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Appeal court

UPDATE: EFCC Accuses Politicians, Others of Shielding Yahaya Bello

EFCC: Appeal Court Overturns Court Order, Rules Against Yahaya Bello

by Victor Ndubuisi May 3, 2024

written by Victor Ndubuisi 1 minutes read

In a contempt action brought by Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, the Court of Appeal has overturned the Lokoja High Court’s ruling against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and its Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.

Under the direction of Justice Joseph O.K. Oyewole, the Court of Appeal approved the EFCC’s request for a stay of execution and the continuation of the contempt matter, which was previously before the Kogi State High Court.

The court postponed the case’s hearing until May 20, 2024, on the grounds that the motion ex parte had merit.

BREAKING: EFCC Declares Ex Kogi Gov Yahaya Bello Wanted

Additionally, it mandated that any litigation proceedings be served by substitutes to Yahaya Bello’s last-known address in Abuja.

The EFCC and its chairman are no longer facing contempt charges as a result of the appellate court’s verdict, which also permits the anti-graft agency to pursue its appeal of the Lokoja High Court’s decision.

Alhaji Yahaya Bello v. EFCC, Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/413/2024, is the case in question.

May 3, 2024

Alex Otti Wins As Appeal Court Upholds His Election as Abia Governor

Alex Otti Promise Paying Pension Arrears Before End of December

by Victor Ndubuisi December 2, 2023

written by Victor Ndubuisi 2 minutes read

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has reiterated his pledge to pay off Abia retirees’ pension arrears by the end of December. This guarantee was made on Friday night during a press conference.

In his inaugural speech, Governor Otti had earlier pledged to eliminate pension arrears by December, a commitment he had reaffirmed in a number of venues. “I still stand by my commitment to pay up pension arrears by the end of this month. We want to remove it as soon as possible so that by 2024 we can start over,” he vowed.

Alex Otti Wins As Appeal Court Upholds His Election as Abia Governor

The governor gave an explanation of his decision to step in and promised to ensure that workers’ wellbeing would receive sufficient attention under his administration. In an effort to lessen workers’ suffering in the wake of the elimination of gasoline subsidies, he is currently interacting with the relevant parties. “In this regard, an announcement will be made in the coming weeks,” he continued.

Governor Otti responded to claims made by certain opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members that he left the multibillion dollar New Government House to run his business out of his home, claiming they were blackmailed by his success and felt scared. He went on to say that in order to save cost for the state as neither the Old nor New Government House was habitable.

In response to a question concerning his choice to designate capitalists as mayors for state local government districts, Otti stated that he did so in order to incite constructive competition for council development.

Construction of Six-Lane Road Project Kicks off in Umuahia – Alex Otti

The Governor further pledged that the Ukwa West Industrial Park, which his administration had recently signed off, would not suffer the same fate as the much-discussed Enyimba Economic City, which his predecessor ardently supported but never saw the light of day. He hinted that two potential investors had showed interest in investing $6 million US in a modular refinery, one from China and the other from the park.

December 2, 2023

Gov Otti Appoint Sanusi, Okonjo- Iweala, Arunma Oteh, others In Abia Economic Team

News Politics

Appeal Court Upholds Otti’s Victory

by Ikem Emmanuel December 2, 2023

written by Ikem Emmanuel 2 minutes read

Appeal Court Upholds Abia State Governor’s Victory, Dismisses PDP and APC Appeals

The Court of Appeal in Lagos State has unanimously upheld the victory of Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, stating that it aligns with the provisions of the Electoral Act. The court dismissed the appeals brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), as well as their governorship candidates against Otti’s win.

In its ruling, the appellate court declared that the petitions presented by the appellants lacked merit, comparing them to a “comedy skit brought to a democratic setting.” The court emphasized that matters regarding political party membership fall under pre-election issues, within the jurisdiction of the respective political parties. It further asserted that Otti, having joined the Labour Party, won its primary election, and submitted his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was qualified to contest.

Regarding the issue of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) raised by the PDP and its candidate, the appeal court stated that the appellants failed to substantiate or connect their documentary evidence to specific aspects of the case.

Read Also: Appeal Court Upholds Uba Sani’s Victory in Kaduna, Francis Nwifuru’s Election in Ebonyi

The court’s decision has sparked celebrations among Governor Otti’s supporters in various parts of the state. Meanwhile, the PDP, in response to the judgment, called for calm and issued a statement urging its members to remain steadfast, peaceful, law-abiding, and await further action.

