Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has begged a federal judge in the United States to overlook records suggesting the person admitted into Chicago State University in the 1970s was a female, according to a report by Peoples Gazette.

It was gathed that one of Tinubu’s lawyers in the case, Christopher Carmichael, entered the argument on the Nigerian president’s behalf.

“It is established beyond peradventure that it is improper to sandbag one’s opponent by raising new matter in reply,” Tinubu said.

Recall that in a September 11 filing before Judge Jeffrey Gilbert of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Tinubu said his Nigerian political rival Atiku Abubakar was trying to sandbag him in the ongoing case over academic documents.

Ahead of today’s hearing, Justice Gilbert had recommended that all parties appear before the court on Tuesday afternoon amid strong indications a ruling was imminent in the matter.

According to Tinubu’s lawyers, controversies in the Southwest College record generated around Tinubu’s identity was a conspiracy theory and not the fault of the Nigerian leader.

“The quoted and referenced portion of the Nigerian court filing parrots conspiracy theories about President Tinubu, including that the degree from Chicago State University really belongs to a female named Bola Tinubu,” Tinubu’s lawyers said. “That conspiracy theory is not an asserted basis for discovery.”

But Peoples Gazette reports that Atiku’s lawyers, led by Angela Liu, quickly filed a response to let the judge know that the argument Tinubu’s lawyers were making should be ignored and the hearing should be allowed to proceed as scheduled.

“Although Abubakar disputes the assertions made by Tinubu in his Motion for Leave and accompanying sur-response, Abubakar consents to Tinubu’s submission of the sur-response and its accompanying exhibit, Dkt. 27-1, on the assumption that the Court will allow his counsel to respond to the arguments and assertions made therein at the hearing before the Court scheduled for tomorrow (September 12, 2023),” the lawyers said.

Recall that Atiku is asking the US court to grant enough subpoenas to compel records and depositions from CSU amid controversy about Tinubu’s admission and graduation.

The school has continued to present contradictory documents that often throw up more questions than previously conceived.

For instance, at least two certificates issued by the school in Tinubu’s name are in the public domain. One was given directly to Tinubu, while the other was given to a Nigerian lawyer who obtained a subpoena for the records last year. The one given to Tinubu said he graduated on June 22, 1979, having been admitted in 1977, while the one issued to the Nigerian lawyer, Mike Enahoro-Ebah, carried June 27, 1979.

Still, additional records of admission submitted by CSU under the 2022 subpoena showed that a certain Bola Tinubu, who was admitted to CSU also in the same 1977, presented a Southwest College result belonging to a female.

Furthermore, Elnora Daniel, the CSU president who purportedly signed the 2022 certificate for Tinubu, only joined the school in 1998, or 19 years after Tinubu was said to have graduated. She left in 2008 following a financial mismanagement scandal, or 14 years before she purportedly signed the certificate as the school’s current president.

A former chairperson of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Board, Mrs Lauretta Onochie, has described Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, as a desperate man.

This is as Onochie urged the police and the Department of State Services, DSS, to arrest the former Anambra state governor.

According to the former presidential aide, Obi was trying to forment violence and rebellion using the Obidients over his defeat in the 2023 presidential election.

Onochie opined that there was something disturbing and evil about someone who finished third in the poll trying to be President.

She made the call via her X account in reaction to a video posted by one Abubakar Sidiq Usman.

“Attn: @OfficialDSSNG,@PoliceNG I think it’s high time you pulled this clown,” she wrote.

She noted that since the declaration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Obi’s running mate Dr. Datti Baba Ahmed and others she described as ‘unpatriotic angry birds,’ have been allegedly instigating the youth to violence.

“But our noble and patriotic youth completely ignored them, because sensible youth in Nigeria are more in number than his headless mob,” she said.

She further said that Obi has been deceived to try his luck at the tribunal where he failed and even attempted to use the Labour movement to stop the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal when they declared a two-day warning strike.

