Today's Headlines: Rerun: We’ve Done Our Calculation Well, Tinubu Won’t Be On Ballot, LP Claims, 2023 Poll: We’ve learned lessons — Yakubu

Rerun: We’ve Done Our Calculation Well, Tinubu Won’t Be On Ballot, LP Claims

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The Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation yesterday declared that with the damning evidence before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PREPEC) in Abuja against President Bola Tinubu, he would not participate in the rerun election should the poll be annulled.Also, the Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, said that there is palpable fear in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the likelihood of the court upturning the election of President Tinubu.

Spokesperson and Head of Media of the organisation, Mr. Diran Onifade, told THISDAY yesterday that President Tinubu’s legal team did not only mislead him but also effortlessly tried to hoodwink the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-man panel.President Tinubu had last Tuesday appealed to the justices of the PREPEC to exclude the presidential candidate of the LP, Mr. Peter Obi, and his party in the event of any rerun presidential election, claiming that only he and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, are constitutionally qualified to recontest the rerun election.

Tinubu, through his lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), and the counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), had argued that should the justices of the court void the February 25, 2023, presidential election, Obi and his party should not be allowed to re-contest.Olanipekun had while arguing his final written address, declared that Obi should not be allowed to participate in the rerun election because he came third in the race.But the LP described the claim by Tinubu’s lawyers as an attempt to foist his position on the panel of justices, adding that if there would be any rerun, Tinubu would not be on the ballot based on the evidence before the PREPEC.

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2023 Poll: We’ve learned lessons — Yakubu

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The National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has said lessons have been learned from the 2023 general elections and that there would be an improvement in the forthcoming circle elections in Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa states.

He added that the commission is satisfied with the feedback it got during the 2023 post-election review organized by the commission.

Speaking during the just concluded three-day review of the 2023 elections in Lagos, the INEC boss disclosed that most of the issues raised and recommendations made to improve the Nation’s elections would be tested in the coming elections in Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa.

“We promised Nigerians that we were going to hold the election review meeting and conclude it within one month. We started on the 4th of July, and today is the 4th of August. The response has been overwhelming. Remember, we started with the state-level consultation with the RECs, we had an engagement with the transport unions, we then met with the State collation of the presidential election in Abuja, and then we had engagements with political parties and civil organizations, among others. So overall, we are encouraged by the response of stakeholders across the board and the quality of the contributions they have made.

Asked about the challenges that popped up during the review, he said, The number of challenges that came up, technology for voter accreditation, and result management, have been some of the issues raised, and recommendations made.

“The issue of electoral logistics, so that elections can start promptly, also includes the production and collection of Permanent voter Cards, PVCs, among others. We are harvesting all the issues and all the recommendations, and those that require administrative actions by the commission would be dealt with, but those that require amendment to the existing laws, be it the electoral act of 2022 or the constitution, we will harvest and approach the National Assembly for consideration. “

from Nigerians, and it will enable us to go back to the drawing board in our quest to continuously improve the electoral process.”

APC Denies Forcing Legal Adviser To Quit NWC

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The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress has described as ‘untrue’ the report that the National Legal Adviser of the party, Ahmad El-Marzuq, may have been forced out of the committee.

The development is coming two days after the former legal adviser threw in the towel.

El-Marzuq had tendered his resignation on the eve of the National Caucus meeting of the ruling party held at the banquet hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Online and social media were awash with reports of how the presidency and APC governors pressured El-Marzuq into quitting the NWC on Thursday.

Reacting, Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Chidi Duru, reiterated that there was no iota of truth in the viral report.

Duru also dismissed speculation that the lawyer was shut out at the NEC meeting as the handiwork of rumour peddler.

Lagos ex-PS, Selem, clocks 90 today

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One of Nigeria’s renowned educationists and former Permanent Secretary in Lagos State, Alhaji Shukrullah Selem, popularly known as Bob Selem, will celebrate his 90th birthday on Sunday (today).

This was announced in a press release jointly signed by his daughter, Alhaja Morenike Selem, and the President of Ansar-Ud-Deen High School Old Students Association, Tunjib Sherif, to celebrate the educator in Lagos.

Described as resolute, industrious, and determined, Selem was appointed as the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Schools Management Board and was also a part of the free education of the former Lagos State governor, Lateef Jakande.

The statement read partly, “Born at Ita Akanni in Lagos on the 6th of August 1933 into an Ahmadiya family, his father was late Alfa Muhammed Olatunji Selem, an Ahmadiya cleric. His mother was the late Alhaja Ayisat Agbeke Titilola, daughter of the late Buraimo Aduloju Baruwa Louis of Brazilian Quarters of Lagos.

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