₦airaland Forum

In a high-stakes legal battle that could potentially reshape Nigeria’s political landscape, the fate of the 2023 Presidential election hangs in the balance as the court diligently examines the allegations of irregularities and legal violations brought forward by various parties.

The pivotal case revolves around the petitions of prominent political figures, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, who have both contested the election results, claiming substantial irregularities that might have influenced the outcome.

Simultaneously, the validity of the election of Bola Ahmed Tinubu is also under scrutiny, as opponents aim to present evidence of wrongdoing to overturn his victory.

Abubakar’s and Obi’s legal teams have raised significant concerns, highlighting three main allegations:

Manual Voting and Electoral Fraud: Allegations of manual voting in certain regions have been accompanied by claims of vote-buying and other fraudulent practices. These alleged irregularities, if proven true, could significantly undermine the credibility of the election.

Opaque Transmission Process: The failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a transparent and clear process for transmitting election results has come under fire. Such opacity could raise suspicions about the accuracy and fairness of the final tally.

Disenfranchisement: Reports of disenfranchised voters in specific areas have also been cited. This alleged denial of citizens’ right to vote has the potential to skew the electoral outcome.

However, it’s important to note that as of today, August 29, 2023, the court has not reached a decision. The court process is still ongoing, and there remains a possibility that the petitions might be dismissed. The court’s eventual verdict will hinge on the evidence presented and the legal arguments put forth by both parties.

The legal landscape further broadens as the court assesses whether INEC failed to comply with the Constitution and electoral laws during the election process. Instances of inadequate security provision or insufficient staff training, if proven, could be regarded as grave violations warranting the overturning of the election results.

It is essential to understand that the court is not bound by the election results as initially announced by INEC. The court holds the authority to declare a different candidate as the winner if it deems the election fraudulent or unjust.

In the case of Tinubu’s victory, opponents aiming to overturn his win must substantiate their claims with robust evidence. This might include:

Eyewitness testimony detailing irregularities.
Documentary evidence showcasing instances of wrongdoing.

Statistical analyses highlighting improbable electoral outcomes.

For a successful challenge to Tinubu’s victory, petitioners must present compelling evidence indicating that the election was conducted unfairly or fraudulently. Tinubu’s legal team, on the other hand, will likely emphasize the fairness of the election and challenge the credibility of the petitioners’ evidence.

The court’s final verdict, anticipated to be based on comprehensive evidence and persuasive legal arguments, could take months or even years to arrive. Factors that might influence the court’s decisions include:

The strength of the evidence presented by the petitioners.

The severity of the alleged irregularities.
Whether the alleged irregularities could have significantly impacted the election’s outcome.
INEC’s compliance with constitutional and legal provisions.

In the backdrop of Nigeria’s democratic evolution, the current legal proceedings represent a crucial test for the nation’s commitment to upholding the principles of free and fair elections. The decisions rendered will have far-reaching consequences for the country’s political landscape and the credibility of its electoral processes.

longetivity:
IGBO people calm down

FreeStuffsNG:
Not Nigerians

Goodvibes007:
Are you high on meth. You said he mistakenly filled UofC instead of CSU

opamoses1:
What's there to read and interprete. It's clear enough. You said Tinubu filled CSU instead of University of Chicago.

TemplarLandry:
All Eyes On The Judiciary

THE February 25 presidential election results saw the emergence of Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as the nation’s president.

However, the results were immediately met with scepticism and allegations of irregularities, which eventually led aggrieved parties to the Presidential Election Tribunal (PEPT) in a bid to investigate and rule on the legitimacy of the results.

The APC have maintained their stance that the election was free and fair and that the victory of Tinubu is legitimate. The Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Abubakar Atiku have expressed their doubts regarding the election’s transparency and have since sought redress through the tribunal.

Obi, refused to yield, insisting he won and vowing to reclaim his ‘mandate’. So also Atiku who rejected the results.

The months that followed the election saw a flurry of legal activities, claims, and counterclaims, which were filed on March 21, 2023. The Labour Party and the PDP approached the tribunal with their reservations about the results and requested a thorough scrutiny.

Amidst the ongoing tribunal activities, surmounted with anxiety and expectations, an online campaign which also done offline titled “All Eyes on the Judiciary” gained momentum.The slogan resonated with many citizens who believed that the judiciary’s decision in this matter would be a testament to the nation’s democratic principles.

The hashtag #AllEyesOnTheJudicairy and its different variations – All Eyes on election tribunal judges, All eyes on judiciary etc – gained momentum when the PEPT were concluding the hearing and also when it announced it would be giving the final verdict in the coming days of September.

