COVER
Election Tribunal: Tinubu Opens Defence, Tenders Chicago University Academic Records
By Jude Opara, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have opened their case at the presidential election petition court.
At the resumed session yesterday, Wole Olanipekun, counsel to Tinubu and Shettima, tendered several documents in their defence, including the president’s academic documents from the Chicago State University.
The documents tendered are itemised below.
A letter from the Nigeria police to the United States embassy dated February 3, 2023.
A letter from the United States embassy to the Nigeria police dated February 4, 2023.
12 documents of the 2nd respondent (Tinubu) containing educational records from the Chicago State University.
Six documents detailing US visas and immigration documents between 2011 and 2021. All were duly certified by the Nigeria Immigration Service on July 3, 2023.
Copy of reports of the committee on the location of the federal capital territory of Nigeria. The document is certified by the Archives and History Bureau of the FCT, with payment receipts attached dated April 13, 2023.
A copy of form EC8D for Kano state in respect of the February 25th presidential election.
A copy of form EC8D(A) in respect of the February 25th presidential election.
Originating summons in SC/CV/354/2023 dated February 28, 2023, filed by the AGs of Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Sokoto states.
Items nine to 14 tendered were copies of different national newspapers.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and their candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, are challenging Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 presidential poll.
They allege that Tinubu failed to disclose details of his academic qualifications in Form EC9.
The petitioners are also alleging that the president distorted his age and has conflicting academic and personal records.
Atiku said Tinubu failed to secure 25 percent of the vote cast in the federal capital territory (FCT) as constitutionally required.
INEC Calls One Witness, Closes Case in Obi, LP Petition
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has closed its defence in the petition filed by Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP) before the presidential election petition court.
At the court session yesterday, Lawrence Bayode, an information technology practitioner, was led in evidence by Abubakar Mahmoud, INEC counsel.
Before the witness was called, INEC tendered some documents which were admitted and marked as exhibits.
During cross-examination, Bayode said blurred documents downloaded from the result viewing portal do not affect the polling unit results recorded in forms EC8As.
He said photographic copies of forms EC8A captured with the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and transmitted to IReV, are not relevant for the collation of results.
The witness also told the court that the glitch recorded during the presidential poll did not affect the credibility of election results.
He said only physical results (forms EC8As) are used for collating final election results.
After the witness was discharged, Mahmoud told the court that they had no other witness to call.
Wole Olanipekun, counsel to President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima, told the court that he would open their defence on Wednesday.
The five-member panel led by Haruna Tsammani thereafter adjourned the case to Wednesday.
In the petition marked CA/PEPC/03/2023, Obi and the LP are challenging Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 presidential election.
Commission Receives 216 Case Files on Suspended Adamawa REC, Others
The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, yesterday said the commission has received 216 case files from the Nigeria Police on the 2023 general elections.
Yakubu stated this in Abuja during the commission meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), which commenced the commission post-election review of the general elections.
Yakubu said that the case files were for the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari and other 215 electoral offenders in the general elections.
He said that INEC was presently looking at all the evidence of infractions during the election, inclding the prosecution of offenders.
He added that INEC was looking at the activities of all actors involved in the election, including some of the commission’s high-ranking officials.
“I can confirm that the Nigeria Police concluded its investigation of the conduct of our REC in Adamawa State and submitted the case file to us. Appropriate action will be taken in a matter of days and Nigerians will be fully informed.
“I can also confirm that we have received 215 case files from the Nigeria Police following their arrest and the conclusion of investigation into electoral offences arising from the 2023 General Election.’’ Yakubu said.
He said that INEC was working with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to prosecute the alleged offenders.
“Already, the NBA has submitted a list of 427 lawyers across the country who have volunteered to render pro bono services to the Commission.
“They are not charging legal fees but by mutual agreement the Commission will provide a token amount to cover for filing fees/expenses. We are most grateful to NBA and its President, Yakubu Maikyau, for this historic collaboration.
“Similarly, we are working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) on the prosecution of cases relating to vote buying and associated violations,’ Yakubu said.
He also said that INEC had so far received reports from 54 accredited national and international observers.
Yakubu pledged that INEC would give equal prominence to all the reports and review them in a holistic manner to ensure that necessary lessons were learnt from their conclusions and recommendations.
“As a Commission, we hope to continue to count on the support of stakeholders to improve the electoral process in Nigeria,” he said
Yakubu said that in the next few weeks, several internal debriefing meetings would be held, culminating in engagements with stakeholders.
He called on the RECs, as well as INEC senior officials to lead the discussion on all aspects of the election from preparations, conduct and aftermath frankly and constructively.
Yakubu listed areas the review expected to cover to include operational processes for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and general elections.
Others are Legal framework for the conduct of elections; and political parties registration, primaries and nomination of candidates for the election
“Technologies deployed in the electoral process, including the INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED); INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV);
“Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS); party nomination portal; observer, media and polling/collation agents’ accreditation portals etc., focusing particularly on their performance;
“Effectiveness of overall administrative procedures and channels within the Commission in the coordination and execution of pre-election, election and post-election activities,’’ Yakubu listed among others.
He said aside the review, INEC was also preparing for governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa as well as four other by-elections.
“The by-election was as a result of resignation in the case of Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos State.
“Death in respect of Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency of Taraba State, Chibok State Constituency of Borno State and Chikun State Constituency of Kaduna State.
“Let me at this point specifically reiterate to the RECs that we are commencing these debriefings with you because you are central to the conduct of elections.
“Many of you performed very well during the general election under extremely challenging circumstances. I commend you for that.
