COVER
Atiku, Tinubu, APC Trade Words over Alleged Intimidation of Judiciary
By Johnson Eyiangho & Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
Atiku Abubakar, the PDP Candidate in the February 2023 Presidential Election, has alleged that the APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are intimidating and threatening the Judiciary in order to get favourable judgement from the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).
Atiku, therefore, called on Nigerians and international community to be alert to frustrate what he called the “sinister plot to undermine Nigeria’s judiciary and democracy”.
In a statement at the weekend, the PDP candidate also appealed to the security agencies in the country to remain professional in the discharge of their duties and resist being used as an instrument of oppression and intimidation against the judiciary.
According to him, since the conclusion of the presidential election and the attendant controversies in its trail, there have been unfortunate developments that are saddening to many Nigerians.
He said that as proceedings on the controversial February 25 election continues at the court, there have been threats from the ruling party that aim to intimidate the judiciary from serving the duty of justice.
“It is regrettable that the APC and, indeed, agents of President Bola Tinubu have ceaselessly chosen to stand in the way of justice by making catastrophic threats to anarchy if justice is not served according to their whims.
“These and reports in the media about some heinous plots to harass justices sitting on the petition are ominous to peace and the security of our nation.
“Our democracy gives the people of Nigeria the powers to choose their leaders, and our laws demand that our judiciary must be allowed to act independently without harassment and intimidation by the government or powerful interests.
“To compromise the workings of our democracy and seeking to compromise the workings of our judiciary is an open call for anarchy,” he said.
Atiku said that as a party in the litigation that is currently reviewing the outcome of the last presidential election, he would “do all that is within the law in resisting any attempt to undermine our fragile democracy.
“Indeed, we are using this channel to call on the international community to be alerted.
“Nigeria’s democracy should not be undermined by using the judiciary to serve the interest of the ruling party.
“Sadly, this has become the stock in trade of the All Progressives Congress to intimidate the judiciary,” Atiku said.
He recalled that in 2019, the APC-led Federal Government similarly removed the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, when it was obvious that he would not bend to their will.
“The Department of State Services similarly stormed the homes of judges in 2016 and 2017, all in a bid to beat the judiciary into submission.
“The plot of the APC is simple: intimidate the judiciary, threaten judges with arrest so that they will bow to their will. This is a playbook from 2019 when they removed the CJN and then replaced him with Tanko Muhammad, who himself was later accused of corruption by his colleagues at the Supreme Court and resigned shamefully.
“However, the APC government never went after Tanko Muhammad as they did in Onnoghen’s case because it was never about corruption but election. The APC has, over the years, built a reputation of judiciary intimidation. They accused about 10 judges of corruption, stormed their homes, and got them suspended and yet could not convict a single one of them. Justice Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court could not recover from the embarrassment that he ended up dying in office.
“Now, they have initiated a new plot. This time around, they want to intimidate the judges into delivering favourable judgments for them at the election tribunal. We draw the attention of the international community and, indeed, Nigerians to this fresh plot to steal the mandate of over 200 million people.”
Presidency Faults Atiku for ‘Blackmailing Judiciary’
Presidency has criticized the former Vice President and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 2023 elections for blackmailing the judicial system, saying, “this desperation must stop.”
The presidency advised Abubakar should be honourable enough as a statesman to allow the Judiciary to perform its sacred duty without harassment and this resort to self-help.
Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake in a statement at the weekend, insisted that Tinubu won a free, fair, and credible election, adding that the February 25, 2023 Presidential election that produced him “is the most transparent election ever conducted in Nigeria since 1999.”
According to the presidential spokesman, attempting to discredit an important institution of State for selfish political ends is disingenuous, shameful, and unbecoming of a former Vice President of Nigeria.
Lagos State under the leadership of the then Governor Tinubu won over 13 cases up to the Supreme Court against the “hydra-headed PDP administration” at the centre, Alake stated.
“No leader with such a sterling and enviable credential as a champion of the rule of law, and independence of the judiciary like President Tinubu will ever contemplate undermining the Judiciary as alleged by Alhaji Atiku.
“The President and the APC absolutely have no reason to undermine the judiciary in the hope of any favorable judgement.
“His lawyers and that of APC have presented a very solid defence of the result of the election and we are sure the judiciary will impartially deliver its ruling based on points of law and evidence before it, not based on presumptuous speculations and unfounded accusations,” the presidency advised.
Claim Arrant Nonsense, Ruling Party Fires Back
The All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday said the allegation made by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar lacks substance.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka, in a statement issued on Saturday, described Atiku’s allegations as arrant nonsense.
He said there was nothing in Atiku’s statement that was worth a reaction from the ruling party.
The spokesperson said Atiku’s statement alleged that the APC and its government are engaged in a plot to intimidate members of the judiciary towards unduly influencing the outcome of pending cases before the court.
Morka stressed Atiku and his minions offered no evidence to support their wild, hollow, and mischievous allegations.
The spokesperson stressed that President Bola Tinubu and the APC won the election convincingly, adding that the ruling party has faith and confidence in the courts to dispense electoral justice in accordance with the Constitution and all applicable laws.
“Quite frankly, there is nothing in Atiku Abubakar’s statement that is worth a reaction from the APC. It is just arrant nonsense, totally lacking in substance and cogency.
“It’s only imaginable purpose is a childish attempt to float an alibi to deflect the shame of a highly probable defeat in court, having miserably failed to make out a credible case to justify his bogus claim that he won the last Presidential Election,” he added.
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
As part of efforts to reposition the newspaper for optimum corporate performance, the management of Asset Newspapers Limited, Publishers of DAILY ASSET, has announced the appointment of David Torough as the Editor of the Abuja-based national daily.
A statement by the management said the appointments were part of the company’s new strategy to further penetrate the various states in the country and raise its readership and patronage.
“DAILY ASSET is widely acceptable across the country and to maintain our leadership position, we need to increase management presence, hence the need to create new Bureau offices in some locations outside Abuja and Lagos,” the statement quoted the Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief, Dr Cletus Akwaya to have said.
In a statement yesterday, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the fast-growing daily, Dr. Cletus Akwaya said the appointment was part of the new strategy to properly situate the paper for better productivity.
“DAILY ASSET has a commitment with the Nigerian people. We are determined to weather the storm and give Nigerian readers a Newspaper that satisfies their yearnings and reading pleasure and we can only do that with the right set of professionals,” the statement said.
Akwaya, a former Commissioner of Information from Benue State said the difficult times being faced by Nigerians posed a great challenge to the media as the people deserved credible information with which to make choices.
“We have a bond with the people, to offer credible information at all times in the best tradition of the Nigerian Press and on this scale of objectivity, truth and fairness, we pledge to remain steadfast no matter the challenges,” Akwaya was quoted to have said.
He said the newspaper will maiantin its daily print run and circulation to all states of the federation and urged advertisers to take advantage of the deep penetration of the Daily Asset brand to send their messages.
Torough, the new Editor has had a steady rise in the Newspaper in the last five years.
A graduate of Mass communication of the Benue State University, Makurdi, Torough joined the company in 2022 as Benue State Correspondent. He was spotted for his brilliance and redeployed to Abuja the following year and promoted to Deputy News Editor. He was subswuently named Deputy Editor of the paper, a position he held until the recent appointment.
Torough has attended several journalistic workshops and trainings to properly equip himself for the task ahead.
The statement also said the Management named Eze Okechukwu as Deputy Editor.
Before his elevation as Deputy Editor, Eze has been Deputy Politics Editor and DAILY ASSET Newspaper correspondent covering the Senate, having joined the organization in 2021.
Born on March 10, 1975, Eze holds a Masters Degree in Mass Communication from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
Eze began his journalism career with Daily Star, Enugu and later worked with Daily Trust Newspaper, Abuja as sports reporter.
Aside from his journalistic excellence, he has a great deal of passion for sports.
From Ngutor Dekera, Kaduna and Aliyu Askira, Kano
Northern governors and traditional rulers yesterday called for the suspension of mining activities across the region for six months, blaming illegal mining for worsening insecurity in many states.The resolution was contained in a communiqué issued after a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna.
The meeting, chaired by the Gombe State Governor and NSGF Chairman, Muhammadu Yahaya, had in attendance the 19 northern governors and chairmen of the 19 states’ traditional councils. The Forum expressed concern over the escalating violence in parts of the North, including the killings and abductions recently recorded in Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kano states, as well as renewed Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe.“The Forum extends its deepest condolences and solidarity to the governments and good people of the affected states,” the communiqué said, noting that the attacks on schoolchildren and other citizens had become “unacceptable tragedies” that required urgent collective action.It commended President Bola Tinubu for what it described as the Federal Government’s “firm response” to recent abductions and insurgency threats, especially the rescue of some abducted pupils.The governors also saluted security agencies for their sacrifices on the frontlines.“We resolved to renew our support for every step taken by the President and Commander-in-Chief to take the fight to insurgents’ enclaves in order to end the criminality,” the Forum stated.A major highlight of the meeting was the North’s renewed push for the establishment of state police, with governors and traditional rulers insisting that decentralised policing had become inevitable.“The Forum reaffirms its wholehearted support and commitment to the establishment of state police,” the communiqué added, urging federal and state lawmakers from the region to “expedite action for its actualisation.”On illegal mining, the governors said criminal mining networks were fuelling violence and providing resources for armed groups.As a corrective measure, they asked Tinubu to direct the Minister of Solid Minerals to impose a six-month suspension of mining activities in order to allow for a full audit and revalidation of licences.“The Forum observed that illegal mining has become a major contributory factor to the security crises in Northern Nigeria. “We strongly recommend a suspension of mining exploration for six months to allow proper audit and to arrest the menace of artisanal illegal mining,” it said.To strengthen the fight against insecurity, the governors also announced the creation of a regional Security Trust Fund.Under the proposed arrangement, each state and its local governments will contribute ₦1bn monthly, to be deducted at source under an agreed framework.They said the fund would help provide sustainable financing for joint operations, intelligence-driven interventions and coordinated security responses across the region.At the end of the meeting, the Forum reaffirmed its commitment to unity and collective responsibility.“Only through unity, peer review and cooperation can we overcome the pressing challenges before us,” it declared.The Forum agreed to reconvene on a date to be announced.Meanwhile, Nigeria’s worsening security crisis took a grim turn on Monday as bandits launched fresh attacks in Kano State, abducting 25 villagers, even as the Federal Government raced to secure the release of more than 300 Catholic school children kidnapped in Niger State.In the early hours of Monday, armed bandits invaded Unguwar Tsamiya—popularly called Dabawa—in Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State, whisking away nine men and two women after shooting into the air and assaulting residents. The attackers also rustled two cows.A resident lamented the community’s helplessness: “We cannot do otherwise; most of us cannot leave because we have nowhere to go. This is our place, our land and everything is here.”The assault came less than 24 hours after a similar attack on Yan Kamaye in Tsanyawa LGA, a community along the volatile Katsina border.In Niger State, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has assured distraught families of St. Mary’s Co-Education School, Kontagora that the more than 300 students and staff abducted on November 21 will return home “soon.” Ribadu, who led a high-level federal delegation to the school on Monday, said the abductees are safe, though he offered no specifics on their location or the status of rescue operations.According to Daniel Atori, spokesman for the Catholic bishop overseeing the school, the NSA reassured officials: “The children are where they are and will come back safely.”The St. Mary’s attack is part of a worrying resurgence of mass kidnappings reminiscent of the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction. Security analysts warn that banditry has evolved into a “structured, profit-seeking industry,” with hundreds of Nigerians abducted in November alone.The Kontagora school abduction occurred the same week 25 girls were kidnapped in Kebbi State—victims who authorities say have since been rescued through “non-kinetic” means. About 50 of the St. Mary’s hostages have also managed to escape.Ribadu’s delegation, which included the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), reaffirmed the government’s commitment to securing the freedom of all abducted citizens.As communities from Kano to Niger continue to bear the brunt of these violent incursions, the escalating spate of kidnappings underscores the urgent national demand for a more decisive and coordinated security response.
