Kaduna Gov Kicks As PDP Presents Exhibits Before Tribunal

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State Tuesday objected to the admissibility of documents from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Kaduna.

The governor also requested the dismissal of the petition brought by the opposition party and its candidate, Hon Mohammed Isah Ashiru, saying it lacked merit.

Governor Sani’s counsel, Chief Duro Adeyele (SAN), did not disclose the grounds for the objection to the admissibility of the documents.

He stated that their valid objection would be presented in written addresses filed before the tribunal.

In compliance with a subpoena issued by the tribunal, INEC tendered documents, including forms EC8A, EC8B, and EC8C, from polling units in nine local government areas: Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Zaria, Sabon Gari, Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Kubau, Lere, and Kudan.

Adeyele and INEC’s counsel, A.M. Aliyu (SAN), argued that the original election documents in INEC’s custody should not have been brought to court.

He stated that the original documents were supposed to remain in the commission’s custody and that any party other than the PDP could request certified true copies of the documents.

In an interview with journalists, PDP’s counsel, Giovanni Laah, stated that they wanted the original documents to remain before the tribunal until they called witnesses.

The tribunal adjourned the sitting to today for the continuation of the hearing.

APC presents witnesses against Kaduna PDP senator

Meanwhile, APC’s senatorial candidate, Muhammed Sani Abdullahi (Dattijo), presented three additional witnesses, who provided documents regarding the educational background of Senator Lawal Usman, the representative of Kaduna Central at the Senate.

The witnesses appeared before a three-man panel, headed by Justice H.H Kereng, at the tribunal on Tuesday. They were cross-examined by M.A. Magaji SAN, the counsel for the PDP.

Mr. Johnson Usman, the counsel to Dattijo, informed journalists after the tribunal’s sitting that the witnesses included those from Aminu Shehu College of Advanced Studies and the principal of Great Diamond School.

He stated that “Aminu Shehu College of Education said his name was not there at all, and the first petitioner himself has testified and tendered documents. Particularly, the letter was written by Demonstration Primary School, Gwagwalada, as well as Government Day Secondary School, Gwagwalada, stating that Lawal Adamu Usman was never a student there.”

He declined further comment, saying it’s left for the court to determine.

In response, M.A. Magaji (SAN), the counsel to the PDP senator, expressed unfamiliarity with the name of the school presented as witnesses.

He asserted their confidence in their mandate and their intention to prove in court that Senator Usman won the election.

Source: Punch

Panel storms Ortom’s automobile workshop, impounds vehicles

The asset recovery committee set up by Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, on Tuesday, stormed the automobile workshop owned by former governor Samuel Ortom with towing vehicles and removed some vehicles.

Alia, through his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, recently disclosed that government vehicles, numbering 29, were allegedly looted by the past governor.

Tersoo had said in a statement that “the case of the Goverment House is particularly pitiable with vandalised furniture, window blinds, electronics and other household appliances.

“This is besides the carting away of all vehicles, including an ambulance and A press crew bus, attached to the office of the governor.

“At the last count, 29 vehicles, attached to the governor’s office,  are still no where to be found.”

A source told our correspondent on Tuesday that the asset recovery committee stormed Ortom’s automobile workshop on Tuesday afternoon but were resisted by the workers there.

When contacted, the Publicity Secretary of the  Peoples Democratic Party, Bemgba Iortyom,  confirmed that indeed state agents went to Ortom’s automobile workshop.

Iortyom said, “Governor Alia has now sent towing trucks to ex-Governor Ortom’s automobile workshop to cart away vehicles, after attempts to drive them away failed.”

It will be recalled that Ortom and his deputy, Benson Abounu, secured  a court order restraining the asset recovery committee from coming after them.

In the suit, marked MHC/199/2023, filed through their lawyer, Douglas Pepe (SAN), Ortom and Abounu asked the court to  determine “whether  property legitimately allocated to them as entitlements and remuneration can  be considered as state government assets.”

They are seeking “a determination of court whether or not by the combined effect of sections 5(2), 44, 318(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the executive actions and decisions of the Governor and Government of Benue State taken by  Ortom and Abounu and the State Executive Council, in good faith before May 29th, 2023, were valid.”

The ex-governor and his deputy also want the court to determine “whether or not the Governor of Benue State is not bound by the constitutional approvals made by his predecessor.”

They are contending that the asset recovery committee set up by Alia has no power to interfere with their rights to own property “vested in them by the Benue State Government at all material times or without following due process.”

