₦airaland Forum

Two chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Zakari Maigari and Zubainatu Mohammed, on Wednesday, approached the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, praying it to bar the party from replacing Alhaji Kabiru Masari as the running mate to Ahmed Bola Tinubu in the forthcoming presidential election.

The Plaintiffs, who identified themselves as delegates that voted in the recently conducted presidential primary election of the party, equally prayed the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from accepting any other person as Masari’s replacement, pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

Cited as 1st to 4th Defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ CS/1059/2022, are the APC, INEC, Tinubu and Masari.

Specifically, the litigants, asked the court to among other things, determine, whether having regard to the combined effect of sections 142(1) and sections 29(1), 31 and 33 of the Electoral Act, it is legally permissible for Masari to withdraw as the Vice-Presidential candidate of APC and the running mate of Tinubu so as to be substituted or replaced with another person by APC as its candidate for the office of Vice President for purpose of the February 25, 2023 Presidential Election.

They also want the court to determine whether in view of the joint ticket provision in section 142(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, the withdrawal of Masari as the candidate for the office of Vice President does not entail the automatic withdrawal of Tinubu as APC candidate for the office of President for purpose of the 2023 General Elections.

Whether having regard to the provisions of sections 29(1), 31 and 33 of the Electoral Act 2022, the 1st Defendant, APC, is entitled to submit the name of any other person to replace the name of the 4 Defendant, Masari, as the candidate for the office of Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, without holding a fresh primary election to produce a fresh presidential
candidate.

As well as, whether the 3rd Defendant, Tinubu, having nominated the 4th Defendant, Masari, in compliance with section 142(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, the 3rd Defendant can subsequently validly undertake or effect nomination of any other person to replace Masari and whether upon withdrawal of the 4th Defendant or under any other circumstance, in view of the provisions of section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The plaintiffs argued that Section 187 (1) of the Constitution created the Governorship candidate and Deputy-Governorship candidate joint ticket, just as section 142(1) established the joint-ticket for the Presidential candidate and Vice-Presidential candidate.

Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for hearing of the matter.

It will be recalled the both APC and the Labour Party had in a bid to beat deadline, submitted tentative names to INEC as “place holders” for their Vice Presidential candidates, with the intention of submitting them afterwards.

The Oyo State House of Assembly, Wednesday, directed the state Chief Judge to set up a panel of seven people to investigate the allegation of gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor, Mr. Rauf Olaniyan.

This was contained in a Motion jointly moved by the Majority leader, Hon Sanjo Onaolapo and Hon Akintunde Olajide, during plenary Wednesday.

The Assembly also directed the panel to report its findings within three months of its appointment.

The Ago Palace Way in Okota area of Lagos has become flooded due to the heavy rains on Tuesday.

At the Cement Bus Stop, it was observed that the flood was particularly heavy due to lack of proper drainage in the area.

I am always excited visiting my Great Friend Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu @officialABAT

May God grant him his heart's desire in becoming the President of this great Nation …F.Ote�

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has dragged Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Mike Igini to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustafa over the non-recognition of former Niger Delta Affairs Minister GodswilL Akpabio as a senatorial candidate.

The APC accused Igini of disobeying a court order for AkpabIo’s candidacy to be upheld and for unlawfully recognising a candidate produced by a factional group in the state chapter of the party.

In a petition to the SGF, the party wondered why an INEC official who is supposed to be an unbiased umpire, was meddling in intra-party affairs.

The APC, therefore, requested Mustafa to forward the petition dated July 1 to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, as a reminder of its earlier complaint against Igini.

The petition signed by the National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore, was sighted by The Nation yesterday.

The Nation gathered that the ruling party was peeved by the REC’s alleged statement that INEC did not witness its senatorial primary for Akwa Ibom North-West that produced Akpabio as a candidate.

The World Bank has slammed the Nigerian government’s slow response to inflation currently pushing many Nigerians into poverty and food insecurity.

Although the World Bank said inflation in 2022 is projected to be 15.5 per cent, Nigeria’s inflation as of May this year has raced ahead at 17.71 per cent, which is higher than the World Bank’s projection.

The World Bank warned Nigeria might have one of the highest inflation rates globally in 2022, with increasing prices diminishing the welfare of Nigerian households.

