Rivers Guber: S’Court dismisses APM’s appeal against Fubara
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the appeal of the Allied People’s Movement against the victory of Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara. The five-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun also reserved judgment in the appeal by the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Patrick Tonye-Cole. The counsel for the APM and its candidate in the March 18 election, Innocent Kere, at proceedings on Monday opted to withdraw the appeal. The appeal was subsequently dismissed by the apex court. Tonye-Cole and APC appeal was reserved for judgment, after the court listened to the arguments of the party involved in the matter. Tonye-Cole, among others, is asking the apex court to sack Fubara, adding that the governor did not resign as the Accountant General of the state under the deadline stipulated by the constitution and the Electoral Act. The lower courts had dismissed all appeals against Fubara and upheld his election.
Surmounting the Tunji-Ojo Hurdle
As President Tinubu promises not to spare anyone found culpable by the probe of the fraud at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty alleviation, shall we now call this frenzy a hurricane? Because that’s what it is beginning to look like. For many, the jury may still be out on the streets. But it will seem like President Tinubu don vex. That’s why one can, for the want of a better moniker describe the current disruption in the executive branch as the reveling of a Hurricane Tinubu on the Three Arms Zone which, to all intents and purpose, it is safe to say, Nigerians are savouring the storm. But many fear that President Tinubu may not have the liver to go the full hog in the battle to clear the swamp. As we say, Nigeria is so lucky. It does not suffer natural disasters, except that the effect of bad behaviour of our public officials’ wrecks havocs greater than the worst tsunami. What should have been a land flowing with milk and honey, Nigeria has been despoiled by the successive reign of kleptocratic and ruinous rulers who simply steal public funds just for the fun of it. The theft of public funds by politicians, civil servants and their associates exerts the greatest pressure on the public purse in Nigeria. It has been estimated that from independence in 1960 till date, over US$582bin had been stolen from the public treasury in Nigeria by those into whose care it was entrusted. Stealing by public officials in Nigeria has become so bad that it is the major feature that describes successive regimes since the dawn of the Furth Republic in 1999, such that every succeeding administration, from the President Olusegun Obasanjo government, through late President Yar’adua, till date, had been more corrupt than its predecessor, not only in terms of their ranking in the Global Corruption Perception Index but the actual heist. The greatest shocker was the eight years of unmitigated disaster that was the Buhari reign of banditry, theft, cluelessness, and ignominy. So, when the lid blew open on what has now been termed as BETTAGATE at the cesspool called the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, not a few Nigerians heaved a sigh of relief, hoping the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu had found an opportunity to get Nigerians to ‘vibe to its rhythm’, unbeknownst that the Tunji-Ojo hurdle would prove to be a litmus test too complex to decipher. Certainly, it proves how broad it is that ethnic bias is a Faultline in the fight against corruption. But President Tinubu must know better than to drop the ball at this point, just to save the career of a wily dealer whose ugly backside was revealed too early before attaining a crescendo when he would make the kill. Mr. President must know that he is the boss at whose desk the buck stops. It is his presidency for crying out loud! If he allows this buildup to stall, it may be sunset at dawn for his presidency. Bettagate presents a great opportunity for him to recalibrate and relaunch his regime’s chequered agenda. Before the big seizure at Hajiya Halima’s drawers that provided the tip-off leading to this cache, Nigerians gazed in vain into the midnight sky, on a daily basis, hoping they could locate a sign that gives confidence to hope in President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda. The same Minister Betta Edu was one of the early signs that a gadfly of a lady constituted a major distraction to the realization of this agenda. Like her predecessor, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Faruk, she baffled Nigerians on a daily basis with unbelievable tales about how she was empowering Nigerians with magical cash transfers, even as many discerning individuals struggled to trace her footprints on the nation’s poverty landscape. As they say, it is many days for the thief, and one day for the owner of the house. Even the least endowed could tell that the economic empowerment strategy being deployed by the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry was nowhere near tackling the poverty challenge. Many expect that President Tinubu would be swift in clearing this Augean stable currently littered with the Bettagate scandal. But it would seem that the President has buckled, unable to surmount the Tunji-Ojo huddle. Many had foretold this difficult juncture with exactitude, basing their confidence on the suspicion that Tunji-Ojo represents the interests of some deadly masquerades at the seat of power. Recall that this was the same Tunji-Ojo of the infamous “Honorable Minister, off your mic” as he prevailed on then Minister of the Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio from spilling the beans about how he and other members of the National Assembly benefitted from contracts awarded by the commission. It is déjà vu all over, as it would seem like we are back at the President Muhammadu Buhari era when, as Senator Shehu Sani poetically put it, members of the kitchen cabinet caught stealing were deodorised with fragrance while others, who were not members of the cabal, were sprayed with insecticides if caught. This is why one can not, therefore, help but to be reminded of the pledge by then candidate Tinubu when he promised that his would be an administration that would continue from where Buhari stopped. In what seems like a resort to the usual distraction and subterfuge, the president has announced the suspension of the NSIP programme. Many think this is just to divert attention from the call for suspension of Minister Tunji-Ojo, pending the conclusion of ongoing investigation by anti-graft agencies to determine the extent of his involvement. To date, the white paper issued based on the probe of the NNDC contract scam is yet to see the light of day. Meanwhile, the same man pleading with the honorable minister to off his mic is now a minister of the Federal Republic. Is there any wonder, therefore, that he is enmeshed in another contract scam? This may be why many think
