He said the request was to establish that the exercise was fraught with manifest irregularities, including multiple thumb-printing of ballot papers, saying he intends to engage forensic experts to analyse the election materials. Consequently, he prayed the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, for leave to be allowed to obtain some of the sensitive materials that INEC deployed for the presidential election. Meantime, the tribunal, stood-down its proceedings for one hour to enable it to consider the merit or otherwise of the request.

The three-man panel tribunal headed by Justice Abdul Aboki, reserved ruling on the motion marked CA/A/P/EPT/1/2019 after it heard from Atiku’s lawyer, Chief Chris Uche, SAN.  Uche told the tribunal that the motion dated March 4, was brought pursuant to section 6(6) of the 1999 Constitution,  as amended and section 151 of the Electoral Act, sought for six reliefs, among which included an order compelling the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to surrender all the sensitive materials that were used for the presidential poll, for forensic scrutiny. Among items, he said his client wants to be inspected by forensic experts, include over 80million ballot papers that were used for the election, which he said would be subjected to thumbprint analysis. Other items the motion is asking the electoral body to release to the intending petitioners for scrutiny are the Voters Register, the Smart Card Reader Machines, as well as information stored in INEC’s back-up server. He said the first prayer in the motion paper was for leave of the tribunal permitting Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party,  PDP, to file the action before the pre-hearing session of the tribunal, as prescribed by the Electoral Act.  The Applicants (Atiku and PDP) urged the tribunal to direct INEC to allow their agents to scan and make photocopies of vital documents used in the conduct of the election, for the purpose of establishing manifest irregularities they said led to President Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence as the winner of the presidential election. They maintained that the six reliefs sought against INEC were for the purpose of filing and maintaining an election petition they intend to lodge against the outcome of the 2019 Presidential Election.

Chief Uche, SAN, said his clients decided to approach the tribunal with the motion, in view of the fact that the Electoral Act stipulated that filing of the petition must not exceed 21 days after the election result was announced. “Because of the limited time,  the Applicants who intend to file a petition, want to go and inspect, to be able to secure some of the documents that will be relied upon to maintain the petition. “We are urging your Lordships to grant us this orders so that if we are inspecting, we can make copies by way of scanning or photocopying. “The entire process will be conducted in the presence of INEC officials, and even the Respondents if they so wish”, Uche submitted. However, the tribunal Chairman Justice Aboki queried Uche on why his clients would not simply apply to be issued with Certified True Copies of the requested items, and if the extant electoral law permits a litigant to scan election materials. The tribunal panel stressed that opinion of forensic experts may not be admissible in evidence under the existing Electoral Act which it said specifically okayed the admittance of certified documents. A member of the panel, Justice Emmanuel Agim, noted that some of the requests by Atiku and the PDP were “outside the precincts of section 151 of the Electoral Act”.  However, in his reply, Uche argued that the court had in a plethora of decided cases, held that the sort of evidence his clients are seeking to secure, could be admitted if it were obtained with the leave of court. He said it would be practically impossible for INEC to certify over 80million ballot papers that were used in over 172, 000 polling units in the country where the presidential election took place. According to Uche, with leave of the tribunal, forensic experts would be brought to testify and give evidence during the eventual hearing of the petition. “My lords if they are not allowed to secure the evidence and testify, it will deprive us of the ability to identify those abnormalities when we find them.  “Besides, if one individual thumb-printed over 500 ballot papers, the certified copies cannot reveal it. That is why we want to scan them and send for expert analysis. “That is why we need INEC to allow us access to scan the required documents. Going by section 72 of the Electoral Act,  all the materials are in the custody of INEC.  “The information we want to go is just to help us to package our complaint, at the end of the day,  INEC will also have the opportunity to confirm the authenticity or otherwise of any of the items we tender in evidence before the tribunal. “In essence my lord no one will be prejudiced if our requests are granted. “We make this application, knowing the very limited time and very disadvantaged position of any petitioner so far as gaining access to the election infrastructure is concerned”, Uche added. After it had listened to the motion, the panel stood-down for one hour to deliver its ruling, even as directed Atiku’s counsel to supply it with the said court decisions that allowed the grant the reliefs sought by the Applicants. The motion ex-parte motion was supported with a 12 paragraphed affidavit that was deposed to by one Col. Austin Akobundu, rtd, the director of Contact and Mobilization of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council. Cited as 1st to 3rd Respondents in the matter are the INEC, President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC.

