₦airaland Forum

NimrodEndOfDays:
instead of you to hide yourself, you still came up with an excruciatingly embarrassing post. Did you finish primary school?

I can't hide my face because of a pig like you

NimrodEndOfDays:
instead of you to hide yourself, you still came up with an excruciatingly embarrassing post. Did you finish primary school?

Let me ask you again

Is your father so daft to know what who I quoted is talking about?

NimrodEndOfDays:
show us the "ones you have buy and store". The uneducated people on Nairaland is becoming unbearable. These are the people that make decisions on behalf of the majority. This country is a mess

Is your father so daft to know about what who I quoted is talking about?

THE Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees has accused 34 state governments of tampering with local government funds.

NULGE said despite the directive by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit that state governments should steer clear of allocations belonging to the third tier of government, they (states) had refused to leave LG funds alone.

Findings by Sunday PUNCH showed that the governors had devised a means to manipulate the guidelines by the NFIU and take local government funds.

The NFIU had in May 2019 issued some guidelines to guard against the overbearing influence of the state governments in the administration of local government monthly allocations.

It specifically directed that the States/Local Governments Joint Accounts should be used only for receiving funds and subsequently transferring them to local government accounts.

The guidelines also reduced cash withdrawal from local government accounts to N500,000 daily.

Similarly, it also forbids banks, financial institutions, public officers, and other stakeholders from tampering with local government statutory allocations.


Displeased with the guidelines, the governors made futile efforts to stop the implementation of financial autonomy for LGs.

They wrote the then president, Muhammadu Buhari, accusing NFIU of dabbling into a matter that was beyond its mandate and attempting to ridicule their collective integrity, showing total disregard for the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

Also, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum sued the FG and NFIU and accused the agency of interfering with state government powers to initiate transactions on local government joint accounts.

The governors lost the case. The presiding judge, Inyang Ekwo, held that the case lacked merit, adding that the essence of the NFIU guidelines was to entrench financial transparency in government transactions at the local level.

The National President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Akeem Ambali, in an interview, confirmed Sunday PUNCH’s findings.

He said out of the 36 states in Nigeria, only two states were not guilty of diverting local government funds.

Ambali stated that the governors of the past administrations should have been invited for questioning over LG allocations.

He said Rivers State, under former governor Nyesom Wike, and Jigawa State, under the administration of former governor Badaru Abubakar, didn’t divert LG funds.

He accused the former governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, who doubled as the former chairman of the governors’ forum of frustrating efforts on LG autonomy, adding that Ekiti State under his administration recorded the worst rate of LG fund diversion.

He said, “As of today, apart from two states, Rivers under former governor Wike, and Jigawa under the former governor Badaru, all other states are guilty.

“The most terrible one is a former governor of Ekiti State who also happened to be the then chairman of the governors’ forum; no wonder he argued and fought against the actualisation of local government autonomy.

“Despite the allocation to local governments in terms of the ecological fund, and the regular monthly allocation that has increased tremendously, the impact is not felt by Nigerians, and it ended in individual pockets, “ he added.

But Fayemi had in April 2022, said federalism was a two-tier system comprising the Federal Government and the state government.

“The state government should be at liberty, in my view, to determine the number of administrative units they want to have within their geographic space to know how effective they would be. You have some states where what is most effective is the town’s union,” the former governor said during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.


Also, a former chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Ekiti State chapter, Kolade Amirekolade, disagreed with the claim that Fayemi starved councils of funds.

Amirekolade said, “Local governments in Ekiti at that time were not starved of funds. They paid us what was coming to the local governments. The payments for salaries of workers of councils and subsidiaries took a chunk of what was coming to the councils. It is not correct to say that Dr Fayemi impeded progress at the local governments or that he did not allow the local governments to function.”

But speaking further, Ambali urged President Bola Tinubu to take measures in securing LG autonomy to ensure grassroots development and tenure security for elected local government officials.

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State govts should let LGs breathe
He said, “The President should as a matter of urgency move toward actualising political autonomy for local government so that tenure security will be guaranteed for local governments, whereby no governor will have the power to sack a democratically elected leadership in the local government.”

Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, Sani Tukur, when contacted, promised to get back to one of our correspondents but had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

However, a top source at the NIFU who did not want to be quoted because he was not permitted to grant interviews said the compliance had been massive but stated that the agency was aware that some governors had manipulated the guidelines.

The source said, “What our guideline says is that the money should be released to the account of the local governments, this we have observed is being done.

“We are aware of what the governors do now; they allow the money to be credited into the local government account and they take it from them. They still control this money because many of the local government chairmen are handpicked by them.”

When asked what could be done to check this, the source said, “The danger is that the local government chairmen are taking a big risk because one day, there could be an investigation on the money sent; they might have to account for the money and not their governors.”

Also, speaking in an interview with one of our correspondents, the Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Abubakar Suleiman, said many local governments had been enjoying the autonomy, promising that the conference would intervene on behalf of those yet to be financially independent.

He said, “Some of the local governments in many states of the country are already enjoying financial autonomy but as lawmakers, we will make sure this time, if there is any state where local governments do not enjoy the autonomy, we will try and work it out for them.”

