Nottingham Forest and Super Eagles forward, Taiwo Awoniyi has revealed why he doesn’t celebrate after scoring goals.

He said doesn’t celebrate his goals because he already knew they would come.

“To be honest, it’s not intentional. But I was having a conversation with a brother of mine and he actually made me understand why I don’t celebrate scoring goals.

“He is someone that really knows me; the secret part of me. I think the truth is, it’s just a script you know.

“Sometimes when you understand this is meant to happen, and it happens. It’s just more of a thing you’ve seen happening, so it’s just like what is supposed to be.

“Even when people don’t see it happening, you’ve already known. You’ve seen it ahead. So, when it happens, that calmness is just there,” he told Fans Tribe in an interview.

Awoniyi is currently with the Super Eagles in Uyo ahead of Nigeria’s last AFCON qualifier match against Sao Tome & Principe on Sunday.

[DailyPost]

Nigerians have called for a restructuring of the Judiciary, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, after scrutinizing the judgment of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, PEPT, delivered on Wednesday. Elder statesmen, leaders, retired judges, lawyers, and activists, who spoke to Saturday Vanguard, this weekend, faulted the judgment, saying that the operators, not necessarily our laws, were the problem of democracy in the country.

They expressed dissatisfaction that the PEPT did not dispense justice on the glaring issues that arose from the last presidential elections tabled before it for determination.

Restructure Nigeria — Emiaso, ex-customary court president

A former President of the Delta State Area Customary Court, Miakpo Emiaso, said: “I have always taken the position that there is nothing wrong with our laws apart from the lopsided federal system that this country operates. Unless there is restructuring of the political system such that each part of the nation is sufficiently autonomous to pursue its own goals according to its needs, this country is going nowhere.

There is a fundamental flaw in the organization of this country, and unless we remove the flaw by restructuring to something similar to what we had in the First Republic, this country is going nowhere. In terms of the electoral system, the problem we need to solve is the people who operate the system. The politicians and electoral umpire must change their attitude and they cannot change their attitude because what propels them is the faulty federal system that we are operating in Nigeria. We have established it without argument that we cannot function together the way we are trying to force ourselves together. I am not advocating the dismemberment of Nigeria; Nigeria must remain Nigeria, but we must give the federating units greater autonomy. There is too much power concentrated at the federal and there is too much power concentrated on the person who becomes President. This country will not move like this.

There is no problem with our electoral system; it is the dramatis personae that we need to talk to, to change their ways because the faulty federal system that we operate foists that attitude on them.

INEC breached electoral laws — Nwoko, SAN

Former Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Uwem Edimo Nwoko, said, “My position built on my experience, over the years, both as a lawyer and participant in the electoral process would be that human beings are the architects of the unfortunate democratic experience we are having.

Why do I say so? The laws we have today, particularly the Electoral Act 2022, can engineer a perfect electoral process, but the problems lie with those executing and implementing the law. For example, globally, the management of the 2023 General Elections, particularly the presidential election, was highly flawed. If you read through the reports of all the observers, both local and international, you see that every observer with integrity and dispassionate evaluation came up with the conclusion that INEC did not follow the Electoral Act, especially in the deployment and use of the BVAS machines.

They did not follow the provision concerning real-time transmission of results from the Polling Unit to the INEC server. People complained that the INEC server suddenly shut down during the presidential election. The irony is that the same machines that transmitted the National Assembly results could not transmit the presidential results at the same time. The INEC Chairman was announcing the results of the Presidential election when collation was still going on. Since he said the machines did not transmit the results, how did he get the figures he was declaring? Until today, INEC has not explained to Nigerians why that happened.

Unless we get people of integrity to supervise our electoral process, we will make no progress, so the problem is not with our laws.”

Reform judiciary — Onuesoke, ex- guber aspirant

Former Delta State governorship aspirant and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, said: “The electoral laws are very okay. The major problem we have is the judiciary. What happened on Wednesday was a rape of Nigeria voters’ rights. Nothing is wrong with the Electoral Act.

The judiciary is responsible, for example, there is a constitutional clause that you need to have 25 percent of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. It is in the laws but they just came out and started reading if Abuja people are better than the people in other states That contradicts the law. We should blame the judiciary, not INEC. The way forward is to reorganize the judiciary.”

