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Yoruba Nation: Suit To Stop Osun Guber Poll Etalls Over Judge’s Absence

Published

4 years ago

May 17, 2022

The lawsuit by some members of the Ilana Omo Oduduwa challenging the eligibility of the 1999 Constitution to conduct the Osun 2022 election was stalled due to the absence of a judge.

Some members of the group had dragged the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, SAN, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court over the eligibility of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution to conduct gubernatorial elections for Ekiti and Osun states.

The suits, filed by about 20 persons, including the leader of the self-determination group, Professor Banji Akintoye; his Deputy, Professor Wale Adeniran; are demanding a total decommissioning of the 1999 constitution to pave way for a referendum so that the indigenous people of Yoruba land can decide on their nationhood, first and foremost.

On Tuesday in Osogbo, the lawyer of the group, Tolu Babaleye, said the group is challenging the 1999 constitution as it was neither made by Nigerians nor followed the process of constitution-making worldwide.

According to him, “So, what we are challenging is that, where the people gathered to make that constitution? When? What we’re saying is that the constitution does not follow due process of constitution-making, anywhere in the world. And that being the case, the constitution is illegal and the court should pronounce it to be.”

The lawyer added that the position of the group to have approached the court is that the constitution lied against itself and thereby lacks the legality under which the July 16 Osun gubernatorial election will be conducted.

“If the court can come to the conclusion that the constitution is illegal, then everything found on it will be illegal. And it will not be able to start.”

The lawyer praised the members of the Ilana group for deciding to approach the court over the matter and not resulting in street demonstrations capable of causing a commotion, killing, and burning of houses among others.

“The best way to address the issue is what we’re doing now. Only civilised people go to court. And I believe the government must be able to recommend that.”

The Deputy Secretary-General of the Ilana Omo Oduduwa Worldwide, Dr Kayode Akinwande, while speaking with journalists in the court premises, stressed that the constitution is fraudulent and that the group will boycott the Osun gubernatorial elections should the court delay the trial.

“We are here as the Ilana group to support our members that are prosecuting this issue of the 1999 constitution. And we have gone into the archives of elections in Osun state. The people in Osun are more than four million, but in the last election that brought in this government; the people that voted are not up to 500,000. which means our people are among those people that have abandoned voting.

“Even in the other elections, we have been seeing 250,000 that voted for the governor where we have 3 million. People should ask the question; why? It’s because most of these people are not interested in voting. After all, they belong to our group that are saying this 1999 constitution is a complete fraud.”

Dr Akinwande stressed that the constitution is fraudulent and that the group will boycott the Osun gubernatorial elections should the court delay the trial.

He added that the same struggle will be extended to the 2023 general election, noting that their demand is not an election or restructuring but a referendum.

“The lawyer has mentioned why it is a fraud because of the preamble they use, which is ‘we’. And we have also looked at it in our association that even the fundamentals, the principles, and then, the mode of legalising a constitution which is to pass through referendum and plebiscite, was not observed.”

The case was adjourned to Tuesday, May 24 again for mentioning.

DAILY POST.

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Trump’s Airstrikes: Halt Military Cooperation With US Immediately – Sheikh Gumi Tells Tinubu Govt

Published

11 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has called on the Federal Government to immediately halt all military cooperation with the United States following reported US airstrikes.

Gumi warned that American involvement could worsen Nigeria’s security challenges and undermine national sovereignty.

Gumi made the call in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Friday.

He said while Islam permits the fight against terrorism, such actions should only be carried out by what he described as “clean hands,” arguing that the United States lacks the moral authority to lead such efforts because of its global military record.

According to the cleric, Nigeria made a mistake by allowing foreign powers to play a role in its counterterrorism operations, insisting that “terrorists do not truly fight terrorists” and that such interventions often result in civilian casualties and hidden political motives.

Gumi warned that allowing Nigeria to become a theatre of war would attract anti-US forces into the country, further destabilising it.

He also cautioned that US involvement, particularly under claims of protecting Christians, could polarise the country along religious lines.

The cleric further argued that airstrikes alone cannot defeat terrorism, stressing that effective counterterrorism requires strong ground operations, which he said Nigeria has enough personnel to carry out if properly organised.

“This is the mistake Nigeria has made. Terrorists don’t fight terrorists in truth; they may only kill innocent people and have ulterior motives behind the drama of fighting ‘terror’.

“As a principle, no nation should allow its land to be a theater of war. And no nation should allow its neighbors to be their enemies.

“If Nigeria wants military assistance, China, Turkey, and Pakistan can do the job effectively,” part of his statement reads.

News

Shehu Sani Reacts To Trump’s Military Strikes In Nigeria

Published

11 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Former lawmaker, senator Shehu Sani, has reacted to reports of United States military strikes on terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North-West, saying foreign powers cannot permanently handle the country’s security challenges.

Sani made the remarks on Friday via his X handle while responding to a post by the United States Africa Command, AFRICOM, which indicated that the strikes were carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

According to him, if the reported strikes were indeed a joint operation with Nigerian security agencies, then such action was justifiable, given the threat posed by terrorist groups in the region.

He described terrorists operating in parts of northern Nigeria as “cancerous cells,” stressing that they survive through violence and should be confronted decisively.

Sani also dismissed narratives suggesting that terrorist attacks target only one religious group, describing such claims as false and misleading.

He said: “If actually, the military strikes against the terrorists targets in the North Western part of Nigeria were a joint operation with the ‘Nigerian Authorities’ as posted by the US AFRICOM on their verified X handle, then it’s a conscionable action.

“Terrorists have become cancerous cells in our part of the country.They live by the sword.The narrative that the evil terrorists only targets one faith, remains absolutely false and misleading.

“Again, the ultimate security and peace in our country lies with ourselves and not with the US or any foreign power. They can complimentarily or unilaterally strike, but they can’t eternally fight our battles.”