The governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections which held today, Saturday, across Nigeria could not be held in Mopa-Muro Local Government Area of Kogi State as a result of the wrong delivery of ballot papers to the area.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Electoral Officer for the local government, Opanachi Ojodale, announced today that the election in the area will now be held tomorrow, Sunday after rectifying the challenges.
According to Opanachi Ojodale, ballot papers belonging to Akpa East LGA in Kogi East were taken to Mopa-Muro LGA, even as he confirmed that the new ballot papers for Mopa-Muro would be delivered later today, Saturday from Abuja.
However, there is no governorship election in the State because the tenure of the governor is yet to expire. However, the state assembly election was held as in other states of the federation.
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded Presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has lamented that he no longer have confidence in the electoral processes of the country.
Aatiku, who cast his voted in Saturday’s governorship and state House of Assembly elections in Adamawa State, stressed that he had lost faith in the electoral process, adding that he was sure if his vote will count.
Atiku who voted at his Ajiya Ward in Yola North Local Government Area, said that the poor turnout of voters was an evident of loss of faith in the electoral process by the people.
“The elections of two weeks ago were marred by irregularities. Suddenly, I’m not convinced that my vote will count. You can see a very low voter turnout.”
Atiku advised his supporters to keep faith with him, even as he emphasized that the electoral process had no faith.
He said that the situation could be rectified, but that it requires the coming together of all Nigerians and the leadership “to be able to redress all the challenges we face in the last elections.”
A 90 year old woman in Kwali Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hajiya Amina Muhammadu, has said that she is participating in the ongoing Chairmanship and Councillorship elections to ensure a better future for her grand and great grand children.
Amina Muhammadu, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after casting her vote at Polling Unit 005 in Kwali Township, said that education should be the focus of any grassroots leader.
“At age 90, I still come out to participate in general elections of this nature because I believe we can still elect leaders that will cater for the well being of citizens.
“I am so concerned about education of our children and grand children because without it, there won’t be a good future for them.
“I want the winner of this election to provide quality basic education for our children,” she said.
She appealed to whoever emerges as the area council’s chairman to provide quality healthcare service to the people in the area.
The 90-year-old woman who said she had been voting since the return of democracy in the country, expressed happiness for being alive and to participate in the 2019 general elections.
“I trust my people. I know they will vote for only people that have capacity to deliver.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he had long expected that his main challenger in the February 23 Presidential election in Nigerian and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar would go to court to challenge the outcome.
Buhari, who spoke to news men shortly after he and his wife, Aisha, cast their votes today, Saturday at the Kofar Baru 003 polling unit, Daura in Katsina State, in the governorship and state assembly elections, said that he expected the court case entered into by Atiku to happen.
Asked to comment on the decision by Atiku and his party, PDP to challenge the outcome of the February 23 presidential election, President Buhari simply said: “I expect that to happen.”
Buhari made it clear that the reported cases of violence across the country in today’s elections should be left to the law enforcement agencies, especially the police “because they have been meeting virtually on a 48-hour basis to make sure that they have identified the flashpoints, as you mentioned, wherever they are and make arrangements to counter it.
Labour Party’s The governorship candidate of Labour Party in Kwara State, Comrade Issa Aremu has said that the 2019 general elections are aimed at liberating people of the State from what he called ‘dictatorship’ of one person.
Aremu, who announced withdrawal from the race in favour of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Saturday governorship election in the State, AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq, said that the development marked the beginning of liberation from one party which had ruled the state for 16 years.
“What we are saying is whether you believe in Otoge slogan of APC or Odopin (the end has come) of Labour Party, we must ensure that PDP did not win Saturday’s elections.
“This coming elections and last Saturday’s presidential and national assembly elections, are not only about winning; it is about liberation of our state from dictatorship of one person, one party.
“Having campaigned vigorously to all the nooks and crannies of Kwara and nationally, since I made my declaration to run for governorship since July 2018, we lower our ambition for the greater interest of Kwara, and we will work our talk. As from now, I will go back to our people and explain this to them.
“Both Otoge and Odopin, are the same thing, we have decided that we are going to back the governorship of Alhaji AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq.”
Aremu advised Abdulrazaq to give priority to women during his administration.
At a brief ceremony held at the Africa’s People hall of Mustapha Akanbi Foundation, Ilorin, labour leaders and scores of members of both Labour Party and APC embraced the development.
A 14-year- old victim of rape has told a High Court in Maitama, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria that Pastor Emmanuel Matthew of the Winners Chapel raped her when she was seven-years-old in 2012.
The Pastor is also the Proprietor of Emmabeth Academy, Mpape, Abuja which the victim attended in 2012.