In a World Bank report titled, ‘The Continuing Urgency of Business Unusual’, it said, “despite the urgency, the authorities’ response over the last two years has not been adequate, and inflation has increased and fueled poverty and food insecurity.”

The financial institution added that the inflation shock is projected to push about 15 million more Nigerians into poverty between 2020 and 2022.

The Washington-based bank added, in a different report, that the number of poor Nigerians is projected to hit 95.1 million in 2022, warning that many non-poor Nigerians were only one small shock away from falling into poverty.

According to the lender, such a shock can be induced by the issues of climate or conflict which could further threaten Nigeria’s poverty reduction efforts.

Recall that the World Bank had said the Federal Government of Nigeria did not take any concerted action towards curbing inflation in 2021 despite the inflation shock pushing an estimated eight million Nigerians below the poverty line.

Mass defection rocked the Katsina State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday as 5,000 members of the ruling party in Matazu and Musawa Local Government Areas of the state defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The leader of the defectors, Hon. Ali Maikano, said they decided to join the main opposition party due to what he described as injustice meted on them by the APC leadership during its primaries in the state.

Maikano, who was among the aspirants that vied for APC ticket to represent Matazu/Musawa Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, said they left the party because of undemocratic principles of its leaders.

Receiving the defectors in Matazu, the State PDP Chairman, Hon. Salisu Yusuf Majigiri, assured them of fairness and equity in their new party, adding that PDP remained an indivisible and united party in the state.

He said: “Today (Saturday), we received over 5,000 APC members from Matazu and Musawa Local Governments led by Ali Maikano and Isa Abba into our great party the PDP.

“As new members, I assure you of all rights accrued to the rest of our members. We will ensure that you benefit from every opportunity regarding the welfare of members without sentiments”.

Reacting to the defection of the APC members to PDP, the state Vice Chairman of the APC, Bala Abu Musawa, challenged the PDP and Maikano to mention the names of the 5,000 APC members he defected with to the main opposition party in the state.

He described Maikano as an office-seeking and self-acclaimed politician who has no interest of the masses at heart but parties that will guarantee his political ambition, saying he will soon leave PDP because the party will not give ticket.”

According to him, “Maikano spent only three months in APC so where did he get the 5,000 supporters. He should mention their names. He is not even a politician but a political office-seeking individual who is after his personal interest.”

Though the governor of Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum, talks a storm about accountability and fighting corruption, the state’s 2020 auditor general’s report revealed that he barely walks the talk.

According to the report, five ministries in the state could not account for N414 million.

The state’s auditor general, Shettima Bukar, said 29 queries were issued to the ministries for the lack of supporting documents for expenditures, in the period under review. Many of the queries were not responded to.

Nine of the queries were issued to two ministries – the Ministry of Home Affairs, Information and Culture and the Ministry of Housing and Energy – which spent a total of N22,155,800 without attaching official receipts, receipts for materials, approvals, for not signing payment vouchers and the absence of the stamp of the internal auditor as required by the state procurement regulation.

Five of the nine queries were issued to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Information and Culture to account for N21,650,000 while four queries were issued to the Ministry of Housing and Energy for not providing supporting documents for expenditure worth N505,800.

‘Similarly, during the writing of the Annual Report for the year 2019, there were unprocessed queries which were not included in the 2019 Report, which are material for inclusion in this year’s 2020 Auditor General’s Annual Report.

“These are twenty (20) queries involving a total sum of three hundred and ninety-two million four hundred and fifty thousand four hundred and twenty-three naira and twenty-nine kobo (N392,450,423.29) only, which were issued in respect of four (4) Ministries. And these queries were also not responded to up to the time of writing this report,” Mr Shettima, the auditor general said.

The four ministries indicted in 2019 are the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ministry of Housing and Energy, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Special Education, and Ministry for Local Governments and Emirate Affairs for inability to retire N357,720, N1,120,000, N350,972,703 and N40,000,000 respectively. These add up to N414,606,223.29.

The auditor general attributed the anomalies to the inadequacies in the control system of most of the MDAs which made many payment vouchers raised to a lack of the necessary documentary evidence to justify the payments made.

The report also highlighted the lapses in the submission of some important financial, budgetary, and administrative documents.

“This has been reported in my previous reports and yet they persist without any remedy,” it stated.

