News
Appeal court declares Ozigbo as PDP candidate for Anambra governorship election
The court of appeal in Abuja has declared Valentine Ozigbo as the validly nominated candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the forthcoming Anambra state governorship election.
A three-member panel, led by Monica Dongban-Mensem, president of the court of appeal, unanimously upheld the two appeals filed by Ozigbo and the PDP (CA/AW/223/2021 and CA/AW/234/2021).
INEC had excluded the PDP from the list of cleared candidates, which was released on July 16.
The electoral body said its decision not to list the name of any PDP candidate was in recognition of court orders served in relation to the primary election of the party.
Ozigbo and Ugochukwu Uba had emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidates from parallel primary elections.
Uba had approached the Anambra state high court in suit number A/230/2021 to determine if the primary election conducted by the national executive of the PDP at Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre on June 26 was done according to the law.
He asked the court to determine whether an Abuja high court order on a suit by one Samuel Anyakorah against the PDP, bordering on the validity of the process that produced Ndubuisi Nwobu, the party’s factional state chairman, had been set aside or stayed.
He also prayed the court to determine if the process of the primary, which produced Ozigbo through ”super delegates”, was in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, which states that primary elections will be done through delegates’ congress.
In his ruling, Obiora Nwabunike said the court order, which restrained the PDP from conducting the primary election, had neither been stayed nor set aside.
He said the PDP erred by not clearing every legal huddle before the primary election, hence the process was in defiance of the law.
The court, therefore, resolved that the primary election, which produced Uba at Paul University’s complex on June 26 was lawful and in accordance with the electoral guidelines. The judge also awarded N10 million in Uba’s favour as cost of litigation.
However, delivering judgment in Ozigbo’s appeal, the appellate court, set aside the July 19, 2021 judgment by Nwabunike and recognised the governorship primary election which produced Ozigbo.
The court awarded N10 million as cost against Uba.
The court also ordered INEC to immediately publish Ozigbo’s name as the candidate of the PDP.
News
Late COAS Lagbaja gets CFR honour, buried amid tributes
Late COAS Lagbaja gets CFR honour, buried amid tributes
The late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, was on Friday laid to rest in Abuja, amid tears and tributes.
President Bola Tinubu conferred a posthumous award of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the late Chief of Army Staff.
The burial took place at the National Cemetery in Abuja to end two days of funeral rites that began in Lagos earlier in the week.
His body was lowered into the grave at exactly 4:41pm after the ceremony that lasted over two hours.
Lagbaja’s casket, draped in Nigeria’s green and white colours, arrived at the cemetery around 3pm in a white funeral wagon after a funeral service at the National Christian Centre in Abuja.
Dignitaries were led to the event by President Bola Tinubu. Others are Vice President Kashim Shettima; the Acting Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa; Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, and other top government officials and military brass.
President Tinubu announced the conferment of the CFR on the late COAS during the interment at the National Cemetery in Abuja.
The President extolled the virtues of the late warrior, especially his contributions to national security.
According to him, the appointment of Lagbaja as the COAS was one of his finest made so far.
“As an eternal symbol of our appreciation, I have granted the late Chief of Army Staff, the posthumous national honour of the Commander of the Federal Republic of the Niger (CFR),” Tinubu declared.
He thereafter invited the wife of the late COAS, Mariya, to collect the award on behalf of the Lagbaja family amid applause from the congregation.
News
Supreme Court dismisses 16 govs suit challenging EFCC legality
Supreme Court dismisses 16 govs suit challenging EFCC legality
The Supreme Court has dismissed the suit by 16 states challenging the constitutionality of the acts establishing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and two others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the other agencies are the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
In the lead judgment by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji delivered on Friday, the Supreme Court resolved the six issues raised for determination in the suit against the plaintiffs.
The court held that the laws establishing the anti-corruption agencies were validly enacted by the National Assembly within its legislative competence.
It faulted the claim by the plaintiffs that the EFCC Act, being a product of the United Nations convention on corruption, ought to be ratified by majority of the state houses of assembly.
Delivering judgement on Friday, Justice Abba-Aji ruled that “the EFCC Act, which was not established from a treaty but a convention, does not need the ratification of the houses of assembly.”
News
Executive Secretary FCDA Hadi Ahmad suspended indefinitely
Executive Secretary FCDA Hadi Ahmad suspended indefinitely
Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority FCDA, Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad, has been suspended indefinitely.
His suspicion was on the order of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister, Lere Olayinka, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday evening.
No reason was given for the suspension.
Ahmad was directed to hand over to the Director, Engineering Services in the FCDA.
The statement read: “The Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority FCDA, Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad, has been suspended indefinitely.
“According to a statement on Thursday, by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike, the suspension of Engr Hadi Ahmad is with immediate effect.
“The suspended Executive Secretary has consequently been directed to hand over to the Director of Engineering Services, Engr in the FCDA.”
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