The Court of Appeal in Abuja, Friday morning, nullified the election of Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, declaring his rival, Nasir Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the winner of the March 18 governorship election.
The judgement was delivered by a three-member panel of justices led by Justice Moore A. Adumein.
The panel based their decision on the fact that Yusuf, a candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), was not a registered member of the party and, therefore, not qualified to contest the election.
The court held that according to Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2022, every political party is mandated to maintain a register of its members.
“The appellant to his own detriment did not submit his NNPP membership registrar or even tendered his statement on oath regarding his membership of the party,” Justice Adumein stated.
The court further emphasised the importance of a membership register, noting that the 1999 Constitution requires political parties to have such a register and submit it to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Election Petition Tribunal when necessary.
“As rightfully found, Yusuf Abba was not a member of the NNPP at the time he was purportedly sponsored by his party and he was not qualified to contest the March Governorship Election,” Justice Adumein concluded.
Recall that the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal previously declared Gawuna the winner of the March 18 election.
The tribunal had overturned INEC’s initial announcement of Yusuf as the winner, citing electoral malpractices, including the use of over 160,000 unsigned and unstamped ballot papers.
With Yusuf’s votes reduced by 165,663 due to the invalid ballots, Gawuna’s lead widened.
President Bola Tinubu has succumbed to the cry from different quarters and stopped the 40% deduction from universities’ Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Speaking at an ongoing 75th Founder’s Day ceremony at the University of Ibadan (UI), on Friday, the president said 40 per cent automatic deductions from IGR is inappropriate at this period.
Represented by the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, the visitor to the nation’s premier president pledged his commitment to the reform of the education sector as the base for national development.
“The 40 per cent IGR automatic deduction policy stands cancelled. This is not the best time for such policy since our universities are struggling,” he said.
Recall that the Federal Government, in a letter dated October 17, 2023, tagged “Implementation of 40% automatic deduction from internally generated revenue of partially funded federal government institutions,’ said it would begin the deduction with effect from November 2023.
The letter, which was signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mrs Oluwatoyin Madein, Director of Revenue and Investment, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Felix Ore-ofe Ogundairo, said the auto-deduction policy of gross IGR was in line with the Finance Circular with reference number FMFBNP/OTHERS/IGR/CRF/12/2021 dated December 20, 2021.
This however generated a lot of uproar by tertiary institutions especially when the institutions have maintained that they are underfunded.
Reacting, President of Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (C O E A S U) Dr. Smart Olugbeko said, there was no basis to apply this directive to the Colleges of Education because revenues collected in the Colleges are meager charges meant for the discharge of specific services.
“In other words, Federal Colleges of Education do not generate IGR. What they charge are service charges for student identity cards, health clinic services, hostel maintenance, laboratory equipment, teaching practice, consumables, etc,” he said.
He said it is necessary to note that the aforementioned charges cover for government inefficiency as these services are not being funded by the government.
“Following the monetisation policy of 2003, the Government basically stopped paying for outsourced services such as cleaning, grass-cutting, facility maintenance, and security, which are supposed to be government responsibilities.”
“Government only gives the Federal Colleges between an average of N8 million monthly to run the Colleges and this fund is not always made available as and when due, creating serious challenges in running the institutions,” he added.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the ruling of the Election Petitions Tribunal sacking Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State.
In its judgment on Friday, the Appeal Court agreed with the judgment of the tribunal, ruling that the fielding of Abba Yusuf was in breach of the Electoral Law as he was not qualified to contest that Election
The verdict comes nearly two months after the Kano Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, on September 20, sacked Yusuf, declaring the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, as the winner of the March 18 election.
Yusuf, who contested on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the poll in March.
The tribunal deducted 165,663 votes from Yusuf’s total as invalid votes, stating that the affected ballot papers were not stamped or signed and therefore declared invalid.
The ruling came about six months after the APC candidate conceded defeat to Yusuf in the wake of INEC’s presentation of the certificate of return to the NNPP candidate.
