News
Atiku’s evidence from Chicago irrelevant, Tinubu tells Supreme Court
President Bola Tinubu has asked the Supreme Court to discountenance his Chicago State University academic records attached by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, to his election petition appeal, saying it is alien to the judicial proceedings in the country.
Tinubu asserted that the CSU discovery was not part of the record or the judgment of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, urging the apex court not to admit it.
The president further said the former vice-president had the habit of first filing a petition and afterwards hunting for evidence, noting that he had exhibited that while appealing the tribunal judgment.
The president in his response to Atiku’s appeal filed Saturday by his lawyers led by Wole Olanipekun, SAN, held that the claim that his credentials contained discrepancies was merely cooked up by the PDP standard bearer in the February presidential election.
He said, “Appellants’ submission under paragraph 6.45 of their brief further exposes the entire attitude of the appellants before the lower court, that is, the attitude of first filing a petition and then fishing for evidence during the pendency of the petition and even up to the point of appeal to this honourable court.
“Without prejudice to our objection to this issue, we submit that the arguments regarding a purported “Case No. 1:23-CV05009-Re: Application of Atiku for an Order Directing Discovery from Chicago State University…” is alien to these proceedings, does not arise from the record or the judgment of the lower court and cannot be countenanced by this honourable court and we urge the court to so hold.”
Stating that he was validly returned as the winner of the presidential poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the former Lagos State governor added that by statistics, he garnered one-quarter or 25 per cent of the total votes in 29 states of the federation.
Tinubu prayed the court to dismiss Atiku’s appeal and affirm the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court which upheld his election, having polled the highest number of votes.
He further stated Atiku resorted to cooking up allegations against him when he and the PDP failed to secure evidence to support their claim that he was not qualified to have contested the election.
Tinubu argued that Atiku brought up fresh issues, which included previous conviction/fine, forgery, and dual citizenship, among others after he had responded to his petition.
He said, “For the 3rd respondent, we beckon on the court towards the entirety of the 3rd respondent’s reply on the one hand (see pages 461-514 (vol.1) of the record), and the whole of Part B (save paragraph 35 thereof) of the petitioner’s reply to the 3rd respondent’s reply (see pages 1722 -1731 (vol.3) of the record) on the other hand.
“A dispassionate examination of these paragraphs will reveal that the appellants as petitioners were only out to spring surprises at the respondent as none of the highlighted paragraphs of their said replies was meant to reply to any new issue raised in the respondents’ reply.
‘“It was through these paragraphs that they introduced various fresh issues, including allegations of previous conviction/fine, forgery, and dual citizenship against the 2nd respondent amidst sundry unfounded claims.’’
Responding to the appellants’ claims on modes of election result transmission, the President cited paragraphs 38 (I); 50(xx), and 53 (xii) of the Electoral Act and submitted that the Act created an alternative between electronic transmission and transfer with the use of ‘’or’’.
He noted, “For instance, paragraph 38(i), which deals with movement from the polling unit states that ‘on completion of all the polling unit voting and results procedures, the Presiding Officer shall: (i) Electronically transmit or transfer the result of the Polling Unit direct to the collation system as prescribed by the Commission.’
“Paragraph 50(xx) provides that ‘the Registration Area/Ward Collation Officer shall: Electronically transmit or transfer the result directly to the next level of collation as prescribed by the Commission.
“ Paragraph 53(xii) provides that ‘the Local Government/Area Council Collation Officer for the Presidential Election shall Electronically transmit or transfer the result directly to the next level of collation, as prescribed by the Commission.”
Tinubu held that in any event, the absence of the electronically transmitted results or results from the IREV portal did not necessarily create a brick wall in the absence of an INEC hardcopy of collated results.
On the issue of 25 per cent in the Federal Capital Territory, he said the PDP candidate failed to prove that he must record 25 per cent of votes cast in the FCT to be declared winner, pointing out that FCT residents do not have special voting rights over others.
He said, ‘’While the appellants did not even discharge the burden placed on them to demonstrate their assertion that a candidate in a presidential election should win 25 per cent of the votes in the FCT before he can be declared winner, the respondent tendered Exhibit RA 11 titled, ‘Report of the Committee on the Location of the Federal Capital Territory,’ to demonstrate the fact that no such thing was ever contemplated. See also section 179(2)(b) of the Constitution.
‘’We submit that the provisions of the constitution cannot be considered in isolation as suggested by the appellants, but as a whole, in line with a plethora of judicial authorities.
