National
Appeal Court voids judgment faulting Edo PDP governorship primary
The court of appeal in Abuja has set aside the judgment of a federal high court which faulted the conduct of the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo.
The poll produced Asue Ighodalo as the party’s candidate for the Sept. 21 election.
A three-member panel of the appellate court, set aside the judgement of Justice Inyang Ekwo delivered on the July 4, on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction.
In a unanimous decision, delivered by Justice Musali , in the appeal marked
CA/ABJ/CV/763/24 , the court held that it cannot interfere with how the PDP select it’s candidate for the Sept. 21 governorship election in Edo .
Besides, the appellate court held that those who instituted the suit lacked the necessary legal standing to do so.
The apeal court ruled that the Federal High Court cannot interfere with how the PDP selected its candidate for the Sept. 21 governorship election in Edo.
The court held further, that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to have approached the trial court since they were not aspirants who participated in the primary poll.
“The lower court has no jurisdiction to interfere with how the PDP conducts its internal affairs.
” The appeal succeeds. The judgment of the federal high court delivered on July 4, 2024 is set aside for lack of jurisdiction,” the court held.
Some aggrieved members of the party Kelvin Mohammed, Gabriel Okoduwa and Ederaho Osagie had challenged the exercise and sued for themselves and on behalf of the 378 other delegates in 12 LGAs and 127 wards on the outcome of the election.
They prayed the court to grant a mandatory order restraining the defendants from unlawfully excluding them and other lawfully elected delegates from participating as ad hoc ward delegates.
NAN reports that Justice Inyang Ekwo, in that judgment held that both the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the PDP guidelines were violated in the conduct of the primary election at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City.
Ekwo, held that Exhibit PDP 1 tendered by the party was bereft of evidence, held that the plaintiffs, through the exhibits tendered, were able to establish their case against the defendants.
The judge held that from the exhibit presented by the PDP, he found that the returning officers who prepared the result sheets just manufactured the results.
He held that the exclusion of the 381 delegates, including the plaintiffs, was against the provisions of the law. (NAN)
General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, has assured that all security challenges facing the nation will be effectively addressed by the year’s end.
This statement was made during the launch of attack drones and the demonstration of locally produced bombs, developed by a homegrown technology firm.
The event was attended by security specialists and senior government officials, as General Musa showcased the indigenous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to the audience.
Accompanied by Ajao Adewale, the Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police, and Caleb Mutfwang, the Governor of Plateau State, General Musa emphasized the ongoing bureaucratic obstacles in acquiring military equipment from abroad.
Governor Mutfwang stressed the urgency for decisive measures against insecurity, calling on leaders to prevent any entity within the nation from possessing military capabilities.
The operational features of the UAVs were also demonstrated, with General Musa expressing satisfaction with this advancement, labeling it a pivotal step in combating insecurity in the country.
The Supreme Court has set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja recognising Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
In a unanimous judgment on Friday, a five-member panel of the apex court held that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to have pronounced Abure National Chairman of the LP having earlier found that the substance of the case was about the party’s leadership.
It held that issue of leadership was internal affair of a party over which courts lacked jurisdiction.
The court allowed the appeal filed by Senator Ester Nenadi Usman and one other and held that it was meritorious.
It proceeded to dismiss the cross-appeal filed by the Abure faction of the LP got being unmeritorious.
Details shortly…
Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, special adviser on political matters to Vice-President Kashim Shettima, has resigned from his position, According to Daily Trust.
The newspaper quoted sources as saying that the former spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) resigned two weeks ago.
President Bola Tinubu appointed Baba-Ahmed as special adviser on political matters to Shettima in September 2023.
Baba-Ahmed is the elder sibling of Datti Baba-Ahmed, vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election.
Baba-Ahmed served as chief of staff to Bukola Saraki, former senate president, from 2017-2019.
CONFRONTATION WITH MATAWALLE OVER NEF
In April 2024, Bello Matawalle, minister of state for defence, described the NEF as a “political paperweight” after the group stated that the north made a mistake voting Tinubu in 2023.
In his reaction to Matawalle’s remarks, Baba-Ahmed said it would have served the Tinubu administration better if Matawalle had listed his achievements as minister — and the achievements of the other northern appointees — instead of attacking NEF.
“Scathing criticism of NEF by a junior minister of defence, Matawalle, is ill-advised. He could have done a better job for this admin if he identified contributions of especially northern ministers and other appointees like me to improving security and reducing poverty in the North,” Baba-Ahmed said.
In a riposte, the minister said any appointee must defend and promote the administration they work for.
“Dr. Baba-Ahmed’s relationship and affinity with Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) is well-known,” Matawalle said.
“The fact now is that he is an appointee of the administration as Special Adviser and it is incumbent on him to work for the success of the government he is part of, protect and defend the government against unjust and vicious attacks from those who hide under ethnic and other primordial interests to heat up the polity for myopic reasons.
“It is pertinent to state that every appointee of President Tinubu including Dr. Baba-Ahmed owes the government a copious duty to promote, elucidate and advance the good works and commendable efforts of the government across all sectors.”
He added that northern appointees must defend the government or take their exit.
Matawalle is a native of Zamfara while Baba-Ahmed hails from Kaduna.