Almost all the lawyers at the Presidential Election Petition Court, holding in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) today, September 6, fell asleep while the historic judgement was ongoing. The judgement which commenced in the morning, at about 10.30am, was still ongoing as at 4.00pm.
Here are some interesting points addressed and resolved today, September 6, at the Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
11:05 am
Court Strikes Out APM’s Suit Against Shettima, Tinubu.
11:26 am
The Presidential Election Petitions Court went on a 15-minute break.
11:47 am
The Court reconvened to take the Judgement of the Labour Party. The judgement is read by Justice Abba Mohammed. He read the preambles reliefs and prayers sought.
11:50 am
A member of the panel of justices, Abba Mohammed, read the ruling on the preliminary objections filed by the respondents against Peter Obi’s petition.
12:07 p.m
LP’s Widespread Irregularities Claim Generic – Court:
While highlighting a claim by the respondents that Obi’s petition only alleged that there were widespread irregularities without giving the particulars and the polling units.
Justice Abba Mohammed holds that In a presidential election held in 176,866 polling units in 774 Local Government Areas, it would be improper not to specify where there were irregularities.
According to him, the petitioners only made generic allegations.
“Pleading must set out material facts and particulars. In the instant petition, there was no effort to prove specific allegations, particulars of complaints,” said the Tribunal.
The law is clear that where someone alleges irregularities in a particular polling unit, such person must prove the particular irregularities in that polling unit before that petition can succeed, the Tribunal added.
The court said the petitioners did not prove the particular polling unit where the election did not take place nor did they specify particulars of polling units where there are alleged complainants of irregularities.
“It was only in one instance that figures were given of alleged suppressed votes and we all know that elections are about figures,” it said.
“LP alleged that INEC reduced their scores and added it to APC votes but failed to supply particulars of what they actually scored before the said reductions, neither did they supply the polling units where it happened….”
12:31 pm
Tribunal Declares APC’s Petition On Obi’s Membership Incompetent
The Court also declared APC’s petition challenging Obi’s membership of the LP as incompetent. Justice Abba said that membership in a political party is an internal affair.
The Tribunal also touched on the issue of non-joinder of Atiku Abubakar who came second and wondered how Obi & LP’s petition could be effectively determined without joining the candidate who placed second in the polls.
1:28 pm
The court rejected the reports of forensic analyses tendered by LP’s three witnesses. According to the court, they are either made during the pendency of the case or by an interested party.
This was as it rejected the European Union report on the polls, arguing that it was not tendered by an official of the body.
02:12 pm
Tribunal dismisses LP/Obi’s Petition on 25 per cent needed in the FCT to win the presidential election.
According to the court, FCT residents have no special privileges as the petitioners claimed.
02: 26
Obi, LP Failed To Prove Tinubu Was Convicted In US, Tribunal Rules.
The Court ruled that the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, failed to prove that President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was convicted for money laundering in the United States.
The five-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani ruled that no record of criminal arrest or conviction was established against Tinubu by the petitioners – Obi and the LP.
02: 41 pm
INEC At Liberty To Define Mode Of Transmitting Election Results –
On the issue of substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the law, especially with regard to non-transmission of result sheets to INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), the court held that there is no law that says INEC must transfer or transmit the results of the election from the polling units electronically.
The law simply empowers INEC to decide the means of collation of results of elections, the court argued.
3:08 pm
The court added that the only device that must be used by INEC for elections is the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and noted that there’s no regulation showing BVAS must be used to electronically transmit results from polling units.
3:12 pm
According to the PEPC, INEC regulations and the Electoral Act give room for manual collation of results. It said electronic transmission is optional at best.
Summary of the judgement so far:
1. Interested parties testimonies are not admissible.
2. Tinunbu’s qualification not in doubt.
3. His right of ingress and egress into the United States of America is suggestive of the fact that no criminal record is against him.
