Politics
Tribunal Reserves Judgment In Kogi Gov’ship Election Case
The Kogi State Governor ship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, on Monday, reserved judgment in the petition filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its governorship candidate, Murtala Ajaka, against the election victory of Governor Usman Ododo.
At Monday’s proceedings, Ajaka’s lawyer, Pius Akubo, urged the tribunal to set aside the respondents’ submissions and uphold theirs.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), through its lawyer, Kanu Agabi, told the court that their final written address was dated and filed on May 2 as he prayed the tribunal sitting to dismiss Ajaka’s petition.
Likewise, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Ododo asked the tribunal to dismiss Ajaka’s petition in its entirety for being incompetent and lacking in merit.
Counsel to the respondents, Agabi, Joseph Daudu, and Emmanuel Ukala, while adopting their final written addresses and presenting their arguments against the petitioners, prayed the three-member panel of Justices, led by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu to dismiss the petition.
Agabi contended that the Appeal Court had decided that if the grounds of a petition are inconsistent with one another and are not consistent with the reliefs, it should be struck out.
He also argued that the evidence of the petitioners were grossly insufficient, citing a Supreme Court decision in a case of Tonye Cole against INEC.
“It is our humble submission that your work in the determination of this petition is simplified in recent judgments by the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
“It is to the effect that once the evidence called is grossly insufficient, there is no evidence. In that case, the petitioner filed 305 witness depositions but only adopted 40 of them.
“The petitioner, according to the decision, only adopted about 13.1 per cent of the witness depositions. In this case, the depositions adopted represent just about 3.6 per cent of their witness depositions,” he said.
He said the petitioners only called 25 witnesses out of the scores listed.
Agabi, said in the mathematical calculation of evidence, 3.6 per cent of Ajaka’s witness deposition adopted in the petition amounted to a failure and therefore, ought to be dismissed.
He said the petitioners equally failed to file the witness deposition beforehand in contravention of the Supreme Court’s decision in Obungado’s case.
He argued that the petitioners’ witness who testified about the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, clearly stated that he could not guarantee whether those were the BVAS used.
Governor Ododo’s legal representation, Daudu, while adopting his final written address dated and filed on May 1, argued that the petition was statute-barred (filed out of time).
He argued that the action of the petitioners was against Section 122(1) and (2)(a) of the Evidence Act, which empowers the tribunal to take judicial notice of the time of filing, service and response.
Although he clarified that the petitioners responded to their service, Akubo objected to Daudu’s citing of the section describing it as a fresh argument.
Daudu, in response, disagreed with Akubo that he was raising fresh issues after a final written address had been filed.
He said if the court found merit in his argument, Akubo had the right to respond because it bordered on issues of remittal procedure.
He also urged the tribunal to dismiss the allegations of forgery against his client, saying it bordered on a pre-election matter, which the apex court had decided in Gbagi’s case against INEC.
Daudu also argued that Section 137 of the Electoral Act cited by the petitioners on allegations of over-voting did not apply in the instant petition.
Similarly, Ukala, who represented APC, urged the court to dismiss SDP and Ajaka’s petition for lacking in merit while he adopted all the processes.
He informed the court that their final written address, dated April 30 was filed same date.
The petitioners’ lawyer, Akubo, told the tribunal that their final written address was dated and filed May 6 adding that their petition was not filed out of time.
He argued that the respondents themselves confirmed that the petition was filed on December 2, 2023, even by their own witness.
“I urge your lordship to hold that we filed this petition within time under our law,” he said.
After taking arguments from all parties, Justice Birnin-Kudu reserved judgment in the petition.
He announced that a date for judgment would be communicated to the parties.
Recall that the tribunal had, on April 25, fixed Monday, May 13, for the adoption of final written addresses after the parties closed their case in the matter.
SDP and Ajaka had approached the tribunal to challenge Governor Ododo’s victory in the Nov. 11, 2023, Kogi governorship election.
In the petition, INEC, Ododo and APC are listed as 1st to 3rd respondents respectively.
Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, on Monday, passed a vote of confidence in Mojisola Meranda as the Speaker of the Assembly.
The lawmakers expressed their confidence in her leadership at the plenary, which Rt Hon. Meranda presided over amidst tight security.
The Tide’s source reports that there was a growing tension at the assembly as legislative workers protested against the alleged plans to remove Rt Hon. Meranda as the Speaker of the Assembly.
The legislative workers also clashed with the operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) who, in the early hours of Monday, stormed the assembly and sealed Rt Hon. Meranda’s office alongside that of her Deputy and the Clerk.
Our source had reported how armed security personnel took over the complex at Alausa, Ikeja, leading to palpable tension among the lawmakers and workers of the assembly.
There are indications that the ongoing imbroglio at the assembly following the removal of Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker on January 13 has not abated.
The Monday’s drama came a few days after Mr Obasa, who was removed for alleged abuse of office and corruption, dragged the state lawmakers to court, challenging his removal as the Speaker of the Assembly.
