POLITICS
Aduda Heads to Court, Challenges Ireti’s Victory
By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
Barely three weeks after the conduct of Presidential and National Assembly Elections which produced Ireti Kingibe as Senator – elect for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), her closest rival, Senator Tanimu Aduda has vowed to challenge result of the election at the tribunal.
Senator Aduda who doubles as the Minority Leader of the 9th Senate, told newsmen at the National Assembly yesterday that his plan of litigating against result of the election arose from the fact that result was announced when collations at the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) , were yet to be completed and even with utter disregard to results cancelled in other polling units across the 62 wards in Six Area Councils.
“The election as guided by the extant laws used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) , supposed to have been declared inconclusive .
“Pointedly in substantial numbers of the polling units, there were over voting which led to cancellation of results that supposed to have been revisited by INEC through rescheduled election but from nowhere, we had that results were declared.
“We are going to challenge it,” he said.
On capacity and service delivery to FCT residents over the years , Senator Aduda said: “Within my twelve years in the Senate and eight years in the House of Representatives , a lot of development – driven projects have been facilitated by me across the 62 wards and Six Area Councils , many of which are still ongoing”.
“I believe it is the person declared as winner of the election that has no capacity because if she has the capacity common Google will show her what I Have done.
“It will show you that I led a protest to this place. On the floor of the Senate, I had to discuss about this issue of Naira redesign and other motions on issues of urgent national importance.
“We have a road we are constructing in Kubwa, Over N1b, another one in Nyanya, over N1b, we have the ones we are doing in Bwari, if I don’t have the capacity and cannot represent the people, I don’t think I can attract those projects to rhe various communities or Area Councils. I am not talking of Gwagwalada or Kwali or Kuje, I am only talking about the urban center, the environment here.
“These are aside very important bills sponsored by me, passed by the National Assembly and assented to , by President Muhammadu Buhari like the one on the Federal College of Education Zuba that has been there for over 17 years without graduation until we passed that bill,” Aduda said.
Other bills are Federal Capital Territory Area Councils (Administration & Political Structure) Bill, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, Bill, Federal Capital Territory University of Science & Technology Abaji, Bill, Federal Capital Territory Hospital Management Board Bill, Federal Capital Territory water Board Bill, Federal Capital Territory Transport Authority Bill, FCT Civil Service Commission Bill, Federal Capital Territory College of Nursing and Midwifery bill, FCT Health Insurance agency Bill etc .
He added that he put on ground infrastructure in various areas like provisions of classrooms, Primary Health Care centers, Provision of portable water, Provision of Rural electrification, Construction of roads across the area councils in the FCT, Small & Medium Scale empowerment programmes and Provision of student bursary to over three thousand (3,000) beneficiaries drawn across the sixty two (62) electoral wards of the six (6) Area Councils.
Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano State has presented a budget of N549 billion for 2025 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly for passage into law.
Presenting the proposal tagged ‘‘Budget of Hope, Human Capital and Economic Development’’ on Friday in Kano, Yusuf said it was aimed at consolidating and improving the wellbeing of the people of the state.
He said that the budget consist of N312 billion for capital expenditure and N236 billion for recurrent expenditure.
According to him, the 2025 budget, when approved, is projected to have a ratio of capital to recurrent 57:43 per cent respectively.
The governor explained that most of the capital spending would be in the Social and Economic Sectors to the tune of N 461 billion.
He also said that the Education Sector got a lion share of N168 billion more than the UNESCO and UN recommendations, adding that the figure represents 31 per cent, while the Health Sector received N90 billion representing 16. 50 per cent.
He added that the fund would be spent on executing policies and programmes aimed at ensuring quality and education at all levels.
He also said that N21 billion representing 3.83 per cent was earmarked for the Agricultural Sector, while Infrastructure Development got N70 billion representing 12.87 percent.
