₦airaland Forum

The Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, barred Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State from standing before it as the representative of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

The Plateau state governor had immediately the first petition that was lodged against the outcome of the 2023 presidential election was called up, stood up and announced himself as Tinubu’s representative.

“My Lord’s my name is Simon Lalong and I am here to represent Tinubu,” the governor stated.


However, Justice Haruna Tsammani led a five-member panel that declined to recognize him as Tinubu’s representative.


“You cannot represent an individual. Tinubu is not a corporation that would need a representative,” the presiding justice held.

“My Lords, in that case, I will represent the All Progressives Congress, APC,” Governor Lalong responded.

Meanwhile, the court has adjourned further pre-hearing session on the petition the Labour Party and its candidate, Peter Obi filed to nullify Tinubu’s election victory till Wednesday.

The court equally fixed the same date for another petition by the Action Peoples Party, APP, while it adjourned the case of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, till Tuesday.

While adjourning the cases, the court urged the parties to identify all the witness statements and documents they would rely on or object to during the actual hearing of the petitions.



Among those in court to witness the proceedings included the presidential candidate of the LP, Mr Peter Obi.

Jeffrey Guterman, a retired American mental health counselor, has disclosed that the Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) dismissed the application he made seeking the release of a file containing information about President-elect Bola Tinubu.

In a social media post, Guterman said the FBI rejected his request on the grounds that disclosing the existence of files concerning third-party individuals would constitute an invasion of personal privacy.

The American had asked the FBI to shed more light on Tinubu’s $460,000 forfeiture, following a drug trafficking case he had in the United States of America in 1993.

According to Guterman, FBI said the request failed to comply with their terms of service.

However, he promised to consider his next plan of action, which he failed to disclose.

“See below a copy of the letter I received today from the @FBI regarding my request, based on the Freedom of Information Act, for the FBI file on Bola Tinubu.

“My request was rejected because, according to the FBI, the existence of files on third-party individuals will neither be confirmed nor denied by the FBI due to unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

“I found it noteworthy that in my online submission, I referred to Tinubu as ‘Bola Tinubu,’ but in their letter, the FBI referred to him as TINUBU, BOLA AHMED. How would the FBI access the Ahmed part of his name? Again, I did not provide the Ahmed part of his name in my submission. Moreover, it is public knowledge that the FBI has a file on Tinubu for his $460,000 forfeiture to the US.

“The letter also states that if I received their response through standard mail (which I did), this is because my online submission did not meet their terms of service. According to the letter, my options are to (1) submit any questions by email or call their office, (2) administratively appeal their decision within 90 days of the date of their letter, and/or (3) seek dispute resolution by email.

“I will now consider my next plan of action,” Guterman wrote.

Guterman is a staunch supporter of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP).

The vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, to boycott the inauguration ceremony of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023.

Baba-Ahmed made this call while speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Friday.

According to him, swearing in a ticket that has not yet met constitutional requirements is tantamount to violating democracy.

The Labour Party Vice-presidential candidate said the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu shouldn’t have issued a certificate of return to Tinubu.


Baba-Ahmed He described the process that produced Tinubu as president-elect was flawed.


Baba-Ahmed said, “Swearing in a ticket that has not met the constitutional requirements of the constitution… Whoever does not meet the constitutional requirements must never be sworn in.

“Mr. President, do not hold that inauguration. CJN, your lordship, do not partake in unconstitutionality.”

Recall that the Labour Party Vice presidential candidate had on National television on 22nd March, 2023, said swearing in Tinubu would be tantamount to inviting the military to take over the affairs of Nigeria.

Baba-Ahmed, had on March 22 edition of Politics Today on Channels Television, called on Buhari and the Chief Justice not to swear in Tinubu, whom the Independent National Electoral COmmission, INEC declared as the president-elect.

He insisted that declaring Tinubu a winner and issuing him a certificate of return was against the constitution.

