News
Presidential Poll: Atiku, PDP Approach Tribunal …Demand Poll Materials Inspection
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have filed a motion to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to surrender all the materials that were used for the February 23 presidential election, for inspection.
The motion ex-parte was lodged before the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, yesterday.
The tribunal will conduct its proceedings at the Court of Appeal Headquarters in Abuja.
In the motion ex-parte dated March 4, Atiku and the PDP, applied for leave of the tribunal to allow them to inspect the Voters Register, the Smart Card Reader Machines, Ballot Papers and other vital documents that were used in the conduct of the presidential election.
They equally prayed the tribunal to compel the electoral body to allow their agents to scan and make photocopies of vital documents used in the conduct of the election, for the purpose of establishing alleged irregularities.
The Applicants, through their lawyer, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, told the tribunal that the reliefs sought against INEC was for the purpose of filing and maintaining an election petition they intend to lodge against the outcome of the 2019 Presidential Election.
The motion ex-parte motion was supported with a 12 paragraphed affidavit that was deposed to by the director of Contact and Mobilization of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd).
No date has yet been fixed for hearing of the motion which has INEC, President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC), as 1st to 3rd Respondents.
Atiku, who came second behind Buhari of the APC, had earlier vowed to challenge the outcome of the presidential election in court, alleging that it was fraught with manifest irregularities.
He maintained that results collated by agents at various polling units across the federation, was at variance with what was eventually declared by INEC, in favour of Buhari.
Meantime, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barrister Tanimu Turaki, has been released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A source in the anti-graft agency confirmed this, yesterday.
According to the source, Babalele Abdullahi, who is the son-in-law to the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has also been released.
Turaki, a former minister and the present Deputy Director General (Administration) the PDP Campaign Organisation, was said to have been arrested, last Monday.
On the other hand, Abdullahi, who is the finance director of Atiku’s group of companies, was arrested on Saturday by EFCC operatives who reportedly stormed his residence in Abuja.
Reacting to the arrest in a tweet, last Monday, the PDP candidate said his son-in-law was detained by the EFCC and “paying the price for supporting me”.
He condemned the arrest, and warned that the government’s mandate was to pursue peace and justice for all, and not just those who support it.
Meanwhile, the PDP had claimed that Turaki was arrested and detained after being invited by the EFCC to endorse a bail document for Abdullahi.
The party said that the detention of its chieftain was part of the alleged plot by the Federal Government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to “use state apparatus of power” to intimidate its leaders.
It, therefore, called on the anti-graft agency to release Turaki immediately and unconditionally.
Following the arrest, the EFCC had said it would make known its reasons for arresting Atiku’s son-in-law “at the appropriate time”.
In its reaction, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), yesterday, said the Monday arrest of the Deputy Director-General (Administration) of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), was in continuation of government’s efforts to frustrate efforts by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to approach the presidential election tribunal.
Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties, was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Abuja.
The CUPP, in a statement by its national spokesman, Imo Ugochinyere, however, described the arrest as politically-motivated.
He wondered why the National Peace Committee that spearheaded the signing of peace agreement ahead of the general elections will remain silent while the government continues to clamp down on opposition leaders.
He said, “The Coalition of United Political Parties is raising alarm once again about the desperate attempt by Muhammadu Buhari and his foot soldiers to by all means frustrate efforts by coalition presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to retrieve his stolen mandate through a peaceful means- the tribunal where he planned to file his case today (yesterday).
“This time, Buhari, through his administration’s heavily biased and partisan, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested the Deputy Director-General (Administration) of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN.
“The CUPP wishes to condemn the politically-motivated arrest of Turaki by the EFCC, not for any crime but in a failed attempt to derail the completion of processes leading to the filing of the case at the tribunal to retrieve the stolen mandate President Muhammadu Buhari has been parading about.
“The learned Senior Advocate only went to the EFCC office in connection with the signing of bail papers for other Atiku’s associates who are in custody.
“The mode of his arrest and detention clearly shows it was upon a spontaneous realisation that he was a coordinating factor in the expected legal challenge of the rigged presidential election of February 23.
“Inside source within the commission informed us that Mr Turaki is not being questioned by EFCC officials but by a team from the Presidential Villa who are only questioning him about the details of the petition of the PDP.
“They are questioning him on the evidences the PDP has in its possession and the location of the documents/legal secretariat and list of witnesses.
“This is obviously with a view to storming the location, carting away relevant papers and derailing the filing of the papers in the tribunal which must be completed within 21 days from the date of announcement of the election results.
“We, therefore, make bold to say that his arrest at this time was not a mere coincidence but a well-orchestrated plan to ensure that they scuttle the plan to challenge the illegality that happened on February 23 in court by making sure that the suit is not filed within the timeframe allowed by law.
“We have consistently been alerting Nigerians and friends of the country on all steps being taking by this government to stop any legal means to retrieve the mandate it stole on February 23, particularly how millions of naira from tax payers’ money are being doled out to individuals, political parties and groups to continue to mount pressure on Alhaji Atiku to accept ‘defeat.’
“It is noteworthy that all these harassments and intimidations of opposition leaders are going on without a word from the National Peace Committee that midwifed the signing of peace pact ahead of the general elections.
“How can there be peace where the people’s mandate was brazenly stolen? How can there be peace when barriers are consistently being mounted against the victim of executive theft so that he cannot seek redress in court?
“Let this desperate administration that will lose its legitimacy on May 29 know that the eyes of the world are on this country and its illegal actions.”
Ugochinyere urged Nigerians not to be surprised when documents begin to get missing from the registry of the tribunal because, according to him, the President and his men are desperate to protect “their crime proceeds.”
He boasted that every effort by the Buhari administration to stop the retrieval of the stolen mandate will fail.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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