₦airaland Forum

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, Abia State, has fixed July 10 and 13 respectively for confirmation and pre-hearing in the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Dr. Alex Otti, against the election of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.

Otti seeks the nullification of Ikpeazu’s election and his ( Otti’s) declaration as the winner of the governorship poll in the state.

The Tribunal Chairman, Hon. Justice Usman Bwala, while adjourning sitting on Thursday, said it was expected that before the new dates, all the processes would have been served and replies also filed by all the parties in the matter.

He gave all the parties up to the end of Thursday next week to file all their motions, warning that no other motions would be acceptable after the next sitting.

Counsel for Otti, Chief Awa Kalu, had, during the sitting, withdrawn a petition he had earlier filed, seeking an order of the tribunal to enable Otti to inspect all the documents used in the election.

He lamented that the Independent National Electoral Commission was making the inspection of the materials too cumbersome for his client.

Later in an interview with journalists, Kalu explained that he had filed a fresh motion to replace the one he withdrew.

The fresh motion, according to him, was seeking the assistance of the tribunal in clearing the bottlenecks frustrating the inspection of the electoral materials by forensic experts brought by Otti.


http://www.punchng.com/news/abia-tribunal-to-hear-ottis-petition-july-13/

Moderators lalasticlala,seun etc

APC AND TALK

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Thursday said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has the blueprints to tackle Nigeria’s developmental challenges.

He noted that Nigeria has enormous and critical challenges in many sectors especially in areas of health, education and unemployment.

He, however, said Buhari’s administration has worked out immediate, intermediate and long term measures to tackle the challenges in all critical sectors.

Mohammed spoke on Thursday during his 9th Ramadan Lecture in Oro, Kwara State.

He said Buhari’s government would solve the problems even in the face of paucity of funds.

According to him, the paucity of funds was caused by the fall in the price of crude oil, on which Nigeria depends for most of its foreign exchange earnings.

He added that the paucity of funds was caused by the alleged “unbridled and maddening corruption that has seen public officers siphon public funds.”

Mohammed said, “I have deliberately taken us through the grim statistics in the very key areas of health, education, poverty and unemployment to drive home the point that we are in trouble, as a nation, if we don’t act in a deliberate, concerted and determined way to turn things around for the better.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/buhari-has-solutions-to-nigerias-problems-apc/

mods do d needful

the Lagos state governorship election tribunal sitting in Ikeja, on Wednesday dismissed the petition filed by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Jimi Agbaje, against Akinwunmi Ambode of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Lagos state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode
Agbaje had petitioned the tribunal challenging the declaration of Ambode as the winner of the April 11, 2015 governorship election in the state.

But the three-man tribunal led by Justice Muhammad Sirajo Wednesday upheld the preliminary objection raised by Chief Wole Olanipekun that the petition was incompetent.

http://saharareporters.com/2015/07/01/election-tribunal-dismisses-agbaje%E2%80%99s-petition-against-ambode

hmm

mods shld do need ful

UN Human Rights Chief, Zeid Al-Hussein, has appealed to Nigerian authorities to ease abortion restrictions for women and girls who had been sexually enslaved, raped and forced into so-called “marriages” by Boko Haram fighters.

He said this on Thursday in New York while discussing with the Human Rights Council on Boko Haram’s rights violations and abuses, the findings of a 12-member team to Cameroon, southern Niger and the north-eastern regions of Nigeria on Boko Haram.

Al-Hussein said interviews had confirmed that during their captivity lasting for months or even years, women and girls were sexually enslaved, raped and forced into marriages.

The Rights group chief said as a result of this, many survivors of the horrific experiences are now pregnant for their rapists.

Al-Hussein also drew attention to the situation of many formerly captive women and young girls, who are pregnant and their reported wish to terminate these unwanted pregnancies.

“I note that abortion is legal in Nigeria only when the life of the woman is at risk.

“Human rights mechanisms have consistently called for ensuring access to safe abortion services beyond the protection of the woman’s life, including in cases of rape, and to preserve the health of the woman,” he said.

The Rights chief said as a result of the unwanted pregnancies, government should have a rethink over the abortion law.

“Taking this into account, I strongly urge the most compassionate possible interpretation of the current regulations in Nigeria to
include the risk of suicide and risks to mental health for women and young girls, who have suffered such appalling cruelty.

He said it had already become clear that the violations committed by Boko Haram were extensive and far-reaching, demanding a response of commensurate magnitude.

Al-Hussein said the survivors in Nigeria gave distressing witness accounts of gruesome mass killings of men and boys, whom Boko Haram grouped together and gunned down or hacked to death with sadistic cruelty.

http://www.punchng.com/news/relax-abortion-laws-for-bharam-victims-un-urges-fg/

lol

lastma the touts..

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority says there is need to clear the Yaba area of the state of impediments hindering the free flow of traffic.

It added that the move would reduce the daily hardship experienced by road users in the area.

The LASTMA General Manager, Babtunde Edu, said this during a joint monitoring exercise by the agency and the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and other special Offences.

The tour, according to a statement by LASTMA spokesperson, Mrs. Bola Ajao, is to access the impact of street trading on traffic congestion and to find a lasting solution to the problem.

He said, “The Tejuosho Market area of Yaba is gradually turning into a traffic bottleneck due to the excesses of traders, commercial bus drivers and hoodlums, who have narrowed the road to suit their illegal operations, thereby causing unnecessary traffic congestion and security threats to motorists.

“This is the right time for the agency to curb the menace and make the route accessible to others.


http://www.punchng.com/news/lastma-moves-against-gridlock/