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UPDATED: Adeleke Wins At Appeal Court, Oyetola Slapped With N500,000 Fine

Published

2 years ago

March 24, 2023

Editor

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Friday, set aside the tribunal judgment that nullified the election of Ademola Adeleke as governor of Osun State.

The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Mohammed Lawal, held that the appeal lodged by Adeleke to challenge his sack by the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal was meritorious.

The court also held that the sum of N500,000 is awarded as a cost against the All Progressive Congress and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.

During the ruling, the justice resolved that the preponderance of proof that there was over-voting in the elections rested on the petitioner.

The court also maintained that “the party alleging non-compliance with the electoral act must prove its case without merely relying on the weakness of the other party.”

Delivering judgment, Justice Mohammed Shaibu overruled the judgment of the governorship election tribunal that nullified the outcome of the July governorship polls.

The three-man panel revoked the tribunal’s order which directed that a Certificate of Return be withdrawn from Adeleke and issued to his predecessor and All Progressives Congress candidate, Oyetola.

The Osun tribunal had annulled Adeleke’s victory and affirmed Gboyega Oyetola of All Progressives Congress as the authentic winner of the poll.

The PUNCH reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission had returned Adeleke as the winner of the poll.

INEC said Adeleke polled 403,371 votes to defeat then-incumbent Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the APC, who got 375,027 votes

But Oyetola and the APC rejected the result of the poll and headed for the tribunal.

In its January 27, 2023 majority verdict, the Justice Tertse Kume-led tribunal annulled Adeleke’s victory and declared Oyetola the winner of the poll.

However, a minority judgment by Justice B. Ogbuli affirmed Adeleke as the winner of the poll.

Displeased, Adeleke and the PDP headed for the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal heard the appeal on March 13 and reserved its judgment.

But the court of Appeal on Friday set aside the tribunal judgement.

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

Published

1 hour 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.

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Nine Countries With Nuclear Weapons In The World

Published

5 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)