4. Shetima’s nomination settled as party’s internal matter.
5. LP couldn’t prove malpractices as alleged
6. LP didn’t show with how much vote it won the election.
7. Inability of INEC to transmit election in real time, does not depart from substantial compliance
8. Obi’s nomination by LP is an internal party issue
9. Abuja does not enjoy special status to other states so no 2/3 votes required for a candidate to win compulsorily in Abuja
10. Shettima alleged double nomination lack merit. Nomination is an internal party affairs.
It will cost Muslim wanting to perform pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia in 2024 a minimum of N4.5 Million, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria
(NAHCON) has announced.
NAHCON said that the amount has been fixed in line with the federal government’s unification of foreign exchange rates.
It advised state pilgrim welfare boards to start collecting a deposit of N4.5 million from prospective pilgrims.
The Commission said that the fixed amount is also a response to the fluctuating foreign exchange rates, which have the potential to impact the overall cost of the pilgrimage.
The Chairman of the Commission, Zikrullah Hassan, said that the uncertainty is still surrounding the cost of Hajj 2024 due to the current exchange rate, with the dollar valued at N750.
He said that the era of concessionary rates is over, and the cost of Hajj is expected to rise.
“The forex rate, which currently stands at N740 per dollar, adds to the complexity of estimating the pilgrimage’s cost.”
Hassan expressed hope that the exchange rate might improve, but that preparations for a potentially expensive Hajj have already commenced.
Hassan said that Saudi Arabia would cease issuing visas 45 days prior to Arafah.
“This change aims to prevent last-minute alterations by state governors to accommodate additional pilgrims.
“This decision reinforces the need for careful planning and eliminates the possibility of securing visas after the cutoff date.”
According to him, approximately 80 to 90 percent of Hajj expenses are dollar-based, encompassing airfare, accommodation, catering, transportation within Saudi Arabia, and even the pilgrims’ Basic Traveling Allowance (BTA).
“The only Naira components are pilgrim uniforms, suitcases, and service charges.”
The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal has ruled that Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was qualified to contest the 2023 Presidential election, dismissing part of the suits by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Tinubu the winner of the election held on February 25, 2023.
However, both the PDP and LP approached the PEPC contending that the former two-term Lagos State Governor was not qualified to stand for the election over questions raised on his qualification.
They challenged the authenticity of the educational certificates presented by Tinubu to stand in the election.
Report monitored on Arise TV, said that the court held that the issue of Tinubu’s qualification for the election was a pre-election matter.
The Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal has nullified the victory of Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as Senator representing the Kogi Central senatorial election and declared Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the actual winner of the February senatorial election.
The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako, who read the unanimous judgement of the three-man panel, said that Ohere results were inflated in nine polling units of Ajaokuta Local Government Area (LGA) while that of Natasha was intentionally reduced in the areas by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as three other polling units result that was deliberately not entered for Natasha in the same LGA.
The tribunal, after making the proper correction, declared Natasha as the winner of the poll, having polled 54,074 against Ohere (APC) who polled 51,291.
The Presidential Petition Election Tribunal has ruled that the Allied Peoples Movement (APM’s) petition challenging qualification of Vice President Kashim Shettima of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was a pre-election matter.
Justice Haruna Tsammani, who led a five-member panel gave the ruling today, September 6 in Abuja.
Recall that the APM challenged the qualification of the Vice president, Kashim Shettima among others.
Reading his verdict, Justice Tsammani said that the matter ought to have been challenged before the conduct of the presidential election.
“The issue of qualification or disqualification is a constitutional one. The issue of disqualification or qualification is a pre-election matter.
“It must be determined before the conduct of the election. This court has no jurisdiction to hear the matter and even if it does, it is status-barred because it is a pre-election matter.”
Justice Tsammani said that the judgements would be delivered separately on the petition.
“We will deliver judgements on the petitions separately. The petition, number four will be treated first.”
Senior reporter and presenter with Channels Television was caught sleeping in court while judgement was being delivered by the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja today, September 6.
Onlookers asked, what would he report when he woke up?
Minister of Interior, Honourable Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, has bemoaned the overcrowding of correctional centres with over 80,000 inmates in the country.
He said that more than eighty percent of the inmates are awaiting trial.
