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APC Set to Challenge Anambra Gubernatorial Election in Court Over Compliance with Electoral Act

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2 years ago

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As APGA Insists Due Process Was Followed

Following the outcome of the 2021 Anambra State governorship election in which Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance –APGA, was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission- INEC, the All Progressives Congress –APC, and its candidate for the election, Sen. Andy Uba, have decided to challenge the election in court.

Since the declaration of Prof. Soludo as winner of the election by INEC after the Ihiala local government supplementary election, of the four major contenders, only Sen. Andy Uba is yet to congratulate Soludo, insisting that he would take a position after a meeting with his team. Sen. Andy Uba and his team had a meeting in Awka last week and thereafter hinted that they will be challenging the election in court. Earlier in the week, Valentine Ozigbo the PDP candidate who had before congratulated Prof. Soludo also hinted that he has not closed the doors against possible challenge of the election results in court, much to the chagrin of many, considering that he had earlier congratulated Prof. Soludo of APGA.

Only yesterday, the APC reiterated its position and decision to challenge the election in court, insisting that the election umpire did not satisfactorily conduct the election in accordance with the provisions of the electoral act. During Channels Television Politics Today, Hon. Benchuks Nwosu counsel to Andy Uba and chieftain of the APC said that the party has nothing against APGA or the person of Professor Soludo, however, that APC and indeed, Sen. Andy Uba have reservations over the manner in which INEC conducted the Anambra State governorship election.

When the host Seun Okinbaloye asked Hon. Barr. Benchuks Nwosu why Sen. Andy Uba has not congratulated Prof. Soludo, if something was wrong? Responding he said, “Yes. According to my client Sen. Andy Uba the candidate of APC, a lot was wrong. Not specifically against the person of Prof. Soludo or APGA as a political party, but the institution that conducted the election. The case we have is not against an individual. It is against the institution that conducted the election and they conducted it very, very badly”, Benchuks Nwosu said.  When asked pointedly, if Sen. Andy Uba is going to court, Nwosu responded in the affirmative. “Yes. We are going to court because we have a plethora of evidence we believe will sustain a successful petition”.

Looking rather shocked, Seun inquired the grounds upon which the APC and Sen. Uba are going to court considering that the APC did not win any local government in the election. “Our goal,” Hon. Benchuks said, “is not about winning one or several local governments. We are saying that we have discovered that there are irregularities in the conduct of the election. That INEC was grossly understaffed; that in so many polling units…election did not hold at all. That in most of these polling units, INEC did not come to conduct the election at all. That in some places where they came, they came by 3pm or thereabout. I will give you an example, in Nnobi 1, 2, 3, in most of the places, they did not come; places where they came, they came around 3pm and after about an hour or so, they left,” Hon. Barr. Benchuks Nwosu said.

In his reaction to the same programme, the National Chairman of APGA, Ozonkpu Victor Oye said that the just concluded Anambra governorship election is satisfactorily conducted. “The election is one of the most peaceful elections in Anambra State. Even if you conduct the election one million times, APGA will win because the party is on ground and the candidate is on ground,” Oye said.

Reacting further, Chief Oye reiterated that the election was “conducted transparently, credibly, and fairly. I am surprised why APC candidate has not congratulated APGA. They should throw in the towel. There is always another time…why are they going to tribunal to waste time and money? People should accept their defeat and go and try again,” Victor Oye said.

In his reaction, Barr. Nwosu then challenged Chief Oye to produce Oba, Uke, Abatete results. “I challenge him to produce results from Oba, Uke, Abatete”….To this, Chief Victor Oye responded that “there are hitches here and there, but it was corrected.”

Meanwhile, Hon. Nwosu maintained that “the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with the electoral act.”

 

 

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Nigeria: chibok abduction anniversary spurs demands for justice

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2 weeks ago

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April 16, 2024

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Militants, alongside relatives of victims of the infamous abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls that sparked global outrage in 2014, gathered in Lagos on Sunday, April 14, to renew calls for the release of the remaining girls in captivity.

The Sunday meeting was organized to mark the 10th anniversary of the abduction that affected 276 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, northeastern Nigeria.

“What I would ask the government is to find a way to work towards bringing back our sisters because I know it is only the government that can help us bring back these girls,” said Grace Dauda, a rescued Chibok schoolgirl.

Another rescued schoolgirl, Rebecca Malu, added, “They should stay safe. They should stay strong, one day, they will be released like us.”

