Supreme Court affirms Fubara as Rivers Gov
The Supreme Court, Thursday, upheld the election of Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the authentic governor of Rivers State. The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Tonye Cole, filed to challenge the outcome of the governorship election that held in the state on March 18, 2023. The Apex court five-member panel led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit. The court said it found no reason to disagree with the concurrent decisions of the Court of Appeal and the Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which upheld Fubara’s victory at the poll. It further established that the appellant failed convince the court that the election was not conducted in compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022. The APC pulled out from the case against governor Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, while it was being heard by the Rivers State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal. Despite the position of the party not to challenge the declaration of Fubara as winner of the gubernatorial contest by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr. Cole, vowed to prosecute his petition to its logical conclusion. INEC had declared that Fubara of the PDP polled a total of 302,614 votes to defeat his closets rival, Cole of the APC who got a total of 95,274 votes. Dissatisfied with the outcome of the poll, Cole approached the tribunal to challenge it. The appellant, among other things, alleged that the Rivers State governorship poll was marred by corrupt practices, insisting that it was not conducted in substantial compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
BREAKING: Governor declares 24-hour curfew in Plateau LG
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has declared a 24-hour curfew on the Mangu Local Government Area of the state with immediate effect. The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the governor’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere. He said the decision followed the deteriorating security situation in the area. The statement read in the part, “Governor Mutfwang took the decision after consultations with the relevant security agencies. “He stated that only persons on essential duties are allowed to move within the local government area until further notice. “He urged all citizens, especially residents of Mangu Local Government Area, to comply with the directive and assist the security personnel by providing reliable information to restore peace and order in the area. “He lamented that some people are still determined to create an atmosphere of insecurity in the state, despite the government’s efforts to end the activities of terrorist elements. “He expressed his sympathy to the families of the victims and the injured and assured them that the government will not relent in ensuring lasting peace in the state. “He promised that the curfew will be reviewed as soon as the security situation improves.”
Court Nullifies Passage of Rivers State 2024 Budget
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Monday, declared unlawful the presentation and passage of Rivers State 2024 Budget by a group of unlawful four member legislators in the State. Also, the court ordered the governor of the State Siminalaye Fubara to represent the budget to the legally constituted House of Assembly under Speaker Martin Amaewhule. Ruling on the matter before the court, James Omotoso also held that the government has no Constitutional power to withhold the Hose of Assembly fund. The court restrained Governor Fubara from frustrating House of Assembly under Amaewhule from sitting or interfering in the affairs of the House. The redeployment of the Clerk and Deputy Clerk done by the Governor was declared null and void and was set aside. The Inspector General of Police was ordered to immediately give adequate security to the Speaker and legislators loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike. Justice Omotoso ordered the Clerk and the Deputy Clerk to resume office immediately and unhindered. The National Assembly barred from taking over the Rivers State House of Assembly or accept or treat any request from Governor Fubara. Governor Fubara was ordered to release all monies standing in the credit of the House of Assembly to Martin Amaewhule. In all, all issues in dispute on Ribers State House of Assembly were resolved in favour of Wike’s loyalists. Details later.
16 sacked Plateau Assembly lawmakers to resume legislative duties
The 16 members of the Plateau House of Assembly, who were ousted by the Court of Appeal in November last year, have announced their intention to resume legislative duties on Tuesday. Briefing newsmen in Jos, the lawmakers, originally elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), revealed that they considered the recent Supreme Court judgment on Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s election as a precedent for their case. The Court of Appeal had nullified their election, citing a lack of party structure within the PDP. This decision also affected federal lawmakers from the state, leading to re-run elections scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for February 3. Interestingly, Governor Mutfwang faced a similar fate but saw his dismissal overturned by the Supreme Court on January 12, highlighting an error in the lower court’s judgment. In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling, the ousted legislators asserted that they were merely on recess during this period and, based on the apex court’s decision, claimed their election nullification was in error. The spokesperson for the group, Ishaku Maren, emphasized their democratic legitimacy, asserting that they were duly elected by the majority of votes in their respective constituencies.
Ogun: Supreme Court Affirms Governor Abiodun’s Re-Election
The Supreme Court has affirmed the victory of Governor Dapo Abiodun of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at the March 18 governorship election in Ogun State. The Apex Court upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja which dismissed the appeal filed by by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Ladi Adebutu, seeking the nullification of the re-election of Governor Abiodun. Delivering the Lead Judgement, Justice Tijani Abubakar dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit
Kaduna: Uba Sani wins at the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has affirmed the Victory of Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the March 18 governorship election in Kaduna state. The Apex Court upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja which set aside the decision of the Kaduna governorship election tribunal sacking Sani and declaring the governorship election in the state as inconclusive. Delivering the Lead Judgement, Justice Tijani Abubakar dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit. More Details later
S’Court Upheld Nasir Idris as Kebbi State Gov
The Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Nasir Idris of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Governor of Kebbi State. The Apex Court upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja dismissing the appel filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aminu Bande challenging the victory of at the March 18 governorship election. Delivering the Lead Judgement, Justice Abba Aji dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit More Details later
Gombe Guber: Gov Yahaya election affirmed a S’Court
The Supreme Court on Friday, dismissed an appeal by Jibrin Barde of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)challenging the election of Governor Muhammad Yahaya of Gombe state. The Apex court lead judgment read by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, unanimously dismissed an appeal by Barde for want of merit, incompetent and liable to be dismissed. Consequently, the apex court has affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, which had in November, 2023, upheld the election of Yahaya as Governor of Gombe State. The appellate court had upheld Yahaya’s election after dismissing two separate appeals challenging his declaration as winner of the March 18, governorship election in the state.