The Abia PDP assured its members, supporters, and the people of Abia State that the party’s leadership is in consultation with the governorship candidate, his running mate, and the legal team to review the appeal court’s judgment and determine the next steps. The party reiterated its trust in the judiciary as the last hope for the common man and a pillar of democracy.

It also encouraged the suffering people of Abia State, who have allegedly faced challenges due to what they perceive as the negative policies of Governor Otti, to understand that the party will continue to stand by them.

As the situation unfolds, the Abia PDP and its supporters remain hopeful, putting their trust in God and the judicial system while exploring available options.

AnaedoOnline

December 2, 2023

Gov Diri Admitted That There Were Loopholes In The Election – SDP’s Adebayo

by Victor Ndubuisi November 20, 2023

written by Victor Ndubuisi 3 minutes read

Prince Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) presidential candidate, has offered his opinions on the results of the most recent polls conducted in the states of Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), according to Adebayo, conducted the polls in a blatantly dishonest manner.

He maintained that even Governor Douye Diri, the victor of the Bayelsa election, had voiced his displeasure with the way the polls were conducted.

Adebayo Reveals Why Peter Obi, Atiku Lost At The PEPT

“We have a problem with all the elections not just Kogi State. Look at a state like Bayelsa where the governor who has been declared winner of the election said that in some parts of the state, BVAS was boycotted or bypassed. If the winner of the election can say that about the process of the election, it should draw the attention of INEC,” he said.

The SDP candidate went on to say that while he has no issue with INEC acting as an election arbiter, his primary grievance is with the method by which the organisation chose to announce the Kogi poll winner.

Adebayo said in an interview with The Sun that they were intimidated and silenced when they attempted to alert the returning officer to certain inconsistencies.

He said, “We are not saying that INEC is hopeless, I don’t think so. I believe that INEC is a human and necessary institution and I have confidence that there are good people working in INEC. I don’t have a problem with INEC, I have a problem with the process INEC used in declaring the result in Kogi State.

SDP Presidential Candidate, Adebayo Fires Atiku, Peter Obi For Going To Court

“We took every step to warn them about the problem in Kogi State, about the voters register and other things including staff of the commission ab initio and INEC said they will look into it. In the course of the election, we warned them about the problems of over voting and factious numbers but it appeared that the Returning Officer was not interested; he even threatened to have our agent removed. We have written INEC stating what happened and we gave INEC all the options and citing all the laws that require them to do a review but INEC has not replied.

“We are putting fate in the system, we believe that we need INEC, we must have an electoral umpire that people can believe in. Nigeria cannot be so unfortunate that we don’t have 20 people who can run elections in the commission.”

November 20, 2023

UPDATE: My Appeal Court Sack, Unfair - Muftwang Tells Supreme Court

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Mutfwang: We No Longer Have Confidence In Judiciary – NNPP’s Johnson

by Victor Ndubuisi November 20, 2023

written by Victor Ndubuisi 2 minutes read

Ladipo Johnson, the national auditor for the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), has responded to the dismissal of Plateau State governor Caleb Mutfwang by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

In the span of three days, Mutfwang became the third opposition governor to be dismissed by the Court of Appeal.

In a ruling on Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was directed by a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice Elphreda Williams-Dawodu, to revoke the certificate of return granted to Mutfwang and issue a new one to APC candidate Nentawe Goshwe.

Anger As Appeal Court Sacks Three Governors In Opposition Parties Within Four Days

Johnson responded to the court’s decision by calling it an example of the “judicial rascality that is unfolding.”

The NNPP leader said that the APC still has a long way to go before forcing itself on Nigerians in an interview with Newsmen.

He said, “The bottom line is that the judiciary have put themselves on trial because of some inconsistent principle that we are seeing. Most recent judgments by the judiciary are very troubling to a lot of us in the Country.

“Even if this is not an attempt to foist APC on Nigerians, it will have the effect. It is a long way for them to force APC on Nigerians because PDP has many states. So, it is far away from it.”

The NNPP National Auditor declared, “So there is judicial rascality going on. Yes, I haven’t read the judgment, but from the extract have seen, there is a sort of rascality going on. We no longer have confidence in the judiciary.

Plateau Residents Reject Appeal Court Judgement Sacking Gov Mutfwang

“But we are hoping that the Supreme Court will put some clarity on these issues and follow their precedent as it were.”