Source: Punch

House Of Representatives Asks Nigerian National Security Adviser, Ribadu To Declare Emergency In Plateau State Over Terrorists’ Attacks

The House of Representatives has asked the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to declare a national emergency situation in Plateau State over incessant terrorists’ attacks.

This was made following a motion of urgent public importance on the need for urgent intervention on the killings in some local government areas in Plateau State.

The House further requested that Operation Safe Haven identifies and evacuates all bandits’ cells in the state.

The House mandated the Committees on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Defence, Army, Air Force, Police, and Legislative Compliance (when created) to oversee compliance and report monthly until the situation was brought under control.

They stated that the recent attacks on the communities had resulted in the deaths of over 300 individuals, significant injuries to others, the destruction of property, and the displacement of nearly 18,000 people.

The members also raised concern about the ongoing attacks by terrorist groups in the towns, claiming that if not addressed soon, it would result in low agricultural produce.

The house further requested that security personnel give aerial observation and assistance in capturing the terrorists and destroying their camps in order to prevent a recurrence and allow innocent farmers to return to their lands and ancestral homes.

Source: Saharareporters

We inherited N307 billion debt from Lalong’s administration – Mutfwang

Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has announced that his administration inherited a debt burden of N307 billion from the immediate past administration in the state.

The governor announced this shortly after receiving the reports of the committees on the Transition and Strategic Development Framework for Plateau State on Monday in Jos.

Prof. Ganyir Lombin headed the two committees.

The governor voiced his determination to take the state to greater heights despite its huge debt profile.

Mutfwang particularly expressed his readiness to tackle the current security challenges in the state.

“Throughout the campaign season, we were under the mistaken belief that our debt burden was around N200 billion; to hear that it is N307 billion is quite intimidating and worrisome,” he said.

The governor pledged to meticulously study the document presented to him, adding that further investigation would also be conducted with appropriate action taken after that.

Earlier, Lombin explained that some operational challenges prevented the two committees, which had appointees of the past administration as members, from jointly presenting their report.

He noted that the handover notes presented to the governor on May 29 differed from the agreed template developed by the joint committee.

Source: Daily Post

We Are Ready To Defend Our Faith – Traditionalists Warn Muslims In Kwara State, Ask Emir Of Ilorin To Stop Harassments

The umbrella body for all indigenous African religions, Ancient Religion Societies of African Descendants International Council, ARSADIC, has warned Islamic extremists in Ilorin, Kwara State, to stop further harassment and provoking its members in the state.

ARSADIC President, Aare Dr. Ifagbenusola Atanda, in a statement issued on Monday said this, following the unfolding events in last week in Ilorin, the state capital, where one of its members Omolara Ajesekemi, an Osun devotee and priestess, was intimidated over her faith by some Muslims.

He also warned that religious fundamentalism must not be encouraged in any form and in any part of the nation.

Atanda, who is also the Asiwaju Awo Agbaye, said it was wrong for a Muslim group, Majlisu Shabab li Ulamahu Society, and the spokesperson of the Emir of Ilorin, Abdulazeez Arowona, to threaten the priestess and to stop her from holding Isese festival in the town.

The statement read, “As long as we, the traditional religion adherents, know our boundary not to throw offensives at other faiths, we will resist any attempt to trample on our rights to freedom of religion and association as well spelt out in the Nigerian Constitution.

“We will never fold our arms and allow extremists in any guise deny us our God-given rights and supported by the laws of Nigeria as a secular state. We are quite aware that Ilorin, Kwara State is an integral part of Nigeria and we ready to defend our faith.

“Yeye Omolara Ajesekemi has our support at all times to practice her faith, the traditional religion, which bonds all of us together. And as the tenets of our faith have taught us to be pious, be law-abiding, accommodating of other religions and value humanity, we will refuse to be intimidated and humiliated by any group or anybody.”

He, therefore, called on the State Government under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and all security agencies to intervene and live up to their constitutional duties of protecting lives and property.

Source: Saharareporters

How southern Kaduna ‘elders’ humiliated my deputies – El-Rufai

Nasir El Rufai, the immediate former governor of Kaduna State, said elders from the southern part of the state humiliated his deputies who were from the zone.

Mr El Rufai also explained how he decided to pick a Muslim woman from the zone as his running mate.

Mr El Rufai made the statement while delivering a keynote address during the book launch and retirement event in honour of Ishaq Akintola, the founder of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) on Saturday.

Kaduna is divided into three senatorial zones. While residents of Kaduna North and Central are predominantly Muslim, residents of Southern Kaduna are mainly Christians.

Muslim governors of the state traditionally have Christian deputies from Southern Kaduna.