‘Nasarawa LGs have full autonomy’

Meanwhile, the Nasarawa State Government has denied interfering with funds accruing to the 13 local government areas of the state, which it said had been enjoying full autonomy since 2019 when Governor Abdullahi Sule took over the leadership of the state.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Affairs, Peter Ahemba, said, “Everyone in Nasarawa State is aware that since 2019, Governor Sule has not tampered with local government funds. In fact, he has supported them severally with funds to meet up with some of their responsibilities even though they are enjoying full autonomy.

“As a government, we will continue to give our LGAs every necessary support to enable them to pay salaries to workers and embark on projects without any hitches.”

Speaking with one of our correspondents, the Osun State Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, said Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration did not spend funds belonging to the local government areas.

Alimi added, “Adeleke is an apostle of local government autonomy. Local government funds under Senator Ademola Adeleke’s administration are not tampered with.

“NULGE members are even in charge of the local governments presently in Osun because we have yet to conduct an election. So, they can attest to the fact that LG funds under this administration are safe.”

An aide of the Sokoto State Governor said the governor was ready to obey all the constitutional processes in the disbursement of local government funds. The aide who spoke with one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity said that the new administration in the state was focused on all the developmental strides of the state.

“I’m sure you know there is no democratically elected chairman in all the local government areas in the state now. Rest assured that every issue affecting local government and their autonomy will be done by him,” the aide added.

However, financial experts said the diversion of funds meant for local governments is a major factor responsible for the lack of socio-economic development at the grassroots.

A German-based economic researcher, Usman Musa, said, “The projects that are earmarked to be done by these local governments would not be done because of the paucity of funds which had hitherto been made available.”

A development economist, Dr Kennedy Uyon, said when funds meant for the LG were diverted by their respective state governments for other projects, or mismanaged outright, it created an avenue for poverty and lack.

“The LG system is near-dead in Nigeria. That was not the original agreement. This issue of the ‘federation account’ has really caused a lot of issues in the system, and this is basically because of the shortcomings of the 1999 Constitution,” Uyon added.

Another economist, David Esiri, the diversion of LG funds by state governors had been the primary cause of the inability of governors to create wealth as many of the governors “resort to diverting these funds to enrich themselves”.

He said, “There need to be constitutional amendments to insulate the local government councils against the states so that they can function as a proper tier of government.”

https://punchng.com/nulge-accuses-34-states-of-diverting-lg-funds/?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=social

Thundafireseun:
Yes

Buh I don’t want to mention them …

Mention their name or you're just spreading fable

Thursday’s Supreme Court judgment has once again dashed the hope of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of becoming the President of the most populous black nation.

The Supreme Court, which is the final arbiter of all courts in Nigeria, on Thursday laid to rest the claim by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; that the 2023 presidential election was rigged in favour of the All Progressives Congress.

The Supreme Court ruled in favour of the APC’s candidate, President Bola Tinubu, and dismissed the former Vice-President’s appeal for lacking merit.

Atiku, who was born in November 1946, started his five-time failed attempts for the office of the President in 2007.

Atiku, a product of consultation and political calculation, became the Vice President to former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who won on the platform of the PDP after the return of the country to democratic rule in 1999. Expectedly, things did not go as planned, as the ambitious Atiku and his boss were at each other’s throats.




Dumped by the former President and a few stakeholders in the PDP, Atiku sought cover and defected to the defunct Action Congress, a party formed and solely financed by the former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu. Favoured by Tinubu’s group and the financial muscle, Atiku emerged as the presidential candidate of the Action Congress.

Interestingly, Atiku lost the election to late President Umaru Yar’adua of the PDP, Obasanjo’s anointed candidate. Atiku came a distant third with over 2.4 million votes in the controversial 2007 election which many observers described as a charade.

After his unsuccessful presidential bid, Atiku dumped the AC and retraced his step back to the PDP. Expectedly, in 2011, the Adamawa-born politician, again, threw his hat into the ring. Though he emerged as the PDP’s most favoured candidate in the North; he was roundly defeated by former President, Goodluck Jonathan, who was backed by Obasanjo and some other Nigerians at the Eagle Square in Abuja.


In a quest to fulfill his long-time dream, Atiku, whom many political pundits described as a serial defector, discovered that the outing would favour ex-President Jonathan. In 2013, Atiku led about five governors and walked out of the PDP convention.

In 2014, after the Congress for Progressives Change, Action Congress of Nigeria, All Nigeria People’s Party, and All Progressives Grand Alliance through a coalition formed the APC, Atiku and his co-travellers strolled in. The former Vice President announced his defection from the PDP to the newly formed APC in a press statement.

A few months after joining the APC, Atiku again declared for President. In 2015, Atiku sought the APC ticket along with the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari, and former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso in the party’s primary in Lagos. Atiku and his huge financial war chest were roundly defeated by a rebranded ‘poor’ Buhari.

Understanding that President Buhari was going to seek re-election through the APC in 2019, a man many Nigerians described as impatient in 2017 again dumped the APC and returned to the PDP. Atiku muscled his way and grabbed the PDP’s 2019 presidential ticket.

Reluctantly supported by stakeholders in the PDP, Atiku lost the presidential election to former President Buhari. Though Atiku claimed he won the election, he quietly travelled to Dubai and abandoned the legal tussle with his running mate, former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, to shoulder. They also lost, as the court upheld Buhari’s victory.

