Politics

BVAS : Tribunal refuses to grant Labour Party’s request

Published

10 months ago

July 14, 2023

BVAS : Tribunal refuses to grant Labour Party’s request

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu on Friday refused to grant the application of Chijioke Edeoga, the Labour Party governorship candidate’s request to bring Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) used for election in court.

Edeoga is challenging the declaration of Governor Peter Mbah as the winner of the March 18 Governorship Election in Enugu State.

The lead counsel to the petitioner, V. O Azinge, SAN, had during the hearing requested the tribunal to make another order summoning the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to bring the BVAS machines to the tribunal for inspection by the Labour Party.

She had reminded the court that the INEC, the first respondent had refused to effect the order of the court by allowing the petitioner to inspect the BVAS machines.

“The first respondent has disobeyed the court again by not bringing the BVAS to court today,” she told tribunal.

In response, the INEC lawyer, Mr Humphrey Okoli, told the court that the INEC had obeyed the order by granting access to the LP.

He said the attendance register being made to that effect was with him in the court to see that INEC had complied to the order.

“The issue of the matter is that the petitioner failed to comply with the rules of service as they served their subpoena on the wrong person,” Okoli said.

READ ALSO:

Reacting, Azinge objected to the position of the first respondent and prayed the court to mandate them to comply with the said order of the court issued on March 23.

The petitioner’s counsel who was not happy with the ruling told the court that July 15 was Saturday, adding that INEC did not open on Saturdays.

“My Lord, what I am asking for is extension of time within the week so that INEC could come for the inspection,” she pleaded.

The Chairman of the tribunal, M.K Akano, in her ruling told the petitioners ‘ counsel to do the needful, explaining that court had to sit and hear the application before she could grant another order for inspection of BVAS.

Akano maintained that the court was time-bound to deliver its judgement within 180 days and had other cases to entertain aside LP and the PDP matter.

“This tribunal is time-bound to deliver its judgment within a specific period of time, and will not be able to give any extension of time to any party because there are more cases to be heard,” she explained.

Meanwhile, some of the LP witnesses during cross examination told the tribunal that polling unit results were different from the results being collated.

Augustine Ezeme and Solomon Attah, both LP polling agents, said the results of the polling units which the agents in Udenu and Igboeze North council areas monitored were different from the results collated at the council areas.

The Chairman of the tribunal, however, adjourned the matter to July 15 for continuation of hearing.

BVAS : Tribunal refuses to grant Labour Party’s request

Related Topics:BVAS Featured Labour Party tribunal

Up Next

I never said I would contest again in 2027 – Peter Obi

Don't Miss

Call for Mahmood Yakubu’s sack; INEC warns Labour Party

Politics

PDP bigwigs plot Gov Adeleke’s removal, dump party for APC (Massive crowd photos)

Published

1 day ago

May 18, 2024

Trends Admin

PDP bigwigs plot Gov Adeleke’s removal, dump party for APC (Massive crowd photos)

Prominent leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State including its ex-National deputy Chairman Shuiab Oyedokun and governorship aspirant Prince Dotun Babayemi, have crossed over to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defectors with their supporters were formally welcomed into the APC fold at the party’s Secretariat by national leaders, including Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola, and National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru.

Speaking at the event, Oyetola emphasized the APC’s track record of governance success.

He said, “APC has done so well. People are starting to see that when it comes to governance, the progressives know how to.”

READ ALSO:

He highlighted the significance of veteran politician Baba Shuiab’s defection to the APC, noting that it signalled the diminishing influence of the PDP in Osun.

Oyetola expressed confidence in the APC’s prospects for victory in the 2026 governorship election, citing growing support and the influx of political heavyweights into the party.

Echoing Oyetola’s sentiments, Senator Basiru called for seamless integration of the new APC members into the party’s structure without discrimination.

He said, “Baba Shuiab and Prince Dotun Babayemi were members of the APC in the past. They’ve seen things. They’ve seen the difference between progressive and conservative, and they are back into the party.”

