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Court Orders APGA Leader’s Arrest For Allegedly Forging S’ Court Judgment

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A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Bwari has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a factional leader of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku and one other over their alleged complicity in the forgery of a judgment of the Supreme Court.
Justice Mohammed Magudu issued the arrest order in a ruling on Monday when Njoku and his co-defendant, Chukwuemeka Nwoga failed to attend court for their planned arraignment on a 14-count charge filed by the Inspector General Police (IGP).
Justice Magudu ordered that Njoku and Nwogu be apprehended by the police and produced in court on November 28 for the purpose of their arraignment.
The ruling was on an oral application by the prosecuting lawyer, Rimamsomte Ezekiel, who urged the court to order the production of the defendants, who he claimed were served with the charge and informed about the day’s proceedings but chose to stay away.
Lawyer to Njoku, Panam Ntui challenged the mode of service of the charge on his client and prayed the court to reschedule the arraignment to enable his client, who travelled outside Abuja to return.
Lawyer to the nominal complainant, Stephen Nwoga faulted Ntui’s claim that his client travelled outside Abuja, stating that Njoku addressed a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.
Ruling, Justice Magudu held that it was obvious from evidence before the court that the defendants were duly served, but chose not to attend court.
He consequently ordered their arrest and production on the next day for the purpose of their arraignment.
Njoku and Nwoga are, in the charge marked CR/12/2022, accused among others, of altering a judgment delivered by the Supreme Court on October 14, 2021 in the appeal marked: SC/CV/686/2021 and inserting Njoku’s name as the second defendant when he was never a party in the case.
The defendants were alleged to have written Justices Mary Odili, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Mohammed Garba and Ibrahim Saulawa (who were members of the panel that delivered the judgment) to help insert Njoku’s name as the second respondent.
They were alleged to have procured the services of some officials of the court who helped to insert Njoku’s name on the judgment, which Njoku allegedly presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the IGP, claiming to have been declared APGA’s National Chairman by the Supreme Court.
Part of the charge reads:
*That you Chief Edozue Njoku, Chukwuemeka Nwoga on or about 30th June, 2022 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with others who are now at large, dishonestly and deliberately forged the judgement of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in suit No. SC/CV/686/2021 with the name of Chief Edozie Njoku as the second respondent, knowing that he was not a party to the case, using same as a genuine judgment of the Supreme Court with the intent to mislead members of the public, and ridiculing the Judiciary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, thereby committed an offence under Section 366 Penal Code Law.
*That you Chief Edozie Njoku, on or about 18th July, 2022 at about 12pm in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and others who are now at large dishonestly and with intent to commit criminal offence, fabricated a letter to the Inspector-General of Police under false pretence that, you are the National Chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) an act which you know to be false and criminal, thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 178 of the Penal Code Law.
*That you Chief Edozie Njoku on about 18th July, 2022 at about 10:30am in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with others, who are now at large, dishonestly forged the letter headed paper of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), in that, you wrote to the Inspector General of Police as the National Chairman of the APGA, thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 366 of the Panel Code law.

 

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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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