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Supreme Court affirms Diri as Bayelsa gov
The Supreme Court Wednesday declared Senator Douye Diri as the duly elected governor of Bayelsa State.
The court, in a unanimous judgment, upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal, Abuja shortly after it dismissed the six appeals seeking the nullification of Diri and his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo’s election, following the withdrawal of the appeals by lawyers to the appellants.
Those that applied and withdrew their appeals on Wednesday were the Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP), Alliance for Democracy (AD), its governorship candidate, Owei Woniwei, Liberation Movement (LM), its candidate, Vijah Opuama, as well as the Accord Party (AP).
After the withdrawal of the appeals, the seven-member panel of Justices of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, dismissed the appeals and upheld the election of Diri as Bayelsa State governor.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division had, in a judgment on October 2, upturned the judgment of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that nullified Diri’s election.
The appeal court had voided the majority judgment the tribunal delivered on August 17, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh election in the state within 90 days.
The tribunal’s decision was based on the ground that INEC unlawfully excluded one of the registered political parties, ANDP, from the state governorship election held on November 16, 2019.
While two members of the panel at the tribunal, Justices Sikiru Owodunni and Yunusa Musa, upheld ANDP’s petition, the Chairman of the panel, Justice Ibrahim Sirajo, gave a dissenting judgment that upheld Diri’s election.
Dismissing the petition for being statute-barred, Justice Sirajo said there was evidence that ANDP was disqualified from the election for fielding an ineligible candidate.
He noted that the party nominated an underage deputy governorship candidate, who admitted that he was 34 years old, instead of the 35 years stipulated by the constitution.
Dissatisfied with the majority judgment of the tribunal, Governor Diri, his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and INEC separately lodged appeals to set it aside.
In its judgment, the appellate court panel led by Justice Adzira Mshella, held that the majority verdict of the tribunal that invalidated Diri’s election was perverse and “contemptuous of the law”.
Justice Obande Festus Ogbuinya, who read the lead judgment of the appellate court, held that the tribunal wrongfully evaluated the petition of the ANDP and thus reached an unjust conclusion.
The court said there was enough evidence before the tribunal to prove that ANDP nominated underage candidates for the election in breach of sections 177, 182 and 187 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The court also said INEC had in two separate letters, dated September 13 and September 27, notified the ANDP that it made invalid nominations.
It held that as of February 26 when it filed the petition at the tribunal the case of ANDP had become stale.
The court also ruled that the issue of disqualification of candidates, a pre-election matter, could only be entertained by a regular court and not a tribunal.
The court also dismissed appeals that were lodged by candidate of the AD, Woniwei; LM, Opuama, and Accord Party, Ebezimo Diriyau.
News
Fani-Kayode criticizes Israel over attack on Iran
Fani-Kayode criticizes Israel over attack on Iran
Former minister of culture and tourism, Femi Fani-Kayode, has berated the Israeli government over an alleged attack by its forces on Iran.
In a statement on his X page on Friday, Fani-Kayode accused the Israelis of staging a weak retaliation over the attack carried out by Iran against Israel.
He mentioned that the Israelis are “only good at slaughtering innocent and defenseless women and children in Gaza.”
“Poor little Israel. Sent three little micro-quadcopters that were shot down in mid-air and did not even have the guts to claim responsibility for them.
“Is that what you call a strong military response to Iran? Where is your much-touted power and strength?” Fani Kayode queried.
“I guess you are only good at slaughtering innocent and defenseless women and children in Gaza.
“When faced with the prospect of a full-scale war with Iran, you tucked your little Jewish tails between your legs and ran away. It is pitiful. Shame on you,” he added.
In another statement, Fani-Kayode, who spoke on behalf of Itamar Ben Givr, Israel’s Minister of National Security, described him as “a Zionist fanatic and a terrorist.”
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He mentioned that “Israel is the only country on earth that can allow a man who has been convicted of terrorism nine times to be appointed as a Minister, and not just a Minister but Minister of National Security.
“To put it all in context, it is like having a man who has been convicted nine times for being a Boko Haram or ISWAP terrorist as a member of our cabinet and putting him in charge of national security!