Speaking in a live Television Continental interview, ‘Journalists Hangout,’ the minister said that his ministry is seriously working to broaden the scope of non custodial centres in the country as done in other countries world wide.
He said that to achieve this, his ministry will enlist the partnership of the Ministry of Justice and other agencies and also work on the Amendment of the Correctional Services Act to broaden the scope of Custodial and non custodial correctional system in the country.
He is not comfortable with the long process in the issuance and reissuance of passports in the country, adding that rather than opening more offices, his ministry will deploy more efficient technology to increase the efficiency in the processing of passports in all it’s offices.
He said that the ministry will engage it’s service providers to improve on their service delivery process for more efficiency.
He said that efforts are on to start the production of passport booklet to reduce the foreign exchange being spent on printing outside the country.
The minister said that the problem in the issuance of passport to Nigerians in the Diaspora is a function of the prevailing system in the country and that efforts are being made to reorientate immigration officers on the need to project the image of Nigeria well, as they are the gateway and first point of contact to outsiders, especially to encourage foreign direct investors.
“Things cannot continue the way they are and we are making efforts to show officers not ready to comply with the change in work attitude the way out while hardworking ones will be rewarded.”
On the synchronisation of the data base of all the government agencies, he said that with the inclusion of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), among the agencies in the interior ministry efforts are being made to harmonize the data base of all relevant institutions to reduce hardship.
”We are making efforts to harmonize the data base among all institutions like banks in the country.”
He also promised to better equip the Nigeria Civil Defence Service (NSDC) to ensure efficiency in the protection of oil pipelines towards reducing theft in the system and boost the nations foreign exchange.
Tunji -Ojo commended the efforts of the Federal Fire Service in the country and promised that more fire fighting vehicles and equipment will be procured for more efficient and effective service delivery.
A 46 year old Ibadan man, Hassan Adeyemo, is now in police custody in Florida, America, after shooting and killing his wife, named Sarah, from Bauchi State over misunderstanding.
In a trending narrative on the social media about the couple who have five children, Hassan Adeyemo killed Sarah on his 46th birthday on August 26, 2023, when she pronounced the end to their about 24 years old marriage.
It was narrated that on that day of his birthday, Sarah sent a text message to her husband thus: “Happy birthday friend, we are better off as friends than lovers. You need to look for where you’ll be staying because I have to get rid of the old house. I wish you well in life, I have moved on.”
The love between the couple began in 1998 when Hassan Adeyemo was 21 and Sarah was 18 years old.
The narrative continues thus:
They got married in 1999 and God blessed them with a beautiful daughter in 2000. After her, they had two other daughters and one boy, making 4 kids. Hassan loved his wife so much and told her not to work because of stress. He was providing everything she ever wanted for her and the kids…*
In 2014, Hassan wanted a better life for his family, so with his wife’s agreement, he decided to send them to the U.S. Sarah and the kids entered the United States in 2014.
Before they got there, Hassan already arranged a rented house and a car for them. Sarah wasn’t working, Hassan was sending big money to them for upkeep from Nigeria every month. Despite the distance, Hassan bonded with his wife and kids. Everyone was happy.
In 2017, Hassan, who had missed his family so much, decided to relocate to America and stay with them.
Before Hassan got to America, Sarah had started hair braiding just to keep herself busy when the kids were in school. Everyone loved her and the way she braided beautiful styles. Gradually, she became a household name in Orlando, Florida. Ladies flooded her to do their hair.
The unfortunate victims of the tragedy*
What she was doing for fun became something big overnight. Hassan entered the US, and things were going smoothly. Hassan who was a big man in Nigeria, left everything and came to America to start all over with menial jobs. He had no papers yet, so he was doing jobs that paid him peanuts.
God blessed them with a baby boy in 2018, making their children a total of 5. Sarah was making at least 1,000 a day with the help of her daughters who she had trained. She was very fast and efficient in braiding. With this income, she was able to support the family with all expenses because Hassan’s income couldn’t meet up with the expenses/bills.
