Metro

Nigeria’s Supreme Court begins hearing of appeals against Tinubu’s victory

Published

1 year ago

October 23, 2023

The Nigerian Supreme Court will today, Monday, October 23 begin hearing of appeals filed by three opposition parties seeking to nullify the electoral victory of President Bola Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election.

The appeals were filed by the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), as well as the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

The Supreme Court had last week Thursday put the three parties on notice on the date it would begin hearing on the appeals filed by the opposition parties that were dissatisfied with the ruling at the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) and the verdict of the Appeal Court.

The contending parties, which faulted the verdicts, had filed motions at the Supreme Court on different grounds, all seeking to nullify Tinubu’s victory.

On his part, Atiku and the PDP are seeking the court’s permission to tender fresh evidence on Tinubu’s academic records which he obtained from the Chicago State University (CSU), which he claims showed that the documents the president submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) prior to the election were forged.

Atiku had also accused the PEPC of reaching a decision based on “gross misconstruction and misrepresentation of provisions of both the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and the Electoral Act, 2022.”

Atiku further argued that some of the “presiding officers that personally handled the BVAS machines at different polling units on the election day, had in their testimony before the PEPC, confirmed the non-transmission of results of the presidential election electronically from the BVAS machines, whereas results of the National Assembly election that held simultaneously, were electronically transmitted without difficulty.”

On his part, Obi had argued that the PEPC panel erred in law and thereby reached a wrong conclusion when it dismissed his petition.

He had accused the PEPC of wrongly evaluating the proof of evidence he tendered before it, arguing that it had “occassioned a grave miscarriage of justice” when it held that he did not specify polling units where irregularities occured during the election.

Obi faulted the PEPC for dismissing his case on the grounds that they did not specify the figures of votes or scores that were allegedly suppressed or inflated in favour of President Tinubu and the APC.

The APM’s appeal which is also seeking to nullify the election of Tinubu, was based on the APC fielding of Vice President Kashim Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate when he was not validly nominated by the party.

According to the APM, Tinubu had nominated a placeholder in the person of Ibrahim Masari, but he was not replaced within the 14 days stipulated by Section 33 of the Electoral Act.

APM had also argued that going by sections 131 and 142 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the issues were “inextricably linked and neither can be confined as a pre-election matter, as these qualifications are condition precedents to being elected to the office of President.”

The party is, therefore, asking the Supreme Court to nullify and void all votes scored by APC in the presidential election, as well as directing INEC to return the second-highest score at the election as the winner of the presidential contest.

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Metro

Following backlash, Nigerian govt withdraws treason charges against minors

Published

5 hours ago

November 5, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Nigerian government has officially withdrawn the treason charges it entered against some minors who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest that spread across the country from August 1 to the 10th.

The nation was thrown into shock on Friday when the Nigeria Police presented 76 protesters at the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on treason. Among the suspects were four minors who slumped before they could be arraigned before the court.

This caused serious uproar in the country with Nigerians condemning the government and calling for the unconditional release of the kids and the dismissal of the charges against them.

The decision to withdraw the charges against the underage accused came following a directive by President Bola Tinubu who ordered the immediate withdrawal of the charges and an in-depth investigation into what led to the arrest and detention of the minors.

Tinubu had also ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, (SAN) to officially take over the case file as well as review the cases following public outcry that came with the arraignment of the minors.

The charges were finally withdrawn on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja through an application for discontinuance filled by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar, on behalf of the AGF.

According to Abubakar, the discontinuance application was based on provisions of sections 174(1), (b) and (c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.

The DPPF also applied for further proceedings to be conducted without the presence of the minors in the courtroom, in line with provisions of Section 266(b) of the ACJA, 2015, and Section 1 of the Childs’ Rights Act.

In response, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Fanala (SAN), who stood in for the accused as well as other defence lawyers in the matter, did not oppose the applications which promoted the judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, to strike out the charges, while the four affected minors were also delisted from the charge sheet.

Metro

Zambia: President Hichilema urges traditional leaders to invoke rainmaking powers amid drought

Published

22 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema, has called on traditional leaders to call upon their rainmaking powers by praying for rain as the nation continues to face the menace of drought.

Hichilema, who made the plea while speaking during the Shikaumpa traditional ceremony of the Ila people in Namwala on Sunday, expressed hope for divine intervention and sufficient rains.

“We pray that this year, God will give us rains, sufficient rains, so we can grow more food, so we can take care of the things, the assets that we keep,” the President stated.

He noted that he was informed of certain chiefs known for their rainmaking abilities, including Senior Chief Mwamba of Northern Province, Chief Sailunga of North-Western Province and Mwami Monze from the Southern Province and urged them to use their powers to invoke rain, adding that the chiefs should continue their prayers for rain, believing that “God will hear our cry.”

The President also encouraged not only the chiefs but also the churches and the entire nation to join in prayers for rain.

“All of us, the churches, everybody, we must pray for rains so that we can take care of God’s people properly,” he said.

The head of state further urged farmers to intensify efforts at planting crops and maximizing their harvest for national food security once the rain comes.

The drought in Zambia in recent
seasons have left 84 districts severely impacted, leading to food shortages and a worsening electricity deficit due to low water levels.