The National and State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi has affirmed the election of Senator Abba Morro, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), representing, the Benue South Senatorial zone, otherwise known as Zone C.

The All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Comrade Daniel Onjeh, who was not satisfied with the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) declaration Senator Morro, had filed a petition before the tribunal.

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The chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Ory Zik-Ikeorha, who delivered the lead judgment on Sunday, September 10, said the evidence adduced by the petitioners is weak, porous, and lacking in substance and hence can’t sustain the petition.

Onjeh had on March 17, filed the petition, which is predicated on three grounds that Senator Morro was at the time of the election not qualified to contest, that Morro was not elected by a majority of the lawful votes cast as well and that his election was invalid by reason of noncompliance with Electoral Act, guidelines and manual for the election.

Although Senator Morro raised an objection as to the competence of the petition, the objection was dismissed and the petition was heard on its merit.

According to the judgment, which was concurred by the three members of the panel, the petitioners failed to call credible and reliable evidence to get a judgment.

It was further held that in the issue of non-compliance, the petitioner must not only plead the relevant act under which they are complaining but also adduce sufficient and tender compelling evidence to prove that such non-compliance took place.

The Tribunal further stated that such noncompliance affects the case of the petitioners but has failed to call a credible and reliable witness.

It said: “Reliefs sought are hereby refused. The petition stands dismissed in entirety.”

Senator Morro’s counsel, R. O. Adakole, Esq, said: “The pronouncement by the Tribunal is a victory for democracy. It’s a victory for democracy because democracy is where the majority has a voice.

“Given the judgment, it’s clear, even to the blind that the people of Zone C (Benue South) voted for Sen Moro.”

But Onjeh and his team of lawyers, said they’ve rejected the decision of the court.
He is optimistic that he will win at the Court of Appeal.

The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Jigawa State, has declared the outcome of the House of Representatives election of the Birnin Kudu/Buji Federal constituency as inconclusive.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Adamu Yakubu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 39,998 votes as winner of the poll.

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Yakubu defeated the APC candidate, Magaji Da’u, who scored 36,735, but Da’u challenged the outcome of the election at the tribunal.

The election petition tribunal said the election ought to have been declared inconclusive at the first instance because the margin of canceled votes outnumbered the winning votes.

The chairperson of the tribunal, A. Okeke, ruled that INEC did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, in declaring the result.

“INEC did not follow regulations and guidelines, and the manual for Election officials for the 2023 election in conducting the election, and the noncompliance substantially affected the outcome of the election,” Okeke said.

The judge then ordered a re-run election on eight polling units both in Birnin Kudu and Buji local government areas within 90 days.

Reports indicated that the number of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) collected for the eight polling units was 6, 351 and the APC candidate., Mr. Da’u was trailing behind with 1,926 votes.

The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Kano state on Sunday voided the election of the member representing Kura/ Madobi/Garun Malam at the House of Representatives.

The tribunal hinged the sack of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) representative’s failure to resign from Bayero University, Kano 30 days before the election.

The three man panel headed by Honourable Justice Ngozi Azinge consequently ordered Independent National Electoral Commission to set aside the certificate of return earlier issued to Datti and declare Musa Ilyasu Kwankwaso of the All Progressives Congress as winner of the election.

Kwankwaso scored the second highest votes during the election of Kura/ Madobi/Garun Malam Federal House of Representatives, held on 25th February 2023.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate has that about 400,000 health workers in Nigeria are insufficient to cater to the healthcare needs of Nigerians.

Pate made the statement while addressing newsmen on Saturday in Abuja, after his three-day briefing session with departments and agencies under the ministry.

The meeting was organised by the ministry to chart a blueprint for Nigeria’s healthcare system.

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According to Pate, the 400,000 workforce comprise community health workers, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, physicians, lab scientists, technicians, and auxiliaries working in the Nigerian healthcare system.

“They are not enough if you think that this number can take care of 220 million people. Our doctor-to-population ratio is lower than what the World Health Organisation expects.

“So there’s still room to produce more. In fact, to produce excess because globally, there’s a shortage of health manpower, there is almost a shortage of 18 million people.

“In developed countries where they are aging, they are retiring so they need more people to provide services.

“So if we think about it, we can produce for our own needs and if some leave then they go and earn resources and they come back with some experience, ” he said

Pate, however, said that if infrastructure was improved, and people were treated with respect, some of them would come back to serve the country.

“So I don’t want to undervalue the contribution of the workers that we have.

“We have to acknowledge them, celebrate them, make life easier for them even as we train more or re-train the ones that we have even as we work to resolve their issues.

“We really value the Nigerian health workforce and will continue to support and develop that going forward,” he added.

Speaking on ending medical tourism, Pate said that the trend was present in almost all countries whether developed or developing as people leave the U.S. to East Asia to have surgical procedures because it is more affordable there.

“However, what seems to be an issue is using public financing to fund it and missing the opportunity to keep some of the resources used in engaging in medical tourism back in the country.

