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Ahead PEPT Sitting, PDP, Atiku, Apply for Live Broadcast

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As the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, kick-starts hearing on Monday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have filed an application for an order to allow live coverage of day-to-day proceedings on the case they brought against the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.

Atiku, who came second in the presidential election that held on February 25, in the motion he filed through his team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN, specifically applied for; “An order, directing the Court’s Registry and the parties on modalities for admission of Media Practitioners and their Equipments into the courtroom”.

The PDP candidate and former Vice President contended that the petition he lodged against the President-elect, was “a matter of national concern and public interest”.

He argued that the case involved citizens and electorates in the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, who he said voted and participated in the presidential poll.

More so, he drew attention of the court to the fact that the International Community is equally interested on issues pertaining to Nigeria’s electoral process.

In the motion dated May 5, Atiku and the PDP insisted that their case against Tinubu, being a unique electoral dispute with a peculiar constitutional dimension, they said it was a matter of public interest in which millions of Nigerian citizens and voters are stakeholders, with the constitutional right to be part of the proceedings.

“An integral part of the constitutional duty of the Court to hold proceedings in public is a discretion to allow public access to proceedings either physically or by electronic means.

“With the huge and tremendous technological advances and developments in Nigeria and beyond, including the current trend by this Honourable Court towards embracing electronic procedures, virtual hearing and electronic filing, a departure from the Rules to allow a regulated televising of the proceedings in this matter is in consonance with the maxim that justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done.

“Televising court proceedings is not alien to this Honourable Court, and will enhance public confidence”, the petitioners added.

Atiku had in his joint petition with the PDP, marked: CA/PEPC/05/2023, applied for the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return that was issued to Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

He maintained that the declaration of Tinubu as winner of the presidential election was “invalid by reason of non- compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022”.

Atiku further argued that Tinubu’s election was invalid by reason of corrupt practices.

“The 2nd Respondent was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the Election.

“The 2nd Respondent was at the time of the Election not qualified to contest the Election”, Atiku added while listing grounds he said the court should consider to nullify Tinubu’s election.

He prayed the court to declare him winner of the presidential election, having secured the second highest number of lawful votes cast at the election.

However, in a reply he filed through his team of lawyers led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, Tinubu, queried the legal competence of petitions seeking to invalidate his election victory.

In a preliminary objection he entered before the court, Tinubu, described Atiku as a consistent serial loser that had since 1993, crisscrossed different political parties, in search of power.

The President-elect said he would during the hearing of the petition, lead evidence before the court to show how Atiku’s emergence as a candidate in the presidential election that held on February 25, led to the “balkanisation” of the opposition PDP.

Insisting that he was validly returned as winner of the presidential election by INEC, Tinubu told the court that unlike Atiku, he has been “a most consistent politician, who has not shifted political tendency and alignment.”

On the claim that he did not secure the statutory vote from the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Tinubu, argued that it was not a mandatory requirement of the law that he must win the FCT before he would be declared as the President-elect.

He said Atiku’s call for his election to be nullified on the ground that he was mandatorily required to score one-quarter of the lawful votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the States and the FCT, “becomes suspect and abusive, when considered vis-à-vis relief 150(d), where the petitioners pray that the 1st petitioner who did not score one-quarter of the votes cast in more than 21 States and the FCT, Abuja, be declared the winner of the election and sworn in as the duly elected President of Nigeria”.

It will be recalled that INEC had on March 1, announced Tinubu as the winner of the presidential poll, ahead of 17 other candidates that contested the election.

It declared that Tinubu scored a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat Atiku who polled a total of 6,984,520 votes and Obi who came third with a total of 6,101,533 votes.

Aside from Atiku and the PDP, the Labour Party, LP, and its own candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, who came third at the election, are equally before the court to nullify Tinubu’s election.

A three-member panel of the PEPC which will conduct its proceedings at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, will on Monday, commence pre-hearing session on all the petitions that were brought before it by aggrieved presidential candidates and their political parties.

The Vanguard

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US-Based Group Endorses Sunny Irakpo As Brand Ambassador

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United States of America based organizations, Dawkins Development Group Inc. and Flip These Bricks Academy have made a renowned Anti-drug advocate, Host/Producer Interview45 and founder/ president Silec Initiatives, a brand Ambassador for Africa, to champion developmental projects and Initiatives that will engage the teeming youth population into meaningful socio-economic activities that has the potential to grow the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of Nigeria.

The Chairman/President, Dawkins Development Group Inc. and Flip These Bricks Academy in New York United States of America, Daniel Salem Dawkins made this known in an official letter addressed to Amb. Sunny Irakpo.

Dawkins Development Group Inc. New York United States of America, is a real estate and property development organization that specializes in design/building residential and commercial construction,land development, building remodeling, Roofing, restoration and handyman services for private and public clients and investors. The management of the organization stated that they are excited about the endorsement of amb. Sunny Irakpo, which to a large extent help create positive investment opportunities in the United States and Africa.

They added that your dedication and commitment to human and societal development which aligned with our organization’s values and vision to impact human lives , empower the younger generations to make the world a better place.

Responding to the endorsement, amb. Sunny Irakpo, thanked the Chairman of Dawkins Development Group Inc. and Flip These Bricks Academy for considering him for the noble venture to drive the next generation in job creation opportunities.

