Today's Headlines: Tinubu Won’t Be On Ballot If There’s A Rerun-LP, 8 Girls Drown In Kebbi Boat Mishap

Tinubu Won’t Be On Ballot If There’s A Rerun, LP

The Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation on Saturday declared that with the damning evidence before the Presidential Election Petition Court 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 on Saturday 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 court 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 Court.

Onifade said Tinubu’s appeal for the exclusion of Obi and the LP from participating in the proposed rerun and his last-minute effort to challenge the outcome of the election in Kano State showed that he has lost the votes allegedly stolen from Obi in Rivers and Benue states.

He said: “If there will be a second election, it will be between the top two. Tinubu will not be among the top two because all the issues we raised are enough to disqualify him. The certificate forgery, the drug trafficking forfeiture, the invalid nomination of his vice, etc. All those things would have disqualified him in the first place.

“So, he is not going to be on the ballot. All these things that his lawyers are doing are just to make him comfortable. They have misled him and are also trying to mislead and hoodwink the justices. The justices are not foolish.

8 Girls Drown In Kebbi Boat Mishap

Eight young girls were reported to have drowned in a river at Garin Unguwar Kurya area of Kokani ward in Jega town, Jega local government area in Kebbi State at the weekend.

Our correspondent gathered from a native of the area, Hon. Faruk Aliyu Nassarwa Jega, the majority leader in the state House of Assembly that two of them were rescued by a team of rescue workers but one was confirmed dead while the other who sustained injuries was taken to the general hospital in Jega.

Hon. Nassarwa said the remaining six girls were still missing in the river as the rescue team continued search.

Governor Nasir Idris has sent a delegation led by his special adviser on politics and power, Kabiru Sani Giant, to console the parents on behalf of people and government of Kebbi State.

Kabir Giant prayed God to forgive the shortcomings of the deceased and urged the parents to bear the loss.

Kebbi State Emergency Relief Management Agency (KSEMA) executive director, Abbas Rabiu Kamba, said the agency had dispatched a rescue team to the river to search for the remaining six victims.

He advised canoe owners to always seek permission from KSEMA or NEMA officials before embarking to any journey on the river.

Security Firm Raises Concern On Intercepted Vessel

Following the interception of a vessel allegedly carrying crude oil which was suspected to have been stolen in the Koko area of Delta State, Tantita Security Services has said the vessel was heading in the wrong direction and hence, raised suspicion.

A press release over the weekend by the security outfit, a private security company owned by Government Ekpemupolo, popularly called Tompolo, an ex-Niger Delta agitator who recently got a contract from the federal government to protect oil pipelines, said it had enough evidence to prove that the vessel was moving off direction.

It maintained that it had been collaborating well with security and government agencies, which has led to successes in the last one year.

The company said; “On the 1st of August, 2023, Tantita received credible intelligence that a vessel which had obtained NMDPRA approval to deliver HPFO from Koko to Lagos offshore would be proceeding in the opposite direction.

“On the 2nd of August, 2023 Tantita operatives approached the MT Praisel as it made its way through a creek in Delta State off Benin River. On board the vessel were naval personnel, while the Tantita inspection crew included officers and men from the tion Delta Safe (the inter service task force for fighting crude oil deft, amongst other things in the Niger delta).

The intelligence suggested that the vessel ought to be sailing to Lagos, but the master of the vessel indicated he was sailing to Bonny.

JNI to Tinubu: Deploying troops in Niger Republic may affect Nigeria’s stability

The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has advised President Bola Tinubu against using military action to restore democracy in the Niger Republic.

In a statement issued on Saturday by Khalid Aliyu, JNI secretary-general, the Islamic body said such a move may have negative impact on peace and stability in Nigeria.

On Friday, Tinubu wrote to the national assembly about the resolutions of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following the coup that removed Mohamed Bazoum as Niger president.

JNI, in reaction, asked Tinubu to prioritise more diplomatic and political conciliation to resolve the crisis.

“The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) representing the collective voice of the Muslim Ummah, expresses its deep concern and censure of power from a democratically elected President Bozoum, through military coup in Niger Republic,” the statement reads.

“We firmly note the relevance of upholding democratic principles and the rule of law to fostering stability, development and steady progress within nations, which are without doubt cornerstones for good governance, because they (democratic principles and rule of law) prevent arbitrary use of force and power, ensures consistency with international human rights, norms and standards, etc.

“We acknowledge that dialogue is an invaluable tool in preventing further bloodshed and instability, within the Sahel Region, already beclouded with many political and security uncertainties.

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