Politics

BREAKING: INEC attempting to frustrate Ogah’s appeal, LP cries out

Published

1 year ago

October 20, 2023

BREAKING: INEC attempting to frustrate Ogah’s appeal, LP cries out

The leadership of the Labour Party on Friday raised an alarm that the Independent National Electoral Commission was striving to frustrate its efforts at reclaiming the mandate of its suspended House of Representatives candidate, Amobi Ogah, after two INEC lawyers clashed at the appellate court in Lagos.

This was even as the party appealed to the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, to investigate and address the issue on time.

The electoral umpire had on February 28 declared Ogah as the winner of Isiukwuato Umunneochi Federal Constituency election with 11,769 votes as against the 8,752 votes bagged by Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, who is now the current Minister of State for Labour and Employment.

But a National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, Abia State capital had on September 6 nullified the election of the LP candidate representing Isiukwuato Umunneochi Federal Constituency.

Delivering judgment in the petition tagged EPT/AB/HR/8/2023 on Wednesday in Umuahia, a three-member panel of the tribunal ruled that Ogah did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

Ogah argued that the acceptance of the ministerial appointment of Onyejeocha as minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was a clear sign that she had abandoned her petition.

But the tribunal in its ruling dismissed the submission of the lawmaker.

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Confusion, however, arose on Thursday when two legal practitioners showed up, each brandishing a letter of authority to speak on behalf of INEC, when the case came up for hearing in Lagos, the venue of the Appeal Court.

The drama has forced the leadership of the Labour Party to write a letter titled, “Open letter to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on the show of infamy and dishonour by the commission in election appeal held in Lagos”, to the commission’s chairman, pleading with him not to scuttle the appeal of its candidate.

Reacting at a press conference on Friday, the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, also read out the letter and described the incident as a deliberate act by the commission to frustrate their effort at reclaiming Ogah’s mandate.

He said, “Mr Chairman Sir, we, therefore, bring to your notice an ugly incident that happened yesterday October 19 at Lagos State, venue of the Appeal Court on case No. CA/OW/HR/AB/06/2023 between the Labour Party candidate, Hon. Amobi Ogah, who is the plaintiff and the All Progressives Congress candidate, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, who is the respondent. INEC is also a respondent in that matter.

“What played out yesterday was unbelievable hence we call on you to nip the development in the bud to avoid a messy situation. INEC had engaged a Senior Counsel, J.O. Asoluka (SAN), as its lawyer with a letter of authorisation to represent the commission. But at the commencement of the hearing at the Appeal Court, another lawyer surfaced with a letter of authority to take over the case of the same INEC without prior notice to J.O. Asoluka (SAN), that the new counsel had been engaged. They also did not see any need to inform the plaintiff of the development as required by law. When the matter thus came up, a squabble ensued between the two counsel as to who had the authority of INEC to represent it in the case.

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“Mr Chairman Sir, it has now dawned on us that the change of legal guard without properly notifying the interested parties was carefully orchestrated by the commission in an alliance with our opponents with the intention to stall proceedings at the Court of Appeal and frustrate our candidate’s appeal that was due for hearing on Thursday.”

An emotional Ifoh disclosed that they were even more embarrassed to observe some expelled LP members, who had joined the Lamidi Apapa-faction fraternising with members of the ruling party at the court.

The LP spokesman stated that the sight made them start suspecting the court drama must have been stage-managed to embarrass their candidate.

“We are raising this alarm because time is of the essence, even though, the collaborators achieved their intentions as the appeal could not be heard and was adjourned by the court to enable INEC to put its house in order and determine who of the two counsel, has her authority to represent her in the appeal.

“We are therefore using this platform to urge you (INEC chairman) to investigate the inglorious roles which the legal department of the commission is playing and sanction erring officials. The role of INEC in this matter is simply to defend the outcome of the election which it conducted and on which it declared Hon. Amobi Ogah as the duly elected candidate to represent Isikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency in the National Assembly.

“The commission must reject any semblance of compromise. Nigerians are still looking up to it to redeem its image, the aftermath of the controversial 2023 general elections. It must not allow a few pliable members of the Commission to further taint the integrity of the commission,” he stated.

BREAKING: INEC attempting to frustrate Ogah’s appeal, LP cries out

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Related Topics:INEC Labour Party Ogah’s appeal

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El-Rufai given 48-hour ultimatum on NNPP crisis comment

Published

18 hours ago

March 13, 2025

Trends Admin

Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai

El-Rufai given 48-hour ultimatum on NNPP crisis comment

The leadership of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai over comments he made on the crisis rocking the party.

The NNPP condemned the former governor’s remark at the Social Democratic Party’s headquarters that the present government is responsible for the crisis rocking the opposition party.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the factional national chairman of the NNPP, Oginni Olaposi said El-Rufai lacks knowledge of the party workings and its challenges.