“When I mentioned unlocking the healthcare value-chain, it includes mobilising private capital to invest in the physical infrastructure and the human resources so that some of the services that people go to India for, we will have them here.

“We have begun discussing mechanisms or models where we’ll go on that path as part of expanding the value chain so that it’s not necessarily publicly financed.

“So if you want to have plastic surgery, there’s no need to use government money to pay for your plastic surgery but if we have a facility that will do that here for you, we will keep your dollars here and employ a few attendants here to do the procedure for you,” he noted.

The minister added that because people had options as to where they would seek healthcare, medical tourism might not be completely eradicated.

He, however, assured that the Federal Government would use the opportunity of human capital, private sector capital, and innovation to provide services that people could use in the country.

On getting financing from development partners for the sector, Pate said that the team had met with some of the partners to give them the direction Nigeria needed their support.

According to him, the bulk of the health budget in Nigeria is from the government at different levels, while a smaller portion is what the development partners bring to the table.

“Let’s get to a point whereby we have a programme and the government’s budget is put on the table and you are contributing to that and there’s transparency on both sides.

“Government needs to know more about how the external parties deploy their resources, just as it also needs to open up a little bit more on what is coming from its own side,’’ he said.

The Imo state Governorship candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Senator Athan Achonu, on Sunday, warned that manipulators of election results would not have their way in the November 11, 2023, Imo governorship election.

Achonu spoke to newsmen in Owerri while reacting to the battle ahead of the Imo governorship election.

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He was of the view that the Imo governorship election was going to be a stand-alone election and all eyes would be on the Imo state, on the security, INEC, and others. Therefore, it was the thinking of Achonu that Imolites should expect something new in the forthcoming governorship election in Imo.

According to Achonu, “This is a stand-alone election. It has never taken place before so expect something new to happen and nobody will rig us out. Labour Party has won without firing a shot. Also, It is an insult to say that Hope Uzodimma gave me money to sponsor me in this election how can that be? I have invested billions of naira so how can Hope sponsor me?

“I have invested billions in this state and the government frustrated it. The 10-story hotel building has been stopped by the government. I obtained a license to build a refinery and industrial layout in Imo and the government constructed a road to block my investment and many more.

“My partners are saying that before they can come into Imo state, they need a governor who is development oriented. Just like we have gotten it right in Abia state, we need it in Imo state and I am development oriented. I am right person for this job.”

He continued by saying: “On the issue of security, immediately I become governor, I will introduce local security because every security is local, and with that, our people will be involved in the business of securing their lives. And another thing, we must do away with this siege mentality. At every junction you see security checkpoint is not the best way for us.”

On how he wants to protect his votes, Achonu said: “You saw what happened in the last election, if not the amount of money shared by the government in the last election and even at that, you saw they lost. The labour party won. They shared thousands of dollars. I told our people to collect the money and vote according to their conscience. They listened to me and it happened that way.”

The Imo Sate National and State House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal has sacked a member of the House of Representatives, Ikenga Ugochinyere, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

In a unanimous decision on Sunday, a three-member panel of the tribunal which conducted its proceedings in Nasarawa State, held that Ugochinyere was not validly nominated by the PDP to contest the Ideato North/South Federal Constituency election that held on February 25.

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Consequently, it ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to within 90 days, conduct a supplementary election in the constituency.

The tribunal, in its lead judgement that was delivered by its Chairman, Justice Anthony Olotu Akpovi, specifically directed the electoral body to conduct the supplementary poll in 55 polling units where elections did not hold on February 25.

It held that the PDP and its candidate should be excluded from the supplementary election.

The judgement followed a petition that was lodged before the tribunal by candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Abazu Chika Benson.

Cited as 1st to 5th respondents in the petition marked: EPT/IM/HR/10/2023, were; INEC, Ugochinyere, PDP, candidate of the Labour Party, Obi Paschal Chigozie and his party, the LP.

It will be recalled that INEC had declared the PDP candidate, Ugochinyere, as winner of the election with a total of 13, 026 votes.

Whereas the candidate of the LP, Chigozie, came second with 5,696 votes, the petitioner who was sponsored by the APC, came third with a total of 2, 368 votes.

However, dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, the APC candidate filed a petition wherein he contended that Ugochinyere was not qualified to participate in the House of Reps contest.

The petitioner, among other things, argued that all the votes that were credited to the PDP candidate, amounted to wasted votes.

He told the tribunal that contrary to the express provision of the Electoral Act, the PDP, conducted its primary election in a venue that was outside the constituency.

In its judgement, the tribunal stressed that documentary and oral evidence that was laid before it, established that the primary election the PDP conducted on May 25, 2022, which produced Ugochinyere as its candidate, was held at Aladinma Shopping Mall, a location that was outside Ideato North/South Federal Constituency.

Relying on the provision of section 84 (5) (c)of the Electoral Act 2022, the tribunal held that PDP’s primary election was invalid.

