lalasticlala

The judgement of the Supreme Court on the internal wangling of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) sent shock waves across Nigeria.

The apex court on Friday voided the declaration of the ruling party as the winner of the general election held in the state.

Delivering its judgement, the highest court affirmed the position of the Court of Appeal which earlier held that the ruling party had no valid candidates for the election.

It ruled that the next party in line with the highest votes from the election be held as the winner of the exercise. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stand to benefit more from the resolution of the apex court because the opposition party was announced to have come second in all the race.

Why the presidency is weeping over losing grip of the state, the PDP is rejoicing over the new development.

Continue Reading: https://politicstimesng.com/zamfara-presidency-weep-as-pdp-rejoices-to-supreme-court-ruling/

Inibehe Effiong, a legal practitioner has criticised Ibrahim Mohammed, the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) for breaking Ramadan Fast With President Muhammadu Buhari.

Late Thursday night, photos of the president and the top jurist winning and dinning alongside other members was released to the public. POLITICS TIMES gathered the photographs were taken at the breaking of Ramadan Fast, a religious practice among Muslims in the country.

Mr Effiong, a Human Rights Activist, said Mohammed ought not dine with the president because he is a judicial officer who will definitely attend to the election petition challenging the outcome of the exercise that produced Buhari for a second term in office.

The presidential election held earlier in the year is currently being challenged by Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who lost to the Nigerian leader who is expected to begin his second term next week.

Mr Abubakar, a former vice president is currently at the Presidential Election Tribunal praying he been declared winner of the February 23 exercise based on results allegedly gotten from the electronic serves of the electoral body that conducted the election.

Criticising Mohammed over his action, Effiong said public perception and appearance of impropriety were some of the reasons why judicial officers usually live a reclusive life, devoid of serious social contacts.

The activist who stated that Judges, unlike lawyers, are not allowed to associate or mingle with the society they live in, added that the fact that a judicial officer is also the head of the judicial arm of government does not change the ethical standard.

"I know in this country, we wickedly use religion as an alibi to evade responsibility and conceal the truth," he said in a Facebook post on Friday.

"Breaking Ramadan fast is not an official function, it is not part of the obligations of the office of the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria in any way. It is a personal thing. And if I were a judicial officer, let alone the most senior judicial officer in the country, I would not be breaking fast or paying Christmas visit to the President of Nigeria.

"If I must do it, it will not be to a President who is a notorious violator of the rule of law. If I have to dine with a President who disobeys court orders, it will certain not be at a time when the same President is a litigant before a Tribunal hearing a petition against his election, knowing that the decision of that tribunal will most likely come before me in the Supreme Court. I will think about the perception of right thinking members of the society before dining with that President," Effiong said.

The lawyer who quoted 2016 Rule 1 of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers to back up his claim noted that Judges are required to avoid social contacts as much as possible. He said the CJN should be the shining example as Justice is rooted in confidence and not in legal technicalities.

The quoted guideline for Judicial Officers is reproduced below:

Read More: https://politicstimesng.com/lawyer-criticises-acting-chief-justice-for-breaking-ramadan-fast-with-buhari/

lalasticlala

Shehu Sani, lawmaker representing Kaduna Central at the Senate has opined why the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) lost the state.

The Supreme Court on Friday nullified the candidature of all APC candidates in the state, describing their votes as a wasted one.

The apex court also validated the position of the Court of Appeal which earlier held that no valid party primaries produced the candidates for the election held in the state.

Reacting to the new development, the Kaduna lawmaker said the ruling party lost the state because they did nothing to confront the security situation in the state.

Read More: https://politicstimesng.com/why-apc-lost-zamfara-to-pdp-shehu-sani/

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is afraid of Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari has said.

Messrs Mohammed and Abubakar were recently involved in accusations and counter-accusations with the latter calling for the arrest of the former.

