The part of the EU report that asserts that there was a single incident throughout the whole campaign where I retweeted a news item by a ‘suspicious website’ does not deserve my response because it is so presumptuous and outside their mandate and exposes a deep-seated bias about how the so-called observers went about their assignment. However, for the education of the gullible and unfortunate ones who are jubilating over such a poor report, I will say a word or two. 

Firstly, their assignment is to OBSERVE AND REPORT. Their mandate does not extend to INVESTIGATING claims made by candidates against one another and reaching CONCLUSIONS on such claims. They are not journalists nor are they law-enforcement officers. They are just OBSERVERS. Declaring any news as ‘fake’ when they don’t have alternative facts or findings by institutions statutorily empowered to investigate such claims is tantamount to taking sides on the campaign trail and trying to defend a candidate against another. And that is very disappointing and unfortunate on the part of these observers.

Secondly, even professional journalists, law-courts and law-enforcement agencies, in the course of investigating any allegation, MUST talk to all sides before reaching a conclusion. Where is the evidence that the EU observers talked to those who made these claims and sought to get further clarifications before rushing to write their jejune report?

Thirdly, they said I retweeted a story by ‘a suspicious website’. Pray, what makes a website ‘suspicious’? They did not elaborate. How can foreigners come into a country and declare a local news website as ‘suspicious’ (without more) and just walk away? What arrogance!

Fourthly and curiously, whilst other local and international journalists had previously reported that ALL THE POLITICAL PARTIES tried to outdo themselves by pushing out some false stories, the EU report just singled out the APC. So, were they blind to the antics of the other parties? For instance, was there a single mention of tons of false reports by the PDP and LP that our candidate BOLA AHMED TINUBU (who is now President) was evacuated abroad for urgent medical attention at various moments during the campaign when there was no scintilla of evidence to back that up? Is that not ‘fake news’?

Overall, the EU report is nothing but a reflection of a one-sided narrative. And I congratulate the Opposition on working closely with the EU and carting away the all-important prize of the EU Final Report. 

For us, we shall make do with the consolation prize of the ACTUAL WINNER OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2023. 

Daalu! 

FESTUS KEYAMO, SAN, CON, FCIArb (UK)

Mmesoma Ejikeme, the Anambra student who was accused of faking her 2023 UTME result by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Wednesday, revealed how she received an automated text message from JAMB indicating that her score was 249.

Recall JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, had earlier revealed that the candidate sent a series of messages to the board’s automated telecoms system, including the results showing an aggregate of 362.

Reacting in an interview with Sunrise Daily on Channels Television, the Anambra teenager said the only SMS she sent to JAMB was through its support system: “That’s the only SMS I sent there.”

On how she got the score, she said; “The one I checked through the USSD code is the one of 360 that I saw”.

She, however, admitted that the feedback from JAMB showed her score as 249.

“After all was said and done, I now saw that I got 249. I sent them a text message there to know what really happened — the JAMB Support System. If they go to their system, they will see it there,” she further explained.

The Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, has sought more Federal Government’s attention on infrastructural and developmental projects in Ogun State for the well-being of the citizens.

 Oba Gbadebo made this known while receiving a team from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, led by its Director of Studies, Prof. Oluwafunmilayo Para-Mallam in his Palace, Ake, Abeokuta, who was on a visit to the State, calling on the participants to use their visit and research method for the progress of the country.

 "As a State with prominent personalities, we need more attention from the Federal Government’s attention in terms of infrastructural facilities, developmental projects, access roads, especially the FG roads should be prioritised", Alake said.

 He said good roads, affordable and qualitative education, housing, and other infrastructural provisions are needed to enhance the social economic well-being of the entire citizenry.

 The Monarch assured the team of traditional rulers’ support in the course of carrying out their national assignment for the growth and development of the country, saying the fast pace of change and national development in countries across the globe could not be undermined.

 He pointed out that the State is hospitable and conducive to stay, adding that it is usually known for peace and tranquillity, and has produced many prominent nationalities.

 Earlier in her presentation, Prof. Para-Mallam said every year, the Institute receives a mandate to conduct research into key areas of national development, noting that there were six study groups for the year, and the first group picked Ogun as the research State.

  He stated that the State was chosen by group 1, set 45, 2023 course study, as an industrial hub of the country, saying it was strategically positioned for this year's research for the growth and development of the Institute and the country at large.

The Rivers State APC leadership has backed the state’s immediate-past governor, Barrister Nyesom Wike, in his selection of statutory ministerial appointments that will be zoned to the state.

The development comes as Sir Tony Okocha, the former Chief of Staff to Rotimi Amaechi as governor, revealed how his former boss (Amaechi) and Senator Magnus Abe almost sabotaged President Bola Tinubu’s electoral chances in the 2023 general elections.

