News
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.
News
Borno Commemorates 11 Years Since Chibok Girls’ Abduction, Donates N10 Million to Their Families
By Nathaniel Irobi
In a poignant ceremony held on Tuesday, the Borno state government marked the 11th anniversary of the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, who were taken by terrorists in 2014. During the event, Governor Babagana Zulum, represented by Zuwaira Gambo, the state commissioner for women affairs and social development, announced a donation of N10 million along with food supplies to support the families of the 276 abducted girls.
Governor Zulum emphasized that this donation is part of the ongoing commitment by the Borno state government to alleviate the hardships faced by the affected families. “This is not the first time the Borno state government has extended its support. From the beginning, successive administrations have assisted Chibok,” he stated, reaffirming that under his leadership, this dedication has only intensified. “We will continue our efforts until every missing girl is safely returned.”
As of now, 18 of the 189 girls who have been rescued are receiving care from the state government. Zulum shared that these girls are undergoing psychosocial support, vocational training, and academic tutorials to help them prepare for their senior school certificate examinations as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation and reintegration program.
The government’s ongoing support for the Chibok community was praised by Mustapha Modu, chairman of Chibok Local Government Area; Pogu Lawan, a member of the state house of assembly; and Hauwa Mai Musa, the governor’s senior special adviser on women affairs.
Furthermore, a report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in April 2023 indicated that approximately 93 schoolgirls remain in captivity. Although the federal government has pledged to ensure the rescue of the remaining girls, many of the students continue to be unaccounted for a decade after their abduction.
A Kano State High Court, on Tuesday, reserved ruling in the case of alleged bribery and misappropriation filed against the former governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, and seven others.
The Kano State Government instituted an eight-count charge bordering on bribery, misappropriation and diversion of public funds running into billions of Naira against Ganduje and seven others, including his wife, Hafsat Umar.
Others charged with Ganduje are Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
When the case came up for hearing of all pending applications, counsel to Ganduje and his wife, Offiong Offiong SAN, applied for an extension of time and urged the court to grant the application.
“We also filed our preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court, dated Nov. 18, 2024, along with a 28-paragraph affidavit and a written address in support.
“We also filed a reply on point of law dated April 4, 2025,” he said.
However, counsel to the state, Mr Ayodeji Adedipe, SAN, filed a reply to the notice of preliminary objection dated Oct. 22, 2024, addressing all the respondents.
“The application is attached with a seven-paragraph counter affidavit and a written address dated Dec. 13, 2024, attached along with several documents as exhibits,” Adedipe said.
He prayed the court to dismiss the respondents’ applications for lacking merit.
Counsel to the 3rd and 7th defendants, Mr Adekunle Taiye-Falola, filed a motion on notice on a preliminary objection dated Oct. 18, 2024, supported by a 14-paragraph affidavit and a written address.
“In reply to the complainant’s counter affidavit, we filed our further and better affidavit dated Dec. 12, 2024, and a reply on point of law. We urge the court to grant the application as prayed,” Taiye-Falola said.
Counsel to the 5th defendant, Mr Sunusi Musa, SAN, also filed a motion on notice on a preliminary objection dated Oct. 18, 2024, which was supported by an affidavit, an exhibit and a written address.
“We also filed our affidavit and reply on point of law and urged the court to grant the application with substantial costs against the complainant,” he said.
Counsel to the 6th respondent, Mr Ashafa Yusuf , also filed a notice of preliminary objection dated Sept. 9, 2024, supported by a nine-paragraph affidavit and a written address.
“My Lord, we filed a further and better affidavit dated Feb. 17, supported by an 11-paragraph affidavit. We also filed a reply on point of law and urged the court to grant the application,” he said.
Also, Faruk Asekone, counsel to the 8th defendant, filed a notice of preliminary objection dated Oct. 18, 2024, supported by a five-paragraph affidavit and a written address.
“In reply to the complainant’s counter-affidavit, we filed our further and better affidavit and reply on point of law dated Feb. 13, 2025, and urge the court to grant the application,” Asdkome said.
The judge, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, granted the application for an extension of time.
Adamu-Aliyu adjourned the matter for ruling on the notices of preliminary objection to a date that would be communicated to the parties at a later date. (NAN)
A former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has slammed the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government, describing it as the most “corrupt and worst” government in Nigerian history.
El-Rufai, who spoke in an interview with some journalists in Katsina Monday night, said Tinubu’s government is also the most intolerant government since the return of democratic rule in 1999.
He claimed that the Federal Government of President Tinubu is the most lying government that depends on false propaganda, especially on security challenges bedevilling the country.
The erstwhile Kaduna governor, who was in Katsina to condole with Governor Dikko Umaru Radda over the demise of his mother, also refuted the claim by the Federal Government that security has improved in the country.
He added that the insecurity in the country is due to the Federal Government’s failure to proffer deeper solutions to address what he termed the prevailing security challenges from their roots.
He stressed that many local government areas in Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto States were under the control of bandits, adding that bandits and terrorists’ leaders like Dogo Gide, Mallam Abba and Bello Turji have not been killed.
El-rufia said: “I have said it before, this is the worst Federal Government in Nigerian history and all the indices have shown it. This is the most corrupt and most intolerant government in Nigeria.
“This is the most lying government that depends on false propaganda. They lied that security has improved in Nigeria. They read out numbers of bandits killed except the ones we know are the leading bandits.
“In Kaduna, Dogo Gide is still around, Mallam Abba, the Boko Haram terrorist is still alive. Bello Turji is still around but everyday, they announce names of people that are bandits’ leaders that they have killed and security has improved.
“How many local governments are under the occupation of bandits in Katsina State? How many are occupied by bandits in Zamfara State and some parts of Sokoto State? And because you are in government you think that nothing would happen?”
The former FCT Minister, however, described his new political party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), as a party with a long history and credibility that will wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.