In a two-minute audio statement on March 29, Gawuna stated that “as a good Muslim”, he was compelled to accept the outcome of the election, whether in his favour or not.
He added that although his campaign team had requested a review of the election results by INEC, upon review, the commission had found Yusuf to be the winner of the election.
Following the conclusion of last Saturday’s off-cycle governorship elections, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State and Kogi State governor-elect, Usman Ododo, have received their certificates of return.
Diri, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Bayelsa, and his running mate, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, were presented with their certificates of return on Friday at the state headquarters of INEC, Yenagoa.
Meanwhile, Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his deputy, Joel Salifu, received their certificates at the INEC headquarters in Lokoja, Kogi State.
Speaking in Bayelsa, INEC National Commissioner May Agbamuche-Mbu emphasised that both pairs had fulfilled the electoral requirements set forth by the commission.
Expressing gratitude for non-interference in the electoral process, Diri commended President Bola Tinubu.
He also pointed out the importance of understanding the true essence of democracy for its successful implementation in Nigeria.
Diri called for an end to the use of violence, such as guns and machetes as a means of securing electoral victory.
Highlighting the significance of democracy, the Bayelsa governor dedicated his victory to the people of the state and urged those in the diaspora to contribute to the state’s development through investments.
Diri secured a total of 175,196 votes in the 2023 elections, surpassing his closest rival, Timpre Sylva, by 65,088 votes, while the Labour Party’s Udengs Eradiri secured a distant third with 905 votes.
In Kogi, Ododo emerged victorious with 446,237 votes, defeating Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who garnered 259,052 votes. Dino Melaye of the PDP polled 46,362 votes.
The Federal Government has arraigned the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, on a six-count charge bordering on alleged procurement.
The original charge, which was 20 counts to the tune of N6.5 billion, has been reduced to six, to the tune of N1.6 billion. Emefiele is the only defendant in the new charge.
The former CBN governor appeared in court on Friday for an application for bail, pleading not guilty to the six-count charge after it was read to him.
Emefiele arrived just in time for the commencement of the day’s proceedings.
According to the amended charge sheet, the charges still border on procurement fraud. The Federal Government alleged that Emefiele illegally bought 43 vehicles between 2018 and 2020 worth N1.2 billion. He was also accused of awarding a contract for the procurement of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles valued at N854 million.
Count one read, “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 only to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence.”
In the second count, Emefiele was accused of using his position to corruptly confer an advantage on Yaro, “a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99,900,000 only to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro Director and thereby committed an offence.”
He was also accused of conferring corrupt advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Landcruiser V8 April1616 Investment Ltd., in 2019 at the cost of N73 million.
The fourth count was about a Toyota Landcruiser V8 valued N73,800,000 awarded illegally to April 1616 Investment Ltd.
The Federal Government further accused the former CBN governor of also awarding a contract to Yaro for the supply of two Toyota Hilux Shell Specification Vehicles at the cost of N44,200,000 in 2020.
Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court adjourned the case till November 22 for ruling on the bail application of Emefiele and November 28 for the commencement of trial.
In the interim, he ordered that Emefiele be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre. The former CBN governor was escorted to the centre around 10:40 am.
Media
‘Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti’, a film on the mother of Fela Kuti, the late Afrobeat legend, was among the top winners at the 2023 Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) Globe Awards.
The AFRIFF award ceremony was held last weekend in Lagos to wrap up its week-long film festival.
‘Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti’ — produced by Bolanle Austen Peters — snagged the ‘Best Overall Feature Film’ and the ‘Best Screenplay’ awards.
Written by Tunde Babalola, the movie tells the story of Funmilayo; from her pioneering days as the first female student at Abeokuta Grammar School to her marriage to Israel Ransome-Kuti.
The family challenged oppression and created the Abeokuta Women’s Union, igniting a fierce battle against colonial and traditional rulers.
The film features movie stars like Joke Silva, Kehinde Bankole, Ibrahim Suleiman, Jide Kosoko, and Dele Odule.