In his address, Babayemi highlighted the end of good governance in Osun following Oyetola’s departure as governor but expressed optimism that with his presence in the APC, the party would reclaim power in 2026.

Governor Ademola Adeleke of PDP came to power in Osun after defeating the APC under Oyetola in 2022.

Adeleke is serving his first term in office.

PDP bigwigs plot Gov Adeleke’s removal, dump party for APC (Massive crowd photos)

Politics

Only my party can stop me from contesting 2027 presidential election – Atiku

Published

2 days ago

May 18, 2024

Trends Admin

former Vice President Atiku Abubakar

Only my party can stop me from contesting 2027 presidential election – Atiku

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has hinted of his plans to contest again in 2027 for the president of Nigeria.

He however said he would withdraw from the race should his party zone the position to another region of the country.

He confirmed that an alliance of major political parties and influential politicians was in the works ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Atiku, who was the presidential candidate for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, disclosed that his recent meeting with the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, was a sign of positive things to come.

He said the meeting could be a launchpad for the possible alliance in the build-up to the 2027 general elections.

Atiku met with Obi; former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, in separate visits earlier last week.

He also dismissed the assertions that their alliance would be unable to produce a consensus candidate.

READ ALSO:

He also said he would happily back a presidential candidate of the South-East extraction should the PDP zone its presidential ticket to the region.

Obi is from the South-East and, with the speculation of his imminent return to the PDP following his meeting with Atiku and other bigwigs of the party likely, he might clinch the ticket.

“I’ve made it clear since last elections that if our party members had a consensus that southeast should produce the candidate, we would all agree. And if our parties also had a similar agreement, then so be it,’’ Atiku said.

Last week, Paul Ibe, media adviser to Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, says Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), frustrated and sabotaged plans by the PDP to zone its presidential ticket to the South-East for the 2023 election.

He said the move effectively led to Obi’s exit from the party.

Only my party can stop me from contesting 2027 presidential election – Atiku

Politics

Six political parties plot against APC, meet in Kaduna

Published

3 days ago

May 17, 2024

Trends Admin

Six political parties plot against APC, meet in Kaduna

Six political parties converged in Kaduna State on Thursday in preparation to dislodge the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The summit, with the theme, ‘Solid political party structure critical to the sustainability of the democratic process,’ was convened by the African Democratic Congress.

In attendance were the New Nigeria People’s Party, the People’s Redemption Party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, the Social Democratic Party, the KOWA Party, as well as the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), and the Coalition of United Political Parties.

Lawal Nalado, chairman of the summit, decried what he described as “unbearable hardship” faced by Nigerians across the country, saying that the gathering was all about discussing the nation’s barrage of problems and ways to move forward.

He refuted insinuations in some quarters that the summit was convened to form a merger or a coalition amongst parties.

He added that the opposition parties needed to mobilize voters at the grassroots by way of reaching out to the downtrodden with political enlightenment messages, capable of changing their mindset that politics should not be about money, religion or ethnicity but voting for the right candidates to uplift the social and economic status of the society.

READ ALSO:

The National Chairman of PRP, Falalu Bello, while speaking, stressed the need for effective mobilisation of the electorates by opposition parties, stressing that fielding credible candidates was not enough to win elections but mass mobilization.

Represented by Prof. Sule Muhammad, Bello listed inadequate resources, lack of internal democracy, decayed transparency, and interference by the ruling party among others as problems bedevilling opposition parties in the country.

Also, Ahmed Tujjani, the chairman of ADC and IPAC Kaduna State, opined that the summit was aimed to chart a course to address socio-economic and political parties’ problems with the motive of proffering realistic solutions.

According to him, “This is not a gathering for a merger or forming a coalition ahead of 2027 but rather a summit to discuss our common problems and suggest solutions of addressing them.

“We will call you again by tomorrow to read out our communique which will be a summary and possibly a mini-working document of solving our problems ahead of 2027.”