Predictably, Atiku returned in the build-up to the 2023 election. Against all odds, he, again, emerged as PDP’s standard flag bearer at the party’s convention held in the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja.

One of the major contenders for the 2023 election, his political naivety thwarted the PDP’s chances in the February presidential poll. Before Atiku’s eyes, his running mate Obi, who hails from the PDP’s most loyal zone, the South-East; left to seek the same office on the platform of the Labour Party. Also, he failed to reach a compromise with former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike’s G5 group (a group that comprises five PDP governors and countless party members).

Abandoned by major election stakeholders in the PDP, Atiku who thought he would inherit Buhari’s northern supporters paved the way for the emergence of his former friend, Tinubu of the APC. President Tinubu, who was supported by some members of the G5 and major northern stakeholders, defeated Atiku in the North and South. If Atiku, Obi, and the G5 had worked together with the umbrella party, analysts believe President Tinubu wouldn’t have won.

When queried about the desperation to become Nigerian President, Atiku declared that as long as he remained alive, he would continue to pursue his ambition of becoming president.

He said, “It is a life-long ambition and as long as I’m alive and strong and healthy, I will continue pursuing it.”

Atiku, who will be 81 in the next Electoral cycle, (2027) has in the last 16 years lost five attempts to become Nigeria’s president both at the level of the ballot box and the temple of justice. Consequently, many Nigerians wonder what is next for the Waziri Adamawa.

‘Jettison presidential ambition’

A political scientist and President of the Nigerian Political Science Association, Professor Hassan Saliu, said it was time for Atiku to jettison his presidential ambition and devote more time to rebuilding the PDP.

Professor Saliu, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, said the former VP must realise that he had fought a gallant fight, especially concerning the last political war upon which the Supreme Court had delivered judgment.


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The NPSA president, who urged Atiku to take the outcome like the previous ones that he lost, also charged him to help in mentoring young Nigerians.

He stated, “So, in terms of the next line of action for Atiku. He should devote his time to uniting the PDP. You know that the umbrella is already torn. The former vice president should now see how he can repair the umbrella by reconciliation with the support of others.

“As an elder statesman, Atiku will now work his part to see how the PDP can become a formidable opposition between now and 2027 when we will have another election.

“He should not think everything has ended. Everything has not ended, Atiku can still be in politics but he needs to change his goal; he should be a statesman to bring back the PDP to be an effective opposition probably jettisoning his ambition and then become a statesman to walk for an effective opposition political party.

“In advanced countries, people of his age will sit back to mentor younger citizens, but in Africa, people don’t get tired. It is also good to focus on mentoring young Nigerians, sponsoring and supporting credible candidates and even becoming chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees to remain relevant in Nigeria politics.”

On his part, a political analyst, Dr Gabriel Nwambu, said it was time for Atiku to be a statesman by mentoring youths and suggesting solutions to Nigeria’s problems. Nwambu in an interview with Saturday PUNCH described the court as the hope of the common man.

Nwambu, who declared that the Supreme Court was the last court after which you could only report to God, added, “So, Atiku Abubakar must understand that the matter has finally been laid to rest.”

He continued, “What I will advise Atiku is that he should not run back to Dubai; he should stay put in Nigeria and build his political party for which he has been exiting and coming back. All the time, he keeps exiting; he has exited twice and came back.

“So, it is time for Atiku to play the godfather he ought to be in the PDP and then groom younger ones, to raise a very good opposition political party in the country. He shouldn’t run to Dubai. That is a position he has been evading for too long.

“Now, he should know that he cannot even contest in the next eight years, because even right now, he is very old. So, my advice is that he should take it in the spirit of sportsmanship; he should know that that is the end. So, he should embrace it in good faith. And then he should continue as a father, giving the requisite advice to younger ones.

“Also, as a statesman, Atiku should be more interested in advice, including giving pieces of advice to the President (Bola Tinubu), advice to the nation, give advice that will help develop and bring the country together. So, what Atiku should be doing now is to give fatherly advice to the younger ones and the upcoming ones. I advise Atiku to do the needful so that as time passes, he will be happy he did.”

Lending his voice to the matter, the President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Shettima Yerima, said it was time for Atiku to realise that maybe he wasn’t destined to be the president of Nigeria.

Yerima, in an interview with our correspondent, said after about 30 years of seeking to lead Nigeria, Atiku should now quit the stage to support youths to become better leaders.

The AYCF president declared that what was expected of the Waziri Adamawa as an elder statesman who had contributed in the past and who truly believed in the country was to join hands with the President for the benefit of Nigerians.


“Only God gives and takes power. God has given it to Tinubu. So, Atiku should support him so that the country can move forward and that is what is expected of a responsible elder statesman because President Tinubu alone cannot do it without their support,” he added.

Yerima continued, “I have to be honest with Atiku, probably he is not destined to be the president of Nigeria because, in the next four years, he will be close to 80 years old. So, I do not think it would be right for him to want to contest the position of president at that age; any right-thinking Nigerian would not want to bring a person of that age as president.

“There are younger elements that are currently occupying the political space. Atiku should support, encourage, and mentor more of these young Nigerians to become better leaders.