Others are Adebayo Salami, Keppy Ekpenyong, Adunni Ade, Omowunmi Dada, Patrick Diabuah.
The annual award is organised to celebrate the best of African and global cinema, and honour films across different genres.
It also recognises the diversity and creativity of the film including original, innovative, and socially relevant works.
Below are the full list of winners:
- Best Overall Feature Film: “Funmilayo Ransom Kuti”
- Audience Choice Award: “I Do Not Come To You By Chance”
- Access Bank Best Short Film: “Until”23”
- Best Documentary: “White Nanny Black Child”
- Oronto Douglas Best Feature Film: “Funmilayo Ransom Kuti”
- Best International Feature: “Brothers,” Directed by Darkhan Tulegenov
- Best Director: Ellie Foumbi, “Our Father, The Devil”
- Best Performance Male: Gregory Ojefua “This is Lagos/Black Harvest”
- Special Jury Prize: “All the Colours of the World” and “White Nanny Black Child”
- Best International Short Film: “Nzu”
- Best Animation: “When Hearts Touch”
- Best Student Short Film: “Man and Masquerade”
- Best Screenplay: Tunde Babalola – “Funmilayo Ransom Kuti”
‘Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti’ was also one of the films considered for the Oscars by the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) for the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences.
The movie is also set for release on Amazon Prime Video.
Funmilayo was born on October 25, 1900. She died on April 13, 1978, at the age of 77 after being wounded in a military raid on family property.
[TheCable]
Nigerian Air Force Officers Storm EFCC Office Over Arrest Of Personnel For Alleged Internet Fraud
AdminThere was a heavy presence of officers of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) at the Kaduna State Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday (today) in response to the arrest of suspected internet fraudsters.
Naija News learnt that the EFCC had arrested some suspected internet fraudsters earlier, and some military personnel currently serving were among the suspects.
The soldiers, however, stormed the EFCC office at Number 4, Wurno Road, in the capital of Kaduna State at approximately 10 am. They arrived in three Hilux patrol vans and positioned themselves around the main gate of the anti-graft commission office, effectively preventing EFCC officials from entering or exiting their offices.
The situation escalated to a point where the Air Force soldiers and the policemen assigned to the EFCC engaged in a heated argument, with both federal security agencies brandishing their firearms at each other.
Giving a hint of what transpired, the spokesman for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, told Channels Television in a phone call that the suspects, which included one service personnel of the Nigerian Army and six from the NAF, were arrested on Monday for Internet-related fraud.
The spokesperson for the EFCC clarified that the individuals under investigation were being held by the commission until the investigation and prosecution process was completed.
Additionally, he emphasized that the commission, being a statutory law enforcement agency of the Federal Government, could not be influenced or pressured by any other agency while performing its official responsibilities.
[NiajaNews]
Russia’s agriculture minister on Friday announced the commencement of free grain shipments to six African countries, fulfilling President Vladimir Putin’s commitment made in July.
Dmitry Patrushev, in a statement on Telegram, reported by Reuters noted that ships bound for Burkina Faso and Somalia had already departed from Russian ports.
Furthermore, he noted that additional shipments to Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Mali, and the Central African Republic would be dispatched shortly.
Putin’s pledge to send grains to African countries
At a summit with African leaders in July, Putin pledged to provide complimentary grain to the six countries.
This commitment came shortly after Moscow terminated the Black Sea grain initiative, which had permitted Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
The initiative, aimed at reducing global market prices, was abandoned by Putin, who contended that it was ineffective in delivering supplies to the countries facing the most urgent needs.
Russia’s withdrawal from the Black sea grain deal
Last year, Putin reported that Russia exported approximately 60 million tonnes of grain. The commitments to provide free grain were referred to by U.N. chief Antonio Guterres as “a handful of donations.”
Following the withdrawal from the agreement, Russia has consistently targeted Ukrainian ports and grain storage facilities in airstrikes, destroying hundreds of thousands of tons of cereals, as reported by Kyiv.