It held that a valid candidate could not have emerged from an invalid primary election.

“Failure of the 3rd respondent (PDP) to abide by the sacrosanct provision of the Electoral Act invalidated its sponsorship of the 2nd respondent,” Justice Akpovi held.

The tribunal maintained that for a primary election to be valid, it must be done in compliance with section 29 (1) of the Electoral Act.

It held that in view of the fact that Ugochinyere was not validly nominated, he was, therefore, not qualified as at the time the House of Reps election held.

More so, the tribunal held that owing to the principle of margin of lead, candidate of the LP, Chigozie, could but be declared the winner of the seat, since INEC admitted that it could not hold election in 55 polling units in the constituency, owing to activities of unknown gunmen.

It, therefore, directed INEC to conduct supplementary poll in the remaining polling units with a the parties participating, except the PDP.

Other members of the panel that concurred with the lead judgement, were; Justices Usman Kudu and Ibrahim Mohammed.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has grilled Aishah Ahmad, a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

This is as a result of the probe of the apex bank under Godwin Emefiele, the immediate past governor.

President Bola Tinubu had suspended Emefiele on June 9, 2023, and ordered a probe of the bank.
The president subsequently appointed a special investigator to look into the books of the bank.

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The DSS, which has held Emefiele in its custody since June, had invited Kingsley Obiora, also a Deputy Governor under Emefiele.

Obiora was later released. The agency had also invited Ahmad, but social media has been awash with reports that she was arrested.

But bank sources have debunked media reports on the arrest of the CBN Deputy Governor.

Speaking to Daily Trust, the source said: “In light of the ongoing investigation into the activities of the CBN, all senior officials of the Central Bank are being interviewed by the DSS and the appointed special investigator.

“The deputy governors are not exempt from this exercise and have all been called upon to provide essential information at different times. It is important to emphasize that this is a standard procedure aimed at assisting the ongoing probe.”

In a phone conversation with a close family member of the deputy governor who is not authorised to speak on this matter, confirmed and clarified that the Deputy Governor is safe and sound.

“I wish to reassure everyone that Aishah Ahmad is home with her family and not detained by the DSS. She is safe and sound.

“In these times, it is essential to maintain clarity and rely on verified information only. Mrs. Ahmad’s cooperation with the authorities is a demonstration of her commitment to transparency and due process. It is crucial that the public exercise discretion when evaluating news reports and avoid engaging with unfounded rumours or misinformation.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) plays a vital role in the nation’s economic stability, and it is imperative that the investigative process is allowed to run its course.”

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged the 36 state governors in the country to “disclose details on the spending of the N2 billion palliative recently disbursed to each state by the Federal Government, including the names of beneficiaries and details of the reliefs so far provided with the money.”

Federal Government recently disbursed N2 billion out of the N5 billion palliative package for each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, to address the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy.

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In the open letter dated September 9, 2023, and signed by SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said, “It is in the public interest to publish the details on the spending of the N2 billion palliative and any subsequent disbursement of funds to your government.”

SERAP said, “Nigerians have the right to know how their states are spending the fuel subsidy relief funds. It is part of their legally enforceable human rights.”

According to SERAP, “Transparency and accountability in the spending of the N2 billion and any subsequent disbursement to your state would help to reduce the risk of corruption, mismanagement, diversion, or opportunism.”

The letter, read in part, “We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel you and your state to comply with our request in the public interest.”

“The oversight afforded by public access to the details of the spending of the N2 billion palliative and any subsequent disbursement would serve as an important check on the activities of your state and help to prevent abuses of the public trust.”

“The constitutional principle of democracy also provides a foundation for Nigerians’ right to know details on the spending of the N2 billion fuel subsidy palliative. Citizens’ right to know promotes openness, transparency, and accountability that is in turn crucial for the country’s democratic order.”

“The effective operation of representative democracy depends on the people being able to scrutinise, discuss and contribute to government decision making, including on the fuel subsidy relief funds.”

“SERAP notes that the removal of subsidy on petrol continues to negatively and disproportionately affect the poor and socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians in several states, undermining their right to an adequate standard of living.”

“The Freedom of Information Act, Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantee to everyone the right to information, including about how the N2bn fuel subsidy relief funds are spent.”

“By the combined reading of the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria, the Freedom of Information Act 2011, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, applicable throughout Nigeria, there are transparency obligations imposed on your state to publish details of spending of the N2bn fuel subsidy palliative.”

“The Nigerian Constitution, Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s anti-corruption and human rights obligations rest on the principle that citizens should have access to information regarding their government’s activities.”

“Your state cannot hide under the excuse that the Freedom of Information Act is not applicable to your state to refuse to provide the details being sought, as your state also has clear legal obligations to provide the information as prescribed by the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and. Enforcement) Act.”

“SERAP urges you to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to jointly track and monitor the spending of the N2bn fuel subsidy palliative and any subsequent disbursement of public funds to your state.”