“Let this sink in and tell me if anyone can still legitimately dispute the assertion that Israel is an apartheid state that is led by fascists, religious bigots, racist fanatics, and men and women of questionable genealogy and sanity.”
The former minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, until recent times, has been a staunch supporter of the Israeli government in its war against Gaza.
On May 16, 2021, he called on all Christians to “stand by Israel,” saying, “It is an article of faith for all Christians to stand by Israel. There are over 100 million Christians in this country who love and revere Israel. We pray for her every day and bless her.
He added that “Israel can and will never be defeated. If provoked, she will bring all her enemies to their knees.”
Fani-Kayode criticizes Israel over attack on Iran
News
Nigeria has become a warfront, expect no new investors – Danjuma
Nigeria has become a warfront, expect no new investors – Danjuma
The former Minister of Defence General Theophilus Danjuma has described Nigeria as a total disgrace and laughing stock to the rest of the world.
Danjuma said this on Friday in Nwonyo village in Ibi Local government area of Taraba State during his speech as the Chairman of annual Nwonyo Fishing and Cultural festival.
The elder statesman said that Nigeria is regrettably a war front and theatre of absurdities that leaves a sour taste in the minds of people in every sane society.
He maintained that it is imperative for Nigerians and Nigeria as a country to put it’s house in order and put a check on the glaring insecurity and other vices that are bedeviling the country.
According to Danjuma, “the festival stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Taraba State that we cherish and celebrate with great pride. It showcases our cultural values and serves as symbol of our unity. Let us take a moment to reflect on the significance of the occasion. It is a symbol of resilience a d determination of our people in the face of daunting challenges.
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“Let us renew our commitment to promoting peace, harmony and celebrate the bonds that unite us as one family. May this occasion be a reminder of who we are and the strength that lies in our unity.
“We must put our own house in order and have peace in our state and throughout the country if we want this to be truly an international festival. There is no sane foreigner who will come to celebrate with us if we continue to disgrace ourselves as we do.
“As we are today in Nigeria, we are a disgrace to the whole world. The whole country is a war front of our people killing our people. We are a laughing stock to the rear of the whole world. We must put our house in order. We must make our roads safe and stop kidnapping people. We must learn to live together as a country and as a people”.
In his remarks, the Taraba State Governor Dr Agbu Kefas and his remarks said that his government is committed to ensuring justice and peace so that development can take its rightful course.
Kefas maintained that Taraba State, as a nature’s gift to the nation, must be showcased to the rest of the world so that the enormous potentials of the state could be fully utilised.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Governor of Adamawa State Governor Ummaru Fintiri commended the Taraba State government for reviving the festival after Ten years of negligence and urged the people to use the occasion to unite and live harmoniously.
Nigeria has become a warfront, expect no new investors – Danjuma
News
Police say Nigerians’ hatred for cops fueling security crisis
Police say Nigerians’ hatred for cops fueling security crisis
The Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) has said Nigerians’ deep-seated resentment for officers is affecting security in the country.
The PCRC disclosed that the hatred towards police by Nigerians mitigates against tackling the perennial security crisis that plagues the nation, saying the situation is unsettling.
The National Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Mogaji Olaniyan made this known while addressing newsmen during the 40th celebration ceremony of the Committee held in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Olaniyan bemoaned the widespread hatred, saying the PCRC is enhancing a permanent relationship between members of the community and the police in order to end the ugly narrative.
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He emphasized that this pent-up disdain must be tackled to build a healthy and cordial relationship between the people and the police, ultimately enhancing security across the nation.
He explained that parents instil the hatred of police in their children at an early as the police are used as instrument of fear to control children.
Olaniyan said “We are calling that people should love the Nigeria Police, this is what they lack right from childhood we have created enmity between our children and the Nigeria Police.
“This hatred starts from our home. For instance if parents want to scold their children they will say ‘I will call the police for you. This is why our children grow up with hatred for the police and that is why we are trying to stop this narrative.”
Olaniyan, however, called for an urgent need to address what he called widespread hatred towards the officers of the Nigeria Police.
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