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2023: INEC Admits Hitches; Insists On BVAS for Guber Election

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

Electoral Umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has admitted that there were hitches in the deployment of the Biomidial Voters Assessment System, BVAS, during the February 25th Presidential and national Assembly Elections across the Country.

This was disclosed by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Saturday, at the meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners in Abuja.

Yakubu told the RECs that it was imperative for the Commission to review their performances from last Saturday’s election.

He noted that the elections were painstakingly done but it came with issues ranging from technology, delay by election officials, attitudes of political parties’ agents among others.

The INEC Chairman stated that a lot of lessons have been learnt from the Presidential Elections ahead of the Governorship and State Assembly elections.

He added that despite the BVAS hitches at the last election, it will still be deployed for the March 11 Governorship Election and State House of Assembly.

Guber Election: “We Shall Physically Confront Riggers” – Tambuwal; Accuses Minister For Police

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0

By Akinwale Kasali

The All Progressives Congress, APC and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Sokoto, are at each others neck, over allegations of plans to scuttle the Governorship election in the State.

The APC alleges that the PDP is conniving with Security agents to scuttle the exercise.

This is coming a week to the 2023 governorship and House of Assembly elections across the country scheduled for 11th March 2023.

The APC, at a press conference addressed by its Chairman, Isa Sadiq Acida accused the PDP  of conniving with security agencies during the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections to deploy armed men to the polling units as well as young men with dangerous weapons to attack voters and voting agents.

Acida, who addressed newsmen at the party secretariat, further alleged that it was the same people sent out of the PDP by the Governor Aminu Tambuwal led administration that have turned out to play a significant role in its downfall.

The Party called on INEC to investigate the actions of some of its Ad Hoc and Permanent staff, “who we believe connived with the PDP in the last election to deliberately delay the arrival of voting materials to the polling units and placed artificial clogs to the voting process, in areas where the APC has a large following.

“We also urge the security agencies to investigate incidents of deliberate destruction of ballot boxes, find out who destroyed the boxes, who their sponsors are and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.”

The Party vowed not to tolerate a repeat performance in the Governorship and State Assembly polls and called for people to abide by the principle of one man one vote in the coming elections across the state.

But the Peoples Democratic Party during a stakeholders meeting in the State called on its members across the State to ensure their votes are protected against rigging or manipulation henceforth.

The stakeholders meeting which was attended by the leaders of the party in the state, including Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, his Deputy, Muhammad Manir Dan’iya, the campaign DG, former ministers among many others.

They said that the PDP had thoroughly reviewed all infractions noticed during the Presidential Election and vowed to never again allow the use of foul means to usurp power as it was done in the past.

The party leaders berated the action of Security Agencies, especially the Nigerian police, which they said allowed themselves to be used by the campaign DG of the APC in the State, who is also the Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi.

Speaking further, the State governor, Aminu Tambuwal urged the Security agencies to be professional stressing that any further attempt to intimidate the people in the forthcoming elections would be resisted.

“All of you know what happened last Saturday. We were winning overwhelmingly when the APC thugs invaded the polling units at the watch of security agencies” he stated.

“These thugs rendered most of the election in many polling units inconclusive.

”Our party, the PDP, therefore, resolves that in as much as it remains a law-abiding political party, conducting its affairs strictly within the ambit of our nation’s electoral laws; the party will henceforth resist rigging.

“We will henceforth directly and physically confront and resist the election riggers from always having a field day by truncating our nascent democracy.

“Consequently, the PDP directs all its agents, its officials to be vigilant in all polling units to avoid the repeat of what happened last Saturday.”

He called on President Muhammad Buhari to caution erring security officials.

Zenith Bank: Jim Ovia Chairs New Holding Company

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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0

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has approved the appointment of Jim Ovia as Chairman of the Zenith Bank Holding company, ZBHC.

This development comes on the heels of the Regulator’s approval for the commercial bank to restructure as a holdco, the bank said in a statement on Friday.

The change of the bank’s structure to a Holder also came barely a week after the CBN fixed the maximum tenure of commercial bank chief executives and directors at 10 years maximum.

On Thursday, the Deputy Managing Director of the bank, Adaora Umeoji resigned her appointment in effect to the CBN’s new tenure guidelines having spent the maximum 10 years as one of the directors of the leading deposit money bank, DMB in the country.

The implication of this, is that, the bank has now joined the league of other banks such as the FCMB, Access, First Bank, GTCO, and others which had since been operating a holding structure following the approval of the Godwin Emefiele-led apex bank.

“The CBN has granted approval-in-principle for Zenith Bank to operate a non-operating financial holding company structure.

“Furthermore, the CBN approved Mr Jim Ovia as the Chairman of Zenith Holdco Plc (in-formation and for Mr Jim Ovia to also continue as the Chairman of Zenith Bank until the commencement of Zenith Holdco,” the bank stated in a statement signed by Micheal Otu, the Company Secretary, on Friday.

Naira Swap: Akeredolu Calls For Quick Implementation Of Supreme Court Judgement

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Oluwarotimi Akeredolu

By Ayodele Oni

Ondo state Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has charged that compliance with the Supreme Court judgement on naira swap policy should commence immediately.

The Governor, in a statement he personally signed warned that the state will go to court if the judgement is not complied with by the federal government and Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN).

Akeredolu’s statement reads : “The Government and the people of Ondo State received the news of the ruling of the Supreme Court on the punitive implementation of a monetary policy, hurriedly packaged to achieve a pernicious end by Mr Godwin Emefiele, with great relief.

“The position of the apex Court is in tandem with our press releases on the subject matter.

“We salute the industry and courage of the Justices of the Supreme Court for the well-considered ruling.

“The CBN Governor and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice misadvised the President to assume powers of an Emperor answerable only to himself and no other authorities as enshrined in the law.

“It is deplorable to witness small businesses collapse with unbelievable rapidity. We have been regaled with tales of the dehumanisation of ordinary Nigerians who have been forced to strip themselves naked in banking halls weeping to be given their monies kept with the banks.

“Some have lost their lives, needlessly, for being unable to access their deposits in the banks upon demand.

“The Governor of the CBN acted most irresponsibly when he claimed to be exercising powers, which the CBN Act does not invest in his office.

“He was quoted as saying that he was fighting corruption, money laundering and vote- buying. He acted, ultra vires, goaded by his political permutations.

“The AGF equally misled the President to act beyond the limits of his executive powers. Nigerians have been punished unduly.

“As the Supreme Court has pronounced, the law must be allowed to rule. There are statutory functions allotted to bodies in the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

“These bodies must be allowed to exercise those functions. Anyone purporting to act in contravention of the extant laws does so, either ignorantly or mischievously.

“The letters of the law are simple and understandable if the people in authority embrace less mischief.

“We enjoin the Federal Government to obey the ruling of the Supreme Court immediately as there is no other alternative open to it.

“We congratulate the States which challenged this obnoxious policy implementation and hope that our banks will release the deposits of Nigerians in their custody upon demand forthwith as there will be grave consequences for continued seizure of the hard-earned monies of citizens.

“There is no gain asserting the obvious. The whole policy may have been well conceived. Its implementation has been politically driven.

“The CBN Governor is a partisan of injustice and oppression. Most Governments, perhaps with the exception of a negligible few motivated by the possibility of deriving unexpressed political advantages,  cannot meet simple obligations to their citizens. It is most unfortunate.

“As we enjoin the officials of the Federal Government who may be directly involved in putting into effect the spirit and the letter of the Supreme Court ruling to do so immediately, the Ondo State Government will not hesitate to proceed against persons and institutions whose activities impede its ability to discharge statutory obligations to the people.

“There is no justification for the pains to which our people have been subjected for obvious political reasons.”

“We Have  No Common Grounds With The APC, On A Rigged Election” – Obi-Datti Media Team

By
The Source
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0

The Obi-Datti Media Team of the Labour Party has  said it found the Press Statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, the Director, Media, of the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress, in response to the alleged monumental breaches which rubbished the 25th February 2023 Presidential Election, ridiculous.

In a statement on Friday titled “We Have No Common Grounds With The APC On A Rigged Election”, the  Media Team advised the APC to get ready to defend its votes and victory in Court.

The APC PCC, in its statement in response to the Press Conference addressed by Peter Obi, the LP Candidate, had described  the election which produced its Candidate, Bola Tinubu, as President-elect as transparent and credible and one of the best in the Country so far, and promised to meet Obi and LP in Court.

It debunked the claims by Obi that he won the election, and dismissed him as incapable of doing that.

But the LP thinks otherwise.

“We advise the APC and its members to get ready to give cogent reasons to the Election Tribunal, how, despite being roundly rejected in many key States at the polls, by Nigerians, it magically emerged winner in the election, through declaration, by Professor Mahmood Yakubu”, it challenged.

