The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the November 11, 2023 election in the Kogi State, Murtala Ajaka, has reacted to the attack on the residence of the Director-General of the SDP Campaign Council, Ibrahim Jibrin.

Ajaka, on Tuesday, claimed that he was the target of the attack which happened in Anyigba, Kogi State.

Naija News had earlier reported that the thugs that attacked the house killed a policeman and four other persons.

The SDP governorship candidate alleged that the thugs who invaded Jibrin’s house had plans to assassinate him.

Speaking on Channels TV, Ajaka said, “They thought I was there; their target was to get me assassinated.

“They came between 3 am and 4 am and started shooting.”

He further stated that the incumbent Governor of the state, Yahaya Bello wants to force a successor on the people of the North Central state.

Ajaka said, “He (Bello) wants to force a successor on the people of Kogi State.”

He noted that the people of the state want change, adding that “it is not for me to disclose my winning formula. 11/11 shall tell. If Yahaya Bello and his people know they are strong, they should stop attacking the people of Kogi State.”

Some of the top contenders in the November 11, 2023 poll in Kogi include SDP’s Ajaka; Leke Abejide of the African Democratic Party (APC); Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is an ex-Auditor General of Local Government in Kogi under Bello.

Thaddeus Atta of the Labour Party has been re-instated by the Appeal Court as the lawfully elected member of the House of Representatives for the Eti Osa Federal Constituency.

Atta’s election victory was declared void by the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal’s prior ruling, which was made in Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos state.

However, the tribunal’s order for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to hold a supplementary election at particular polling places within 90 days was overturned by the Appeal Court’s recent ruling that the elections were definitive.

This legal battle involved Nigerian singer and actor Bankole Wellington, known as Banky W of the Peoples Democratic Party, who was declared the runner-up in the February 2023 election, and the All Progressives Congress candidate, Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro.

Both Banky W and Obanikoro had filed petitions contesting the election results.

The Appeal Court’s decision, reinstating Thaddeus Atta as the rightful House of Representatives member for Eti Osa Federal Constituency, altered the previous outcome and validated Atta’s initial victory.

The 2023-2024 Champions League matchday four fixtures played on Tuesday, November 7, ended as most football enthusiasts had expected with little or no surprises except at Volksparkstadion.

Borussia Dortmund opened the matchday with an expected 2-0 victory over Premier League side, Newcastle United, courtesy of a first-half goal from Niclas Füllkrug, and a second-half goal from Julian Brandt.

The biggest stunner of the day happened at Volksparkstadion, in Hamburg, Germany, the temporary home ground of the Ukrainian club, Shakhtar Donetsk. To the dismay of many, the Ukrainian side stunned FC Barcelona with a 1-0 victory courtesy of Danylo Sikan’s 40th-minute strike.

At San Siro, Paris Saint Germain took the lead in the 9th minute in the presence of AC Milan home fans. The early goal from Milan Škriniar made it look like it was going to be a whitewash for AC Milan who were on the verge of crashing out of the competition, but a 12th-minute equalizer from Rafael Leão balanced things up speedily.

In the 50th minute, Olivier Giroud proved to be a true starman by stepping up to score the match-decider as PSG left the Italian city with no point.

Below are all the results of the Champions League matchday four games played on Tuesday, November 7:

Dortmund vs Newcastle
2-0

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Barcelona
1-0

Atlético de Madrid vs Celtic
6-0

Lazio vs Feyenoord
1-0

Milan vs PSG
2-1

Man City vs Young Boys
3-0

Crvena Zvezda vs Leipzig
1-2

Porto vs Royal Antwerp
2-0

The Nigerian Senate has raised concerns about the recruitment and deployment practices of the Federal Civil Service Commission within the federal civil service.

This was expressed via a motion titled “Urgent need to ensure Federal Character Principle, curb lopsidedness and Emerging Infractions in the recruitment and deployment of officers by the Federal Civil Service Commission and Related Agencies”, sponsored by Senator Zak Titus Tartenger, who represents Benue West senatorial district.