Plateau Speaker yet to recognise APC lawmakers after Supreme Court ruling
The Plateau State House of Assembly is facing uncertainty as Speaker Gabriel Dewan, who belongs to the Young Peoples Party (YPP), has stated that he would only recognise eight members out of the total 24. This comes after the recent Supreme Court judgment overruled the Court of Appeal’s decision that led to the sack of 16 members elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Appeal Court had initially removed the 16 lawmakers, citing that the PDP lacked the legitimacy to sponsor them due to internal issues within the party. Following this decision, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) issued certificates of return to APC members. However, the recent Supreme Court judgment, which allowed the appeal filed by Governor Caleb Mutfwang against his sack, stated that the removal of the 16 PDP members was unjustified. The Supreme Court emphasised that the APC and its candidate had no authority to interfere in the internal affairs of another political party. Reacting to the Supreme Court ruling, Speaker Dewan declared that, based on the judgment, only eight members are recognised in the assembly. Dewan stated that the 16 lawmakers affirmed by the Court of Appeal would not be recognised for now, as the Supreme Court had declared the Appeal Court’s judgment faulty and an abuse of court processes. The affected PDP lawmakers have appealed to the Supreme Court for a determination, seeking to overturn the judgment of both the Appeal Court and the National Assembly members.
FG Expands Power Generation at Kanji, Commissions additional 300KWp Project
Further to the Renewed Hope agenda to provide adequate , reliable, and quality electricity to businesses and households in the country, the Federal Government has commissioned a 300KWp Solar PV pilot project in Kainji , Niger State. While commissioning the project, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu said the project will increase power generation capacity, lower electricity costs while also fostering enhanced collaboration between the main concessionaire, Mainstream Energy Solution and its Chinese partner, HEDC in the renewable energy field. A statement by Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser, Strategic Communication and Media Relations to the Minister stated that the power project comes with 675KWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which is an integral part of the extension of 1G3 and 1G4 under the rehabilitation of the 1G9 in Kainji HPP project. The Minister who said efforts were progressing in achieving President Tinubu’s turnaround agenda on supply of reliable and quality power said the Power Ministry’s objective is to meet power demand by ensuring improved distribution and transmission infrastructure to minimize technical and commercial losses, closing the metering gap and resolving theliquidity, power theft and vandalism challenges. The Minister also said the destruction of some power towers around the country has been reported to the National Security Adviser (NSA) in order to strengthen security around the power infrastructure. “It is of no use to expend so much energy in providing power facilities if the delivery channel is weak, that is why the Ministry is concentrating on improvement of the transmission and distribution capacity.” On power theft and destruction of power infrastructure, Adelabu again emphasized the need for Nigerians and the different Communities where the facilities are located to protect them. “What is the essence of government and private companies expending resources on these power facilities while some elements within the society will deliberately move to destroy the facilities which are national assets. What we witnessed towards the end of 2023 was disheartening. Some of the power towers were brought down with loss of lives, in some cases, this is quite unfortunate. We should take it as a personal and collective responsibility to protect the infrastructure”. He added that plans are also underway to wield the big stick onpower theft through adequate legislation in order to serve as deterrent to others. The Minister also revealed that efforts have begun to bridge metering gaps in the country. “Presently, we have about 12 million electricity users, but only about five million are metered. As we are all aware, the President set up the Presidential Mass Metering Initiative of which I am the chairman, we are working assiduously on this initiative to bridge the metering gap.” Adelabu gave government’s assurance to continue to provide enabling environment for the private sector to leverage on opportunities inherent in government policies, incentives and regulations for sustainable power supply for economic development and improvement of the standard of living of Nigerians, especially rural dwellers adding that government had also come up with relevant policies and programmes in order to provide direction in ensuring power availability to the people. Speaking earlier, Managing Director of Mainstream Energy Solution, Engineer Lamu Audu said the project is in line with the National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency policy of the Federal government which sets out the blueprint to increasing the country’s renewable energy development by 2030. He said the pilot project is the beginning of Mainstream’s integration of Variable Renewable Energy into its core business, adding that plan is at an advanced stage to build a 450MWp and 150MWp Solar PV at Kainji and Jebba Hydro Power Plants (HPPs). Audu called on government to continue to provide the enabling environment that would attract more funding from private investors.