In support of this movement is former minister Obiageli Ezekwesili, In a tweet said “I absolutely have my eyes on the Nigerian Judiciary and delighted to see many other citizens do too.

“#AllEyesOnTheJudiciary is one of the best things that has happened to our Judiciary, the 3rd Arm of Government, in recent times.

“The Judiciary has a Message from Citizens, who understand the importance of their country joining the league of countries that have through uncompromising adherence to Democratic Processes, built lasting institutions required for Development.”

While the campaign was going online, people were AllEyesOnTheJudiciary erecting billboards across Nigeria. This did not go well in some quarters.

There were reports that the government was clamping down on the campaign. Advertising Standard Panel (ASP) was dissolved for approving the trending ‘All Eyes on The Judiciary’ billboards.

These billboards, titled “All Eyes on The Judiciary,” allegedly breached the ASP’s ethical guidelines” Olalekan Fadolapo, the head of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) stated in the statement disbanding ASP.

The statement noted that “The Advertising Standards Panel of the Council also erred in the approval of one of the concepts as the advertisement failed to vet guidelines on the following grounds.

“The advertisement is controversial and capable of instigating public unrest and breach of public peace.”

Furthermore, “The advertisement is considered blackmail against the Nigerian Judiciary, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, and particularly the Honourable Justices of the Tribunal who are expected to discharge their judicial functions without fear or favour over a matter that is currently jus pendis.”

ARCON also ordered the destruction of several billboards across the country with the slogan.

A Twitter – now X – user , Oladiran Alabi, agreed with ARCON and tweeted “It is nothing but pure intimidation, harassment and an attempt to stampede the judiciary.”

He added, “The judiciary cannot be blackmailed, they are men and women of integrity who will dispense justice based on fact and evidence before them.”

On their part, Intercontinental Marketing & Communication Consortium Limited – the agency that ran the campaign on behalf of their clients said they followed all the processes and got approvals before they went ahead with it.

However, more recently, the agency apologised to ARCON “We sincerely apologise for this and state that our action was not intentional,” the Managing Director, Stephen Ogboko said.

“The truth is that immediately after we received the brief for the said campaign, we sent the artwork to Mr Markus Inji Lukman, an ARCON liaison officer who has helped us vet campaign materials in the past,” he added.

However, ARCON insists that despite the apology the company will face disciplinary action the Punch reports.

ARCON boss Fodolapo also stated that president Tinubu did not order them to clampdown on the campaign.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday accused the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government of being desperate for war when bad policies have reduced the life expectancy in the country.

In a statement released by its spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP blamed the alleged drop in life expectancy in the country on bad policies implemented by the APC-led Federal Government.

According to Macrotrends, life expectancy for Nigeria in 2022 was 55.44 years, a 0.57 percent increase from 2021.

Although it did not state the percentage of decline in life expectancy recorded in the country, PDP observed that the Tinubu-led APC administration has failed to secure the lives of Nigerians, while at the same time subjecting the citizens to untold hardship.

“Currently, under the APC, life expectancy in Nigeria has plummeted. Citizens and residents live in constant apprehension and cannot move freely across the country for fear of being killed or abducted.

“Moreover, the PDP describes as distressing that the APC government has turned a blind eye to the plight of Nigerians with no concrete commitment towards the safety of lives of our citizens despite the killing of over 500 Nigerians in Plateau, Benue, Niger, Kaduna and other states of the federation, with many more abducted since May 29, 2023.

“More disturbing is the recent downing of a Nigerian military aircraft with attendant loss of lives of our brave and gallant military personnel without corresponding reassuring statement from the APC government,” PDP said in the statement.

The opposition party further described the Federal Government’s failure to take decisive action since the abduction of eight National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who were on their way to Sokoto State for their one-year mandatory service as another ugly testament of the APC’s insensitivity towards the security, safety and wellbeing of citizens.

PDP accused Tinubu of attempting to drag Nigerians into what it described as a needless war in Niger Republic.

“Instead of protecting Nigerians, the APC government is desperate to plunge our nation into a needless war in Niger Republic over a conflict in that nation that does not constitute any threat whatsoever to our National Interest.

“Our Party is alarmed that there is a serious disconnection between the government and the citizens arising from ill-planned and hasty implementation of policies that have brought excruciating hardship, horrifying insecurity and a general sense of apprehension that is already threatening the peace, peace, unity and corporate existence of our nation.

