Politics
Take Certificate Forgers To Court, INEC Tells Voters
The Independent National Electoral Commission has told those scheduled to vote in the March 14 by-elections in Sokoto, Kwara, Jigawa and Niger States to file lawsuits against the candidates they believe have submitted forged certificates.
The body gave the advice following the publication of the affidavits containing the personal particulars of the candidates for the by-elections.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Festus Okoye, said these in a statement at the weekend.
He said: “In line with the provisions of Section 31(3) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), the commission has published the affidavits containing the personal particulars (Form EC9E, formerly Form CF001) of and documents submitted by all candidates nominated by parties to participate in the elections.
“The commission has, in addition, uploaded the said Form EC9E (CF001) and the attached documents on its website. The commission wishes to draw attention to the provision of Section 31 (5) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) which entitles ‘any person who has reasonable grounds to believe that any information given by a candidate in the affidavit or any document submitted by that candidate is false to file a suit at the Federal High Court, High Court of a State or FCT against such a person seeking a declaration that the information contained in the affidavit is false’.
“The commission is determined to conduct free and fair elections in accordance with extant laws while working with critical stakeholders to ensure a peaceful conduct of the exercise.”
During the 2023 general elections, the official quarters were converted into a computer center and situation room for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Findings showed that the Deputy Governor has lodged in four first-class hotels in the state.
He incurred other expenses in the hotels aside from accommodation.
The Director of students mobilisation of the Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign council, Ijanusi Olawale, said that the state government should have allocated the newly renovated VIP lodge to Dr Adelami rather than spending taxpayers’ money on hotel bills.
Mr Olawale said, “Despite spending a huge amount of money renovating the VIP lodge, all the lodge occupants had been flushed out.
“The deputy governor should be temporarily allocated the VIP lodge within the government house pending the period the deputy governor’s lodge will be completed.”
Mr Olawale said that the state government should have channelled the money used to lodge the deputy governor and his aides in hotels to other areas, such as education, health and other sectors that will benefit members of the public.
Also, a top government official said that the deputy governor and his crew incurred the hotel bills, adding that the state government still has outstanding bills for accommodation and lodging.
He said, “Accommodations were provided for the deputy governor and his aides in these hotels, and they have been using various hotels for one year now.
” The money released for the quarter by the Ministry of Finance was not enough to offset the outstanding bills incurred on the hotel accommodation”.
When contacted, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Media, Rahman Adekunle Yusuf, confirmed that the deputy governor “occasionally stayed in a hotel apartment in Akure, as his official government quarter is under renovation”.
Mr Yusuf denied that the deputy governor’s continued hotel stay was wasting state resources.
According to him, “It is noteworthy that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has ordered the renovation of the Deputy Governor’s official residence, which will be completed soon.
“It is on record that no deputy governor has occupied the said lodge since the first tenure of late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, including Agboola Ajayi.
“For the records, Dr Olayide Adelami, an accomplished Nigerian who retired as Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, was sworn in as the Deputy Governor of Ondo state on the 1st of February, 2024 and was operating from his house in Owo.
“He was later provided a room at a hotel by the protocol unit of the Deputy Governor’s office due to the pressure of the work, which most times didn’t allow him to return to Owo, as his supposed official residence was under renovation.
“The hotel accommodation provided for Dr. Adelami is a room and parlour for him alone, and none of his aides has ever stayed in the hotel with him, as we all have our accommodations in different places within the Akure metropolis.
‘’It should be noted that the Deputy Governor knows nothing about the hotel payment, which is not in his purview, but always checks out of the hotel to relocate to his country home in Owo when there are no matters of urgent importance for him to attend to in Akure, due to his prudent nature.
“For several days in each month, the Deputy Governor comes to his office in Akure from Owo where he houses and feeds everyone on his entourage from his purse, as he had always done for anyone close to him, even before he became deputy governor.”
Speaking with The Tide source, a top government official who spoke in confidence said that the deputy governor’s money incurred on hotel bills was far lower and nothing to fret about.
According to him, “Where do they want the deputy governor to be sleeping when his official quarters are still under renovation?
“No doubt, the official quarters of the deputy governor would soon be ready, and there would not be any more complaints”.
At the resumed proceeding in the matter, lead counsel for the petitioners, Mr. Robert Emukpoeruo, SAN, informed the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member panel tribunal that they had concluded their case.
The application came shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) produced five additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines that were used in the election.