By David Torough, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said former Attorney‑General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, will face a team of interrogators at its office daily throughout December.A credible source in the EFCC said on Monday that the daily appearance was part of an ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of an alleged 490 million dollars Abacha loot secured through a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLAT) request.
The source said that Malami, who was summoned for interrogation by the EFCC on Saturday, was barred from leaving Nigeria for the next one month.According to the source, one of the conditions for his release on Saturday was that he should report daily to the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja for further interrogation.The source said Malami would have to appear daily at the anti-graft office due to the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him.”We seized his passport, it is the normal routine during investigation, but he has to report at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja every day for the next month.”He will be reporting for further investigation throughout December.”He will be reporting every day, starting from Dec. 1st to Dec. 31st.He will appear before the team of investigators for the entire month of December.”He will be reporting to EFCC for investigation for the period because of the volume of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges against him,” the source added.According to the source, a fact sheet on the former minister revealed that Malami had several issues to clarify with the EFCC within the coming weeks.“We have asked him to explain the whereabouts of the $490 million Abacha loot secured through MLAT.“We didn’t say he stole money, but he should account for the loot. This is one of the issues he will clarify to our investigators.”The commission cited the large volume of documents he must review and the need for extensive interviews as reasons for seizing his passport.The source said EFCC would not engage in a war of words but would release its findings after a thorough investigation.Malami, in a statement by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, on Monday in Abuja, however, described the EFCC investigation as a political witch‑hunt.He confirmed he honored an EFCC invitation on Nov. 28, describing the engagement as fruitful and expressing confidence that the probe would vindicate him.Malami described the EFCC’s allegations as baseless, illogical and devoid of substance, insisting they collapse under factual scrutiny.
Tinubu Congratulates UNIJOS Graduands, Pledges Support for Education
ShareFrom Jude Dangwam, Jos President Bola Tinubu has congratulated graduands of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) at the institution’s 35th...
2027 Election: Igbo’s Community Promises Votes for Eno
ShareFrom Christopher Tom, Uyo Non-indigence in Akwa Ibom State especially the Igbo’s community has promised to give the highest number...
Zamfara Reaffirms Commitment to Address Gender-based Violence
ShareBy Ifeanyichukwu Nwannah, Gusau The Zamfara State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and other forms...
Nentawe, Alia, Suswam, Others Bag Chieftaincy Titles from Tiv Kingdom
ShareFrom Attah Ede, Makurdi The Tiv Kingdom has conferred honorific chieftaincy titles on prominent sons, daughters and friends of the...
World Human Rights Day: NGO Takes Medical Outreach to Okaka Correctional Center
ShareFrom Mike Tayese, Yenagoa The 8th edition of Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe Outreach has celebrated the 2025 World Human Rights Day...
Coup in Guinea-Bissau and the Dilemma of ECOWAS
ShareBy Hakeem Jamiu In his seminal work, Political Order in Changing Societies (1968), Professor Samuel P Huntington argues that political...
Chelsea End Winless Run with Comfortable Brighton Victory
ShareChelsea ended their four-game winless streak in the Women’s Super League with a comfortable 3-0 away victory against Brighton. A...
Liverpool ‘United as One’ after Salah Return – Van Dijk
ShareCaptain Virgil van Dijk said Liverpool “are absolutely united and go forward as one” after Mohamed Salah returned to the...
Mikaelian Beats Jack to Regain WBC Title
ShareNoel Mikaelian beat Badou Jack by a unanimous points decision in Los Angeles to regain the WBC cruiserweight title. Mikaelian...
Mobile Phone Association Pillar of Modern Commerce, Driving communication, Says Mamas
ShareFrom Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo The National President of Association of Mobile Phone and Allied Products Traders of Nigeria (AMPAT), Hon....