“This man, @PeterObi, continues to instigate his headless and consequently, brainless followers to a violent change of government. I have never seen a more desperate individual.

“There’s something sinister and ominous about a man who came 3rd in a race and wants to be declared the winner, AT ALL COST!

“I think it’s high time he was pulled in to answer a few questions. Nigerians want to know why Peter Obi is this desperate.

“Pull him in, the heavens will not fall,” she said.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons forward Desire Ugochi Oparanozie has announced her retirement from football for both country and club at the age of 29.

Oparanozie was included in the squad that represented Nigeria at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup which started in July and ended in August.

In a post on Wednesday, on her X account, formerly Twitter, she wrote, “To my fans, family, and friends, thank you for the show of love and support over the years. It’s time to take a bow, as I believe there’s no better time than now. I’m officially announcing my retirement from professional football for both club and country.

“To every team and coach I have played for, to every mate I’ve played alongside, and to every opponent I have played against, thank you all for being part of this incredible journey. Thank you football, thank you Nigeria.”

Oparanozie had a successful career in the Chinese Women’s Super League and represented Nigeria’s national team on different occasions.

She started at Bayelsa Queens and later played for Delta Queens and Düvenciler Lisesispor.

In 2012, Oparanozie transferred to Rossiyanka in the Russian Women’s Football Championship. She had a successful stint there, playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and scoring a goal. After that, she moved to VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga for the 2013-14 season.

It is now crucial for Nigeria to prioritize the reduction of insecurity to the lowest possible level in order to fully benefit from the domestic economic initiatives of the new administration and the renewed international diplomatic and economic stance of the Tinubu's government. The need for this has become imperative following the enthusiasm generated by President Tinubu's recent attendance at the G20 summit in India and trip to the United Arab Emirates to address the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between the two countries, which was affected by the suspension of travel visas to Nigerians and the flight suspension of Emirates airlines to Nigeria.

While the government's efforts to harmonize the foreign exchange rate and remove fuel subsidy have been applauded by local and international economists and analysts, it is essential for the government to simultaneously address the security situation in the country in a more serious and strategic manner.

Starting from the first reported case of armed robbery in Nigeria by the Oyenusi gang in the early 1970s to the activities of the Maitasine bandits in the 1980s and 1990s, armed banditries which hitherto was on the increase and prevalent in the northeast region of the country, has now spread to other parts of the country.

This phenomenon has been exacerbated by the destabilization of governments in Libya and Iraq, including the overthrow of Muammer Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein. In the 2000s, insecurity took on a new turn in the form of Boko Haram, IPSWA, kidnapping and Farmers-Herders clashes.

To effectively tackle insecurity and provide assurance to foreign investors regarding their personal safety and security, it ihas now become urgent to reposition the Nigerian police, the DSS, and other security agencies towards preemptive and crime preventive services. These security services should undergo comprehensive training, retraining, and be equipped and resourced adequately. A new approach that incorporates international best practices in policing, crime prevention, and enforcement is necessary.

Furthermore, in order to promote the Ease of Doing Business initiative, Nigeria must go beyond mere slogans and address the obstacles that hinder business operations in the country. This includes rebranding the country, improving services in embassies and high commissions related to visa issuance and information management. It is crucial to decentralize activities from Lagos and Abuja, develop more international airports of international standards, and decentralize the corporate affairs commission. Every Nigerian should embrace the role of a marketer for a New Nigeria that is prepared and open for business. Additionally, cybercrimes and advanced fee fraud (also known as 419) must be strongly addressed.

Once these issues have been effectively addressed, Nigeria will be on its way to achieving the greatness it is destined for and has the potential to achieve. As I always say, "There is no Nigerian way of flying a Boeing 747..."

