Liberia Election: Tinubu Hails George Weah For Conceding Defeat

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has extended his congratulations to Liberia for the successful completion of its Presidential Election. In a statement delivered by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu praised the Liberian government and its people for their commitment to a transparent and peaceful electoral process. President Tinubu specifically congratulated President-elect Joseph Boakai on his victory, urging him to prioritize national unity and harness the overwhelming support expressed by the electorate to drive progress and effective governance in Liberia. The Nigerian President also lauded outgoing President George Weah for his demonstration of remarkable leadership by gracefully conceding defeat, preventing potential socio-political tensions. “President George Weah’s gracious concession sets a sterling example of democratic sportsmanship, especially at a time when democratic values face threats in West Africa,” President Tinubu remarked in his statement.  “His act underscores the importance of respecting the will of the people and avoiding unrest following election outcomes.” Acknowledging the peaceful participation of Liberian citizens in exercising their democratic rights, President Tinubu urged continued dedication to upholding peace and democratic principles in the nation. The recent electoral results showed opposition leader Joseph Boakai leading with nearly 51% of the votes, prompting President Weah to acknowledge the irreversible lead and gracefully accept defeat. In a humble concession speech, President Weah emphasized that while the election might have ended his presidency, the true winners were the people of Liberia.  He highlighted the significance of respecting the electoral process and gracefully accepting outcomes for the greater good of the nation.

Court Declares Zamfara Guber Election Inconclusive, Mandates Rerun in 3 LGAs

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, declared as inconclusive, the governorship election that held in Zamfara State on March 18. The court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, nullified the return of Governor Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) as the winner of the gubernatorial contest. It ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct a fresh election in three Local Government Areas, LGAs, of the state. The court however, did not award any cost to the respondents.  The court agreed with All Progressive Congress APC candidate that elections did not hold previously or where results from various polling units were not counted in the three LGAs. In the lead judgement that was read by Justice Sybil Nwaka, the court held that it was wrong for INEC to rely on information it obtained from its IReV portal, to collate the final result of the governorship election. The judgement followed an appeal that was lodged before the court by the immediate past governor of the state, Bello Matawalle, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the election. More details later…

Presidential Tribunal to announce verdict Sept 6, okays live broadcast

Putting an end to two weeks of suspense, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has officially confirmed that it will deliver its judgment on Wednesday, September 6. This landmark decision comes after three petitions contesting the victory of Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election. The Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal, Umar Mohammed Bangari, disclosed this important date in Abuja on Monday, putting to rest the speculations that had been swirling around the case. Bangari assured that the court is taking every measure to ensure a smooth and trouble-free delivery of the judgment in response to the three petitions. These petitions were filed by Abubakar Atiku, the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP); Peter Obi, his counterpart from the Labour Party; and the Allied People Movement (APM) under the APC umbrella. In an effort to maintain order and security, Bangari mentioned that stringent security measures have been implemented. Access to the courtroom will be restricted, permitting only invited members of political parties and the general public to enter. This approach is intended to prevent overcrowding and potential security breaches. Furthermore, Bangari announced that interested television stations would be allowed to broadcast the proceedings live, without any associated costs to the court. However, to ensure security and crowd control, certain restrictions will be in place around the court premises. A notable decision by the court was to reserve judgment on the petitions submitted by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, scheduling them for delivery on the same day as Peter Obi’s Labour Party petition. Notably, last week, the court refuted the claims that it had set September 16 as the date for the judgment, clarifying the actual date as September 6.

Tribunal reserves judgment in petitions against Sanwo-Olu’s re-election

Lagos State Election Petition Tribunal has reserved judgment in two petitions against the election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat. The three-man tribunal led by Justice Arum Ashom, on Saturday, said it would communicate the date for the judgment to the parties in the petition. Ashom made this known after counsel to the parties adopted final written addresses. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party (LP) and Abdulazeez Adeniran (a.k.a. Jandor) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is challenging the re-election of Sanwo-Olu and Hazmat of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is the first respondent in the petition, while Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat are the second and third respondents, respectively. APC is the fourth respondent. The governorship election took place on March 18. The two petitioners were absent in court on Saturday but Hamzat was present. Sanwo-Olu’s counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), while adopting his final written address, asked the court to dismiss the petitions for lack of merit. He described the petitions as an academic exercise. He said that there was no reference to the second respondent in the addresses of the petitioners, adding that the addresses dwelt on the third respondent. “They have abandoned their petitions and also abandoned any issues against the second respondent.” He said that the non-qualification of the deputy governor for the election as claimed by Rhodes-Vivour had no substance. Olanipekun argued that the allegation of Hamzat’s renunciation of Nigerian citizenship and swearing an oath of allegiance to the U.S. were not sufficiently proven. Similarly, counsel to APC, Mr. Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN), submitted that the argument about Hamzat’s citizenship was not duly proven by the petitioners. Counsel to INEC, Mr. Charles Edosonwan (SAN), in adopting his final written address, asked the Tribunal to dismiss the petitions for lack of evidence. He said: “One of the issues raised by the petitioners is whether the election was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act. “We say that they have provided no scintilla of proof to show it wasn’t. “A petition erected on such an allegation was sought to be proven by 10 witnesses in a state that has 13,325 polling units. The petition is materially challenged,” he said. Mr Olatunji Benson, counsel to LP and its Governorship Candidate, Rhodes-Vivour, asked the tribunal to uphold the position of his clients that Hamzat did not qualify to contest the election. He prayed the tribunal to remove Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat from office and declare Rhodes-Vivour the Governor of Lagos State. Also adopting his final written address, counsel to PDP, Mr Clement Onwuenwunor, argued that Sanwo-Olu did not have a secondary school leaving certificate and, therefore, was not qualified to be governor.