The girl, who was testifying as the fifth prosecution witness in the rape case, explained that Pastor Emmanuel Mathew forcibly inserted his finger in her private part and had carnal knowledge of her schoolmate who was also a minor.
She alleged that the defendant sexually assaulted her elder sister who was nine years old then.
The police in 2012 charged Pastor Emmanuel Matthew to court with six counts bordering on inducement and rape, contrary to sections 283 and 285 of the Penal Code.
The Prosecuting Counsel, Ejike Orji, said that the victim had attended Emmabeth Academy, Mpape, ran by the defendant, alleging that the Pastor took advantage of his closeness with the victim, her lost sister and a school mate who were all minors to have sex with them.
“Sometimes in March 20, 2012 at Emmabeth Academy, Mpape, Abuja Matthew induced and raped the victim who was seven year , her elder sister and another pupil of the school.”
In her evidence in chief, the victim recalled the name of the school to be “Emmabeth Academy Nursery/ Primary School, Mpape Abuja.”
She said: “I was in school and Pastor Emmanuel took me inside his office and put his fingers into my private part severally.
“He did that to me and my senior sister and the other girl. He later gave my sister N10.”
She said that the Pastor removed his trousers and inserted his penis into the private part of the other girl, saying that she narrated the incident to her mother who immediately reported the matter to her pastor.
According to her, the mother and her pastor only warned the defendant of the repercussion of his actions.
The victim further explained that the defendant invited policemen three days after the incident to arrest the mother and her pastor, adding that the police became abreast of the matter through her mother’s statement.
She said the police immediately took over the matter by taking the three of them (children) to the hospital for examinations.
When asked to state the colour of the underwear the defendant wore during the alleged incident, the victim said she could not remember because the incident happened seven years ago.
The witness said that she could not remembered the name of the hospital they were taken to for examination, adding that she remembered that a doctor examined them.
Justice Hussein Baba- Yusuf then adjourned until May 30 for continuation.
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria, otherwise known as Shiites, followers of detained Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky have carried their protest to the Embassy of the United States of America in Nigeria, accusing the US of aiding and abetting the mass killings of their members.
The protesters stormed the premises of the Embassy today, Thursday, carrying placards and chanting songs with negative messages to express their anger. Armed mobile policemen were strategically positioned around the premises to maintain peace around the embassy.
Their spokesman, Abdullahi Mohammad Musa, accused the US of deceiving the world that they are human rights defenders, but use it as camouflage to perpetrate their ulterior motives and atrocities.
He condemned the role allegedly played by the US during the Zaria massacre, where he said more than 1,000 members were killed, while many others sustained injuries.
“There was the mass burial of more than 1,000 persons. Some of them were even alive. They were saying ‘I am alive, I am alive,’ but Nasir el-Rufai, under the order of the American Ambassador to Nigeria, ordered the Nigerian Army thugs to bury these people in a mass grave.
“Zaria Massacre is the greatest atrocity committed in Africa against human rights. America is pretending and deceiving the whole world that they are protecting human rights in the whole world. You are deceiving yourselves. It is clear now that you are the sponsor, the planner and executor of Zaria massacre and all the killings of innocent citizens in Nigeria. America is totally behind it.
“I want to remind you about Mr. el-Rufai’s intolerance and threatening words to his political opponents and his recent ‘body bag’ threat to foreign observers. As a result of Mr. el-Rufai’s hate speeches and role in Zaria massacre, numerous legal luminaries in Nigeria and abroad have tagged him for prosecution and sanctions.”
He said that the group would not relent in demanding justice and the unconditional release of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky.
The Court of Appeal, Yola Division has granted a stay of execution on the order of the Federal High Court, Jalingo disqualifying the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State, Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi, from contesting Saturday’s election.
The court, presided by Justice Chidi Uwa, also ordered all the parties involved in the case to maintain the status quo ante pending the determination of the motion on notice filed before it by Danladi.
Danladi and the APC are the appellants in the suit, while Usman Udi, Joshua Paaku, George Geoffrey, Tanko Muslim Munkaila and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are the first, second, third, fourth and fifth respondents respectively.
The Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo and presided by Justice Stephen Pam had disqualified Danladi from contesting Saturday’s gubernatorial election in the state on the ground that he gave false information in his particulars to INEC.
The Federal High Court also restrained INEC and APC from recognising, accepting or treating Danladi as the candidate of APC in the governorship election.
Justice Pam equally prohibited Danladi from parading himself as the candidate of APC in the governorship election for Taraba Dtate slated for March 9, 2019 or any other subsequent date to be slated.
