Politics
Ex-Senate President To Testify At Election Tribunal
The National Assem
bly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi yesterday fixed August 18 for former Senate President, David Mark to testify in person.
Mark was dragged to the tribunal by his only contender, Daniel Onjeh of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over his declaration by INEC as the winner of the Benue South Senatorial election.
Onjeh had argued that the elections were marred by electoral malpractices and substantial breaches of the Electoral Act 2011 as amended.
He also averred that INEC officials were compromised and voters were financially induced by the PDP agents at the various polling units in the district.
The petitioner, therefore, urged the court to nullify the election and order for fresh poll.
Mark’s Counsel, Mr Kenneth Ikonne, had told the tribunal yesterday that his client would be appearing in person to testify during the next adjourned date to enable him close his case.
Ikonne had also called five witnesses who testified that the elections were free and fair.
The witnesses denied financial inducement of voters as alleged by petitioner.
However, under cross-examination by petitioner’s Counsel, Mr Tunji Oso, one of the witnesses, Mr Abuh Adesi, admitted that card readers were used to accredit voters in his polling unit.
Adesi had earlier deposed in his written statement that incident forms were used for accreditation instead of card readers in his polling unit.
At the end of the testimonies and cross-examinations, Ikonne prayed for an adjournment, promising to close his case with the testimony of Mark.
The tribunal Chairman, Justice Mosumola Dipeolu, adjourned the case to August 18, for further defence.
Politics
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Politics
NASS Sets Date For 2025 Budget Passage
Chairman, Senate committee on appropriations, Sen. Solomon Adeola, stated this on Monday in Abuja at a meeting with the chairmen of standing committees in the Senate.
According to him, Jan. 31 is the date for laying of reports on the appropriation bill before the Senate and the House of Representatives.
He said upon resumption from Christmas and New Year break on Jan. 14, both chambers of the national assembly would suspend plenary for two weeks for budget defence by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
Sen. Adeola also said that NASS had fixed Jan. 9 for an open day on the budget to enable various stakeholders, aside heads of MDAs, to make inputs on the budget.
“A tentative time table has been drawn for consideration of the budget at committee level.
“Budget defence sessions begin from Jan. 7, while reports from various committees are expected to be submitted from 15th to 18th of this month.
“Afterwards, collation and tidying up of the various reports will be done by the appropriation committee, with the hope of laying final report on the budget at the Senate on 31st of this month.
“However, the 31st of January fixed for laying of the budget is tentative, as it is just given to guide our work,” he said.
The principal officers of the Senate who attended the meeting included: the Deputy Leader, Sen. Lola Ashiru and Senate Whip, Sen. Tahir Monguno.
They said that the timeframe for consideration and passage of the 2025 budget by the national assembly was short.
They, however, expressed hope on the timely passage of the budget.
The committee, thereafter, went into a closed door session with chairmen of the various standing committees in the Senate.
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