THE Court of Appeal, Abuja has dismissed the appeal of Mister Sani Yahaya of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) who is challenging the election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Kefas Agbu, as Governor of Taraba state. News Point Nigeria reports that Yahaya and his party had challenged the result of the March 18 governorship election on the grounds of non-compliance with the Electoral Act, stating that Agbu didn’t score the majority of lawful votes cast. But delivering Judgement on Tuesday, the appellate court held that the reliefs sought by the NNPP candidate were inconsistent having faulted the…
Author: Gloria Lamar Johnson
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THE Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Tuesday sacked the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Mr. Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi and declared Mr Sa’ad Abdullahi Ibrahim (Turakin-Opanda) of the People Democratic Party (PDP), as the authentic winner of the March 18, 2013 speakership election in the state. The petitioner had told the tribunal that there was overvoting and that the election was not in compliance with the Electoral Act. But the three-member tribunal panel led by Justice Francisca Isong Nnang upheld the victory of the speaker, saying the petitioners failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the allegations of overvote as…
THE Kogi State Government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, has queried the paramount ruler and Ohimeghe-Igu of Koton-Karfe, Alh. Abdulrazak Isa-Koto, over his alleged involvement in partisan politics. The query was contained in a letter dated November 22, 2023, signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bar. Salami Momodu Ozigi Deedeat, and addressed to the first-class traditional ruler. “It has come to the notice of the State Government that you deliberately engaged yourself in a partisan role in the just-conducted Gubernatorial Election in Kogi State,” the letter read. “This is viewed very seriously,…
THE Kogi State Government has issued a directive to freeze all state and local government accounts, effective immediately. A Thursday statement signed by the Commissioner for Finance, Asiwaju Asiru Idris, said no form of payment should be made to anyone from the government account henceforth. According to the statement, all “standing orders and investment instructions are hereby cancelled forthwith”. However, our correspondent gathered that the decision may be connected with the governor’s concerns on safeguarding state funds. The governor also issued a questionnaire to all 21 local government chairmen, which they were asked to submit last Tuesday.
THE Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon Moses Thomas Sule, has resigned his position as speaker. The deputy speaker, Hon Gwottaon Fom, has also resigned his position. The member representing Pankshin North Gabriel Dawang, has been elected as the new speaker. Hon Timothy Dantong representing Riyom constituency is now the new deputy speaker of Assembly. Our correspondent reports that the development could be connected to the sacking governor Caleb Mutfwang and some PDP lawmakers in the state assembly. More details shortly…
THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed an appeal brought before it by the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Titus Uba challenging the election of Hyacinth Alia as the elected governor of Benue State. In a unanimous judgment, the court resolved all three issues formulated for determination against Uba and PDP for various reasons. Justice Onyekachi Otisi who delivered the lead judgment dismissed the allegations of non-qualification made by Uba against the deputy governor Samuel Ode. He held that the PDP candidate failed to establish forgery of INEC form EC9 by Ode beyond a reasonable doubt.…
THE Appeal Court in Abuja has sacked the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang. In her ruling on Sunday, the lead Justice, Elfrieda Williams-Dawodu, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Nentawe Goshwe. Justice Williams-Dawodu set aside the judgment of the Tribunal which affirmed the election of Governor Mutfwang, describing it as highly incompetent. According to the court, the decision of the tribunal to dismiss the petition filed by the APC and its candidate on the ground that the duo had no business meddling in the affairs…
THE District Head of Kujama in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Mr Steven Ibrahim has been abducted by suspected gunmen. He was abducted alongside two others while walking out of a reservation centre located behind Bethel Baptist School along Kaduna- Kujama highway. The incident happened on Sunday evening around 7pm according to a local JTF senior member who pleaded for anonymity. According to him, the district head was in company of two others when the gunmen came on motorcycle and picked him at gunpoint. “The place where the incident happened was behind the Bethel Baptist School and the…
SINCE the full implementations of the minimum wage policy of the Gov Agbu Kefas administration, the state has been thrown into a frenzy of excitement. Many beneficiaries, who can not hide their joy, have been expressing their happiness and gratitude. This cuts across the entire state irrespective of tribe or religion. The citizens have continue to hail the governor for his compassion and proactive moves. A lady who introduced herself as Ladi said God will continue to bless Governor Kefas. She noted that the increase have revolutionized her purchasing power and has given her a new lease of life. She…
THE keenly-contested November 11, 2023 Kogi State Governorship Election has finally produced a winner with the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Usman Ododo, clinching the much-coveted seat. The State Returning Officer, Prof Johnson Urama, who is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, announced Ododo as the winner at 10:23pm on Sunday. Ododo won with 446,237 votes, defeating his closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who scored 259,052, while Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 46,362 votes. Ododo, an ex-Auditor General of Local Government in Kogi under Governor Yahaya…