Even though we could not reach out to the ministries, Isa Gusau, Mr Zulum’s spokesperson, when asked what Mr Zulum was doing about the indictments in the report said: “The Borno State Government is large and has numerous government establishments, so much that no matter how Governor Zulum tries to ensure proper accounting, there could be some circumventing by some.

“No official in Borno State can have the audacity to try diverting funds under Zulum as Governor,” he said.

He, however, said the governor is taking the report seriously.

“Governor Zulum has since directed relevant officials to ensure the provision of support documents on those expenditures,” insisting that “it is not possible for N400 million to be expended under Zulum, without evidence of project, programme or any other government activity.”

Recommendation
The auditor general recommends the ‘proper implementation of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), the importance of which includes: greater disclosure of information, leading to transparency; integrity; accountability and comparability.’

This, he says, will greatly mitigate against “the challenges or shortcomings of submission of copies of contract agreements; approvals for employment; council conclusions on government programmes; copies of conveyance of approvals for payments and establishment circulars etc. and shall no longer be a tedious task.”

Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Lagos in a landmark judgment has ordered the Nigerian Government to apply a uniform cut-off mark to all candidates seeking admission into Federal Government Col­leges, otherwise known as Uni­ty Schools, irrespective of their states of origin.

Justice Tsoho, in his ruling, declared unconstitutional the state-based admission inequality in Federal Government colleges.

A human rights lawyer and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, had instituted the suit against the Federal Gov­ernment and the Minister of Education, challenging the pre­scribed different cut-off marks for different states, based on can­didates’ gender and their states of origin.

Agbakoba argued that the de­cision of the defendants violates the candidates’ fundamental rights to freedom from discrim­ination guaranteed by Section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

He had argued that Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution prohib­its administrative or executive actions by the government that discriminates between Nigeri­ans on grounds of ethnicity, gen­der, religion and place of origin.

Agbakoba had asked the court to declare that the admin­istrative act of the respondents, particularly the Minister of Ed­ucation, which prescribes and applies different requirements including cut-off marks for candidates seeking admission into Federal Government col­leges, based on gender, ethnicity, states of origin, among others, is discriminatory against appli­cant’s grandchildren and the group or class they represent, on grounds of ethnicity, states of origin, gender, etc. and there­fore violates Section 42(1) of 1999 Constitution.

He also prayed for: “An order directing the respondents, par­ticularly Minister of Education to apply uniform admission re­quirements, especially cut-off marks to all candidates seeking admission into Federal Govern­ment colleges, notwithstanding their gender, states of origin, ethnicity, etc.

“An order of perpetual in­junction restraining the respon­dents, particularly the Minister of Education, whether by itself, its agents, servants, privies or otherwise howsoever from fur­ther acts of discrimination in ad­mission to Federal Government colleges.”

In a 19-paragraph affidavit, Agbakoba had averred that since the inception of the Unity Schools, the Federal Govern­ment had maintained great disparity in admission require­ments for candidates wishing to be admitted into Federal Govern­ment colleges.

In particular, he had argued that the Federal Government prescribed different cut-off marks for different states, based on candidates’ gender and their states of origin.

After hearing arguments from counsel for the parties, the court ordered that the Federal Govern­ment and the Minister of Edu­cation should apply a uniform cut-off mark to all candidates seeking admission into Federal Government Colleges, irrespec­tive of their states of origin.

In July 2021, SaharaReporters reported how the Federal Minis­try of Education pegged cut-off marks for admission into the 104 unity schools nationwide at 134 on average for the five South-East states, while states in the North had cut-offs of 20 marks and even below. This cut-off is out of a total of 300 marks.

SaharaReporters had obtained the cut-off lists as released by the Ministry for the 2020/2021 aca­demic year, showing the huge disparity between the cut-off marks which candidates from South-East and South-West states should have and what the candi­dates from North should obtain.

According to the breakdown, Anambra had the highest cut-off of “139 marks for both males and females; Imo 138; Enugu 134, La­gos 133; Delta 131, Ogun 131, Abia 130 and Edo.”

Osun and Oyo were among the 10 tops with the highest cut-off marks with both of them having 127 marks.

SaharaReporters observed that the least 10 cut-off marks for Unity Schools were all northern states; Gombe 58; Nasarawa 58; Borno 45; Jigawa 44, Bauchi 35; Kebbi had 9 for males and 20 for females.