“Atiku must also realise that all is not well with his party, the PDP. The party needs Atiku now to undertake a total overhaul. He should embark on internal reconciliation with the party because a lot of things have gone out of control.”

Analysts’ verdict

Many analysts want Atiku to channel his energy into mentoring young Nigerians, rebuilding the PDP into a formidable opposition, and remaining a statesman who will consistently provide recommendations to the nation’s problems.

However, a few others want Atiku to pursue his dreams as long as he is convinced he can. In the coming days, weeks, and months, Atiku will have to decide whether to contest for the President for the seventh time and to take the advice of Nigerians who want him to go into mentoring and building the PDP.


https://punchng.com/atikus-16-year-failed-attempts-at-presidency/?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=social

Vinsmoke:
That is illegal since hes buying in naira, he would also sell in naira. Forex has been floated so if hes selling the overvalued dollar at 1300 naira over a sustainable period of time naira will be mopped. Therefore FG will join to sell at that rate

His refinery is located on a free trade zone and he won't be buying crude in naira but dollars.

H

Why is a non indigene their king?

Thundafireseun:
The Truth about Bawa’s suspension and detention is more political than abuse of office

Buh any how it is, I love Aboki they know exactly how to protect themselves and their own

Is there any ethnic group that does not protect themselves and thier own in Nigeria?

XtraFortunes:
I am a Christian but this makes no sense. A church just bought the land opposite my compound. Since then they just disturb with their speakers

In the daytime one can bear, but this all night disturbing is what I really dislike. You can do your all night without blasting your speakers to disturb people..

Churches and mosques should be forced to make buildings sound proof. Or hold service without speakers .

With all this disturbance Nigeria is still terribly corrupt. We have to make laws banning this torture. It is inconsiderate

Report them to the Lagos State Govt

There is an indication that the impeachment process of the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has suffered a setback following the disagreement that recently ensued among members of the state House of Assembly over the process.

It was reported that the assembly had written to the state Chief Judge, Justice Olusegun Odusola, to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate the deputy governor twice but none had succeeded.

The first request by the assembly was turned down by the CJ on the grounds that there was a subsisting court order which should be vacated before any panel could be set up.
Days after, the House wrote another letter to the CJ to constitute the panel.

The letter was signed by the Speaker, Mr Olamide Oladiji, but the request had not been responded to by the head of the state judiciary.



However, 11 members of the assembly, including two principal officers, have dissociated themselves from the letter, saying they were not in support of the letter as the party had already started a move to adopt a political solution to the lingering crisis between the governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, and his deputy.

According to a statement made available to our correspondent on Friday, the 11 members include, Japheth Oluwatoyin, Jide Oguntodu, Tiamiyu Atere, Gbegudu Ololade and Allen Oluwatoyin.

Other are Abitogun Stephen, Tope Komolafe, Afe Felix, Oladapo Biola, Fayemi Olawumi and Oshati Olatunji.


The statement read in parts, “As members of the 10th Assembly of Ondo State House of Assembly, we wish to inform the public and the good people of Ondo State that the letter purported to have been written by members of the 10th Assembly of Ondo State House of Assembly, signed by Rt. Hon. Oladiji Olamide Adesanmi, Speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly, dated 23rd October 2023, transmitted to the Chief Judge of Ondo State, requesting the chief judge to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against the deputy governor of Ondo State came to us on social media as a rude shock, as the said letter did not emanate from any of the sittings of members of the Ondo State House of Assembly.

“We wish to state further that the decision to transmit such letter by the Speaker, Rt. Hon Oladiji Olamide, to the Chief Judge of Ondo State, in our view, is in the least unwarranted and uncalled for in the light of the order of interim injunction of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which restrained the Speaker and other respondents, is still subsisting, since it has neither been vacated nor set aside. For us to act in contravention of the subsisting order of the court will certainly be contemptuous.”


The statement read further, “The National Leaders of the All Progressives Congress invited all the members of the party in the Assembly to the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja and pleaded for an amicable and political solution to the issue of the impeachment process. Without hesitation, the request was acceded to. It will be untidy in our view to get back to Ondo State and act otherwise.

“The decision to transmit the purported letter of Ondo State House of Assembly. dated 23rd October 2023, signed by Rt. Hon Oladiji Olamide was taken without a formal sitting of the House and our knowledge as members of the 10th Assembly. It is our considered view that we should be honourable indeed by standing with our acceptance at the Abuja meeting to suspend the impeachment process and allow for an amicable and political solution to the issue for the benefits of governance and peace of Ondo State.”

Confirming the development, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Mr. Olatunji Oshati, said the members that signed the statement were for peace and are in support of the political solution move by the national leadership of the APC.

“The press statement emanated from us. If you look at the content of the letter, it addressed a particular point—the last letter sent to the Chief Judge of Ondo State by the Speaker.

“The speaker did not consult well. It has to be a collective responsibility because we have lawyers among us who normally advise us on the implications of some of the things we do when it comes to legal issues. That’s why they hammered on the last letter being contentious as long as the vacation on the injunction has not been removed.

“We are after due process, as we promised the people of Ondo State. And since the national body of our party (APC) has intervened, we believe in exploring the reconciliatory move because the two gladiators are our fathers; they are the leaders,” Oshati explained.

