Headline

Upper Cut: Sanwo-Olu Floors AD, LP At Election Tribunal

Published

6 years ago

June 17, 2019

Editor

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu this morning won a major victory at the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.

His triumph was occasione by the tribunal’s dismissal of a petition filed by the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the Labour Party (LP) challenging the victory of the Executive Governor of Lagos, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the March 9 polls.

Justice T. T Asua, the Chairman of the Tribunal in a ruling dismissed the petitions due to the inability of the petitioners to file applications for pre-hearing conference after the close of pleadings within seven days as prescribed by law.

The three-man panel noted that timely application for pre-hearing conference was a condition to the hearing of the petitions and without the application for pre-hearing conferences, the petition cannot commence or get to the stage of judgment.

The panel noted that Section 285(4) of the Fourth Alteration to the 1999 Constitution was inapplicable because the timely application for pre-hearing conferences was a precondition in election petition matters.

Dismissing the petitions, Justice Asua said that inability to serve any of the respondents was not an excuse and that the consequence of failure to apply timely for pre-hearing conference is dismissal of such a petition.

Following the pronouncement, Mr Bola Aidi, the counsel to AD and LP thanked the Tribunal for a well considered ruling

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Sanwo-Olu, All Progressives Congress (APC) and the INEC Residential Electoral Commissioner were listed as respondents to the petitions.

Other respondents are -The Returning Officer for The Lagos State Governorship Election, the Commissioner of Police and the Nigerian Army.

Mr Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN) the counsel to Sanwo-Olu had via a motion filed on May 22 raised an objection based on Paragraph 18(1)(4) of the Electoral Act.

Owonikoko noted that the AD and LP had not filed applications hearings for pre-trial conference within seven-days after the close of pleadings.

Aidi, however in his response dated May 26 had said Section 285(8) of the Fourth Alteration of the 1999 Constitution does not permit any electoral petition to be terminated at the interlocutory stages.

The gubernatorial of AD Chief Owolabi Salis of AD and Prof. Ifagbemi Awamaridi of LP had in their petitions challenged Sanwo-Olu’s victory on the grounds that he is not competent to run as a gubernatorial candidate in the election.

The petitioners claimed that the March 9 polls was marred by violence, voting irregularities and that Sanwo-Olu cannot vote or be voted for as he has no valid voters card.

Headline

Breaking: Dele Momodu Resigns from PDP, Cites Hijack by Antidemocratic Forces

Published

3 days ago

July 17, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Chairman, Ovation Media Group and a former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dele Momodu, has resigned his membership of the party.

Momodu announced his membership via a letter dated July 17, 2025, and addressed to the Chairman, PDP Ward 4, Ihievbe, Owen East Local Government Area, Edo State.

The veteran journalist said he was resigning because the party has been ‘unarguably hijacked by antidemocratic forces from within and outside in broad daylight’.

He insisted that “it is therefore, honorable to abandon the carcass to them while the majority of us earnestly sign up with the new coalition party known as African Democratic Congress (ADC).”

He thanked the PDP for the opportunity and support he received ‘at all times’.

Momodu’s resignation from the PDP came barely 24hours after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar dumped the party.

Headline

Finally, Atiku Resigns Membership of PDP

Published

3 days ago

July 16, 2025

Eric

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has formally resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ending a decades-long relationship with the opposition party he co-founded.

The resignation was confirmed in a letter dated Monday, July 14, and addressed to the chairman of the PDP in Jada 1 Ward, Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State. A copy of the letter was shared publicly on Wednesday by Atiku’s media aide.

Atiku, who was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, stated that his decision to leave the party came after reflection on the current direction of the PDP, which he said no longer aligns with its founding values.

The letter read, “I am writing to formally resign my membership from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect.

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude for the opportunities I have been given by the party.

“Serving two full terms as Vice President of Nigeria and being a presidential candidate twice has been one of the most significant chapters of my life.

“As a founding father of this esteemed party, it is indeed heartbreaking for me to make this decision.

“However, I find it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the party has taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principles we stood for. It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognising the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.

“I wish the party and its leadership all the best in the future. Thank you once again for the opportunities and support.”

Headline

Buhari’s Remains Arrive Nigeria from London for Burial

Published

4 days ago

July 15, 2025

Eric

The body of former President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived in Nigeria from London.

The Nigerian Air Force aircraft carrying his remains touched down at the Katsina airport, where it was received by President Bola Tinubu and Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State, along with senior military officers.