The minister had alleged that there were plans by the former vice president, widely known as Atiku, and PDP to sabotage the adminstration of Mr Buhari.

Pushing back the allegation, the PDP candidate denied nursing such plans let alone execute same. He said he was not surprised at the accusation against him because those who employed the minister knew their employee as a notorious liar.

While raising alarm of plans to implicate him as arrowhead of insecurity bedeviling the nation, Atiku on Thursday called for the arrest of the government's spokesman while demanding an apology.

"With the conclusion reached by relevant security outfits that there is no evidentiary proof to back the claim by Lai Mohammed that the opposition was planning to upstage the government, we demand that the information minister should be arrested for a breach of security and an apology rendered to Atiku Abubakar and the PDP,” a statement by Paul Ibe, the media aide of the former vice president partly read.

His latest demands angered Lauretta Onochie, a presidential aide who earned a 2billion suit from Atiku over allegations that the former number two citizen travelled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to shop for terrorists who will make the country ungovernable for her principal.

Ms Onochie, POLITICS TIMES gathered, was dragged to court after refusing to apologize with payment of N500million as earlier demanded by the PDP candidate.

Ms Onochie wondered why the minister was not slammed with a lawsuit on his allegation against Atiku.

Describing the former vice president as a coward, the president's aide on social media said this was because the minister is a man whereas she is a woman.

Read More: https://politicstimesng.com/atiku-a-coward-afraid-of-lai-mohammed-buharis-aide/

lalasticlala

An aide of President Muhammadu Buhari has tackled former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, over the latter’s claim that Boko Haram is the agenda of some individuals to fulanise and islamise the country.

Mr Obasanjo on Saturday noted that the activities of Boko Haram has surpassed what the country could handle because the terrorist group intends to extend and dominate African continent.

Boko Haram terrorists are clamouring for the declaration of Nigeria as a Islamic state. A faction of the group has since aligned itself with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“They have both incubated and developed beyond what Nigeria can handle alone. They are now combined and internationalized with ISIS in control,” Obasanjo said in a keynote address at the 2019 Synod of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), held in Oleh, Isoko South council area of Delta State.

The former president angered some Nigerians including the presidency when he gave the agenda an ethnic colouration given that President Muhammadu Buhari hails from the Fulani tribe.

“It is no longer an issue of lack of education and lack of employment for our youths in Nigeria which it began as, it is now West African fulanization, African Islamization and global organized crimes of human trafficking, money laundering, drug trafficking, gun trafficking, illegal mining and regime change,” he added.

Castigating him on Thursday, Lauretta Onochie, the president’s aide on social media, described the former leader as one who is suffering from amnesia.

Quoting a remark on the issue, Ms Onochie, 66, said Obasanjo is suffering from loss of memory.

Read More: https://politicstimesng.com/you-have-short-memories-buharis-aide-tackles-obasanjo-on-fulanisation-claim/

lalasticlala

A former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has kicked against the acquisition of radio station for armed herdsmen as a means to curtail killings in the country.

The Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said it acquired an Amplitude Modulation radio broadcast licence to reach herdsmen across various locations in the country as parts of measures to enhance nomadic education.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, stated this in Abuja during an interview with newsmen, adding that the establishment of the radio frequency was to end the perennial farmers-herders crises across the country.

Mr Adamu said the radio service would operate on frequency of 720KHz, and would air in Fulani language, as the government believes that the radio medium is one of the viable means to reach the herdsmen.

“The radio service will serve as a vehicle for social mobilisation and education, in addition to interactive radio instruction methodology that will be adopted to reach the very hard-to-reach segment of our target population,” the minister said.

“Additionally, it will enhance our capacity to address crisis between herders and farmers with attendant consequences to loss of lives, destruction of productive assets, nomadic schools, facilities teaching and learning resources,” Adamu added.

Kicking against the project, Mr Fani-Kayode queried why the same administration which declared the radio station of a proscribed group illegal will now establish a radio station for armed herdsmen believed to be the arrowheads of killings across the country.

