Today's Headlines: Make history, remove Tinubu, Atiku urges tribunal; ECOWAS Vs Niger Republic: Russia'll Benefit From War, Don't Militarize Diplomacy

Make history, remove Tinubu, Atiku urges tribunal

Photo Credit: Punch papers

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday, urged the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja to nullify the February 25 presidential election in which President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress was declared the winner.

Atiku’s lead counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), while presenting his final address, said the fact that no presidential election had been nullified in the past should not stop the tribunal from removing Tinubu.

He insisted that the glitches experienced in the transmission of results during the presidential poll were deliberate to allow manipulation and provided enough grounds for the court to nullify Tinubu’s election.

Uche also argued that Tinubu should be disqualified on the strength of the American court judgment in which his name featured in a forfeiture and money laundering case, involving $460,000.

Uche said with the facts presented before the court by the PDP and Atiku, the court should either remove Tinubu from office or order a rerun election.

But the APC counsel, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), argued that there was no documentary or oral testimony before the court to support the reliefs being sought by the PDP and Atiku.

Fagbemi insisted the American forfeiture lawsuit referenced by the petitioners was civil rather than criminal in nature, and could, therefore, not be grounds to disqualify Tinubu.

He added that the questions on whether Tinubu went to Chicago University, US, had been laid to rest.

“The forfeiture proceedings do not fit into the prescription of qualification. It is not a disqualifying factor. No evidence of arraignment or pleadings. It was a civil forfeiture proceeding,” Fagbemi said.

He also argued that the matter of the forfeiture happened 20 years ago.

He also said a clear bill of health had been given by the United States of America.

On the relief on dual citizenship of the President, Fagbemi, citing section 137 (1a), argued that a citizen by birth cannot be disqualified because he has citizenship of another country.

Russia’ll Benefit From War, don’t militarize diplomacy – Atiku’s aide begs Tinubu

Photo Credit: Daily Post

Daniel Bwala, a media aide to the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has begged President Bola Tinubu to avoid the militarization of diplomacy in the Niger Republic.

Bwala warned that engaging the Niger Republic in a war would lead to predictable consequences.

This was as Bwala noted that Russia and NATO would be at the benefitting end if ECOWAS engaged the Niger Republic in a proxy war.

Tweeting, the constitutional lawyer said Russia and other foreign nations would invade Africa to exploit their oil and natural resources.

According to Bwala: “This proxy war that ECOWAS wants to go into will be for the benefit of Russia and NATO. Totally avoidable; Why allow the West to use African soil as the battleground for the scramble for Africa’s natural resources?

UK Backs Tinubu, ECOWAS Stance On Niger

Photo Credit: Vanguard paper

The United Kingdom, UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, on Wednesday, said the UK is in support of the position taken by the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, on the military coup in Niger Republic, which had last week, ousted Mohamed Bazoum.

Briefing State House correspondents after an audience with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Cleverly said, “We touched briefly on the situation in Niger. I made the point that the UK very much welcomes ECOWAS’ and his (Tinubu’s) indeed decisive action, his strong commitment to democracy and the unambiguous message that violence is not the means to bring political change in any circumstance.

Fani-Kayode, Keyamo hail Tinubu over ministerial nominees

Photo Credit: The Nation papers

Former Minister of Ation Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and a former Minister of State for Labour and Employment Festus Keyamo have hailed President Bola Tinubu over the choice of his ministerial nominees.

Tinubu has unveiled 47 ministerial nominees in two batches.

The lists include former Governors, economists, finance experts, health experts and lawyers among others.

Reacting, the ex-Ministers said the nominees are excellent choices by President.

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