Sonny Iroche is a 2022/2023 Senior Academic Visitor at the African Studies Centre of the University of Oxford. And a Financial and Infrastructure Consultant

We all foresaw the vexatious verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) delivered on 6th September 2023 (6/9 verdict). Sensing that the PEPC would thwart substantial justice, the people began erecting billboards, signboards, and posters in Abuja with the inscription: "all eyes on the judiciary." Disturbed that the inscription was pricking their consciences and passing judgment on them, they went about pulling down the billboards and yanking off the posters. However, the more they did that, the more billboards and posters sprang up in town and on social media with the said inscription. A few days before the unveiling of the 6/9 verdict, they engaged in blackmailing the citizens and warning them not to let the heavens fall simply because the outcome of the judgment was not in their favor. An undertaker publicly showered encomium on two lawyers representing President Bola Tinubu at the PEPC – Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Lateef Fagbemi SAN, describing the duo as experts in election petition matters. The authorities announced beefing up tight security in Abuja to avert possible violent protests against the looming dangerous verdict. The PEPC, which had earlier rejected people's application to televise the proceedings of the PEPC, suddenly announced that it would televise the delivery of the verdict, ostensibly to give a false impression that it subscribes to integrity and transparency.

Since the iniquitous 6/9 verdict was delivered, the country has been steeped in deep mourning. The unjust verdict continues to draw the ire of the people, especially the Nigerian youth. These are times that try men's souls in Nigeria. We live in the most perilous times. Anyone who has not yet come to terms with this truth may be living in a fool's paradise. Although the bullets may not be crisscrossing the airspace, the pre-existing legal order may not have been violently uprooted, and the heavenly firmament may not have evaporated, but the 6/9 verdict has murdered the remnant of the empty carcass called Nigeria. Augustine minced no words about it. When justice is taken away, all that is left in a kingdom are great robberies. Say whatever you like, but no man or woman of good conscience in Nigeria can be at ease with the vulcanized 6/9 verdict. Equally, no street, no Broadway, no village path in Nigeria can remain silent amid the stillness of death occasioned by the 6/9 judgment. Peace is not the absence of external war. With torn and bleeding hearts, we may be smiling, but we may not know peace until Nigeria goes the way she had been fated to go. I repeat: Nigeria must go the way she had been fated before the dawn of human flourishing in Nigeria.

Perhaps what is more perplexing about the riveting 6/9 verdict is that the five-member PEPC, with the greatest respect, wrongly descended into the arena of conflict. Inherent in our adversarial court system is the principle that a court must not descend into the area of conflict in favor of any of the parties in a case before the court. See, among other cases, Ayoade Vs. Spring Bank Plc. (2014); Nwafor vs. Nigeria Custom Service & ORS. (2018), where the courts held that a judge should not descend into the arena of conflict to make a case for a party. Why? Because it is against the run of the game and tenet of adjudication. Unfortunately, the PEPC, with the greatest respect, grievously erred in this aspect of our law. The PEPC constituted itself as counsel to the respondents and was arguing the respondents' case. In descending into the arena in favor of the respondents, the PEPC treated with levity the overwhelming evidence tendered by the petitioners establishing that President Tinubu was illegally and unconstitutionally pronounced the winner of the February 25 Presidential election by Prof Mahmoud Yakubu, chair of the electoral body INEC amid complaints that the election was rigged by INEC. Like a hired assassin, the PEPC proceeded to decapitate the petitioners' petition, including the cloud of petitioners' witnesses. The PEPC struck out all the vital paragraphs of the petitioners' petition on flimsy and illogical grounds. It rejected all the laws and legal authorities cited by the petitioners on pseudo-rationalization. One cannot help but feel a moral whiplash.