“The administration’s lack of ingenuity, tact and sensitivity towards the wellbeing of Nigerians in the removal of subsidy and floating of the Naira inflamed unbearable high cost of living, crippled our national productivity, crashed millions of businesses and sparked massive job loss with attendant escalated poverty, hunger, insecurity and hopelessness across the country,” the statement added.

PDP, in the same vein, expressed concern that investors have lost confidence in Nigeria as a result of Tinubu’s policies.

“The situation has snowballed into a dangerous loss of investors’ confidence with international companies exiting our nation and leaving millions of Nigerians stranded in the labour market with a crippling effect on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which are the real drivers of our national economy.”

Alleging that, in the last two months, over 150 million Nigerians can no longer afford their daily meals with families now going to bed on empty stomach, the PDP accused the APC-led Federal Government of continuing to tout a “fraud-prone palliative program of a miserable average 1,200 bags of rice to Nigerians in each state of the country”.

helinues:
Too early to say that

jamesversion:
It's a shame. Bayelsa with ordinary 8LGAs and a meagre population is usually within the top 7states with monthly allocation, but the level of mismanagement of that state is on another level.

A supposedly homogeneous Ijaw state cannot become a good poster for other multi-ethnic states in the SS region.

Georgejeez:
Na Tinubu employ them ?

Make dem go meet Buhari

TemmyT002:
Imagine fighting for something you didn't work for.
These people know that barely 10% of beneficiaries attend their PPAs regularly. That's why they are not taking serious action.

Feintline:
I believe he is not the one that got the admission to Chicago.

President Bola Tinubu is fighting tooth and nail to prevent public access to his Chicago records

President Bola Tinubu says that Atiku Abubakar’s attempt to obtain and use his Chicago State University (CSU) academic records against him at the elections petitions tribunal was only a wild goose chase because the Nigerian court was no longer admitting evidence.

In the presidential election held on February 25, Mr Abubakar finished second with 6.9 million votes, trailing closely behind Mr Tinubu, who had 8.7 million votes and was declared winner.

But the discrepancies in Mr Tinubu’s credentials prompted Mr Abubakar to approach the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois to subpoena CSU into releasing the president’s records to aid his argument at the elections tribunal in Nigeria before September 21 when judgment is anticipated.

Mr Abubakar had sought a nullification of Mr Tinubu’s election triumph on the grounds of alleged electoral fraud, narcotics dealing and election irregularities at the tribunal, where he also hope to tender the CSU as evidence to substantiate his claims to provide a strong argument.

But Mr Tinubu, in his defence at the U.S. federal court, said it was unnecessary to release his records to Mr Abubakar at this point, asserting deadlines for admitting any evidence in the elections tribunal elapsed in July.

“Furthermore, the evidentiary portion of the electoral court proceeding closed July 29, 2023, and a judgment is currently in the process of issuing. (Exhibit 7, Report of Pre-Hearing Session.) Therefore, there is no indication that the Nigerian election court would receive any additional evidence,” Mr Tinubu asserted in his response to application for issue of discovery on August 23 through his lawyers, Chicago-based Charles Carmichael and Oluwole Afolabi.

The president implied the case in Nigeria had advanced to the stage where all parties are only awaiting judgment and any submission of evidence by Mr Abubakar would only contradict the court’s order.

“Although, Mr Abubakar’s counsel believes it can attempt to submit additional evidence, that would be contrary to what the election court already ordered,” argued Mr Tinubu’s lawyers. “Based on the nature of the tribunal and the proceedings underway, the electoral court would not allow the material sought by the application to be admitted.”

Mr Tinubu’s lawyers contended that the main piece of information requested by Mr Abubakar was whether the Nigerian leader had received a diploma and graduated from CSU, which the university registrar verified in its affidavit, and that the other pieces of information sought were irrelevant.

“The rest is immaterial,” the lawyers stated.

The president further blamed an unnamed university clerk for entering wrong information on his records released to Nigerian lawyer Mike Enahoro-Ebah in August 2022 in response to a previous subpoena.

CSU registrar, Caleb Westberg, corroborated Mr Tinubu’s argument in a sworn affidavit, saying the institution’s clerk — whose name was not given — had entered wrong details on Mr Tinubu’s records.

But Mr Westberg was cautious with his words asserting the difference “is likely the result of human error.”

That the school registrar did not explicitly state it was an error but instead used evasive and culpability-free phrase such as “is likely” under oath was a dead giveaway that the school was unsure whether it was actually an error and was covering its tracks to avoid legal battles should the court detect malfeasance and file charges against the institution.

