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Kogi Governorship Election: Court Confirms APC Candidate Ododo’s

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9 months ago

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Kogi APC Governorship Candidate Mr Ahmed Ododo
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The Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday 18th July, 2023, affirmed Mr Ahmed Ododo as the lawful candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Kogi having validly resigned his appointment from Kogi civil service before contesting the primary election. adsbygoogle || []).push({}); adsbygoogle || []).push({});
 
Justice Obiora Egwuatu affirmed Ododo as the APC candidate while delivering judgment in a suit filed by Mr Abubakar Achimugu, also of the APC challenging the candidature of Ododo.
 
Achimugu anchored his suit  on the grounds that Ododo, as at the time he contested the primary election to fly the flag of APC in the Nov. 11 election in Kogi, were still public servants in the state civil service.
 
In the judgment, Justice Egwuatu held that contrary to the claim of Achimugu, evidence showed that Ododo resigned his appointment more than 30 days before participating in the APC primary.
 
The judge said that exhibits tendered by the defendants showed that while Ododo’s resignation letter was received by the Office of the Kogi governor on March 8, that of the 3rd defendant, Mr Salami Deedat, was received on March 9.
 
“I have examined the letters of resignation filed by the defendants, they were addressed to the Kogi governor and were duly received and signed.
 
“A resignation letter becomes effective once it is received and accepted by the relevant authority. It is not when the authority replies the letter that it becomes effective.”
 
The judge held that where a letter of resignation has been received and duly signed, it takes effect and the employee would not be held responsible if the employer continues with the payment of salary.
 
The court said it was convinced that the defendant resigned his appointments as Auditor-General for Local Governments and Deedat as Commissioner for Local Governments respectively before contesting the primary election.
 
“I am satisfied that they resigned their appointments from Kogi government on March 8 and 9 respectively more than 30 days before the April 14 primary election.
 
“I hold that this suit is bereft of any merit and accordingly dismissed,” the judge said.
 
Earlier, the court dismissed the preliminary objection of the defendants claiming that the suit was statute barred having not filed it within 14 days as required by law.
 
The judge agreed with the plaintiff that the cause of action actually occurred on April 14, when Ododo and Deedat contested the primary and not when they purchased the expression of interest and nomination form.
 
The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) had on April 15, declared Ododo winner of APC primary election to elect a candidate for the party’s for the Nov.11 governorship election in the state.
 
Miffed by this,  Achimugu approached the court asking that the primary election be nullified and Ododo be disqualified from contesting the governorship election on grounds that he was still an employee of the Kogi government when he contested.
 
The plaintiff in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/584/2023, claimed that Ododo breached Section 182 of the Constitution, Section 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022, and Article 7 of the APC’s Constitution in participating in the April 14 governorship primary of the APC.
 
Achimugu argued that Ododo’s failure to resign his appointment with the Kogi government, 30 days to the primary, made him ineligible for the Nov. 11guber poll.
 
Listed in the suit as defendants were the APC, Ododo,  Deedat and INEC as 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants.
 
Amongst the issues brought before the court for determination was  whether Ododo was eligible to participate in the governorship election slated for Nov. 11.
 
This was in view of the fact that both at the time of submitting their nomination and expression of interest forms, were still  civil/ public servants and employees of Kogi government.
 
This they said was contrary to the provisions of Section 182 (2), Section 84 (10) and (11) of the Electoral Act, 2022 Guidelines for the nomination of candidates.
 
The plaintiff said that if the answer was in the affirmative,  the court should amongst others declare that Ododo and Deedat were not qualified or eligible to have participated in the primary election.
 
This was on the grounds of being persons both employed in public service of Kogi, having failed and neglected to resign, withdraw or retire from employment at least 30 days to the April 14 when the primary election was conducted.
 
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining Ododo from parading himself as gubernatorial candidate of the APC.
 
“An order restraining APC and INEC from dealing with Ododo as the governorship candidate of the APC.
 
 “In the event Ododo was declared winner of the Nov.11 gubernatorial election before the case was fully determined, the certificate of return issued to him by INEC should be withdrawn.”
 
