SUPREME COURT AFFIRMS DOUYE DIRI AS BAYELSA GOV

The Supreme Court yesterday confirmed Douye Diri as the duly elected governor of Bayelsa State.

In a unanimous judgement of the 7-man panel of Justices of the apex Court,  the court dismissed the six appeals which sought to nullify the election of Governor Douye Diri and his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, following the withdrawal of same by lawyers to the appellants.

Those that applied and withdrew their appeals yesterday were the Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP) Alliance for Democracy (AD), its governorship candidate, Owei Woniwei, Liberation Movement (LM), its candidate, Vijah Opuama, as well as the Accord Party (AP).

It would be recalled that the Court of Appeal,  Abuja Division had, in a judgement on October 2, upturned the judgement of the Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that nullified Diri’s election.

The appellate court had in its decision by a five-man panel of Justices, voided the majority judgement of the tribunal delivered on August 17, which ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct fresh election in the state within 90 days.

The tribunal had based its decision on the ground that INEC unlawfully excluded one of the registered political parties, ANDP, from the governorship election that held in the state on November 16, 2019.

While two members of the  panel at the Tribunal, Justices Sikiru Owodunni and Yunusa Musa, upheld ANDP’s petition, Chairman of the panel, Justice Ibrahim Sirajo gave a dissenting judgement that upheld Diri’s election.

Dismissing the petition for being statute-barred, Justice Sirajo said there was evidence that ANDP was disqualified from the election for fielding an ineligible candidate.

He noted that the party nominated an under aged deputy governorship candidate, who admitted that he was 34 years old, instead of the 35 years age bracket the Constitution stipulated.

Dissatisfied with the majority judgement of the Tribunal, Governor Diri, his party- the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and INEC, separately lodged appeals to set it aside.

Upholding the appeals, the appellate court panel led by Justice Adzira Gana Mshella, held that the majority verdict of the tribunal that invalidated Diri’s election, was perverse and “contemptuous of the law.”

Justice Obande Festus Ogbuinya who read the lead judgement of the appellate court, held that the tribunal wrongfully evaluated the petition of the ANDP and thus reached an unjust conclusion in the Bayelsa governorship dispute.

The appellate court said there was enough evidence before the tribunal to prove that ANDP nominated underage candidates for the election, in breach of sections 177, 182 and 187 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

Besides, it held that the petition was not only statute-barred but equally a pre-election matter that was outside the jurisdiction of the tribunal.

According to the appellate court, INEC, had in two separate letters dated September 13 and September 27, notified the ANDP that it made invalid nominations.

It held that the case of ANDP had become stale as at February 26 when it filed the petition at the tribunal.

More so, the Appeal Court ruled that the issue of disqualification of candidates, being a pre-election matter, could only be ventilated before a regular court and not a tribunal.

Likewise, in four other separate judgements, the appellate court, dismissed appeals that were lodged by candidate of AD, Woniwei, that of LM, Opuama, and candidate of Accord Party, Ebezimo Diriyau.

The appeals were dismissed for being statute-barred and for containing pre-election matters that are beyond the scope of an election tribunal.

The appellants had among other things, sought Governor Diri’s disqualification on the premise that his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, submitted forged documents to INEC.

The appellants specifically challenged the authenticity of Ewhrudjakpo’s National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Exemption Certificate allegedly issued in 1998.

KATSINA HISBAH BOARD DESTROYS CANS, BOTTLES OF ALCOHOL IN DAURA

 

Aio White

11/18/2020

12:26GMT

Hisbah recently made headlines for destroying 1,975,000 bottles of beer worth over N200m in Kano State.

The agency established to enforce Sharia law in some states in Northern Nigeria, recently banned stylish haircuts, sagging of trousers and playing of music at social events by disk jockeys in Kano and Kebbi states.

The group also banned commercial motorcycle and tricycle riders from carrying two women at a time.

This is in addition to other unusual directives reeled out by the Islamic police.

Despite condemnation from Nigerians, the group has continued its push for Islamic agenda in the North.

 

STRANGE DISEASE KILLS OVER 50 IN OLAMABORO, KOGI STATE

 Aio White
18/11/2020
11:07GMT

Over 50 persons have been said to have lost their lives to a strange illness in Olamaboro Local Government area of Kogi State.

It was reliably gathered that the disease which is still unknown comes with symptoms such as headache,  red eye, loss of appetite, inability to urinate or defecate, convulsion, and finally death.

The lawmaker representing Olamaboro Constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly, Honourable Ujah Anthony Alewo who disclosed this in a motion of urgent public importance presented at the floor of the house on Tuesday said it was sad and quite disturbing that the residents of Etteh Community in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State were thrown into confusion by the outbreak of an epidemic alien to them.

Although the lawmaker maintained that the causes of the disease are still unknown, he noted that the infected patient dies within one week of contracting the disease.

According to him, “more worrisome, all efforts to get solutions using the local herbs and treatment at local health centres with referrals to neighboring clinics and hospitals at Ogugu and Okpo in Olamaboro respectively was not successful.

“The reports reaching my constituency office from the community leaders confirmed that over 50 people within the economic and productive age of 25 to 40 years died from September to date.

“Thereby stalling agricultural, social, and economic activities which directly affect the food security of the agrarian and artisan Etteh people.”

He prayed that the house should mandate its Committee on Health and Social Services for an on-the-spot assessment of damage to lives and properties to the people of Etteh Community.