It was, however, gathered that the remaining members of the Assembly were on the same page with the speaker over the matter.

In a reaction, the Majority Leader, Mr. Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, denied the report of crisis in the House as he declared that there was no division in the House.

“The House is in order, though some people are trying to play politics to divide us but it is not possible. We are together, the House is not divided,” Ogunmolasuyi stated.

https://punchng.com/ondo-assembly-divided-over-deputy-governors-planned-impeachment/?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=social

When will the medical officers who fail to treat greatness olorunfunmi face prosecution? They broke the law of Nigeria by not treating her

okeysoninv:
Petrol will be sold for #1000 by December . Go and buy now and store. This is prophetic message.

Show us the ones you have buy and store

Marketers keep on talking and talking as of they are the ones importing petrol into Nigeria

These people don shayo ni? How many Nigerians dey smoke tobacco? Nigerians mostly smoke marijuana and cigarette.

How this issue take concern samkleff? jealous boy

Dougad:
10 goals

What the Bleep?

Omo at this rate, Ronaldo's 450 goal record is at risk if this guy continues his form like this.

I highly drop he can break Ronaldo record

J

rockyh:
They are very smart not to invest in a country like Nigeria

What do you mean by this? You speak as if we don't have German companies like JB operating in Nigeria.

Investment from Germans will flow in after his visit

Wish list

Shortly after the apex court delivered the judgment, eminent Nigerians set agenda for the President, saying he should settle down and tackle the economic crisis in the country.

A former presidential aspirant of the PDP, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, called on Tinubu to consider fence-mending and reconciliation as his first priority.

In an interview with The PUNCH, he warned the President to avoid taking advice from some political hawks in his circle. The ex-President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria noted that it was no secret that many Nigerians, especially the younger population, were not happy.

While congratulating the President, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and political organisation, Afenifere, recommended steps to nip insecurity in the bud nationwide.

The worldwide leader of the group, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, in a statement by the group’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, described the verdict by both the tribunal and Supreme Court as monumental.

He said, “Monumental because of the clarifications made in respect of certain aspects of our electoral processes. One of such was the pronouncements made regarding the position of the Federal Capital Territory. Ditto for the position of the law regarding the deadline for filing papers relating to elections.”

The Afenifere leader said, “It is a matter of concern that insecurity is still being experienced. This can be seen in the upsurge in banditry, kidnapping, herdsmen attacks on farmers, cultism, and even terrorism.

“To put all these under control, the aspects of the law regarding policing in Nigeria should be looked into.

“At the moment, the extant law centralises the Nigeria Police. The doctrine of necessity should be invoked to allow states and local government areas to establish police services. The police at that level should be vested with all the powers that a police outfit should have in terms of equipment, emoluments, training and so on.’’

Speaking with The PUNCH, the Vice Chairman Of The Board at Highcap Securities Ltd, David Adonri, expected the capital market to play a vital role in mobilising long-term economic capital.

He said, “Distractions are gone now, so he has the presence of mind to focus on his assignment, and he has told his cabinet members that their jobs are secure.”

A Delta State development and environmental justice advocate, Comrade Mulade Sheriff, in a statement on Thursday advised the President to run an all-inclusive government.

On their part, communication firms said there was a need for the government to declare telecoms infrastructure as critical national infrastructure.

The Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, called for, “Drive collaborative partnership with key stakeholders such as ONSA to secure executive and legislative action on the declaration of telecoms infrastructure as critical national infrastructure.”

A former Minister for Sports and Special Duties, Taoheed Adedoja called on the President to roll up his sleeves and deliver his Renewed Hope agenda to Nigerians.

Adedoja gave the charge in a telephone conversation with The PUNCH while reacting to Thursday’s Supreme Court judgment.

The Professor -turned politician also called on Nigerians to be patient with the Tinubu-led administration, noting that the former Lagos State Governor has what it takes to lead the country to the Promised Land.

He said, “Now that the whole litigation issues have been laid to rest by the Supreme Court, the President should intensify effort to deliver his promises to Nigerians.

“The time has come for him to double his effort and make a difference in health, education, agriculture, particularly as it relates to food security.

“I also call on Nigerians to be patient because the President cannot do it alone. We believe in Mr President’s capacity to turn around the fortune of this country but we all need to join hands with him.”

The National Leader of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Shettima Yerima urged Tinubu to prioritize security and alleviate suffering among Nigerians.

Yerima in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH on Thursday commended the courage of the Supreme Court justices.

He said “We commend the courage of the Supreme Court to speak the minds of Nigeria, which they have demonstrated without bias without looking at ethnicity or religion as a yardstick to why they will not do justice.

The Arewa Youth leader declared that justice is not to President Tinubu but to the country.

Speaking on what the President should prioritize, Yerima noted “I am happy the President himself had admitted that we’re going to face the challenge and they are quite aware of this enormous challenges in the country.

He continued “The President should look inward, and begin to find a way to alleviate this suffering of the masses in the country, There is no story that things are not easy anymore, and life is quite challenging.