Also, Sokoto had 9 for males and 13 for females; Zamfara had 4 marks for males and 2 for fe­males.

Taraba and Yobe were the least states with Taraba having 3 for males and 11 for females while Yobe had 2 for males and 27 for females.

The cut-off marks were re­portedly released by the National Examination Council.

“Some pupils are admitted into Unity schools with as low as two marks in the common entrance examinations while some can only get into the same schools with at least 130 marks. Slowly mediocrity has crept in.

“While a candidate from Anambra State has to struggle for 139, a candidate from Zamfara is looking for just 4 marks. Yes, the quota system is indeed meant to give educationally disadvan­taged regions of the country an opportunity to access quality education, but that gap is ridic­ulous.

“Merit should also be a strong consideration,” an education ex­pert, who did not want his name in print, had explained.

Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Peter Orubebe has officially joined the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

He said he is in the APC to deliver all the five candidates, especially three candidates in the Burutu Local Government Area of Delta in the forthcoming election.

Elder Orubebe boasted that resources to prosecute the elections will be provided.

While sympathizing with the Ijaw APC family over their inability to get any appointments, Elder Orubebe assured them that he will ensure, “what due Ijaw people will be secured.”

The APC Local Government Area Chairman in Burutu, Comrade Moni Seikemienghan Moni thanked Orubebe for joining the party just as he expressed confidence that he(Orubebe) in addition is a big plus to the party.

According to him, “Ijaw Nation now have high ranking politician that will stand in the gap.”

A Federal High Court in Kano, presided over by Justice Abdullahi Liman, on Friday restrained the Kano State Government from borrowing N10 billion for the installation of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras.

A coalition of NGOs, the Kano First Forum (KFF) filed a motion exparte dated June 27, sworn by the Director-General of the Association Dr Yusuf Isyaka-Rabiu.

KFF through its counsel, led by Mr Badamasi Suleiman-Gandu, prayed the court to restrain Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano from borrowing N10 billion loan.

Other respondents in the suit are the Attorney General of Kano State, Commissioner of Finance Kano and Speaker Kano State House of Assembly.

Others are Access Bank, Federal Ministry of Finance, Debt Management Office and Fiscal Responsibility Commission.

Justice Liman granted the prayers of KFF and restrained the first respondent from borrowing the N10 billion loan and ordered all parties to maintain status quo.

He also ordered the plaintiff to serve Federal Ministry of Finance, Debt Management office and Fiscal Responsibility Commission with the order and other court processes.

KFF is challenging the Governor of Kano State from borrowing the sum of N10 billion on the grounds of non-compliance with rules and regulations governing loan transaction.

The applicants in their prayers challenged the state government for not complying with Debt Management Office establishment Act 2003, fiscal responsibility Act 2007 and laws of Kano State 1968.

The adjourned date would be later communicated to both parties in the suit.

NAN reports that the State House of Assembly had on June 15 approved Ganduje’s request to access N10 billion from Access Bank.

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asíwájú Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has jetted out to France as part of his ongoing consultative visits ahead of next year’s presidential election.

All Progressives Congress (APC) governors from the North-west and other leaders from the zone arose from a meeting on Thursday in Abuja calling on the ruling party to choose its vice-presidential candidate for the 2023 election from the region, according to a report.

A communique issued after the meeting attended by the governors, ministers, and other political bigwigs from the region, stated that the region is the biggest voting bloc in the country thus the running mate to the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, should be from the region.

Though the party nominated its former welfare secretary, Kabiru Masari, as the running mate to Mr Tinubu, it is believed he was nominated as a placeholder to beat the Independent Electoral Commission’s (INEC) deadline for the party to submit the names of its candidates.

The APC is still in search of a more influential running mate to Tinubu, who is from the South-west region.

The communique signed by the APC zonal vice-chairman (North-West), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, in parts read:

“The meeting welcomed the initiative to commence this consultative meeting as vital for strengthening the APC in the North-West and improving leadership engagements and cohesion within the zone.

“The zonal meeting welcomed the successful conclusion of primaries at the state and national levels. Participants acknowledged the challenges facing some state chapters of the party and resolved to promote efforts at reconciliation as an urgent priority.