But setting aside the ruling of the High Court, Justice Uwa ordered: “That the parties are to maintain the status quo ante bellum and are to stay all actions and steps towards the execution of the judgment of the Federal High Court delivered in suit FHC/JAL/CS/1/2019 delivered on 6/3/2019.
“That an interim order of injunction is hereby ordered restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th respondents from taking any step(s) towards the execution of the judgment/orders of the Federal High Court Jalingo, Taraba State in suit no FHC/JAL/CS/1/2019 pending the determination of the motion on notice filed by the applicants on the 7th of March 2019 and dated 6/3/2019.”
Meanwhile, Justice Uwa has adjourned the motion on notice to 9th of April for hearing.
With the first crucial meeting held between officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and that of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today, Thursday in Abuja, there are indications that financial crime offenders may face ban from opening and operating bank accounts anywhere in Nigeria.
The decision to bar financial crime offenders was believed to have taken its strength from the recent resolution of the CBN under the auspices of the Bankers’ Committee, which said that “any individual or corporate body found to complicit in economic crime or attempts to circumvent economic laws and regulations of the country may be barred from operating a bank account in any bank in Nigeria.”
Information coming out of the CBN and ÉFCC meeting, which was held at the Central Bank headquarters in Abuja, said that it was aimed at strengthening the country’s fight against economic crimes.
The meeting was said to be an opportunity for the two entities to share experiences and peculiar challenges in the fight against economic related crimes.
It was gathered that the two agencies adopted strategies aimed at curtailing the unwholesome activities of economic saboteurs which include smuggling of commodities like rice, textile materials, fertilizer, wheat and other items on the prohibition list for accessing foreign exchange through official window, as well as tracking illicit financial flows.
Other areas which the two agencies are collaborating include anti-money laundry and the monitoring of politically exposed persons in the country.
The inter-agency meeting was chaired by the Director, Governors’ Department of the CBN, Jeremiah Abue.
The two agencies were said to have agreed to improve the level of information-sharing and surveillance of the financial sector.
Pending a Supreme Court verdict in the presidential election petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari remains provisional – or at best tentative. Both are potential winner and loser. The pendulum of legal victory could swing either way. Beyond the subsisting electoral umpire’s declaration, whoever receives the Supreme Court’s approbation is the president in the eyes of the law.
But for the existence of the court and related constitutional provisions in the resolution of electoral conflict, the election would have been decisively won without recourse to legal redress. It would then also have not mattered whether the victory was achieved by hook or by crook. The aggrieved parties would have, in the vortex of disapproval, resorted to self-help to reclaim perceived stolen mandate. Then, there is no assurance the process would not lead to the loss of our nation, her shared values and recognized heterogeneity.
As it is, Buhari is a custodian of a questionable mandate. Atiku, on his part, is a pretender to a supposed stolen mandate. Remarkably, both the custodian and the pretender are exercising their liberty as constitutionally circumscribed within the milieu of a peaceful Nigerian nation. That is most significant within the context of the elections that seek to vest mandates in political leaderships. In any case, through the court, electoral process will be proved to be conclusive. Elections will be lost – and conversely won by many.
While negative emotions could flow from losses in the elections, they should not be extended to the structure of our corporate existence as a nation. Nothing untoward should be done to lose our nation. The philosophy of winning our nation has always been at the heart of overriding national interest. That perhaps explains the reason no incumbent president whose victory at the poll was challenged at the court had ever been defeated. The officers in the temple of justice, especially at the Supreme Court, have so far been in pari materia with this philosophy.
In the 2007 massively-rigged presidential election, a fact attested to by the beneficiary of the flawed process, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, and which culminated in the electoral reform superintended by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Muhammad Uwais, the Supreme Court had, in its ruling on Buhari’s petititon in the face of the glaring irregularities, preserved national interest in its 4 to 3 split verdict in favour of Yar’Adua. It could be recalled that Buhari got the minority (dissenting) judgment of Justices G.A Oguntade, Aloma Muktar and Walter Onnoghen.
The majority judgment kept Yar’Adua in office and that enabled him to initiate and pursue obligatory electoral reforms. Buhari’s loss in 2007 as it happened in 2003 did not culminate in the loss of our nation. He also lost in 2011 and once more, we won our nation. In 2015, defeated incumbent President, Goodluck Jonathan, did not bother to legally challenge the election won by Buhari. Both the election and our nation were quickly won.
Today, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the defeated presidential candidate of the opposition PDP had already filed his petition at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, challenging Buhari’s victory in the February 23 poll. Certainly, the fate of the nation lies in the hands of the Supreme Court, the final appellate destination in the matter of presidential election petitions.