Ali Nuhu, Ten others Appointed CEOs of FG Agencies
President Bola Tinubu has appointed actor, Ali Nuhu and ten others as Chief Executive Officers of agencies under the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy. This was made known in a statement by the spokesman of the President, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, on Friday. Ajuri listed the new appointees and the agencies as follows: Ali Nuhu — Managing-Director, Nigerian Film Corporation, Tola Akerele — Director-General, National Theatre, Dr. Shaibu Husseini — Director-General, National Films and Censors Board, Mr. Obi Asika — Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture. Others are: Aisha Adamu Augie — Director-General, Centre for Black and African Arts and Culture, Ekpolador-Ebi Koinyan — Chief Conservator, National War Museum, Ahmed Sodangi — Director-General, National Gallery of Art, Chaliya Shagaya — Director-General, National Institute of Archeology and Museums Studies, Hajiya Khaltume Bulama Gana — Artistic Director, National Troupe of Nigeria, Otunba Biodun Ajiboye — Director-General, National Institute for Cultural Orientation and Ramatu Abonbo Mohammed — Director-General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments. President Bola Tinubu however, charged the appointees to discharge their duties in accordance with the highest standards of professionalism, diligence, and patriotism with a view to making the creative sector more vibrant and robust
BREAKING: Tinubu Suspends National Social Investment Programme Amid Corruption Probe
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has suspended all administered programmes by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA). This is further to the ongoing investigation of alleged malfeasance in the management of the agency and its programmes. In a statement on Friday, Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said all four (4) Programmes administered by NSIPA, namely; N- Power Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme and Home Grown School Feeding Programme have been suspended for a period of six (6) weeks in the first instance. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has also raised significant concerns regarding operational lapses and improprieties surrounding payments to the Programs’ beneficiaries.” “He has therefore constituted a ministerial panel to conduct a thorough review of the Agency’s operations with a view to recommending necessary reforms of the NSIPA. “During the period of this suspension, all NSIPA-related activities, including but not limited to all distributions, events, payments, collaborations, and registrations, are now frozen. “The President wishes to assure the stakeholders and all Nigerians that his administration remains committed to a swift and unbiased process that will ensure that, going forward, social intervention programmes will work exactly as intended, to the benefit of the most vulnerable Nigerians.”
Plateau Guber: S’Court Reveres Sack, Affirms Gov Mutfwang’s Election
The Supreme Court, Friday, reversed the judgment of the Court of Appeal that sacked Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State from office on ground of unlawful nomination. The judgement read by Justice Emmanuel Agim held that the court below made an error in allowing the All Progressives Congress APC to delve into the conduct of the primary election by the People’s Democratic Party PDP and nullified the election unjustly. The court held that the issue of primary election was an internal affairs of political parties and that no other party can dabble into it except members of the same party. Besides, Justice Agim said that the issue of alleged improper conduct of the ward and local governments election used to sack the Governor was not justiceable. According to him, the conduct of the ward and local governments election was an affairs of the State Executive Committee of a political party while the conduct of the primary election for the nomination of a governorship candidate is entirely that of the National Executive Committee of a political party. Also, the court established that there was no issue of irregularities in the ways and manners the Governorship primary election that produced the governor was conducted in Plateau and wondered why that of the ward election was used to nullify the gubernatorial poll. He said that evidence was even well adduced that an order of Plateau State High Court allegedly disobeyed was indeed obeyed by parties involved. Therefore, the court unanimously voided and set aside the order of the Court of Appeal that Nentawe Goshwehe, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) be inaugurated as Plateau State Governor. The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the Plateau State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal which had earlier dismissed the petition of the APC and its governorship candidate. Governor Mutfwang of the PDP scored 525,299 votes to beat the All Progressives Congress candidate, Nentawe Yilwatda, who garnered 481,370 votes during the 18 March governorship poll in Plateau State. The governor’s election was upheld by the Plateau State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Jos, the state capital. However, the Court of Appeal in Abuja, in its judgement delivered on 19 November 2023, overturned Mr Mutfwang’s victory, prompting him to file an appeal at the Supreme Court to challenge the lower court’s decision.