Senator Tartenger noted that the Federal Civil Service Commission was established with the responsibility of recruitment and deployment of officers with requisite qualifications into the federal civil service through advertisement of vacancies, but the commission was allegedly using illegal methods of employment.

“The counter-productive malady to favour certain groups and not consistent with the commission’s vision seems to have recently crept into the commission, as allegations of illegal recruitment or employment into the service are being reported,” he said.

“This debilitating syndrome has so permeated the Ministries, Departments and Agencies that virtually no ministry seems to be insulated from this ugly trend.

“The introduction of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) meant to curtail and ultimately eliminate illegalities in the civil/public service, in terms of human resource and payroll and human factor in its application, seems to be jeopardizing this noble objective of the government.

“In December 2021, a particular ministry of the federal government alone weeded out a total of 1,020 of such illegally employed staff with over 300 employment letters further sent to be authenticated by the Federal Civil Service Commission,” Senator Tartenger submitted.

In recent times, there have been alleged cases of rape, theft, and child marriage in many Internally Displaced Persons camps in Northern Nigeria.

These anomalies Arewa PUNCH investigations reveal are due to the unending insecurity, including kidnapping and banditry that have bedevilled many communities and cities across the 19 northern states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Some of these states where rape and child marriage have occurred include: Borno, Benue, Niger, Kano, Bauchi, Adamawa, and Kebbi, among others.

The horrible and dehumanising condition in the form of sexual abuse, forced marriage, hunger and poverty have remained a daunting challenge for the IDPs who constantly pray to quickly return to their ancestral homes, but the fight against insecurity is yet to come to an end as terrorists still unleash mayhem on citizens.

During a recent visit by the Sexual Offences Awareness and Responses initiative, a Non-governmental Organisation to some IDP camps in Benue State, the Project Officer, Chibuzor Njoku, lamented the increase in molestation of young girls in the camps, and called on the federal and state governments to urgently intervene in the matter.

The NGO raised the alarm while carrying out interventions in IDP camps in three Benue LGAs, including Anyiin in Logo LGA, Gbajimba; Uikpam in Guma LGA and Naka, in Gwer West LGA.

Arewa PUNCH investigations further reveal that the constant molestation of young, impressionable and vulnerable girls at the IDP camps, informed the decision of the NGO to the set up a Camp Child Protection Committee at the various camps to serve as a shield to the young females.

Speaking on the principles of child rights in the society, Njoku reminded that the rights of children included the right to be protected by their parents and the society, the right to be cared for, the right to protection from child trafficking, the right to be protected from domestic violence, among others.

Therefore, he called for collective efforts from parents and guardians on the need to always protect the rights of children.

Only last week, Arewa PUNCH reported the shocking discovery of underage marriages that flourish in the Adamawa IDPs camps amidst ravaging hunger, crippling poor healthcare facitilities.

The underage marriages, otherwise known as child marriage, still boom at the Internally Displaced Persons’ camps in Adamawa, for instance, where at least, five child marriages were recorded in one of the IDPs camps this year alone.

Most worrisome about the situation is that in spite of the hard times being faced by the vulnerable persons squatting at the different camps following the 14 years of Boko Haram insurgency which forced many families to flee their homes, indiscriminate contraction of marriages by underage couples and tales of found love still flourish.

Arewa PUNCH had an exclusive interview with two families out of the five in the IDPs camps who got married this year alone – Bakura, 17 years old, who is originally from Michika, and got married to Aisha,15 years old in January 2023.

Similarly, 21 years old Babagana, who is in SS 2 and migrated to Adamawa from Bama, told Arewa PUNCH that he got married in July 2023 at the camp and gave his wife’s name as Hafsat.

“She is 17 years old. I love Hapsat very well. She is very, very sweet,” he spoke lovingly of his spouse.

Meanwhile, in recent disputes between herders and farmers in Obi and Awe LGAs of Nasarawa State which led to the displacement of over 4,000 residents, women and young females encountered numerous challenges due to the alleged neglect of the state government.

The communities affected were: Chabo, Daar, Tse-Udugh, Kyor-Chiha, Ayaakeke, Usula, Hagher, Joor, Tyungu, Ugba, Angwan, and Ayaba – all are in the two LGAs.

