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The National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Jos has upheld the election of Mr Cornelius Doeyok of Qua’an-Pan South Constituency, Plateau State House of Assembly. Delivering judgment on Monday, the tribunal dismissed the petition filed by PDP and Prof Theodore Maiyaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigerian (SAN), the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against PDP’s Doeyok in the State Assembly election conducted in March this year. Maiyaki, a Professor of Law at the University of Abuja and a SAN, had challenged Doeyok’s victory on the ground that the latter was not qualified to contest for the election and claiming that PDP had no structure prior to producing him as its flag bear for the election. The tribunal however held that all the grounds of the petitioners’ case were pre-election matters, which it has no jurisdiction to entertain, adding that the petitioners should have channeled their complaints to the appropriate court, that is, the H...

The Independent National Electoral Commission has invited the Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Hudu Yunusa, over the declaration of the election held Saturday. The commission disclosed this on Sunday via its Twitter handle. It noted that the process has clearly not been concluded before he made the announcement. “The attention of the Commission has been drawn to a purported declaration of winner in the Adamawa Governorship election by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) even when the process has clearly not been concluded. “The action of the REC is a usurpation of the power of the Returning Officer. It is null, void and of no effect. Consequently, the collation of results of the supplementary election is hereby suspended. “The REC, Returning Officer and all involved are hereby invited to the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja immediately. Detailed statement to follow shortly.”

Plateau former APC chairman, ex-speakers, ex-LG chairmen, ex-commissioner, others decamp to PDP A former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State, Chief Letep Dabang and a large number of other aggrieved members of the ruling party in the state have resigned their membership of the party to join the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The group of aggrieved APC members took the decision to move en masse to the PDP at the end of a meeting held in Barkin-Ladi on Wednesday under the aegis of what they called “THE GREAT MOVEMENT.” A statement issued on Thursday in Jos and signed by Engr. Manji Danladi, said that the meeting of the group which comprises of all the disenchanted members of the APC in the state, was chaired by Dabang. It disclosed that over 150 representatives of the group’s men and women across the 17 local governments of Plateau State came together and brainstormed on the way forward. “After an intensive deliberation, the group una...

Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, a fresh crisis is brewing in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the ambition of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State, to suc­ceed President Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s next leader. Even though Tinubu is yet to for­mally declare his interest in the pres­idential race, he has been making consultations and visiting prominent Nigerians to notify them and seek their support. Elder statesman, Alhaji Tan­ko Yakassai, who Tinubu recently visited in Abuja, disclosed that the APC national leader informed him of his presiden­tial ambition and asked for his support. Speaking exclusively with Daily Independent in Abuja, Senator Rufai Hanga, pioneer national chairman of the de­funct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and APC chief­tain, who recently dumped the ruling party, said there is a split among the APC governors on the issue of the presidential flagbearer of the party. According to him, while some governors ...

Controversial human rights activist and supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr Kenechukwu Okeke has been killed in Anambra State.  Okeke was said to have been macheted by his attackers numbering seven.  The controversial activist who had dragged many celebrities and media outfits, including CNN to court for defaming President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration was killed in Nkpor, near Onitsha, Anambra State, in the presence of his wife, Mrs Blessing Odinakachi Okeke and his little daughter....

The Senate on Tuesday approved the conference committee report on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. The report was approved after the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, moved a motion on Tuesday. The Senate and House of Representatives had in July passed different versions of the bill. While the Senate proposed either direct or indirect mode of party primary, the House of Representatives made direct primary mandatory for all parties. The Senate had also in its version, empowered the Nigerian Communications Commission to determine the electronic transmission of election results. The House did not give such powers to the NCC in its version. The provision caused an outrage, with many calling on the Senate to follow the example of the House of Representatives which adopted the use of technology “where practicable.” The development led to the setting up of a conference committee. In the conference committee report, both chambers of the National Assembly empowered the Independent N...

*A VERY BIG THANK YOU.* It is with a huge delight and grateful heart that I wish to return all the well wishes upon my humble approval by the Execitive Chairman of Qua’an Pan LGA, Honorable Ernest A. Da’a to serve in his cabinet as “our” Council Secretary.  This, to me, and many of us who have believed in this mission, remains an immediate task and a sacred assignment to serve all the good people of Qua’an Pan here at home and far away.  As most of us are aware, this is an opportunity to harness our strengths for the best purposes and collaborate all our  efforts for the upliftment of our entire Local Government Council. Our doors, hands and ears are open to objective suggestions that may further better our interest as a people while we hope to listen to you as this is work in progress.  I remain steadfast and most importantly, humbled by the trust invested and reposed in the office I hope to occupy with all sense of responsibility and humility. Out of ma...

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday sentenced a former chairman of now-defunct Pension Reforms Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, guilty to 61 years’ imprisonment but to run concurrently for eight years. The court had found him guilty of inducing staff of Fidelity Bank to open bank accounts for him without conducting due diligence and money laundering. Delivering the judgement, Justice Abang also found him guilty of concealing his true identity as signatory to accounts opened in UBA and Fidelity Bank by using the identity of his family members without their knowledge. These accounts were said to have cash deposits of N300 million, N500 million and N1.5 billion. The court held that Maina stole monies meant for pensioners as he could not prove where he got same from. Justice Abang also held that through Maina’s service as a civil servant, his salary and emoluments would not amount to the monies in these accounts. The court further held that the prosecution (the Economic and F...

