Imo LG bosses protest removal, petition NJC – Newstrends
Connect with us

Politics

Imo LG bosses protest removal, petition NJC

Published

on

Sacked local government chairmen in Imo State have vowed to petition the National Judicial Council (NJC) against their removal.

Justice E.F. Njemanze, on November 27 declared the August 25, 2018 election which produced the 27 chairmen as null, void and of no effect.

Njemanze also ordered the former chairmen to return all salaries and allowances paid them to the state.

But Chairman of Isiala Mbano council, Jude Mbachu, who spoke on behalf his colleagues, faulted the judgment and accused the judge of bias.

According to Mbachu, the council officials will petition the NJC and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) against the judgment because “we are of the view that the judgment was given out of hate.”

He said, “The judge used our matter to settle the scores his family has with former Governor Rochas Okorocha, over the dismantling of Njemanze Dynasty. We wrote a petition asking him to recluse himself because we didn’t have confidence in him.

“You cannot have an election matter for over two years and do nothing about it. He knew about the petition but he continued the matter. Instead, he came to court to ask who Barr. Mbagwu is. It was Mbagwu who signed the petition then.”

Mbachu added that they have gone to the Court of Appeal to challenge the judgment.

“The judgment can’t stand because the Supreme Court had decided the matter on the 2018 Imo council election in 2019. The matter was between Dr Martins Nwoga and the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC); Attorney-General of Imo State, Governor of Imo State and Adauctus Onuoha

“The courts, including the Supreme Court, still upheld the election as duly conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act. We’re not even talking about the affirmation of our election by the Federal High Court where Justice Tijjani Ringim said we were validly elected.

“This matter has been in court since 2018. Why is it now that we gave notice for resumption of office that the judge gave judgment? We’re already going to the Court of Appeal to vacate that judgment because it will not stand.”

Politics

Senator Adeola to INEC: Adopt NIN, driving licence as voter’s card like Ogun 

Published

on

Senator Adeola to INEC: Adopt NIN, driving licence as voter’s card like Ogun 

 

 

Senator representing Ogun West, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi), has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to consider alternative means of identification during voting.

Adeola, who’s the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation,

pointed out that accepting multiple forms of ID for voting will make the electoral process more inclusive and transparent.

He praised the use of National Identity Numbers and Driving Licences as voter identification at the ongoing Ogun State local government election, local government election, calling it a strategy to prevent voter disenfranchisement and ensure everyone can participate.

The Senator, who voted at the U.A.M.C. Polling Unit in Pahayi, Ilaro, noted that INEC can address challenges associated with the Permanent Voter’s Card and promote a smoother voting experience for Nigerians by exploring alternative identification methods.

He said, “I want to strongly believe that if we mitigate against this idea of disenfranchising people from casting their vote for one reason or the other, I will believe that it is not a bad idea to use other means of identification.

“The only thing is that there should be a lot of processes into this that will make it more legal, and that can show to the whole world the level of using it transparent. As far as that process is concerned, this will convince Nigerians that going forward into the future, aside from the PVCs, we can also use other legal means of identification, like a passport or the NIN card.”

Continue Reading

Politics

Ondo gov: Aiyedatiwa leads in 13 LGAs, result collation resumes 5am

Published

on

Ondo gov: Aiyedatiwa leads in 13 LGAs, result collation resumes 5am

 

Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of the All Progressive Congress in Saturday’s governorship election Ondo State is leading in all the 13 local governments so far declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Aiyedatiwa is also the incumbent governor of the state.

The collation of the remaining five council areas would resume by 5am today (Sunday), the collation officer, Prof Olayemi Akinwunmi, said Saturday night.

Akinwunmi, who announced the recess, said it was to allow for the arrival of results from the remaining local governments.

He said, “We have five more local governments but we are going to take our recess now until 5am to receive from Akure North, Okitipupa and Odigbo, then Ilaje and Eseodo. We resume at 5am for these local governments.”

Continue Reading

Politics

INEC replaces LP candidate hours to Ondo gov election

Published

on

INEC replaces LP candidate hours to Ondo gov election

In less than 24 hours to the Ondo governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced that Olusola Ebiseni would be replaced with Olorunfemi Festus as the Labour Party candidate.

INEC stated on X on Friday that the replacement of Mr Ebiseni with Mr Festus followed a judgment of the Court of Appeal.

The appellate court ordered INEC to restore the name of Festus as the Labour Party candidate in the Saturday election.

INEC was served with the certified true copy of the judgment on Thursday, which set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.

READ ALSO:

“The FHC, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024, had on Sept. 27 ordered the commission to accept Ebiseni as the candidate of the LP for the 2024 Ondo state governorship election.

“However, in the appeal with reference number CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 filed by the LP, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, struck out the judgment of the FHC for lack of jurisdiction.

“In obedience to the court order, the commission has restored Festus, whose name was first published as the LP candidate for the 2024 Ondo Governorship election and uploaded the same to our website for public information,” INEC said.

 

INEC replaces LP candidate hours to Ondo gov election

(NAN)

Continue Reading

Trending