Our attention has been drawn to a misleading report in the Punch Newspaper @MobilePunch of 20th May 2023, captioned “Give me seven weeks to produce witnesses, Obi tells Tribunal” which is a misrepresentation of what our Counsel presented yesterday, before the Election Petition Tribunal.
Peter Obi did not ask the court to give him seven weeks to bring in his witnesses. He only implied he will be through with all 50 of them in seven weeks.
In proposing his schedule of witnesses, Eme Awa Kalu, SAN leading the team in court, had told the court that Peter Obi and Labour Party would be presenting 50 witnesses and that these 50 witnesses, will require 7 weeks to present their evidence before the Tribunal.
At no time did the Counsel say that he required ‘Seven weeks to produce witnesses’ as misreported by the Punch. The correct interpretation of what our lawyers told the court unambiguously is that the presentation of our witnesses, from start to finish, will take seven weeks. We are not asking the court to wait for seven weeks before we bring in the first witness as the Punch story tries to imply.
It is expected that every media house will assign competent reporters to cover this important case.
We expect the Punch Newspaper to immediately correct this misrepresentation with the same front page headline with which it was presented to the public.
Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has accused the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, of demanding $2 million bribe from him.
He made the allegation amid the growing rift between the governor and the anti-graft agency.
In a statement on Wednesday, Matawalle called for Bawa’s resignation, saying he had questions to answer on corruption.
But the EFCC Chairman responded that he had nothing to hide and asked Matawalle to petition appropriate authorities if he had any evidence against him.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, Matawalle insisted that Bawa could not be trusted.
But the EFCC Chairman responded that he had nothing to hide and asked Matawalle to petition appropriate authorities if he had any evidence against him.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, Matawalle insisted that Bawa could not be trusted.
“It is not just to always blame governors. It is not only governors who have treasury, the federal government also has. What does the EFCC boss do to them? As he is claiming he has evidence on governors, let him show to the world evidence of those at the federal level.
If he exits office, people will surely know he is not an honest person. I have evidence against him. Let him vacate office, I am telling you within 10 seconds probably more than 200 people will bring evidences of bribe he collected from them. He knows what he requested from me but I declined.
“He requested a bribe of $2 million from me and I have evidence of this. He knows the house we met, he invited me and told me the conditions. He told me governors were going to his office but I did not. If I don’t have evidence, I won’t say this.”
Contacted for reaction, Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman of the anti-graft agency, said he had not seen the story so he could not respond.
Told it was on BBC Hausa where Matawalle spoke, he said he could not speak Hausa and asked that the story link be sent for a response, but he had not responded at the time of filing this report.
The court, however, said it nullified the election of the candidates for Kano Labour Party (LP) that contested during the 2023 General Election.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a plaintiff, Mr Ibrahim Haruna-Ibrahim, had filed an application seeking the court to revoke and set aside the certificate of return issued to all LP candidates declared winner in Kano and the 35 states of the Federation including the FCT Abuja.
NAN reports that the respondents in the suit are: Labour Party and Independent National Electoral Commission.
Justice Muhammad Nasir-Yunusa, said the candidates who participated in the 2023 general election in Abia were not parties before his court.
“This court lacks jurisdiction to make an order for the issuance of certificate of return.
“They are at liberty to seek redress in the appropriate Division of the court,” he said.
He said INEC was bound to receive the registered members of the first respondent and that of other political parties 30 days before primary election in compliance with section 77(3) of the electoral act 2022.
The section states that a party that has not complied with the section 77(2)(3) of the electoral act 2022 cannot be declared winner of the election.
“The court declared the primary election of LP in Kano as null and void,” Nasir-Yunusa said.
Recall that it was earlier reported based on document that the court nullified the election of Otti’ and other candidates of Labour Party in Abia and Kano states following the failure of the party to submit its register to the Independent National Electoral Commission 30 days before the 2023 general elections.
Presidential Election: Tribunal Adjourns Peter Obi, LP’s Matter, Fixes Date For Judgement On Motion To Televise Proceedings
Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, the presiding justice for the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, has adjourned the pre-hearing of Peter Obi, Labour Party, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and All Progressives Congress.
On Friday, the court adjourned the pre-hearing to May 20, 2023, in order to allow Muslims observe their prayers.
Mr Tsammani, said that the adjourned pre-hearing would focus on concluding the number of witnesses to be called in the course of hearing the petition and the time for cross examination of the witnesses.
Mr Tsammani also said that the ruling of the motion for the televised broadcast would be done on Monday, May 22.
