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Kogi Guber: Tribunal adjourns to March 14 as Appeal Court sets aside inspection order granted SDP’s Ajaka
The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, on Monday, adjourned the hearing in the petition filed by Social Democratic Party, SDP and its candidate, Murtala Ajaka, until March 14.
The petitioners are challenging the election of Governor Ahmed Ododo of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The development followed the Court of Appeal judgement that set aside the tribunal’s inspection order granted the SDP and expunged paragraphs ‘g’, ‘k’ and ‘n’ of the earlier ruling.
Upon resumption of hearing on Monday, counsel to the petitioners, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, moved for the business of the day.
But the first respondent’s lawyer, Kanu Agabi, SAN, drew the attention of the tribunal to the decision of the Appeal Court and an affidavit to the effect.
This necessitated the adjournment for the tribunal to take the application.
Meanwhile, tendering of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, devices and others, scheduled for Monday, could not proceed in view of the appellate court’s decision.
The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja had, on Friday, set aside the inspection Order granted the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP by the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.
The tribunal had, on Nov. 25, 2023, granted an ex-parte order, allowing the SDP and its candidate in the Nov. 11, 2023 governorship poll to carry out forensic examination of all the Bimordal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) used in the election, among other reliefs.
But the three-member panel of justices led by Justice J.O.K. Oyewole, in a unanimous ruling, set aside the inspection order on the grounds that it went outside the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The appellate court held that while inspection is allowed under the Electoral Act, it must be jointly carried out with the respondents and the scope of the inspection should be within the strict limit allowed under the Electoral Act.
“The ex parte order made by the trial tribunal on the 25th November, 2023 at the instance of the 1st and 2nd respondents are within the jurisdictional competence of the said tribunal.
“However, paragraphs ‘g’, ‘k’ and ‘n’ thereof are beyond the scope of Section 146 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022. The said paragraphs ‘g’, ‘k’ and ‘n’ are hereby expunged.
“The inspection purportedly done pursuant to the said orders of the trial tribunal without the presence of the appellant violates paragraph ‘h’ of the said orders and it is hereby set aside,” the panel ruled
Other members of the Appeal Court panel include Justices A. I. Banjoko and A.B. Mohammed.
Tragedy struck in Zamfara State as bandits unleashed a wave of violence on some farming communities, claiming the lives of at least 30 farmers, including a respected Islamic cleric.
The attacks occurred in Gidangoga village of Maradun local government area and Bilbis village in Tsafe LGA of the State.
Sources told PRNigeria that the bandits first struck in Maradun LGA, attacking Gidangoga village, where farmers were preparing their lands for the upcoming wet season. Mallam Makwashi Maradun Mai Jan Baki, a renowned Islamic cleric, was brutally killed while working on his farm. He was known for reciting the Quran during Ramadan Tafsir at Maradun First Jumuat Mosque. Tragically, his two children remain missing after the attack.
In the evening, the bandits targeted Bilbis village in Tsafe LGA, leaving 20 innocent civilians dead. Local sources reported that the farmers were attacked while clearing their fields, and the bandits showed no mercy.
PRNigeria also gathered that a district head, Alhaji Murtala Ruwan Bado, of Garbadu in Talata Marafa Emirate, Zamfara State also narrowly escaped the bandits in the evening along Mayananchi road.
These devastating attacks have left communities in shock and grief, and authorities must take swift action to ensure justice and protect innocent lives.
The Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the Kogi State 2023 gubernatorial election, Alhaji Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, has condemned the abduction of some Students’ at the Confluence University of Science and Technology.
In a statement by Isaiah Davies Ijele, Director New Media Muri/Sam Campaign Council on Friday, Ajaka described the attack on the university as a barbaric, cruel and unfortunate.
He said: “The incident yet again in Kogi State, is a pointer to the failure of policing. The outlived Kogi State commissioner of Police Mr Bethrand Onuoha has failed to secure the State yet again.
“It is heartbreaking that some students who were gathered for tutorials ahead of their First Semester Examinations scheduled to commence on Monday, the 13th of May, 2024 could be abducted. He described the unfortunate act as inhumane and unfair to the young students.
“It is also worrisome that at this moment, the state government is yet to make public the actual number of students abducted. Sources within the school claimed over 40 students were abducted while the state government is saying otherwise. The public and the parents of the students have the right to know the true picture of things. We are warning against any cover up”.
He called on the Kogi State Government to deploy all state security apparatus at its disposal to secure the return of the students to their parents and loved ones.
“It is important for the state government under Usman Ododo to prioritize the safe return of the students and enhance security in the state and the University. Let’s hope for a swift resolution to this unfortunate incident,” the statement added.
The Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers Assembly has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stop what they described as the anti-democratic actions of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The lawmakers, who held their plenary at the auditorium of the House of Assembly quarters along Aba Road on Friday, decried an alleged autocratic posture of Fubara in the governance of the State.
A statement by Amaewhule’s Media Aide, Martin Wachukwu, quoted the Majority Leader, Major Jack, as accusing Fubara of planning to demolish the recently built Assembly Quarters.
Members were said to have listed what they called the tyrannical actions of the Governor beginning with the burning of the Hallowed Chamber of the Assembly, demolition of the Assembly Complex, attack on the official residence of the Speaker, withholding of Local Government Councils Fund and withholding of Assembly Service Commission Fund.
Members described such actions of the governor as despotic and called on all well-meaning people of Rivers State and the President of the country to call the Governor to order.
Amaewhule particularly described the invasion of the Assembly by Governor Fubara as vexatious, claiming that the Governor had conducted himself in a dictatorial manner.
He said people were wondering if the governor appreciated the import of the Independence of the three arms of government as enshrined in the Constitution.
Amaewhule charged members to stand firm and fight for the survival of democracy in the state and to resist ethnic division under any guise.
The House resolved to write to the British High Commission, the American Embassy, the European Union and the United Nations to intimate them of the alleged tyrannical disposition of Fubara towards the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Members of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Rivers State chapter led by the Chairman of Port Harcourt City Council, Allwell Nwunwor, appeared before the House on the invitation of the House Committee on Local Government.
They narrated the plight of the local government chairmen saying their monthly allocations had been withheld by the Governor in breach of Section 162(7) and (8) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999 as altered.
The council chairmen said that the unlawful seizure of councils’ fund had resulted in an increase in crime and criminality in the various LGAs because they were bereft of needed funds to tackle serious security matters.
The chairmen prayed the House to come to the aid of the councils lamenting that the administration at the third tier of government had been strangulated on the directives of the governor.
Remarking on the Complaints of the Council Chairmen, Amaewhule stated that by the provisions of Section 7 of the Constitution of Nigeria, and the Rivers State Local Government Law, 2024, the governor had no direct control over the day to day administration of the councils.
He said Fubara’s action were inimical to all known democratic symbols and ethos.
The Speaker added that Fubara had no respect for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and all that he represented, given his anti- democratic comments and allusions.
The House Resolved to take all necessary steps to ensure that the seized funds were released, including writing to the banks not to have any financial dealings with anybody on behalf of the Local Government Councils without the authorisation of the Council Chairmen.
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