“You say that @radiobiafralive is illegal yet you acquire a new radio station for the Fulani terrorists and herdsmen,” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain said in a tweet on Thursday.

What type of Federal Government is this?” he queried.

Radio Biafra is the radio station of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB). When he was sworn in as president, Mr Buhari tried all he could to bring down the radio station he helped popularise by arresting the leader of the group, Nnamdi Kanu.

Mr Kanu and his group are demanding the balkanization of the country, calling for the restoration of the defunct Biafra Republic.

The IPOB leader who is currently outside the shores of the country, had his group proscribed two years ago after a violent clash between IPOB and the Nigerian Military.

As at press time, POLITICS TIMES gathered that the radio station whose location remains unknown is believed to airing from diaspora and has continued to propagate the demands of IPOB.

Read More: https://politicstimesng.com/former-minister-kicks-as-fg-acquires-radio-station-for-armed-herdsmen/

When you fast don't allow others to notice, these guys are hyp0crites

lalasticlala

Atiku Commends Bulkachuwa Over Withdrawal From Presidential Poll Tribunal

Atiku Abubakar, the 2019 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa for withdrawing from the presidential election tribunal panel.

Mrs Bulkachuwa, until she stepped down, headed the presidential election petition tribunal where Mr Abubakar is challenging the outcome of this year’s presidential election.

After the inaugural sitting of the tribunal, the PDP alongside its candidate in the election accused the Appeal Court president of likelihood of bias.

Filling a petition to that effect, the petitioners urged the jurist to step aside due to her family ties with members of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) a political party involved in the suit challenging the outcome of the February 23 exercise.

Ruling on their application on Wednesday, the tribunal dismissed the allegation of likelihood of bias as the accusers did not present enough evidence to back up their claim.

However, after the judgement, Bulkachuwa rescued herself from the panel despite agreeing with the ruling delivered.

Commending her for stepping aside, the PDP candidate said she cannot be a judge in her own case.

Read More: https://politicstimesng.com/atiku-commends-bulkachuwa-over-withdrawal-from-presidential-poll-tribunal/

lalasticlala

These people are seriously planning a drama.

Bola Tinubu, a National Leader of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) will soon be given a back seat treatment in his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said.

The opposition party stated this in reply to comments credited to the former Lagos State governor wherein he said the PDP were making saucy and distractive statements because of their loss at this year’s general election.

“Don’t blame them. They are handicapped by the traumatic feelings of the colossal loss of the election,” Tinubu was quoted by the presidency in a statement to have said in Saudi Arabia on Monday.

“You should help them to manage the trauma,” the APC chieftain added.

Responding, the opposition party who accused the former governor of hauling insults at the PDP urged him not to curry political relevance by attacking them.

The party also said it was an atrocity for the APC chieftain to travel to the Islamic religious country to play dirty politics while others are praying for the country.

Read More: https://politicstimesng.com/apc-members-will-give-you-back-seat-treatment-soon-pdp-replies-tinubu/

lalasticlala

Ibrahim Mohammed, the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria has been dragged to court over alleged perjury.

Mr Mohammed who assumed office in acting capacity late last year is accused of falsifying his date of birth by a business man named Tochi Micheal.

Mr Michael, 46, filed his petition at a Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) last month. The suit number is FCT/HC/BW/CV/79/2019.

This is coming months after Walter Onnoghen, a former Chief Justice was ousted on allegations of failing to declare some assets traced to him.

Mohammed who succeeded Mr Onnoghen in office is accused of doctoring his date of birth from December 31, 1950, as stated in all his official records, to December 31, 1953 after becoming a judicial officer.

Read More: https://politicstimesng.com/alleged-perjury-acting-cjn-dragged-to-court/

Like?

A state governor belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party has endorsed the preferred candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for the speakership position of the next House of Representatives.