The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig Gen YD Ahmed, has said the discharge certificate being paraded by Enugu State Governor-elect, Peter Mbah, was not issued by the body.
Brig Gen Ahmed, while speaking on Arise TV’s breakfast programme on Friday said the argument on whether Mbah has a valid NYSC certificate or not did not arise because he has told the People’s Democratic Party’s candidate in the 2023 governorship elections that what he presented as a certificate was fake.
“He came to me and I called my director to confirm the certificate and we discovered that the certificate was fake and I told him…I wonder how elites who have gone to school will resort to black market certificates.
“Everyone knows how we issue our certificate in NYSC we don’t give it in hotel rooms or houses,” the DG said.
Meanwhile, the Enugu state governor-elect, Peter Mbah has filed a case against the NYSC, demanding N20 billion for injuries he claimed to have been inflicted on his person due to the controversies surrounding his certificate.
Recall that controversy surrounding Mbah’s discharge certificate became known publicly in February 2023, when the NYSC, in response to an inquiry by a non-governmental organisation, released a letter stating that the certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission was not issued by them.
Based on this Judgment Order, this case was filed on the 11th day of May, 2023.
Alex Otti emerged as the gubernatorial candidate of LP during primaries held in June 2022.
Section 285 of the Constitution states that all pre-election matters must be filed within 14 days of event.
A case relating to election is either a pre-election matter or a post election matter (election petition).
If the case filed by Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim at the Federal High Court in Kano was/is a pre-election matter, it should have been filed within 14 days of the primaries.
How can a court assume jurisdiction in a matter that is indisputably statute barred?
This is shocking.
Also, no candidate was joined as a party in this suit. I have noted that Abia is specifically mentioned in the judgment. A court in Kano cannot nullify primaries outside Kano.
The jurisdiction of the Federal High Court cannot be invoked this way.
Nullifying primaries of candidates, and even declaring votes scored as wasted votes in this circumstance, goes against all established principles of law and fair hearing.
The court lacked jurisdiction.
This type of judgment has the potential of exposing the judiciary to avoidable public ridicule.
Governor-elect, Dr. Alex Otti, has called on Abians to remain calm and not be alarmed by the recent ruling of a Federal High Court in Kano, dismissing his candidacy.
Our Reporter reports that Otti reassured the public that the purported judgment should not be a cause for concern, as it is an unjust decision that cannot undermine the will of the people.
Speaking in Abia, Otti confirmed that preparations for his scheduled inauguration on May 29 are proceeding as planned.
He declared that the enemies of democracy cannot thwart the wishes of the Abia populace.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party has dismissed the court ruling as a futile exercise, emphasizing that it holds no significance.
Recall in the case with suit number FHC/KN/CS/107/2023, filed by Mr. Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim against the Labour Party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Federal High Court in Kano nullified the candidature of Dr. Alex Otti and all Labour Party candidates in Abia and Kano states.
The court based its decision on the argument that their emergence did not comply with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.
A copy of the judgment was made available to journalists on Friday, with the court ruling that the Labour Party’s failure to submit its membership register to INEC within the required 30-day period before the primaries rendered the entire process invalid.
The Police have provided further updates on the attack of the staff of USA consulate in an Anambra State, revealing the names of the victims and what their mission to the state was.
We have earlier recalled that a team of officials from the Lagos Consulate of the United States of America and their police escorts were ambushed on 16/05/2023 between 12:00hours and 14:00hours, along Atani/Osamela road in Ogbaru Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State by suspected Eastern Security Network ESN/ Indigenous people of Braifa, IPOB.
Briefing newsmen at Awka on Thursday, the commissioner of police, CP Echeng Echeng, stated that “preliminary investigation conducted by the command, following the incident, revealed that five male officials of the USA consulate and four armed Mobile Police escorted from Lagos on a mission to assess the impact of erosion in Ogbaru LGA were travelling in a convoy of two vehicles when they suddenly came under attack by armed men who targeted them with gunfire and set their vehicles ablaze. Regrettably, seven persons (including three of the consulate officials and four Mobile Police escorts) were murdered during the attack while two other officials of the consulate are yet to be found.
READ ALSO Wike Condemns Naira Redesign, Says It Won’t Stop Corruption
The deceased police officers include Inspr. Bukar Adams, Inspr. Friday Morgan, Inspr. Adam Andrew and Inspr. Emmanuel Lupata all of Squadron 23, Police Mobile Force, Lagos. No USA citizen was amongst the casualties.
