politics
Update : Court moves to merge all the petitions against Tinubu and determine them together
The Presidential Election Petition Court, sitting in Abuja, has disclosed its intention to consolidate the three different petitions that are seeking to nullify the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
Consequently, the court, at its resumed proceedings on Saturday, said it was empowered by Paragraph 50 of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, to merge all the petitions and determine them together.
However, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, who is the lead counsel for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, pleaded the court for time to consult his client.
“My lords, we will not say that we have not looked at it, but perhaps it may require consultation with the other petitioners.
“We, therefore, ask for a stand down or an adjournment so that we can explore the modalities since this is like a marriage which is a union between two consenting adults,” Uche, SAN, added.
On its part, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, threw its weight behind the planned consolidation of the petitions.
“My lords, my personal conviction is that the provision is mandatory. It clearly stated that if there are two petitions or more that are filed to nullify the same election or return, it must be consolidated, unless the court directs otherwise.
“We are happy with the provision of the law and we are also happy with whatever position your lordships will take with respect to this matter,” INEC’s lead counsel, Mr. Abubakar Mahmood, SAN, told the court.
However, Mr. Roland Otaru, SAN, who appeared on behalf of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, said he would need time to consult.
“My lords, I will need to consult Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, who is the lead counsel in this matter,” he pleaded.
The Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel subsequently adjourned till Monday for the parties to report the outcome of their consultations on the issue of consolidation of all the petitions.
It will be recalled that INEC had on March 1, announced Tinubu of the APC as winner of the presidential poll, ahead of 17 other candidates that contested the election.
It declared that Tinubu scored a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat the two major contenders, Atiku of the PDP, who came second with a total of 6,984,520 votes and Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, who came third with a total of 6,101,533 votes.
However, dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, both. Atiku and Obi, while separately claiming that they won the contest, lodged petitions before the court.
They maintained that Tinubu was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election.
Aside from praying the court to disqualify the President-elect on the basis of his alleged indictment in the United States of America, USA, on a drug-related case, the petitioners, among other things, sought the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return that was issued to him by INEC.
While Atiku’s joint petition with the PDP, was marked CA/PEPC/05/2023, that of Obi and the LP was registered as CA/PEPC/03/2023.
However, aside from Atiku and Obi, another petition by the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, is still pending before the court.
The APM, in its petition marked: CA/PEPC/04/2023, that the withdrawal of Mr. Ibrahim Masari who was initially nominated as the Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, invalidated Tinubu’s candidacy in view of Section 131(c) and 142 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The party argued that there was a gap of about three weeks between the period that Masari, who was listed as the 5th Respondent in the petition, expressed intention to withdraw, the actual withdrawal of his purported nomination, and the time Tinubu purportedly replaced him with Senator Kashim Shettima.
It further argued that Tinubu’s candidature had elapsed as at the time he nominated Shettima as Masari’s replacement.
Even though five petitions were initially filed to challenge the return of Tinubu as winner of the election, however, the Action Alliance, AA, on May 8, withdrew its case, even as the Action Peoples Party, APP, followed suit two days later by also discontinuing further proceedings on its own petition.
politics
Breaking : INEC Confirms Oyebanji’s Re-election in Ekiti, First Consecutive Governorship Victory Since 1999
Governor Biodun Oyebanji casting his vote at his Okeelele Unit 003
The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared the All Progressives Congress candidate, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, the winner of the Ekiti State governorship election held on Saturday.
The governor was re-elected after polling 319,224 votes over his closest rivals in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Olumayokun Oluyede and African Democratic Congress, Dare Bejide, across the state’s 16 local governments.
The Returning Officer for the election, Prof Adenike Oladiji, who is the Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Akure, announced the results in the early hours of Sunday at the INEC’s headquarters on Iyin Road in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
Oladiji said, “Therefore, I, Adenike, am the returning officer for the 2026 Ekiti governorship election…Oyebanji Abiodun Abayomi, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and stands re-elected.”
While the APC polled 319,224 votes, the PDP candidate polled 40, 533 votes, and the ADC candidate amassed 12,872 votes.
There are 988,251 registered voters, and 384,940 are accredited.
Out of the 382,109 votes cast, the total valid votes in the election were 375, 777.