You will recall that during the hearing, the respondents' counsel did not impugn or discredit the overwhelming evidence adduced by the petitioners. They promised to do so in their final address. Unfortunately, the respondents failed to do so during the final address. Yet the Tribunal entered judgment in their favor. It is trite and in consonance with the principle of natural justice that a court of law must remain an unbiased umpire in a case before it. The court cannot manufacture legal arguments or evidence for any of the parties. The court must rely on the defense of the party as it is put forward by the party. The court must not manufacture a defense for a defendant. For a defendant in a suit to succeed, he or she must succeed on the strength of his own defense, not on the strength of the "defense" manufactured for him or her by the court.

It is sad that Nigerian judges handling high-profile election cases are now accountable to the politicians in those cases rather than to the rule of law. This is why the jurisprudence of these judges is so disconnected from the Constitution and the Electoral Act that it sometimes seems to defy explanation. In terms of their overall performance and in meeting the justice and needs of the people, our judges should remember that they are accountable to the rule of law and the Nigerian people, not to the Peter Obis, Bola Tinubus, or Abubakar Atikus of this world. Mind you, the Peter Obis, Bola Tinubus, and Abubakar Atikus will come and go, but the rule of law remains unaltered, serving the succeeding generations of mankind. Consequently, our judges, with the greatest respect, are advised to interpret the law in a way that meets substantial justice of a particular case or in a way that fulfills the needs and aspirations of the Nigerian people, as envisioned in sections 13, 14 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c) of the 1999 Constitution. Dismissing an important electoral petition concerning the character of President Bola Tinubu to hold an exalted public office on mere whimsical and capricious technicalities, in my humble view, is a disservice to what is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society. The paradox of it all is that during the inauguration of the PEPC in Abuja, the most excellent Justice Haruna Tsammani asked lawyers representing all petitioners to avoid unnecessary technicalities and address the substance of their cases, yet the same PEPC used technicalities in dismissing the cases of the petitioners. Judges should adorn the breastplate of integrity, discipline, and impartiality in the discharge of their duty. Like Caesar’s wife, they should be seen to live above board. Many English judges are still honored and revered today because of their impeccable character. For example, the Master of Rolls, Rt. Hon. A. T Denning, was distinguished by both his exceptional lucidity of thought and character. During their stint at the Supreme Court, Justices Kayode Eso, Chukwudifu Akunne Oputa, Samson Odemwingie Uwaifo, Andrews Otutu Obaseki, Augustine Nnamani, and Anthony Nnaemezie Aniagolu, Ephraim Ibukun Akpata, Phillip Nnaemeka-Agu, Anthony Chukwunweike Idigbe, Adolphus Godwin Karibi Whyte, and others were distinguished by their intellectual versatility and enviable character. That is why their era at the Supreme Court is ascribed as the golden era of the Supreme Court. Our current Supreme Court Justices should emulate the sterling qualities of the aforementioned Justices in reviewing the unjust 6/9 verdict.

One of the main grounds that petitioners need to establish to prove that the election was invalid is corrupt practices and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act. Corrupt practices include electoral offenses like election fraud, bribery, and falsification of election results. Non-compliance refers to outright violations of the Electoral Act, 2022, and INEC Guidelines, which confer an undue advantage to the respondents. During the trial, the petitioners in the 6/9 verdict established that election results were not uploaded through the BVAS and IREv as stipulated by the Electoral Act. Yet, the PEPC, with the greatest respect, ruled that the electoral body INEC rightly uploaded results through other means. Section 60(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022 states: “On the conclusion of voting, the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including the total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot, in a manner prescribed by the Commission.” What is the prescribed manner by the Commission? The prescribed manner is the BVAS, which INEC introduced to ensure that the electoral process is credible. The BVAS was introduced by INEC in line with Section 148 of the Electoral Act, which gives INEC the power to make guidelines and regulations to ensure the full effect of the law.

