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Court Admits In Evidence Two Video Clips Supporting Obi’s Petition

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The Presidential Election Petition Court admitted in evidence two video clips tendered by the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in aid of his petition challenging the conduct and outcome of the February 25 presidential election.

At the resumed hearing on Friday evening, the petitioners, through their counsel, Jubril Okutekpa, SAN, informed the court that they had subpoenaed Channels Television to produce the recordings contained in two flash drives.

Okutekpa disclosed that two separate subpoenas, dated May 30 and June 6, were served on the TV station, which he said sent one of its staff members, to tender the requested evidence.

Justice Haruna Tsammani-led’s five-member panel admitted the subpoenas in evidence and marked them as Exhibits PBH-1 and PBH-2.

One of the flash drives is said to carry video clips of an interview that the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmoud Yakubu granted before the general elections, where he assured that the results of the election would be electronically transmitted in real-time.

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READ ALSO: Presidential Tribunal: Peter Obi Tenders Results Of 8 More States In evidence

The other contains a press conference by a national commissioner of the commission, Festus Okoye, who reiterated the commitment of the body to electronically transmit the results.

In a move to present the content of the video clips in the open court, a senior reporter and editor at Channels TV, Lucky Obese-Alawode, was summoned to the witness box.

However, the respondents in the petition vehemently opposed the move by the petitioners.

Counsel to President Bola Tinubu, Akin Olujinmi, SAN, queried the competence of the witness on the grounds that his statement was not filed alongside the petition.

Relying on Paragraphs 4 (5) and (6) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act 2022, Tinubu’s lawyer argued that the law is clear that a petition must be filed within 21 days after the declaration of the result of an election.

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READ ALSO: JUST IN: ‘I Must be President Of Nigeria’ – Peter Obi Insists

He contended that the petitioners ought to have attached all the necessary documents as well as the list of witnesses they would call in support of their case at the time the petition was filed.

“A petition which fails to comply shall not be accepted, that is what the law says. My lords, it was after the proceeding started today that the statement of this witness was served on us.

“This is over three months after the declaration of the result of the election was made.

“This witness was not listed by the petitioners, and his statement was not attached to the petition. To that extent, he is not a competent witness who can testify before this court,” Tinubu’s lawyer insisted.

He contended that the petitioners were aware that they would rely on the said video recordings, at the time they filed the petition, yet did not attach it to the list of their documents.

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Aligning with the disapproval by Olujimi, SAN, the INEC, through its lawyer, Kemi Pinhero, SAN, argued that Obi and LP should have listed the proposed evidence in their petition.

However, counsel for the petitioners, Okutekpa, SAN, contended that the witness was competent enough to testify as the subpoena was an order of the court that he had no command over.

The objections, notwithstanding, the panel admitted the two flash drives in evidence and marked them as Exhibits PBH-3 and PBH-4.

READ ALSO: Presidential Tribunal: Obi Tenders 136 Exhibits From Lagos, Edo, 4 Other States

Again, when the counsel to the petitioners applied for the contents of the flash drives to be played in the open court, the respondents disagreed except for the electoral commission which was indifferent.

Olujimi maintained that his client was not served with any copy of the flash drive.

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He further stated that playing the video clips without his clients’ foreknowledge of their content could rob them of the right to a fair hearing.

He said, “This case is not hide and seek. We are entitled to be served with a copy so that we can know the content and be able to prepare. Until we are served, we will oppose allowing it to be played.”

On his part, the counsel for the All Progressives Congress, Solomon Umoh, SAN, said it would amount to an ambush for the petitioners to play the content of the flash drives without first serving the same on the respondents.

Ruling on the matter, the chairman of the five-man panel, Justice Tsammani, held that the position of the respondents is not prejudiced against playing the video clips but on their non-service beforehand.

However, for time constraints, Tsammani adjourned the matter to Saturday afternoon, June 10, for the video clips to be played in the open court.
PUNCH

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INEC To Publish Edo Gov Candidates’ Credentials Saturday

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Ahead of the September 21, 2024, Edo State governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission has said it would publish the particulars of 17 governorship candidates and their running mates on March 30, 2024.

The personal particulars of the candidates would be published by displaying copies of Form EC9 along with all academic credentials and other documents submitted by each candidate at the state headquarters and the 18 local government offices across Edo State.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this on Wednesday.

READ ALSO: [JUST IN] Okuama Killings: Army Declares Eight Persons Wanted [FULL LIST]

Olumekun said, “Following the conclusion of party primaries, 17 political parties have uploaded their candidates’ nomination forms for the Edo State Governorship Election by the deadline of 6 pm on 24th March 2024 when the dedicated portal automatically shut down.