Nevertheless, Ukraine announced on Friday that it successfully transported 4.4 million tonnes of cargo, including 3.2 million tonnes of grain, utilizing a new shipping corridor established in August.
More information
Sub-Saharan Africa experienced the most severe effects of the Russia-Ukraine crisis concerning food supply in the region.
Food inflation increases rapidly pushing millions into hunger and starvation in the already impoverished region.
According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Russia-Ukraine conflict led to 30 million metric tonnes of grain shortage in Africa leading to an increase in the price of staples such as bread.
[Nairametrics]
The Appeal Court, Abuja Division, has upheld the victory of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State in the governorship election held on March 18.
The APC governorship candidate, former Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar, filed the Bauchi State governorship appeal against Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Governor Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party winner.
Read also Mohammed to support local airlines as ValueJet begins flights to Bauchi
Consequently, the All Progressives Congress, Sadique Abubakar, approached the governorship election petition tribunal sitting in the state, challenging the victory.
However, not satisfied with the tribunal’s judgment, Abubakar filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal challenging the lower court’s decision.
In its ruling on Friday, the court ruled that each party should bear their costs.
[Businessday]
President Bola Tinubu will, on Saturday, depart Abuja for Berlin, Germany, to attend the G20 Compact with Africa Conference on November 20, 2023, hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“The G20 CwA Conference will be taking place alongside the Fourth G20 Investment Summit, co-hosted by the German government and German business associations,” a statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, read Friday.
The statement is titled ‘President Tinubu attends G20 ‘Compact with Africa’ conference in Berlin as energy, trade, and investment top agenda.’
During the conference, Tinubu will join other Heads of State and Governments of CwA member countries, bilateral partners, as well as Heads of International Organisations to deliberate on the immediate enhancement of economic and business cooperation to outline concrete measures to boost investments in critical areas such as energy, trade, infrastructure, and new technologies, among others.
Ngelale noted that the President will sustain his momentum in advancing the cause for foreign direct investment in Nigeria as he leads the country’s delegation to participate in the investment summit.
The visit is also President Tinubu’s “commitment to diplomatic reciprocity as the invitation to Germany from the German Chancellor is being honoured following the visit of the German Chancellor to Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria, from October 29 to October 30, 2023.”
The Nigerian delegation will follow up on productive meetings previously conducted with high-ranking representatives from German business organisations who were part of the official delegation of the German Chancellor to Nigeria.
In his discussions with Chancellor Scholz in October, President Tinubu highlighted the imminent need for more German companies to invest in the Nigerian market across multiple sectors of the Nigerian economy, such as transportation, mining, and energy, all while noting that Nigeria remains Germany’s second-largest trading partner in Africa.
Nigeria and Germany, being the largest economies in Africa and Europe, respectively, recorded an increase in bilateral trade volume from two to three billion Euros between 2021 and 2022.
The President will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite; and the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu.
Germany has become President Tinubu’s 10th foreign destination since assuming office about six months ago.
So, far he has visited France (twice), London, Guinea-Bissau (twice), Kenya, Benin Republic, India, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, and Saudi Arabia.
He will return to the country following the conclusion of the conference.
[Punch]
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The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Friday, nullified the election of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State.
The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices, held that Governor Yusuf was not a valid candidate in the gubernatorial election held in the state on March 18.
It maintained that evidence that was adduced by the parties established that Governor Yusuf was not a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, at the time the election was held.
According to the court, Yusuf, under section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, was not qualified to contest the governorship election since he was not validly sponsored by the NNPP.
“A person must be a member of a political party before he can be sponsored for an election.
“Sponsorship without membership is like putting something on nothing,” the court held in its lead judgement that was delivered by Justice M. U. Adumeh.
Consequently, the appellate court upheld the earlier judgement of the Kano state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which nullified Governor Yusuf’s election.