“We urge the court to hold that any election where the electorate exercise their plebiscite, there is neither a ‘royal’ ballot nor ‘royal’ voter; and that residents of the FCT do not have any special voting right over residents of any other state of the federation in a manner similar to the concept of preferential shareholding in company law. We, therefore, urge the court to resolve this issue in favour of the respondent and against the appellant.”
Tinubu accused Atiku of hiding the statement of his witnesses to catch him off-guard at the tribunal.
He said, “The rather concerning observations are that the appellants, as petitioners, knew they would be fielding more witnesses, so at the pre-hearing session, they indicated the intention of calling more than 100 witnesses; and the fact that these witnesses were available to the petitioners all through the preparation of the petition and could in fact have had their witnesses statements frontloaded together with the petition.
‘’In fact, PW21 and PW26 both admitted the fact that they were recruited by the petitioners for the purpose of the assignment, while PWs 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25 were all invited in their personal capacities and served in person with the subpoenas (see pages 7345, 7347, 7354, 7358, 7362, 7367, 7372, 7419, 7424, 7427 (vol.10) of the record).
“The indisputable fact is that these witnesses were available to the petitioners as of the time of filing the petition In fact, PW19 confessed before the lower court that PW21 was a member of the 2nd petitioner’s situation room during the election and that the reports to be tendered by PW21 (Exhibits PAHI-PAH4) were compiled between 1st March and 26 March 2023, while the petition was filed on 21st March 2023 (See pages 7387 (vol.10) of the record).
“It was very obvious that the appellants, as petitioners before the lower court, deliberately chose to hoard the statements of these witnesses in order to cause a surprise on the respondents, thus turning an exercise as serious as litigation to a hide and seek bout.
“They then attempted to circumvent the mandatory provisions of section 285(5) of the Constitution and paragraph 4(5) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, by cloaking the witnesses in the garb of subpoenaed witnesses.”
Tinubu also submitted that the lower court rightly held when it said the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of non-compliance and corrupt practices as required by law.
The respondent faulted the allegations of voters’ suppression, adding that Atiku failed similarly to provide evidence.
‘’More so, it is only commonsensical that when allegations like suppression of votes and entering of wrong scores are made, the required evidence will be the actual scores that were suppressed and the end result of the suppression in the respective polling units. These were not made available before the lower court,’’ he insisted.
He, however, urged the court to affirm the decision of the lower court, while dismissing this appeal in its entirety, as the same is lacking in merit and bona.
He added that the run-off election being sought by Atiku had exposed his “pretentious attitude.”
“Here are the same set of appellants alleging non-qualification of the respondent via the backdoor, that is, through their reply, on the one hand, and the other hand, praying this honourable court to nullify the presidential election of 25th February 2023 and direct a second election between the 1st petitioner and the respondent,’’ the president noted.
He concluded that everything put together or summarised, Atiku’s appeal was a further demonstration of the abusive nature to which the appellants have subjected the court processes.
The South East Development Commission (SEDC) yesterday commenced the implementation of its South East Agro-Development Programme with the flag-off of a 200-hectare integrated model farm at Nomeh Unateze, Nkanu East, Enugu State.
Designed as a regional development intervention rather than simply a farming project, the initiative will integrate dairy, poultry, fisheries, fodder production, mechanisation, processing and practical agricultural training, while connecting surrounding smallholder farmers to inputs, technical support and markets through an out-grower programme.
The project reflects SEDC’s broader mandate to strengthen productive capacity and create sustainable economic opportunities across the South East, while aligning with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda on food security, agricultural productivity, mechanisation, value addition and job creation. The Nomeh facility will serve as a pilot for developing and replicating similar agricultural interventions across the five states of the region, with the broader objective of increasing food production, strengthening agricultural value chains and enabling more people to participate in modern agriculture.
This is a summary of what happened yesterday. They can rewrite it to gain traction according to their audience
IBADAN — Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) presidential candidate, Seyi Makinde, has denied claims by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, that the Federal Government provided ₦50 billion to the state for the upgrade of the Ladoke Akintola International Airport, Ibadan.
Makinde made the denial on Tuesday while addressing supporters and stakeholders at the Makinde/Daura 2027 Presidential Town Hall meeting in Katsina.
The governor said the Federal Government did not give either him or the Oyo State Government ₦50 billion for the airport project, insisting that the ongoing expansion and rehabilitation works were being financed entirely by the state.
“My attention was drawn to an interview granted yesterday by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, where he said that the President gave N50 billion to Oyo State to upgrade the Ibadan Airport to international standards,” Makinde said.
