NEWS
Kogi Gov’ship: INEC, APC, Ododo ask Tribunal to Dismiss SDP’s Petition

INEC on Monday prayed the Kogi Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja to dismiss a petition filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and its candidate, Murtala Ajaka, against the victory of Gov. Usman Ododo.
Gov. Ododo and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), have also told the three-member panel of Justices, headed by Justice Ado Birnin-Kudu, to dismiss the petition in its entirety for being incompetent and lacking in merit.
The trio, through their lawyers – Chief Kanu Agabi, Joseph Daudu and Emmanuel Ukala – stated this position while adopting their final written addresses and presenting their arguments against SDP and Ajaka’s petition.
However, Ajaka’s lawyer, Pius Akubo, have urged the tribunal to discountenance the respondents’ submissions and uphold their petition.
The tribunal, after listening to all the parties in the petition, reserved the matter for judgment.
It would be recalled that Ajaka had challenged Ododo’s victory in the Nov. 11, 2023 Kogi governorship poll.
In the petition, INEC, Ododo and APC are listed as 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents respectively.
The tribunal had, on April 25, fixed Monday for adoption of final written addresses after parties closed their case in the matter.
Upon resumed hearing, INEC’s counsel, Agabi told the court that their final written address was dated and filed on May 2.
He said the commission’s reply on point of law was dated May 8 and filed May 9.
While adopting the processes, the lawyer submitted that the petition lacked merit and was incompetent, urging the court to strike it out or dismiss it.
“It is our humble submission that your work in the determination of this petition is simplified in recent judgments by the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court,” he said.
He argued that the Appeal Court had decided that if the grounds of a petition are inconsistent with one another, and are not consistent with the reliefs, it should be struck out.
He also argued that the evidence of the petitioners were grossly insufficient, citing a Supreme Court decision in a case by Tonye Cole against INEC.
“It is to the effect that once the evidence called is grossly insufficient, there is no evidence.
“In that case, the petitioner filed 305 witness depositions but only adopted 40 of them.
“The petitioner, according to the decision, only adopted about 13.1 per cent of the witness depositions.
“In this case, the depositions adopted represent just about 3.6 per cent of their witness depositions,” he said.
He said the petitioners only called 25 witnesses out of the scores listed.
Agabi said that in a mathematical calculation of evidence, 3.6 per cent of Ajaka’s witness deposition adopted in the petition amounted to a failure and, therefore, ought to be dismissed.
The lawyer also described the case as “frivolous”.
He said the petitioners equally failed to file the witness deposition before hand in contravention of the Supreme Court’s decision in Obungado’s case.
He argued that the petitioners’ witness, who testified about the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines clearly stated that he could not guarantee whether those were the BVAS used.
Besides, he said the witness was not the maker of the inputs in the BVAS machines.
“Also, the evidence contained in the BVAS machines fell short of what is required of the law,” he added.
Agabi further argued that the BVAS machine was tendered against Section 84 of the Evidence Act, as there was no certificate of trustworthiness attached alongside it as required by the law.
He argued that out of the 25 witnesses called by the petitioners, there was no single polling unit agent among them.
“In other words, not a single person who observed the election was called.
“Besides, the star witness could not distinguish between what he heard and what he saw when questions were put to him,” he said.
The senior lawyer prayed the tribunal to strike out or dismiss the petition for being incompetent.
While adopting his final written address dated and filed on May 1, Daudu, who appeared for Gov. Ododo, urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition in its entirety.
Adumbrating, he argued that the petition was statute barred (filed out of time).
The senior lawyer said that though the petitioners responded to their submission that “when it comes to filing, it is what the secretary of the tribunal says that determines the date of filing,” he, however, argued that the action of the petitioners was against Section 122(1) and (2)(a) of the Evidence Act, which empowers the tribunal to take judicial notice of this.
But Akubo objected to Daudu’s citing of the section, describing it as fresh argument.
Daudu, in response, disagreed with Akubo that he was raising fresh issues after a final written address had been filed.
“You cannot shut me out from making my comment. You cannot because you don’t have the power to do so,” he said.
He said if the court found merit in his argument, Akubo had the right to respond because it bordered on issues of remittal procedure.
He also urged the tribunal to dismiss the allegations of forgery against his client, saying it bordered on pre-election matter, which the apex court had decided in Gbagi’s case against INEC.
Daudu also argued that Section 137 of the Electoral Act cited by the petitioners on allegations of over-voting did not apply in the instant petition.
Also backing Daudu’s submission, Ukala, who represented APC, urged the court to dismiss the petition for lacking in merit.
The lawyer, who said their final written address, dated April 30 was filed same date, adopted all the processes.
The petitioners’ lawyer, Akubo, told the tribunal that their final written address was dated and filed May 6.
He disagreed with Daudu that their petition was filed out of time.
He argued that the respondents themselves confirmed that the petition was filed on December 2, 2023, even by their own witness.
“I urge your lordship to hold that we filed this petition within time under our law,” he said.
After taking the arguments, Justice Birnin-Kudu reserved judgment in the petition.
“The date will be communicated to both parties,” he said. (NAN)
NEWS
Nigeria Condoles India over Tragic Plane Crash