It would appear that the PDP now has a clear direction following the peaceful National Convention which was organized in Abuja last weekend. The convention saw the emergence of Senator Iyorchia Ayu as the new PDP National Chairman along with 20 other members of the party's executive council. Indeed, the party deserves commendation for proper planning and execution of the convention, especially in view of the fact that at almost every political gathering of up 100 members in Nigeria is platform for a brawl. Fintiri's committee led about 3,600 delegates to vote peacefully and that must be commended. Perhaps, their prolonged stay from the national cake had also informed a peaceful negotiation because what can not be done with cold water can hardly be done with hot water. In the past, dramas involving PDP1 and PDP2 or PDP and nPDP were a common sight at National Conventions. Lesson learnt?  Still on political matters, albeit a crisis-ridden one, the Plateau State House ...

It is true that the success and failure of any administration in a given State Government is usually credited to the Governor. Depending on the factors that are used to arrive at such a wholeseome glorification or condemning conclusion of the executive, it may be healthy sometimes and dangerous at another. Looking at governance in democracy and the stratification of responsibilities of the different arms of government, it's a grave error to always generalize that every act of government is liable to the executive arm alone. Whether or not Lalong is playing the flute behind the scenes, those who are dancing to the tune must have been satisfied with the tune of the music. Legislation in particular is supposed to be the wisdom end of governance where critical decision making, lawmaking and in-depth analysis/correction of the administration is carried out. Going by the scorecard of the lawmakers so far, it is easy to conclude that the 9th Assembly have failed in almost ever...

The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Lai Mohammed, has pleaded with the House of Representatives Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values not to cut the ministry’s budget proposal. Mr Mohammed, along with some heads of agencies under the ministry, had appeared before the committee on Monday to defend the propaganda budget. “My prayer is that please don’t reduce from what is presented. Don’t touch my budget because you will have no moral justification for accusing the executive of giving me small,” he said. According to him, when he met his counterpart in China and asked how much their budget for information was, the Chinese said it was national security. Members of the committee also expressed concerns over underfunding of the ministry. “I don’t know why the Ministry of Information is being underfunded. And I see some state ministries being funded more than a whole federal ministry. “We need to make an official report on this matter to ...

The suspended National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, has taken steps to stop the convention of the party. The development was revealed in a letter dated 21st October 2021, and released through his lawyer, Tayo Oyetibo, SAN. Secondus in the letter disclosed that an appeal has been filed at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Judicial Division in respect to the case filed by one Mr Ibeawuchi E. Alex and four others jointly instituted Suit No PHC/2183/CS/2021. The letter reads, “We act for the Appellant in the above-captioned matter, PRINCE UCHE SECONDUS, who was the National Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), before the institution of Suit Number PHC/2183/CS/2021, and wish to bring to your attention the following facts: “1. On 23 August 2021 one Mr Ibeawuchi E. Alex and four others jointly instituted Suit No PHC/2183/CS/2021 at the High Court of Rivers State, PortHarcourt Judicial Division against Prince Uche Seconds and the PP as...

Governor Ayade is a very complex and self contradictory governor. I don't understand him. I have always maintained that he is an intelligent man. I love his ideas. Who wouldn't love ideas like the Garment Factory, Superhighway, Deep Seaport, etc. Apart from this beautiful ideas, he also mouth a lot about his empathy and ethics.  Now, comes the confusion and self contradictions: 1. The Governor claims he is industrialising Cross River State by building factories and industries but he does not have a single program to channel the vibrant youthful energy in Cross River State into these industries. Rather, the Governor is channeling this vibrant youthful energy into politics. He has over 7000 appointees, mostly young people. The conversation on the streets of Cross River State among young people is how to get a political appointment not how to man the industries the Governor claims he is building across the state. Young Cross Riverians have perfected the skills of hunti...

The Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has asked the Federal Government to declare bandits in the North-West geo-political zone of the country as “insurgents” or The declaration, the governor said, would able the Nigerian military to attack and kill “these bandits without any major consequences in the international law.” Backing the National Assembly’s resolution to declare bandits as terrorists, the governor said the state government had since 2017 written to the federal government on that, pointing out that “bandits don’t deserve mercy and they should not be allowed to live.” “We in the Kaduna State government had always urged for the declaration of bandits as insurgents and terrorists. We have written letters to the federal government since 2017 asking for this declaration because it is this declaration that will allow the Nigerian military to attack and kill these bandits without any major consequences in the international law. “So, we support the resolution b...

Ofricers of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested two protesters at the Lekki tollgate where the #EndSARS Memorial Protest is scheduled to hold in the state today. One of those arrested claimed to be a journalist while the other was seen carrying a placard. The police had reportedly warned that anyone seen at the tollgate without an ID card will be arrested. The arrested journalist told newsmen that he works with  LegitTV  and that his phone, driver’s license, and other documents were taken away from him. Speaking from a Lagos State Task Force van where he was kept by the police, the journalist who identified himself as Abisola stated that he lost his ID card in transit. About 30 police trucks and armed personnel are currently at the tollgate to enforce a ban on protests issued by the police command. REASON FOR TODAY'S PROTEST The #EndSARS protests which were held in October 2020 were against the activities of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbe...