My Blog

Category: Breaking News

  • Just In: Tinubu Nominates Olayemi Cardoso New CBN Gov; Announces 4 Dep Govs

    In a momentous development, President Bola Tinubu has put forth the name of Dr. Olayemi Cardoso as his nominee for the position of Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). If confirmed by the Senate, Dr. Cardoso will undertake a five-year term in this pivotal role.

    This nomination adheres to the stipulations of Section 8 (1) of the CBN Act, 2007, which empowers the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to appoint the CBN Governor along with four Deputy Governors.

    Concurrent with the nomination of Dr. Cardoso, President Tinubu has also granted approval to the nominations of Mrs. Emem Nnana Usoro, Mr. Muhammad Sani Abdullahi Dattijo, Mr. Philip Ikeazor, and Dr. Bala M. Bello as Deputy Governors of the CBN, all slated for five-year terms, pending Senate confirmation.

    The President also impressed upon the nominees the critical importance of initiating substantive reforms within the apex bank.

    These reforms are designed to instil confidence not only among the Nigerian populace but also among international partners as Nigeria continues its journey of economic restructuring.

    The Senate confirmation process will play a pivotal role in shaping the leadership of the CBN for the foreseeable future. It marks a significant step in the evolution of Nigeria’s economic policies and financial stability.

    Dr. Olayemi Cardoso, if confirmed, will shoulder the responsibility of overseeing monetary policy and financial regulation in Nigeria, which includes managing inflation, exchange rates, and fostering economic growth.

    The President’s nominations and the subsequent Senate confirmation proceedings underscore the commitment of the Nigerian government to ensuring a robust and effective financial and monetary system.

    The new leadership at the CBN will play a crucial role in shaping Nigeria’s economic trajectory in the coming years, making these appointments a focal point of interest and discussion in both domestic and international financial circles.

  • Tinubu Sacks FIRS Boss, Nami, Appoints Zacch Adedeji 

    President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Hon. Zacch Adedeji as the new Acting Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

    Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President, (Media & Publicity), disclosed in a statement on Thursday.

    Tinubu also directed the erstwhile FIRS Chairman, Mr. Muhammad Nami, to proceed on three months pre-retirement leave, as provisioned by Public Service Rule (PSR) 120243, with immediate effect, leading to his eventual retirement from service on December 8, 2023.

    Hon. Zacch Adedeji is hereby appointed in acting capacity for a 90-day period before his subsequent confirmation as the substantive Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service for a term of four years in the first instance.

    He most recently served the nation as the Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, following meritorious service terms as the Oyo State Commissioner of Finance and as the Executive Secretary / CEO of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC).

    Adedeji is a First Class graduate in accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.

    He also holds an MSc degree in accounting from the same OAU.

    The new FIRS chairman also holds a PhD public sector finance, OAU.

    He is a fellow, ICAN, CITN, alumnus, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, ex-manager, Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) and ex-commissioner for finance, Oyo State.

    He is also former Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC).

    By these directives of the President, the new appointment takes immediate effect.

  • FG Inaugurates Freight Services On Apapa-Ibadan Cargo Rail

    FG Inaugurates Freight Services On Apapa-Ibadan Cargo Rail

    The Federal Government has finally inaugurated the first cargo movement from the Lagos-Ibadan rail corridor after initial concern over the under-utilization of the standard gauge rail line 2 years after its commissioning.

    The inauguration was performed by the Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, during his first official tour of the rail corridor on Tuesday, September 12, 2023.

    The minister kicked off the tour at the Ebute Meta station before proceeding to Apapa for the launch, then travelled to Ibadan using the 157 km rail corridor.

    Three coaches of 30 wagons were loaded as the inaugural freight movement was kicked off.

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) said it would start with 3 coaches per day with its Managing Director (MD) noting that the corporation had the capacity to scale up the numbers.

    This effort is expected to decongest the Apapa port as shippers moved 92.28% of Nigeria’s total exports and 60.77 percent of imports through the facility in the first quarter of 2022 (Q1’22).

  • Tinubu’s election victory uncontestable, Tribunal rules

    *Dismisses all petitions against him

    The Presidential Election Petition Court on Wednesday dismissed all the three petitions filed before the cit which challenged the February 2023 presidential election that produced Ahmed Bola Tinubu as the winner.

    The five-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsunami unanimously held that the petition by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP)and the Allied Peoples Party (APM) lack merit.

    Giving the verdict, the court held that the Petitioners failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt that the presidential election was marred by malpractice and irregularities.

    Consequently, the court held that the return of Ahmed Bola Tinubu as elected President by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is right and subsists.

  • Just In: Labour Party rejects Tribunal’s verdict, promises legal consultation

    Just In: Labour Party rejects Tribunal’s verdict, promises legal consultation

    The leadership of the Labour Party has officially rejected the verdict handed down by the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, following the dismissal of their petitions by the panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani.

    In a swift reaction to the tribunal’s judgment, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, issued a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, stating their firm rejection of the outcome.

    The party’s petitions had been dismissed by the tribunal, which referred to them as being “clearly based on rhetoric.”

    The Labour Party had raised several claims in its petitions, including the nullification of Bola Tinubu’s declaration as the election winner due to his failure to secure 25 percent of the votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), doubts about Tinubu’s eligibility following legal issues in the United States, and allegations of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s failure to transmit election results to the INEC election results viewer, among other issues.

    While urging its supporters to remain calm, Obiora Ifoh hinted at the party’s intention to consult with its legal team before making a final decision on the next course of action.

    He emphasized, “The Labour Party watched with dismay and trepidation the dismissal of petitions by the five-man panel of the Presidential Election Petition Court… we reject the outcome of the judgment in its entirety because justice was not served and it did not reflect the law and the desire of the people.”

    Ifoh also acknowledged the party’s legal team for their unwavering dedication and commitment in the face of a challenging legal battle. He concluded by expressing the party’s determination to pursue the cause of democracy in Nigeria, promising that the party’s official position would be communicated after a thorough review of the Certified True Copy of the judgment.

    The statement concluded with an encouraging message, emphasizing that “a new Nigeria is ‘POssible’,” and called on all supporters of democracy to remain focused and hopeful in the pursuit of justice.

  • Alleged $460,000 Fraud: No evidence of trial, conviction against Tinubu – Tribunal rules

    Alleged $460,000 Fraud: No evidence of trial, conviction against Tinubu – Tribunal rules

    *Says Tinubu ’eminently’ qualified

    The Presidential Election Petition Court has ruled against allegations of fraud and drug allegations leveled against President Bola Tinubu by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi.

    The former governor of Anambra State and his party, claimed Tinubu was made to forfeit the sum of $460,000 to the US over alleged complicity in drug related offences in the early 90s.

    The Petitioners, were among other things alleged that by virtue of a forfeiture order against Tinubu by a United States District Court, his name ought not to be on the ballot.

    However, the court in it’s judgment  held that the Petitioners failed to substantiate the above mentioned allegation, consequently, it held that the respondent was eminently qualified to contest the election.

    Justice Tsunami held that Obi failed to prove that Tinubu was found guilty of any offence involving any act of dishonesty, adding that evidence before the court showed that the forfeiture order against Tinubu was in a civil, an allegation against a bank and not criminal matter.

    The five-man panel held that Tinubu was neither arraigned nor convicted in the US over any alleged crime to warrant his disqualification.

    “The Petitioners failed to prove that Tinubu went through any criminal trial, any form of sentences imposed on him. No record of any form of criminal arrest recorded in the USA. 

    “A general search was conducted and there was no records of any criminal charges against Tinubu.

    “The result of the search were negative of any criminal charge arrest and conviction.” 

    The court noted that documents tendered by the respondents confirmed that he was given a clean bill of health after enquiry from Nigeria.

    Beside, the tribunal held that under Section 269(1&2) such documents must be given under the hand Police official and must be accompanied with a certificate showing that the police officer has powers to sign such documents.

    Justice Tsunami further held that even if Tinubu were convicted for the alleged offence, for him to be disqualified from the 2023 election, the purported conviction must take place within 10 years to the election.

    On the Obi’s claim that the 

    results of the election were not transmitted real time to the INEC’s Results Viewing (IReV) portals,  the court held there is no where in the Electoral Act, that says election must be electronically transmitted for collation.

    It maintained that Sections 14&18 of the Electoral Act provides for the use of the Bi-modal Verification Accreditation System (BVAS) for the purpose of accreditation of voters, but ” IReV is not a collation system”.

    Therefore, it dismissed the claim of not compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022.

    “It should be noted as decided by this court previously, the BVAS is to transmit results to IREV. The IREV is not a collation system/center,” the court held .

    The court also held that the testimonies of 10 out of 13 witnesses called by Obi and LP were worthless, adding that no witness can give evidence in chief if his statement on oath is not properly before the court .

    “By combined provisions of section 285 of the Nigeria Constitution as amended and paragraph 14(1) and 14 of the schedule of the Electoral Act, the Petitioner cannot be allowed to file and use witness statement filed outside 21 days”.

  • Breaking: FCT lacks special status, equal to all others, Tribunal rules

    In a recent development, the Presidential Election Petition Court has clarified that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) does not hold a special status and is not of greater significance than any other state in Nigeria.

    Previously, the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, asserted in their petitions that President Bola Tinubu had not garnered 25% of the votes in Abuja, which, according to them, rendered his victory in the polls invalid.