“N23 billion representing four per cent was set aside for Security, Justice and Emergency Services, while Water Supply and Rural Development got N27 billion representing 4.96 percent,” he explained.
The governor urged the lawmakers to ensure speedy passage of the budget, to enable the government continue to provide dividends of democracy to the people.
The Speaker, Jibrin Falgore, assured the governor of speedy passage of the budget to create time for January to December budget circle.
The Speaker also commended the governor for his stride in infrastructure development, security, health and education.(NAN)
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
A Youth Advocate on grassroots advancement, Andrew Ochika has urged the newly elected chairman of Dekina Local Government Area in Kogi state, John Ura Ikani to key into Governor Usman Ododo’s development agenda.Ochika in an interview with Our Correspondent, said that the call has become necessary to boost accelerated development down to rural communities in Dekina Local Government Area.
Ochika, a member of Okoyi Community Youth Development, lamented lack of basic infrastructure in Dekina Local Government Area saying that the new Chairman has all it takes to deliver on his mandate and correct the anomaly. The Youth Advocate, who described the overwhelming victory of the Chairman in the just concluded council polls as well deserved, called on him to strive to justify the confidence reposed in him through the provision of democracy dividends to all communities in the local government area.According to him “the new Chairman, John Ura Ikani was a tested leader who performed excellently as Care-taker Chairman. I believe that now that he is elected as executive chairman, he has the capacity to deliver better than before”He urged the Chairman to sustain his tempo in grading of rural roads, provision of health facilities, rural electrification and drilling of bore-holes to ensure potable water supply in the area.He called on the people of the local government to cooperate with the Chairman in his efforts to uplift their living standards.
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, National Chairman, Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed to political parties, candidates, and supporters to maintain peace during the governorship election in Ondo State.
Yakubu made the appeal while monitoring the 2024 Ondo State Mock Accreditation held on Wednesday across the three senatorial district of the state.
Report says that INEC is scheduled to conduct the Ondo State Governorship Election on Nov.
16, 2024, with 18 political parties to participate in the election.The INEC chairman, who said that the exercise was part of the commission’s preparation, said the maintenance of peace would enable the commission to conduct a free and fair election.
He also said that the mock accreditation was to further test the functionality of their system.
“In the last election, our machines performed optimally but we can not take that for granted.
“We will ensure that all the polling units open on time so that voters will not come and wait for INEC officials and materials.
“And we have tested the integrity of the machines, it is not the matter of early deployment, but also early accreditation.
“We are doing our best as an electoral commission and others should also do their best, particularly political parties and their candidates.
“I want to appeal to political parties, candidates and their supporters to ensure that they maintain the peace that will enable us to deploy and conclude the process in good time.
“And also to announce the candidate people of Ondo State are choosing as their governor on Saturday,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Usman Isiaka Taiwo, who was accredited at the Ijapo High School, Akure, Ward 4 Unit 41, applauded INEC for the conduct.
“There is no delay in the exercise, and I will come along with my family to cast our votes for the candidate of our choice,” he said.
Also, Mrs Adebimpe Bankole, who was accredited at Alagbaka Primary School, Akure, Ward 5 Unit 18, scored INEC 80 per cent for the mock exercise.
“I am satisfied with the process because I did not waste any time before I did my accreditation.
“I would have given them 100 per cent but I can’t, rather I will give them 80 per cent because they have done well.
“By Gods grace, I will come out on Saturday, Nov. 16 for the election proper to cast my vote,” she said.
The INEC national chairman visited Ijapo High School, Akure, Ward 4 Unit 41; and Alagbaka Primary School, Akure, Ward 5 Unit 18.
Ward 10 Unit 12 in Owena, and Ward 10, Unit 1, Aiyetoro/ Owena, Idanre Local Government Area in Ondo Central Senatorial District, were also visited.
Yakubu also visited two Local Government Area offices of the commission including Ile-Oluji/ Okeigbo in Ondo North Senatorial District. (NAN)
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