While some girls managed to escape on their own, others have been freed over the years through intense campaigns by civil society organizations and government negotiations. But this human rights activist, Ayo Obe, is calling for more action from the authorities.

“We know that we started with missing persons numbering two hundred and fifty-six; it is already an improvement that we are down to 91. But of course, 91 is 91 lives unaccounted for. We appreciate the fact that so many of them escaped during the abduction itself. We appreciate the fact that the government has brought back so many more of them, but we say that we don’t stop here. We need the momentum that has happened since the mass return during the Buhari administration in 2016-2017 to be maintained. We expected that the remaining girls would have been brought back,” she said.

Mass school children kidnapping in Nigeria has continued nearly unabated since Chibok. Around 1,700 students have been kidnapped in raids since 2014 according to Amnesty International.

A member of the Bring Back Our Girls movement and convener of the 10th-year anniversary in Lagos, Opeyemi Adamolekun, lamented this as unfortunate.

“Unfortunately, it became political between 2014 and 2015, part of the amplification of the movement was part of the 2015 presidential campaign. And we saw the effect of the first batch of 21 that were released with the help of the Red Cross and the Swiss government. The second batch of 82 that were released with the help of the Red Cross and the Swiss government as well. But unfortunately, it seems that energy sort of dissipated because the government doesn’t feel as much pressure as they used to feel,” she said.

For this group of Nigerians, the government must match words with more action to stem the tide of mass school kidnappings in the country.

According to the Murtala Muhammed Foundation, a charity that advocates for the Chibok schoolgirls, about 90 girls still remain in captivity while dozens of the schoolgirls freed over the years are living inside a military-run rehabilitation camp with surrendered Boko Haram fighters they married in the Sambisa forest, Boko Haram’s main hideout.

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Nigeria suspends permit of 3 private jet operators

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2 weeks ago

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April 16, 2024

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Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has taken action against private jet operators flouting regulations by suspending the Permit for Non-Commercial Flights (PNCF) of three operators caught conducting commercial flights.

This crackdown follows warnings issued in March 2024.

Acting Director General Capt. Chris Najomo stated that increased surveillance at Nigerian airports led to the grounding of three operators found violating their PNCF terms. Specifically, they breached annexure provisions and Part 9114 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023.

In response, the NCAA announced a thorough re-evaluation of all PNCF holders to ensure compliance with regulations, to be completed by April 19th, 2024. PNCF holders have been instructed to submit necessary documents within 72 hours to expedite the process. Najomo emphasized these actions highlight the NCAA’s commitment to enhancing safety in Nigerian airspace.

Furthermore, the NCAA warned the public against using charter operators without a valid Air Operators Certificate and urged legitimate industry players to report any suspicious activities promptly.

This crackdown comes after the NCAA’s stern warning in March against PNCF holders engaging in commercial operations.

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Senator Cory Booker Leads a Congressional Delegation to Nigeria

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4 weeks ago

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March 30, 2024

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Photo: Senator Cory Booker (In the back) and a Diplomat from the US Department of State, joins with members of the Academy for Women Alumnae Association including Mercy Ogori of Kokomi Africa and Adebisi Odeleye of Moore Organics.

Senator Cory also met women entrepreneurs from the Academy for Women Alumnae Association

Last week, US Senator Cory Booker from New Jersey led a congressional delegation to Nigeria, which included House of Representatives members Sara Jacobs and Barbara Lee from California. The purpose of the visit was to discuss a partnership on sustainable development. During the talks, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu expressed his administration’s dedication to strengthening democracy through upholding the rule of law and ensuring good governance, justice, and fairness for all citizens. Senator Booker emphasized the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, and commitment to peace and good governance that bind Nigeria and the United States as partners.

The delegation also met with women entrepreneurs from the Academy for Women Alumnae Association, who had participated in US-sponsored exchange programs. Led by Adebisi Odeleye of Moore Organics, the businesswomen shared their experiences and discussed their entrepreneurial endeavors. Other Academy members were Mandela Washington Fellow, Nkem Okocha of Mama Moni, Inemesit Dike of LegalX, and Mercy Ogori of Kokomi.

The partnership between the United States and Nigeria has lasted over six decades, focusing on addressing security challenges, enhancing health security, and responding to global health crises. Despite obstacles like corruption, poverty, and insecurity, the US remains dedicated to supporting Nigerian institutions and promoting free, fair, transparent, and peaceful elections.

During the visit to the State House, Senator Booker reiterated the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, and commitment to peace and good governance that unite Nigeria and the United States as partners.

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