    However, during the ruling on the preliminary objections raised by the respondents, the panel’s chairman, Justice Haruna Tsammani, explicitly stated that Abuja does not enjoy a unique or elevated status in comparison to other Nigerian states.

    He emphasized, “This court acknowledges that the FCT does not possess any special status and is on equal footing with all other states in Nigeria.”

  • INEC has freedom to determine election results transmission method, Tribunal rules

    INEC has freedom to determine election results transmission method, Tribunal rules

    The Presidential Election Petitions Court issued a significant ruling on Wednesday, affirming the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) authority to determine the mode of transmitting election results for the presidential election held on February 25, 2023.

    Led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, the five-member panel referenced Sections 52 and 65 of the Electoral Act 2022 to emphasize INEC’s discretion in prescribing the method of result transmission during the electoral process.

    In response to a petition filed by the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Tribunal made several key determinations.

    The LP and Obi argued for the annulment of President Tinubu’s victory, primarily citing the alleged “failure” of INEC’s Results Viewing Portal (IReV) to electronically upload election results in real-time.

    Furthermore, the Tribunal addressed the LP and Obi’s objections regarding the allocation of 25 per cent of the votes to Tinubu in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), asserting that Abuja should be treated no differently than other states.

    Additionally, the court delved into the matter of Tinubu’s alleged money laundering conviction in the United States, a claim raised by the petitioners.

    However, the Justice Tsammani panel concluded that the petitioners, Obi and the LP, failed to substantiate their assertions, as no concrete evidence of Tinubu’s criminal arrest or conviction was presented.

    In essence, this ruling highlights INEC’s authority in determining result transmission methods while addressing and dismissing various allegations and challenges raised by the LP and its presidential candidate in relation to the presidential election of 2023.

  • APC’s petition challenging Obi’s LP membership incompetent- Tribunal

    APC’s petition challenging Obi’s LP membership incompetent- Tribunal

    The Presidential Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Wednesday in its final ruling, declared APC suit challenging Peter Obi as a bona fide member of the Labour Party as incompetent.

    Justice Abba declared that Obi emerging as the flagbearer of the Labour Party was an internal affair and lacks competence in the suit.  

    The Tribunal also touched on the issue of non-joinder of Atiku Abubakar who came second and wondered how Obi & LP’s petition could be effectively determined without joining the candidate who placed second in the polls.

  • Presidential Election: Tribunal strikes out Obi, LP’s claim of irregularities, corrupt practices 

    The ongoing Presidential Election Tribunal has struck out Mr. Peter Obi, and Labour Party’s allegations of irregularities and corrupt practices leveled against the election that produced Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    The court ruling in the preliminary objection held that the affected paragraphs were “vague, imprecise, nebulous and failed to meet the requirements of pleadings”.

    The judgement posited that Mr Obi and his party failed to mention the number of lawful votes they scored and the number of the unlawful votes recorded by the electoral body.

    The ruling read by Justice Abba Mohammed, insisted that the petitioners failed to establish the polling units or wards were irregularities, corrupt practices and manipulation of results were carried out.

    Justice Mohammed explained that  “averments” must not leave room for confusion or ambiguity, adding that the aim of pleadings is to avail respondents of the facts of the case so as to prepare adequately.

    Mohammed held that, “petitioners failed to specify polling units where anomalies occurred or where agents complained of alleged malpractices and irregularities.

    “According to the ruling in a case of alleged malpractices in over 500 polling units, it does not suffice for the petitioners to say some polling units or collation centers without being specific.

    “Averments must not be general but specific.”

    Further in the ruling, the panel noted the total of over 18, 000 polling units where the petitioners alleged that INEC uploaded “blurred results ” unto the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) Portals, not one polling units was cited.

    “They did not specify polling units where election results were not uploaded” or where scores attributed to them was reduced or added to Tinubu”.

    “They did not show the majority of votes they claimed they had scored “, the tribunal held, adding that petitioners only make generic allegations of irregularities and malpractices.

    Mohammed further faulted the petitioners for relying on a spreadsheet analysis, inspection results and experts reports, adding that such documents ought to be served on the respondents to enable them do their own analysis and respond accordingly.

    “The spreadsheet report, inspection results and experts reports were not served but only listed as documents to be relied on in adjudicating the petition”, the court held.

    “It is unimaginable that a petitioner will allege widespread rigging in 176,000 Polling units, over 8,000 wards, 774 LGAs, 36 States and FCT without stating the specific place where the alleged irregularities occur.”

    Consequent to the above, the tribunal strike out the affected paragraphs as requested by the petitioners.

    On Obi’s membership of LP as he was still a PDP member.

    The court overruled the respondents claims stating that  Obi and LP certified the provisions of Obi being a member.