Humiliated deputies

Mr El Rufai, who served for two terms from 2015 to 2023, said in the first tenure, he picked his long-term friend, Barbanas Bala, a southern Kaduna Christian, ”but was almost frustrated out of office in the first two years”.

He said some unamed southern Kaduna elders were angry with him for not accepting a list of prospective deputy governor candidates from people he called “self-appointed, so-called Southern Kaduna Christian elders”.

He also said Mr Bala was hated for coming from a minority ethnic group, Moroa, and not the Atyap, Bajju, Jaba or Kagoro which led to some of them calling Mr Bala a “sellout”.

“Nothing prepared either Bantex or I for the viciousness with which he was treated by the constituency he was meant to be represented by his presence on the governorship ticket. He offered thrice to resign from office within our first two years in office. Bantex therefore barely made it to the end of our first term, psychologically battered by the hostility and hobbled by a resurgence of ill-health… Bantex lost his bid to represent the Kaduna South Senatorial District in the 2019 election. We lost him a year or so later,” he said.

The former federal capital territory minister said what happened to Mr Bala made him change his mind in selecting a running mate in 2019.

He said the decision to have a southern Kaduna Christian as a deputy governor in the state has not led to the desired unity and progress.

He said he decided to settle for a Muslim Southern Kaduna woman, Hadiza Balarabe, but the hostilities didn’t cease.

“For the 2019 election, my choice of running mate followed the established pattern, except in two particulars: gender and religion. Dr Hadiza Balarabe is from a minority ethnic group (Gwantu) in southern Kaduna, but she is a woman and a Muslim.

“Her choice met with the usual hostility from the same persons that had so battered and demoralised Bantex, my first deputy. But it demonstrated that not everyone who mouths diversity and inclusion is actually interested in those values. The first woman to be elected as deputy governor from the far north of Nigeria was not seen as a pathfinder, a breakthrough for gender and a reaffirmation of the possibility of democracy to elect persons from minority and excluded groups. Only one marker of identity seemed to matter in such quarters. But the fact that Bantex had that marker – religion – had saved neither him nor I from opprobrium,” he said.

Mr El Rufai said that despite being of the same faith as Mrs Balarabe, their administration was dedicated to the equality of all people of the state.

“Dr Hadiza Balarabe and I ran a government dedicated to the equality of persons, resolutely pursuing the policy of common citizenship. Despite sharing the same faith, we were bound by the injunctions of our Islamic faith, our oaths of office and our societal values to exercise our duties with fairness and justice. Electing persons of the same faith is neither a threat to the rights of others nor a blow to inclusion: it may only have highlighted other identities that tend to be excluded, as we did in Kaduna State.

“If we want our citizens to invest in common causes, to work in mutual endeavours for progress, to build a society of merit, hard work and fairness, we must deemphasise religion and region, and their vicious twin ethnicity, in making political decisions and choices. Let us build a society centred around citizens, who can live and pursue livelihoods everywhere, with constitutional rights that apply to all,” he added.

Mr El Rufai faced criticism, especially from the southern Kaduna part when he settled for Mrs Balarabe as his running mate in 2019.

Source: Premium Times

Nigeria witnessed worst phase of corruption under Buhari – Kukah

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has said that Nigeria witnessed the worst phase of corruption during the last administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Kukah stated this while delivering a keynote speech at the 60th call to bar anniversary celebration of legal icon, Aare Afe Babalola, in Ado Ekiti on Monday.

The cleric noted that corruption did not start under Buhari, but that his administration amplified it morally and financially.

He said, “We have seen the worst phase of corruption in Nigeria. Femi Falana, my friend here, will speak about that because he has published a series of articles talking about what happened under the Buhari administration.

“They were not the ones who caused corruption but I think in the last administration, we saw the ugliest phase of corruption whether in moral terms, financial terms and other terms,” he said.

Kukah lamented that Nigeria is sharing its sovereignty which is guaranteed in the constitution with bandits and other terrorists.

The clergyman expressed worry that Nigerian is literally being held hostage by people who threaten the very existence of our democracy and country.

According to him, a lot of Nigerians have lost faith in the judiciary.

He described the judiciary as a victim the same way every other institution in Nigeria is suffering a crisis.

According to him, Nigeria should not yet assume that it is a democracy but instead assume that it is matching towards democracy, which means rebuilding Nigeria “after the kind of mess the last administration has left the country.”

The Bishop, however, said it is time to rebuild the country, adding that Nigerians have put the “ugly past” behind them, following the outcome of the 2023 general elections.