“However, a few of you did not properly manage the tasks lawfully bestowed upon you for which the Commission has taken some administrative action. I urge you to remain loyal to your oath of office,” Yakubu said. (NAN)
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Development Bank of Nigeria Plc (DBN) has launched DAWN: DBN Action for Women in Nigeria, unveiled its Impact Report and presented MSME Data Assets at the seventh edition of Annual Lecture held in Abuja.
DBN, in a statement on Thursday, said while delivering a welcome address, its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Tony Okpanachi, said the central challenge was no longer reforms themselves but ensuring benefits reach businesses at end of the chain.
He asked how to make sure benefits reach traders in Onitsha, fabricator in Aba, farmer in Kebbi and young founder in Yaba, noting that MSMEs accounted for about half of Nigeria’s GDP and more than eight in every ten jobs, adding that when reform works for MSMEs it works for most Nigerians.
He explained that reform becomes prosperity only when entrepreneurs can act on it whether through long tenor loans to buy equipment, banks willing to take risk or skills and records needed to grow.
He said working through Participating Financial Institutions DBN provides longer term funding, partial credit guarantees through subsidiary Impact Credit Guarantee Limited and capacity building including Entrepreneurship Training Programme.
He disclosed that as at December 2025 DBN had disbursed a cumulative N1.4 trillion to MSMEs through 84 Participating Financial Institutions creating about 1.6 million jobs nationwide.
Under the new five year strategy, the Bank aims to reach more than two million MSMEs with deliberate targets for women led businesses, youth led businesses and underserved states.
On DAWN, Okpanachi said finance alone had not enabled enough women-led businesses to scale.
He said initiative brings together financing, guarantees and credit support, technical assistance, outcome linked grants and market linkages delivered through banks, microfinance institutions, fintechs, aggregators, cooperatives and direct channels.
Its priority sectors are agriculture and exports, healthcare, arts and creatives, technology and green business.
He said DAWN is about moving gender focused lending beyond intention and turning access into opportunity.
On the sidelines of the lecture DBN and African Development Bank held a signing ceremony of AfDB DBN 61 million United States dollars Gender Line of Credit development that reinforces Bank commitment to women led enterprises.
Okpanachi urged Participating Financial Institutions to extend lending into sectors and states where access to finance has been limited, policymakers and regulators to measure reform by what changes for business at end of chain and MSMEs to formalise, keep good records and use support now available.
The Vice President as Special Guest of Honour was represented by Dr Fred Iklaga Senior Technical Adviser in the Office of Special Adviser to the President on Economy.
Keynote speakers were Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Dr Karl Toriola, and Chairman of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Dr Segun Ogunsanya.
Fireside chat featured Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank Abubakar Suleiman, manufacturing and trade entrepreneur Mrs Omoyemi Chukwurah and by video Kola Masha of Babban Gona.
The Secretary to the Government of Federation, represented by Augusta Warren Bekaredebo, said 2026 tax reforms would bring relief to many small businesses expressing optimism that a lot of businesses will be smiling by next year because they will be exempted from tax.
By Tambaya Julius, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened possible nationwide industrial action following the failure of talks with the Federal Government over workers’ welfare, petrol prices and other outstanding labour demands.
The warning came after a meeting between the government and organised labour at the Ministry of Labour in Abuja on Thursday, October 22, ended without an agreement.
The congress has given the Federal Government until Tuesday, October 27, to make meaningful progress on the issues, warning that its relevant organs would decide the next line of action if the next meeting fails to produce concrete commitments.
The NLC has also directed its affiliates, state councils and civil society allies to begin mobilising members for possible nationwide action.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the NLC Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, expressed disappointment over what he described as the government delegation’s lack of preparedness for the negotiations.
According to the congress, organised labour presented its demands in good faith but left the meeting without any concrete commitments from the government.
The demands include a reduction in petrol prices to 2024 levels, renegotiation of the national minimum wage, implementation of agreed tax relief measures and resolution of the terms of settlement involving the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).
The congress also called for the resolution of issues raised by the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) over peculiar allowances, wage awards and hazard allowances.
The NLC said the government delegation lacked the necessary authority to engage meaningfully on the issues presented by labour representatives.
“The meeting between the Federal Government and organised labour, convened at the Ministry of Labour in Abuja on 22nd October 2026, has ended without resolution,” the statement said.
It added that the Minister of Labour requested that the meeting be adjourned until October 27 to allow the government to prepare adequately for further discussions.
The preparations, according to the statement, would include bringing relevant ministers and heads of departments and agencies to the negotiating table.
The congress said it remained open to dialogue but would not accept continued delays in addressing workers’ concerns.
“We will report back to our organs, and if no meaningful progress is made on Tuesday, the relevant organs of the NLC will decide the next line of action,” it said.
The labour body urged workers and members of the public to remain calm while the negotiations continue, even as it directed its affiliates and allies to prepare for possible industrial action.
“However, we urge all affiliates of NLC and TUC; all state councils and our civil society allies to be alert and start mobilising for a possible action across the nation while we hope that the tenets of our demands are met by the government,” the statement added.
The October 27 meeting is expected to provide another opportunity for both sides to address the outstanding issues and prevent a possible escalation of the dispute.
However, the NLC’s decision to begin mobilisation suggests that tensions could rise if the next round of talks fails to produce meaningful progress.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has barred its personnel from escorting politicians during campaigns for the 2027 general elections.
Zonal Commanding Officer, RS6, ACM Abimbola Owolabi, gave the directive during her maiden visit to the Cross River Command in Calabar on Wednesday.
Owolabi said patrol vehicles and sirens must not be used for political activities or private engagements, including weddings and funeral processions.
She directed officers deployed to campaign venues to focus exclusively on traffic management to prevent congestion and road crashes.
The zonal head warned personnel against leading political convoys or providing escorts for politicians, stressing that official vehicles must not be used for unauthorised purposes.
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