There are alleged plans to return Mr Obasa as the Speaker, a development which has further heightened tension at the assembly.
The Tide’s source reports that when Meranda arrived the assembly complex amidst tight security around 11:15 am on Monday, many legislative workers showed solidarity with the first female Speaker over alleged plans to remove her.
“Meranda we want”, “Meranda We want”, the workers were chanting in a short video clip.
Rt Hon. Meranda visibly overwhelmed by emotion was surrounded by her security details amid the chaotic atmosphere.
Inside the chamber, officials of the DSS clashed with the legislative workers, leading to commotion.
The DSS officials, dressed in black jackets and helmets and armed with weapons, struggled with the workers at the door.
The Tide’s source gathered that, with support from the legislative workers, lawmakers had earlier forced their way into the chamber around 12:30 pm.
It was further gathered that Rt Hon Meranda and about 32 members were present at the plenary.
A short video clip of the plenary showed that all the lawmakers in attendance had passed a vote of confidence on Rt Hon Meranda.
“Madam Speaker, all members standing before you, I move a motion to say that we do pass the vote of confidence on Rt Hon Mojisola Lasbat Meranda”, a lawmaker said.
The motion was supported by all members in attendance.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, on Monday, traded words over the alleged killing of three persons.
Members of both parties were locked in battle for the control of some local government secretariats. While two persons were killed in Iragbiji in Boripe Local Government Area, another was killed in Irewole Local Government Area.
There had been tension across the state over the Court of Appeal judgment in respect of the sacked APC council chairmen and councillors.
While the PDP claimed that the Feb. 10 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Akure, did not reinstate the sacked APC chairmen and councillors elected in 2022, APC insisted on their return.
Speaking with journalists in Iragbiji, Korede Ajeigbe, the commissioner for government affairs and protocol, claimed that two PDP members were killed while trying to prevent APC members from taking over a secretariat.
Mr Ajeigbe also said that six PDP members were seriously injured and were currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
APC, however, alleged that PDP members attacked its members while trying to enforce the Court of Appeal judgment.
Addressing a news conference in Osogbo, Bayo Adeleke, a chieftain of the APC, claimed that one of the party’s prominent members was killed during the crisis.
He also alleged that another member of the party, Remi Omowaye, escaped an assassination attempt in Ilesa.
Mr Adeleke, a former commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, urged the state government to allow peace to reign by allowing the APC chairmen and councillors to return to office.
Another chieftain of the party, Jamiu Olawumi, claimed that APC chairmen had resumed in 15 local governments of the state.
This claim, however, could not be immediately verified.
When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, CSP Yemisi Opalola, said she was yet to be briefed on the alleged killings.
Ms Opalola, however, said police officers had been deployed to all the local government secretariats in the state to prevent breakdown of law and order.
Meanwhile, Gov. Ademola Adeleke has directed workers as well as politicians to stay away from local government secretariats to avoid further bloodshed.
Mr Adeleke, in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said only security agents would be allowed to keep watch at the secretariats.
He condoled with families of victims of the crisis.
Leader of the 8th Opobo/Nkoro Legislative Assembly, Barrister Samuel Nengia, has passed a vote of confidence on the Chairman of the LGA, Dr. Enyiada Cookey-Gam, as he marked his first one hundred days in his second term in office.
Speaking with newsmen recently in Port-Harcourt on Dr Cookey-Gam and the celebration of his first one hundred days in office, among other people-oriented development projects and programmes, Nengia argued that the Chairman and his team have recorded unprecedented developmental strides, which includes infrastructure transformation, empowerment, security, human capital development, payment of the approved N85,000. 00 minimum wage to Opobo/Nkoro workers’, among others.
He pointed out that his commendation was apt as the activities of the Chairman had been monitored and discovered to reflect the expectations and yearnings of the people, especially, the promotion of council staff, the refurbishment of the Assembly Complex to standard, the construction of Corpers’ Lodge, the provision of effective transportation system for the well-being of the people in the area.
Hon. Nengia, representing Opobo/Nkoro Ward 6, averred that the people of the LGA could now sleep with their eyes closed owing to Dr Cookey-Gam’s achievements in in the security sector.
He added that the vote of confidence the Council’s number one citizen would strengthen him to deliver more democratic dividends to Opobo/Nkoro people.
He admonished Opobo/Nkoro people to rally support for the Chairman to perform creditably well for the well-being of the electorate in the area.
Meanwhile, Barr. Samuel Nengia, has thanked Governor Siminalayi Fubara for appointing three illustrious sons of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area into positions of trust vis former Commissioner for Education, Dr. Tamunosisi Gogo Jaja, as Chairman, Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission; former Secretary of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, Engr. Edward Namiesimagha, as Chairman, Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) and Surveyor Peter Ogolo, as Surveyor-, General of the state.
Hon. Nengia, who described the appointments as well deserved, however, enjoined the appointees to bring their leadership wealth of experience to bear in the herculean tasks of reviving their various areas of jurisdiction.
Bethel Toby