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“The personal particulars of the governorship candidates and their running mates will be published on Saturday 30th March 2024, a week from the last date for the submission of nominations as provided in Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.

“The commission shall publish the personal particulars by displaying copies of Form EC9 along with all academic credentials and other documents submitted by each candidate at the state headquarters and the 18 local government offices across Edo State.”

READ ALSO: Man Slumps, Dies During Fight In Kwara

The commission appealed to Nigerians to scrutinise the document (particulars of the candidates) when published.

“We appeal to Nigerians to scrutinise the documents. Any aspirant who participated in his/her party primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by the candidate is false can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court as provided in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022,” the National Commissioner said.

The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had last week expressed the frustration of the electoral body over the rancorous primary elections in various political parties ahead of the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State.

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Yakubu, who spoke in Abuja at the first regular quarterly consultative meeting with political parties, said INEC found the infighting within political parties disruptive of its activities, adding that INEC also wastes funds to defend litigation arising from controversial primaries.

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Commission Probes 400 Cases Of Privacy Breach In Online Loan Apps

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The Nigeria Data Protection Commission has said it is investigating over 400 cases of privacy breaches involving online loan apps.

Cases of data privacy breaches have become prevalent in recent times due to the proliferation of digital lending platforms.

The commission made this known in its 2023 Annual Report made available to The PUNCH on Thursday.

It noted that its ongoing investigations have revealed that “loan apps are overly intrusive.”

NDPC is also seeking a ban or restriction on mobile numbers found to have been used by lenders to breach the privacy of their customers.

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READ ALSO: How 15,000 Ethiopian Bank’s Customers Returned Cash Illegally Withdrawn During Glitch

“They generally violate the principles of Data Protection and Privacy because they have access to contacts, pictures, messages, etc. of data subjects,” the commission stated.

This indicated that despite an April 2023 policy introduced by Google banning loan apps from accessing photos and contacts of users, the practice has continued.

Acknowledging that privacy breaches by loan apps are a systemic problem, the commission said it is also adopting a systemic solution by working with other regulators and third-party platforms being used by the lenders.

A user of a loan app, Haruna Michael, who spoke to The PUNCH on Thursday, said that one of the digital lenders used his photos and tagged him as a fleeing criminal because he defaulted in paying the loan he received within the stipulated time.

READ ALSO: Nine Things To Know About Ship That Collapsed Baltimore Bridge

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He said his contacts were reached and he was reported as a fraudster.

“Over 400 cases of privacy breaches involving shadowy loan sharks are being addressed at the systemic level.

“The commission has now drafted the Nigeria Data Protection Act-General Application and Implementation Directive which addresses the abetment of data breaches, the need for data ethics and privacy by design and by default among others.

“Under abetment, the third-party platforms through which data privacy breaches take place will now be required to deny access to those who use their platforms for privacy breaches.

READ ALSO: Man Slumps, Dies During Fight In Kwara

“Organisations, particularly communication networks should be willing to restrict or ban telephone lines that are implicated in privacy violations,” the commission said.

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The NDPC added that it is also collaborating with regulators under the Joint Enforcement and Regulatory Taskforce to sanitise the digital lending space.

It noted that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission now requires lending companies to obtain data protection clearance from NDPC before operation.

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JUST IN: Military Yields To Pressure, Frees Abducted Lagos Editor

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Military authorities, on Thursday, yielded to pressure and released the Editor of FirstNews, Segun Olatunji, who was abducted from his home in Lagos State on Friday, March 15, 2024.

The PUNCH can confirm that he was released to some media stakeholders, including Yomi Odunuga of The Nation newspaper and Iyobosa Uwugiaren of Thisday Newspaper in Abuja on Thursday after sustained pressure from the media.

They were asked to guarantee that they would make Olatunji available if needed again.

READ ALSO: Alleged Defamation: Foremost Edo-based Human Rights Activist Granted Bail

The International Press Institute, the Nigeria Guild of Editors, and Olatunji’s employers had in separate statements, faulted his incarceration, asking authorities to either release the editor or charge him to court.

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Recall that Olatunji, a former Kaduna State correspondent of The PUNCH, was abducted by men in military uniform from his home in the Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos State.

The IPI, on Wednesday, said it traced Olatunji to the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency.

The DIA is an agency under the command of Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, who reports to the Chief of Defence Staff.

The PUNCH learnt that media stakeholders will address journalists by 11am in Abuja on the development.

 

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