Feintline:
Agbado ronu. Tinubu haff sacrifice this one brain.
Atiku ask for result, you de shout obi.

homosapien:
May your affliction continue till your miserable end

homosapien:
Your wretched region and family can't come out on Monday because of miserable lunatics like you yet. The shitole region you came from can't even give you a little comfort in live until you come down to tinibu region. Look inward slowpoke

Racoon:
The Ikoyi SW Lagos was colonised by a heroine-drug running baron first class graduate of accountancy who destroyed Nigeria some more after Buhari

The sudden dissolution of the Advertising Board of Nigeria, a statutory body of the federal authorities, stinks to the high heavens. The action is highly repressive and high-handed, not only for its arbitrariness but also for seeming to kill a fly with the sledgehammer. Though the circumstances leading to this thoughtless action have not been clarified yet, suffice it to say right away that the punishment reminds us of the cruel days of military rule and decrees. One account holds that the Board was sacked for not suppressing a trending billboard message: “All eyes on the judiciary.”

This message, presumably cleared by the Board, another account says, sparked a wide- spread campaign on and offline, reflecting the genuine anxiety of teeming millions who voted Peter Obi for president on February 25. We daresay that the anxiety arises from the indefinite delay of the PEPT of its verdict on the Labour Party and Obi’s petition against INEC and the APC candidate whom the Commission had declared victorious, contrary to expectations. How does the billboard flout the rule of sub judice in Nigeria? How does the message obstruct or influence justice delivery at the Tribunal which had concluded open hearings and now sits in camera?

If indeed the billboard does offend, is it in the place of the executive arm to punish the Board for offending(?) the judiciary which can fend for itself? Other pertinent questions cross our minds at this juncture: Did the Board act ultra vires in allowing the message to air? Has the message infringed on the democratic rights of anyone in this polity? Who is ag- grieved by that innocuous message that ventilates the inalienable rights of people to express themselves without let or hindrance? In a saner society than ours, should not the response be “Yes, we are aware and are working and justice will not only be served but seen to be served”?

By that ruthless sacking of the Board, the Tinubu presidency just confirmed the people have every reason to be apprehensive. It proves the billboard right. Anyone in the shoes of the judiciary will earnestly desire that all eyes remain focused on them to scare away hawks who would want to derail justice. Why is the tribunal ruling taking forever to rule on the various issues raised? After all, the issues are straightforward. Why look for twists and turns? In the course of this rigmarole, a harmless song of a co-wife is interpreted to mean a cuWhat Why should the billboard tug at anyone’s conscience?

If all eyes are on you, awaiting a decision from you, it’s to underscore the importance of what you want to do. It’s like a child glued to the adult holding his biscuit or toy. Nothing will distract that child from removing his glare on that toy. If you fail to do it well their hearts, not eyes will be on you. In the spirit world, all eyes not all hearts should be on you. So, all eyes on the judiciary are a kind of forewarning alerting the judiciary to do the right thing and to prevent the people’s hearts from being on them. Before the February 25, Presidential election, all eyes were on Prof Mahmoud Yakubu and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to get it right and deliver the will of the people, but when he failed himself and the people, their hearts turned to them.

Since then he has been receiving all kinds of curses that will require a lot of spiritual exorcism or catharsis to extricate him and his household from the malediction. Therefore if you are holding something in trust for the people and they are expecting you to deliver, you should wish that all eyes be on you to keep you permanently on alert and undistracted because to lose trend and derail can be catastrophic. If Nigeria’s judiciary gets it wrong it would be a death knell for democracy in this land. It would mark the final subjugation of the people. But what is assuring is that there is a very weighty repercussion for this even though the perpetrators are trying to play it down.

Forget the “I don’t care” attitude of political criminals who undermine the People’s will, try tracing their end and you will see people in regret. Even though some of these repercussions are apparent, the evildoers are most often deaf and blind to history. Even the Holy Book used the story of Lazarus and the rich man to forewarn the consequences of evil, but most rich people on earth read that chapter and flip it.

If Prof Yakubu tells you he has been sleeping well since his March 1st, 2023 4 a.m. fraudulent election result announcement, he is a liar. You cannot trample on the will of the people blatantly and get away with it even if you don’t believe in vox populi, vox Dei. Why on earth should anybody who means well and has a clear conscience be afraid or worried that all eyes are on him? A football referee who is afraid of the fans must have issues with impartial officiating. Unknown to those who set out to commit a crime thinking that the victim would not be able to do anything, the most delicate person to offend is the one who would not react violently.