It will be recalled that the tribunal had in a virtual judgement it delivered on September 20, sacked governor Yusuf of the NNPP, from office and declared Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressive Congress, APC, as the valid winner of the governorship poll held in the state on March 18.
The three-member panel tribunal, led by Justice Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay, held that some ballot papers that were relied upon to declare Yusuf as the winner of the gubernatorial contest, were neither signed nor stamped by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
It proceeded to declare 165,663 of the votes that were credited to the NNPP candidate as invalid.
Following the deduction of the said invalid votes, Yusuf, who was initially declared winner of the governorship poll with a total of 1,019,602 votes, had his tally reduced to 853, 939 votes.
With the development, his closest rival and candidate of the APC, Ganuwa, emerged as the winner of the election with 890,705 votes.
Dissatisfied with the judgement, Governor Yusuf approached the appellate court to set it aside, even as he accused the tribunal of misapplying the law.
[Vanguard]
In its morbid apprehension that it may yet lose more Governorship or National Assembly seats that it won against clear legal provisions of the Electoral Act and Constitution of the Federal Republic, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has continued to wage attacks calculated to disparage, denigrate and blackmail our democratic institutions, particularly the Judiciary into submission to its nefarious electoral agenda.
At a press conference earlier today, the PDP’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, alleged, without any shred of evidence, that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was plotting to use some "hugely compromised Election Petition Courts" to upturn some of its victories. In Damagum's warped view, this was tailored towards "systemic emasculation of opposition" and actualization of an imaginary one-party state.
PDP's hallucinations about one-party state is understandable only in the context of its unrealized plan to rule Nigeria for 60 years but now seeks to taint APC with its own scripted crude, intolerant, unpatriotic and anti-democratic zealotry.
What is by far more repugnant, devious and a clear and present threat to our democratic way of life is the PDP’s relentless and unjustified objurgation of our courts and judges. The PDP has maligned and poured invectives on our judges at every turn since its miserable performance in the general elections. When it is not accusing judges of bias or corruption, it is calling for the disbandment of some judicial panels. Yet, the same party has been the biggest beneficiary of the vibrancy and independence of the judiciary since the country’s return to civilian democracy in 1999.
In its psychotic hypocrisy, the PDP screams to high heavens when court judgements are against it, but jubilantly extols verdicts by the same judiciary in its favour. Such anti-democratic and insanely manipulative politics is wrong and has got to stop.
Indubitably, the PDP has lost its purpose, its essence, if it ever had any. As a ruling party, the PDP was a reckless rolling stone of corruption and underdevelopment, now rudderless and antithetical to the idea of what an opposition party ought to be. The PDP is a liability to partisan democracy.
In other democracies, opposition political parties offer answers to national important questions and provide competing visions for good governance and economic development. The PDP cannot even manage its own internal affairs let alone offer valuable contributions for the good governance of our country.
Rather than dissipate its low energy on rallying other opposition parties into a phantom coalition, the PDP may wish to undertake critical introspection, reinvent itself, if not already too late, instead of blaming the courts and others for the self-inflicted hot mess the party is in, or save our partisan democracy the embarrassment by winding down altogether.
Signed:
Felix Morka, Esq.
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
The University of Benin has produced 178 First Class graduands in the 2020/2021 academic session.
Prof. Lilian Salami, Vice-Chancellor of the University, announced this on Thursday in Benin, the Edo State capital.
Salami spoke at a press briefing to herald the activities commemorating the 48th convocation and 53rd founder’s day of the institution.
The vice-chancellor stated that a total of 14,254 graduands would be awarded degrees, while 4,045 would be conferred with postgraduate degrees.
She said: “These accomplishments could not have been achieved without the commitment of staff and the deliberate efforts by management to put in place requisite academic infrastructure that have ensured that graduates of the University of Benin continue to shine and to positively influence their world.
