Metro

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

Published

6 months 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

Nigerian troops neutralise 216 terrorists, arrest 332 in one week— Official

Published

19 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

The Nigerian Army Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says troops from different operation theaters across the country neutralised 216 terrorists and arrested 332 persons in the past one week.

A report released on Sunday morning by the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, disclosed that troops also succeeded in arresting 24 “perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 161 kidnapped hostages across the country” in the week under review.

Buba noted that troops in the Niger Delta region denied oil thieves crude estimated to be worth the sum of Four Hundred and Forty Eight Million Five Hundred Fifty Seven Thousand Five Hundred and Ninety Naira.

According to the Army spokesman, troops in the oil rich region also discovered and destroyed 97 dugout pits, six boats, 20 storage tanks, two receivers, 16 drums and seven vehicles used in oil bunkering activities.

“Other items recovered incl 174 cooking ovens, one pumping machine and 8 illegal refining sites,” the report noted.

“Troops recovered 533,127 litres of stolen crude oil and 24,520 litres of illegally refined AGO,” he said.

Gen. Buba said that in other operation theatres, troops recovered 234 assorted weapons and 5,994 assorted ammunition.

“A breakdown of the discoveries include 131 AK47 rifles, 3 PKT guns, one M16 rifle, 43 locally fabricated gun, 21 dane guns, one 105mm gun, 2 automatic pump action guns, 18 locally fabricated pistols, 8 single barrel guns, 2 automatic pump action guns, one LG4 bomb, one MG skeleton, 3 explosive IED case, one MOWAG APC, one 81mm mortar tripod stand

“Others are; 3,120 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 2,195 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 211 rounds of 9mm ammo, 99 rounds of 7.62 x 25mm ammo, 467 live cartridges, one rifle butt, 15 magazines, 2 baofeng radios, 10 vehicles, 38 motorcycles, 43 mobile phones and the sum of N871,500.00 amongst other items.”

He reiterated that the military is going to continue to be very kinetic and strong against terrorists in ongoing counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations across the country.

“Indeed, we will banish and defeat terrorism from the nation rather than bow to it.

“Troops are maintaining the momentum in neutralizing the terrorist leaders and commanders. Indeed, we remain focused in fighting for the basic safety and security of citizens of this country,” he added.

Metro

Mapanza traditional council shares positive outlook on media rights, freedom of expression

Published

2 days ago

April 27, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Jonathan Muchindu, a representative of the Traditional Council of Mapanza Chiefdom in Choma District, Southern Province, Zambia, asserts that the media in Zambia currently enjoys “total” freedom of expression.

Muchindu attributed this position to the advancement of civilization, which he identified as a significant factor in ensuring media freedom.

He emphasized the role of the media in providing citizens with the necessary information to make informed decisions.

In an exclusive interview with Zambia Monitor in Choma, Muchindu, who also serves as the Director of the Zambia Corruption Prevention Watchdog, described the media and its content as essential elements akin to “food on the table.”

“We are truly privileged to witness the advancements in civilization. Previously, the media was confined to the hands of a few individuals, and its reach was limited.

“However, with the advent of technology, accessing news through various platforms such as radio and television has become commonplace.

“The media has evolved into an indispensable source of information, and its participation is now integral to our daily lives,” he remarked.

When questioned about the operational landscape of the media, Muchindu expressed confidence that no media entity currently faces undue interference or censorship.

“From our perspective, both in rural villages and urban centers, we have not encountered instances where journalists or media outlets have been subjected to harassment or undue influence.

“This collaborative effort had ushered in a sense of enlightenment among the populace, allowing for open discourse on governance matters, particularly in the realm of politics.

“The media enjoyed the same freedoms as ordinary citizens, and there is unequivocal liberty in its expression,” Muchindu concluded.

The declaration by the Traditional Council of Mapanza Chiefdom underscored a positive outlook on media freedom in Zambia and reaffirmed the critical role of the media in fostering informed public discourse.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.