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Tinubu And Shettima’s Victory: PEPC Dismisses APM Case
By Tambaya Julius
In a landmark decision, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has delivered a resounding victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
This pivotal ruling revolves around the dismissal of the petition filed by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
The crux of the APM’s argument was centered on Vice-President Shettima’s eligibility to contest the presidential election held on February 25th.
They contended that Shettima’s nomination as Mr. Tinubu’s running mate contravened Section 35 of the Electoral Act 2022 and other constitutional provisions.
The APM sought to nullify the votes garnered by the APC in the election and declare the candidate with the second-highest score as the rightful winner.
Chairman of the five-man panel of justices, Justice Haruna Tsammani, delivered the judgment.
He firmly asserted that the issue of qualification or disqualification is a pre-election matter.
According to Justice Tsammani, the APM’s contention should have been raised in the Federal High Court within 180 days from July 27, 2022, when Mr. Shettima assumed the role of the APC’s vice-presidential candidate.
Significantly, this litigation window had closed in January 2023, aligning with the respondents’ position.
Justice Tsammani emphasized that the qualification of a political candidate is not a matter open to everyone’s interpretation.
The APM’s petition, which hinged on Vice-President Shettima’s non-qualification due to double nomination (as both the vice-presidential candidate and Borno Central senatorial candidate), was deemed incompetent and devoid of merit.
Justice Tsammani reiterated the constitutional prerequisites for presidential candidacy.
A candidate must be a Nigerian citizen by birth, aged over 40, a member of a political party, sponsored by said party, and possess an educational level equivalent to a school certificate.
These established criteria, as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution, remain steadfast, and no court possesses the authority to create additional qualifying or disqualifying factors.
The PEPC’s ruling in favor of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima marks a significant milestone in the legal landscape of Nigerian politics.
This decision reaffirms the sanctity of constitutional requirements for presidential candidates and upholds the principles established by the Supreme Court in similar cases.
As this verdict reverberates across the political sphere, it underscores the paramount importance of adhering to constitutional provisions and due legal process in Nigeria’s electoral system.
Aides, Allies Disown Him, Say You’re a Traitor, We’re not Leaving PDP
Barely two weeks after his defection from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), crisis has enveloped the political camp of a member of the House of Representatives for Obokun/Oriade federal constituency in Osun State, Oluwole Oke.
Indeed, these are not the best of times for him as his defection to the APC is eliciting rejection from his close circles and constituency.
His key allies who he groomed into politics and government positions have rejected his calls on them to join him to defect to the APC.
A source said that in the last few days, key aides and allies of the lawmaker have rejected his movement to the APC, describing it as a political tragedy.
“With the way he betrayed PDP, Oluwole Oke is like the proverbial Leopard that can never change the spots on its body. He will also betray the APC. We are staying back in PDP while severing political links with him”, one of his allies, Bamidele Johnson said.
Some of his allies were said to have openly declared that the defection marks a political waterloo for the 6th term legislator.
For instance, some of Oke’s allies in his Local Government scorned his move as “a decision borne out of greed and selfishness.”
One of them described him as “an ingrate who betrayed a party on whose platform he got married in life as a lawmaker and on whose platform he gained all his material riches.”
The Northern Youths Consultative Forum for Justice (NYCJ) has urged Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Zamfara State, citing a complete breakdown of governance, law, and order.
In a statement issued on Monday in Kano, NYCJ President Dr Sanusi Rano described the situation in Zamfara as “organised abandonment of duty” by elected officials.
“What we are witnessing in Zamfara is not governance. It is betrayal of the people,” Rano said, pointing to the absence of a functional state House of Assembly and allegations linking officials to criminal activities.
The group highlighted the suspension of 10 lawmakers who spoke out against the deteriorating security situation, arguing that their removal has left Zamfara without a legally recognised legislative body.
“This is a dictatorship of silence,” said Rano, adding that the lack of checks and balances has deepened the state’s crisis.
“The same hands that should protect Zamfara are profiting from its destruction,” Rano stated.
Calling for decisive action, the group demanded the appointment of a non-partisan administrator to rebuild the state’s institutions.
“If this is not done now, Zamfara risks becoming a permanent state of anarchy, which threatens our democracy,” Rano warned.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme of a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, on Monday, sentenced the husband of late gospel singer, Osinachi, Peter Nwachukwu, to death by hanging.
Nwachukwu was found guilty of culpable homicide resulting in the death of the deceased ( his wife) on April 8, 2022.
The judge held that the prosecution had proven the burden of proof placed on it by the law and subsequently found the defendant guilty.
Nwachukwu was arraigned on June 3, 2022 by the Office of Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF), on behalf of the Federal Government, on a 23-count charge .
The charge was on culpable homicide punishable with death, criminal intimidation, cruelty to children, criminal intimidation of children, spousal battery, among others.
In the course of trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses, including two children of the late Osinachi, who testified as fourth prosecution and fifth prosecution witnesses, PW4 and PW5 respectively.
The prosecution also tendered 25 documents as exhibits before the court.
The defendant testified for the defence and further called four other witnesses and tendered four exhibits in his defence.
Shortly before sentencing, the defendant, counsel , Reginald Nwali, in his allocutus pleaded with the court to be lenient in its judgment.
Similarly, the prosecution counsel, Mrs Aderonke Imala, urged the court to give force to the law as stipulated.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme subsequently sentenced Nwachukwu to death by hanging on Count 1, while he was sentenced to two years imprisonment each on Counts 2, 3, 8,9, 12, 13, and 18.
The court sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment on Count 10, three years imprisonment in Count 11, while he was fined the sum of N500,000 and N200,000 respectively on Counts 6 and 7 respectively. (NAN)