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Buhari Finally Declines Assent to 2021 Electoral Act Amendment Bill

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President Muhammadu Buhari has formally declined assent  to the 2021 Electoral Act Amendment Bill, passed by the National Assembly.


Buhari’s decision was communicated in a letter addressed to President of Senate, Ahmad Lawan and read at plenary on Tuesday.


“Further to the letter dated Nov.

18, forwarded for presidential assent ,the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021 as passed by the National Assembly.


”I have received informed advice from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) and I have also carefully reviewed the bill in line with current realities prevalent in the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the circumstances.


“Arising from the review, the Senate President, may wish to note that the conduct of elections for the nomination of party candidates as solely via direct primaries as envisage by the electoral act amendment bill 2021 has serious adverse, legal, financial and economic and security consequences, which can not be accommodated at the moment considering our nation’s peculiarity.


”It also has implications on the lives of citizens to participate in the government as constitutionally ensured,” the president said.


Buhari added: “The Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021 seeks to amend certain provisions of the extant Electoral Act 2010.


“Part of the objective of the bill is the amendment of present section 87 of the electoral Act 2010 to delete the provision for the conduct of indirect primaries in the nomination of party candidates, so that party candidates can henceforth only emerge through direct primaries.


“Arising from the review, Mr Senate President, we wish to particularly note the pertinent issues implicated as follows to it.


“The conduct of direct primaries across the 8,809 wards across the length and breath of the country will lead to significant strife in the course of conducting primary elections by parties and increase in the cost of monitoring such elections by INEC.”

“The party is to conduct direct primary elections for the presidential, governorship and legislative posts.

” The addition of these costs is already a huge cost of conducting general election and will inevitably leave a huge financial burden on both the political parties, INEC and the economy in general at a time of dwindling revenues.

“Conducting and monitoring direct primaries in the 8,809 wards will pose huge security challenges as the security agencies will also be over stretched as direct primary will open participation to all and a sundry, as such large turnout without effective security coordination will also engender intimidation and disruption, there by raising credibility issues for outcomes of such elections.

” The proposed amendment will also give rise to pretorial of litigations, this is based on the issues of law, including the existing constitutions of various registered political parties by INEC.

“These real possibilities will without doubt truncate the electoral programme of the nation as another electoral exercise imminent toward a change of government in 2023.

“In the premise of the above, I hereby signify to the National Assembly that I am constrained to withdrawal assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021 in line with provisions of section 58 (1) and (4) of the 1999 constitution as amended.

“It is my considered position that the political parties should be allowed to freely exercise right of choice in deciding which of direct or indirect primaries to adopt in the conduct of their primary elections.
“Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.”(NAN)

CRIME

3 Docked for Allegedly Breaking into Bank, Stealing Laptops

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Three men, Olufemi Faleti, 59, Ayoade Adewale 41 and Idowu Yusuf, 41, on Friday, were brought before an Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court Ibadan charged with breaking into a bank and stealing laptops.

The defendants,whose addresses were not provided, were charged with conspiracy, house breaking and stealing, to which they pleaded not guilty.

The Prosecutor, Insp Elisha Tellang told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offences on March 24, at 7:30 p.

m, at First Bank, Asogo, Oyo.

He alleged that the defendants broke into the bank and stole two laptops worth N800, 000.

Tellang said the offences contravened Sections 516, 413 and 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

The Magistrate, Mrs Moyosore Atanda granted each defendant bail in the sum of N300,000 and with two sureties each in like sum.

She adjourned the case until Sept. 8, for hearing. (NAN)

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CRIME

Ex-convict Bags 2 years Imprisonment for Stealing Speaker, Mobile Phone

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 An Ota Magistrate’s Court in Ogun, on Friday, sentenced a 21-year-old ex-convict, Habeeb Jimoh, to two years imprisonment for stealing a Zealot speaker, Infinix mobile phone and other goods worth N595,000.

In her judgment, the Magistrate, Mrs O.

O.

Fadairo, sentenced the convict to two years imprisonment without an option of fine.

Fadairo said that the prosecution counsel had proven beyond reasonable doubt that he was guilty of the charge preferred against him.

The convict, of no fixed address, had pleaded not guilty to the charge of stealing.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. E. O. Adaraloye, told the court that the convict committed the offence on May 28, at about 3.

00 a.m. at Singer area, Ewupe in Sango-Ota.

Adaraloye said that the security guard identified him after stealing a Zealot speaker, an Infinix phone and other items, worth N595,000, after which he fled.

According to him, the offence contravenes Section 390 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun, 2006. (NAN)

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CRIME

Man Bangs 7 years Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking 

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 A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a 24-year-old man, Emmanuel Chekwube, to seven years imprisonment for drug trafficking.

Justice Lewis Allagoa sentenced the convict after he had pleaded guilty to the four-count charge of drug trafficking.

Allagoa, however, gave the convict an option of five million naira fine.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had arraigned Chekwube on charges of conspiracy, illegal storage of restricted drug, unlawful use of premises to store banned narcotics and unlawful deal in narcotics.

He had pleaded guilty to the charges.

Following his plea, the Prosecutor, Ms M.

I. Erondu, reviewed the facts of the case and tendered several exhibits before the court, such as: a statement of the defendant, a drug analysis form and packaging of substance form.

Also tendered were: remnant of the narcotics, request for scientific aid form and transparent pouch, among others.

The prosecutor then urged the court to convict the defendant based on his plea as well as the evidences adduced.

Consequently, the judge convicted the defendant as charged.

Before the sentence, the defence had prayed the court to tamper justice with mercy, saying that as his client was a first time offender and that he would turn a new leaf.

Delivering his verdict afterwards, Allagoa sentenced Chekwube to seven years imprisonment on each count, which, he said, would run concurrently.

He, however, gave the convict an option of five million naira fine.

In the charge, the convict was said to have committed the offences on May 7 at Amukoko, Ijora area of Lagos.

He was said to have used the premises to engage in illegal storage of 56.2 kg Tramadol Hydrochloride, 1.2 kg Nitrazepam and 72g of Swinol

All the substances are said to have been listed in the NDLEA schedule as banned narcotics, thus contravening the provisions of Sections 12 and 14(b) of NDLEA Act, 2004. (NAN)

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