News

Confusion As Appeal Court’s Certified Judgment Affirms Kano Gov’s Election

Published

10 months ago

November 22, 2023

Eric

There was confusion in Kano State on Tuesday with the emergence of a Certified True Copy of the Court of Appeal judgment on the state gvernorship election.

While the widely reported verdict of the court last Friday indicated that the appelate court upheld the decision of the petition tribunal sacking Governor Abba Yusuf, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Haruna Isa-Dederi, argued that CTC of the judgment showed that Yusuf’s Victory at the poll was affirmed by the appeal court.

Isa-Dederi disclosed this while addressing a presa conference on Tuesday night.

He said as indicated in the written judgment, the Court of Appeal set aside the judgment of the Kano Election Petition Tribunal for lacking in merit.

“The evidence contained on page 67 of the the copy of the Appeal Court judgment released on Tuesday and signed by Registrar, Jameel Ibrahim Umar, appellate court upheld the victory of Abba Kabiru Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party as duly elected Governor of Kano,” he said.

The three member panel of the appeal court, on Friday, November 17, 2023, had dismissed the appeal filed by the governor on the basis of his membership status.

The appellate court subsequently affirmed Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of March 25, 2023 governorship poll in the state.

Dederi noted that page 67 of the certified true copy of the judgment clearly indicated that the tribunal’s ruling that sacked the governor was set aside.

The commissioner insisted that contrary to what the justices read to the public in the courtroom on November 17, the written evidence has vindicated Yusuf as legitimate governor of the state.

A copy of the CTC reveals a mix up in the conclusions.

According to the CTC, in his lead judgment, Justice Moore Adumein, wrote, “I will conclude by stating that the live issues in this appeal are hereby resolved in favour of the first respondent and against the appellant.”

Having been earlier sacked by the state governorship election petition tribunal, the governor who approached the Court of Appeal seeking to upturn the tribunal’s judgment is the appellant before the appellate court.

The All Progressives Congress, the Independent National Electoral Commission and the NNPP are the first, second and third respondents respectively.

According to the CTC, Justice Adumein continued, “In the circumstances, I resolve all the issues in favour of the appellant and against the first respondent.

“Therefore, I find no merit in this appeal which is liable to be and is hereby dismissed.

The judgment of the tribunal in Petition No.: EPT/KN/GOV/01/2023 between: AL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) v. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION & 2 ORS. delivered on the 20th day of September, 2023 is hereby set aside.

“The sum of N1,000,000.00 (one million naira only) is hereby awarded as costs in favour of the appellant and against the 1st respondent.”

In resolving all issues in favour of the appellant (Yusuf), it means the Court of Appeal granted the governor’s appeal to quash his sacking by the tribunal.

But in concluding that he found no merit in the appeal while dismissing it also means that he upheld the decision of the tribunal sacking the governor.

The mix up in the judgment became more pronounced with the judge’s final declaration that the judgment of the tribunal delivered on September 25 sacking the governor is set aside while awarding N1m in favour of the governor and against the first respondent (APC).

The two other justices of the appeal court , Justice Bitrus Sanga and Justice Lateef Ganiyu, agreed with the lead judgment.

The Punch

News

Ngelale Resigns As Tinubu’s Media Aide

Published

11 hours ago

September 7, 2024

Eric

Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and publicity, says he will be embarking on an “indefinite leave of absence to frontally deal with medical matters” affecting his immediate, nuclear family.

In a statement issued on September 7, Ngelale said the decision “was taken after significant consultations with my family over the past several days as a vexatious medical situation has worsened at home”.

“While I fully appreciate that the ship of state waits for no man, this agonizing decision — entailing a pause of my functions as the Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity and Official Spokesperson of the President; Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen — was taken after significant consultations with my family,” he said.

Ngelale said he “looks forward to returning to full-time national service when time, healing, and fate permit”.

“I respectfully ask for some privacy for my family and I during this time,” he added.

On July 31, 2023, Tinubu appointed Ngelale, an ex-aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari, as his special adviser on media and publicity.

On May 19, 2024, the president appointed Ngelale as the special presidential envoy on climate action.

News

Revisit Your Drawing Board, Nigerians Are Suffering Deeply, Yoruba Elders Tell Tinubu

Published

1 day ago

September 6, 2024

Eric

The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) has told President Tinubu that Nigerians are “suffering deeply” under his administration asking him to meet short term needs of the people before pursuing a long term vision.

The elders’ council, through its Secretary General, Chief Oladipo Oyewole, stressed that millions of Nigerians living without food, fuel and light, President Tinubu needs to go back to drawing board and fashion out measures that will bring immediate comfort to the people.

YCE, through a statement, noted that it remains hopeful that Nigeria will have a turnaround.

“However, going by scanty information available on Government pursuits and activities, there is, presently, a lot of suffering in the land.

“Be that as it may, we of YCE stand on our strong position that the interest of the masses to live a good life should be given full attention.

“Without regular supply of electricity and with the official announcement of increase in the price of petroleum products (PMS), the current hardship cannot but be increased in daily living by Nigerians.

“The Federal government ought to immediately pursue every avenue to make available to our people, the dividends of democracy. Not through distribution of palliatives (that does not seem to filter to the bottom) but by putting in place avenues to enhance proper and quality living through effective governance administration.

“Every Nigerian should be entitled to enjoy our common resources Indeed, Nigerians are suffering deeply at this time….. no light, no fuel, no food”

“Mr. President should, without delay, revisit his drawing board to attend to the short term needs of Nigerians (the immediate needs of the people) whilst pursuing the long term vision of making Nigeria a better place for growth and for development.

“As Elders, we demand immediate succour for the people to boost the welfare of Nigerians so that all can live in comfort and harmony.As far as this elders council is concerned, a lot of administrative work by Government is (absolutely) required for the masses of this country to live, stay alive as respectable and responsible people.”

The state of this nation today, YCE said, is a pill that has a bitter taste.

“The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should do something quickly to ensure proper steering of its intentions to establish and install better governance in Nigeria. In fact, the Presidency should do all possible to alleviate the suffering of all Nigerians immediately and without delay.”

News

We Deliberately Demobilized, Abandoned Captured Armoured Tank, Says Defence Hqrs

Published

5 days ago

September 3, 2024

Eric

The Nigerian Defence Headquarters has reacted to viral video of terrorists leader, Bello Turji and his gang burning a captured military armoured tank.

In the video that surfaced online, the terrorists were seen celebrating after burning the military vehicle.

In its reaction, the Military, in a report monitored on the official X handle of DAILY POST on Monday, through the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen Edward Buba, said the MRAPs seen in the viral video were demobilized due to the inability of troops to use them.

Buba stated that the incident happened after the military personnel got stuck in swampy terrain during operations against bandits in Zamfara State.

He said the troops decided to demobilize the MRAPs to prevent it from being useful to the terrorists after abandonment.

He said, “Subsequently, troops dismounted and demobilized the MRAPs, when efforts to backload them were futile. The said demobilization of the MRAPs by troops was to prevent it from being useful to the terrorist after abandonment.”