“The meeting noted the contribution of the North-West to the emergence and growth of the APC and its electoral viability, with the North-West providing about 39% of the votes the APC recorded in the 2019 and 2015 presidential elections.

“Therefore, the zone resolved to aggregate its interests and vital concerns and engage accordingly with the presidential candidate of the party.”

The Ogun State governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, in the 2019 general election, Adekunle Akinlade popularly called Triple-A has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Ogun State.

Akinlade, in a letter addressed to the State Chairman of APC, blamed the failure of the National Leadership of the Party to intervene in the internal crisis in the State Chapter of the Party.

The former member of the House of Representatives said he could not in good conscience continue to participate in a process that is characterised by injustice.

The letter addressed to the State Chairman reads, “This is to formally notify you of the resignation of my membership from the All Progressives Congress, APC.

“In fulfilment of Article 9, Sub-section 9.5 (i)(ii) of the APC Constitution that deals with cessation of membership, I hereby state that I do not have any item or property of the Party in my possession.

“This decision became necessary because of the failure of the National Leadership of the Party to intervene fairly in the internal crisis rocking the Ogun State APC.

“As a principled and forthright individual, I cannot in good conscience continue to participate in a process that is devoid of justice.”

In a separate letter dated 28th June, 2022 addressed to his ward Chairman in Agosasa area of Ipokia Local Government, Akinlade said, “In 2018, I was given the opportunity to contest the gubernatorial primary on the platform of our great party and won on the 2nd of October, 2018, but the result was manipulated by the Comrade Admas Oshiomole-led NWC.

“I left the Party temporarily to contest the gubernatorial election and returned in December 2019. I have since remained loyal to the Party both here at home and National level.

“It is unfortunate that despite our loyalty and efforts to prevail on the party for justice and fairness, the leadership of the party at the National HQ has continued to ignore our pleas and complaints that bother on the lopsided State Congresses, Local Government Elections, Party Executive Elections, the Delegate List, and recent Party primaries.

“Then, the refusal of the Ogun State Party Leadership to uphold the sharing formula as agreed by the various stakeholders and parties.

“It is on this end that I have decided to resign my membership in the All Progressives Congress.”

It will be recalled that Akinlade, who was backed by former Governor Ibikunle Amosun in the 2019 general elections, dumped the APC to contest the election in APM following the declaration of Governor Dapo Abiodun as the candidate of the APC in Ogun State.

He lost the election to Governor Dapo Abiodun, but has since returned to the APC.

Akinlade also took part in the governorship primaries of the APC for the 2023 general election, but was recorded to have scored zero in the primaries won by Abiodun.

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, refused to grant a motion, seeking an order compelling Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting Bola Tinubu as presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The court also declined to grant the prayer, asking INEC from recognising Atiku Abubakar as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate for the next year’s poll.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling, ordered the plaintiffs; Incorporated Trustees of Rights for All International (RAI) and Northern Nigerian Youth Democrats (NNYD) to put all the defendants on notice.

Justice Ekwo, who refused to grant prayers one, two and three in the ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/942/2022 which was dated and filed June 22 by the plaintiffs’ counsel, Kingdom Okere, however, granted prayers four, five and six.

The judge further ordered the lawyer to effect service of the court papers on the defendants within seven days of the order and adjourned until July 14 for further mention.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that RAI and NNYD, through their lawyer, had filed the motion seeking for six orders.

Listed as defendants in the application include the APC, PDP, Tinubu, Atiku, Nyesom Wike, Bukola Saraki, Anyim Pius Anyim, Bala Mohammed, Udom Emmanuel, Terella Diana, Dele Momodu, Ayo Fayose, Charles Ugwu and Chikwendu Kalu as 1st to 14th defendants respectively.

Others are Sam Ohuabunwa, Chukwuemeka Nwajuba, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Ahmad Yerima, Rochas Okorocha, Tein Jack-Rich, Ben Ayade, David Umahi, Dr Ahmad Lawal, Yemi Osinbajo, Rotimi Amaechi, Yahaya Bello, Ogbonnaya Onu, Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu, INEC and EFCC as 15th to 30th respectively.