 Mr Josiah Daniel-Ebune, counsel to Achimugu, told newsmen after the court proceedings that he would brief his client on the judgment to know the next line of action.
Source: NAN
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Abdulrahman Obaje
Abdulrahman Obaje
Prince Abdulrahman Obaje is a Media, Information and Computer Technology Consultant. A quintessential Journalist, online marketer, social media strategist, Mathematician and Computer Scientist is based in Abuja, Nigeria. He is the Founder and the Publisher of The Informavores!. You can reach me on +234 805 939 5252 or send i-witness report directly to me on news@informavores.com.ng.
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Alleged 80.2 Billion Fraud: EFCC May Loose Case Against Yahaya Bello – Ambassador Danjuma

Published

4 days ago

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April 23, 2024

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A  Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Ambassador Samuel A. Dajuma
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Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Ambassador Samuel Dajuma, has said the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, (EFCC) may lose the case of Fraud against the Kogi State Ex-Governor, Yahaya Bello. push({});

Danjuma assert this in an exclusive media chat with the Informavores in Niger State, Nigeria, saying that the politically-motivated case may not favour the anti-graft agency as it started on a wrong foot.

He said, “The issue with the EFCC is political-motivated, why did I say political-motivated? Previously, we have three formal Governors, I would name them, the former governor of Zamfara State, Matawalle who is now the Minister of State for Defence, we have Yari who is also a former Governor of Zamfara State and we have Odili of River state which are all enjoying this court order from being prosecuted. ”

“Now His Excellency, Adoza Yahaya Bello has seek the leave of the court to enforce his fundamental human right and the EFCC was duly served. The EFCC went to the court of Appeal to challenge that. So, why the rush? Why the EFCC is in a hurry to arrest his Excellency? ”

“Like I have always said, if you vacate that court order, I give you one hour, his Excellency Adoza Yahaya Bello will make himself available at the EFCC office. ”

“But the thing is that even the EFCC has’nt even officially invited him, neither is any summon and in that judgement what did the court said? The court said that the EFCC with the leave of the court of competent jurisdiction can arraign him not arrest him therefore, he shouldn’t be arrested but he can be arraigned. ”

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“So, I don’t know why we are having this conflict and a lot of lawyer, SAN and even the former MBA chairman has come out to say that the EFCC goofed by laying the siege at Yahaya Bello’s Abuja residence last week Wednesday. ”

“So the EFCC knows what to do. The EFCC is a law enforcement agency and I don’t expect a law enforcement agency to be the one to break the law. So, when EFCC is ready they should serve the surmon and by then they would have vacate the order of the court. But until then, his Excellency is bound by that order not to appear before EFCC. ”

He further said that, “I always say that the minute I saw the EFCC chairman I was happy. For the first time, we have someone who was a lawyer who knows the law heading the organisation. So, I felt EFCC should not be doing by going after presumed suspect just for media trial. They would have done the proper investigation. ”

“And now look at what happened with the case of the former Attorney General of the Federation, Adoke. EFCC lost that case because even in court EFCC attested that they do not have enough evidence to prosecute him and exactly what the same thing is going to happen because the Kogi State Government has come out to tell the EFCC that our money is not missing. and these are the people that is supposed to fashion you with the said document for you to prosecute your case and if they have come to say their money is not missing I don’t understand how EFCC will want to go to court and be able to win this case. ”

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“At the beginning of the case what I expect the EFCC to do was to do a proper investigation and when they have their fact, they can now go after the former Governor but as it stands the EFCC has shot their selves by the leg by what they are doing. It is time for the EFCC to come back home sit down and do proper investigation, get the fact and stop this media trial once and for all. ” he said.

meanwhile, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that the charges of alleged N80 billion fraud filed by the Economic and Finacncial Crime Commission against the ex-governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello, be served through his lawyer, Abdulwahab Mohammed.

The Judge issued the order on Tuesday April 23rd, 2024 while delivering a ruling in an application filed by the anti-graft agency, for substituted service on Bello.

Although Abdulwahab Mohammed initially declined to accept the charges and proof of evidence saying that a junior lawyer in his team, AI Musa be the one to accept the charges on behalf of the former governor, Justice Nwite rejected the plea by the senior lawyer and compelled him to do so.