Chief Okocha, who was the Chairman Local Organising Committee for Bola Tinubu Campaign Council in Rivers state, said at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja that the immediate past governor, Wike, worked hard to deliver Asiwaju’s victory in the state, so he had been invited to join the party and become the leader.

According to the current leader, Sir Okocha, former governor Amaechi worked against the APC during the election, and Senator Magnus Abe delivered the Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in his ward and zone, so both have no moral justification to benefit from Asiwaju’s presidency.

Speaking on Magnus Abe’s role, Okocha said:

My worry is that you may just not have agreed to work with Tinubu. It’s a different ball game. But that you worked with Tinubu and then at the point that you were needed the most, midsea, you abandoned ship. You rejected and goofed on your own. You ported to another party or chose not to work for Tinubu again, and then only to return when the victory is here to say I was Tinubu’s first son. Does that work?

He (Magnus) said that as a member of PSC that whilst they were reviewing states, visa vie how they stand the possibilities and impossibilities of Tinubu winning in the respective states, Rivers state was not counted in as one of the states where Tinubu will score 25% at the time. So for him, remaining there would have been absurd. So he felt ‘okay, this man will not win, so let me go to another party to try my own personal interest’.

And I’m asking him when he got to this SDP Did he go there as an ordinary member? No, he went out and became the candidate of the party.

Amaechi refused to be pacified, even when Tinubu visited him in his house and said let’s work together. He refused. He attended only two rallies, campaigns in whole of Nigeria.

What I know is that the preponderance of those who supported Tinubu alongside me who stood and stuck to our guns for Tinubu, we gave ourselves a name, amalgamation of Tinubu, Shettima support groups on Rivers State. 48 groups. Now, the group had met after the election, the group met and we asked ourselves what the position was. In that meeting, it was not part of our agenda. We had a two-point agenda. One, what brief as to what has happened?

The second one was, what is the way forward? In the cause of that meeting, a motion was moved from the floor saying to us that we should invite Governor Wike to come over to APC and take over the leadership of APC. And when that motion was moved, it was followed with a standing ovation, spontaneous.

The reason is when Amaechi had left. Magnus had left. What remained was the little that I could control and with this amalgamation of support groups, we wooed the PDP. Are you not aware of the G5 who was the man behind the G5?

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has said the recent hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, commonly known as petrol, is one of many ways successive governments have trampled on the rights of Nigerians without remorse.

NLC added that the fuel price hike and other perceived anti-poor policies are weapons of war against the Nigerian workers and masses.

According to NLC, impoverishing workers and pushing millions more into hellish living does not in any way approximate sound economic management.

In an address at the opening ceremony of a four-day organising programme for leaders of the state councils of NLC in Lagos, President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, said from all intents and purposes, the Nigerian state had declared war on the working people and the masses of Nigeria.

Represented by the Deputy President of Congress and President-General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, in the programme supported by the American Solidarity Centre, Ajaero noted that trade union leaders must not abandon the Nigerian people and workers to their fate.

The NLC President noted that labour leaders across the country “must all join hands in the struggle for the articulation and protection of the rights of Nigerian workers and people.

“All hope that one day, workers of Nigeria will reclaim their natural rights that have been forcefully abridged and trampled upon by uninformed employers and those in government who ought to have been in the vanguard of guaranteeing such rights.”

He lamented that “Various governments in Nigeria have mercilessly trampled upon the rights of Nigerians without any feeling of remorse.

“Politicians have ganged up against the workers and the masses without any consequences.

“It is important to note that governance in Nigeria is always spoken about in paradoxical dimensions.

“Governments are rooted in the lives of the people and thus ought to pursue service to them. But in our nation, governance has become an instrument for inflicting pains and suffering on workers and masses.

“Recently, we are all witnessed the steep heartless hike in the price of PMS by the Federal Government under the guise of the so-called petroleum subsidy withdrawal without making alternative arrangements to cushion the expected and well-known impact of such unconscionable action.

“This policy direction ought to have been the product of dialogue amongst stakeholders but was shunned by a democratically elected government which rather believes in machoism that has since left the economy reeling.

“That clearly shows that the Nigerian State, from all corners, is clearly at war with the people and workers.

“They have mounted pressures on the people at all fronts and have robbed the people repeatedly even when the people have turned the other cheek refusing to acknowledge that governance must go hand-in-hand with social justice if it is to have any meaning.

“This onslaught, comrades, is not relenting and would continue if nothing is done to mediate it immediately.”

The leadership of the National Assembly is set to present the new principal officers to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu today (Wednesday) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Recall that Senate President Godswill Akpabio had announced Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC- Ekiti) as Senate Leader, Sen. David Umahi (APC-Ebonyi) as the Deputy Leader, Sen. Mohammed Ndume (APC-Borno) as the Chief Whip; and Sen. Lola Ashiru (APC-Kwara) as the Deputy Chief Whip.