Unfashionable to ignore BVAS, IREV – Okah, lawyer 

A legal practitioner in Bayelsa State, Jonah Okah, asserted, “The judgment on the presidential election has exposed certain salient issues in the Electoral Act. The much-celebrated reform provided in the 2022 Electoral Act has teeth, but cannot bite in the face of the judgment that the Tribunal delivered.

“We need to make specific provisions to address the issues of electronic transfer of results, the legal validity of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, and IReV, INEC Result Viewing Portal, IReV, as well as curtailing the latitude conferred on the electoral empire, as highlighted by the issues arising from the judgment. It is anachronistic in this Information and Communication Technology, ICT, age when electronic transmission cannot be used as a legal process in the conduct of election as stated in the judgment.” 

We‘re diminishing — Evison, Community leader

National President of the Sagbama Federated Community, Ebi Evinson, said: “From the judgment, we seem to retrogress our electoral system. Introducing BVAS and the electronic transmission of results was a remarkable improvement in our elections. But now that the judgment says that collation and electronic transmission of results by INEC is optional, then the gains we made on our electoral system would have eroded and future elections shall be terrible in terms of credibility.

“We will slide back to our old ways of manual collation with its attendant challenges. I think that the only way we can make progress in our elections and democracy is to ensure that we conclude election cases before swearing in so that there will be minimal influence. The confidence with which President Bola Tinubu jetted out of the country, on the eve of his crucial election case that was due for judgment, when the conference still had a few days ahead to begin, simply shows the effective application of the Nigerian factor in the entire scenario.” 

Hope lost – Clarkson, attorney

A legal practitioner and former spokesperson of the Movement for the Survival of Izon Ethnicity Nationality in the Niger Delta, MOSIEND, Amaebi Clarkson, said: “We are in the ICT age, and expectantly, our electoral process would have been driven by technology, particularly with the introduction of card reader and BVAS. Unfortunately, the 2023 general election has clearly shown that we are not ripe for digitalized elections possibly because of our value placement as a people.

“I am of the firm opinion that we go back to our indigenous Option A4 introduced by Prof Nwosu in the conduct of our elections.”

We need a fearless judiciary, competent INEC – Odi, community leader

A retired Bayelsa senior civil servant and community leader, Chris Odi, suggested, “Strengthening INEC to be able to fund its operations, and equip workforce to function optimally with near-perfect logistics to deliver credible elections, and working with a fair and fearless judiciary to prosecute culprits of electoral offenses. Also, the electoral umpire must work hard to ensure there are no cases of voter suppression (disenfranchisement). The government must adequately equip the police to check electoral violence before, during, and after elections.

“There should be proper orientation and reorientation by the relevant government agency (NOA), and media outlets on the need to shun ethnic and religious politics for Nigeria to have the benefit of the best candidates. They should revisit the problem of voter apathy through voter education. For instance, the 2019 election recorded 34.75 percent voter turnout, while in 2019, only a meager 28.6 million voters cast their votes out of 82 million eligible voters. The above suggestions will go a long way in improving Nigeria’s electoral system.”

Electronic voting, solution to Nigeria’selectoral turbulence — Chima Nnaji

On his part, Lagos-based legal practitioner and Rights activist, Chief Chima Nnaji, strongly advocated the evolution of electronic voting as a permanent solution to Nigeria’s hydra-headed electoral system.

He regretted that those who benefit from the current flawed system are reluctant to embrace innovations that could help eliminate fraud in the system. According to him, “Electronic voting is the way to go but the drag by those in power is causing the delay. See how the last ditch effort in the 2022 Electoral Act was messed up at the tribunal on Wednesday. It was consigned to the waste bin, and it looks as if they dumped all the money budgeted for those gadgets in the lagoon. So, the first is to show sincerity of purpose by leadership that must look beyond today. They must look beyond their narrow interest and be statemanly in their perception of realities such that even if they are being selfish, such selfish interest should as far as possible, be situated within the national interest. And the only way to do that is to commit to electronic voting system that will de-personalise human interventions in such a drastic manner that it is done at the whims and caprice of whoever is the National Chairman of INEC. It should be made in a way that it becomes absolutely difficult to game the system. There might be glitches which have to be battled and upgraded as in the banks. Although the electronic system has not prevented fraud, it has reduced it to the barest minimum.

“We need something that is de-personalised, we de- personalise to improve effectiveness. The process has been dragging because of human interest. If you eliminate human interest, the court will be removed from the electoral process. The court is not supposed to be the final arbiter in the electoral process. That’s not the intendment of the philosophers who propounded democracy. We were taught in those days that the ballot boxes were the most painless killers. If you are under- performing as a politician, the people go to the ballot box and kill you silently, and you go home and lick your wounds.