“President Tinubu also needs to urgently tackle insecurity. The issue of insecurity has also marred the country. And those are problems he inherited from the previous government. Anybody who wants to be fair to him would have known that these problems were staged-managed, we knew these problems were coming and we’re going to fall into them on the new administration.”

So it also lies on us as citizens to support him. This is not a moment of agitation. This is not the moment to fight anybody, this is the time to build a country that we can all be proud of.”


https://punchng.com/tinubu-triumphs-after-171-day-battle/?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=social

The Supreme Court, on Thursday, ended the 171-day legal tussle to nullify the election of President Bola Tinubu with the rejection of the election appeals filed by the Peoples Democratic Party standard bearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.

Atiku and Obi’s appeals commenced on May 8 and were concluded on Thursday, October 26, with the Supreme Court effectively ending their dreams of overturning Tinubu’s election victory.

In the lead judgment delivered by the Chairman of the seven-man panel, Justice Inyang Okoro, the apex court refused to consider the academic records of the President obtained from the Chicago State University, which Atiku sought to tender as fresh evidence to prove his allegation of certificate forgery against the ex-Lagos State governor.

The other justices on the panel-Uwani Aji, Mohammed Garba, Ibrahim Saulawa, Adamu Jauro, Abubakar Tijjani, and Emmanuel Agim, agreed with the lead judgment dismissing Atiku and Obi’s appeals.

An elated Tinubu welcomed the Supreme Court verdict and sought the support of Nigerians, promising to exceed expectations in service delivery in the remaining years of his administration.

The President lauded the judiciary for withstanding “the fusillade of pressure and attempts at intimidation by some political actors.”

In a statement he signed, Tinubu said, “The victory of today has further energised and strengthened my commitment to continue to serve all Nigerians of all political persuasions, tribes, and faiths with honour and total respect for the diverse opinions and uniting values of our citizens.

“Our Renewed Hope Agenda for a greater and prosperous Nigeria has further gained momentum, and I will continue to work from morning to night, every single day, to build a country that meets our collective yearnings and aspirations. We are all members of one household, and this moment demands that we continue to work and build our country together.’’

In the lead-up to Thursday’s judgment, Atiku and Obi had faulted the September 6 ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Court.

The PEPC headed by Justice Haruna Tsammani had dismissed their petitions and upheld Tinubu’s electoral victory in the February 25 presidential poll.

Atiku had filed 35 grounds of appeal while Obi filed 51 at the Supreme Court.

To prove the allegation that Tinubu was not qualified to contest the presidential poll, Atiku had asked an Illinois Chicago district court to order the CSU to release the President’s academic records.

The former vice-president accused Tinubu of falsifying the CSU diploma of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration awarded in 1979 that he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the election.

He demanded a copy of any diploma issued by CSU in 1979, a copy of the diploma the CSU gave to Tinubu in 1979, and copies of diplomas with the same font, seal, signatures, and wording awarded to other students that are similar to what CSU awarded to him in 1979.

Atiku’s application was opposed by Tinubu’s lawyers, citing privacy concerns. Still, the United States court ordered the release of the ex-Lagos State governor’s academic records, which Atiku filed in support of his election petition appeal at the Supreme Court.

However, the hope of the former vice-president was dashed by the court, which held that the constitutionally allowed period for such evidence to be admitted had since elapsed.

It stressed that section 285(5) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, expressly gave the PEPC a 180-day lifespan to hear and determine in writing, all petitions arising from the presidential election.

According to the apex court, considering that the PEPC, which sat as the court of first instance in the presidential dispute, had since delivered its verdict, no provision of the law would allow the admittance of any other evidence at the appeal stage.

Court rejects evidence

It noted that the 180 days given to the tribunal by the Constitution expired on September 17, adding that the Supreme Court no longer had the requisite jurisdiction to admit the document.

“This court cannot do what the trial court is no longer constitutionally permitted to do, “Justice Okoro held, adding that Atiku and the PDP could no longer invoke the provision of section 22 of the Supreme Court Act.

More so, the apex court noted that the forgery issue, which Atiku sought to establish through the proposed fresh evidence, was not pleaded in any paragraph of his appeal.

“It is crystal clear that the additional evidence did not fit into issues for determination in this appeal. Therefore, this application is refused and accordingly dismissed,” the Supreme Court held.

Citing sections 14(2a) and 132 of the Electoral Act, Okoro said a petitioner is not allowed to amend his petition after the stipulated 21 days, let alone provide fresh evidence.

He said, “A petitioner shall not be allowed to amend his petition after 21 days allowed by section 132. The appellants have not applied to the court to amend their petition flect the fact of forgery, and Exhibit C and D sought to be admitted.

“Facts and documents not pleaded in the petition have no place in deciding the dispute between the parties. I wonder how they want to use the evidence in this appeal.

“Also, let me refer you to the comment by Atiku’s lawyer. It is shocking to have Atiku’s lawyer argue in print that there is no statutory time limit of 180 days for the lower court to decide a presidential election petition. It could have passed for friendly jokes but not for a serious matter like this.”

He declared, “After election petitions have suffered as a result of the provision which allowed election petitions to be heard even until the respondent has completed his tenure, the National Assembly dealt with this mischief by limiting the time which election petition shall be determined.

“It is unfair to suggest we go back to the dark days. There is nothing in section 285(6) of the Constitution to suggest that the court of appeal can hear a presidential petition without time limitation.

