Headline

Tribunal: Meet The Five Justices To Determine Atiku, Obi’s Petitions Against Tinubu

Published

2 years ago

September 4, 2023

The Presidential Election Petition Court in May, commenced hearing the election petitions filed by five candidates in the last presidential poll that saw the emergence of Bola Tinubu as winner.

The candidates are challenging Tinubu’s emergence, and the five-man panel is expected to hear the petitions and dispense justice accordingly.

PUNCH reports that the Registrar, Court of Appeal, Umar Bangari, had confirmed to our correspondent that September 6 had been fixed for the judgment.

This report examines the profiles of the five justices who are members of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal

Justice Tsammani:

Haruna Tsammani, 64 was appointed a Justice of the appeal court in 2010. He was called to the Bar after attending the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1983. He was appointed a high court judge in Bauchi State on September 17, 1998.

Tsammani is not new to electoral tribunal sittings. In December 2015, he was part of the five-man panel of the Appeal Court that dismissed an appeal instituted by a former governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, against the election of the late governor, Abiola Ajimobi.

Similarly, in 2019, Tsammani wrote the lead judgment for an election petition submitted by Ajimobi, who contested the decision of the 2019 Election Petition Tribunal, which on November 19, of that same year, confirmed Kola Balogun of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of the senatorial election for Oyo State.

Ajimobi’s petition was rejected by Tsammani, who, in the lead judgment noted that the petition lacked merit.

He served as the chairman of the three-man panel that granted Obi and Atiku’s applications to serve Tinubu their petitions by substituted means.

He also presided over the Value Added Tax case between the Rivers State Government and the Federal Government. He is ranked 12th on the senior hierarchy list of the Court of Appeal.

Justice Stephen Jonah Adah:

The 66-year-old Justice is from the Asaba Division of the Court of Appeal. He graduated from the Nigerian Law School in 1982 and hails from Kogi State.

Adah was appointed as a judge of the Federal High Court on November 12, 1998, and was part of the justices promoted to the Appeal Court in November 2012.

One of his landmark judgments was delivered in an appeal filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in 2020 against a trial court’s decision, which partially upheld the no-case submission filed by former President Goodluck Jonathan’s cousin, Robert Azibaola.

Adah led the panel that affirmed Ifeanyi Ubah as a senator in Enugu State after he was sacked over alleged certificate forgery.

He also led the panel that affirmed Valentine Ozigbo as the PDP governorship candidate for the Anambra governorship election in 2022.

He is ranked 22nd on the senior list of the Court of Appeal.

Justice Bolaji-Yusuf:

She is the only female justice in the tribunal was born on August 7, 1959.

She hails from Oyo State, where she started her education at Oranyan Grammar School between 1972 and 1973, before proceeding to the Breman Asikuma Secondary School, Central Region, Ghana, between 1973 and 1976.

Bolaji-Yusuf attended the Obafemi Awolowo University between 1979 and 1983 and later, the Nigerian Law School from 1983 to 1984.

She was appointed as a justice in the Oyo State High Court on January 30, 1997, where she delivered major judgments.

She was appointed to the Court of Appeal on March 24, 2014.

One of her lead judgments was delivered during the hearing of an N5.6bn pension scam in Oyo State.

The case involved the EFCC and 12 other persons in the Oyo State civil service.

She was on the panel that affirmed that the candidates of the Godwin Obaseki-led faction, were the authentic ones to participate in the Edo State 2023 elections.

She ranks 31st on the senior hierarchy list of the Court of Appeal.

Justice Boloukuoromo Moses Ugo:

The Bayelsa-State-born justice is from Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state. Born in 1965, Ugo began his education at the State school, Igbedi in Bayelsa State from 1972 to 1978.

He proceeded to the Government Secondary School, Asoama, Sabagreia in Bayelsa State from 1977 to 1982. He attended the University of Calabar, where he studied law from 1985 to 1989, and later attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1990.

Justice Ugo was appointed as a Justice of the High Court of Bayelsa State in March 2006. He became an appellate court justice in March 2014 and ranks 44th on the seniority list of the Court of Appeal.

Justice Mohammed Abba Bello:

The 62-year-old jurist from Kano State attended the Nigerian Law School in 1985.

In 2010, he was appointed to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory. He presided over the Nasarawa State Governorship Election Tribunal in 2019.

David Ombugadu, the PDP governorship candidate in the general election of 2019, had filed a suit against INEC and Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressive Congress.

However, Justice Mohammed rejected the petition on the grounds that it lacked merit, noting that the petitioner’s claims of excessive voting and electoral violence could not be substantiated.

He is ranked 71st on the seniority list of the Court of Appeal.

SOURCE: PUNCH

Headline

26-year-old Nigerian Fatally Stabbed In London

Published

10 hours ago

August 5, 2025

Editor

Two individuals have been charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 26-year-old Nigerian, Ayowale Aladejana, in New Cross, southeast London.

