Adewale Egbedun emerges Speaker of 8th Osun Assembly

Adewale Egbedun, the lawmaker representing Odo-Otin State Constituency,  on Tuesday, emerged the Speaker of the 8th Osun State House of Assembly, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Egbedun, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member and a first time lawmaker, was nominated by Abiola Ibrahim representing Irewole/Isokan Constituency while Areoye Ebenezer representing Atakumosa East/West Constituency seconded the motion.

Mr Akinyode Oyewusi, the lawmaker representing Ife North State Constituency was equally elected as Deputy Speaker.

Oyewusi was nominated by Elisha Oderinwale, lawmaker representing Ayedire State Constituency, and which was seconded by Kashope Abolarinwa, lawmaker representing Ifedayo State Constituency.

Mr Simeon Amusan, the Clerk of the assembly, thereafter, administered the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on the nominated Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

Egbedun, in turn administered the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on the remaining 24 members of the assembly.

In his acceptance speech, the new speaker called on his colleagues “to join hands with him to run a true and new age Osun House of Assembly”.

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He said the 8th assembly, under his leadership, would focus on legislature that would improve workers’ welfare, infrastructural development, improve peoples lives and also work with the executive to develop the state.

Egbedun, however, said that the assembly would revisit the laws passed by the 7th  assembly at the twilight of its tenure, especially between August and November 2022, to correct obnoxious bills/laws passed.

In his proclamation address , Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun, sought the support of the legislature to achieve his five-goal development agenda of good governance for the state.

Adeleke said that since the executive and overwhelming members of the legislature belonged to the same political party, the two arms should work towards the same goal of good governance and providing the people with the dividends of democracy.

NAN reports that Egbedun took over from Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker, who piloted the affairs of the 7th Osun House of Assembly from 2019 to 2023.

Other principal officers elected afterwards include: Babajide Kofoworola (Ede North) as Majority Leader; Adekunle Oladimeji (Irepodun/Orolu) as Deputy Majority Leader.

Also, Olawale Akerele (Ilesa West) was elected as Chief Whip, while Afeez Ibrahim (Olaoluwa) was elected as the Deputy Chief Whip.

Eminent personality at the inauguration include former Osun governor and PDP chieftain, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and former Osun House of Assembly Speakers Adejare Bello and Najeem Salaam.

Others are Osun Chief Judge, Mrs Adepele Ojo, and former Osun assembly lawmakers, among others

Adewale Egbedun emerges Speaker of 8th Osun Assembly

(NAN)

Tribunal shifts hearing of Atiku’s suit against Tinubu over INEC’s failure to supply materials

The Presidential Election Petitions Court was on Tuesday forced to shift hearing in the petition of Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) over lack of documents from 11 local government areas of Kogi State.

The five-member panel of justices presided by Justice Haruna Tsammani shifted hearing in the petition to enable the PDP obtain the documents expected from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Earlier, counsel to the PDP, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) had sought to tender forms EC8A from 10 out of 21 local government areas of Kogi State to establish the petition against President Bola Tinubu.

The exhibits mainly documents used for the February 25 presidential election are those from Ankpa, Dekina, Idah, Ofu, Olamaboro, Yagba East, Yagba West, Kabba-Bunu, Igalamela Odolu and Kogi.

Although, the schedule of documents to the effect was filed along with the exhibits, the court however noted that tendering such sensitive exhibits at piece meals would not be of any help especially in marking and numbering them.

Jegede, however, blamed the INEC for deliberate refusal to supply his client with the vital documents.

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He said Atiku and the PDP had paid N6 million for the supply of certified true copies of the exhibits but INEC failed to provide them.

Jegede explained that to save the situation, the legal team had to subpoena top INEC officials to bring the required documents before the court.

He later requested for a 24-hour adjournment to enable him approach the electoral body to do the needful.

Following no objections from counsel to respondents, INEC represented by Abubakar Mahmud; Tinubu, Chief Wole Olanipekun; and the APC, Lateef Fagbemi, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria, the panel shifted the matter.

Earlier, the panel admitted the document of discontinuance of the suit at the Supreme Court filed by six states of the PDP challenging the declaration of Bola Tinubu as president.

PDP counsel, Jegede informed the court that the discontinuance notice in SC/CV/354/2023 between AG of Adamawa State and 6 others versus Attorney General of the Federation was contained in the 3 schedule of documents to be tendered.

It is intended to support their counter affidavit against the APC’s claim that they are still maintaining a similar suit at the Supreme Court.

The Attorneys General of Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Sokoto states had on February 28 filed the suit before the Supreme Court challenging INEC’s declaration of Tinubu as winner of the February 25 presidential election without compliance to the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 and INEC guidelines.

They had contended that the provision for the upload of results from the BVAS to the IREV was not complied with before the INEC pronouncement.

However, in a preliminary objection at the tribunal, Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) argued that Atiku and PDP’s petition was an abuse of court process having filed a similar suit at the apex court.

Tribunal shifts hearing of Atiku’s suit against Tinubu over INEC’s failure to supply materials

Daily Trust

25% FCT votes: Court dismisses case against Tinubu

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, dismissed a suit filed by five residents of the Federal Capital Territory, who prayed to the court to halt the inauguration of Bola Tinubu as president.

The five applicants —Anyaegbunam Okoye, David Adzer, Jeffery Ucheh, Osang Paul and Chibuike Nwachukwu—identified themselves as registered voters of the FCT.

The PUNCH reports the five residents in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/578/2023, urged the court to stop the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, any other judicial officer and/or any other authority or person from swearing in any candidate in the February 25 presidential election as President or Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The suit read in part, “A declaration that no state of the country is at the same time the FCT for any purpose whatsoever, including, in particular, under section 134 (2) (b) of the Constitution.

“A declaration that no candidate in the February 25 presidential election in the country may validly be declared elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without that candidate obtaining at least 25% of the votes cast in the FCT, Abuja.

“A declaration that no candidate in the February 25 presidential election may validly be sworn in as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, without such candidate having obtained 25% of the votes cast in FCT, Abuja.

“A declaration that following the February 25 presidential election and until a successor is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and sworn in, the term of office of his Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, GCON, as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria subsists and endures in accordance with the provisions of section 135 (1) (a) of the Constitution”.

It added that this should remain until it is judicially determined with finality or in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution that such candidate has fulfilled the requirement of Section 134(2) (b) of the Constitution.

The suit which cited the Attorney-General of the Federation as the first respondent and the CJN as the second respondent in the matter also demanded “an order setting aside or suspending any declaration and/or issuance of a Certificate of a Return to any candidate in the February 25 presidential election in the country as having been elected, save and except it is judicially determined with finality that such candidate fulfilled the conditions stated in section 134(2) (b) of the Constitution.