Akpabio also named Plateau North lawmaker Mwadkwon Davou as Minority Leader, while Senator Kamorudeen Olarere (PDP Osun West) emerged as the Deputy Minority Leader.

Also, Darlington Nwokeocha (LP Abia Central) was named Minority Whip, while Rufai Hanga (NNPP Kano Central) was the Deputy Minority Whip.

While in the House of Representatives, the Speaker, Tajudeen Abass, announced Julius Ihonvbere as House Leader, Abdullahi Halims as the Deputy House Leader, Usman Kumo as the Chief Whip, and Adewunmi Onanuga as the Deputy Whip.

The Speaker also named Kingsley Chinda as the Minority House Leader, Ali Madaki as the Deputy House Leader, Ali Isa as the Minority House Chief Whip, and George Ozodinobi as the Deputy Whip.

Speaking with The Nation on the condition of anonymity, an APC chieftain said the National Assembly has resolved to present its new principal officers to President Tinubu on Wednesday (today).

He added that Akpabio and Abbas have the backing of the Presidency and the Progressives Governors Forum on the harmonised list of principal officers.

He said: “The National Assembly has the backing of the Presidency and the Progressives Governors Forum on the harmonised list of principal officers.

“The APC caucuses in the National Assembly amicably agreed on the list of the principal officers and no one can stop it.

“Even when there were issues with Sen. Ali Ndume as the second-ranking Senator after Dr. Ahmad Lawan, Senators prevailed on the Borno South Senator to accept to serve under Sen. Bamidele. Ndume bowed to pressure and accepted to be Senate Chief Whip.

“As the party’s national chairman, Adamu cannot overrule the decision of the APC caucuses in the Senate and the House of Representatives. There is no provision in the APC Constitution giving him such power.

“The National Assembly has resolved to present its new principal officers to President Tinubu on Wednesday (today).

“Adamu complained of inadequate communication but he shouldn’t have gone to the extent of overruling the National Assembly in public on the selection of the principal officers.”

Science Park High School in Newark, New Jersey, has honored Achunike Okafor, a remarkable Nigerian student, for his outstanding performance.

Okafor received an International Baccalaureate diploma from the school, boasting an extraordinary grade-point average of 4.625.

According to online newspaper TapIntoNewark, his GPA stands as the highest among the 2,649 graduates in the Class of 2023 in Newark and is the highest ever recorded in the city’s public school district. This achievement has garnered him over 40 scholarship offers from renowned universities, including Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Princeton, Penn State, Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Southern California, and Rutgers.

Expressing his gratitude for the opportunities presented to him, Okafor stated, “I am grateful for the opportunities to attend such esteemed universities and to represent my family and community. I do not take lightly the privilege and responsibility to be among the few individuals selected for such honors.”

The 18-year-old plans to pursue a neuroscience degree at Harvard University.

Science Park principal Darlene Gearhart described Okafor as an extraordinary individual, highlighting his humility, drive, and industriousness. She stated, “There’s absolutely nothing average about him. He’s humble, driven, and industrious. He has always been a great kid. He is always eager to learn.”

Superintendent of Schools Roger León acknowledged Achunike’s exceptional achievements as a source of pride for Science Park High, the school district, and the Newark community. He commended Okafor’s perseverance, resilience, and dedication to excellence, expressing best wishes for his future success at Harvard and anticipating further accomplishments from him.

Achunike’s father, Godfrey Okafor, expressed the family’s pride in his son’s accomplishments, emphasizing the importance they place on education in their household. He shared that his five other children, including two older sons and three daughters, are currently pursuing studies in computer engineering, pharmacology, nursing, and law.

Beyond his academic pursuits, Achunike actively participated in various extracurricular activities. He co-founded the Science Club, served as the vice president of the Junior Student Council and the Stand & Deliver Club, and held leadership positions as president of the Future Educators Club and Black Student Union. Additionally, he contributed as co-captain of the robotics team and treasurer of the Environmental Club.

The Lagos State Labour Party governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, on Tuesday, closed his case against the victory of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the March 18 election before the election tribunal sitting in Ikeja.

The Labour Party governorship candidate is also challenging the eligibility of Hazmat to contest on the grounds that he allegedly renounced his Nigerian citizenship and swore allegiance to the United States of America.

At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, the petitioner’s counsel, Mr Idowu Benson, informed the three-justice tribunal headed by Arum Ashom that the petitioner was closing his case.

Ten witnesses had testified in the petition of the LP candidate.