The Metropolitan Police reports that detectives investigating the fatal stabbing of Ayowale charged a man and woman with murder.

“Ben Wazabanga, 23 (24.10.2001) of Fairfax Road, Bedford was charged with murder and possession of a knife on Monday, 4 August. He was remanded in custody and will appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 4 August.

“Ronique Belfon, 23 (10.05.2002) of Morinsbury Road, Bedford was charged with murder on Monday, 4 August. She was remanded to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 4 August,” the report read.

Speaking on the incident, Detective Chief Inspector Lucie Card, who is leading the investigation, was quoted as saying, “Our thoughts are with Ayowale’s family and friends at this difficult time.

“I understand this incident will be concerning and we are carrying out a fast-paced and thorough investigation to establish the circumstances. I would encourage anyone who has not yet spoken to us.”

The investigation was reportedly launched after officers were called to reports of a man with stab wounds at a residential address in Monson Road, New Cross, at 19:26hrs on Saturday, August 2.

The officers were said to have responded alongside the London Ambulance Service and medics from London’s Air Ambulance, however, Ayowale died at the scene despite efforts to save him.

The report added that a post-mortem examination conducted on Sunday gave a preliminary cause of death as stab wound to the chest.

Ayowale’s family are also reportedly being supported by specially trained officers.

Headline

Trump Threatens 250% Tariffs On Foreign Pharmaceuticals

Published

11 hours ago

August 5, 2025

Editor

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that upcoming tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals could reach 250 percent, after starting at a lower level, while adding he plans to also unveil fresh duties on foreign semiconductors.

“We’ll be putting (an) initially small tariff on pharmaceuticals, but in one year, one-and-a-half years, maximum, it’s going to go to 150 percent,” Trump said in an interview on CNBC.

“And then it’s going to go to 250 percent because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country,” he added.

In the same interview, Trump said he expects to raise the US tariff on Indian imports “very substantially over the next 24 hours” due to the country’s purchases of Russian oil.

While Trump has aimed at products from different countries with varying tariff rates after imposing a 10-percent levy on almost all trading partners in April, these have excluded certain products he planned to target separately.

These sector-specific tariffs have generally come after government investigations that look into the national security concerns surrounding certain imports.

After earlier embarking on probes on imported semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, the Trump administration has signaled plans to wrap up these studies, which could lead to new tariffs.

Already, Trump has slapped steep tariffs of 50 percent on imported steel and aluminum, and also rolled out a separate but lower duty on autos and parts.

AFP

Headline

UK Opens Application For Chevening Scholarships

Published

15 hours ago

August 5, 2025

Editor

The United Kingdom on Tuesday announced that applications for its Chevening Scholarships are officially open, with prospective scholars encouraged to apply between August 5 and October 7, 2025.

The Chevening programme offers fully funded one-year master’s degrees at UK universities to individuals with demonstrated leadership potential and a strong commitment to driving positive change in their home countries and globally.

In a statement released by the British High Commission in Abuja, the Head of the Scholarships Unit at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Emma Hennessey, described the programme as highly competitive, selecting only the most outstanding candidates from across the world.

“Chevening’s highly competitive selection process ensures that those chosen to become Chevening Scholars or Fellows represent the brightest and most driven individuals from around the world.

“Chevening Alumni use their world-class education, global networks, and confidence gained in the UK to create meaningful, lasting change when they return home, whether by tackling global challenges or making a tangible impact in their own communities.

“If you can clearly demonstrate the skills needed to join them — outstanding leadership, influence, and networking skills — I strongly encourage you to apply.

“If you’re not quite there yet, I encourage you to take the time to build the experience that will make your application competitive,” Hennessey noted.

According to the statement, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, urged Nigerians with leadership potential to take advantage of the opportunity.

“Chevening is more than a scholarship — it is a gateway to a global network of leaders, innovators, and changemakers,” he said.

“Whether your aspirations lie in shaping public policy, launching a business, or addressing the world’s most pressing challenges, the Chevening Scholarship offers a unique opportunity to pursue a fully funded master’s degree in the United Kingdom to advance your knowledge and skills.

“While there is no ‘typical’ scholar, we seek individuals with the passion, ideas, and influence to drive meaningful change in Nigeria and beyond.

“Our alumni network includes dynamic professionals across diverse sectors who are making significant contributions in their fields.

“If you have the potential to lead positive change in your community, Nigeria, or globally, I encourage you to submit your application before the 7 October 2025 deadline.

“Apply today and take the first step toward this life-changing experience,” he said.

Applications must be submitted online via chevening.org/apply.

Interested applicants are also encouraged to review available guidance at chevening.org/guidance to determine their readiness for the competitive application process.

Since its launch in 1983, the Chevening programme has supported over 60,000 professionals from over 160 countries and territories.

The scholarship is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and partner organisations.