Baba-Ahmed’s pronouncement met with criticisms as Nobel Laurete, Professor Wole Soyinka described it as unacceptable because it alienates the people, and it is a ‘fascistic language’.

He said, “The interviewer asked him what would you do if the interpretation of the supreme court judgment goes against you, and he kept saying: no, it is not even open to analysis. This is trying to dictate to the supreme arbiter of the nation.

“The supreme court is an institution we should all refer to sooner or later, if not today, but tomorrow, if not this election, the next; but Datti kept saying, no, the supreme court has got, in its wisdom, to agree with me: that is what is known as fascistic language; it is not acceptable.

“And for me, it alienates people, it alienates even supporters. This is intimidation, and it is unacceptable, and I refuse to be part of that kind of language.”

Meanwhile, Soyinka, said he had warned the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi on excesses of the his supporters, otherwise known as ‘Obidients.

He maintained that his rejection of fascism wasn’t new and that on three occasions, he was able to send a message to Obi, that, if he lost the election, it would be his followers who lost it for him.

He stated, “What I have read – at least, thus far – this morning, extracted from a one-and-a-half long interview, conducted a week ago with Channels Television, brings once more to the fore, the critical responsibility of the media in transmitting the spoken, even recorded – word to the public.

“This is especially crucial in a time of civic uncertainty. When remarks are taken out of context, spliced into a new one, provided a sensational headline, distortions become stamped on public receptivity, and the central intent of one’s remarks becomes completely unrecognisable.

“I denounced the menacing utterances of a vice-presidential aspirant as unbecoming. It was a gladiatorial challenge directed at the judiciary and, by implication, the rest of the democratic polity.

“But what on earth has happened to my even more urgent condemnation of the physical violence inflicted on those designated “strangers” in Lagos in the lead up to, and during governorship elections?

“This prejudicial selectivity is a betrayal of trust, and I find it contemptuous of public deserving. My critique of incipient fascism in the movement remains grounded in indisputable evidence.”

Soyinka stated that throughout the interview, he continued to stress that the final word had yet to be pronounced on the elections – “that omission renders the full message tendentious!”

“My rejection of fascism is nothing new. On three occasions, I was able to send a message to Peter Obi that if he lost the election, it would be his followers who lost it for him. It was depressing to watch his lieutenant, a crucially positioned voice of a movement that has ‘broken the mould’, threaten the totality of social existence.

“Whatever our ideological leaning, is Donald Trump the ideal template for a burgeoning democracy in the nation?”

He stated that he also remained concerned by the alleged complaint by him of people not following “instructions.”


“If words are garbled in recording, the speaker can be reached for clarification – else, simply leave out the unclear section completely to avoid misrepresentation. After all, piecemeal transmission is legitimate proceeding, as long as a part is not presented as the whole.

“I am not a member of the Labour Party, so how can giving ‘instructions’ become my role? Like a number of others, I have admittedly contributed to the making of this moment – going back several years – and it is painful to have the followers of such a movement, send it slithering backwards and down the fascistic slope, ” Soyinka said.

obembet:
Messi was ridiculously molested by Lorient. The guy don finish. Imagine play for whole 2 season and score just 21 goals... His era in PSG us waste... PSG as been best before that dwarf came, PSG use to beat ordinary Lorient 8-0.

I will support PSG, Messi is a Cancer..he just scattered the whole team.

Don't let me talk before some people will say I don't like Messi.... He's a good player sha

The Presidential Election Petitions Court has fixed Monday for the hearing of the petitions challenging the declaration of the All Progressives Congress standard bearer, Bola Tinubu as the president-elect.

With this development, the expected legal battle by candidates disputing the outcome of the 2023 presidential poll will commence from May 8.

The National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress, Ahmad El-Marzuq, confirmed the date to The PUNCH on Tuesday.

He said the APC legal team had been briefed and was ready to defend the party’s mandate.

“We have been briefed about the hearing coming up next week. But who told you the election petitions at the tribunal must necessarily be concluded before May 29?

