News

Presidential Tribunal: Tinubu Tenders 17 Exhibits To Defend His Election Victory

Published

11 months ago

July 4, 2023

Editor

President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, tendered 17 sets of exhibits in evidence to defend his eligibility to contest the presidential election that was held on February 25.

Tinubu, who maintained that he is the bonafide winner of the presidential contest, through his team of lawyers led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, tendered from the Bar, certified copies of bundles of documentary evidence before the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja.

He adduced the evidence to defend the petition the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, filed to nullify his election victory.

Among the exhibits that President Tinubu tendered before the court, included a letter dated February 3, 2003, which the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, wrote to the Consul General of the Embassy of the United States of America, in Nigeria, demanding for his criminal record.

As well as a reply the US Embassy sent to the NPF on February 4, 2003, which indicated that there was no criminal file against him.

Other bundle of documents that President Tinubu tendered in court on Tuesday, were his academic records from Chicago State University, his travel records between 2012 and 2021, which was certified on July 3, 2023, by the Nigerian Immigration Service, as well as report of the Committee on the location of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

More so, President Tinubu tendered Forms EC8A of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which represented the polling unit results of the presidential election in Kano State, and equally, Forms EC8D(A), which are the summary of results of the election from all the states of the federation.

Also admitted in evidence by the court was the certified true copy of an Originating Summons marked: SC/CV/354/2023, which the Attorneys-General of six PDP controlled states- Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Sokoto- filed at the Supreme Court on February 28 to void the outcome of the presidential election.

The last proof of evidence the President tendered in support of his election victory, were certified copies of six newspaper publications.

Whereas INEC and the All Progressives Congress, APC, through their team of lawyers led by Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, and Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, respectively, did not oppose the tendering of all the documents, however, Atiku and the PDP, vehemently challenged the admissibility of all the exhibits.

The Petitioners said they would adduce reasons behind their objections, in their final written address.

Meanwhile, despite the objection, the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel of the court admitted all the documents in evidence and marked them as Exhibits RA 1 to RA 17.

It will be recalled that INEC had on March 1, announced Tinubu of the ruling APC as winner of the presidential poll, ahead of 17 other candidates that contested the election.

It declared that Tinubu scored a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat the two major contenders, Atiku of the PDP who came second with a total of 6,984,520 votes and Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, who came third with a total of 6,101,533 votes.

However, dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, both Atiku and Obi, who are separately claiming that they won the presidential contest, approached the court to challenge Tinubu’s victory.

They both prayed the court to withdraw the Certificate of Return that was issued to President Tinubu by INEC.

Specifically, Atiku, in the joint petition he filed with his party, maintained that Tinubu “was at the time of the election, not qualified to contest.”

He contended that President Tinubu “demonstrated inconsistency as to his actual date of birth, secondary schools he attended (Government College Ibadan); his State of origin, gender, actual name; certificates evidencing Universities attended (Chicago State University).”

According to the petitioners; “The purported degree Certificate of the 2nd Respondent allegedly acquired at the Chicago State University did not belong to him but to a female (F) described as “F” in the Certificate bearing the name Bola Tinubu.

“The 2nd Respondent did not disclose to the 1st Respondent (INEC) his voluntary acquisition of the citizenship of Republic of Guinea with Guinean Passport No. D00001551, in addition to his Nigerian citizenship. The 2nd Respondent is hereby given notice to produce the original copies of his said two passports.”

He argued that the APC candidate did not meet the constitutional threshold and was “constitutionally disabled from contesting for office of President of Federal Republic of Nigeria”.

Besides, Atiku, challenged Tinubu’s eligibility to occupy the presidential seat, alleging that he was previously indicted and fined the sum of $460,000.00 by the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, in Case No: 93C 4483, for an offence involving dishonesty and drug trafficking.

The petitioners closed their case after they produced 27 witnesses that testified and tendered documents before the court.

Likewise, INEC closed its defence with a lone witness, thereby, paving the way for Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, who are 2nd and 3rd Respondents in the matter, to open their own defence to all the allegations.

The Justice Tsammani-led panel adjourned further proceedings in the matter till Wednesday.
VANGUARD

News

JUST IN: NLC To Picket Turkish Airline

Published

10 mins ago

May 20, 2024

Editor

The national secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress has ordered its members in Lagos State to shut down Turkish Airlines in the state on Tuesday over the sacking of seven of its members.

The NLC stated that it would ensure the picketing of the airlines until its management reinstates the affected workers.

According to an NLC statement signed by the union’s General Secretary, Chris Uyot, on Monday, the NLC noted that seven of its members working with the airlines were sacked for unionising under the umbrella of the National Union of Air Transport Employees.

In April, NUATE threatened to picket airlines operating in the country after they had refused their staff the opportunity to join trade unions of their choice.

NUATE said such an act was against labour law for some airlines to make employment conditional upon not joining a trade union, adding that those who threaten workers with sacks, if they join unions, are working against Nigerian laws.