When Arewa PUNCH visited the IDP camps at the Central Primary School in Awe LGA, some of the women and girls were seen sitting helplessly while others were begging motorists and commuters plying the road for money to feed.

Spokesperson for the IDPs, Joseph Amuwa, informed that due to the absence of security personnel around the camp, some of the IDPs lost their lives following consistent attacks by hoodlums who invade the camps mostly at midnights.

He narrated how some of the women at the camps were molested, abducted, and raped.

This situation, he noted, is not peculiar to the IDPs camp in Awe alone but cuts across camps in other states.

Amuwa also told of the pathetic story of how two of the nursing mothers at the camp, Mercy Chahur and Adasho Deborah watched helplessly when their children fell sick and died one after the another due to lack of medical facilities in the area.

Therefore, he appealed to the federal and state governments, alongside non- governmental organisations and other charity-inclined Nigerians, to come to the aid of the people, especially the very vulnerable ones among them.

The IDPs spokesman also urged them to make efforts towards proffering a permanent solution to the challenges that IDPs were facing in the state and the country at large.

“It is even more pathetic to watch many of these expectant women give birth to their babies on bare floor in the classrooms and you can imagine the situation that the nursing mothers face with their new born babies. The government at all levels should not ignore our plights. The IDPs need all the help they can get to survive the hardship they are facing at the various camps,” Amuwa solicited.

As a result of the consistent attacks in most Northern states in the country, the estimated number of Internally Displaced Persons in Nasarawa, Benue, Niger and Plateau states in 2023 alone has risen to over 500,000, based on figures collated from various local and international organisations.

Although the security situation in Nigeria has improved in parts of the country with the scale of attacks trending down, thousands of Nigerians are still being displaced from their communities by criminal gangs, bandits, and other terrorists.

In 2022, the International Organisation for Migration said over 3.6 million people were displaced in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe. But the trend is yet to be over as bandits are still hovering around many parts of the country and regrettably succeeding in their criminal act.

As of July 14, 2023, there were an estimated 18,751 internally displaced persons in Plateau State alone. This is based on a report by the Gideon and Funmi Para-Mallam Peace Foundation. The report also indicated that the IDPs were from eight local government areas of the state.

Meanwhile, speaking on what the federal government is doing to ameliorate the plights of IDPs in country, the spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency, Ezekiel Manzo, told Arewa PUNCH that the government has commenced an emergency intervention programme in some of the affected states.

He explained that the initiative would be expanded and implemented in all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“The interventions are many. For instance, NEMA has commenced the distribution of relief items under a Special National Economic Livelihood Emergency Intervention approved by the Federal Government for the citizens.

“The distribution has commenced in Taraba, Bauchi, and Gombe states, and it will cover the 36 states and the FCT for beneficiaries in communities affected across the country,” Manzo disclosed.

Also on

Similarly, the NEMA Coordinator in Adamawa State, Mr Ladan Ayuba decried the booming underage marriages in the IDP camp, saying, “Even though I see them with lots of children, I most times don’t like to talk about marriages in general because people are supposed to be free to make their choices, and the marriages are contracted between them with their parents’ consent, so, it is their right from the age of 18 and above.

“Unfortunately, going by the ages of these latest couples, it means they are going to be relying on their parents and the government, as well, which is not good and should not be encouraged.

“I will meet with the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency alongside the development partners to brainstorm on the matter. We will meet with the leaders of the camps to sensitise them on the need to stop such from happening. It is not just about the love they claim to have for each other. They should wait until they are of marriageable age to do so. That way, the husbands would have something tangible to do as well to support their families and not rely on the help they get from time to time.

“This issue calls for serious concern, and I thank Arewa PUNCH for bringing this to our notice. We would ensure they all have a better life even though they are living in the camp,” Ayuba replied to an SMS forwarded to his phone.

Furthermore, our correpondent spoke through an interpreter in Hausa language to the Chairman at the Fufore camp, Abba Umar, on whether or not he is aware of the five marriages already contracted at the camps, but he immediately corrected that the total number of marriages recorded were six.