Following is the full text of the statement by LP’s Media  Team.

“We view with non-amusement the recent press statement by the All Progressives Congress (APC) signed by Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Director of Media and Publicity of its campaign organisation, where the party sought vainly to pull wool over the eyes of Nigerians, by using the dubious components of a clearly rigged election, to attempt to tarnish the unimpeachable image of Mr. Peter Obi, our presidential candidate.

“It has been 72 hours since the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, in what will surely go down in history as a most bizarre act of electoral fraud and chicanery, foisted APC’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu on Nigerians, as their elected president, despite his obvious and well independently, documented rejection, by the people on 25th February.

“Since this unsettling declaration as winner of a charade, as supervised by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and his men, and which has rightly been condemned by millions of Nigerians and also by international observers, the APC and its candidate, Bola Tinubu, have remained restless, because they have murdered peace.

“So, not surprisingly, yesterday, March 2, 2023, soon after our presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi reaffirmed that he indeed won the election, and declared his intention to proceed to court to retrieve his mandate, the APC camp panicked again, with Onanuga’s incongruous press statement .

“What may be gleaned by Mr Onanuga’s empty and futile attempt to throw truth on its head, is that Mr Obi was declared 3rd, so he has no standing to contest the results, that many prominent parties and personalities lost their states and contested seats, so therefore the elections were free and fair,and that Mr Peter Obi and the Labour Party swept the elections in the southeast, so it was an indication of fairness.

“It is important to underline, for the benefit of Mr Onanuga and anyone else, who may be caught in similar shallow and deceitful analysis, that our objection to the criminal operation on 25th February is fundamental and total, based not on diversionary sentiment, but on thousands of well documented evidence, which do not need much searching or advanced intelligence, to obtain or comprehend.

“What we seek, simply, is that the true results, as recorded by Nigerian voters, in the polling booths, be processed, as required by law, by instantly transmitting them to the INEC server and thereafter being reflected on the IREV before declaration, as they form the primary record of the election, for all tabulation, collation and declaration.

“The idea of criminally withholding passwords, inflation, alteration, substitution, manipulation and fabrication of voting figures and Form EC8A, outside this simple process, remains an illegality, even where they have been criminally crafted for the Labour Party to maintain its deserved lead, at any sub unit of the election.

“It is clear that we have little grounds in common with Onanuga or the APC, to begin to discuss or compare notes on this election; as far as he is concerned, the fact that Labour Party won in some declared results, should forestall a challenge to an election that was  overwhelmed by irregularities, from top to bottom. This has no basis, in reason.

“Let us also address with this opportunity, the scope of this illegality.

“We totally reject the narrative that the Obi/Datti ticket did not win the required spread of 25% in enough states, or that we did not win enough votes in the Northern States.

“The evidence is consistent that the same brazen alteration of votes, and non transmission of polling booth results, occurred all across the country, including the Northern States.

“There is abundant evidence that the votes were systematically altered and reduced in these states, with the particular aim of denying our ticket its duly earned 25% and higher, in those states.

“Ordinarily, it is not in our nature to respond to every diatribe, especially of misguided deceit.

“However, where the line between truth and falsehood, as well as between fact and fiction, have become so thin, it is incumbent on us, to set the records straight, lest the APC known for their penchant for half-truths, deflect attention from their misadventure of February 25, which has cast a pall over the entire nation.

“For a party, which has spent the last eight years in power, destroying every fabric of national unity, pauperizing Nigerians and pillaging the national treasury through greedy and unconscionable officials, to try to paint our Presidential Candidate with the same paint of ethnic and religious divisionism, which is their trademark, is not only despicable, but unconscionable.

“The truth that stares every Nigerian starkly is that Mr. Obi is a Nigerian with reach across, religious and ethnic divides, and this reflected clearly in his performance in the February 25 election  despite the manipulations of the APC and the incompetent handling and delivery of INEC.

“Whereas Mr. Tinubu, who many of his followers and APC members had described, as the “Builder” and “Landlord” of Lagos, was roundly defeated by Mr. Obi, in the very state he served two terms, and neither could he secure the required 25 percent of the votes in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.

“We advise the APC and its members to get ready to give cogent reasons to the Election Tribunal, how, despite being roundly rejected in many key states at the polls, by Nigerians, it magically emerged winner in the election, through declaration, by Professor Mahmoud Yakubu .