“I’m sure those who philosophised democracy will be turning in their graves the way democracy is murdered in this country. At this stage, we expect that judges should be more circumspect. When you are 60 years and above, you don’t need to be corrupt “.

Comprehensive verdict – Edokpolo, UPAN facilitator

However, the National Facilitator, United Patriots Assembly of Nigeria, UPAN, Ambassador Ayamekhue Edokpolo, told Saturday Vanguard in Edo State, “First, the pronouncement of the judges has further broadened the huge confidence reposed on the judiciary in Nigeria. The reason is that the judgment was comprehensive, and every point was lucid, deliberately explained in detail that an illiterate can assimilate or comprehend the issues. We can strongly improve our electoral system when the judiciary stands its ground to ensure that lawyers do not bring frivolous cases to tribunals hearing such cases.

Another way we can improve our electoral system is what I call the agility of the electorate. If the electorate insists on good governance and capacity and rejects bribes or favors from the candidates or the political parties, they will invest fundamental sacrifices for the strengthening of our electoral system because the greatest threat to our electoral system is monetization. It is highly monetized, which is why those who have the capacity to perform well feel intimidated to step forward. For instance, you will need private jets to run a presidential election in Nigeria. If you want to run for a governorship election, you are going to need bulletproof vehicles. Therefore, if the followers deliberately refuse inducement and are firm on capacity, it will greatly improve our electoral system. We must sensitize institutions like INEC, police, and army that play good roles in the election to maintain greater impartiality and remove their personal interests from the electoral system. 

Electoral laws shouldn’t be incongruous — Benjamin, IYC 

National spokesperson, Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Bedford Benjamin, stated: “The country’s electoral laws must be definite and devoid of contradictions and contradicting sections of the law, ranging from electronic transmission of results, and management of pieces of evidence of electoral malpractices.” 

[Vanguard]

City FM is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Programme: CITY TALKS WITH REUBEN ABATI

Time: 12:00pm

Guest: Adeyinka Patrick Olumide-Fusika (SAN)

Topic: "Presidential Election Petition Tribunal Judgement"

Date: 9th September, 2023
                         
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/92877141732?pwd=VEJWb29OL2VVekZUTHRpdWYxK0xxZz09

Meeting ID: 928 7714 1732
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on Saturday address World leaders at the 2023 G20 Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, India.

The Nigerian leader will address Global Unity in ‘One Earth-One Family-One Future’ Session at the Summit, which will be held at the Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Naija News reports that President Tinubu, who had earlier been welcomed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the venue of the G-20 Summit, will address the gathering at 3:00 p.m. in India and 10:30 a.m. in Nigeria.

Recall that Tinubu on Friday received Foreign Policy and Economic Intelligence briefings ahead of the commencement of the G-20 Summit today.

According to a statement by the President’s special adviser on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu received briefings from the Hon. Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Industry, Trade & Investment.

Taking to the X platform (formerly known as Twitter), Ngelale wrote: “H.E. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu receives comprehensive Foreign Policy & Economic Intelligence briefings from the Hon. Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Industry, Trade & Investment in preparation for tomorrow’s commencement of the G-20 Summit.”

The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has said despair or surrender is not an option in seeking justice on the petitions challenging the declaration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President.

Naija News recalls that PEPT on Wednesday upheld the victory of Tinubu in the 2023 election and dismissed the petitions of Peter Obi and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

On Friday, Peter Obi, during a press briefing in Anambra State, said he was heading to the Supreme Court and would ensure that all the judicial process is exhausted.

In a statement via X, formally known as Twitter, on Saturday, Peter Obi said understandably many LP supporters would be disappointed with the PEPT verdict; however, despair is not an option.

The former governor of Anambra State urged his supporters to keep hope alive as the journey ahead required sacrifice, perseverance and resilience.

He wrote: “Understandably, there has been a note of general disappointment within our fold and, indeed the general population of Nigerians who hoped that the outcome of the February 25th Presidential election would usher in a new and different Nigeria of our dreams. That dream has only been deferred for now but remains alive for all times.

“Since the Tribunal verdict, there has been a note of general despair among the Obidients and the generality of our supporters. I assure you all that on this journey, despair or surrender is not in our options. Today, I want to personally reach out and encourage you all to keep hope alive. Considering the challenges that lie ahead of us as a movement, despair is not an option.