However, he pointed out that much as marriage is a good thing, he is not happy about the underage marriages. Umar said he would try his best to stop such from happening at the camps, especially the Fufore camp going forward.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong has reacted to his declaration as the winner of the Plateau South Senatorial election by the appeal court.

The Minister who revealed he is currently out of the country described the development as fantastic news, adding that it is a win for democracy and the people.

Naija News recalls the tribunal victory of Lalong as the Senator representing Plateau South was affirmed by the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday.

The three-man panel of the Appeal Court led by Justice Williams Daudu affirmed the decision of the Tribunal regarding the outcome of the election.

Recall the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Senator Napoleon Bali of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the original poll.

But the National Assembly and State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Jos had on September 11, declared Lalong who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the Senator-elect representing Plateau South, and sacked Bali based on irregularities in the PDP primaries that produced him.

The Tribunal had cited faulted PDP’s failure to obey a Jos High Court order which directed the party to mandatorily conduct ward congresses as the reason for ruling in favour of Lalong and APC which filed a petition against the election outcome.

The decision of the Tribunal was affirmed on Tuesday by the Appeal Court.

Reacting to the court judgement, Lalong took to his account on the X platform on Tuesday evening where he wrote: “Just received fantastic news in Geneva! The Court of Appeal confirms my position as Senator for Plateau South Senatorial District. ? A win for democracy, unity, and the people. Let’s work together to bring progress and the #RenewedHopeAgenda to our community and nation.”

A magistrates’ court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has heard the case of two brothers, Adeola Abraham (18) and Adeola Segun (25), over an alleged theft of three chickens worth N45,000 in the Okebola area of Ado-Ekiti.

Police prosecutor, ASP Celeb Leramo, told the court yesterday that the defendants on November 4, at about 2pm did stole three boilers belonging to Akogun Yemisi.

Counsel to the defendants, Barr Gnenga Ariyibi, urged the court to grant his clients bail.

The Magistrate, Saka Afunso, granted bail of N20,000 to each with one surety in like sum and adjourned the case to November 10.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently proposed to the National Assembly a N2. 18 trillion supplementary budget - the details of which have generated much interest in the public domain, especially those aspects of the supplementary budget relating to expenditures not considered of urgent importance but now reintroduced into the existing framework.  During the campaigns for the 2023 Presidential election, Tinubu as candidate had promised that he as someone with a financial background would pay careful attention to Nigeria’s borrowing profile, and that he would not increase the country’s debt burden by borrowing more for reasons of consumption. At the time, Nigeria’s debt burden was a problem: external debt stock was about $41. 69 billion in 2022, domestic public debt stock was in excess of US$100 billion. 

The country’s Debt Management Office (DMO) even argued that the debt was sustainable, and that Nigeria in fact had one of the lowest debt-to-GDP ratios in Africa- in 2022, debt to GDP ratio in Africa was 56%, in Nigeria 38%. It was argued that Nigeria’s debt-carrying capacity was still strong. The World Bank recommends a tolerable debt-GDP ratio of 77%. We were told that debt should not be a problem, after all, the United States has a debt-GDP ratio of over 120 per cent and the country still functions. The counter-point to this, however, is the debt-service ratio. It was established by professional economists and the opposition in 2023, that debt-service was/is the major problem. By 2021, Nigeria was spending about 19% of its revenue on debt service; in 2023, this had increased to more than 90%. Nigeria, in 2023, had the fourth lowest revenue-GDP ratio in the world. Government revenue as a percentage of GDP is indeed abysmally low. With uncertainties in oil and gas revenues, and crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, Nigeria today is not so certain about its revenues. The default position has been to pay more attention to tax revenue. 