Also describing El-Rufai’s comment as unfounded, Olaposi urged the former governor to tender an unreserved apology to the NNPP or face legal action for such defamatory comment.

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He further asked the former governor to make efforts to find out from Rabiu Kwankwaso, the details of the crisis within the NNPP.

“We shall ask Mallam Nasir El Rufai to ask his friend (Kwankwaso) to answer the following questions before the allegations of interference or sponsorship by the federal government can be substantiated.

“Was it the federal government that asked Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to go to Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam in February 2022 to prostrate and beg for NNPP’s platform in the company of Buba Galadima, Senator Hunkuyi, and others?

“Was it the federal government that asked Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to insult the founder of NNPP, Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam?

“Was it the federal government that asked Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to institute a case against the leadership and founder of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) at the Kano State High Court to challenge his expulsion?

“Was it the federal government that stopped Kwankwaso and Governor Abba Yusuf from appearing before the disciplinary committee set up by the party for internal resolution of crisis within NNPP?” Olaposi queried.

El-Rufai given 48-hour ultimatum on NNPP crisis comment

Politics

Defection: Sack Ned Nwoko from Senate, PDP tells court

Published

20 hours ago

March 13, 2025

Trends Admin

Senator Ned Nwoko

Defection: Sack Ned Nwoko from Senate, PDP tells court

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has sued the Senator representing the people of Delta North Senatorial District, Senator Ned Munir Nwoko, over his recent defection to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the PDP prayed the court to declare vacant the Senator’s seat for leaving the party.

The PDP in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/454/2025, and filed through its Counsel, Dr. Ayo Asala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, urged the court to immediately order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a bye-election to fill the vacant position.

The originating summons dated February 27, 2025, had Nwoko, the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Independent National Electoral Commission as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd defendants.

PDP also prayed the Court to direct Nwoko to return all salaries, allowances and other emoluments he received as a Senator from the date he defected from the PDP to the APC.

In the originating summons, PDP is asking the court to determine if Nwoko ought to have vacated his seat, having defected to another party after being sponsored by the PDP at the polls.

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The plaintiff sought the following reliefs; “A declaration that the 1st Defendant, having defected from the plaintiff being the political party(People’s Democratic Party) that sponsored him and on whose platform he was elected as a Senator representing the Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly to another political party which is the All Progressives Congress (APC), ought to have vacated his seat in the said National Assembly with immediate effect by virtue of Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999(As Amended).

“A declaration that the 2nd and 3rd Defendants are under constitution and legal duties by virtue of Section 68(1)(g) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999(As Amended) to declare the seat of the 1st Defendant as a Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly vacant , the 1st Defendant, having defected from the plaintiff being the political party that sponsored him and on whose platform he was elected as a Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly to another political party,being the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“An order declaring vacant the seat of Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly currently occupied by the 1st Defendant and directing the 1st Defendant to with immediate effect, vacate the said seat by Virtue of Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999(As Amended). The 1st Defendant having defected from the plaintiff being the Political party(People’s Democratic Party)that sponsored him and on whose platform he was elected as a Senator representing the Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly to another political party namely, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“An order of this Honourable Court directing the 1st Defendant to immediately vacate his seat as a Senator representing the Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly,having defected from the plaintiff being the political party that sponsored him as a Senator representing the Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly to another political party to wit, All Progressives Congress (APC).

“An order of this Honourable Court directing the 4th Defendant to immediately conduct a by-election to fill the vacant seat of the Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria upon declaring the seat vacant.

“An order this Honourable Court to directing the 1st Defendant to return all salaries, allowances and other emoluments received by him as a Senator representing the Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly from the date he defected from the plaintiff to another political party to wit,the All Progressives Congress (APC).” the PDP added.

Defection: Sack Ned Nwoko from Senate, PDP tells court

Politics

Obasa, Meranda, Lagos assembly members meet Tinubu in Villa

Published

1 day ago

March 12, 2025

Trends Admin

Obasa, Meranda, Lagos assembly members meet Tinubu in Villa

Reinstated Speaker of Lagos State Assembly, Hon Mudashiru Obasa, and ousted speaker, Mojisola Meranda, have arrived at the Presidential Villa, Abuja for a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

Others sighted at Villa for the meeting are members of the State House of Assembly.

Speaker Obasa, arrived at about 2:50pm, while his colleagues had earlier arrived with Miranda in two coaster buses.

The meeting, it was learnt, had to do with the recent leadership crisis in the State House of Assembly.

Obasa was impeached by some of his colleagues but was later reinstated after the intervention of the political leaders especially the Governing Advisory Council (GAC).

Despite the Speaker’s reinstatement, it was gathered that the bad blood arising from his impeachment still persists.