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INEC, AGF dragged to court over underage voters, double voting

Published

2 years ago

January 11, 2023

A Nigerian Citizen, Prince Ozodinobi has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and one other to court seeking to expunge list of double registrants and under-aged voters from the 2023 voters list.

In a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/24/2023 and made available to POLITICS NIGERIA, the Plaintiff noted that ‘the beginning of every credible or otherwise election is from the credibility of the Voters’ Register’.

He insisted that ‘the Voters’ Register as currently maintained by the 1st Defendant for the purposes of the 2023 General Election is heavily corrupted and afflicted with under-aged registrants and multiple registrants in contravention of the laws governing election in Nigeria.

The plaintiff is also asking the court to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to appoint a reputable auditing firm to carry out external forensic audit on the Voters’ Register that will be used for the 2023 general elections.

The suit which was brought before the federal high court is further seeking an order to restrain INEC from conducting the impending elections with a Voters’ Register containing the list of double registrants and under-aged voters.

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The plaintiff’s counsel Johnmary Jideobi Esq. asked the court for the determination of the following questions of law:

Whether in view of a community reading of Section 117(2) and Part I of the Third Schedule to the amended 1999 Constitution, Sections 12 (1), 19 and 20 of the Electoral Act, 2022 a credible general election can be conducted by the 1^stDefendant on the basis of a Voters’ Register containing “double registrants” and under-aged voters?
Whether having regard to section 117(2) and Part I of the Third Schedule to the amended 1999 Constitution, Section 12 (1), 19 and 20 of the Electoral Act, 2022 it is not unconstitutional for the 1^stDefendant to conduct a general election with a Voters’ Register besmirched/afflicted with “double registrants” and under-aged voters?

And against the answers that may be proffered to the foregoing questions of law, the Plaintiff seeks the following reliefs in full:

A DECLARATION of this Honourable Court that in view of a community reading of Section 117(2) and Part I of the Third Schedule to the amended 1999 Constitution, Sections 12 (1), 19 and 20 of the Electoral Act, 2022 a credible general election cannot be conducted by the 1^st Defendant on the basis of a Voters’ Register containing “double registrants” and under-aged voters.
A DECLARATION of this Honourable Court that having regard to section 117(2) and Part I of the Third Schedule to the amended 1999 Constitution, Section 12 (1), 19 and 20 of the Electoral Act, 2022 it is not unconstitutional for the 1^st Defendant to conduct a general election with a Voters’ Register besmirched/afflicted with “double registrants” and under-aged voters
AN ORDER of this Honourable Court expunging FORTHWITH, from the Voters’ Register maintained by the 1^stDefendant, the list of double registrants and under-aged voters as identified and assembled by the Plaintiffs in Exhibit A of the affidavit supporting this Originating Summons.
AN ORDER of this Honourable Court restraining the 1^st Defendant from conducting the 2023 General Elections with a Voters’ Register containing the list of double registrants and under-aged voters as identified and assembled by the Plaintiffs in Exhibit A of the affidavit supporting this Originating Summons.
AN ORDER of this Honourable Court appointing a reputable Auditing Firm [including but not limited to either; PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), KPMG, Deloitte & Touche and Ernst & Young to carry out external forensic audit on the Voters’ Register maintained by the 1^st Defendant with a view to removing all under-aged and double registrants from the Voters’ Register before the 2023 General Elections.
AN ORDER of this Honourable Court directing the Federal Government of Nigeria, as represented by the 2^ndDefendant, to bear the cost of the external forensic audit to be carried out on the INEC’s Voters’ Register by the court-appointed Auditing Firm.
ANY OTHER ORDER OR ORDERS that this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the entire circumstances of this case.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, was listed as the 2nd Defendant in the case.

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Filed alongside is a motion for abridgment of time and accelerated hearing application which has not been given a date for hearing and determination.

Below is a copy of the Court processes filed;

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

9 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

metro

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

9 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

metro

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

9 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.