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Bakassi Sues INEC Over Alleged Disenfranchisement

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The people of Bakassi in Cross River State have dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the state to the Federal High Court in Calabar over alleged disenfranchisement.
Since the loss of Bakassi 20 years ago, INEC in its atlas and directory still maintains old Bakassi wards in the new Bakassi, making thousands of Bakassi people disenfranchised for years, as there is no law legalising the RAs as wards in Nigeria.
The state government had, in an attempt to legalise the 10 wards in Nigeria and ensure that elections were conducted there, created three Ikang wards (Ikang South, Ikang North and Ikang Central) of Bakassi through Law Number 7, 2007 of Cross River State. But INEC had disallowed election in the new wards created by the state from Akpabuyo to make up as new wards under the New Bakassi law following the ceding of the main Bakassi to Cameroon. It challenged the action and secured a Supreme Court judgment that set aside Law Number 7 of the state, rendering it null and void.
Worried by this disenfranchisement, the Bakassi people in Suit No: FHC/CA/CS/39/2022 filed by Dr. Joseph Adim Bassey, Chief Eyo Ita Eyo Ndem, Mr. Dominic Aqua Edem, Chief Eneyo Eyo and Chief Antigha Cobham (for themselves and on behalf of the people of Bakassi Council), among other things, are asking the court for the determination of the following questions: “Whether upon a careful construction of Law No. 7 and the judgment of the Supreme Court in Suit No. SC/311/2014, the 1st defendant (INEC) is duty-bound to activate its power under S. 114 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) to alter Bakassi State Constituency to comprise Ikang North, Ikang South and Ikang Central of Bakassi Council as created by Law No, 7.”
The Bakassi people, who are the plaintiffs, are also seeking declarations “that the 1st defendant is duty-bound by virtue of the judgment of the Supreme Court in Suit No SC/311/2014 to activate its power under Section 114 of the 1999 Constitution to alter Bakassi State constituency to comprise Ikang North, Ikang South and Ikang Central of Bakassi Local Government Area as created by Law No. 7.”

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Kano Tribunal Judgment, Slap On Constitutionalism, Rule Of Law -NNPP

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The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has described the judgment of the Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that nullified the election of Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuff as a slap in the face of constitutionalism and the rule of law.
In a signed statement made available to newsmen by its acting national chairman, Abba Kawu Ali, the NNPP said its candidate won convincingly in the March 18, 2023, election, which it described as free, credible, and globally acclaimed as a fair election.
He said the pronouncement of the 3-man tribunal is laughable and a pure miscarriage of justice, which is capable of eroding the confidence of the electorate in the judiciary.
He, however, called on the party’s supporters across Nigeria to remain calm as the party will appeal the tribunal’s judgement.
“The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) receives with utter incredulity and disbelief the judgment of the Kano State Election Petition Tribunal on the March 18, 2023, Governorship Election.
“The reported judgement nullified the free, credible, and globally acclaimed fair election of our gubernatorial candidate, Engr. Abba Kabiru Yusuf, and brazenly awarded the election to the APC candidate, Nasiru Gawuna.
“The Tribunal arrived at this unjust judgment by unfairly subtracting 165,663 votes from the governor’s tally to enable it to unfairly award the result to the candidate of the ruling APC.
“In doing so, the tribunal obviously affirms its belief that the vote tally of the APC candidate was sacrosanct.
“The judgment of the 3-man Kano State Governorship Election Petition is laughable and nothing but a pure miscarriage of justice.
“The decision of the Tribunal is a slap in the face of constitutionalism and the rule of law and is capable of further discouraging the electorate from having confidence in the judiciary.
“The NNPP recalls with regret that this Tribunal has simply replayed the unholy script of 2019 by overturning the will of the people and awarding results to those who evidently lost the election.
“The NNPP will appeal this most unfair judgement.
We call on millions of our supporters in Kano and in the rest of the country to remain calm and maintain peace. A lopsided judgment cannot stand on the altar of justice”, he said.

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Ondo Assembly Moves To Impeach Dep Gov

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Indications emerged on Wednesday, that members of the Ondo State House of Assembly have commenced the process of impeaching the state Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
This is coming following an emergency plenary session summoned by the House of Assembly on Wednesday, with heavy presence of security men at the Assembly gate.
The Tide source gathered that at least 23 lawmakers have already appended their signatures, supporting the impeachment notice against Aiyedatiwa.
A source disclosed that the Deputy Governor is under investigation for alleged gross misuse of office and might be eased out of office through impeachment.
According to the source, trouble started when Aiyedatiwa reportedly approved the sum of N300 million for the purchase of a bulletproof SUV for his personal use.
The source said the approval was allegedly given while the state Governor was recuperating in Germany and it was approved without the knowledge of the governor.
He said the Deputy Governor further complicated matters when he ordered that the N300 million should be sourced from the Palliative fund.
He said “This fund, provided by the Federal government, was intended to support states in addressing the needs of their citizens.”
The source said the impeachment proceedings underscore the Assembly’s commitment to accountability, even at the highest levels of state governance.
Further developments in this case were being awaited as the situation continued to unfold.

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Bauchi Tribunal Upholds Gov Mohammed’s Election

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The Bauchi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has upheld the victory of Governor Bala Mohammed in the March 18, 2023 governorship election.
Delivering the judgment on Wednesday, Chairman of the three-man panel of the Tribunal, Justice P.T Kwahar, dismissed the petition of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakr (rtd), who challenged result of the election.
The tribunal held that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, electoral irregularities as well as bypass of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (B-VAS) machines in some polling units of Toro, Dass, Zaki, Itas-Gadau, Alkaleri, Bauchi, Tafawa Balewa, Ningi, Dambam and Ganjuwa Local Government Areas.The Tribunal held that there was no tangible evidence to show that the BVAS was truly manipulated.The judge explained that the witnesses brought by the petitioner presented evidence based on hearsay as they were not present at the polling units, “they have failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the APC candidate won the election.”
“This court therefore returns the second respondent as the elected governor of Bauchi state by the first respondent in the conduct of the governorship election of the 18th of March, 2023,” he held.

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