“Nothing good in life comes easy. Throughout history, positive changes come only with sacrifices, perseverance, resilience and fluctuating fortunes. Right from the onset of our journey, I told you all that the journey upon which we were about to embark was not a short sprint, but a long and tough marathon. It was always going to be difficult, painful and excruciating.

“We set out knowing fully well that the forces we are up against are entrenched and formidable but not insurmountable. They would resist the wind of change and try to push us into surrender or despair. We must not succumb to their design.

“I am inspired that we have endured the odds placed in our way at every point. In such a short space of time, we have persevered to get to the point where we cannot be ignored any longer. Therefore, I urge you to abide and never think of giving up.

“I wish to assure you that our recent disappointments have inspired me to re-dedicate myself to the cause of building a New Nigeria. For me, rescuing Nigeria is a lifelong commitment, and on this journey, we shall be resolute but orderly, principled but lawful.”

African Union (AU) has become a permanent member of the G-20 group, a move proposed earlier in June.

Naija News reports that this was made known at the ongoing summit in New Delhi, India, on Saturday by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The African Union was made a permanent member of the G20, comprising the world’s richest and most powerful countries.

The African Union, a continental body of 55 member states, now has the same status as the European Union – the only regional bloc with a full membership. Its previous designation was “invited international organization.”

In his opening remarks at the summit, Modi invited the AU, represented by Chairperson Azali Assoumani, to sit at the table of G20 leaders as a permanent member.

In a post on his official social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Modi said: “Honoured to welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 Family. This will strengthen the G20 and also strengthen the voice of the Global South.”

Other issues being decided on at the summit include more loans to developing nations by multilateral institutions, reform of international debt architecture, regulations on cryptocurrency, and the impact of geopolitics on food and energy security.

The 38-page draft circulated among members left the “geopolitical situation” paragraph blank — reflecting deep division over the war in Ukraine — but 75 other paragraphs indicated broad agreement on issues such as cryptocurrencies and reforms in multilateral development banks.

The National Legal Adviser of the Labour Party (LP), Kehinde Edun has condemned the Lamidi Apapa faction for claiming the party did not pay party agents in the 2023 presidential election.

Edun described the statement of the faction’s spokesman, Abayomi Arabambi during an interview with Punch as lies.

Speaking on the issue of not presenting documents from polling units at the presidential tribunal, Edun noted that the ones requested by the court are from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and not party agents.

He further stated that the party faced that issue because INEC acted as if it was at war with the party.

Edun, in an interview with Punch, said, “That (not paying agents) is a lie. What was required to prove our case was the one in INEC’s custody. For it to be admissible, it must come from the proper channel. So it is not true. The court also knew where these things were. We are only deceiving ourselves.

“We applied for INEC to produce them and the court gave an order. But INEC refused to bring them. It was as if INEC was at war with us. Everybody was under pressure including the court and INEC. The law is that you have to prove your case and the court is only concerned with what is before it.

“Nobody pays attention to the Apapa group. They are a group of suspended former members who are now doing the bidding of their paymasters. So it is expected they will be happy with the verdict of the tribunal. As far as we are concerned, they are not members or a faction of the Labour Party. They are an extension of the ruling party who they are working for. They are rejoicing with their paymaster.”

Obi’s media aide, Tai Obasi, speaking on the same issue said, “You know what the Apapa faction is all about. It is part of the old order we are fighting to change and struggling to ensure Nigeria becomes a new Nigeria. You can see those who don’t want things to be done right. Apapa and his group are the comedy aspect of the party.

“The fact is that you cannot stop halfway when you want to do something right. You have to see it to the end. The judgment at the tribunal was not right. That’s why we are heading to the Supreme Court.”

The chief spokesman of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, simply said, “We won’t want to join issues with the Apapa faction. Let them continue with their allegation. We will see how it can take them. They can’t do more damage than what they have done already.”

Following President Bola Tinubu’s approval, the Federal Government is set to construct 7,000 houses in Kaduna and other states affected by conflict in the northern part of the country.

Apart from Kaduna, others are Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Niger and Benue states, Vice President Kashim Shettima said on Friday. He stated this in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital during the commissioning of projects executed by the state government in the last 100 days.

The former Borno State governor who was representing Tinubu said the Nigerian leader has approved N50 billion for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to kick-start the Pulaku initiative – a non-kinetic solution to the crisis confronting the people of the northwest region.