November 20, 2023

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UPDATE: Appeal Court Sacks Plateau Governor, Mutfwang, Declares APC Candidate Winner

by Victor Ndubuisi November 19, 2023

written by Victor Ndubuisi 2 minutes read

Mutfwang Manasseh, the governor of Plateau State and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was fired by the Court of Appeal’s Abuja division on Sunday.

It commanded that Nentawe Goshwe of the All Progressives Congress, or APC, be acknowledged by the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, as the duly elected governor in the March 18 governorship race.

In her lead opinion, Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu, who presided over a three-person panel, referred to section 177 of the Constitution and stated that Manasseh was not legitimately supported by the PDP in the election.

Plateau: Tribunal Dismisses APC’s Petition, Upholds Mutfwang’s Election

The panel decided that by holding Congress in just 5 of the state’s 17 local government districts, the party had disobeyed the court’s order that a legitimate Congress be convened there. As a result, is a nullity.

In contrast to the findings of the tribunal, which concluded that the appellant lacked the locus to argue the legality of the respondent’s candidature, the court found, dismissing the decision of the Plateau State tribunal, that the question of qualification is both a pre-election and a post-election concern.

The court further pointed out that a political party’s exclusive right to support a candidate after fulfilling the prerequisites is stipulated in section 134 of the Electoral Act.

The court directed the INEC to obtain the certificate of return given to Governor Manasseh and provide a new certificate of return to Goshwe, invoking section 136 of the Electoral Act in the process.

November 19, 2023

Kano State Govt Rejects Appeal Court’s Explanation of Election Judgment Error

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UPDATE: Heavy Security As Appeal Court Rules On Kano Guber Election Petition

by Victor Ndubuisi November 17, 2023

written by Victor Ndubuisi 1 minutes read

In anticipation of the ruling on the Kano State Governorship Election Petition, Nigerian law enforcement officers and other security personnel are presently stationed at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

The increased security is probably a reaction to how Kano locals felt about the Tribunal’s September ruling on the same issue.

Remember that Abba Kabir Yusuf received 1,019,602 votes in the March 18, 2023 election, more than Nasiru Gawuna’s 890,705 votes, according to the Independent National Electronic Electoral Commission (INEC).

Appeal Court Fixes Friday For Judgment On Kano Governorship Election Dispute

But the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing one another of electoral misconduct, has brought the case to the Tribunal.

On September 20, 2023, a three-person tribunal consisting of Justice Oluyemi Akintan Osadebay and two other judges removed Yusuf from office after ruling that 165,663 of his votes were void because the Independent National Electoral Commission had not signed or stamped them.

Ganuwa received 890,705 votes, but the governor’s total was cut to 853,939 votes. Calling the Tribunal’s judgement “unfair” and “a miscarriage of justice,” Yusuf instantly disagreed with it and filed an appeal.

Human rights attorney Femi Falana, SAN, responded by criticising the Tribunal’s ruling and stating that voters shouldn’t be punished for INEC’s errors.

November 17, 2023

Appeal Court Dismisses LP’s Rhodes-Vivour Case Against Sanwo-Olu

by Victor Ndubuisi November 15, 2023

written by Victor Ndubuisi 2 minutes read

The Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, filed an appeal against Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s election victory on March 18 to fill the position of Lagos State’s governor, but the Appeal Court in Lagos denied their request.

According to Anaedoonline.ng, the Appeal Court unanimously decided that, in contrast to the LP and Gbadebo’s assertions, the lower tribunal was right to rule that Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, were entitled to run.

The court held: “The decision of the lower court is affirmed and the appeal is dismissed.”

Lagos Senatorial Election: PDP, Gbadamosi Appeal Against Abiru’s Victory

The justices held: “No case of renunciation of citizenship has been established by the LP and Gbadebo against the 3rd respondent (Hamzat) in accordance with the constitution.

“No evidence of oath of allegiance to the United States and renunciation of Nigerian citizenship was placed before the tribunal (by the LP and Gbadebo) –

“No document to prove that 3rd respondent (Hamzat) was no longer a citizen of Nigeria. It is incumbent on the appellants (LP, Gbadebo) to prove their claim.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate Olajide Adediran had earlier had their appeal against Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s declaration as governor dismissed by the appeals court.

It was decided that the appellants’ claims against Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, of falsification and non-qualification were unfounded.