By virtue of Section 148 of the Electoral Act, INEC has been empowered to make Electoral Regulations and Guidelines for the 2023 Election. Paragraph 38 of the Regulation states: “On completion of all Polling unit voting and results procedures, the presiding officer shall: (i) Electronically transmit or transfer the result of the polling unit directly to the collation system as prescribed by the Commission (ii) Use the BVAS to upload a scanned copy of the EC8A to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREv), as prescribed by the Commission (iii) Take the BVAS and the original copy of each of the forms in a tamper-evident envelope to the registration area/ward collation officer, in the company of security agents. The polling agents may accompany the presiding officer to the RA/Ward Collation Centre.” With this extant law, it is baffling that the PEPC failed to nullify the February 25th Presidential election due to INEC's failure to comply with the aforementioned provisions of the Electoral Act.

In their eagerness to dismiss the petitioners’ petition on flimsy grounds, the PEPC, with the greatest respect, failed to abide by the decisions of the Supreme Court in the cases of Mohammed Abacha V Federal Republic of Nigeria and Obasanjo V Buhari, among others. As argued by senior advocate Emeka Okwuosa Esquire, and I concur with him, “According to section 137 (i) (d) of our 1999 Federal Republic of Nigeria constitution as amended, anyone fined for any offense involving dishonesty or fraud, either civil or criminal, is not qualified to be president of Nigeria. The current CJN (Justice Kayode Ariwoola), while serving as a justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, declared in a case between Mohammed Abacha vs Federal Republic of Nigeria that ‘there can’t be forfeiture without a crime.’ In a majority decision, he defined forfeiture as the loss of a right, privilege, or property because of a crime, breach of obligation, or neglect of duty, while also declaring the word ‘forfeiture’ to mean the divestiture of property without any form of compensation. He inclusively noted that any person(s) who has forfeited property(ies) on the basis of a crime cannot be entitled to indemnity because it is a form of punishment, and there is no indemnity in Nigeria’s criminal procedure.

Even in America, where this crime of narcotics peddling was committed with its consequent forfeiture, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu would have lost his right to vote and be voted for as a ‘felon’. Where then does his electoral qualification lie when even the highly revered distinguished Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who happens to be Mr. Tinubu’s only witness at the tribunal, openly declared at the same tribunal that this petition was actually true and factual? There is no hiding place for a golden fish. In 2003, in the case between Obasanjo vs Buhari, the Supreme Court ruled that all that was required of Obasanjo was to score 25% only of all cast votes in Abuja and not an outright win. The Supreme Court adjudicated that a presidential candidate needs to score 25% in 2/3 of the states of the Federation and must still score 25% in Abuja. Equally in 2008, in the case between Buhari and Yar’Adua, the earlier precedent of the Supreme Court was upheld, and hence, Buhari’s petition was struck out. The Supreme Court judgments had laid the facts concerning this section of our constitution inta-allia: Abuja represents all Nigerians, and as such, any presidential candidate must show equal 25% popularity in Abuja as in 25% of all states of the federation. All past presidents, including late MKO Abiola, scored 25% in Abuja, and there shouldn’t be an exemption now as that section has not been amended.”

It is baffling that we are afraid of justice in Nigeria, but justice remains that vital thread that can knit Nigerian society together. Small wonder Aristotle praises justice to high heavens by stating that "neither the morning star nor the evening star is as glorious as justice." To Cicero, "the brightest of virtues shines above all in justice." Unfortunately, the five-member PEPC was focused on giving judgment to President Tinubu and the APC, neglecting the most important part of doing justice to Nigerian society. In Josiah V State, the late Justice Chukwudifu Akunne Oputa stated that justice is not a one-way traffic; justice is not even only a two-way traffic. Justice is really a three-way traffic – justice for the parties in the case and finally justice for the society at large whose norms and values cannot be desecrated.