FOLLOWING the collation of results from the 21 local government areas of Kogi State, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Usman Ododo, has won in 13 local government areas of the state. According to the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the collation center in Lokoja, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Murtala Ajaka got 7 local government areas while Hon. Leke Abejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) won one local government area. Ododo who is also leading in the vote count polled 446,237 votes while Ajaka secured 259,052 votes…
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says fresh polls will be conducted in 59 polling units in the Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of the state. According to the electoral umpire, the fresh election will be held next Saturday, November 18, 2023. INEC National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, announced this in a statement made available to News Point Nigeria on Sunday night. Already, election results from 18 of the 21 local government areas in Kogi State have been collated as of Sunday evening. So far, results from Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Idah, Ijumu, Kabba/Bunu, Kogi, Mopa-Muro, Olamaboro, Ofu, Okehi, Omala, Ogori/Magongo,…
THE candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 11, 2023 governorship election, Dino Melaye, lost his local government to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Melaye, who is from the Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, polled 6,909 votes in the local government while Usman Ododo of the APC scored 10,524 votes. Collation of results from local governments in the state is still ongoing as of the time of filing this report. In Kogi, where INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, was present, results from 21 local government areas are being collated. They are Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ankpa, Bassa,…
THE governorship candidate of Action Alliance (AA) in Kogi State, Olayinka Braimoh has revealed why he was detained by the police through out the voting period on Saturday. Braimoh was detained alongside his security and personal aides, saying he was arrested because some leftover ballot paper samples, used for voter education, were found in the trunk of one of his vehicles He said, “I have been kept in custody for almost the whole day today. I was coming in from Lokoja early hours of today and we got stuck in the traffic at Kabba junction after Obajana.” “There were several…
THERE is heavy presence of security operatives at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital. The electoral body conducted governorship election in the North-Central state on November 11, 2023. Similar poll was also held on Saturday in Imo and Bayelsa states. Already, the exercise has been concluded in Imo with the incumbent governor, Hope Uzodimma of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) declared the winner of the election. In Kogi, however, INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, was physically present at the state headquarters of the commission in Lokoja on Sunday morning. The…
THE governorship candidate of the Action Alliance in the ongoing gubernatorial elections in Kogi State, Olayinka Braimoh, has been arrested. His media aide, Musa Yakubu, who confirmed the arrest to journalists, said his principal was arrested by security operatives in Kabba. Musa revealed that the candidate and seven of his security details were nabbed after campaign materials were allegedly found in his car. This newspaper could not reach the state police command for comment as of the time of filing this report. Braimoh’s media aide had earlier raised the alarm over the AA candidate’s whereabouts. “The last time I heard…
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended elections in nine wards of Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of Kogi State. National Commissioner and Member, Voter Education and Information Committee, INEC, Kogi, Muhammad Kudu Haruna, made this known in a statement made available to News Point Nigeria on Saturday. READ STATEMENT BELOW: The Commission has received reports from our officials in Kogi State on incidences of electoral malpractices, particularly the incident of result sheets completed before voting. Reports indicate that the incidents occurred in Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene Local Government Areas. The most serious incidents occurred in Ogori/Magongo, affecting nine…
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has blamed some unseen forces for late arrival of officials and election materials in some polling units for Saturday’s Kogi governorship election. The state INEC Voter Education and Publicity Officer, Mr Haliru Sule, said this in an interview with journalists in Lokoja on Saturday. “As an election umpire, INEC made adequate preparations for this off circle governorship election, yet we still experienced some hitches here and there. “To us these hitches are deliberate sabotage by some unseen forces. “We didn’t expect the sudden dearth of vehicles that could transport our Adhoc staff and materials…
THUGS suspected to be SDP supporters have gunned down an APC chieftain, Umar Hassan, 35, at his Agala Ogane Polling Unit, Anyigba. Fear gripped voters at the Polling Unit as SDP thugs were on rampage, threatening to kill anyone who votes against the “Igala Agenda”. An eye witness who identified himself simply as Adamu, told newsmen how the SDP thugs invaded the Polling Unit with sophisticated weapons, threatening to kill anyone who “doesn’t vote for the SDP”. “It was like what we watch in horror movies as they invaded our Polling Unit with very dangerous weapons. Unfortunately, Hassan fell victim…
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is investigating the fake results in circulation in Kogi State. A civil society organisation, YIAGA Africa, had raised the alarm over the discovery of election results from Polling Unit 004, Eni Ward of Ogori/Mangogo area of the state. The forged result was seen while voters were still in queue. In the results, a copy of which was attached to the post, the APC polled 200 votes; AA scored 1; while ADC, PDP and SDP got 2 votes each. In a tweet, the CSO wrote, “Dear @inecnigeria we received report of pre-filled results…