Trump's bid to stop Biden victory suffers fresh setback – Newstrends
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Trump’s bid to stop Biden victory suffers fresh setback

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A federal judge on Saturday dismissed a lawsuit critical to President Donald Trump’s long-shot bid to overturn his November 3 election loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, calling his legal claim a “Frankenstein’s Monster.”

The Trump campaign had sought to prevent state officials from certifying the results of the election in the state.

The US District Judge Matthew Brann in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, described the case as “strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations.”

Brann, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama, said that he “has no authority to take away the right to vote of even a single person, let alone millions of citizens.”

Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani said in a statement that he was disappointed with the ruling.

“Today’s decision turns out to help us in our strategy to get expeditiously to the US Supreme Court,” he said.

The campaign will ask the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia to review the ruling on an accelerated timetable, according to Giuliani.

A majority of that circuit’s judges were nominated by Republican presidents. Four were nominated by Trump.

The lawsuit before Brann was filed on November 9 and had alleged inconsistent treatment by county election officials of mail-in ballots.

Some counties notified voters that they could fix minor defects such as missing “secrecy envelopes” while others did not.

“This claim, like Frankenstein’s Monster, has been haphazardly stitched together,” wrote Brann.

For Trump to have any hope of overturning the election, he needs to reverse the outcome in Pennsylvania, which is scheduled to be certified by state officials on Monday.

“Today’s ruling is a victory for the rule of law, and for the voters of Pennsylvania, whom the Trump campaign sought to disenfranchise on the flimsiest legal theory imaginable,” wrote election law scholar Rick Hasen on Twitter.

The Trump campaign and its supporters have filed dozens of lawsuits in six closely contested states.

The campaign’s only victories extended the Election Day voting hours at a handful of polling places in Nevada and set aside some provisional ballots in Pennsylvania, according to court records.

Attempts to thwart the certification of the election have failed in courts in Georgia, Michigan and Arizona.

In the Pennsylvania case, Brann also denied a campaign request to amend the suit to claim violations of the US Constitution.

The campaign wanted Brann to allow Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled state legislature to appoint electors who would back for Trump at the Electoral College vote on December 14.

Under Pennsylvania law, the candidate who wins the popular vote in the state gets all the state’s electoral votes.

A presidential candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the election, and Biden leads in the electoral vote count by 306-232.

Electoral votes are allocated among the 50 states and the District of Columbia based roughly on population.

Source: Reuters

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More trouble for Yahaya Bello as immigration places him watchlist

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More trouble for Yahaya Bello as immigration places him on watchlist

 

The Nigeria Immigration Service has ordered the arrest of former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaha Bello, if found at any entry/exit point of the country.

The NIS said on Thursday night that Yahaya Bellowas placed on its watchlist after evading arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegation of N80 billion fraud.

This notice came a few hours after the EFCC had declared the former governor wanted.

The NIS, in a letter addressed to the Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS), the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency as well as other formations declared that Bello had been placed on its watch list.

The letter was signed by the Assistant Comptroller of Immigration (Suspect Index), D S Umar, on behalf of the Comptroller General of the Immigration Service.

Part of the letter read, “Suffice to mention that the subject is being prosecuted before the Federal High Court Abuja for Conspiracy, Breach of Trust and Money Laundering vide letter Ref: CR: 3000/EFCC/LS/EGCS.1/TE/V 1/279 dated 18th April 2024, if seen at any entry or exit point, he should be arrested and referred to the Director of Investigation or contact 08036226329/07039617304 for further action.”

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BREAKING : EFCC declares Yahaya Bello wanted, seeks information on his whereabout

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BREAKING : EFCC declares Yahaya Bello wanted, seeks information on his whereabout

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday declared former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, wanted.

The anti-graft agency said Bello is wanted for alleged offences relating to economic and financial crimes to the tune of N80.2 billion.

The EFCC called on Nigerians with information as to his whereabout to report immediately to the Commission or the nearest Police Station.

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“The public is hereby notified that YAHAYA ADOZA BELLO (former Governor of Kogi State), whose photograph appears above is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with alleged case of Money Laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eighty Nine Naira, Eighty Eight Kobo).

Bello, 48-year old Ebiraman, is a native of Okenne Local Government of Kogi State. His last known address is: 9, Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.

Anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its lbadan, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt and Abuja offices or through these numbers 09-9044751-3, 08093322644, 08183322644, 07026350721-3, 0706350724-5; its e-mail address: info@efccnigeria.org or the nearest Police Station and other security agencies, ” a public notice issued by the EFCC read.

BREAKING : EFCC declares Yahaya Bello wanted, seeks information on his whereabout

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BREAKING: Submit yourself for probe, FG tells Ex-Kogi gov, Yahaya Bello

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Yahaya Bello

BREAKING: Submit yourself for probe, FG tells Ex-Kogi gov, Yahaya Bello

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has called on the immediate-past governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to submit himself for probe.

Bello is being wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged corrupt practices while in office as governor of Kogi State.

In a statement he signed on Thursday, the AGF said the EFCC is empowered by law to invite any Nigerian for interrogation.

He also described the action of the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, who used his immunity to prevent Bello’s arrest on Wednesday as ‘disquieting.’

According to him, he stands for the rule of law and will ensure no right of any Nigerian is trampled upon.

The AGF said: “The bizarre drama confronting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the course of its efforts to perform its statutory duty has come to my notice (Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice) as a matter of very grave concern.

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“It is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigation into any matter regardless of status. Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC but to honourably answer their invitation.

“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting. A flight
from the law does not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbates it.

“I state unequivocally that I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC and indeed any other agency to order when there is indication of any transgression of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies, but I also tenaciously hold the view that institutions of State should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently. Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.

“I, therefore, encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism that can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world.”

BREAKING: Submit yourself for probe, FG tells Ex-Kogi gov, Yahaya Bello

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