According to INEC result, the PDP candidate, who hails from Ikere Ekiti, lost in his Ikere Local Government area.
While the APC and its candidate, Oyebanji, scored 8,742 votes, the PDP, which came second in the LGA, garnered 2,051 votes.
Below are the full results of the governorship election as collated at the State Collation Centre from the 16 LGAs on Sunday.
Efon Local Govt
Collation officer: Prof. Joseph Ojo
ADC – 201
APC – 8742
PDP – 2051
Ijero LG
Collation Officer: Prof. Olaniran Akanni
ADC – 2026
APC – 25506
PDP – 2479
Ikere LG
Collation Officer: Prof. Kehinde Jayeoba
ADC – 245
APC – 11116
PDP – 9872
Emure LG
Collation Officer: Prof Emmanuel Oluwafemi
ADC -732
APC – 14325
PDP – 851
Ekiti South West
Collation Officer: Prof. Kola Oladunmoye
ADC – 1076
APC – 14705
PDP – 1800
Ido/Osi
Collation Officer: Prof. Otalobi Akintunde
ADC – 561
APC – 17901
PDP – 1449
Ekiti West
Collation Officer: Prof Bolaji Stephen
ADC – 674
APC – 28258
PDP – 3644
Ado LG
Collation Officer: Prof. Toye Fasinmirin
ADC – 1054
APC – 38026
PDP – 3817
Ilejemeje LG
Collation Officer: Prof. Kehinde Mogaji
ADC – 579
APC – 8984
PDP – 1243
Ise/Orun LG
Collation Officer: Dr John Isa
ADC – 365
APC – 12907
PDP – 1627
Oye LG
Collation Officer: Prof. Jide Popoola
ADC – 998
APC – 18975
PDP – 2891
Moba LG
Collation Officer: Prof. Suleiman Adegboyega
ADC – 994
APC – 20500
PDP – 1572
Ayekire/Gbonyin LG
Collation Officer: Prof. Oso Bamidele
ADC – 314
APC – 17133
PDP – 1563
Ikole LG
Collation Officer: Prof. Sadiat Adifala
ADC – 812
APC – 26508
PDP – 750
Irepodun/Ifelodun LGA
Collation Officer: Prof. Michael Adeyemi
ADC – 511
APC – 29278
PDP – 2119
Ekiti East LGA
Collation Officer: Prof. Olabode Olatunbosun
ADC – 1730
APC – 26359
PDP – 2795
politics
BREAKING: Rivers State Assembly Begins Impeachment Process Against Governor Fubara and Deputy
The Rivers House of Assembly has commenced impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Oduh.
The move followed a plenary session on Thursday presided over by Speaker Martins Amaewhule.
During the session, the Majority Leader of the House, Major Jack, formally read the notice of allegations and claims of gross misconducts levelled against Governor Fubara.
He disclosed that the notice was endorsed by 26 members of the Assembly, who alleged that the Governor had acted in violation of provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.
Speaker Amaewhule stated that the notice of impeachment would be served on Governor Fubara within the next seven days in line with constitutional procedures.
The Deputy Majority Leader, Linda Stewart, read out a separate notice of allegations and gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor, Oduh, marking the formal commencement of impeachment proceedings against her as well.
politics
Breaking : Accord Party Faces Internal Crisis in Osun as Bamigbola Emerges for 2026 After Adeleke
A faction of the Accord Party has produced Clement Bamigbola as its governorship candidate for the 2026 Osun State election, just four days after the emergence of Governor Ademola Adeleke as the party’s flagbearer.
Newsthumb recalls that Adeleke had emerged on Wednesday as the party’s candidate, being the sole aspirant in the exercise.
However, a faction of the party rejected his emergence, insisting that Barrister Maxwell Ngbudem is not the legally recognised national chairman of the Accord Party.
In a fresh development on Sunday, about 300 delegates of the Accord Party from across Osun State elected Bamigbola as the factional candidate during a primary held at Regina Suite, Osogbo.
Bamigbola emerged through a voice vote conducted by the delegates, after which the Chairman of the Primary Committee, Hon. Olufemi Ogundare, declared him the party’s candidate for the 2026 Osun State governorship election.
Following his declaration, Ogundare and other party leaders formally presented the party’s flag to Bamigbola ahead of the 2026 contest.
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