Today's Headlines: Kogi East: Tribunal Sacks APC’s Jibrin Isah, Orders Supplementary Poll, Peter Obi Absent In Court As Abure Stands In
Kogi East: Tribunal Sacks APC’s Jibrin Isah, Orders Supplementary Poll.
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The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, has sacked Jibrin Isah of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the lawmaker representing Kogi East.
It ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a supplementary election between him and Victor Adoji of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Tribunal in its Tuesday ruling ordered the rerun in 94 polling units with over 59,730 votes.
The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K.A. Orjiako, who delivered the judgement on the petition brought before it by Adoji, agreed with the prayers of the PDP candidate his Counsel, Johnson Usman (SAN), challenging Isah’s return on the ground that elections were cancelled in some polling units where the Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) collected were more than the margin of his (Chocho’s) win.
The petitioner had pleaded with the Tribunal to void the election of Isah and order a supplementary poll in the affected polling units.
Delivering a unanimous Judgement of the Tribunal, Justice Orjiako, agreed with the submission of Usman (SAN) as he annulled Isah’s victory and ordered the withdrawal of his certificate of return.
“Since the PVCs collected in the 94 polling units is 59,730, while the margin of win is 26,922 votes, the Returning Officer ought to have declared the election inconclusive without making a return.
“Consequently, this honourable Tribunal hereby grants the reliefs sought by the Petitioners. We also set aside the Certificate of Return issued to Jibrin Isah.
“The Tribunal hereby also orders INEC to conduct a supplementary election in the affected polling units where the election did not hold or cancelled in order to determine the winner, ” Justice Orjiako declared.
Obi absent in court as Abure stands in
Photo credit: Punchng
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the just concluded presidential elections, Peter Obi was noticeably absent at the tribunal sitting, The PUNCH has observed.
At 9:34 am when the Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Haruna Tsammani asked for the introduction of petitioners and responders, the embattled chairman of the LP, Julius Abure noted that he was standing in for the petitioner, Peter Obi.
The Vice-President, Kashim Shettima introduced himself as the first responder, alongside the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje.
The PUNCH reports that Wednesday’s judgment will be delivered by the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Haruna Tsammani, assisted by other members of the panel: Justices Stephen Adah, Monsurat Bolaji-Yusuf, Moses Ugo, and Abba Mohammed.
The petitions, marked: CA/PEPC/03/2023, CA/PEPC/05/2023 and CA/PEPC/04/2023, were lodged before the court by the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi; a former Vice President and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; as well as the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, respectively.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had on March 1, announced that Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress won the presidential election held on February 25, ahead of 17 other candidates that participated in the contest.
It declared that Tinubu scored a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat the two major contenders, Alhaji Atiku of the PDP, who came second with a total of 6,984,520 votes, and Mr. Obi of the LP, who came third with a total of 6,101,533 votes.
Tuition Hike: Heavy Security Presence Disrupts UNILAG Students’ Planned Protest.
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There is a heavy presence of security operatives at the main gate of the University of Lagos where students were scheduled to protest on Wednesday morning over a hike in tuition fees.
Men of the Department of State Services (DSS), police and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) were on the ground to disrupt the planned protest.
Shettima, Ribadu, Gbajabiamila others present as presidential tribunal delivers judgement.
Photo credit: Punchng
Vice President Kashim Shettima, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed, Nasarawa state governor, Abdullahi Sule, Yobe state governor, Mai Mala Buni, Ekiti state governor, Biodun Oyebanji and the chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje are among those that have arrived the Presidential Election Petition Court sitting at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
Others present are the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Imo state governor, Hope Uzodima; his Kogi State counterpart, Yahaya Bello, and the Labour Party chairman, Julius Abure among others.
The tribunal is expected to deliver judgment on the election petitions challenging the election of President Bola Tinubu by the presidential candidates for the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi.
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