Among the orders the court declined include “an order restraining, prohibiting and barring the 29th defendant (INEC) from accepting the nomination of the 3rd and 4th defendants (Tinubu and Atiku) as the presidential candidates of the 1st and 2nd defendants (APC and PDP) for the 2023 presidential election pending the hearing of the motion on notice or as may otherwise be directed by the Hon. Court.

“An order directing all parties in this suit to maintain status quo which existed before the suit pending as may otherwise be directed by this Hon. Court.

“An directing speedy hearing/fast-tracking of this suit and abridging the time within which the plaintiffs and defendants may file their respective defence/responses in this suit to five days from the date of granting this application.”

But the court granted an order of substituted service on Tinubu, Atiku, Wike, Saraki, Nwajuba, Bakare, Yarima, Okorocha, Jack-Rich, among others.

It also granted an order of substituted service on all the defendants through a publication of only the originating summons in a national daily.

Okere, who gave seven grounds why the orders should be granted, said the “suit is a public interest suit that seeks to promote constitutional democracy, rule of law, the Federal Character Principle and principles of equity, justice and fairness in holding the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” among others.

In the originating summons, the lawyer wants the court to determine “whether having regard to the clear, unambiguous and express provisions, sprit and tenor of ARTICLES 11 (A) (I), 12 (1) AND 13 (1) of the Constitution of the APC, 2014 (as amended), the special national convention of the 1st defendant held on the June 6 and June 7 was properly constituted as regards the composition of delegates who should attend and vote at the said convention.

“Whether having regard to the clear, unambiguous and express provisions, sprit and tenor of Section 33 (1) AND (5) (C ) of the Constitution of the PDP, 2017, (as amended), the special national convention of the 2nd defendant held on the May 28 and May 29 was properly constituted as regards the composition of delegates who should attend and vote at the said convention,” among others.

The All Progressives Congress, Ebonyi State Chapter, has said that Governor David Umahi remains its candidate for Ebonyi South senatorial district.

This is as it said the governor’s absence in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s list of senatorial candidates for the 2023 general elections was a minor error from the commission which had been corrected.

The party insisted that Umahi remained its authentic candidate for the Ebonyi South Senatorial District, stressing that he won a duly re-conducted primary election for the constituency.

Chairman of the party, in Ebonyi State, Chief Stanley Okoro-emegha, stated this while interacting with journalists in Abakaliki, on Monday.

He disclosed that a fresh election duly monitored by officials of the INEC and security agencies was held after the initial winner of the election, Austine Umahi, and another aspirant in the first election, Ann Agom-Eze, withdrew from the contest.

According to him, “APC duly submitted the Governor’s name. The mistake did not come from the party. The necessary things were done; the stepping down of the two candidates that contested for that senatorial election was there with the party and the INEC.

“INEC was invited for the re-conduction because there was enough time for the party to re-conduct another primary election that will usher in another person. And the re-conduction of the election was done, the video clips are there, all the necessary security agencies and the ministries that were supposed to be there were there on the day of the re-conduction of the senatorial candidate primaries of APC in Ebonyi South.

“And then a panel was set up at the national secretariat Abuja and they arrived we took them to Afikpo which is the venue for the election, they did all the necessary things, the delegates that were supposed to participants of the primaries were all there.

“Mind you and watch very well that the particular column was blank, so there wasn’t an issue. If you like I can still forward the list of the states that had issues and the possible substitution they made because the national office of the party can not afford to leave any particular space vacant.

“Anybody carrying any other news is carrying it on their own. But I went to Abuja, I called them and asked them what happened and they traced it and saw where it was coming from and it was immediately corrected.”

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned the case of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to November 14 following a matter instituted by his lawyers at the Court of Appeal.

Justice Binta Nyako was forced to adjourn after she was informed by Kanu’s lawyer Mike Ozekhome SAN that a pending application at the Court of Appeal will soon be heard around October 11.

The appeal seeks the dismissal of the terrorism related charges instituted against Kanu by the federal government.

Based on the development, Justice Nyako adjourned to November 14 for mention and pending the determination of the Court of Appeal.

Earlier, the trial court had refused to grant Kanu bail, saying that she had earlier denied same.

She advised Kanu’s lawyers to take the bail request of their client to the appellate court if they want.

Speaking to newsmen after the court rose, Kanu’s lawyer, Ozekhome said he wants the court of appeal to decide whether the lower court has jurisdiction over the case.