In other words, Justice Oputa was simply stating that a judge cannot deliver a judgment that goes against public policy or a judgment that destroys the fabric of society or a judgment that legalizes or institutionalizes thievery or a judgment that renders what is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society as inutile. Let there be no mistake about it: the 6/9 judgment is antithetical to judicial norms and values. Apart from being a big threat to the independence of the judiciary, the narcissistic 6/9 verdict is a big threat to Nigeria's corporate existence and national unity. It is a toxic verdict which, if left unturned, will serve as a dangerous judicial precedent that legalizes all manner of election impropriety, drug addiction, thievery, election rigging, and gerrymandering in Nigeria. If the callous 6/9 verdict is left unturned by the Supreme Court, it would render certain provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, especially section 137 and key provisions of the Electoral Act, inutile in future Presidential elections in Nigeria.

With the 6/9 bad precedent, future presidential elections in Nigeria are doomed. Criminal records of presidential candidates would no longer matter; electronic voting and transmission would be non sequitur; electoral irregularities and manipulations would no longer matter. If you accuse any future presidential candidate of not possessing the minimum educational qualification or being a criminal convict, he or she can cite the 6/9 verdict as a defense. With the horrific 6/9 verdict as a judicial precedent, it means that idiots, imbeciles, thieves, drug barons, and stark illiterates running for President in the future can point at 6/9 and feel justified and qualified for being in the presidential race. 6/9 is a complete break with Nigerian cultural heritage. There is no known Nigerian culture that endorses stealing, cheating, lying, election manipulation, bribery and corruption, drug addiction, imbecility, and nuisance. Therefore, the Supreme Court must overturn 6/9 to save not just our democracy from peril but our cultural heritage from peril too.

It is painful that the Bench in Nigeria has been constituted into an object of derision by the very judges who should labor to maintain its prestige. I tell friends that what is at stake in the ignominious 6/9 verdict is neither President Tinubu nor Peter Obi nor Abubakar Atiku. After all, death is the common destiny of mankind. Like all mortals, Tinubu, Atiku, and Obi will someday answer the call of God and bow out of the stage, leaving the younger politicians to continue the political experiment. What is really at stake in the unjust 6/9 verdict is the soul of the Nigerian judiciary. If the judiciary, a veritable third arm of government, is aborted, our democratic experiment will equally be aborted to the detriment of the governed. Before now, the judgments of the Supreme Court, especially in the high-profile political cases of Ihedioha V Hope Uzodinma, Lawan V Machina, and Godswill Akpabio V Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and others, had been attracting strong, passionate, and scathing public criticisms. Members of the public had been holding their heads in shame and shouting that justice has eluded Nigeria. The international community had been disappointed that the Nigerian courts are slavishly adhering to technical legalisms at the expense of substantial justice. Now, with the atrocious 6/9 verdict, hope of the common man in the judiciary as the bulwark of justice and an unbiased arbiter in the causes of the citizenry, amid the balkanizing influence of corrupt politicians and public figures, is completely shattered.

Consequently, the Supreme Court is respectfully invited to overturn the unjust 6/9 verdict. It is evident that justice was not manifestly seen to be done in the 6/9 verdict. This is why the 6/9 decision provokes public outrage. The public believes that the five-member PEPC was biased against the petitioners in the 6/9 case. As the Lord Chief Justice of England, Lord Hewart, laid down the dictum in the case of Rex v. Sussex Justices when he stated: "It is not merely of some importance but is of fundamental importance that justice should not only be done but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done." The essence of the need for justice to be manifestly seen to be done was emphasized by the Master of the Rolls, Lord Denning, in Metropolitan Properties Co (FGC) Ltd v Lennon when he stated: "Justice must be rooted in confidence, and confidence is destroyed when right-minded people go away thinking, 'The judge was biased.'"

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau state, has alleged that the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal committed electoral robbery by taking the Plateau South Senate seat from its members and giving it to their opponent.

Naija News reported that the tribunal declared that former Governor Simon Bako Lalong, who contested the senatorial seat on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform and emerged second, should be declared the winner.

The counsel to the All Progressives Congress, Edward Pwajok (SAN), while speaking with journalists shortly after the judgment on Monday, said the Court held that the Peoples Democratic Party was not qualified to contest in the election following their refusal to conduct the ward congresses as ordered by a Jos High Court in the year 2021.