More details soon. 

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/breaking-why-i-want-inec-to-surrender-election-materials-for-inspection-atiku/

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state has challenged his predecessor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to display his Engineering certificate, saying that the former governor only attended Craft School after failing his Common Entrance Examination.

Mr Ganduje was quoted in a press statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Abba Anwar, as saying so during the official inauguration of the Committee for the Payment of Scholarship Allowances to Internal Students, held in Kano on Wednesday.

The statement further quoted Mr Ganduje as saying: “Where did he attend engineering course and graduated. This is somebody who failed his Common Entrance examination during his primary school age.

“It was because Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso failed his exams then, that he was later sent to Craft School.

“It was known to all that, those days, it was those who failed, sometimes woefully in their primary education that were sent to such Craft schools.”

According to the governor, Mr Kwankwaso’s failure in managing education during his tenure, stemmed out from his (Kwankwaso) inability to comprehend that education policies need plans.

“Just imagine, a person who failed his primary school examination, and was only managed to attend Craft school, will now come out boldly and accuse a Professor and a PhD holder that they didn’t know how to best handle education. Is this not deception and ignorance?”  he asked rhetorically.

https://dailynigerian.com/ganduje-challenges-kwankwasos-engineering-certificate-says-he-only-attended-craft-school-after-failing-common-entrance-exams/?fbclid=IwAR3oQgWZqALpiBGinJoR0FUTsLIsGeexRyCPti-e1d0vXs7Ui_QFfu1P1WU

A three-man panel of the Justices of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, is currently hearing the motion the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, filed to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to surrender all the materials that were used for the February 23 presidential election, for inspection.

The panel which is conducting its proceeding at the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal , is headed by Justice Abdul Aboki. Other Justices on the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal hearing Atiku’s motion marked CA/A/P/EPT/1/2019, are Justices Emmanuel Agim and Peter Ige. In the motion ex-parte dated March 4, Atiku and the PDP, applied for leave of the tribunal to allow them to inspect the Voters Register, the Smart Card Reader Machines, Ballot Papers and other vital documents that were used in the conduct of the presidential election. They equally prayed the tribunal to compel the electoral body to allow their agents to scan and make photocopies of vital documents used in the conduct of the election, for the purpose of establishing alleged irregularities.

The Applicants, through their lawyer, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, told the tribunal that the reliefs sought against INEC was for the purpose of filing and maintaining an election petition they intend to lodge against the outcome of the 2019 Presidential Election. The motion ex-parte motion was supported with a 12 paragraphed affidavit that was deposed to by one Col. Austin Akobundu, rtd, the director of Contact and Mobilization of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council. Cited as 1st to 3rd Respondents in the matter are INEC, President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC. Meanwhile, Atiku’s lawyer is currently addressing the tribunal on the legal propriety of allowing him to scan some of the documents he is requesting for, instead of securing a Certified True Copy of same documents from the INEC.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/03/breaking-tribunal-sets-up-3-man-panel-to-hear-atikus-petition-against-inec/

Barely few days to the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections in the country, a High Court in Calabar on Tuesday insisted that the removal of the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidates for the election in Cross River is a settled matter.

The High Court presided over by Justice Eyo Ita in a suit brought before it by an aggrieved APC governorship aspirant, Mr. Ukpan Odey, said since the reliefs sought by the plaintiff were the same as that which a Federal High Court had already ruled on, it could not rule on them again.

The Federal High Court In Abuja had on February 11th, 2019, in suit FHC/CA/CS/73/2018 ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delist all the names of candidates of APC from the 2019 elections.

Affirming that the ruling stands, Justice Ita directed “that All Progressives Congress, APC, the 1st Respondent herein, is obliged to apply and obey its constitution and guideline and their prayer N0 2 was decided in suit FHC/CA/CS/73/2018 on 11/2/2019 and is res judicatory.