Given this background, it is right to assume that the major priority for the Tinubu administration would be to address Nigeria’s debt burden and not worsen it, manage inherited circumstances prudently and give the people hope that there is truly a new dispensation in town. Nigerians during the elections beyond partisan considerations had hoped that the new administration that would emerge would reduce the cost of poverty, generate employment, promote economic growth, give jobs to the people, and generally reduce the cost of governance. There seems to have been a pervasive consensus that Nigeria is on the brink of insolvency, and that a new government by whatever label must act differently. The problem is not that President Tinubu asked for a supplementary budget.  The questions are what for? how and why? At the recent Presidential retreat for leaders of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), long awaited, unnecessarily delayed but better later than never all the same, the President said that borrowing is not a crime and that he was determined to borrow and increase Nigeria’s debt profile more or less. Even the dumbest economist on the street would tell you that countries can always borrow, but such borrowings must place the country in a situation where it can pay its debts, create budget surpluses, invest in infrastructure and support small businesses. A country can also borrow to diversify the economy for tangible benefits. No serious country borrows for luxury, consumption, or to indulge the taste of the men in power.

The current controversy about the Tinubu administration’s request for a N2.18 trillion supplementary budget must be seen in this light. The Communication process has been bad. The management of the aftermath has been negligent. The details go beyond what is in the public domain. The breakdowns show that the Federal Government is looking for more money  for the Defence headquarters, the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Navy, Nigerian Airforce, Defence Intelligence Agency, Police Formations and Command, the Federal Capital City Administration, Office of the National Security Adviser, Department of State Services,  State House, Federal Ministry of Works,, construction of Highways in the North East, North West, South East, South West, South South,  Agriculture, Bridges Intervention, and the  Federal Ministry of Housing. It must be noted that Nigerians have not complained about aspects of this supplementary budget that would be of benefit to the Nigerian people. They have complained however about aspects of the budget relating to luxury items particularly with regard to the needs of the Nigerian Presidency namely, the proposed request for N4 billion  for the renovation of the residential quarters for the President in Abuja;  renovation of the residential quarters of the Vice President (Abuja) – N2.5 billion;  Renovation of Dodan Barracks, Lagos, Official Residence of the President  - N4 billion, Renovation of Official Quarters of the VP (Lagos) – N3 bn, Construction of Office Complex in the Presidential Villa  - N4bn; Purchase of Presidential Yacht – N5 bn; Purchase of Vehicles for the Office of First Lady -  N1.5 bn; Purchase of SUVs for the Presidential Villa - N2.9bn, and Replacement of Operational Vehicles for the Presidency – N2.9 bn. These details have sparked outrage, and in an understandable sense. 

When President Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, he declared to Nigerians that fuel subsidy was gone. This has brought great and untold hardship upon the people: increase in the cost of living, with headline inflation now at over 26%, the highest in 18 years, crisis with the Naira which has been yo-yo-ing, against the dollar, further driving up the cost of living and the widespread pandemic of poverty in the country. The consistent message by the Tinubu administration is that the people should be prepared to make necessary sacrifice: things may be rough, we have been told, but they will get better surely, so we the people, must be patient. The sheer commonsense of it would be that while the people of Nigeria are facing serious hardship, their leaders who are prescribing austerity would also demonstrate that they are with them, on their side, and ready to suffer along with the people until the country gets out of the woods. More so, they have a President who has been there at the battle front of democracy, at the barricades, and who cannot claim that he does not understand how the people feel. His wife even recently boasted that she and her family do not need Nigeria’s money. So, what is the problem? Why do they want new cars and renovated quarters? Why can’t they wait? 

The problem is that the President is sending wrong signals with regard to the issues highlighted above that need to be addressed. There is a tendency for people in government to live in the Rose Garden and dismiss the people as ignorant. This would be a wrong approach as it was in the past, as it is now, as it would always be. The people have both the need and the right to know. At the risk of over-simplification, it is the duty of government to continuously explain to the people and re-build their trust and confidence, even when the matter appears mundane, self-evident, and self-explanatory. One of the major risks of democracy is that those who govern may be dealing with a patently dumb population, but the people must never be treated as dumb, because they may be quick to learn and ask the right questions and their dumbness could become historical wisdom. True sovereignty in that regard belongs to the people. Power belongs to the people as the lesson has been learnt in such places as France in 1789, 1830, and 1848 and in Brazil in 1835, 1964 and 1972.   