Rejecting the judgement, the PDP Chairman in Plateau State, Chris Hassan, during a press conference in Jos, insisted that the ruling was an electoral robbery and unacceptable to the PDP.

Hassan said the opposition rejected the judgement entirely, stressing it was contrary to the people’s will.

He maintained that the tribunal erred to have relied on the internal disputes of the PDP to deliver its judgement in favour of the petitioners.

He said, “The judgement was an electoral robbery, which is unacceptable to the people of Plateau because it is contrary to the will of the constituencies, which was freely expressed via the votes we got in the election.

“The PDP watched with dismay and trepidation the nullification of the elections of our Senator representing Plateau South and House of Representatives Member representing Barkin Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency.

“We reject the outcome of the judgement in its entirety because justice was not served, and it did not reflect the law and the interest of the majority of the people as freely expressed at the election.

“The judgement was an electoral robbery which is unacceptable to the people of Plateau because it is contrary to the will of the people of the constituencies which was freely expressed via the votes we got in the election”

Hassan further explained that the PDP had since complied with the judgment of Justice S.P. Gang and conducted a fresh congress, insisting that the Party currently has a solid and valid structure.

He noted that the Party would explore legal means to retain its mandate, adding that the judgement would not destroy its confidence in the judiciary.

He said, “In this case, the PDP had since complied with the judgement of Justice S. P. Gang through a repeat congress in September 2021 which was dutifully monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as required by law.

“This same congress was affirmed by the Federal High Court sitting Jos in a judgement delivered by Justice D. V. Agishi in the case of Augustine Timkuk versus PDP validating the state executive of the Party as duly elected.

“This same judgment was also unanimously affirmed by the Court of Appeal, Jos in favour of the PDP in a ruling by Justice T. Y. Hassan, Justice I. A. Andenyangtso and Justice O. O. Goodluck, delivered on 11 Feb. 2023.

“The fact remains that PDP has a valid and solid structure through which our mandate was given and we are optimistic that by the special grace of God, it will stand.

“This is because the same position was affirmed by the seven judgments of panel two of the National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tri,bunal which is a sister panel to this one.”

The Labour Party has described as reckless the removal of its lawmakers by the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in many states across the country.

The tribunal had in recent days annulled the elections of many of the elected members of the party in Edo, Abia, Lagos and other states over mostly on grounds of their emergence as candidate of the party.

Reacting to the trend, the party, in a statement issued by its National Chairman, Barr. Julius Abure, opined that reasons advanced for the judgment of the tribunal sacking many of its lawmakers defied simple logic.

He pointed out that the higher courts in the country have ruled on many occasions that the issue of “membership is an internal affair of the party beyond the jurisdiction of courts.”

He said, “We are worried because the reasons for reversing our victories are matters that have been settled by the superior courts in the past.

“It is even incomprehensible and ludicrous when different tribunals give conflicting and diverse judgements on the same matter, a matter that has since been ruled by the Supreme Court and very recently at the Presidential Election Petition Court in APC v Peter Obi.

“The courts have, in a plethora of cases, held that the court has no jurisdiction to intervene in the internal affairs of a political party.

“The issue of nomination of candidates as well as membership are internal affairs of the party beyond the jurisdiction of courts. Only a political party can determine who its members are and who their flag bearer for an election should be.

“The Labour Party Chairman described the judgements as reckless, saying the activities of the judges are suspicious.”

He called on the Nigerian Judicial Council to intervene in the matter by reviewing the activities of the legal practitioners.

“Though the tribunal is not the final court, we frown at the recklessness of our judicial officers in entering a judgement that looks suspicious.

“We are therefore calling the attention of the Nigeria Judicial Council to the injustice ongoing and to review the activities of some of our legal officers who may have been compromised and found wanting in the discharge of their duties.