On plaintiff’s prayer No. 3, the court held that “Prayer N0.3 was decided in Suit N0: FHC/CA/CS/73/2018 and following that decision INEC, 2ND defendant herein, has removed the names of all candidates forwarded to INEC by APC as a product of the primaries from its ballot papers.

Prayers N0.4 &5, in this case, were granted in suit No: FHC/CA/CS/73/2018. INEC has removed those names from its ballot papers.

“The name of the 3rd defendant has already been voided and being one of those names sent to INEC by the first Defendant, APC, removed from INEC ballot papers for the Governorship Elections in Cross River state coming up on the 9/3/2109 in line with consequential order 5 in the Federal High court case.

“I am of the settled view that the main causes of action in claims 2-6 in this matter, which are the APC primary elections for her candidates in Cross River state, and the sending of names of APC candidates based thereon to INEC, were resolved by the Federal High Court in the case referred to above on the 11/2/2019.

“The cause of action in those claims are therefore res judicata. Claims 2-6 in this action are in consequence dismissed as there is nothing left to decide in them.”

Speaking with newsmen shortly after the judgment, A .U Bukar, Counsel to Claimant, John Ukpan Odey an aspirant under APC, said he was happy with the decision of the court following the fact that a Federal High sitting in Abuja had already given an order on the matter.

“What was displayed earlier by the APC was political rascality and we are happy that the High Court sitting in Cross River state where my client instituted the matter has affirmed the order of the Federal High Court of 11/2/2019 with Suit No FHC/CA/CS/73/2018 which has already been obeyed by INEC which on the 22nd of February delisted all candidates of APC including the governorship candidate, “he submitted.

Nigeria State elections: Court sacks all APC candidates in Cross River

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday reassured Nigerians that he would not let them down in his second term in office.

He spoke at the Presidential Villa while receiving the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), who paid him a congratulatory visit.

According to him, he would work harder in the next four years to address the challenges facing the country.

“This is my last lap, I will try to work harder. I assure you, I will not let you down.” he stated

Chairman of the ACF’s board of trustees, Alhaji Adamu Fika who led the delegation, said the visit was to congratulate the president over his victory at the polls.

http://thenationonlineng.net/i-wont-let-you-down-buhari-reassures-nigerians/

The reported death of Bala Haruna, went viral yesterday. Haruna, a staunch supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari in Bauchi State, had vowed to spend 10 minutes inside a gutter and drink the drainage water if Buhari wins the presidential election.

Immediately Buhari was declared winner of the February 23 presidential election in the early hours of last Wednesday, Haruna made good his promise as he swam in a gutter and drink dirty water from it. He immediately made social media blitz after his feat.

But yesterday, he was reported to have died after battling with Gastrointestinal bleeding in the hospital for days after his public stunt.

According to reports, Haruna was rushed to the hospital after complaining of severe abdominal pains and severe stooling of blood for two days.

After series of tests conducted, he was diagnosed with Gastrointestinal bleeding, which was contacted from the contaminated water he drank.

It would be recalled that in 2015, a man, Abubakar Duduwale, trekked from Yola in Adamawa State to Abuja to celebrate Buhari’s victory.

Last year, the Health Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole, visited the man at the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, after developing leg injury from the trekking.

https://guardian.ng/news/man-dies-days-after-bathing-drinking-drainage-water-to-celebrate-buharis-re-election/?F&fbclid=IwAR33g7sD7al8iHZZJDJ9TI9TVOLKG7ZjcwxSNWAiWi5fXhZSgDUhib5-QGw

President Muhammadu Buhari says he holds former President Olusegun Obasanjo in high esteem, regardless of their differences.

He stated this in his congratulatory message on the occasion of Obasanjo’s 82nd birthday on Tuesday.

Obasanjo had stressed that he would not refrain in his criticism of Buhari. However, in a statement issued by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Buhari referred to Obasanjo as a “great patriot who deserves accolades” for his contributions to national unity.

According to Buhari, Obasanjo is “a passionate and great patriot who deserves accolades for his immeasurable contributions to our democracy and national unity.”