“Since the lower court cannot entertain such an application, it follows that this Supreme Court also has no jurisdiction to allow the deposition to be used in this appeal. It has to be noted that the 180 days imposed to hear election petitions is immutable and cannot be extended.’’

“It is a settled law that the time fixed by the constitution for the doing of anything cannot be extended, it is immutable, and it is fixed like the rock of Gibraltar and it cannot be moved, expanded and elongated, or stretched beyond what it states,’’ he stated with finality.

Rejecting Atiku’s prayer for his application on the CSU deposition to be granted, the jurist noted, “The leave cannot be granted. We do not have the vires to admit this deposition. We cannot invoke section 22 of the Supreme Court Act since the lower court has lost its jurisdiction.

“There is no paragraph in the petition to accommodate a case of forgery. If the deposition should be admitted, it would float on the appeal. The appellant failed to convince this court why it waited till after the tribunal delivered its judgment in the petition and lost the 180 days donated to it by the constitution before bringing the deposition.

“It has to be noted that appeals are a continuation of the hearing of the matter in the lower court. With due respect to the appellant counsels, they were tardy and not diligent enough. The deposition does not fit into the determination of this appeal. It is hereby refused and dismissed.”

Furthermore, the court held that Atiku did not prove that the Independent National Electoral Commission did not substantially comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act, in the conduct of the election.

The apex court affirmed that section 185(1) of the Evidence Act provided that an election should not be liable to be invalidated when alleged non-compliance did not substantially affect the outcome of the election.

It further held that the evidence contained in the record of the appeal showed that the appellants abandoned the duty imposed on them by the law to not only prove the alleged non-compliance but to establish that the failure of INEC to transmit the results of the election through its IReV portal influenced the outcome of the presidential poll.

The Supreme Court said it had in past judgments made it clear that there was a difference between the election result collation system and the IReV portal.

Results collation

“Where the IReV portal fails, it does not stop the collation which up till the last election was manually done,” the court pointed out.

Nevertheless, it stressed that INEC’s failure to electronically transmit the results of the election denied the electorate the opportunity to follow and cross-check the results that were eventually uploaded.

“Truth must be told, the non-transmission of results to the IReV portal may also reduce the confidence of the voting population in the electoral process,” Okoro warned.

He emphasised that the unavailability of results on INEC’s IReV portal “for whatever reason, could not be the reason for an election to be nullified.’’

Ruling on the failure of INEC to transmit the result to IREV, Okoro said the non-transmission of the results to the IReV portal did not affect the outcome of the poll.

“A petitioner seeking to nullify an election must show how non-compliance substantially affected the election. The appellant abandoned the duty placed on them to prove non-compliance but relied solely on INEC’s inability to electronically transmit the election results to the INEC Results Viewing portal.

“The Electoral Act empowers INEC to determine the mode of transmission of election results. When IReV fails, it does not stop the collation of the results, it only deprives people of viewing results. The non-function of the IReV will affect the trust of the electorates in the election.

“Unavailability of IReV cannot be a ground for the election to be nullified. The failure did not affect the outcome of the election. The issue is resolved against the appellants,’’ Okoro stated as he delivered another blow to Atiku’s election petition appeal.

On the claims of manipulation of the election, the court described Atiku’s witnesses’ testimonies as hearsays.

Okoro said, “Atiku’s agents can only testify in their polling units where they witnessed what they saw, but not across the country where they were not present. I adopt the decision of the lower court which is in line with a plethora of precedents.

“The witnesses who were the appellant state collection agents and national collation agents were not present in all the polling units which results they have disputed. The testimonies of these agents other than the one they witnessed are nothing but hearsay. The finding of the lower court in discountenancing Atiku’s witnesses cannot be faulted.”

The court also reasoned that Atiku and the PDP did not prove that they suffered any miscarriage of justice as a result of the dismissal of their petition by the PEPC.

It described as misconceived and misplaced Atiku’s contention that Tinubu ought not to have been declared the winner of the presidential election, having failed to secure 25 per cent of votes in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The apex court affirmed the position of the PEPC that the FCT does not have a status that is more special than that of the 36 states of the federation.

Okoro ruled, “I do not see anything wrong with the decision of the Presidential Election Petition Court when it interpreted the constitution regarding the issue of 25 per cent in FCT. Are you saying if someone scores 25 per cent of votes in 30 states but not in Abuja, he should not be president? Is that how you interpret the law? That is not the law.

“A narrow and selfish approach should be avoided when interpreting the constitution. It should be done in the interest of the generality and not for the benefit of the few. Interpretation of law must not be such that it will reduce law-making to absurdity.

“Let me drive this matter home. Are you saying that if a candidate scores majority votes across the country but fails to win the election in the Federal Capital Territory, can’t the candidate be declared president? I see no merit in this issue and resolved it against the appellants.”


The court further upheld the striking out of the evidence of some of the witnesses who testified for Atiku at the PEPC hearing, adding that most of the witnesses gave “inadmissible hearsay” evidence.

“The appellants did not present any evidence to warrant the interference of the findings of the lower court,” the leader of the panel added.

