News
BREAKING: A‘Court Sacks Plateau Gov, Mutfwang
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Sunday, nullified the election of Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State.
The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, held that Mutfwang was not validly nominated and sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to participate in the gubernatorial contest that held on March 18.
It held that all the votes that were credited to him and the PDP after the election amounted to wasted votes.
Consequently, the appellate court panel, led by Justice Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to withdraw the Certificate of Return that it earlier issued to Mutfwang of the PDP as winner of the governorship poll.
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It ordered that the candidate that got the second majority lawful votes at the election, should be sworn in as governor of the state.
The judgement followed an appeal that was lodged against governor Muftwang’s election by the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in the state, Mr. Nentawe Goshwe.
INEC had declared that Mutfwang of the PDP won the gubernatorial contest with a total of 525,299 votes, ahead of the APC candidate, Goshwe, who polled 481,370 votes.
Dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, Goshwe, went before the Plateau State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to challenge it.
READ ALSO: BREAKING: Appeal Court Sacks Kano Governor
He, among other things, contended that the PDP lacked a political structure in the states and was therefore incapable of validly nominating or sponsoring any candidate for the governorship poll.
Besides, he argued that the election of Mutfwang was not conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act, insisting that he did not win the majority of lawful votes cast during the election.
Meanwhile, a three-member panel of the tribunal headed by Justuce R. Irele-Ifijeh, in a unanimous decision, dismissed Goshwe’s petition as lacking in merit.
Not happy with the judgement of the tribunal, Goshwe brought the case before the appellate court, maintaining his ground that the PDP candidate, governor Muftwang, lacked the platform and legal qualification to contest the election.
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He further alleged that the election was marred by over-voting and non-compliance with key provisions of the the 2022 Electoral Act.
While adopting his final brief of argument, Goshwe, through his team of lawyers led by Prof. Fakunle Olagoke, SAN, told the court that Mutfwang was not qualified to contest the election by virtue of a lack of valid sponsorship by a political party, contrary to section 177 (C) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
However, the governor, through his counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, urged the court to dismiss the appeal and uphold the earlier verdict of the tribunal.
Agabi, SAN, argued that the issue of nomination and sponsorship of a candidate for an election was purely an internal affair of a political party which no court had the jurisdiction to wad into.
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More so, he contended that the Appellant lacked the locus standi to query a nomination and sponsorship of the candidate of another political party.
Likewise, the counsel for the PDP, Mr. Emeka Etiaba, SAN, urged the court to strike out grounds 1 and 8 of the Appellant’s grounds of appeal, saying they lacked competence.
Etiaba, SAN, argued that governor Mutfwang emerged as gubernatorial flag-bearer of the PDP, through a validly conducted primary election he said was duly monitored by INEC.
Delivering its judgement in the matter on Sunday, the appellate court upheld the appeal and nullified the election of governor Mutfwang.
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Other Justices on the panel were; Muhammed Mustapha and Okon Abang.
It will be recalled that the same panel of the appellate court had on November 7, also sacked a Senator and three members of the House of Representatives in the state that won their respective elections on the platform of the PDP.
The panel based its decision on failure of the PDP to fully comply with a court order that was made in 2022, which it said directed the party to conduct congress in the 17 Local Government Areas in the state.
It held that an evidence the PDP produced to prove that it complied with the order, showed that 12 LGAs were excluded in a purported congress it held to select its candidates for the 2023 general elections.
The appellate court, therefore, held that though the lawmakers won their respective seats during the National Assembly election that held on February 25, all the scores that were credited them, amounted to wasted votes as they were not valid candidates.
News
N5m, N10m Zero-interest Loans: SheVentures Opens Applications For Women Entrepreneurs
First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has opened a new round of applications for its SheVentures proposition, offering zero-interest loans of up to ₦10 million to women entrepreneurs to ease access to working capital and support business growth.
The facility provides loans ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million under a general category, and ₦5 million to ₦10 million for sector-specific businesses, with funding capped at up to 50% of an applicant’s average monthly turnover.
At the centre of the offering is a 0% interest rate, with all charges embedded in a transparent structure.
Repayment is structured over four or six months, allowing businesses to match obligations with their cash flow cycles.
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Yemisi Edun, Managing Director and Chief Executive of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), said the initiative reflects a deliberate approach to inclusive growth.
“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively.
“Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.
This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs.”
“Access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs,” said Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo, Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
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“By removing the cost barrier and offering quick, flexible funding, this zero-interest loan is designed to safeguard existing jobs, enable businesses to invest in growth initiatives, and foster resilience in challenging economic conditions.”
Women-owned businesses account for a significant share of Nigeria’s small and medium-sized enterprises but continue to face high borrowing costs and limited access to credit.
Through these efforts, SheVentures tackles persistent financing gaps facing women-led businesses, combining targeted funding with broader support to empower women entrepreneurs, encourage business innovation, and enhance their ability to compete on a national scale.
Applications for the zero-interest loan are now open.Apply now.
News
Xenophobic Attacks: Oshiomhole Tells FG To Retaliate Against South African Companies In Nigeria
Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Federal Government to retaliate against South African businesses operating in Nigeria following the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the Federal Government should consider revoking the working license of South African owned companies such as MTN and DSTV.
He argued that Nigeria must respond firmly to what he described as persistent hostility against its citizens.
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“I am not going to shed tears. If you hit me, I hit you. I think it is appropriate in diplomacy. It is an economic struggle,” Oshiomhole said.
He argued that while some South Africans accuse Nigerians of taking their jobs, Nigerians should return home and take over employment opportunities created by major South African companies operating in the country, including MTN and DSTV.
“When we hit back, the President of South Africa will not only talk but will also go on his knees to recognise that Nigeria cannot be intimidated.
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“We will not condone any life being lost. If a crime has been committed under the South African law they have the right to bring any such person to justice, but to kill our people as if we are helpless, we will not allow that,” Oshiomhole added.
DAILY POST reports that several Nigerians in South Africa have reportedly been attacked, and their businesses destroyed, in ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.
News
IGP Orders Officers Display Name Tag On Uniform, Gives Update On State Police
The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Tunji Disu, has ordered all police personnel to always have their name tags on their uniforms for easy identification.
Disu disclosed that only police personnel who are undercover are exempted from displaying their name tags.
Speaking on Tuesday, Disu said: “All police officers should have their name tags. All of us on the high table have our names apart from the undercover among us so if you look at all the Commissioners of Police we have our name tags, so it’s not our standard.
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“All the Commissioners of Police are here and that is why we called this meeting, we have list of things like this that we will want to discuss with the Commissioners of Police, we have told them earlier and we will still let them know that every that happens within their area of jurisdiction falls under their control.”
On the issue of state police, the IGP said: “Since we got the signal that the Federal Government of Nigeria intend to establish State Police and since we are the federal police, we decided to take the bull by the horn and put down our own side of what we believe on how the state police should be run.
“A lot of things were taken into consideration, a lot of comparative analysis was done and it has been transmitted to the National Assembly.”
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