Politics

Osun Poll: Tribunal Reserves Judgment

Published

3 years ago

January 14, 2023

The Osun State Election Petitions Tribunal on Friday adjourned for judgment, on the petition filed by the state’s former gov, Gboyega Oyetola, challenging the victory of Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party in the July 16 governorship election.

The Chairman of the three-man panel, Justice Tertsea Kume, reserved the judgment for a later day to be communicated to parties after the petitioner and respondents had adopted their final written addresses in Osogbo, the state capital.

Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress had on August 5, submitted a petition before the tribunal in Osogbo.

Oyetola and APC were challenging the election results from 749 polling units across 10 local government areas of the state for various alleged electoral malpractice, especially over-voting.

The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Adeleke as the winner of the governorship election, having polled 403, 271 votes against 375,027 polled by Oyetola.

Earlier, Counsel to APC, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) in his final written address, said all documents and processes were filed and submitted on January 8.

Fagbemi adopted all submitted written documents and objections on point of law and also argued all objections earlier filed by the respondents, asking the court to accede to all his submissions and requests.

Fagbemi cited sections 51 (2) and 47(2) of the Electoral Act on the cancellation of polling units where the number of votes exceeded the number of registered and accredited voters.

Also, Mr Akin Olujimi, SAN, counsel to Oyetola, said the testimonial tendered by Gov. Adeleke did not show that he attended Muslim Grammar School in Ede.

Olujimi dismissed the claim by the respondents that Governor Adeleke was eligible to contest the election and he submitted that the testimonial that Adeleke tendered was fake because it was obtained in 1988 from Osun State, while Osun was actually created in 1991.

According to him, the respondent should have pleaded that the mistake was a typographical issue but which they never did.

Olujimi said all the documents tendered by the respondent’s counsel had no connection with each other, with no probative value.

INEC Counsel, Prof. Paul Ananaba, SAN, in his own submissions, tendered to the court his final written addresses dated December 30, 2022, and filed the same date, with replies on points of law dated January 9 and filed January 11 respectively.

Ananaba adopted all documents submitted as his final written address, saying the duty of INEC was to certify that the respondent, Adeleke, was qualified to contest the governorship election which they did.

He said, “the petitioners complained of over-voting and infractions by picking 749 polling units to contend with from 1750 polling units, according to the first respondent witnessed (RW1).

“If the deduction of 1750 units was carried out from the total 3763 units in the state, the second respondent will still emerge as the winner with over 20,000 votes.”

Mr Onyechi Ikpeazu, Counsel to Gov. Ademola Adeleke, also adopted all the tendered documents filed as its final written address and urged the tribunal to dismiss the petitioner’s application against his client.

Ikpeazu said that the argument against Adeleke’s certificates and eligibility to contest the governorship election had been addressed by the Court of Appeal.

On the issue of the over-voting claim, Ikpeazu told the court that certified true copies of documents of accreditation were done through the BVAS machines, adding that BVAS was the primary source of accreditation.

He further argued that extraction from the INEC database was not the same as extraction from the BVAS machines.

Ikpeazu said that the petitioners’ agents did not contest the results of any polling units on the day of the election, despite that they also signed the results which were authentic.

”The entries in form EC8A tallied with figures on the forms as being contended by the petitioners.

“You can not determine over-voting proper without the application of the BVAS machines,” he said.

Counsel to PDP, Mr Alex Iziyon, SAN, also adopted all written documents filed and submitted on point of laws.

Iziyon said the issue of forgery of the certificate as contended by the petitioners had been cleared in the judgment of the Court of Appeal and had no value.

NAN/PUNCH

Politics

APC Now Mourns Buhari After Blaming Him For Failures—ADC

Published

7 hours ago

July 15, 2025

Editor

African Democratic Congress, ADC, has accused APC and the federal government of hypocrisy over their sudden display of grief, following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The ADC said the ruling party, which had spent the last two years blaming Buhari for Nigeria’s challenges, was now seeking to portray itself as the chief mourner.

In a statement signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary and spokesperson for the opposition coalition, the party reaffirmed its declaration of a three-day mourning period across all its chapters and structures, beginning today.

‘’During this period, the ADC will suspend all political activities and public statements in honour of Buhari’s contributions to the country.

“Regardless of political affiliations, what cannot be denied is that President Buhari served this country with a fierce sense of duty, personal discipline, and conviction,” the statement read.

The party also highlighted Buhari’s popularity among ordinary Nigerians, especially the poor, who, it said, ‘stuck with him throughout his political sojourn and thereafter.’

However, the ADC expressed disappointment over what it called APC’s sudden shift in tone, saying “we note with regrets that his own political party and the government, which had done everything in the last two years to tarnish his records, dismantle his legacies, and blame him for every one of their failings, are now posturing as the chief mourners at his burial.’’