“In that regard, the university boasts of cutting edge Information Communications Technology, advancement of our Centres of Excellence, successful accreditation of the university’s programmes and courses by the National University’s Commission and other professional bodies as well as compliance with the new National Education Policy on Core Curriculum Minimum Academic standards.”
The vice-chancellor said that seven personalities would also be honoured with doctoral degrees from the institution at the ceremony.
Four of these honourees, she said, were alumni of the university who were deemed fit due to their contributions to national development.
Salami listed the awardees to include a former Governor of Lagos State and immediate past Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN); wife of the Edo Governor, Betsy Obaseki; and Chief Charles Edosomwan (SAN).
Others are Olukayode Dotun-Adegbulugbe, Osaro Isokpan, Paul Enebeli and an engineer, Gbenga Komolafe, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.
Prof. Mike Kwanashie, a former Vice-Chancellor of the Veritas University, Abuja, Salami said, would deliver the founders’ day and convocation lecture, titled: “Governance and Crisis of Development.”
[Eagleonline]
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has voided the election of Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State and declared the election inconclusive while the governors of Kano, Abba Kabir Yusuf, and his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed will know their fate today.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Lawal the winner of the March 18 governorship election.
But the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenged the victory of Lawal, who ran under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at the tribunal.
After the tribunal upheld Lawal’s election, the APC proceeded to the Appeal Court.
While the Kano State election petitions tribunal declared Gawuna of the APC winner, in Bauchi State, just like Dauda of Zamfara State, Bala Mohammed won at the tribunal but no one can predict how the two judgements will look like today.
Yesterday, a three-member panel of justices annulled the victory of Lawal and ordered a rerun of the election in three local government areas.
The affected LGAs are Maradun, Birnin Magaji and Bokoyom.
INEC had declared Dauda winner with 377,726 votes, but the incumbent Matawalle of the APC, who polled 311,976 votes, went to court.
Matawalle, now minister of state for defence, had accused INEC of subverting his victory at the poll by failing to include the results of some ward areas.
However, the tribunal, in a judgement on September 18, held that the petition was devoid of merit.
The court also awarded a N500,000 fine against the petitioners.
Matawalle and the APC then filed an appeal challenging the decision of the tribunal.
Delivering judgement, the court of appeal held that the Zamfara state election petitions tribunal did not consider the evidence provided by the appellants.
Consequently, the Court of Appeal declared the election as inconclusive and ordered INEC to hold a fresh election in three LGAs.
In Bauchi, speaking with LEADERSHIP ahead of judgement, the director, media and communication Bauchi APC Gubernatorial campaign, Salisu Ahmed Barau, said the party faithful across the state will welcome the court judgment in good faith and would not foment any trouble.
On the part of the ruling PDP in the state, the special adviser to the governor on media and publicity, Mukhtar Gidado, said the ruling part in the state was confident that the appellate court will affirm the victory of Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed in the election.
Meanwhile, the Bauchi State Police Command has cautioned against all forms of celebrations and rallies by political party supporters for or against the winner/loser at the appellate court.
A statement by SP Ahmed Mohammad Wakil, the police public relations officer, said the command would deal decisively with any person(s) or group(s) who violate this order or deliberately cause the breakdown of law and order in whatever manner.
He said, “Those in violation will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law as security agencies have been deployed strategically and directed to ensure full enforcement.”
Uneasy Calm In Kano
Also, the Kano State Police Command and other security agencies in the state have warned troublemakers not to jeopardise the security arrangements in the state as the Appeal Court sets to deliver ruling in the case between Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), and the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Friday.
There was uneasy calm in the Kano metropolis yesterday evening as residents awaited the judgement of the Court of Appeal on the contentious governorship poll between the two parties.
Sanusi Bature Dawakintofa, the chief press secretary to the state governor, in a press statement, announced the impending judgement as coming today at 10am.
In a joint press briefing yesterday, led by the state’s Commissioner of Police Mohammed Usaini Gumel, he stated that security agencies had engaged the two parties’ leadership to ensure peace during and after the court verdict.
[Leadership]