Hassan got his papers and started Uber and delivery jobs. He worked from day to night and started contributing his quota to the family, but his contributions was like change to his wife Sarah, was making. In effect, Sarah became the breadwinner of the house.
Issues started because Sarah was always complaining that Hassan couldn’t afford her lifestyle. She became the children’s favorite because she gave them everything they asked for, while their dad could not meet up. Sarah entered the house whenever she wished. She became the boss, always calling Hassan lazy and useless, while Hassan always appealed to her for peace to reign.
Hassan, a gentleman didn’t like trouble in any form. Sarah and the children formed their own group in the house, and abandoned their dad to always sort himself out. Sarah stopped cooking for him.
Hassan became depressed and was always begging friends and family members to help talk to his wife. Hassan was always crying like a baby, saying Sarah made him feel less of a man in the house. His friends encouraged him to persevere and ignore whatever she did.
In January 2022, Sarah announced to Hassan that she had bought a house. They moved into the new house, and she continued to treat him very badly. She disrespected him so much, “Leave my house if you cannot obey me, you irresponsible man,” she would often say.
She locked him out in the cold so many times and threw his things out. The children were on their mother’s side because she was the provider. Hassan became very depressed, and started having suicidal thoughts. He told his friends how life is unfair, and that he would kill himself. They advised him to leave the marriage because it was obvious that his wife was no longer in love with him, but he kept on asking, “Where will I start from? I love my wife. A woman I have invested all my life in. The only woman I ever loved. What did I do to deserve this from her?”
April 2023, Sarah told him she had bought another house that this particular house is specifically for her and her customers. She told Hassan to hold onto the boys while the girls followed her to the new house. Hassan was like, ” Why do you want to separate the family?” She said, “If everyone followed her to the new house, it will disturb my customers. She then told the husband that he could bring the boys over for weekends, but he can’t come with them, “because I need my privacy.” People tried to talk to Sarah, but she wouldn’t listen. Hassan agreed, hoping that his wife will change her mind.
On August 21, 2023, Sarah informed Hassan that she would like for her sons to move in with her, while Hassan remains in the old house. She instructed Hassan to move all of her remaining property, and that of the children from the old house where Hassan was staying to the new one, where she lives.
She then told Hassan that whenever he wished to see the children, he should let her know, so she can arrange for the visits. So, Hassan told her he would do as she had instructed, and take the remaining property of hers to the house on Friday night, which he did. Sarah didn’t let him enter the house. She took all the belongings he brought and the boys and left Hassan outside. Hassan remained at the door for almost an hour knocking, Sarah refused to open the door for him.
The following day, August 26, was Hassan’s 46th birthday. Early that morning, Sarah sent him a message, “Happy Birthday friend, we are better off as friends than lovers.” “You need to look for where you’ll be staying, because I have to get rid of the old house. I wish you well in life, I have moved on.” A few hours later, the children called their dad to get some groceries, and he told them he would bring them in the evening. At about 6:30 PM, he called the kids, that he was on his way to the house with the groceries. When he got there, he knocked, and the children opened the door for him.*
Hassan then asked for their mom, they told him he was in the shower. He entered, and went to the bathroom, brought out a gun, and shot her in the head, in the chest, and in the leg. He then called 911, “Hello, I just killed the bitch.” This is the address, I am waiting for you.” He sat down on the floor beside Sarah’s body.
The cops came, and the first responders rushed Sarah to the hospital, she was still breathing. She died two hours after she got to the hospital. Mr. Adeyemo is now at the Orange County Jail in Florida. He is most likely facing a death sentence or life in prison without parole.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mandate Secretaries for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
Anthony Ogunleye, Director of Press, Office of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, made the announcement in a statement in Abuja today, September 5.
Those appointed are Bitrus Garki, Secretary, Area Council Services Secretariat, Lawan Geidam, Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat and Danlami Ihayyo, Secretary, Education Secretariat.
Others are Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, Secretary, Health and Human Services Secretariat, Salman Dako, Secretary, Legal Services Secretariat, Chinedum Elechi, Secretary, Economic Planning, Revenue Generation and Public Private Partnership.