“I want to say that claim is false. The President did not give me or Oyo State N50 billion to upgrade the Ibadan Airport. The Ibadan Airport upgrade project is being undertaken 100 per cent with the funds of Oyo State.”
Wike had made the ₦50 billion claim during an appearance on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout programme on Monday, saying the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government had supported the Oyo airport project.
The disagreement centres on the source and nature of funding for the airport’s ongoing upgrade.
Public records from Oyo State indicate that the state had previously identified the Ibadan Airport expansion as one of the projects to be financed through its infrastructure funding plans. The state government has also said that its airport proposal received presidential approval without financial obligations being placed on the Federal Government.
However, the competing claims by Wike and Makinde have not, so far, been accompanied by publicly released financial documents conclusively establishing whether a ₦50 billion Federal Government allocation or transfer was made specifically for the airport project.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s emerging political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Makinde seeking the presidency on the APM platform while Wike remains a serving Federal Government minister.
Further clarification from the Federal Government, Oyo State Government, or relevant financial and aviation authorities could help establish the precise source and amount of funding committed to the Ibadan airport project.
Two days after reports circulated online that the Umuahia Premier Club, Umuahia Branch had endorsed the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency, Hon. Obi Aguocha for a second term, the Club has debunked the report, describing the purported endorsement as unauthorised and a departure from its non-partisan traditions.
In a rejoinder issued on Sunday and signed by its Branch Chairman, Premier Ako Obioma, and Branch Secretary, Premier Chuka Agomoh, the club said its attention had been drawn to a purported endorsement of a candidate contesting for elective political office on the platform of a particular political party.
The leadership said the club is, by its founding philosophy, a socio-cultural, non-partisan and unifying organisation established to foster fraternity, mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, cultural solidarity, and the collective advancement of its members and communities.
“It is therefore not the character, tradition or mandate of the Club to adopt or endorse partisan political candidates,” the statement read.
The club said the purported endorsement constituted a significant departure from its established traditions and ethos, warning that it could generate avoidable disaffection, suspicion, and division among members who are entitled to hold divergent political preferences.
“It is acknowledged that the candidate purportedly endorsed is a member of the Club and is entitled, like every other citizen, to participate in the political process and pursue his legitimate political aspirations. However, membership of the Club cannot, in itself, constitute a basis for transforming the Club into a political platform or committing the collective identity of the Club to the political ambition of any individual member,” the statement said.
The club clarified that the gathering held on Sunday, September 20, 2026, was convened as its monthly general meeting and not as a political meeting or a forum authorised to deliberate upon and endorse a political candidate.
It noted that the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Legal Adviser, and four National officers from the branch were reportedly absent from the meeting, adding that the circumstances under which the purported endorsement was made required careful scrutiny.
“It is particularly disturbing that the meeting took place at the residence of the candidate concerned, thereby creating circumstances in which his political associates and party supporters were able to take advantage of the gathering to introduce and advance a partisan agenda that was neither part of the scheduled business of the Club nor sanctioned by its leadership,” the statement read.
The club further said a considerable number of those present were either relatively new members or persons not yet sufficiently conversant with its established procedures and conventions.
“In view of the foregoing, the purported endorsement, to the extent that it purports to represent the collective position of the Club or its Branch, is hereby expressly repudiated, condemned and declared unacceptable,” the statement said.
It warned that appropriate disciplinary measures would be taken against any member found to have deliberately misrepresented the position of the club, acted without authority, or brought its name into disrepute.
The club also reiterated that only the Chairman, Secretary, and Public Relations Officer are authorised to issue or circulate official publications on behalf of the club or the branch, adding that the Secretary and PRO must obtain the requisite approval of the Branch Chairman before issuing any official publication.
“Therefore, anyone who circulated or posted the purported endorsement should as a matter of urgency pull it down immediately,” the statement directed.
The club declared all publications, statements, endorsements or communications already circulated in connection with the purported endorsement as null, void, and of no effect, advising members and the general public to disregard them.
It called on members to remain calm, exercise restraint, and refrain from any action or publication capable of exacerbating the situation, stressing that the club’s unity, integrity, and continued cohesion remain paramount.
“Our political affiliations may differ; our cultural heritage unites us. Our individual political ambitions may vary; the collective interest of our Club and our clans must remain sacrosanct,” the statement concluded.
Enugu Air has launched a new official website, moving its online services to www.enuguairlines.ng.