Read More: https://politicstimesng.com/pdp-gov-endorses-apc-candidate-for-speakership-race/

Since you refused to compromise, didn't he still win?

See the way we are using our learned brothers from the South

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has cautioned “a certain South West political leader” to leave Bukola Saraki, outgoing Senate President, alone.

Although the AYCF did not mention any name, POLITICS TIMES gathered the group’s warning was issued to Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

The youths who are of the opinion that the recent investigation of the top lawmaker’s financial earning, during his days as Kwara State governor, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is politically motivated, accused the former Lagos governor of instigating the probe.

Yerima Shettima, president of the group in a statement noted that “much as the AYCF supports the war against corruption, we will resist any subtle attempt to hide behind politics to intimidate our sons in positions of authority.”

Bola Tinubu, former Lagos State governor.
Mr Shettima who accused Tinubu of diverting key positions and developmental projects to the South West, warned him not to approach the North seeking their support for his alleged presidential ambition in 2023.

“There is no way after cornering all the juicy Federal Government appointments and skewing development projects in favour of the South West anyone will dare approach the North with the issue of seeking for Presidency in 2023. That will be totally unacceptable,” he said.

The group vowed to use all legitimate avenues for resisting the “manipulations of one man whose primary goal in life is the 2023 Presidency and we’re assuring him that even that is no longer possible and a waste of his resources, because the country belongs to all of us”.

The group said they are proud of Saraki who they described as an illustrious son in the North as he didn’t turn his back on the people who voted him into power.

Source: https://politicstimesng.com/leave-saraki-alone-arewa-youths-warn-tinubu/

lalasticlala

Olusegun Obasanjo, former president, has suggested how the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) can rise up again.

Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, the PDP has been piloting the affairs of the country until in 2015 when it lost power to the then opposition and now ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) at the national level.

The attempt by the PDP to reclaim power in the 2019 general election was futile as President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC defeated Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the opposition to actualize his second term ambition.

The former president while playing host to regional stalwarts of the opposition in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital, on Monday, said the party needed truly committed members to get back to power, urging it to purge itself of ‘bad eggs.’

“I knew PDP would lose the election in 2015 because it was clear, and I knew PDP will need to be rebuilt after losing the election,” Obasanjo said.

“You need what I call a critical mass of committed people, and come rain, come shine they are committed. With that, you can make Nigeria better.

“You see peoples’ faces beautiful but you don’t know what each person harbours inside of him. If you discover a bad egg, remove such a person and if such person has learnt his or her lessons, there can still be room to accommodate the person.

“Politically speaking, you can’t be my friend if you don’t buy into Nigeria’s project. For me, till death, I will continue to push for a better Nigeria,” he told his guests.

Mr Obasanjo who had served out his two term in office as president under the PDP dumped the party and publicly declared support for Mr Buhari when the latter sought the exalted office in 2015. The former Nigerian leader helped in thwarting the re-election of then president, Goodluck Jonathan.

The 2015 election was the first time in the country the opposition will be winning at the national level, unseating an incumbent president.

As the 2019 election season drew near, Obasanjo kicked against the aspiration of the president, urging him not to run for a second term based on his performances in office, backing the PDP candidate to challenge the president.

Buhari, who dumped the advise in a trash can, contested and defeated Mr Abubakar, who has gone to the election tribunal, with over 4 million votes, politically humbling Obasanjo in the process.

Source: https://politicstimesng.com/obasanjo-what-pdp-needs-to-rise-up-again/

lalasticlala

Udom Emmanuel, Akwa Ibom State governor, has said God and not his predecessor, Godswill Akpabio, discovered and made him governor.

Mr Emmanuel made the claim on Friday at a Victory Thanksgiving Service to thank God for the success of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the concluded 2019 general elections.

POLITICS TIMES recalls that insinuations in some quarters had it that Mr Akpabio brought the banker into politics and ensured he succeeded him in office.