Nasarawa: Supreme Court Dismisses Appeal Seeking To Sack Gov Sule
A 5-man panel of the Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party seeking to upturn the electoral victory of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State. Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Sule as winner of the election with 347,209 votes to beat his closest challenger, Ombugadu, who polled 283,016 votes. Not happy with the results declared by INEC, Ombugadu and his party, the PDP, filed a petition at the Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to challenge the outcome of the polls. On October 2, 2023, a 3-man panel of the election petition tribunal led by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, in a split decision of two-to-one, declared Ombugadu, the validly elected governor of Nasarawa State. However, the Court of Appeal in Abuja, affirmed the election of Abdullahi Sule as Nasarawa State governor, after overturning the earlier decision of the election petition tribunal that removed him from office. Delivering judgement on the appeal filed by Sule, a three-member panel of the appeal court held that the Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal was wrong to have declared David Ombugadu, as the winner of the 18 March election. Not relenting, Ombugadu appealed at the apex court. But in a lead judgment, Justice Kudirat Kekere Ekun dismissed Ombugadu’s appeal for being ‘devoid of merit, vexatious and incompetent. The panel unanimously held that all the sister appeals abide by the instant judgment. More so, the panel ordered parties to bear their respective costs. Recall that Governor Sule was initially declared the winner of the polls by INEC. But Ombugadu challenged the election outcome at the tribunal, arguing that he won the majority of valid votes during the contest. In a split decision of the tribunal on October 2, two members, forming the majority, declared Ombugadu the winner of the election, while the minority opinion of the only other member affirmed Sule’s victory. Sule subsequently appealed against the majority decision of the tribunal, and won.
More Troubles for Emefiele as FG amends charges
Fresh troubles appear to be in the offing for former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele as the Federal Government again amended the charges against him on offences allegedly committed while in office. The earlier charges have been increased from six to 20, bordering on forgery, conferring of corrupt advantage, and criminal breach of trust among others. The Federal Government had initially filed 19 charges against the former CBN governor bordering on N6.9bn procurement fraud but pruned it down to six to the tune of N1.2bn which he is currently standing trial on. In the amended charge, Emefiele was accused of obtaining the sum of $6.2m by pretence by falsely representing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The government said the offence was contrary to section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act. The charge read, “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele male, adult, and Odoh, Eric Ocheme (Still at large) on or about the 8th day of February 2023 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowingly obtained by false pretence, the sum of Six Million, Two Hundred and Thirty Thousand United State Dollar ($6,230,000.00) by falsely representing that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation vide a letter dated 26th January, 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201 requested the Central Bank of Nigeria to provide a contingent logistic advance in the sum of $6,230,000.00 “in line with Mr. President’s directive” which representation you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence.” He was also accused of conniving with one Eric Ocheme who has been at large to commit forgery. The government said the offence was contrary to section 96 (1) and punishable under section 364 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89 Laws Federation, 1990. It read, “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele male, adult, and Odoh, Eric Ocheme (Still at large) sometime in January 2023 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court agreed amongst yourselves to cause to be done an illegal act to wit: forgery of a document titled: RE: PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE ON FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVER MISSIONS dated 26 January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201 and you thereby committed an offence.” Emefiele was also accused of conferring corrupt advantage on his wife Omoile Margret and Brother In-law Omoile Macombo by awarding a contract for the renovation of a portion of the CBN Governor’s residence in Lagos to the tune of N99.8m. The government said the offence was contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. The charge read, “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in March 2020 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on your wife, Omoile Margret, and brother-in-law Omoile Macombo by awarding a contract for the external renovation of the CBN Governor’s Residence lying, being and situate at No. 2 Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos in the sum of 99,826,452.47 to Messrs. Architekon Nigeria Limited, a company wherein the duo are directors and majority shareholders and you thereby committed an offence. ” Emefiele’s counsel, Mathew Bukka, SAN, pleaded with the court for time, adding that the amended charge was served on them on Wednesday. The trial judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, adjourned the matter till Friday January 19, for fresh plea of Emefiele to be taken in the new charges.