Politics

Nigeria: Appeal Court reverses tribunal judgement which sacked Governor Adeleke

Published

2 years ago

March 13, 2023

In Nigeria, an Appeal Court in Nigeria has reversed a judgment by an election tribunal that nullified the victory of Governor Ademola Adeleke in the Osun governorship election.

The tribunal in January, held that the governorship election was characterized by over-voting, adding that after deducting the excessive votes, Oyetola’s figures rose to 314, 921, while Adeleke’s came down to 290, 266.

The court held that the judgment on the matter will be given at a later date as a three-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Shuaibu takes the arguments and adopts the briefs of all parties in the suit.

Onyechi Ikpeazu, Counsel to Adeleke, today asserted that a member of the panel, who is also a chief magistrate, did not voice her opinion during the delivery of the judgment. Her only contribution was her signature, and the constitution requires her to have stated her views on the case.

Counsel to Mr. Oyetola, Lateef Fagbemi, argued that mere signing of the judgment, and not making any comment afterward does not make the judgment invalid. He maintained that the case of over-voting exceeded 6 polling units as claimed by the Appellant, adding that the anomaly was experienced in 744 polling units across the state.

Fagbemi further stressed that the findings of over-voting were obtained from the back-end server of INEC.

Governor Adeleke’s counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu held that results stored in the backend server, are inconsistent and unreliable as they can be affected by internet connectivity and the battery life of the Bvas used to upload the result.

He maintained that after conducting a physical examination on the Bvas, it showed that overvoting occurred in just six polling units, and not 744 as claimed by the Counsel to Oyetola.

The case can be challenged till the highest legal stage in Nigeria at the apex court.

The 2023 gubernatorial elections which will be held in 31 states out of Nigerian 36 states will now hold on Saturday, March 18, 2023. Osun state is one of the states with a staggered calendar like in Imo State, Kogi State, and Bayelsa State elections where the election will be held on 11 November.

The last regular gubernatorial elections for all states were in 2019.

Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

4 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

5 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.