Although Akpabio who represents Akwa Ibom North West at the Senate admitted that truly it was God who made Emmanuel governor of the state in 2015, he said it was him who discovered his successor at a religious gathering in Lagos State.

“I met Udom Emmanuel performing the duties of a deacon in Qua Iboe Church, Surulere. I immediately adjudged that as a deacon, he would superintend over the affairs of the State with the fear of God,” the lawmaker said in a post-election article he wrote on Thursday.

“Whether I was right or wrong is for history to judge. Nevertheless, I picked him to succeed me and by the grace of God and the votes of Akwa Ibom electorates, he won the election. So God made him governor,” Akpabio added.

Denying he was discovered by his predecessor, Emmanuel said it was God who found him worthy to ascend the throne.

“No man shall be able to stop what God has destined for us. As a man, we are not limited by our circumstances, we are limited by our faith in God. As a man, whoever God discovers, no man can cover. God discovered Udom Emmanuel, no man can cover Udom Emmanuel, no stranger can cover Udom Emmanuel,” the governor said.

He pledged to serve the people of the state with all his might, strength, intellect and connection, and make them his priority, adding that God had given the state a new beginning and launched it into a new path.

Source: https://politicstimesng.com/god-made-me-governor-emmanuel-tells-akpabio/

Godswill Akpabio, lawmaker representing Akwa Ibom North West at the Senate has denied claims that he queried where God was when he made Udom Emmanuel governor of the State in 2015.

Mr Akpabio is a two-term former governor of the oil-rich state, his political career waxed stronger during his days in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) until in August 2018 when he decamped to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

He played a vital role to ensure Mr Emmanuel succeeds him in office as the state governor and as soon as the latter did, they fell apart politically.

Until his defection, the former governor was largely regarded as the political godfather of the state. He went to the Nigerian Senate and made history as the first-timer to clinch one of the position of principal officers at the upper legislative chamber.

There were insinuations in some quarters that Akpabio had during the governorship campaign of the APC boasted that he will send the incumbent governor packing from the government house in Uyo, the state capital.

Mr Emmanuel had used “Divine Mandate – Only God” as his campaign slogan and purveyors of the claim said the former governor queried where God was when he single-handedly made his successor governor.

Denying he ever mocked the Supreme Being, Akpabio said he could not blaspheme God who has shown him much care.



“In 2015 my wife was in a coma for months and the best doctors in the world with the help of the best life-support equipment gave her less than five percent chance of making it,” Akpabio said in a post election article he titled, “The Lies and Liars of the Election.”

“Doctors and science gave up on her. The press wrote that she had died. But we held on to God and God brought her back to life. Science could not explain this awesome testimony.

“In 2015, I was involved in an accident, which details are still suspect. I survived against all odds because God showed up for me.

“Can a man who has seen so much favour from God, turn around to blaspheme him? Can such a man seek to play God or seek to share His glory with Him? Such a man can never say ‘where was God when I made Udom Emmanuel governor?’” the lawmaker said.

Akpabio failed to secure a second term of returning to the Senate. He lost his re-election to Chris Ekpenyong, a former deputy governor of the state and senatorial candidate of the PDP.

During his defection, he boasted that the state will be the first held by the opposition PDP that will fall for the ruling APC.

The former governor who is at the tribunal to challenge Ekpenyong’s victory has said he will reclaim his mandate.

Source: https://politicstimesng.com/akpabio-i-never-asked-where-god-was-when-i-made-emmanuel-governor/

Orji Kalu, the senator-elect of Abia North, has been told that he cannot be deputy or Senate President in the 9th Senate, as he is not worthy to hold any of the positions.

This is coming from his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) while reacting to calls by Mr Kalu who urged the party to zone the position of Deputy Senate President in the ninth Senate to South East region.

Read more: https://politicstimesng.com/you-cant-be-deputy-or-senate-president-apc-replies-kalu/