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Tribunal Nullifies Election of APGA Reps Member

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Tribunal Nullifies Election of APGA Reps Member
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The National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi on Wednesday 28th August 2019 nullified the election of Mr David Ogewu of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and declared Mr Samson Okwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the Obi/Oju Federal Constituency election.

The Tribunal Chairman, Justice A.

A Adeleye, therefore, directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Ogewu and give it to Okwu.

Adeleye gave the order while delivering judgement in the petition filed by Okwu against the election of Ogewu, where he declared that the petitioner won the election with a margin of 994 votes from the two Local Government Areas (LGAs).

Adeleye faulted the decision of INEC which declared Ogewu the winner without including results for Obi LGA in the final collation, pointing out that the margin of win, which the APGA candidate secured over the petitioner in Oju, was inconsequential.

The tribnal noted that the total number of registered voters from Obi which is 59, 411 far exceeded Ogewu’s earlier margin of lead.

He pointed out that the declaration of Ogewu as the winner of the Federal Constituency seat based on only the result for Oju, where he scored 12,794 votes against Okwu’s 6,797 was invalid.

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He said that Ogewu did not secure majority of the lawful votes cast from the two LGAs that made up the federal constituency.

Adeleye noted that the tribunal has the jurisdiction to do the necessary arithmetic to include Obi result which Okwu of PDP scored 7, 543 votes against Ogewu’s 754.

He also deducted 252 votes scored by the APGA candidate in Oju LGA on the ground that they were allotted to him in error.

Following the final computation of result for the two LGAs by the tribunal, the two time House of Representatives Member, Okwu led the initial winner, Ogewu after securing a total of 14, 300 votes higher than his opponent, who polled 13,306.

He,therefore, declared Okwu as the winner, saying the petitioner’s witnesses convinced the court with cogent evidences of non compliance with the electoral act to warrant the court decision in their favour.

The tribunal said that the respondent’s witnesses failed to prove the allegation of violence in Obi Local Government Area during the election. (NAN)

CRIME

Police Arrest 781 Offenders over Electoral Infractions 

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By Gom Mirian, Abuja 

The Inspector General of Police(IGP),Usman Alkali Baba, has said a total of 781 electoral offenders were arrested in the just concluded 2023 general elections across the country from a total of 489 major electoral infractions.

He disclosed this on Monday, at the meeting with Strategic Police Managers of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja.

The meeting aimed at evaluating Police performance during the 2023 General elections, highlight lessons and strengths, and dissect complex dynamics for subsequent optimal performance drew participants from across the country.

 

The participants  present at the meeting comprised of  the Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs) and members of the Force Management Team, Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs), Commissioners of Police (CPs) and other Tactical Commanders.

Baba at the accession, tasked all commands to submit casefiles centrally at the Electoral Offences Desk located at the  Office of the IGP at the  Force Headquarters in Abuja, for coordinated processing to INEC Legal Section.

According to him, the Police Force would effectively collaborate with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to expeditiously and transparently prosecute the 781 electoral offenders apprehended.

The Police boss, also charged the Strategic Police Managers to readjust strategies and operations towards ensuring a stable post-election security order and refocus policing attention on routine law enforcement duties.

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“I firmly admonish all political actors and their supporters to submit to democratic norms, peaceful means, and legal procedures in advancing their interests as the Police and other security agencies shall not tolerate the resort to incitement or any act designed to threaten our national security”, he said.

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POLITICS

Benue PDP Chieftain Faults Ayu Suspension by Ward EXCO

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From David Torough, Makurdi

The Convener, Atiku Grassroots Movement, Terzungwe Atser, has said the officials of a council ward of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),lacked the powers to suspend a member of the National Working Committee (NWC). 

This was contained in a statement, which he issued on Monday in Makurdi.

 

According to the statement, the party’s officials of Igyorov Council Ward, Gboko Local Government Area, Benue were not aware of  section 57 subsection 7 of the PDP constitution where it is stated that only the National Executive Committee of the party has the power to take disciplinary measures against a national official of the party.

 

“The perpetrators of this shameless act must also be aware that the ward officials lack the powers to suspend or take any other disciplinary measure against a national officer of the party. 

“By virtue of section 57 subsection 7 of the PDP constitution, only the National Executive Committee of the party has the power to take disciplinary measures against a national official of the party.

“Ignoring the provisions of the party’s constitution and going ahead to do so only points to intended mischief by the perpetrators and their sponsors,” Atser said. 

He pointed out that the purported letter of suspension was also full of inaccuracies and blatant lies, noting that the letter was dated  March 24 but was announced on Sunday, March 26.

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He disclosed that the ward officials acted acting under duress. 

The letter also claimed that the National Chairman could not deliver his polling unit and ward to the PDP. 

He further said that to the accusation that PDP lost in Ayu’s polling unit was false, stressing that evidence on ground showed that the PDP won overwhelmingly in Mkovur Market polling unit where the Chairman voted and also won in Igyorov council Ward.

“In the governorship election, all other parties got zero votes while the PDP got 200 out of 203 accredited voters. The results are on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Irev portal to be verified by any concerned person.

“The claim that the National Chairman did not vote in the governorship and state assembly elections is also a figment of imagination of the authors as the chairman voted and stayed at the polling unit with all members of his family until the votes were counted and announced. This too can be verified,” he said. 

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NEWS

Plateau Guber: Tribunal Grant Nentawe, Mutfwang Permission to Inspect Election Materials

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From Jude Dangwam, Jos 

The All Progressive Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate in Plateau State, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda has gotten the approval of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal setting in Jos the Plateau State Capital to inspect materials used in the 18 March, 2023 governorship election in Plateau State.

 

The Media Officer of the Generation Next, Shittu Bamaiyi in a statement signed and made available to Journalists yesterday in Jos said “the governorship Election petition tribunal sitting in Jos gave ruling this morning, after hearing the two applications moved by Nentawe’s Counsel.

In a motion exparte and motion on notice; the Counsel, Jim Gotom told the tribunal that his motion is supported by a six paragraph affidavit he placed reliance on all of them.

And further hinted that a written address was attached to the affidavit with legal arguments and decided cases to back his application.

Counsel to the applicant applied for leave and order of the Tribunal to permit Nentawe, his lawyers and agents to inspect election materials such as “Tendered voters list, Electoral material Receipt, Ballot Paper Account and Verification Statement.”

Other materials demanded to be inspected include, “statement of Invalid, Rejected and Cancelled Ballot Papers, Statement of Unused and Spoilt Ballot Papers,Tendered Ballot statement, Results of Poll from Polling units, Summary of Results for Local government areas, Summary of Results for the State and Summary/Declaration of Results for candidates.”

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Gotom also requested that his client be permitted to inspect the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and the Back End Server Report from the BVAS for all the polling Units and other relevant documents used by the Commission.

Meanwhile the Governor-Elect Barr. Caleb Mutfwang has also filled a similar motion and application for leave of the Tribunal to also carry out similar exercise as requested by the APC on his emergence which has been granted concurrently.

Mutfwang through his Counsel, Kingsley Mallan sought the Tribunal to allowed his client inspect materials used for the March 18th governorship election also as requested by the APC.

Counsel to INEC, Elekwa Oyemauche in his submission stressed that the prayers contained in all the applicants applications are the same and therefore should be consolidated to save the Tribunal’s time.

The Tribunal in her ruling granted the application and prayers of the parties and ordered that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should give them access to jointly inspect the materials.

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