When you choose to take away the mandate of a marathoner and student of the nonviolent hero, India’s Gandhi like Peter Obi, and you think all is over, you might just be in self-deceit. Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his strategists must have assured themselves that once sworn in and the government rolls on, ministers appointed, tell all governors to nominate people for board positions, get the ECOWAS chair, and threaten a neighbour with the war in the thinking that nations unite around their leaders during wars.

That’s true but not in the case of contrived wars and certainly not with a leader who is legitimacy-challenged, who undermined the people on his way up, not one who grabs power at the expense of the people. If it was that simple, a harmless billboard emblazoned with “All eyes on the judiciary” should not have raised their adrenaline to warrant pulling it down and sacking the Advertising Board governors. As a critical arm of the democratic government, the judiciary does not need protection from the executive if it’s threatened. It has all the powers to protect itself.

Even if the billboard message is offensive and breaches the law, it’s not for an executive who is a party to the case at the tribunal to play the protector. In fact, in this instance, the action of the executive is what is sub judice because it interpreted the message dubiously and hyped to play the helper to the judiciary. The public knowledge of the ad multiplied after the thoughtless action of the jittery executive.

In real terms, the Tinubu government, hurt and impaired by the billboard, heralded it where they ostensibly wanted the judiciary to see them as protective. I know some people might fear the truth, but it should always be anyone’s first choice. It is important to hear the truth. Although it can be hard to handle sometimes, lies will make things worse over time. I would rather face the truth to avoid being hurt by things that aren’t true.

The question to ask at this point is, why should all eyes be on the Judiciary? Does the judiciary need all eyes to do what is right? Are they not Nigerian enough to appreciate the importance of serving justice to the people at this time and all the times? There would not have been any need really to put extra gaze on our expectations but going by the rulings coming out of Nigerian courts on political matters, there are some huge reasons to increase our anxiety.

The 2020 case of the Imo State gubernatorial wonder judgment and the 2023 bizarre ruling on the Yobe State senatorial case involving the former Senate President are two judicial somersaults that helped to stimulate everybody’s longing. The motive of the promoters of all eyes on the judiciary is not necessarily to influ- ence the justices, but more to protect them from untoward influences. The government and the agency fighting against it know full well their reason for trying to push such messages away from the public glare.

It makes them uncomfortable for the same reason that makes it necessary for those who think otherwise. It’s all eyes being on the judiciary that led to the outcry from Justice Azinge of the Kano State election petition tribunal that some senior lawyers were trying to bribe her and her panel. The intention of those trying to sway the judiciary is obvious, to pervert justice. Ordinarily, given the discrete quantity and weight of evidence put forward in the Presidential election case, there should be no cause for concern but with the “grab power at all costs” attitude of the ruling APC, nothing should be left to chance.

For instance, the issue of the 25%-poll tally in the FCT with all existing judicial positions in the past by the Supreme Court of the land is keeping the judiciary in total check with little or no way to meander. Also hanging like a clog on the judiciary and making it difficult to maneuver without ridiculing themselves are the seven critical points of law raised by petitioners.

The reasons all eyes and hearts are on the judiciary to dispense justice include but are not limited to the fact that Nigeria’s 2023 electoral process is like no other as it generated unprecedented political awareness in the populace, with a massive number of first-time voters, mostly youths. It establishes voter confidence in the electoral process as it radically plugs most of the legal and procedural loopholes for rigging and manipulation of election results, hence the citizens were upbeat about the polls.

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, the Party’s Chairman, Julius Abure and other party big wigs on Tuesday arrived Owerri, the Imo State capital to flag-off campaign for the party.

Naija News reports that the LP candidate arrived Owerri for the flag-off of the party’s campaign for the gubernatorial candidate, Athan Achonu hours after participating in the Edo mega rally ahead of the local government elections.

Athan will present his manifesto to the people of Imo using the wide acceptance of Labour Party and it’s Presidential candidate, Peter Obi among the people of Imo at the November 11 polls.

He will also be hoping that the success of the Labour Party during the election in Abia is replicated in Imo.

The former senator will be challenging the incumbent, Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and 14 other candidates.

wunmi590:


I see alot of mention, I'm here for alot of your tears...

We are approaching dry season, keep crying, so that I can save up your tears and use it to wash my car 🚗 during dry season....

This is just a gift to people who needs it from the chairman of ikoyi-obalende....