Tribunal dismisses Edeoga’s application seeking Gov. Mbah’s interrogation on credentials – Newstrends
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Tribunal dismisses Edeoga’s application seeking Gov. Mbah’s interrogation on credentials

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Gov. Peter Mbah

Tribunal dismisses Edeoga’s application seeking Gov. Mbah’s interrogation on credentials

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu has dismissed an application by the Labour Party candidate, Mr Chijioke Edoga, seeking to interrogate, Gov. Peter Mbah on his credentials.

The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice M. K Akano, had on Thursday reserved ruling after the counsels to the parties argued for and against the granting of the application.

Delivering ruling in the application, on Saturday, the Chairman held that the application was on a “fishing expedition”.

Adopting the argument of the counsel to the People Democratic Party, Tochukwu Maduka, Akano said that the questions the petitioners were asking were not contained in their petition.

The chairman also adopted the argument made by Mr Ikechukwu Onuoma, counsel to Gov. Mbah, that the application was an attempt for the petitioners to amend their petition based on paragraph 14(1) of the first schedule of the electoral Act.

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She said that the essence of interrogatories was to get admission from parties on the matter that had been pleaded to, adding that the petitioner had not pleaded to the matter.

Meanwhile, the report of the tribunal on the pre hearing session was delivered alongside the ruling. The tribunal outlined the issues raised by both parties.

In the tribunal resolution, the Chairman granted the petitioner seven days to prove their case while INEC was granted two days to call its witnesses.

Also, the second and third respondents were granted four days to also call their witnesses

On the sideline, the counsel to the LP, Mr Ifeanyi Ogenyi, told newsmen that the rulling was in respect of the application for interrogatories by the petitioner.

The petitioner was seeking for answers to Mbah’s appointments as Chief of Staff, commissioner for finance, when he was called to the Nigeria Bar and institutions he attended.

“Based on Mbah’s reply to the petition, the court in its considered ruling said that those questions could be elicited during cross examination or through the petitioner during evidence,” he said.

Tribunal dismisses Edeoga’s application seeking Gov. Mbah’s interrogation on credentials

(NAN)

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

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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.”

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

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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.”

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INEC replaces LP candidate hours to Ondo gov election

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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.

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“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)

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