Aside from the seven persons earlier sacked, the NLC noted that it has gathered that the airline is attempting to lay off four other members of the union.

“By the above action of unjustifiable dismissal of their workers, the management of Turkish Airlines has put to waste 10-14 years of service. And this fate has befallen these hapless workers purely on account of exercising their constitutional rights to belong to a trade union. Congress will not tolerate this situation.

“Therefore, the Lagos State Council of NLC is hereby directed to commence picketing of Turkish Airlines in Lagos with effect from Tuesday 21st May 2024 until all staff of Turkish Airlines who have been sacked, dismissed, forced to abandon duty, or forced to resign under duress, including those victimised for their union membership in 2020, have been fully restored to their jobs without any losses of any kind.

“All affiliate unions in aviation are particularly charged to mobilise heavily for the picketing action without fail, please.” the union’s statement read partly.

Meanwhile, the union further stated that the Federal Capital Territory Council would be standing by in case “the need arises to escalate the matter to the Abuja airport.”

News

Edo Govt Presents Confirmation Letters To 200 Education Managers

Published

1 hour ago

May 20, 2024

Editor

The Edo State Government has confirmed the appointment of 200 Education Managers into the State Civil and Public Service to strengthen its workforce and ensure effective service delivery.

The Executive Chairman of the Edo State Universal Education Board (SUBEB), Ozavize Salami, said this during a one-day engagement with over 400 education managers including education Secretaries and other basic education sector managers drawn from the 18 local government areas in the State, at the New Festival Hall, Government House, Benin City.

She noted that over the last quarter, SUBEB had an increase in students’ enrolment following engagement with different stakeholders in various communities, which led to an addition of 50,000 pupils in just over a term.

While presenting some of the confirmation letters to the beneficiaries, she said the State values performance and would continue to reward those who work hard.

The SUBEB Executive Chairman commended Governor Godwin Obaseki for his unwavering support for Edo SUBEB to undertake deep-rooted reform of the basic education sector.

Salami said the government has over the years, worked on ensuring the sustainability of the reforms of the basic education sector, noting: “As part of that sustainability plan, we employed and brought into the Edo State Civil Service Education Managers in the first phase of the EdoBEST programme, which kicked-off in 2018.

“In 2020, 200 staff were employed to strengthen that function. Two years later, many of them have completed their probation period as required by the Civil Service and today, we have given them their confirmation letters.”

Salami commended the education managers across the 18 local government areas of the State for the successes recorded in the enrolment of students in EdoBEST programme.

She noted: “Our success today has been made possible because we have the political will and backing of Governor Godwin Obaseki. EdoBEST has been stabilized over the years and the programme is working in Edo State.”

News

Oba Of Benin Accuses EFCC Of Corruption

Published

1 hour ago

May 20, 2024

Editor

The Oba of Benin, Ewuare II has alleged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is aiding crimes in the country.

The monarch made the allegations when he received the new Benin Zonal Director of EFCC, Effa Okim in his Palace in Benin on Monday.

He cited a case involving unnamed former palace officials who were left off the hook after they were arrested for fraud and handed over to EFCC in Benin for investigation and prosecution.

The Oba alleged that some EFCC operatives allegedly handled the case with kid gloves, which led to the release of the culprits a few years ago.

The monarch, who did not name the palace officials, expressed shock that the EFCC investigators allegedly swept glaring evidence of fraud against them (the palace officials) under the carpet.

While tasking the commission to fight crime without fear or favour, the Oba added, “We want to draw your attention to one or two grey areas in your operations”.

“No matter how much you try to support the EFFC from the palace, It is very difficult because they seem to listen to other parties. What I have been told is that they take instructions from the highest bidder.

“You know that I have been known for speaking the truth. I was not happy about certain things that happened with your predecessor.

“We get news from everywhere. We try to assist the EFCC. I even wrote a letter to the then-chairman who was removed from office.

“I even sent an emissary to talk to him regarding certain elements in Edo State, particularly the palace.

“How can EFCC operatives, especially, the lady who handled the case I cited earlier behave like that? If I was asked to comment on her performance, I would score her zero. I do not know if she was doing an EFCC job or just dancing to the tunes of people who were giving her money.

“At the time we were trying to assist EFCC, the report we kept getting was negative and I was not happy about it,” Oba Ewuare II added.

The monarch, however, said the newly appointed Chairman of EFCC, Olanipekun Olukayode is on the path to greatness if he continues to demonstrate fidelity in his duties.

He also pledged the palace’s support to the state government in addressing social inequality and reducing social vices.

Earlier in his address, Okim appealed to the Oba to support advocacy against financial crimes with Edo State ranking second behind Lagos State in the financial crime index in the country.

Recalling the historical ties between his state of origin, Cross River and Edo State, he solicited prayers and royal blessings to enable him to discharge his duties diligently.