“Are you saying if they were not concluded before President Buhari leaves office, the government should be left in a vacuum and the president-elect should not be sworn in? It is not a must,’’ he stated in response to a question about the time it would take for the petitions to be decided.

Also, a top official of the election petitions tribunal affirmed that the hearing proceedings would start on Monday.

Hearings for Monday

Speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to release the information, he said, ‘’The Presidential election tribunal has fixed Monday, May 8th as for the hearing of the petitions challenging the victory of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.’’

A member of Tinubu’s legal team, Tayo Oyetibo SAN, also said the hearing had been scheduled to commence next week.

Oyetibo, who spoke to our correspondent on Tuesday, said,” Yes the hearing is on Monday, but it’s for a pre-hearing session. The hearing is to clarify if there are any applications before the main hearing will start. The timetable will be set for the hearing of the substantive matters.”

Findings also showed that the court stopped receiving replies from the petitioners on April 23.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, had on March 1 declared Tinubu the president-elect on the grounds that his party scored the majority of votes cast in the polls.

The former Lagos state governor had polled 8.8 million to defeat Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party who scored 6.9mn, Peter Obi of the Labour Party who amassed 6.1mn and 15 others.


Dissatisfied with the result, Atiku and Obi filed separate petitions seeking orders to annul the election or declare them the winners of the polls.

The PDP presidential candidate, who anchored his seven prayers on five grounds, asked the Presidential Election Tribunal to declare him the president-elect.

Alternatively, Atiku urged the court to cancel the election and order a fresh election due to alleged irregularities that marred the February 25 polls in thousands of polling units.

His team of senior lawyers led by Joe-Kyari Gadzama, SAN, filed the petition at the Presidential Election Petition Court.

In their 66-page petition, Atiku and his party argued that as of March 1 when Tinubu was declared the winner of the election, the entire results and accreditation data from polling units had not been transmitted and uploaded by INEC.

Obi, who came third in the election, alleged that the election was characterised by various irregularities including the non-qualification of Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima to contest the election.

He also alleged that Tinubu failed to win the majority of the lawful votes cast in the election, and just as he could not secure one-quarter of the lawful votes cast in the FCT.

He equally alleged that the election was conducted in substantial non-compliance with the provision of the law.
Also, a faction of the Action Alliance is seeking the tribunal’s order to nullify Tinubu’s victory as the president-elect.

The Action Alliance and its presidential flag bearer hinged their petition on INEC’s failure to upload the name of its candidate, Solomon-David Okanigbuan – to its portal for the February election.
In its petition filed on 16 March, the AA and Okanigbuan as co-petitioners said despite subsisting court orders recognise Okanigbuan as the authentic presidential standard-bearer, the electoral umpire instead uploaded the name of Hamza Al-Mustapha.

INEC had recognised Al-Mustapha, a former chief security officer to the late dictator, Sani Abacha, as AA’s presidential candidate for the election.

It contended that the victory of the ex-Lagos senator will not stand owing to the “flawed process” of nominating his vice presidential pick, Shettima.

In its petition marked CA/PEPC/04/2023, the Alliance People’s Movement in a petition contended that the president-elect was not qualified to run for office.

Listed as 1st to 5th respondents in the petition are INEC, APC, Tinubu, Shettima and Kabir Masari.

The APM whose presidential candidate, Chichi Ojei, polled 25,961 votes, argued that Tinubu was not properly sponsored by the APC by fielding Shettima as vice presidential candidate for the election.

Tinubu while submitting his presidential nomination form to INEC in June 2022, chose Ibrahim Masari, a politician from the Katsina State, as a “placeholder” for the substantive vice presidential candidate who would later be Shettima.

Tinubu’s action was described by analysts as a strategy to beat INEC’s deadline of June 17 2022, for presidential candidates to submit names of their vice presidential picks.

But the APC in its replies asked the PEPC to dismiss the petitions filed by the opposition parties.

It described the petition filed by the former vice president against his election victory as “a gross abuse of court processes.”