He continued: “Regardless of our political differences with Obasanjo, I still hold him in the highest esteem because his contributions to the development of the country overshadow those differences.

“Chief Obasanjo gave a good account of himself and inspired his juniors with his wit and other leadership skills.

“Nigeria’s successful transition to democratic rule in October 1979 was one of Obasanjo’s remarkable contributions to national development.

“As he celebrates his 82nd birthday anniversary, I wish Chief Obasanjo more good health, knowledge and wisdom in the service of Nigeria and humanity.”

http://saharareporters.com/2019/03/06/regardless-our-differences-i-hold-obasanjo-high-esteem-says-buhari

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the smart card readers (SCRs) are mandatory in Saturday’s governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.

Mr. Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner, and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee stated this on Tuesday in Abuja.

Okoye said the clarification was important going by allegations since the conduct of the Feb. 23, Presidential and National Assembly elections that INEC was selective in its use of smart card readers in its conduct of the elections.

He said that those allegations had led to speculations that INEC may be forced to jettison the use of SCRs in the state and federal capital area council elections.

“INEC hereby states categorically that the allegations are absolutely false and the speculations are without any basis whatsoever.

“The use of the smart card readers is not only mandatory but its deliberate non use attracts the sanction of possible prosecution of erring officials in accordance with the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of elections.

“This is in addition to the voiding of any result emanating from such units or areas, as was done in the presidential and national assembly elections of February 23.

“The general public and all officials engaged for the elections are hereby informed that the commission is not reconsidering the use of these smart card readers which has greatly improved the credibility of our elections and instilled a high level of public trust in them.

“To clear any doubt or ambiguity, we wish to state that the deployment and mandatory use of SCRs in next Saturday’s elections will not only be uniformed but also universal, and the provisions of the regulations and guidelines will be strictly and vigorously enforced.

“All Stakeholders are to note and be guided accordingly please,” Okoye said.

Smart card readers mandatory for governorship polls: INEC

The Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo on Wednesday disqualified the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Taraba State, Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi, from participating in the election on Saturday.

The court based its ruling on alleged falsification of age in the documents which Danladi supplied to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Details later…

UPDATED: Court disqualifies Taraba APC gov candidate

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Warri, Omo-Agege said the President and the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) would avoid the 2015 mistake that led to the emergence of Sen. Bukola Saraki as the president of the Senate.

The senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege says President Muhammadu Buhari will be actively involved in the process of selecting the next leadership of the Senate.

‘‘Anybody who is going to be Senate President, in the 9th Senate, must be somebody who is loyal to Mr President, the party and the constitution.

‘‘The Senate President will be determined by Mr President. Mr President will indicate to us through the party who he want to work with,’’ Omo-Agege said.

The ruling APC is set to produce the next Senate president after winning the majority of senatorial seats at the upper legislative chamber in the Feb. 23 election.

Asked if APC has zoned the senate presidency to any geo-political zone, the lawmaker said ‘‘I do not know.’’

‘‘But what I can tell you is that we are going to have a Senate that will work with Mr President.

‘‘The era of allowing renegades who rode on the back of Mr President, who rode on the back of the party to go in there and trade the party’s mandate, I think that era is gone.

‘‘I am very hopeful that this time around, Mr President will step in and decide not only the zone that will produce the Senate president and the leadership but also who should be.

‘‘We don’t want to erect another opposition leader in the Senate, as we had in the 8th Assembly.

‘‘There are a lot of us in the Senate who are returning to the next senate who fits into that position. We are so many but any decision the President makes, we will all fall in line and abide.

‘‘We want President Buhari to succeed and it is all in our place, some of us who are close to him, to tell him certain calls he should not make because we know ourselves in the National Assembly and we do not want a repeat of the Saraki saga as we go back to the ninth Senate.’’ he said.

Speaking on the upcoming Saturday’s election, Omo-Agege said the APC stood a chance to win the March 9 governorship elections in Delta, saying ‘‘Delta people are determined not to be in the opposition again.’’

http://thenationonlineng.net/buharill-decide-senate-presidency-omo-agege/