Lagos Poll: Hamzat Blasts Jandor, Rhodes-Vivour Over Claims Of Violence, Rigging

The justices held: “Even though they were all pre-election matters, the appellants (PDP and Adeniran) still failed to prove them. The appellants came empty-handed and left empty-handed. They merely enjoyed their day in court. Their petition is dismissed.”

November 15, 2023

News Politics

Appeal Court Affirms Sanwo-Olu’s Re-election as Lagos Governor

by Ikem Emmanuel November 15, 2023

written by Ikem Emmanuel 2 minutes read

In a decisive ruling, the Appeal Court sitting in Lagos has upheld the earlier verdict of the Tribunal, affirming the re-election of Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the Governor and Obafemi Hamzat as the Deputy Governor of Lagos state. The judgment, delivered by a three-man panel comprising Justice Yargata Nimpa, Justice Samuel Bola, and Justice Paul Bassey, was announced on Wednesday.

Key Highlights:

Dismissal of PDP’s Appeal: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the March 18, 2023, governorship election in Lagos had filed an appeal challenging the Tribunal’s decision. However, the Appeal Court unanimously dismissed the appeal, citing a lack of merit.
Validation of Tribunal’s Verdict: The ruling by the Appeal Court solidifies and affirms the earlier decision of the Tribunal, endorsing the victory of Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Obafemi Hamzat in the gubernatorial election.
Unanimous Decision: The three-man panel, consisting of experienced justices, reached a unanimous decision in dismissing the appeal, underscoring the legal soundness of the earlier judgment.
Details Awaited: While the initial reports confirm the dismissal of the appeal, a comprehensive understanding of the court’s reasoning and the specific grounds for the dismissal is expected to be provided in subsequent detailed documents.

This affirmation by the Appeal Court marks a crucial milestone in the legal proceedings surrounding the Lagos state gubernatorial election. The judgment underscores the adherence to due process and the legal framework in determining electoral disputes, providing clarity on the legitimacy of the re-election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat. Further details on the judgment are anticipated in the coming days.

Panic As Appeal Court Set To Deliver Judgement Today As Sanwo-Olu, Jandor, Rhodes-Vivour Battle For Lagos

by Victor Ndubuisi November 15, 2023

written by Victor Ndubuisi 3 minutes read

Arodiogbu reports that Hope Uzodinma, the party’s nominee for governor of Imo State, won the election on Saturday and has offered a hand of friendship to the candidates of the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He declared that the triumph and accomplishment of Governor Hope Uzodinma in office had pleased the party members and the people of Imo State as a whole.

Imo State residents have made it clear that they want the APC to carry on with the excellent work it has been doing there. They urge Senator Hope Uzodinma to carry on with his commendable efforts, as he said.

Lagos Tribunal: Rhodes-Vivour Discloses Next Move After Court Affirms Sanwo-Olu’s Victory

The parties will be informed of the date of judgement, the court declared.

Benson Olagbade, the Labour Party’s attorney, pleaded with the court to grant the appeal and overturn the tribunal’s ruling over the Lagos State gubernatorial election during the hearing.

He contended that the tribunal committed a legal error when it decided that the appellant had the burden of proof on the citizenship of Sanwo-olu’s running mate, Obafemi Hamzat.

He asked the court to interpret the Constitution’s Section 182 (1) (a) in relation to Sanwo-Olu and his deputy’s disqualification.

“We invite this court to give full interpretation of the law to this matter.

Lagos Tribunal: Sanwo-Olu Opens, Closes Defence Against LP, Rhodes-Vivour

“It does not matter whose ox is gored,” Olagbade said.

Wole Olanipekun (SAN), the governor of Lagos State’s attorney, urged the court to reject the appeal, nevertheless.

He said that the appellant’s argument of dual citizenship had never been presented to the panel.

“They are now presenting a case of dual citizenship, they believe that this is a trial court.

“The tribunal found out that the purported oath of allegiance to a foreign country was not before it so it ruled it out.

“We urge your Lordship to dismiss this appeal,” Olanipekun said.

Lagos Election Tribunal: Rhodes-Vivour Submits Over 20,000 Documents In 13 Boxes

The PDP petitioned for the disqualification of the candidates of the APC and Labour Party, using Section 177(c) and 182(1)(j) of the Constitution as support for its demands.

But Olanipekun requested the court to reject the appeal as well.

November 15, 2023

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