“We have cast-iron evidence from polling units across the country, to prove that we won overwhelmingly, and we will prove our case beyond any possible doubt.

“We will not, also, be needing the assistance of any party, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to prove our case, as Mr. Onanuga and the APC distractively suggest.

“No doubt these elections have brought great shame on our country, but we cannot afford, but to seek to redeem in entirety, the will of the people, as freely expressed last Saturday, and as criminally repressed by the riggers and their conspirators.

“For us at the Labour Party and the ObiDatti Presidential Campaign Organisation, we are irrevocably focused on reclaiming that mandate freely given to us by Nigerians, but stolen in a most unintelligent, shameless and brazen manner by the APC .

“And this we will achieve, for the sanctity of the Electoral process, for the hopes of the millions of Youth and the people, who came forward to vote with all determination…and for the future of our children, threatened by the machinations of evil men.

“Over them, we shall prevail as a Nation.”

PDP Governors Withdraw Suit Against Tinubu’s Presidential Victory From Supreme Court

By
Adesina Soyooye
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0

By Adesina Soyooye

It was going to be a first of its kind in the history of Presidential Elections in Nigeria.

Nigerians are used to Political Parties or Presidential Candidates filing suits challenging the victory of the eventual winner. But never have States from same Party filed a Suit at the Supreme Court asking for the cancellation of the Presidential election won by the Candidate of another Part.

In the unprecedented Suit, seven Governors of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, whose Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, lost to the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, asked  the Supreme Court to cancel the election which produced Tinubu as the President-elect. The Defendant: The Attorney General of the Federation.

The States which filed the suit through their Attorneys General are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo  Sokoto and Taraba. The defendant: The Attorney General of the Federation.

In the released results, their Party, the PDP, won five of the States, while the Labour Party won two – Delta and Edo States.

However, for reasons yet to be made public, the seven States suddenly withdrew the suit from the Supreme Court.

In a notice, on Friday, which announced the discontinuation of the suit, their Counsel, Mike Ozekhome, said: “Take notice that the Plaintiffs do hereby, wholly, discontinue this suit against the defendants herein.”

The seven States had dragged the Federal Government before the Supreme Court asking cancellation of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

It was filed pursuant to section 6 (6)14(3)153(2) and 252 of the 1999 Constitution and inherent jurisdiction of the Apex Court.

In filing the suit, they were asking the Supreme Court to invoke relevant provisions of Nigeria’s law to cancel the election over a multitude of  alleged breaches and malpractices.

They sought from the SC to void the declaration of  Tinubu, as president-elect.

The Governors sought “A declaration that the entire results of the Presidential Election conducted on the 25th of February, 2023 announced by the Chairman of INEC at the National Collation Centre, Abuja, in flagrant violation of the provisions of Sections 25; 47(2); 60 (1), (2), (4) & (5); 62; 64(4)(a) & (b); 70; and 148 of the Electoral Act, 2022, governing the 2023 nationwide general elections, particularly paragraphs 38 of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022; and paragraphs 2.8.4; 2.9.0; and 2.9.1 of the INEC Manual for Election Officials, 2023, for the conduct of the Presidential Election, were invalid, null and void, and of no effect whatsoever.

“A declaration that the fundamentally flawed electoral process through the non-uploading of the results of each of the 176,974 Polling Units nationwide, in respect of the presidential election and National Assembly Elections held on Saturday, 25th February 2023 were not in accordance with the provisions of Sections 25; 47(2); 60 (1), (2), (4) & (5); 62; 64(4)(a) & (b); 70; and 148 of the Electoral Act, 2022, governing the 2023 nationwide general elections, particularly paragraphs 38 of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022; and paragraphs 2.8.4; 2.9.0; and 2.9.1 of the INEC Manual for Election Officials, 2023, for the conduct of the presidential election.

“A declaration that the failure of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission to electronically transmit or transfer Polling Unit Results in Form EC8A using BVAS by uploading Scanned Copy of the said Unit Result to the Independent National Electoral Commission Result Viewing Portal (IReV) after the counting and announcement of the Polling Units results on 25th of February, 2023 in collusion, violates the provision of Sections 25; 47(2); 60 (1), (2), (4) & (5); 62; 64(4)(a) & (b); 70; and 148 of the Electoral Act, 2022, governing the 2023 nationwide general elections, particularly paragraphs 38 of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022; and paragraphs 2.8.4; 2.9.0; and 2.9.1 of the INEC Manual for Election Officials, 2023, for the conduct of the Presidential Election.”

