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Old Naira Notes: Timi Frank Hails Judiciary for Overruling Buhari, Seeks Same on Election Petition Cases

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A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Sunday, commended the Supreme Court for overriding President Muhammadu Buhari on the legality and validity of the old Naira notes of N200, N500 and N1,000.

Frank in a statement in Abuja, however called on the judiciary to leverage the same patriotic courage it demonstrated in reversing the ban on old Naira notes in dispensing substantial Justice in the several election petition cases to be brought before them soon.

He said Nigerians are heartbroken, agitated, angry and frustrated because INEC raped and murdered democracy in the country on February 25, 2023.

He lamented that some of the rulings emanating from the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court in recent times brought shame to the entire country.

According to him, “Some of the Supreme Court’s ruling in recent time have made Nigerians to lose hope in the judiciary especially the one that awarded Senatorial tickets to Akpabio and Lawan who never participated in senatorial primary in their respective constituencies.

“How can Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senate President Ahmad Lawan be made candidates overnight by the apex court and today they claim to have been elected as Senators?”

Frank who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and Middle East, reminded the Judiciary that Nigerians have since lost hope on them as they believe they already know how the courts will rule on the various post election cases to be filed before them.

He called on the judiciary especially the Supreme Court to rise up from its ashes of partisanship and servile disposition to the APC and seize the opportunity by the present political conundrum to reset its image and do the needful courageously.

He urged the Judiciary to know that this is not the time to again sell justice to the highest bidder, saying, “they must redeem their image by ensuring that justice is done and seen to be done to the election petition cases now being brought before it.”

He urged the Judiciary to note that even the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, admitted that issues of logistics, election technology (BIVAS), the behaviour of some election personnel at different levels, marred the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

He insisted that this a clear indication that INEC failed woefully in its duty to deliver credible elections nor use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to conduct the elections in line with its guidelines.

He said: “This is the justice that Nigerians are asking for. INEC has failed and we urge the judiciary to so hold that INEC violated its own guidelines and did not comply with the Electoral Act and its guidelines.”

He insisted that the present case is unique in the sense that Nigerians have continued to cry out that their votes have been stolen and their mandate denied.

“Both international and local observers have agreed with them that the election was marred by massive irregularities and rigging. They equally berated and scored INEC low for not adhering to the law and its own guidelines.

“It is equally obvious that INEC failed to follow its guidelines and promise to transmit election results from the polling units to its server in real time.

“All over Nigeria, evidence abound in video, audio and hard copy formats showing how the results of the elections were falsified to favour the ruling APC.

“We believe that Nigerian Judges and Justices of the Appeal and Supreme Courts were in this country when the Presidential and National Assembly Election was conducted.

“Besides, we believe that Nigerian Judges and Justices read newspapers and listen to news on radio and television, therefore, they cannot claim to be unaware of Electoral heist that was perpetrated during the last election.

“It now behooves on the judiciary to review the facts that would be presented before them by aggrieved political parties, sift them to determine the truth and rule to uphold Justice, stability, peace and democracy in the country.

“Now that the cases will be coming before them, Nigerians are hopeful that they will use the same patriotic courage to rule in favour of the over 30 million Nigerians who voted during the last election in order to make their votes count.

“We saw how the Judiciary in Kenya rose up and sided with the yearnings and aspirations of the people when it annulled a rigged presidential election and ordered for a fresh one.

“We are calling on the Nigerian Judiciary to equally be courageous enough to declare the actual winners of the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections as duly elected.”

Comrade Timi Frank is the ULMWP Ambassador to East Africa and Middle East

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INEC Declares LP’s Alex Otti Winner of Abia Guber Polls

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The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared Alex Otti of the Labour Party, LP, winner of the Abia state governorship election.

Otti defeated his closest rival, Okey Ahiwe of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to emerge winner.

The Labour Party candidate scored 175, 467, while Ahiwe polled 88,529.

INEC Returning Officer in the state, Prof Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti declared Otti the winner on Wednesday evening after the resumption of the final collation of governorship election results in Umuahia.

The electoral umpire had suspended the collation of results for 48 hours.

Reacting, Otti praised God for his victory at the poll.

Tweeting via his verified Twitter handle, Otti wrote: “See what the lord has done.”

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Tinubu Sick, Flown to Europe for ‘Proper Medical Attention’

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By SaharaReporters

Former Lagos State governor, who is Nigeria’s ‘president-elect’, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission, Bola Tinubu, is travelling to Europe to seek medical care after falling ill, SaharaReporters has learnt.

SaharaReporters gathered that Tinubu fell ill after the “hectic” electioneering that led to his emergence as the ‘President-elect’ and the tension that built up ahead of the March 18 Lagos State governorship and House of Assembly elections where he also voted.

Authoritative sources revealed on Wednesday that Tinubu left for Europe on Tuesday night.

“Tinubu has left for Europe for medical care. He fell ill after voting on Saturday during the Lagos guber election. He was attended to by local doctors but he has left for Europe for proper medical care,” one of the sources close to him revealed.

“He initially said his doctors should be brought down to Nigeria for him, and that when things die down, he would leave. But I’ve confirmed that he left last night (Tuesday night) because he is definitely ill,” another source confirmed.

“His plane Falcon 9X with registration number VP-CBT can’t be tracked by air flight tracking websites.”

Indeed, efforts made by SaharaReporters to track the flight came back with: “VP-CBT – Unknown Owner (Cayman Islands (UK))

This aircraft (VP-CBT) is not available for public tracking per request from the owner/operator.”

SaharaReporters had reported that Tinubu cast his vote at his polling unit in Lagos on Saturday.

He had shared photos of himself voting on his Instagram page.

“I just joined other Nigerians in exercising my civic duty in the ongoing governorship and state assembly elections. I encourage you all to go out and vote peacefully,” he had written.

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It’s My Turn to Be Senate President, Says Orji Kalu

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The Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Kalu, has declared his intention to contest for Senate presidency in the 10th National Assembly.

Kalu, who won re-election to represent Abia North in the Red Chamber, disclosed this Tuesday while briefing newsmen at the National Assembly.

The ruling All Progressives Congress maintained a majority in the Senate, having secured 57 seats.

APC senators eyeing the Senate presidency have been lobbying their colleagues to seek their support.

Aside from Kalu, who has publicly declared interest in the position, Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Sani Musa (Niger); Barau Jibrin (Kano); and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi) are also said to be interested in running for the coveted office.

The final candidates for the position will largely be determined by zoning.

However, the APC leadership said it has not zoned the Senate presidency.

Some pundits believe that it is likely that APC might zone the post to the South for power balance, especially after its Muslim-Muslim ticket triggered outrage from some quarters, especially the Christian community.

Kalu told reporters that it was his turn to become Senate President, being a ranking lawmaker and from the South East.

He said, “It is my turn to become the Senate President. If I’m elected Senate President, I will be team Nigeria. I’m going to work in every corner of Nigeria.

“I schooled in Maiduguri, Borno State. I started my business in Lagos and spread it across all state capitals. My first name will be team Nigeria, my last name will be team Nigeria.

“Remember, I’m the only former governor who has never changed phone line for more than 20 years ago. I’m still willing to maintain that telephone number to answer all my calls. I’m not going to switch off my phones because I’m Senate President.

“I’m hoping that Nigerians will pray for me to become Senate President because it’s my turn.”

The Punch

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