It is therefore important to listen carefully to what the people of Nigeria are saying. They seem to be saying that it is wrong for President Tinubu to tell them during the campaigns that brought him into office that he will reduce Nigeria’s debt stock, and would focus more on productivity, to now come around and announce that borrowing is not a crime. Nobody has ever said that borrowing is a crime. It is what you do with it that matters, and when you make a promise, you keep it – a matter of honour. We admit that most of the details in the supplementary budget are not controversial, except those sections relating to luxury. New vehicles for the office of the First Lady! What on earth is that? An average Nigerian who is finding it difficult to buy ordinary recharge card, or buy fuel, is bound to ask.  They didn’t vote for Mrs.Tinubu, they seem to be asking. So why should her office show up in the budget of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? Again, the State House wants to change vehicles? Nigerians have had cause to draw attention to the example of President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia who refused to change official vehicles after assuming office. There is a video of the Zambia President out there which simply says he wants to serve not to indulge in the pleasures of office. For those who are in doubt, at least one Nigerian newspaper has written a full editorial on the subject: The Daily Trust asks: “Why should the Presidency make a budget for a new fleet of cars for the First Lady’s entourage? What happened to the vehicles used by former First Lady Aisha Buhari? What happened to the pool cars used by former President Muhammadu Buhari? What happened to the cars used by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo? How many times will the Presidential lodges be renovated?” (Monday, Nov. 6). But what really stands out, and made to look like a scandal is the reported plan to buy a yacht for the President under the budget of the Nigerian Navy. A Yacht for the President, at a time when the people find it difficult to pay for transportation? The outrage has been loud and deafening 

As it happened, the House of Representatives resolved that the N5 billion earmarked for this yacht should be added to the proposed supplementary budget for students’ loans – in itself another controversial proposal, with the details so opaque. A budget is a proposal after all. It is not binding until it is appropriated by the National Assembly. But the narrative that later came out is that the controversial Presidential Naval Yacht was actually ordered by the Nigerian Navy under the previous Buhari administration. It was delivered in June 2023. It showed up in the 2022 Supplementary Budget proposed by President Tinubu because Nigeria has an obligation to pay on delivery. International transactions are governed by strict laws under the rules of international trade. Without being pedantic by quoting the rules and structures of international trade, it looks like in this particular transaction, Nigeria has bought itself a Presidential yacht. The country has an obligation to pay. The documents of sale have been received. The yacht has been delivered, and this really looks like a CIF sale. The seller is not obliged to worry about Nigeria’s domestic politics. The details of the contract of sale not being in the public domain, this is the best assumption that can be made. 

However, what Nigerians must note is that Nigeria used to have a Presidential Yacht. Nigeria had a yacht called NNC Runa Yaro. It was later named AMARIYA.  The luxury boat was seized from a former Governor of Rivers State and handed over to the Nigerian Navy. It was re-purposed for both luxury and training operations. President Shehu Shagari used it. General Babangida also travelled with the yacht once to the Republic of Benin to attend an ECOWAS meeting. President Olusegun Obasanjo hosted visiting Presidents on the vessel.  In 2011, the vessel was decommissioned. Indeed in 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari had asked for the vessel to be used to take the Prince of Wales to sea only to be told that the vessel had been decommissioned. The Nigerian Navy was then told to source for a new option. This is the background, but it is not even the entire story. There is another story that the Nigerian Navy had in fact as far back as June 2010 asked the Nigerian Government, Dr Goodluck Jonathan was President at the time to review the Presidential Naval fleet and buy a new yacht ahead of the country’s 50^th Independence celebrations. President Jonathan reportedly turned down the request.  

Nigerians are angry again because not even the United States has a presidential yacht. The last Presidential yacht in the US, the USS Sequoia was decommissioned in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter and sold off. The key difference is that whereas the Americans have many options, most Nigerian Naval vessels cannot function. They are like the refineries. Even our flagship NNS Aradu cannot move, and with that being the case, Nigerians have every reason to be angry that anyone at all can talk about a yacht, the simple dictionary definition of which is about pleasure and luxury! Should there be a military challenge against Nigeria tomorrow, are we likely to go to the battle field with a luxury boat and Big Brother Naija actors? But we have bought a luxury boat guys, and we are obliged to pay for it. While other countries of the world are getting serious, we are busy thinking of luxury for staff and wives and…What a country!  No yacht for President Tinubu.  