Ebonyi Guber: S’Court Okeys Nwifuru’s Election
The Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi state. In a lead judgment of a 5-man panel of Justices, Justice Tijani Abubakar held that the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chukwuma Odi failed to prove any allegation of non compliance in the election. Consequently, the apex court in a unanimous decision dismissed the appeal by Odi for lacking in merit and a gross abuse of court process. The panel held that the PDP candidate cannot question the nomination of Nwifuru by his party, the APC. The Lagos state division of the Court of Appeal, had on November 24, 2023, affirmed the election of Francis Nwifuru as the duly elected governor of Ebonyi State in the March 18, governorship election. The three-member panel presided over by Justice Jummai Sankey, in its unanimous decision, dismissed the appeal filed by Chukwuma Odii of the Peoples Democratic Party.
BREAKING: Supreme Court Affirms Lawal’s Election As Zamfara Governor
The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Dauda Lawal as the duly elected Governor of Zamfara state. Justice Emmanuel Agim, who delivered the lead judgment, criticized the Court of Appeal’s earlier decision, describing it as “perverse.” Justice Agim emphasized that the allegations of over-voting failed to stand as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not provide essential documents such as the voter register, polling unit officer report, and eyewitness testimony. The judge highlighted that BVAS machines alone could not establish electoral malpractices, and the petitioner, Mr Matawalle, did not provide sufficient evidence to support his claims. “The court is of the view that the tribunal was right. The judgment of the Court of Appeal was perverse because the petitioner failed woefully to prove his allegations,” declared Justice Agim.
Kano Guber: Supreme Court Affirms Abba Yusuf Victory
The Supreme court has upheld the election of the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as the governor of the state. The five-man panel of the court lead by John Inyang Okoro, held that the 165, 616 votes complied with the provisions of Section 71 of the Electoral Act have been signed and stamped by the election agents. The court held that the All Progressive Congress (APC) and it’s flagbearer, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, failed to prove that the votes were unlawful. Therefore, the court ordered that the signed and stamped 165, 616 votes be returned to the appallant. With the verdict, the court thereby set aside the judgement of the lower court and declared that the Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf won the 2023 governorship election in Kano State with the majority votes. The Independent National Electronic Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced Yusuf as the winner of the March 18, 2023 election, saying he garnered 1,019,602 votes to defeat Gawuna who got 890,705 of the votes cast. Consequently, the APC headed the Tribunal, citing alleged electoral malpractice. The Tribunal in its ruling nullified Yusuf’s election, adding that over 160,000 ballot papers “were not signed or stamped by INEC”. The three-man panel of the Tribunal led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay sacked Yusuf on September 20, 2023, after deducting 165,663 of his votes. Yusuf’s votes were subsequently reduced to 853,939 while Ganuwa’s 890,705 votes were not affected. Not satisfied, Yusuf proceeded to the Appeal court which held that it can be seen that the Tribunal acted in the overall interest of justice when it allowed APC’s tendering of documents during trial. The court held that INEC released documents to the APC piecemeal in order to defeat the petition of the petitioner. The judgement further posited the the Petitioner’s insistence that APC ought to have joined its candidate, Ganuwa, as a party at the Tribunal proceedings, was not backed by the 1999 Constitution. It maintained that a candidate is entitled to be represented by his political party during litigation, adding that every political party shall maintain the register of its voters. The court said the appellant to his own detriment did not submit his NNPP membership registrar or even tendered his statement on oath regarding his membership of the party. The court added that the name of Abba is not the NNPP membership registrar. “As rightfully found, Yusuf Abba was not a member of the NNPP at the time he was purportedly sponsored by his party and he was not qualified to contest the March Governorship Election,” the court while affirming the judgment of the Tribunal. “If you claim to be a member of a political party, is it not logical for you to say so by yourself and not by proxy? “Even though membership of a political party is an internal affair, a political party cannot be permitted to circumvent or breach the provisions of the 1999 Constitution. “The Tribunal was wrong not to have disqualified the appellant. “Therefore the failure of the appellant and the NNPP to comply with the 1999 Constitution is fatal to their election. “All issues in this appeal are dismissed and the judgment of the Tribunal is affirmed,” the court held.