The counsel also tendered a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the INEC Form EC9 – an affidavit containing the particulars of a candidate – which was hand-filled by Hamzat and had been front-loaded by the counsel for the fourth respondent, All Progressives Congress (APC), before the tribunal.

All the counsel for the four respondents objected to the admissibility of the document tendered by the petitioner.

The tribunal, however, admitted the document into evidence and marked it as Exhibit PE713.

The APC counsel, Mr Noris Quakers (SAN), said the CTC tendered by the petitioner was warehoused by the first respondent and did not form a part of the court records.

“It is not a document before this tribunal.

“It is only a document signed by the Independent National Electoral Commission that can be tendered.

“We will further argue on why this document should not be admitted in the final written address,” he said.

The INEC counsel, Mr Eric Obigor, informed the tribunal that he would pick a date to open their defence while commending the petitioner for closing his case.

The tribunal ordered that the first respondent should open his case on the next adjourned date but he prayed the court for more time to put his house in order.

“We will be taking a date to open our case and commend the petitioner for closing its case even though it was unexpected.

“At the moment, for me to secure the attendance of my witness, I can not get them by tomorrow.

“I will need to do consultations with the stakeholders of my client.

“A day will enable me to put my house in order,” Obigor said.

Counsel to Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat, Mr Bode Olanipekun (SAN), also commended the petitioner for closing its case while stating that they should have taken the wise retreat earlier.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the proceedings was stalled on Monday due to health reasons of LP witness.

The tribunal had on Monday adjourned the proceedings due to the ill health of a witness scheduled to testify in favour of Rhodes-Vivour.

Benson had mentioned that the witness was in court but had to leave for treatment before proceedings commenced.

The tribunal adjourned until July 5 for INEC to open its defence.

One Godwin Bassey has allegedly absconded with a Toyota Corolla car worth N5m in Lagos state.

The vehicle belongs to one Amuta Friday in the Ejigbo area of the state.

The 27-year-old mechanic has since been arrested and arraigned by the Lagos State Police Command.

He was arraigned on two counts of stealing before Magistrate Patrick Nwaka, who held a brief for Magistrate Balogun at a Magistrates’ Court sitting in the Yaba area of the state.

The prosecutor, Chekwube Okeh, told the court that the defendant committed the offence sometime in March 2023, in the Ejigbo area of the state.

She said Friday, on March 9, 2023, hired and paid Bassey N32,000 to repaint his Corolla car, a job that would take three days according to their agreement.

Bassey, however, left with the car on that day and since then, all efforts made to reach him proved abortive until he was arrested.

According to Okeh, the offences contravened Sections 411 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

The charges read in part, “That you, Godwin Bassey, and others still at large, sometime in March 2023, in Ejigbo, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did steal a black Toyota Corolla valued at N5m, property of one Amuta Friday, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”

Bassey, however, pleaded not guilty to the count charges.

Magistrate Nwaka granted him bail in the sum of N1m with two responsible sureties in like sum.

Nwaka also adjourned the case till July 13, 2023, for mention

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday declined the interlocutory application of the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah from restraining the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from tendering evidence to the Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

Naija News gathered that the governor who has been accused of allegedly forging his NYSC discharge certificate sought an interlocutory application through his counsel, Emeka Ozoani, (SAN) to stop the NYSC from giving evidence on alleged NYSC certificate forgery at the tribunal.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the court however rejected the interlocutory application on Tuesday, during the resumed hearing of the suit, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/611/2023.

The interlocutory injunction is a court order to compel or prevent a party from taking certain actions pending the final determination of the case. It is usually issued to maintain the status quo until judgment can be made.

This implied the NYSC would have stopped from making any commentary, written or oral about the contentious discharge certificate until whichever time the case is determined by the court.

This platform recalls that Justice Ekwo on May 16 had issued an ex parte other restraining the NYSC from making any further publications concerning Mbah’s NYSC discharge certificate because of the uproar by the public.

But during the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Justice Ekwo appeared to be in a hurry to remedy the earlier ex parte it issued, as he barely waited for Ozoani to finish speaking before cutting him short to say that “this court will not entertain any such application”.

He told Mbah’s counsel to forget about the injunction and concentrate on the main suit.

The court consequently adjourned the case to July 11, 2023, to hear the preliminary objection challenging the competence of the suit filed by the NYSC.

Mbah had dragged the NYSC to court because the corps claimed that his discharged certificate was not issued by it.

However, the governor is claiming N20 billion for what he described as conspiracy, deceit, and misrepresentation of facts.

Apart from N20 billion in damages being sought by Mbah, he is seeking a declaration that he participated in the NYSC scheme for one calendar year via a call-up letter numbered FRN/2001/800351 with the Lagos code LA/01/1532.

He also argued that the declaration must state that he was issued a certificate of national service numbered A808297 upon the completion of his service year in 2003.