“The President has approved the construction of 1000 houses in Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna Niger and Benue, with all the ancillary facilities of schools, clinics, veterinary clinics and ranches for the Fulani community; in Kaduna and Benue, he insisted that all the victims must be carried along,” Shettima was quoted in a statement by his media aide, Olusola Abiola.

Shettima said all parts of the country will benefit from the developmental strides of President Tinubu, while also stating the Federal Government’s plan to re-ignite wheat production.

He added that President Tinubu was aware of the challenges confronting Nigerians and would make efforts to address them.

“Issues confronting Nigerians will be addressed. We will use all available vehicles to fix things. President Tinubu means well for this country and he is determined to change the fortunes of the nation for the better,” he assured.

“He is a person filled with a lot of empathy for the less privileged in the society. Some of the painful decisions taken by the government were products of the circumstances we have found ourselves in.

“Be rest assured that in the coming weeks and months, this government will unveil a lot of projects and programmes that will touch the lives of many.”

Gunmen suspected to be bandits have burnt down the parish house of Saint Raphael’s Catholic Church in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing a seminarian in the process.

An eye witness told Channels Television that the bandits in their large numbers stormed the Saint Raphael Parish at Fadan Kamantan, Kafanchan Diocese on Thursday night and set the building ablaze alongside a vehicle parked on the premises.

Sources said the late seminarian, Stephen Danlami, died from the smoke he inhaled while trying to escape from the raging fire, while other priests inside the parish house were said to have escaped.

Shortly after the incident, police authorities in the state said it had launched a manhunt for the assailants.

The spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command Manir Hassan said the bandits stormed the worship centre in droves.

According to him, while the assailants could not enter the main building, they set the house on fire alongside a motorcycle and vehicle part on the premises.

The police spokesman corroborated eyewitness accounts that the victim died due to the smoke he inhaled while trying to escape from the burning building.

The President Election Petitions Court (PEPC) has released a copy of its judgement in which it affirmed the election of President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday.

The Court of Appeal hosting the election court released the 798-page document yesterday a few hours after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, had raised the alarm that the court was yet to provide his lawyers and those of PDP certified true copies of the judgment.

Soon after it was released, copy of the judgement went viral on social media, with members of Whatsapp groups posting it on their various platforms.

Earlier yesterday, Atiku had said it was anti-democratic that three days since the PEPC delivered its judgment on his petition challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential election his lawyers cannot access the copies.

He added that the situation is concerning in light of the fact that he and his lawyers have just 14 days to file their appeal to the Supreme Court on the judgment.

A statement issued by his special assistant on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu, to this effect noted: “By not making available to Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, the certified true copies of the judgment of Wednesday for its filings at the Supreme Court, the Presidential Election Petition Court, is undermining Atiku’s and Nigerians quest for justice.”

Expressing Atiku and PDP’s frustration in progressing with the filing of their appeal at the Supreme Court, Shaibu reminded the PEPC that “it had made heavy weather at the delivery of its judgment on Wednesday that parties need to adhere strictly to the time schedule set by the court.”

He said, “The PEPC is not oblivious that three precious days of the 14-day limit for parties to file their processes at the highest court have been wasted by the Appeal Court.

“We wish to remind the PEPC that it struck out the testimonies of some of the witnesses of Atiku during the litigation at the court of first instance because their statements on oath were filed out of time.

“And now, from all intents and purposes, the same court wants to have Atiku and PDP’s appeal to the Supreme Court disqualified by the reason of time deadline.

“Does the PEPC not understand that the lawyers representing Atiku/PDP need to digest the judgment as contained in the CTC which represents the authentic pronouncements made in court on Wednesday in order to formulate its case for filing?” Shaibu queried.

He said further that there can be no justification for refusal of the court to make available the CTC of its judgement for Atiku to continue with his quest on behalf of over 200 million Nigerians for substantial justice as opposed to the judgement rendered by the PEPC.

“It is curious that the same PEPC that claimed that the judgement was ready as at the time it was delivered on Wednesday is still grappling with typos and errors, according to available information. Why did the PEPC not wait till next week to deliver the judgment as it would still have met the legal deadline instead of rushing to render a judgement which text is still undergoing panel beating?

“It is anti-democratic of the court to steal, already at the last count, 3 precious days out of the 14-day time limit for Atiku to file his processes at the Supreme Court. The lost time would never be recovered,” he added.