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At today’s proceedings, Yahaya Bello was again not in court but represented by his lawyer.

Justice Nwite had last week issued a bench warrant against Bello following an application to that effect by EFCC.

The EFCC subsequently declared the former governor wanted for his persistent absence in court and evading the criminal charges on him.

Informavores recalls that the EFCC had on Wednesday April 16th, 2024 laid siege on the embattled ex-governor’s, Abuja residence in a bid to arrest him.

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Abdulrahman Obaje
Abdulrahman Obaje
Prince Abdulrahman Obaje is a Media, Information and Computer Technology Consultant. A quintessential Journalist, online marketer, social media strategist, Mathematician and Computer Scientist is based in Abuja, Nigeria. He is the Founder and the Publisher of The Informavores!. You can reach me on +234 805 939 5252 or send i-witness report directly to me on news@informavores.com.ng.
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Another Massive Plan By APC To Rig Kogi Election Uncovered!

Published

6 months ago

on

November 6, 2023

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Massive Plan To Rig Kogi Election Uncovered
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Another massive plan by the APC (All Progressive Congress) to rig the upcoming election in Kogi State has been uncovered.

The plan was uncovered in an audio recording recorded in Igala language, that is widely circulated and received by the Informavores!

The message roughly translated is as follows:

“I thank you all and may the almighty God bless us all. adsbygoogle || []).push({}); adsbygoogle || []).push({}); I am here to talk to you this evening amd thank you for all your efforts as you are listening to me from where ever you are listening to me, please forward this message so that every igala will hear what I am saying this evening.”

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“As I am talking to you, it is not up to 2 minutes that I finished calling to Ankpa. It is a calling between me and the coordinator. He said that what he wanted to tell me before I called him is that the presiding officers this afternoon hinted him and that he is going to confide in me that everybody should be ready.”

“That during the upcoming voting, their plan is that they would just thumb print without capturing, therefore, when the voting is in excess without capturing(photograph), they would then cancel the polling unit. That is what he just told me. And I said I would make sure that this information is circulated among everybody online this night.”

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“It is the Presiding officer that told him this afternoon and he is relaying it to me to make sure that I tell everybody that this is the plan of APC in Ankpa where they are going to vote in Ankpa. That they will photograph, so that all the votings in Ankpa will not count.”

“This is the message that reached me this night and I said I would tell people on air. Please forward this message so that everybody would here. Let us be at alert and make sure that our votes count, let us monitor the BVAS. “

“Thank you all and God bless you all.”, it concluded.

Off season elections is scheduled to take place in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States. Coming November 11th, 2023. 

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Find the audio recording below.

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PEPC: PDP Atiku Appears As Parties Set To Adopt Written Addresses

Published

9 months ago

on

August 1, 2023

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PDP Atiku at the Presidential Election Petition Court
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As the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and other parties were set to adopt their final written addresses, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, was at the Presidential Election Petition Court, (PEPC) on Tuesday 1st August 2023 . adsbygoogle || []).push({}); adsbygoogle || []).push({});
 
The  Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel of the court had on the last adjourned date directed parties to prepare their final briefs of argument and appear before it to adopt .
 
The adoption of final addresses is the precursor to fixing a date for judgment in the petition of Atiku and the PDP challenging the outcome of the Feb. 25 presidential election.
 
The court, in a notice  to the parties, invited them to adopt their written address with respect to the petition filed against President Bola Tinubu and Vice -President Kashim Shettima, praying the court to nullify their election.
 
recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had on March 1, announced that Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), won the presidential election  ahead of 17 other candidates that participated in the contest.
 
It declared that Tinubu scored 8,794,726 votes to defeat the two major contenders,  Atiku of the PDP, who came second with 6,984,520 votes, and Mr Peter  Obi of the Labour Party, who came third with 6,101,533 votes.
 
However, dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, both Atiku and Obi approached the court to invalidate the result.
 
The duo, in their separate petitions, claimed that they won the presidential poll, even as they challenged Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the election.
 
The petitioners are praying the court to nullify the election and order a fresh presidential election, with the exclusion of President Tinubu whom they argued was ab-initio, not qualified to participate.
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