The airline announced the development in a statement informing passengers and customers of the change, describing the new platform as a safer and more convenient digital channel for accessing its services.
Announcing the migration, Enugu Air said: “We’ve moved! We’re innovating! We’ve migrated to a better, safer and convenient website to connect you to the world.”
According to the airline, the new website will serve as its digital platform for flight bookings, schedules and operational updates.
Passengers and prospective travellers can now visit www.enuguairlines.ng to book flights, check schedules and access the latest information about the airline’s operations.
Enugu Air urged customers to save the new web address and use it for all online flight-related services.
The airline stressed that the change would not affect its identity or services, stating: “Same Enugu Air. New web address.”
It also warned passengers that its former website, enuguairlines.com, had been discontinued and was no longer in use.
The airline therefore advised customers to use www.enuguairlines.ng for its current online services and flight-related information.
The Enugu State House of Assembly, on Monday, called for urgent government intervention following a landslide that cut off Ugwueme and Nenwenta communities in Awgu Local Government Area from other parts of the state.
The Assembly urged the Enugu State Government, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Ecological Fund to urgently mobilise resources to address the situation and restore access to the affected communities.
The landslide, which occurred on September 18 following torrential rainfall, reportedly blocked the road linking the two communities, forcing residents to pass through neighbouring Abia and Imo states to access other parts of Enugu State.
Moving a motion of urgent public importance, the member representing Awgu South State Constituency, Hon. Anthony Nwankwo, said the disaster had paralysed movement and made emergency response difficult in the affected communities.
Nwankwo also revealed that a family of four reportedly died after a collapsed overhead water tank crushed them, leaving only a four-year-old child who was subsequently rescued.
He lamented that the victims might have been rescued alive if the road leading to the communities had remained accessible.
Nwankwo therefore urged the Assembly to prevail on the relevant authorities to urgently clear the road and restore access to Ugwueme and Nenwenta.
“I move that the House do write the relevant authorities to intervene to open the road leading to Ugwueme and Nenwenta,” he said.
Supporting the motion, lawmakers expressed sympathy with Nwankwo and residents of the affected communities, describing the incident as a serious natural disaster requiring immediate intervention.
Members representing Ezeagu, Nkanu East and Oji River State Constituencies, Hon. Chima Obieze, Hon. Okey Mba and Hon. Osita Eze, respectively, also urged residents to avoid constructing buildings close to hills and engaging in indiscriminate excavation of soil and stones.
They warned that such activities could worsen the risk of landslides.
The lawmakers, however, stressed that government agencies should immediately mobilise resources to clear the affected road and restore access to the communities.
Assembly Confirms Civil Service Commission Nominees
Meanwhile, the Assembly screened and confirmed the appointment of a chairman and four members of the Enugu State Civil Service Commission nominated by Governor Peter Mbah.
The nominees are Prof. Gabriel Ajah as Chairman; Christian Mbah, Member 1; Mrs. Stella Ekweremadu, Member 2; Mrs. Emmanuela Uzonna Ogarabe, Member 3; and Mrs. Theresa Ifeanyichukwu Onyefuzili, Member 4.
The nominees were subsequently confirmed after the lawmakers found them qualified for the positions.
They were asked to take a bow and leave without undergoing prolonged screening after presenting their curriculum vitae and professional records to the Assembly.
Speaking on behalf of the nominees, Ajah pledged that punctuality and discipline would be central to the commission under his leadership.
“We shall lead by example. We must be punctual to work,” he said.
Before his appointment, Ajah had served the Enugu State Government in various capacities, including 19 years as Permanent Secretary and 14 years as Dean of Permanent Secretaries.
He also served as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Chairman of the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB), among other positions.
-
News4 days agoNwifuru Sacks Ebonyi Works Commissioner
-
News2 days agoFirst Niger Bridge Maintenance Extended by One Week Over Heavy Rain
-
Politics2 days agoHow Tinubu Settled The G-5 Governors, I didn’t benefit alone – Wike
-
News2 days agoBREAKING: Mbah Appoints 101 New Aides in Enugu (List)
-
Politics1 day agoI will never support Hope Uzodimma to be Senate Preaident – Wike
-
Education1 day agoPrincipal Queried, Alfa Arrested Over Alleged Blood Tests for Admission
-
News1 day agoNigeria Moves to Boost Airpower, Seals Deal for 12 US Attack Helicopters
-
News1 day ago
Landslide: Enugu Assembly Urges Urgent Intervention in Ugwueme, Nenwenta