The lawmaker added that the House does write a strongly worded resolution mandating the Honourable Commissioner for Health to direct medical experts to the affected area to unravel the cause of the epidemic and treat accordingly.

Alewo, in his prayers, urged the house to do a passionate appeal to the State Government to send palliatives to the affected areas to cushion the huge loss incurred by Etteh Community.

Seconding the motion, the lawmaker representing Dekina Biraidu Moses Ododo stressed that, the lives of people in the community need to be urgently saved as it will adversely affect the economic input of the agrarian community to the State.

The Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Mohammed, in his submissions hinted that the Community shares boundary with Enugu State, and as such there is a need for urgent action to avert further loss of lives.

He suggested an additional prayer that the State Government should construct a Hospital in Etteh Community to avert and tackle the future occurrence of such an epidemic.

Ruling on the motion, the Speaker, Mathew Kolawole, asked for a minute’s silence for the lives lost due to the attack of this epidemic, adding that, the House should write to Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja for support.

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2020/11/18/strange-disease-kills-over-50-in-kogi-state/

THERE IS A LIMIT TO WHAT NIGERIANS CAN TOLERATE,’ NLC REJECTS PETROL PRICE HIKE

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded the immediate reversal of the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol.

In a statement on Monday by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, the union took a swipe at the government and condemned the increase in the price of the product.

It stated that the recent hike in petrol pump price has worsened the level of pain and anguish in the country.

According to the NLC, it is worrisome to make Nigerians continue to suffer for the failures of successive governments to properly manage the nation’s refineries.

It added that the development has questioned the explanations made by the government on the payment of subsidy.

BIDEN TO BEGIN WITH NIGERIA

Adejumo kabir 

November 16, 2020

IPT

08:40GMT

US-based professors urge Biden to sanction Nigerian officials implicated in attack on the peaceful endsars protesters.

The scholars want targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, placed on politicians, officials and other Nigerians implicated in recent human rights abuses.

Eighty-one scholars of African Studies have written a letter to the United States President-elect, Joe Biden, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, urging their incoming administration to impose a travel ban on Nigerian officials culpable in the attack by security personnel on peaceful EndSARS protesters.

The scholars sent the letter to the Biden-Harris Transition Team on November 13.

They said the abuse of protesters’ rights demands unequivocal diplomatic condemnation from the United States.

“Such gross human rights violations require additional action by the United States to eliminate any complicity with official actions blatantly at odds with American foreign policy principles, to advance the work of democratic reform in Nigeria, and to reinforce our shared obligations to international human rights agreements,” the letter reads in part.

Signatories to the letter include Carl LeVan of the American University, Chiedo Nwankwor of Johns Hopkins-SAIS; Patrick Ukata of the Halsik Group, Rita “Kiki” Edozie of University of Massachusetts, Boston; and Olufemi Vaughan of Amherst College.

But even as that investigation is ongoing, the federal government has begun a clampdown on promoters of the protests by seizing their international passports, freezing their bank accounts and arresting some individuals.

A SINCERE WAY TO FIGHT TERRORISM: COURT SENTENCES MALIAN JIHADIST LEADER, SOULEYMANE KÉITA, TO DEATH

Aio White

IPT

08:18GMT

A Malian jihadist leader of the Katiba of Ansar dine du Sud, Souleymane Keita, and two other men, all accused of terrorism, were sentenced to death on Friday by the Bamako Court of Assizes, according to judicial source.

A dozen men were also sentenced to death in absentia.

They are accused of preaching jihad in southern Mali and on the border between Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.

During the trial, Keita acknowledged the facts and expressed no regret for his actions. “I do not regret anything because our fight is against the secularism of the Malian state. If I have the possibility, I will start again,” he said bluntly.

“I am not a terrorist; I am leading the jihad at the border between Mali, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, in the name of Ansar Dine,” he said.

Concerning his links with his accomplices, Souleymane explained that he had approached them to mount “large-scale operations”.

E DON ENTER?

JAMEELAH ABUBAKAR

IPT

1;38GMT

This syndrome has destroyed homes and hopes and faith, what exactly is entering? Like what did you send to enter, through who to whom? 

Amongst the perfection of once religion is staying away from what you have no concern with,be you a Christian or Muslim.

 Nobody will get married except by the Lord's decree, and none amongst the married will get pregnant except by His decree too.So stop asking newly married couple E DON ENTER? Like that's disrespect, stop interfering in issues like that for the safety of your religion and preservation of your honour.

 Some will try to justify their stupid folly with excuses like; No one asks such questions except those who cares, like for real, did you care for  them more than their mum? Closest person to a girl child, yet they have manners to approach them with, like have u start feeling dizzy, did u crave for food? Are you owk? Because they know, not everyone or woman is destined to be a mother, Aish(R.A) the virgin wife of the prophet was barren, not because Allah hates her, because he tests everyone according to the level of their faith,so pls stop reminding them of the test they have to go through.

Pregnancy has it's own sunnah in Islam, and the first of it is keeping it a secret,  how did you even feel comfortable telling some one, I know you're pregnant from your pictures, don't lie, and when  she decided not post her picture you concluded your guess, and months after marriage, when she gets fat you be like kai e don enter. Wait did you expect her to be the same after marriage? Isn't she consummating with someone? Ain't you a biology student? Must she be pregnant to get fat? So pls stop breaking some homes and hearts, with the e don enter syndrome, if u never sent anything dere.