On the allegation that Tinubu was involved in a drug-related case in the USA that led to the forfeiture of $460, 000, the Supreme Court held that the appellants raised the issue when the respondents had already filed their process, adding that the action denied them (Respondents) the right to fair hearing.

On the ground that the result that was declared by INEC was not accurate, Okoro averred that Atiku and the PDP failed to put forward their perceived rightful results.

He said that the result announced by INEC was presumed correct in the absence of “any rival or alternative result.”

“The figure before us shows that the 2nd respondent won the highest number of votes and was duly declared winner,” he added.

Okoro decried the trend by litigants to organise briefings on issues in court and he further cautioned them to refrain from media trials.

“Litigants are advised to trust the court. It is becoming these days that while a matter is in court, litigants engage in press briefings analysing the case. Based on this, some of their followers send threatening messages to the judges and justices. Matters in court are said to be sub judice, they should refrain from media trials. I need not say more on this. A word is enough for the wise,’’ he warned.

The court said Atiku’s petition had no merit and consequently resolved all the issues that he raised in his petition against him.

“On the whole, having resolved all the issues against the appellants, it is my view that there is no merit in this appeal and it is hereby dismissed. The judgment of the lower court delivered on September 6 is hereby affirmed. I shall make no order as to cost,” Okoro concluded his verdict which was transmitted on live television.

Passing his verdict on the matter, Saulawa described Atiku’s application as vexatious.

“The application by Atiku is frivolous and vexatious and deserves to be dismissed. I find no merit in the appeal. I affirm the decision of the lower court,” he stated.

Abubakar on his part said, “I find the application without merit and it deserves to be dismissed. I find no merit in the substantive appeal and it is hereby dismissed. Parties in the appeal shall bear their respective cost.”

Similarly, Jauro and Aji agreed with the lead judgment that Atiku’s appeal and application lacked merit.

Agim, who faulted the CSU deposition brought by the appellants, said, “I agree with the reasoning of my brother on the fresh evidence. The deposition presented was not authenticated by the authority before it was presented. It was not sealed or had a signature. It cannot be used in Nigeria without authentication.’’

Delivering the judgment on Obi’s appeal, Justice Okoro explained that all the issues raised by Obi had been dealt with in Atiku’s appeal.

The court also said the issue of the double nomination of Vice President Kashim Shettima ought not to have been brought before it, saying the matter had earlier been resolved by the court.

It, therefore, ruled that the appeal was lacking in merit.

Okoro said, “Our decision on earlier issues in Atiku’s appeal will abide by Peter Obi’s appeal. The issue regarding the double nomination of Vice President Kashim Shettima has been determined by this court and cannot be re-litigated.”

The other justices on the panel agreed with the lead judgment.

In a swift reaction, the PDP described the verdict as disappointing, arguing that it trashed Nigerians’ expectations.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the party was alarmed, disappointed, and gravely concerned by the reasoning of the apex court.

The opposition party said, “It is indeed a sad commentary for our democracy that the Supreme Court failed to uphold the provisions of the law. Instead, it trashed the expectation of the majority of Nigerians who looked up to it as a temple of impartiality to deliver substantial justice in the matter having regard to the laws and facts of the case.’’

“Nigerians earnestly expected the Supreme Court to uphold and defend the clear provisions of the 1999 Constitution in terms of qualification and minimum requirement for a winner to be declared in a Presidential election in Nigeria, especially with regards to the required statutory 25 per cent of votes in the FCT as well as issues of violation of electoral rules and guidelines, brazen manipulations and alterations of election results by the APC, Ologunagba added.

The spokesman for the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, lamented that the Supreme Court turned a deaf ear to the several pleas made by the party.

Reacting to the judgment, Tanko, stated, “As far as we are concerned, we have brought out our cases beyond reasonable doubt, but the court chose to look at the other side and turn a deaf ear to our plea. And they have taken their decision.

“As democrats, we will not do anything otherwise but rather resort to the masses’ court — the public and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They can analyse this judgment vis-a-vis what they are facing at the moment and what’s the credibility of the leadership already enthroned.”


https://punchng.com/tinubu-triumphs-after-171-day-battle/?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=social

Good order. It's so painful how that young lady died at the hospital in Abuja.

Irony1:
avoidant mentality. Oga your PR stunt has failed

k

Birdbyrde440:
As you can see, the CBN and FG are now trying to manipulate the value of the NGN via crypto exchanges, they will end up bribing CZ or losing billions of NGN while trying to manipulate and stabilise the NGN.
Yes, the value of NGN on Binance is @N1070/$1.
But the BDC is still trading at N1350/$1.

There's still dollar shortage.
In all, CZ has collected money from FG.

Go and sell your crypto to bdc for 1300/$ and leave story.

All this funds should make the naira breathe for sometime

Irony1:
keep deceiving yourself. this PR stunt is not working dude.

I was not talking to you

Irony1:
Oga you are behaving like a kid.

k

Irony1:
Guy don't you think you are too old for this childish rants?

I'm not ranting kid

Blitzking:
How did alhaji dangote get dollars to pay for his refinery

He was given dollars to build his refinery.

The FG under tinubu won't waste dollars on frivolous thing. He has talked about how he will spend most of this money

Xscape1993:
Okay. What next?

The PDP will appeal the judgement