“Labour Party must be encouraged to widen the political space and end the one party system being vigorously pursued by the ruling party. Pushing the party under a moving trailer will not in any way help anyone,” Abure added

As Party Begin Electronic Registration Of Members, Launches Research Institute

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced plans to digitize its membership register, while also announcing the launch of its National Institute of Progressives Studies.

The chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, made the announcement on Tuesday during a meeting with the party’s NEC members in Abuja.

Ganduje said the essence of electronic registration was to have the exact number of the party members.

“Another step that we have taken is that we are reviewing our registration electronically now. The work has already started, so you should be ready that all our members will be electronically registered so that we have an exact number physically,” he said.

The National Chairman lamented that the number of registered party members depleted after the 2023 presidential election.

“If you will recall, we had a number of 41 million members, while after the presidential election we had 8 million, what happened to the rest? So, we need to be digital and ensure that we are working with the correct data,” said Ganduje.

He added that the party introduced the National Institute of Progressives Studies to help Nigerians shape their behavioural patterns in line with democracy and progressive ideals.

No fewer than 67 persons have been recorded missing by the Gombe State Police Command.

Confirming this in an exclusive interview with our correspondent on Tuesday, the Public Relations Officer, ASP Mahid Abubakar, said the cases were reported across the 11 local government areas of the state.

Based on checks carried out by The PUNCH in August only about 65 persons were declared missing, with the present inquiry bringing the number to 67 in September.

According to Abubakar, the cases are from January to September 2023, adding that efforts were on to recover the victims.

“From January to date we have 67 cases of missing persons reported at the Headquarters,” he said.

Abubakar disclosed that although some of the missing persons have been found by their family members, the command under the state’s Commissioner of Police, Oqua Etim is still committed to securing residents.

“Let me add that some of the persons lost have been found. The cases were majorly reported by their family members and some of the missing persons have since returned home. I wish to reassure you and many other residents of the state that Gombe is safe as Commissioner Oqua Etim and his men are committed to securing the state and her people, there is no need for worries,” Abubakar added.

The feud between Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and his deputy, Lucky Ayedatiwa, deepened yesterday following the sacking of all media aides attached to the Deputy Governor’s office.

This has plunged some members of the State Executive Council into fear as reports emerged that the governor may dissolve his cabinet.

Recall that Akeredolu had last week returned to the country after a three-month medical leave in Germany.

The governor, who returned on Wednesday, is still in his Ibadan home, where he has been carrying out official duties.

According to reports, the governor may reshuffle the state executive council to weed out members suspected to be disloyal during his absence.

A source revealed that Akeredolu was sad that some of his aides caused serious tension in the state while he was away by sponsoring some reports that embarrassed the government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) chapter.

The source stated that the Chief of Staff, Chief Olugbenga Ale, and about six commissioners might be sacked for working against Akeredolu.

It was gathered that Aiyedatiwa, who was the acting governor during Akeredolu’s medical trip, was accused of disloyalty by some of the aides of the governor for using the absence of the governor to fester his governorship ambition.

A party source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Nation that trust has broken down between the governor and his deputy.

He said: “There is no division in the party. The Aketi family is big and intact. But, there are complaints against the deputy governor who tried to create a camp from the big camp while positioning himself.

“The camp of the deputy governor started misbehaving, thinking that the governor would not make it. Some actually thought that the governor would not return. It was even reported that the governor had died.”

The source said a detailed report about how the deputy governor ran the state in the governor’s absence got to Akeredolu, where he was recuperating in Germany.

The source added: “The deputy governor was careless with some statements, which were taped and played to the governor’s hearing.

“At a meeting with other governors, he, as acting governor of Ondo State, complained that he was being denied access to the governor and was not given a free hand when other governors asked from him whether he was hearing from his boss.

“Colleagues of Akeredolu called him to tell him that his deputy was not loyal.”