As part of his efforts to rid the country of drug abuse and addiction, the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State His Excellency Sen Douye Diri through the office of the Special Adviser on Trade and Investment to the Governor of Bayelsa State Mrs Owanari Rowland Harry recently , approved SILEC partnership to build the capacity of youth in the state.

Irakpo is of the view that with the endorsement by Dawkins, a testament that hard work and patience pays.

Irakpo added that the opportunity provided by Dawkins Development Group Inc. and Flip These Bricks Academy, development will further address social vices such as drugs and substance disorder amongst youth in Bayelsa State in particular and Nigeria in general.

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Springs of Joy Launches, Storms Ogun, Lagos for Widow’s Welfare, Distributes Wholesome Palliatives

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By Eric Elezuo

In furtherance of her activities geared towards affecting lives of the indigents, with special emphasis on widows, the Spring of Joy for Widows Foundation has once again spread its wings of kindness and passion to the widows of Nigeria. This was a follow-up to its earlier reach out conducted in May 2024 where over 250 widows were presented with food items in an event tagged Food Pantry and Medical Checkup for Widows.

In August 2024, the Founder of the Foundation, Mrs Anastasia Daniel, in company of her husband, arrived Nigeria from their base in the United States of America, and stormed some nooks and crannies of the nation with bags of smiles and hope for widows following a well attended launch of the Foundation in Surulere, Lagos.

It would be recalled that earlier in the year, at a well organized event held at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Christ Disciples Parish, Surulere, Lagos, which the Resident Pastor, Richard Umoren, graciously gave out, the Foundation released diverse and assorted food items to deserving widows, as well as conducted free medical checkups to ascertain the state of the health of the widows, using the best of medical personnels, drawn from the Christian Medical and Dental Association, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) chapter.

Kickstarting the avalanche of humanitarian efforts, Mrs Daniel and her team of Spring of Joy for Widows Foundation caregivers embarked on several impactful events to support widows in different parts of Nigeria, thereby furthering its mission of empowerment and care.

At a Food Pantry Event held at Ilogbo, Ogun State, the foundation conducted a food distribution event, where 133 widows were empowered.

According to Mrs Daniel, who consistently told her story of growing up with her widowed mother, each widow received essential food items, including rice, beans, garri, noodles and bags of sachet water.

“This initiative was aimed at addressing the immediate food needs of the widows and providing them with a sense of relief and support during these challenging times,” Mrs. Daniel said.

At the official launch of the Foundation, which was juxtaposed with a Fundraising ceremony in Surulere, Lagos, with about 100 guests in attendance, Mrs. Daniel assured stakeholders and guests of her Foundation’s readiness to spread good tidings to as many Nigerians in need as possible, maintaining that the day was specially designed to raise awareness about the foundation’s cause and generate financial support for its ongoing and future initiatives.

The event drew together notable television personalities, founders of other organizations, and influential individuals, giving it a high-profile status.

As a followup to the Launch, the Foundation undertook a Food Pantry Event at the Assemblies of God Church, Coker Orile, Lagos, where a remarkable 310 widows received free food items, ranging from rice, beans, garri, spaghetti, to bags of sachet water. Each widow present at the event received a generous helping of all the items. This event further extended the foundation’s reach, ensuring that more widows received the support they needed.

ABOUT SPRING OF JOY FOR WIDOWS FOUNDATION 

The Spring of Joy for Widows Foundation is a non-profit organization established to empower and uplift widows by providing them with basic necessities, emotional support, and opportunities for a better future.

Through these empowerment events, the foundation aims to ease the burden of widowhood, provide food security, and foster a sense of community and belonging among widows.

According to the Founder, “Each initiative is a step towards achieving a long-term empowerment opportunity for widows, ensuring they have the resources and support to lead dignified lives.”

The Foundation is an NGO committed to making a profound difference in the lives of widows, addressing their unique challenges, and ensuring they lead lives of dignity, independence, and purpose.

It is further rooted in a deep sense of compassion, equality, and social justice, with the goal of creating a world where widows are not marginalized, but celebrated for their resilience and strength.

Mrs Daniel, a Nigerian citizen of Enugu extraction, is an embodiment of compassion, who has taken it upon herself to contribute to the upliftment of the indigent, using the widows as a starting point.

She strongly believe that the fact that a woman has lost has husband, does not mean that she has lost her purpose, self-will and destiny goal, maintaining that “Every widow is still destined for greatness no matter the circumstances.”

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Connect Initiative Begins Membership Revalidation and Recruitment Exercise

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Connect Initiative, a socio-political organisation based in Akwa Ibom State has launched a thorough membership revalidation and recruitment exercise aimed at enhancing its membership and impact on the society.

The group whose main aim is to support and promote the projects and programmes of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno as encapsulated in his economic blue print, ARISE Agenda, intends to use this exercise to re-energize its membership.

According to the group’s International Connector, Dr. Frank Ekpenyong, “This exercise demonstrates our commitment to open our membership to persons that share our goal of supporting our Governor, Pastor Umo Eno.

Furthermore, it seeks to revalidate existing membership to ensure alignment with its standards., attract new talents to join the group and strengthen the organization’s capacity to deliver on its aims and objectives.

To participate in the exercise, which is strictly for registered voters in Akwa Ibom State, you are expected to click this link: https://support.umoeno.com and use the code: SG-CNRGKFF8SE.

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