They asked for an order of the apex court “directing a holistic review of all results so far announced by the Federal Government of Nigeria through INEC which were carried out other than through the manner prescribed by the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022; and the INEC Manual for Election Officials.

“And for such further Orders as the Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.”

No date had been fixed for the hearing of the suit before it was withdrawn.

However, both Atiku and Peter Obi, the Presidential candidates of the PDP and Labour Party who came second and third respectively are in Court already seeking for the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return from Tinubu.

AFCON Under-20: Nigeria Eagles Books World Cup Ticket, Qualify For Semi Finals

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0

By Akinwale Kasali

The Coach Ladan Bosso-led Flying Eagles has booked a ticket for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup slated for Indonesia later in the Year. The team defeated the Young Cranes of Uganda 1-0 in a pulsating Quarter Final Match.

The African Youth Under-20 Championships taking place in Egypt saw the Nigeria Flying starting on a losing note.

They lost their first match to the Young Teranga Lions of Senegal 1-0 before defeating Host, Egypt 1-0 and Mozambique 2-0 in their last two matches to book a place in the Quarterfinals.

The win against Uganda in the last eight made sure the most populous Black Nation picked one of the four available tickets for the continent to hoist its flag at the World Championship.

An own goal from Uganda defender Ibrahim Juma before the end of the first half saw the Ladan Bosso-led side emerge winners in a keenly contested tie at the 22,000-capacity Suez Canal Authority Stadium in Ismailia, Egypt, and will be at the World Cup taking place in Indonesia between May 20 and June 11.

Goalkeeper Chijioke Aniagboso, who has been huge for the Flying Eagles since taking over the sticks after the opening day defeat to Senegal in Cairo, captained in the absence of the suspended Daniel Bameyi, but was unfazed by the band and gave another assuring performance for the seven-time champions.

As early as the 10th minute, he had to enact a reflex save to stop a bullet header from a corner kick.

Both teams continued to frisk for opportunities with Nigeria’s Ibrahim Muhammad and Haliru Sarki probing deep but undone mostly by inaccurate passes and poor ball-holding in the final quarter.

However, on the dot of half hour, Ibrahim Muhammad, who scored one of the goals that sank Mozambique on the final day of Group A attrition, latched onto a long ball from the defence, controlled well and fired. His effort saw the ball hit the upright, and in his confusion, defender Ibrahim Juma helped the ball into his own net for the only goal of the match.

Muhammad should have made it two to purchase a cruise for Nigeria only four minutes after the restart, but he put too much power behind his turn and shot.

On the hour mark and seven minutes after, Aniagboso saved point-blank efforts that sustained Nigeria’s lead, and in the 80thminute, Samson Lawal spun the ball away from goal from a 22 -yard free-kick.

Victory earned Nigeria a slot in Monday’s semi-finals as well as a ticket to Indonesia. The Flying Eagles will take on the winner of the clash between Congo and Tunisia, happening at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday.

President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau has told the country’s U20 boys, Flying Eagles to focus their minds on winning Monday’s semi-final clash with either The Gambia or South Sudan to reach the Final of the 17th Africa U20 Cup of Nations ongoing in Egypt.

Speaking to the players and officials in their dressing room at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium after the victory over Uganda on Thursday, which qualified the Flying Eagles for this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup finals, Gusau lauded the spirited efforts of the squad and implored them to do even better against the opponents in the last four.

“You have done a great job in achieving our first objective here, which is to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. With the World Cup ticket in our pouch, it is now time to go for the trophy itself.

“Our country has won this same trophy seven times before but our last triumph was eight years ago, in Senegal. Time for another triumph. For now, the semi-final is what is in front of you and what you must focus hard on,” Gusau, who was in company with Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Alhaji Nura Abba Rimi, said.

Nigeria will face the winner between South Sudan and the Gambia who play on Friday evening.

U.S. Senator Says Washington Shouldn’t Rush To Legitmatise Nigeria’s Presidential Election Results

By
The Source
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0
Senator Jim Risch

By Charles Igbo

A United States Republican Senator, Jim Risch, (Idaho), has advised the United States Government not to be “in a rush to embrace” the results of the February 25 Presidential election held in Nigeria.