The electronic devices, which were tendered by a Senior Technical Officer in the ICT Department of INEC, Mr. Anthony Itodo, were admitted in evidence, though all the respondents in the matter objected, saying they would give their reasons in their final written addresses.
It will be recalled that the tribunal had earlier admitted in evidence, a total of 148 BVAS that were used in 133 polling units where results of the election were being disputed by the PDP.
Meanwhile, the tribunal fixed Tuesday for INEC to open its defence.
INEC had declared that Senator Okpebholo of the APC secured 291,667 votes to defeat his closet rival, Mr Ighodalo of the PDP, who got 247,655 votes.
Aggrieved by the outcome of the poll, the PDP and its candidate approached the tribunal, praying it to nullify INEC’s declaration of the APC and Senator Okpebholo as winners of the contest.
The House of Representatives has dismissed claims that some federal lawmakers demanded bribes from Vice-Chancellors of Federal Universities to approve their 2025 budget allocations, describing the report as false and misleading.
In a statement issued yesterday, the spokesman for the House, Akin Rotimi, said the publication was a deliberate attempt to tarnish the reputation of the legislature.
“The 10th House of Representatives is firmly committed to transparency, accountability, and the highest ethical standards in all its legislative activities. These values form the bedrock of our operations. It is, therefore, imperative to address the baseless and sensational allegations in the report, which appear to be part of a deliberate attempt to undermine the integrity of the House and erode public trust in this hallowed institution,” the statement read in part.
Rotimi explained that the budget process follows a constitutionally guided and transparent procedure, emphasizing that the 2025 Appropriation Bill was presented by President Bola Tinubu before a Joint Session of the National Assembly in the presence of key government officials and the public.
He further noted that some Vice-Chancellors had failed to appear for their budget defence sessions, despite being constitutionally required.
“This disregard for the legislative process not only impedes legislative oversight and undermines the principles of accountability but also demonstrates a lack of respect for the parliament and the Nigerian people.
“Furthermore, it is a matter of public record that some of these institutions have pending audit queries from the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation and have consistently failed to appear before the House Committee on Public Accounts to clarify these issues. This evasion raises concerns about their governance practices and financial stewardship,” he added.
Rotimi also accused some university administrators of attempting to evade scrutiny by making baseless allegations.
He noted that recent oversight visits by the House Committee on University Education had uncovered troubling governance practices in certain institutions, adding that preliminary findings pointed to serious malfeasance requiring thorough investigation.
While commending university administrators who have complied with due process, the House said the actions of a few attempting to evade accountability would not go unnoticed.
The statement also took a swipe at the news platform that published the bribery allegations, accusing it of failing to uphold journalistic ethics.
“The news platform has failed to uphold the principles of balanced journalism. The report in question lacks any diligent investigative effort as they would want people to believe, and instead amplifies fabricated narratives by individuals seeking to evade accountability.
“Unfortunately, the medium, which has become the preferred outlet for such baseless sensationalism, did not seek a reaction from the House Spokesman before publishing the story, undermining its credibility and professionalism. A reaction was only requested on Monday, two days after the story had already gone public,” the statement read.
The House urged anyone with credible evidence of misconduct to present it to the appropriate authorities, including the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges or anti-corruption agencies like the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
Reiterating its commitment to transparency and good governance, the House said it would not be distracted by baseless allegations.
“We call on all stakeholders, particularly the media, to approach their responsibilities with integrity, professionalism, and a commitment to nation-building. Together, we can strengthen our democracy and promote a more accountable and transparent governance system,” it added.
-
Business3 mins ago
Bayelsa Recommits To Infrastructure, Sectoral Dev … Rakes In N227.185b From IGR
-
News2 hours agoNigeria Strengthens Economic Ties With Germany To Boost Investment, Jobs
-
Niger Delta13 mins ago
Environmentalist Makes Case For Oceans Preservation
-
Business2 mins ago
Expert Tasks Government On Civil Maritime Security Unit
-
Rivers2 hours agoCommissioner Promises Improved Working Conditions … Splashes N.1m On Outstanding Caregiver
-
Niger Delta12 mins ago
A’Ibom CP Cautions Youth Against Violence In Oil Producing Communities
-
Politics1 min ago
Edo Gov’ship: PDP, Ighodalo Close Case After 19 Witnesses At Tribunal
-
News32 mins ago
RSU Lecturer Unveils Research Innovation On Soap Production