Politics

APC Has No Senatorial Candidate In Yobe North, Akwa Ibom North West – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the All Progressives Congress (APC) has no candidate for Yobe North and Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial Districts.

Senate President Ahmed Lawan, who represents Yobe North is battling to get the party’s ticket after losing the APC presidential primary. On the other hand, a former Akwa Ibom governor Godswill Akpabio is also in a tussle to get the ruling party’s ticket to run for the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial seat. Akpabio also vied for the APC presidential race.

But INEC’s National Commissioner, Festus Okoye said the electoral body does not recognise any APC candidate for both senatorial zones.

“In these two constituencies, two names were forwarded and the commission made a determination that the names were not persons who emerged from a validly conducted party primaries and we did not publish their names. That is where we are,” Okoye said during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

“Their (Lawan and Akpabio) names were uploaded by the APC to our candidates’ nomination portal but the Commission made a determination that they were not the candidates that emerged from valid party primaries,” he added.

“The commission did not publish their names and their particulars in their constituencies. So, the implication is that as of today, the APC does not have candidates in those two constituencies.”

Last week, INEC denied doctoring and backdating documents to accommodate the nominations of Lawan and Akpabio as senatorial candidates for the 2023 general elections.

“The Forms of the two personalities in question were not published by the Commission,” INEC said.

“The decision of the Commission triggered legal action which is still ongoing.

“It, therefore, defies logic and common sense to go around and submit doctored documents purportedly recognising the duo as candidates when the matter is clearly sub-judice.”

Politics

Kano court reverses Ganduje’s suspension

A Federal High Court in Kano has halted the suspension of the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

The ruling came on Wednesday after Ganduje filed an ex parte motion seeking to enforce his fundamental right to fair hearing.

The respondents in the application are the Police, Department of State Services, DSS, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and nine others.

On April 16, APC executives in Dawakin Ward, Tofa LGA of Kano State, suspended Ganduje over alleged corruption.

However, the State Working Committee, SWC, of the APC in Kano nullified the suspension and punished the ward executives.

But a Kano High Court presided by Justice Usman Na’Abba upheld the suspension.

In the ex parte order delivered on Wednesday by the Federal High Court and made available to newsmen on Thursday, a Kano High Court presided by Justice A. M Liman ruled that the suspension should not be implemented until the case filed by Ganduje is heard and determined.

“All the respondents, their servants, agents or privies are hereby restrained from implementing and/or giving effect to the purported decision reached during the purported emergency meeting of the alleged executive members of APC Ganduje Ward, held at Ganduje Ward of Dawakin Tofa Local.

“All the parties are hereby mandated to maintain status quo before the purported emergency meeting of the alleged executive members of APC Ganduje Ward, and to stay action in respect of this matter pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application,” Justice Liman said.

The judge subsequently fixed April 30 to hear Ganduje’s suit

Politics

AGF faults Gov Ododo for obstructing Yahaya Bello’s arrest

The Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has faulted Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State for obstructing the arrest of his predecessor, Yahaya Bello, by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Fagbemi said it’s “insufferably disquieting” for Ododo to obstruct EFCC from arresting Bello.

On Wednesday, operatives of EFCC had stormed Bello’s residence in Abuja in an attempt to arrest him over an ongoing fraud investigation.

But Bello was reportedly smuggled out of his residence by Ododo to evade arrest by the anti-graft agency.

Reacting, Fagbemi said EFCC should not be obstructed from carrying out its lawful duties.

In a statement he personally signed, the AGF said: “A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting.

“A flight from the law does not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbates it.

“I state unequivocally that I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC and indeed any other agency to order when there is indication of any transgression of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies but I also tenaciously hold the view that institutions of State should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.”

Politics

Ododo opens defence, tenders documents against SDP, Ajaka’s petition at Guber tribunal

Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State, on Wednesday, tendered several documents in seven disputed local government areas to open his defence against the petition filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate, Murtala Ajaka.

Ododo, through his lawyer, Paul Daudu, tendered the documents at the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had, on November 11, 2023, conducted the Kogi governorship poll.

However, the SDP and its governorship candidate in the poll are challenging the declaration of Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the poll.

In the petition, INEC, Ododo and APC are listed as 1st to 3rd respondents respectively.

INEC had on Tuesday closed its defence in the petition by SDP and Ajaka, after its counsel, Uchenna Njoku, tendered several documents to support the victory of the governor.

Njoku had told the three-member panel, headed by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudo, that electoral umpire would not be calling any witnesses after assessing the case of the petitioners.

Justice Birnin-Kudo, who declared the commission’s case closed, adjourned until today for Ododo to open his defence.

Upon resumed hearing, Ibrahim Mohammed, SAN, who led Ododo’s team of lawyers, told the panel that Daudu would be conducting the proceedings.

Daudu informed the tribunal of the 2nd respondent’s readiness to open his defence.

The lawyer said he would commence this with the tendering of the certified true copies (CTCs) of the documents which had also been served on the petitioners.

“It is only fair for them (petitioners) to peruse these documents to enable us take off,” Daudu said.

He, therefore, sought a stand down of the hearing for about 30 minutes to allow the petitioners (SDP and Ajaka) peruse the documents.

Pius Akubo, SAN, who appeared for the petitioners, did not oppose the application.

Justice Birnin-Kudo subsequently stood down the matter.

However, while the inspection of the documents was ongoing, the tribunal, through its secretary, announced the adjournment of the matter until Thursday for continuation.