An Ondo State High Court in Akure, on Monday, struck out a suit filed by the Ondo State Government and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu over the compilation of the record of appeal.

The claimants in the case had sued four registrars of the High Court, the Deputy Governor of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the House of Assembly, the Speaker of the House and the Chief Judge of Ondo State, claiming that the procedure of settlement and compilation of record of appeal for the hearing of the appeal filed by the deputy governor would infringe their rights.

At the hearing of the case on Monday, the claimants through their counsel, applied to withdraw the suit, claiming that events had overtaken the suit. However, counsel for the deputy governor, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), opposed the oral application to withdraw the suit, saying the issues had been joined by filing a defence to the suit and also a counter-claim.

In his ruling, Justice D.I. Kolawole, held that the rules of the court permitted the claimants to withdraw the suit and it was accordingly struck out.

Aiyedatiwa’s counsel urged the court to direct parties to maintain the status quo in order to preserve the subject matter of the suit pending before the court.

The application was, however, opposed by counsel representing the House of Assembly, Mr Femi Emodamori Ruling on the application, the court directed all the parties to continue to maintain the peace and thereafter adjourned the case till November 22, 2023, for hearing of applications.

The Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Mr Olamide Oladiji, had recently said failure of the state deputy governor, Ayedatiwa, to withdraw cases in court showed he was not ready for genuine reconciliation.

Oladiji said Aiyedatiwa needed to withdraw the cases in court before the reconciliation could take place.

He said, “We met the National Chairman (of the APC), and he specifically asked me how we would commence reconciliation. I told him that the reconciliation process had to start with the deputy governor. He was the one who took us to court, we cannot reconcile ourselves when we have cases in court.

“Let him go to the court, withdraw all these cases, then we would know that we are now in for genuine reconciliation. But the deputy governor has not done that as he has appealed some of the rulings of the lower court.”

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, says he is still committed to building a new Nigeria in spite of the Supreme Court ruling on the 2023 Presidential Election, which is not in his favour.

Obi said this when he addressed a news conference on Monday in Abuja.

He expressed disappointment over the ruling, saying, however, that he remained committed to building a nation anchored on the principles of prudent management of resources.

He said that his commitment was to also ensure transparency, accountability and equitable distribution of opportunities, resources, and privileges in the country.

“As someone who has previously benefited from the rulings of the Supreme Court on electoral matters, I have after a period of deep and sober reflection, decided to personally and formally react to the recent judgment as most Nigerians have.

“This is because we are confronted with very weighty issues of national interest,” he said.

Obi said that he disagreed very strongly with the ruling of both the Presidential Petitions Court (PEPC) and the Supreme Court on the outcome of the Feb. 25 presidential election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“However, as democrats who believe in the rule of law, we recognise that the Supreme Court is the end stage of the quest for legal closure to the matter.

“As a party and as candidates, Datti and I have now exhausted all legal and constitutional remedies available to us.

“However, this end is only another beginning in our quest for the vindication of the hope of the common man for a better country.

“After all, sovereignty belongs to the people! If only for historical purposes, it behoves us to place our disagreement with and deep reservations about this judgment on public record,” he said.

Obi added: ”Where the value and import of the recent Supreme Court ruling ends is where my commitment to a new Nigeria begins.

“Our mission and mandate remain unchanged. From the very onset, our mission has been more about enthroning a new Nigeria.

“It is a new nation where things work, where the country is led from its present waste and consumption orientation to a production-driven economy.

“In the new Nigeria, the aim is to address all unmet needs by showing compassion for all those left behind by the present system.”

“Going forward, we at the LP and the Obidient Movement are now effectively in opposition. We are glad that the nation has heard us loud and clear.

“We shall now expand the confines of our message of hope to the rest of the country. We shall meet the people in the places where they feel pain and answer their needs for hope.

“At marketplaces, motor parks, town halls, board rooms, and university and college campuses, we all carry and deliver the message of a new Nigeria”.

Obi said that as stakeholders and elected LP officials, they plan to remain loyal to the party’s manifesto. (NAN)