The party described this behaviour as ‘sheer hypocrisy’ and a ‘brazen move to harvest political gains from a national tragedy.’

It further urged Buhari’s family and loyalists to be cautious of what it called political opportunism during this mourning period, and encouraged Nigerians to reflect on Buhari’s enduring qualities.

“Let his memory be a mirror that reflects the personal ethics we must continue to demand from leadership for generations to come,” Abdullahi added.
(VANGUARD)

Politics

Why I Support ADC’s Coalition But Remain In PDP — Lamido

Published

7 hours ago

July 15, 2025

Editor

Former Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has said while his support for the Senator David Mark-led adopted party, African Democratic Congress, ADC, remained, his loyalty to Peoples Democratic Party PDP, was unquestionable.

This came on a day African Democratic Congress, ADC, accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the federal government of hypocrisy over their sudden display of grief, following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Lamido spoke to a crowd of his loyalists at an empowerment event organised by Senator Mustapha Khabeeb (PDP, Jigawa South West), in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, over the weekend.

The former governor, who is one of the founding fathers of the PDP, said the coalition of opposition parties was put together to salvage Nigerians from the misrule of the ruling All Progressives Congress in order to rebuild Nigeria.

Lamido said: “Yes, I support the coming together of the opposition under the ADC, but let it be known I will never leave the PDP. I built this house with my sweat and soul. My role now is to offer guidance and ensure Nigeria finds her way back.”

He blasted the APC-led administration at both the state and federal levels for failing the people in every sphere of governance.

“The three PDP federal lawmakers from Jigawa are serving the people. APC lawmakers? They’re serving only themselves. Let the people judge.” He declared.

In a symbolic gesture to signal unity among opposition parties in the state, Lamido introduced Kabiru Hussaini, the state ADC chairman to the PDP crowd.

Senator Mustapha Khabeeb, the host of the event, echoed Lamido’s sentiments, reminding the audience of the PDP’s legacy of progress, especially during Lamido’s time as governor.

He said: “From 1999 to 2015, and especially under Sule Lamido, Jigawa knew what development looked like—roads, schools, hospitals, real change. What do we have now? APC has brought nothing but hunger and hopelessness.”

Khabeeb equally showcased his efforts to continue the PDP legacy through massive empowerment drives.

According to him, this year alone, over 3,000 people were lifted by distribution of equipment, including 600 irrigation machines,100 solar-powered irrigation units,100 paddy rice threshers, sewing and grinding machines and 750 sprayers and 3,000 litres of herbicide

“We’re not waiting for miracles, we’re working. Just like we did last year, and in 2023, we’re lifting our people out of poverty one tool, one machine at a time.

“Compare for yourself—under PDP and Lamido, there was progress. Under APC? Na talauci kawai suka kawo (they only brought poverty),’’ the lawmaker said.

The rally ended with chants of PDP solidarity, as supporters vowed to defend the party’s legacy and prepare for what many are calling a grand opposition comeback in 2027.
(VANGUARD)

Politics

Obaseki: Leader, I Know How Pained You Are,’ Wike Apologises To Oshiomhole

Published

8 hours ago

July 15, 2025

Editor

Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has apologised to Sen. Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of the state, for humiliating him over Godwin Obaseki.

INFO DAILY recalls that Wike, who was the chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Council for Edo 2020 gubernatorial election (Obaseki Re-election), had, during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, November 4, 2020, edition said the governor (Obaseki) has “resolved to quash acts of violence by the APC, its sacked National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.”

He added during the show: “Four years ago, the former national chairman of the APC said that Obaseki was his brain box and the person behind everything he achieved; it is clear, he said so. The same man said the PDP candidate in the 2016 election was not electable.

“Why was he not electable? According to Oshiomhole, Ize-Iyamu can’t be trusted with money. The same man who you could not give an appointment or entrust with money is the same man you are telling Edo people to now vote for.

“You wake up in the morning and you tell Edo people something, and in the night you call the same Edo people and say, what I said in the morning, I didn’t mean it; how do we now know the one that you meant?” Wike queried.

But Wike, who has been in a political romance with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its leader in recent time, profuriously apologized to Comrade Oshiomhole in a statement made available to newsmen by his spokesman, Mr Lere Olayinka.

Wike said: “Leader, I know how pained you are and what you passed through; I know it was like a humiliation to you.

“I was part of it because I humiliated you while supporting Obaseki. I apologised to you on national TV and I am still saying sorry for what I did to you.”

Wike was in Edo to inaugurate the newly constructed Edo Line Terminal in Benin, which is the second phase of the Benin Central Bus Terminal.

The event was, however, cancelled following the demise of former President Muhammadu Buhari.