“Information from the USAID authority disclosed that five (5) of their staff and four policemen were involved in the attack are:
Jefferson Obayuwane (RTD DSS personnel)
Sunday Prince Ubong
Ekene Nweke
Hassan Etila
Avwuvie Kaye Monday
Bukar . A. Kabuiki – (Police)
Emmanuel Lukpata – (Police)
Friday Morgan -(Police)
Adamu Andrew – (Police)
“Meanwhile, the remains of the deceased persons have all been recovered and deposited in a morgue while the state police command and other security agencies are working round-the-clock, in concert with the Government of Anambra State, to find and rescue the missing officials. In this regard, I call on members of the public who can provide information about the identities and locations of the culprits, to kindly assist the police with such information timeously.
On the efforts by the command during and after the attack, Echeng said more security personnel have been deployed and two suspects have been arrested following a raid on the gunmen’s camp in the area.
“Yesterday – 17/05/2023, joint security forces comprising police tactical teams from the command and troops of the Nigerian Army as well as the Nigerian Navy raided a camp in Ugwuaneocha community of Ogbaru LGA, which was suspected to be the hideout of the assailants, but discovered that it had been deserted. Two persons of interest were arrested and they currently assisting the police in the investigation. The criminal camp was razed down by the joint security team.”
While sympathizing with the family of the deceased, the police boss assured that the command is determined to ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous crime are arrested.
“On behalf of the Anambra State Police Command, I wish to seize this opportunity to condole the families and friends of the deceased persons as well as the USA Consul over this tragic incident.
“May I assure you all of the resolve and determination of the command and other security agencies to track down the perpetrators of these heinous crimes and bring them to justice.”
The National Chairman of Labour Party, Julius Abure, today in Abuja declared that he was back as National Chairman, and that the LP was united and has no faction in its rank.
He also disclosed that the suspended Deputy National Chairman of the party, Apapa Lamidi, failed in its attempt to create a faction in LP.
Abure also revealed that the FCT High Court in Abuja ceases to have jurisdiction over a suit praying for a restraining order over him.
The LP National Chairman who spoke in a press conference at the party’s Secretariat, told journalists that earlier restraint by the FCT High Court has been set aside by “our appeal at the Appeal Court ”.
My duplicates are still on the rampage, they now mimic my voice and call people. There is no limit that people cannot go to cause mischief on their target. I have been a target both locally and internationally.
The latest incident happened in Abuja yesterday, 17th May at the Court of Appeal premises of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal venue, where my attention was drawn to what was going on outside the courtroom.
A report came to me while I was seated in court that one Prince Mustapha Audu, son of the late Governor of Kogi state, held the OBIdient’s Chief Spokesman, Dr Yunusa Tanko and some others spellbound – castigating and talking down on me, describing me as an ethnic and religious bigot. He claimed that I called him while I was in front of his office on Tuesday morning at about 11 am, but suddenly cut off the phone after I spoke Igbo and he, Audu was unable to respond.
According to him, Obi may have only helped to empower some businessmen strictly because they were Igbos, and he wondered why Obi should aspire to lead the country if he cannot accommodate other ethnic groups.
It was one of my aides who quickly alerted me on what was going on and I pleaded with him to go outside and tell the OBIdients who were with the man to kindly delay him until I come out of the courtroom. After the court proceedings, I met with Audu and he repeated the same story, adding that he was angry at me for cutting off the phone on him because he could not speak Igbo. He insisted that I was in front of his office in Abuja when I called.
I then introduced myself again to him and told him, “My brother, I did not call you, and I couldn’t have been in front of your office on Tuesday because I was not in Abuja, and not even in the country. At about the time you alleged that I called you, I was arriving Nice in France for a meeting. By the evening of the same day, I flew to London for another meeting and in fact, had to breeze in to felicitate with my dear elder brother, Dele Momodu on his 63rd birthday.
I only flew into the country this morning for this court session” The young man, looking embarrassed and surprised at the same time added that the voice of the caller and everything sounded like mine. We exchanged pleasantries and took pictures.
This is just one of the many desperate efforts to run me down and tag me as what I am not, with the intention to gain some perceived political mileage against me.
Ordinarily, I am not scared or worried about competitions provided they are within the legitimate rules of engagement, but going this far is worrisome.
It is quite very worrisome because this is certainly not the right way to develop a nation that is in dire need of positive changes that will enable her to join the League of Nations that are moving forward.
I appeal to the public to beware and not easily deceived with the cheap tricks of impersonating me for whatever ulterior intentions.