The Federal Government on Thursday condoled the Indian government over the tragic crash of Air India Flight-171 in Ahmedabad.The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, disclosed this in a statement issued by Kimiebi Ebienfa, Spokesperson of theMinistry.Tuggar said, “Nigeria expresses profound sorrow and extends its heartfelt condolences to the government and people of India over the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.
“This devastating incident which claimed the lives of over 290 individuals has left the global community in mourning. “Nigeria stands in solidarity with India during this period of immense grief and unfortunate loss.“While initial reports indicate no Nigerian citizen was aboard the flight, the Nigeria High Commission in New Delhi remains in close contact with Indian authorities to verify this information and provide consular assistance where necessary.“In this moment of shared sorrow, Nigeria reaffirms its commitment to global aviation safety and supports the call for thorough investigation into the crash with a view to preventing such tragedies in the future.”The minister further commiserated with the families of the bereaved and all those affected by this tragic incident. (NAN)NEWS
Benue Speaker Advises Youth to Participate Actively in Politics

The Speaker, Benue House of Assembly, Mr Hyacinth Dajoh, has advised youths in the state to participate actively in the economic and political development of the country.Dajoh gave the advice in his Democracy Day message issued by his Press Secretary, Mr Terver Zamber, in Makurdi.
The speaker urged youths to show more interest in the economic and political development of the country. He said that they had the required education, exposure, and numerical strength to make a positive impact on both the economy and governance. Dajoh assured the youths that the assembly under his leadership would continue to enact laws to protect democracy and the rule of law.The speaker urged Nigerians to be more determined in ensuring that democracy worked in the country.He said that democracy remained the best option for the country.The speaker added that through the determination of the citizens and their active participation in the democratic process, Nigeria would be a great country.He saluted the heroic deeds of patriots who worked assiduously to actualise democratic rule in the country, especially the symbol of the June 12 struggle, the late M.K.O. Abiola.According to him, only a truly great, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria could be a befitting compensation for their sacrifices.He commended President Bola Tinubu and Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue for their roles in upholding democratic principles.Dajoh said that more sacrifices were required from the citizens to ensure that the country got the best of democracy. (NAN)NEWS
Cross River Communities Resume Hostility with More Casualties

From Ene Asuquo, Calabar
There is another round of hostility arising from communal skirmishes between two brotherly communities of Etono 2 and Biakpan in Biased Local Government Are of Cross River State.The resumption of hostilities happened some days ago when youths from Etono 2 were alleged to have attacked and killed a visitor to Biakpan and another youth whose identity was not immediately known.
Before then there were reports that nearly 50 persons had been killed on both sides. In the latest resurgence, a source said, “Sporadic shootings were heard on Monday and Tuesday inside Biakpan. A few persons have been killed.”State security adviser Southern district, Patrick Odion told our correspondent that he has his men on ground to calm the situation.Recall that about three weeks ago, Commissioner of Police in the state, Olusegun Omosanyin summoned the two sides to his Headquarters in Calabar and cautioned them.The police commissioner had disclosed how there was massive arms buildup by the two communities and said he would launch police action to retrieve the arms from them.He had expressed anger that the two sides had earlier refused to appear before him three times when he summoned them, adding that he had also dispatched his key officers to the two communities.Following the resumption of the hostilities, the police commissioner again met with the leadership of Biase LGA in his office.He assured that he would mobilize his men today to Biakpan and Etono 2 to quell the uprising.When DAILY ASSET spoke with some concerned stakeholders from the two communities they lamented that often when police and soldiers sent to douse tensions would leave, hostilities would resume soon after.A youth leader from Etono 2 who gave his name as Egwu Jerry, lamented, “The presence of the security men usually give us confidence but once they leave, our safety is no longer guaranteed. We’re few compared with those from Biakpan.”He also lamented that they do not have access road elsewhere than the one into Biakpan which reason, their adversaries usually encircle and easily attack and kill them.But a chief from Biakpan who gave his name as Onun Ekpezu alleged that Etono people were too aggressive and violent, and have destroyed their important properties and farms, and have killed their people and visitors.”Because of these, our youths have positioned themselves to defend our women and properties”, Ekpezu said.