Tinubu, in a preliminary objection marked: CA/PEPC/05/2023, filed by his team of lawyers led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, prayed the court to dismiss the entire petition.

He said in 2011, he lost the PDP presidential primary election to President Goodluck Jonathan and in 2015, he lost the APC primary election to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

Tinubu said in 2019, Atiku again lost the presidential election to Buhari; and now in 2023, he had, again, lost the presidential election to him.

According to the president-elect, it was not a surprise or not by accident that the electorate rejected the 1st petitioner at the polls of the presidential election held on Feb. 25.

He said he was ready to lead evidence to prove to the court that a host of states controlled by PDP and their governors protested against Atiku’s emergence as the party’s candidate and vowed never to support his candidature.

Responding to Obi’s petition, Tinubu, in a preliminary objection he filed alongside his Vice-President-elect, maintained that the LP standard bearer lacked the locus to challenge his election victory.

He argued that Obi was not validly nominated to contest the presidential election in line with the mandatory provisions of sections 77(2) and (3) of the Electoral Act, 2022.

He insisted that Obi’s name was not found in the register of members of the LP, noting that he defected to the party from the PDP, less than 30 days before the primary election that produced him as a presidential candidate, was conducted.

He further accused Obi of jumping from one political party to the other, insisting that the LP lacked the requisite structure to win the presidential contest.

Adducing reasons why he won the presidential election, Tinubu said it was his consistency and track record of excellence in public service that endeared him to millions of the electorates across the federation.

The president-elect similarly faulted the claim by the AA that its presidential candidate was excluded from the election, arguing that its known candidate, Mr Al-Mustapha, participated in the election.

In a preliminary objection to the APM’s petition, the APC argued that “the petitioner (APM) alone in the absence of its sponsored candidate cannot benefit and did not have any special interest in the election or return of the 3rd respondent (Tinubu) as the winner of the election.’’

The APC queried the legal capacity of the party to challenge the mode it adopted in nominating its candidate.

The APC further argued that since the APM was not a member of the party, it did not know “how it becomes the petitioner’s business how it nominates its candidates.”

The APC added that Okanigbuan (listed as the 2nd petitioner) “is not the 1st petitioner’s AA’s validly nominated and sponsored candidate to contest the presidential elections held on Feb. 25.”

Ozekhome confident

Ahead of the commencement of sitting by the PEPC a member of the PDP legal team, Mike Ozekhome has expressed confidence in the ability of the panel to dispense justice without fear or favour.

The constitutional lawyer told our correspondent that justice is the singular most potent force that would determine the outcome of the petition filed by the party and former Vice President, noting that the justices would be guided by a sense of responsibility to their fatherland and not the powers of the state.

He said, “We are hopeful that justice shall be served without the tribunal listening to the blaring sirens of power, or being swayed by officialdom or government jack-bootism.”

According to him, the party has sufficient evidence to back up its claim that the declaration of Tinubu was flawed, noting that the evidence will guide the learned Justices in giving their ruling on the disputed elections.

In his response, the APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, expressed optimism that the hearing is a window of opportunity for the court to affirm the victory of the president-elect.

He stated, “I think I heard the CJN talking about the speedy dispensation of the issue. They are, of course, aware of all these things. It must be in their reckoning that time is of the essence.

“If it cannot be disposed of within the period, there is no need for it. I want to believe they are going to see to it. After all, justice delayed is justice denied. I am sure they will do the needful.”

The Chief Spokesman for the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, disclosed that the tribunal understands the need to execute the cases in line with the Electoral Act.

He said, “I think they should (be able to conclude it). The Electoral Act was very clear in stating that all cases must have finished before the handing over. So let’s see what they are going to do.

“We are still optimistic though. They know the danger of not concluding the issue on time-based on the Electoral Act. So they have got to explain to us. The rule has been given already.”

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the February 25 elections, Mr Peter Obi, stormed Eagles Square, Abuja, in solidarity with organised labour on the occasion of the 2023 Workers Day.