Source: Vanguard

Nairobi: Catholic Priest Dies Hours After Checking Into A Hotel With Lover

A 43-year-old Catholic priest was pronounced dead a few hours after he and his lover checked into a hotel.

A local media outlet, on Sunday, disclosed that the deceased, identified as Joseph Kariuki Wanjiku, from St. Peters Ruai, checked into the Monalisa Hotel Delview in Gatanga with his lover, a 32-year-old woman identified as, Ruth Nduhi on Saturday evening.

According to a police report, the lady informed the hotel management on Sunday morning that the clergy was experiencing dizziness and losing consciousness.

Concerned for his well-being, they decided to rush him to Kenol Hospital in Murang’a in his vehicle.

However, the unfortunate turn of events continued as Kariuki was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

The sudden demise has raised suspicions, leading authorities to launch an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

“One Joseph Kariuki Wanjiku aged 43yrs old, a Catholic priest at Archdiocese of Nairobi and a farmer in the Mangu area checked in at the said hotel together with his girlfriend who also happens to be her colleague at the workplace in Ruai,”

“Then, this morning at around 0800hrs, the priest’s girlfriend notified the hotel management that the boyfriend was dizzy and getting unconscious so that they could rush him to the hospital. They then rushed him to Kenol Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The body has been moved to Mater Hospital Mortuary, as police launch investigations to ascertain the cause of his death.

Source: Punch Newspaper…

JUST IN: NYSC Moves Orientation Camp From Mangu In Plateau State Over Killings

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on Monday morning asked prospective corps members coming into Plateau State not to resume at the Orientation Camp in Mangu Local Government Area.

The NYSC in a release obtained by SaharaReporters changed the location to Waye Foundation By Buken Academy, Doi-Du in the Jos South Local Government Area of the state.

Plateau State and Mangu especially has been embroiled in crisis and killings, between the locals and the armed militias, while security agencies continued to look on helplessly.

Only on Sunday, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) yesterday said 15 people were killed following an alleged invasion of their communities in the Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The group also said 78 houses belonging to their members were burnt while over 2,000 cattle were still missing after the invasion.

In a statement, the NYSC asked the 2023 Batch ‘B’ Stream One Orientation Camp for Plateau State not to go to Mangu LGA.

“This is to inform members of the public, especially our esteemed Prospective Corps Members that the venue of the 2023 Batch ‘B’ Stream One Orientation Camp for Plateau State has been changed from the Permanent Orientation Camp in Mangu to Waye Foundation, by Buken Academy Doi-Du (Temporary NYSC Orientation Camp) in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

“All prospective Corps Members are by this information expected to report at the new Orientation Camp (Waye Foundation by Buken Academy) on the dates specified in their call-up letters,” Eddy Megwa, the Director, Press and Public Relations said.

Saharareporters….

Southern Kaduna like blacks in South Africa’s apartheid – Shehu Sani

Senator Shehu Sani, a former lawmaker has described the situation of the people of Southern Kaduna under the leadership of APC in the state in the last eight years as that of “blacks in South Africa during the apartheid regime”.

He congratulated the people of Southern Kaduna for surviving the most difficult period of their existence in the hands of the APC-led administration of Nasir El-Rufai in the state, describing it as the hardest moment in the history of the people under any leader in the state.

Speaking as the chairman of a party organised by supporters of Senator Sunday Katung Marshal in Kaduna on Saturday, Sani said, “I am always so passionate about the people of Southern Kaduna because the area occupies a special place not only in Kaduna state but in Nigeria as a whole.”

He hailed the efforts of the people for standing their ground irrespective of any difficult situation to defend their ancestral land at all cost and their resolution to support PDP and its candidates in every election.

He enjoined the people to pray and support Senator Sunday Katung Marshal and other representatives from the area to succeed in their official assignments and ensure that they deliver their people from Egypt to the promised land.

The PDP gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 election in the state, Isa Ashiru, enjoined Senator Sunday Katung Marshal and other representatives from the zone to remain focused and deliver the people by doing all that is necessary to restore the good fortune of the area.

Senator Sunday Katung Marshal while responding, thanked the organisers of the programme, saying it was a challenge to him and other representatives from the area to deliver on their mandate and make life more meaningful to the people of the zone.

According to him, “I decided that I was going to commune with my brothers from the House of Representatives and State House of Assembly to ensure that we do an assessment of the Senatorial District to actually understand what the people really expect. That we have done, we have articulated it and all about security, with security, people will be able to carry out their businesses, go to farm and children go to school without any problem.”

Daily Post….