has placed the judiciary under scrutiny, and calls for a thorough review of the judicial process in election-related cases.

“In a democracy that prides itself on the rule of law and fair legal processes, cases like this warrant close examination,” he said. (NAN)

The immediate past governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, has described as misleading and untrue, reports that his administration obtained N10bn loan for the installation of Close Circuit Television cameras in Kano metropolis.

In a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, the Commissioner for Information in the Ganduje administration, Muhammad Garba, said the story credited to a “non-existent” civil society organisation, the Coalition of Political Analysis Forum and Governance, was designed to discredit the former governor by “ignorantly” calling for an investigation on why the money was not spent on the project.

He said, “To further confirm that they are fake, the so-called organization knew nothing about the project and the hastiness with which their paymasters want them to be in the media exposes clearly, their intent.

“We, therefore, challenge them to provide evidence for the N10 billion Naira loan.

“For record purposes, when the last administration conceived the project, the State Executive Council and the Assembly formally granted approval bearing in mind the importance of the project in enhancing security in the state.

“Unfortunately, a Federal High Court in Kano, on July 1, 2022 granted an injunction restraining the government from obtaining the loan.”

The Civil Liberties Organisation Tuesday asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stop receiving those with corruption cases at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa.

At a press briefing in Abuja, President of CLO, Igho Akeregha and the Executive Director, Ibuchukwu Ezike, said welcoming those with corruption cases is dangerous to efforts towards rebuilding the country.

“The CLO is urging Nigerians to keep vigil over our hard-won democracy as the regular visits and hobnobbing of former governors and corrupt politicians with Tinubu at the seat of power is a clear and present danger to efforts to rebuild our battered country,” Akeregha said.

He also noted that some of those visiting the president at the villa had been charged to court by various anti-graft agencies.

“We appeal to President Tinubu whose election is being seriously challenged at the election petitions court to not convert the highest office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria into a rehabilitation centre for politicians who put the country in this sorry state,” he said.