There was wide jubilation among the workers when Mr Obi was introduced and called upon to the podium for his goodwill message.

As he was marching to the podium, the workings started chanting, “Freedom comes by struggle, freedom comes by struggle by struggle, freedom comes.”


In his goodwill message, Mr Obi said, “I am here on a solidarity visit. All leaders, we are all workers. All of us are workers. I thank you Mr president for what you are doing. The topic of today is workers’ rights and socio-economic justice.


“When you talk about it, we talk about justice for all. We want to build a country where Nigerians will be proud to say that they are Nigerians. A country where people will not be struggling to go out. A country where workers will be working and say that they are happy.

“And that is why we say we want to move the country from consumption to production. I encourage you to continue what you are doing. There is no other country we have aside from this and we must build for it our children.”

Immediately after he finished his goodwill message, the workers started chorusing, “Obi, Obi, Obi, Obi.”

Recall that the Labour Party under which Mr Obi contested the presidential election was formed and registered by the two labour centres, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC and they are registered trustee members of the party.

Houseontherock1:
Obidients making fake lists and leaking it

You guys are more anxious than the Batists...just chill; May 29 is upon us! Don't be too anxious to see Asiwaju's cabinet!

BERNIMOORE:
when people talk like a toddler like you we just allowed you to look stupid....
Can't stop laughing.... You guys says that Woke only have one vote...but he proved your idiocity wrong....he won presidential for APC and won for his PDP candidate PDP and all 32 seats
Wike showed dexterity of power.....

With his accountant general fubara....wike is protected against efcc because his man will not supply efcc needed documents to prosecute.. CASE DEAD.



the way you're useless...using fayose as example shows how Dumb you're... Fayose was powerless because he failed twice to be able to install his rightful successor but opposition APC won, his PDP successor would have protect his record from efcc....same with Amechi who lost Rivers to pdp's Wike....Amechi failed to put an APC successor.... But wike was different... He won a successor for himself in PDP and he is going to remain in PDP ....

BERNIMOORE:
Really?
Dino, You miscalculated

You can't fight Wike who is a strong piller that can use his influence like money, vehicles also Thugs to fight dirty to win opposition elections for PDP.. Edo and sokoto...wike fought opposition Dirty with thugs and overpowered
Dino your supporters can't face the Yahaya bello thurgery...your first assignment is to cope with cutting off roads leading to your strongholds... Before the daredevil guys comes out...nobody want to Die...only wike support for you would have been iron for iron but you Bleep up instead of maintaining neural stand like Ologbondiyan

You cant Approach Tinubu because you did not only mock him falling down on stage but you challenge the inec and he mark you out.

Dino next time Fight with wisdom
Chose your fight

Paramount01:
Zamfara

Paramount01:
In your state, but in my state I reside Tinubu won, everybody agrees that he won here

helinues:
You guys better do something meaningful with una time, it will be disastrous to waste another 4 years trolling and wailing about Tinubu.

We all want all Nigerians to be productive so that you guys can also contribute your quota towards the development of Nigeria not just nagging always

helinues:
Not only criminal state capture but also criminal federal catapult...

helinues:
Write FIFA and stop channeling your energy into wrong direction

AdolfHitlerxXx:


All man dey talk ... 3rd Class Dullard dey talk

Tinubu used him to help divide votes. Used SE to take him to Aso Rock

BRIMBRAM:
I dey pity you.

BRIMBRAM:
I dey pity all of una. Hmm..after Tinubu is sworn on 29 of May.

AdolfHitlerxXx:
Your ma doesn't complain while panting under several d*cks

TemplarLandry:
Excellent!
In my eyes, Tinubu's presidency is the start of Nigerian democracy. No more Khaki men in Agbada.

This is the very first time a true democrat with no stupid military background will be our President.

The very first time a President from the South supervises Nigerian census. So credibility rate of the census is way high.

The very first digital census in Nigerian history.

No more wonky inflated figures from the Ariwa.
Hopes are up!