Whereas, great hope had always been reposed in the Supreme Court to act in the national interest, recent seemingly calculated attack on the Judiciary in which the morality of the head of that arm of the government, Onnoghen, had been called to question, has insinuated the executive arm into a premeditated plot to intimidate, demonise and demoralize the bench, perhaps in the prosecution of its overall plot to secure the position of president by all means.
The pertinent question the scenario raises is: to what degree can the panel of the Supreme Court justices that sits on the presidential election petition on appeal before it ensure fairness conterminously with national interest? Without prejudice to the character and integrity of members of the panel that will be carefully considered and appointed by whoever is the Chief Justice of Nigeria at the point in time, fairness of the matter and preservation of national interest will offer the ultimate challenge to their capacity and conscience to deliver justice in the matter.
But while it is expected that the Supreme Court will not pander to partisan frenzy and end up succumbing to the pressure of judicial activism by being unnecessarily revolutionary in its verdict, it is not out of place for the popular sentiments and proclivities of Nigerians, correctly weighed on the scale of national consensus, to be considered in the administration of justice since the issue at stake is about the mandate of the people freely given at the poll.
Since the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), under Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has been essentially impeached by widespread whispered and overt rejection of the outcomes of the presidential and National Assembly polls, the courts are expected to step in as the last hope of the people in quest for justice.
Justice is the essential balm that soothes frayed nerves. The most celebrated English judge of the 20th Century, Lord Alfred Thompson Denning, Master of the Rolls, once said: “If justice were to have a voice, she would speak as the English judge.” The compelling insight of Lord Denning speaks volumes about the characteristic impeccability and infallibility of justice as delivered from the English bench. The English judges deliver justice in its pristine form. The temple of justice is not defiled on the basis of primordial considerations and negotiated ratio decidendi.
Over the years, the Nigerian judiciary has been plagued with reported cases of corruption. The Supreme Court has been the last bastion of hope in its real sense. Although, it may not be a perfect temple of justice, it has always kindled and rekindled hope in moments of countrywide doubts. The Atiku petition has thus provided another challenge to the Supreme Court to intervene in a very utilitarian and just manner in a great moment of national anxiety.
It should not matter who the CJN is or who the members of the appeal panel are. It should not matter who appointed the CJN or the social affiliations or associations of panel members. What should matter is the national interest. What should matter is justice of the matter as reinforced by the position of the laws anchored on the body of facts or evidence that is proved beyond reasonable doubt. What should matter is the Supreme Court deploying the magnitude of its capacity as a force of social engineering for stability of and peace in the polity. What should matter is about us winning our nation and not about massaging the ego of or promoting the sense of entitlement of Buhari and Atiku to the presidential mandate.
Over all, what should be central in the court’s considerations is the theme of national interest – that the interest of Nigeria is greater than both the person interests and essential motivations of Buhari and Atiku, and their political preferences. Once we relate with the contending issues and personalities with our eyes on the national interest, no matter the eventual verdict by the Supreme Court, we will accept it and, by so doing, win our nation. Truth!
Ojeifo, an Abuja-based journalist, contributed this piece via ojwonderngr@yahoo.com.
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The governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections which held today, Saturday, across Nigeria could not be held in Mopa-Muro Local Government Area of Kogi State as a result of the wrong delivery of ballot papers to the area.
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded Presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has lamented that he no longer have confidence in the electoral processes of the country.
A 90 year old woman in Kwali Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hajiya Amina Muhammadu, has said that she is participating in the ongoing Chairmanship and Councillorship elections to ensure a better future for her grand and great grand children.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he had long expected that his main challenger in the February 23 Presidential election in Nigerian and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar would go to court to challenge the outcome.
A 14-year- old victim of rape has told a High Court in Maitama, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria that Pastor Emmanuel Matthew of the Winners Chapel raped her when she was seven-years-old in 2012.
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria, otherwise known as Shiites, followers of detained Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky have carried their protest to the Embassy of the United States of America in Nigeria, accusing the US of aiding and abetting the mass killings of their members.
The Court of Appeal, Yola Division has granted a stay of execution on the order of the Federal High Court, Jalingo disqualifying the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State, Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi, from contesting Saturday’s election.
With the first crucial meeting held between officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and that of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today, Thursday in Abuja, there are indications that financial crime offenders may face ban from opening and operating bank accounts anywhere in Nigeria.
Pending a Supreme Court verdict in the presidential election petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari remains provisional – or at best tentative. Both are potential winner and loser. The pendulum of legal victory could swing either way. Beyond the subsisting electoral umpire’s declaration, whoever receives the Supreme Court’s approbation is the president in the eyes of the law.