Senator Risch, a ranking Senator and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in a statement he released on Thursday, 2nd February, 2023, said of the results of the Presidential election:

“The ongoing electoral process in Nigeria is widely viewed as deeply flawed by election observers and many Nigerians.

“It is disappointing to see the administration rush to embrace the result while the full picture of what occurred during this electoral process is yet to be seen.

“I’ve expressed similar concerns related to other areas of our relationship with the Nigerian Government. I worry this rush to judgement will undermine our ability to be an effective partner to all Nigerians, especially given their long-standing desire for democracy.

“With Nigeria heading into state-level elections in just a few days, it is important that the United States be more concerned with supporting the Nigerian people and their democratic aspirations than embracing the Nigerian   Government.”

The Presidential Election was won by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, he beat the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, and that of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, to the second and third places. The three Candidates won 12 States each, but Tinubu garnered more number of Votes.

The election was generally seen as allegedly flawed by not a few Nigerians. Both Atiku and Obi reject the results and have headed to the Courts to challenge the outcome.

However, Tinubu insists that the process that produced him was transparent.

Supreme Court Chides FG For Disobeying Its Orders

By
The Source
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0
Supreme Court Abuja

By Gideon Njoku

The Supreme Court of Nigeria stopped short of dismissing the Federal Government as lawless, when it gave judgement in the Naira Swap suit.

Delivering the judgement in which  ordered that both the old and new Naira notes be used side by side as legal tenders, the Apex Court  rebuked the FG: “The disobedience of the orders of the Court is a sign of the failure of rule of law.”

It also said that “the defendants (FG), ought not to have been heard when it refused to obey the orders of this Honourable Court.”

Insisting that the suit instituted by the Governors has merit, the SC noted:

  • The demonetisation policy is inconsistent with the CBN Act .
  • That the President cannot make a unilateral policy without carrying the Plaintiffs along.
  • In issuing the policy, the President is under an obligation to carry the National Council of States along.
  • The policy has impeded the functions of State Governments.
  • The directive of the President is illegal
  • Old version of the Naira notes shall continue to be legal tender with the new Naira notes until 23rd December 2023.

The CBN had redesigned the Naira in November 2022, and gave January 31, 2022, as the deadline for the use of the old Naira notes of N1000, N500 and N200 denominations.

When all appeals to the CBN to extend the deadline failed, the three Governors of Kaduna, Zamfara and Kogi States went to the SC to challenge the FG and the CBN. Ruling in an exparte motion, the SC allowed the old and new Naira notes to be used side by side till the next adjournment. But it was an order the FG and CBN refused to obey.

But put under pressure over the unprecedented suffering of the people over the scarcity of both new and old notes, President Buhari gave a ten-day grace while the case was still in Court.

Once the grace period was over, the CBN declared the  old Naira notes illegal tender. Riots broke out as people were dying of hunger. Buhari was forced to reapprove the old N200 notes as legal tender till April.

But on Friday, March 3, 2023, the SC gave judgement in favour of the Governors and extended the use of the old notes till December 23, 2023.

Teenager Commits Suicide Over Peter Obi’s Presidential Election Loss

By
The Source
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0
Boy Commits Suicide

By Gideon Njoku

A yet-to-be identified teenage boy from Plateau State  has, allegedly, committed suicide over the loss of Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the Presidential election of February 25, 2023.

The  Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, was declared winner of the hotly contested race.

According to the results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Tinubu beat Atiku Abubakar, Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Obi to the second and third places respectively.

The three Candidates won 12 States each but Tinubu was declared winner based on the number of votes he garnered.

But the 19-year-old insisted that Obi was rigged out, and, therefore, hanged himself.

In a short note he left behind, he said: “No hope for Nigeria for the next 20 years after Obi lost the election. I rather end it now than to live in a hell called Nigeria.”

The Source (Magazine) has not been able to, independently, confirm this story. And there has been no statement from the Plateau Police Command.

Sources who claim to know the teenager say he was one of those who took to the streets, in Jos, to protest Tinubu’s victory.

*SAD NEWS: I will tell God INEC killed me, Young Boy from Plateau state commit suicide and dies after Obi lost a rigged election.

The 19 years old boy left a short note behind which reads “ no hope for Nigeria for the next 20 years after Obi lost the election, I rather end it now than to live in a hell called Nigeria”

The small boy was part of the people that protested in the sun and rain to market Obi, but got disappointed by INEC that  rigged the Election in the favor of Tinubu.

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