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PHOTOS: Tight Security As Presidential Election Petition Tribunal Begins Sitting

Published

2 years ago

May 8, 2023

Editor

The Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, has held its inaugural session, a legal ritual that precedes the actual hearing of petitions seeking to nullify the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

At the session, a five-member panel of Justices of the Court of Appeal that will hear and determine all the five petitions challenging the declaration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as winner of the presidential election, were revealed.

Whereas the panel will be headed by the Presiding Justice (PJ) of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, Justice Haruna Tsammani, other members of the panel are; Justice Stephen Adah (PJ Asaba Division), Justice Monsurat Bolaji-Yusuf (Asaba Division), Justice Boluokuromo Ugo (Kano Division), as well as Justice Abba Mohammed (Ibadan Division).

In his opening remarks, the Presiding Justice, Tsammani, urged lawyers representing all the petitioners to avoid sensational comments, stressing that the court would not tolerate time wasting tactics and technicalities.

He said, “As we commence hearing of the petitions, let us avoid making sensational comments. Let us consider the safety and interest of the country, that is paramount.

“We should avoid unnecessary time wasting applications ajf objections so that we can look at substance of the case rather than unnecessary technicalities.

“Let us corporate with each other so that every one will be satisfied that justice has been done.”

Responding, lead counsel to the President-elect, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, assured the court of the maximum corporation of his team, saying there was need for the matter to be determined without recourse to unnecessary technicalities.

Likewise, head of the team of lawyers representing the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, said they would do everything possible to assist the court to do justice.

On his part, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, who is representing the Labour Party and its candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, noted that the petitions were of great public interest, saying “at the end of the day, I am very confident that the petitions will impact on Nigeria’s jurisprudence and constitutionalism.”

“We will do everything possible to assist your Lordships,” he added.

Likewise, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, through its lawyer, Mr. A. B. Mahmood, SAN, expressed confidence of the electoral body on the ability of the court to do justice on all the petitions before it.

“My lords, we are confident that at the end of the day, justice will be done,” Mahmood, SAN, stated.

Meanwhile, the court said it would only conduct pre-hearing session on three of the petition, while the remaining two petitions would be heard on Tuesday.

The three petitions the court said it would hear, were the ones the Action Alliance, AA, filed against INEC, that of the All Peoples Party, APP, as well as the petition by Obi and the LP.

While the remaining petitions are the ones filed by the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, and Atiku of the PDP.
VANGUARD

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We’ve ‘Refrained’ From Further Strikes On Iran After Trump Call, Says Israel

Published

2 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

Israel “refrained” from further strikes on Iran on Tuesday after a call between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s office announced.

Trump had angrily accused both Iran and Israel of violating the ceasefire he had announced late on Monday but hours later he posted that it was now in effect.

“Following President Trump’s conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel refrained from further strikes,” a statement said.

Headline

Nine Countries With Nuclear Weapons In The World

Published

6 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

Since the first atomic bomb was developed in 1945, only a small number of countries have acquired nuclear weapons.

Concerns about the spread of these weapons led to the signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1968, which aimed to prevent further proliferation. At the time, only a few states had nuclear capabilities.

However, since then, the number has grown to nine, with North Korea being the only country to withdraw from the NPT and subsequently develop nuclear weapons.

Combined, the United States and Russia possess roughly 87 per cent of the world’s total nuclear inventory and about 83 per cent of the warheads stockpiled for military use. Of the estimated 12,241 nuclear warheads worldwide, around 9,614 are part of active military stockpiles, ready for deployment via missiles, aircraft, ships, or submarines.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), these are the nine nuclear-armed states and their estimated warhead counts:

Russia – 5,459 nuclear weapons

United States – 5,177 nuclear weapons

China – 600 nuclear weapons

France – 290 nuclear weapons

United Kingdom – 225 nuclear weapons

India – 180 nuclear weapons

Pakistan – 170 nuclear weapons

Israel – 90 nuclear weapons

North Korea – 50 nuclear weapons

Headline

FULL LIST: Nigeria Emerges As Africa’s Third Most Formidable Military Force

Published

1 day ago

June 23, 2025

Editor

Nigeria has secured the third position among African nations with the most formidable military forces in the 2025 Global Firepower Military Strength Index, according to Global Firepower’s annual report cited by The PUNCH on Monday.

The index evaluates 145 countries based on over 60 metrics, including troop numbers, equipment capabilities, financial resources, logistical efficiency, and geographical advantages to assess military strength.

In the 2025 rankings, Egypt maintains its lead as Africa’s top military power, followed by Algeria in second place and South Africa in fourth. Nigeria’s rise to third underscores its growing military capabilities, driven by investments in personnel, equipment, and counter-terrorism efforts.

Here is a list of African countries ranked in the 2025 Global Firepower Index.

1. Egypt (19)

2. Algeria (26)

3. Nigeria (31)

4. South Africa (40)

5. Ethiopia (52)

6. Angola (56)

7. Morocco (59)

8. Democratic Republic of the Congo (66)

9. Sudan (73)

10. Libya (76)

11. Kenya (83)