Tag Archives: Bid

Ekweremadu Fails In Bid To Stop Judgment

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Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has failed in his bid to stop the delivery of judgment by the Federal High Court in a suit seeking to sack the Senate leadership.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola, had in December 14 last year, reserved judgment after hearing parties in the suit, challenging the process that led to the emergence of Bukola Saraki and Ekweremadu as President and Deputy President of the Senate.

Plaintiffs in the suit, led by Senator Abu Ibrahim, are of the view that the Senate Standing Orders of 2015 on which Saraki, Ekweremadu and other principal officers of the Senate were elected was a product of forgery.

Credit: Nation

Suswam Loses Bid To Stop Probe

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A former governor of Benue state, Mr Gabriel Suswam, on Monday lost his bid to stop the probe instituted against him by Gov. Samuel Ortom at the state’s High Court. Reports have it that Ortom constituted an investigative panel to determine the actual state of indebtedness of the state and to verify government’s assets.

Suswam had dragged Ortom and the commission to court, seeking leave of the court to disband and set aside the Administrative Commission of Inquiry instituted against him. He averred that the commission was incapable of exercising judicial powers and lacked constitutional powers to investigate or adjudicate upon the issues submitted to it for inquiry.

Reports also show that the commission was expected to make findings of those responsible for lease or allocation of real property belonging to the Benue Government public. Suswam in his application alleged that the commission was set up to witch-hunt and smear his name and destroy his legacy.

He had claimed that his administration was transparent and rendered periodic account of its stewardship to the state throughout his eight years in office. The former governor argued that the resources of the state were judiciously used and that the impact could be seen all over the state.

He, therefore, prayed the court to grant his application by quashing the commission. It will be recalled that the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Iorhemen Hwande, had on Oct. 12, ordered a stay of proceedings on the commission, following Suswam’s suit.

But giving his ruling on the suit on Monday, Justice Adam Onum, vacated the order on the commission and ordered resumed sitting of the commission with immediate effect. Onum declared that the commission could issue letters of summon on individuals.

Credit: Vanguard

Tribunal Dimisses Wike’s Bid To Relocate Election Tribunal To Rivers

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The Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, has dismissed an application by Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, seeking an order relocating its venue to Rivers.

In a ruling, the three-man panel led by Justice Muazu Pindiga, dismissed the application on the ground that the tribunal had power to sit in Abuja, following security challenges in the state.

The tribunal also held that the composition of the tribunal was not in any way defective and that the President of the Court of Appeal had the power to fix the venue of the tribunal.

Mr. Pindiga added that ?the issue of accessibility and proximity of the venue for the tribunal cannot be decided without considering the security situation, earlier argued by the governor’s counsel, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN.

The governor had prayed the tribunal to relocate the venue to Rivers, adding that the election was duly conducted in line with Section 285 of the Nigerian constitution.

A governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside, and his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) had in April dragged Mr. Wike to court over his victory at the recent governorship election in Rivers.

Joined in the suit, filed by the APC, are the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Peoples Democratic Party.

Credit: premiumtimesng

Why Akume Dumped Senate President Bid- Report

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The rat race for the Senate Presidency in the 8th assembly intensified on Sunday as Senator George Akume from the North-central who went as far as mounting a billboard in front of the National Assembly Complex had flyers littering the streets of Abuja announcing his Senate Presidency ambition suddenly threw in the towel and made a u-turn by stepping down for Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan from North-east.

Akume has however agreed to run on the same ticket with Lawan as Deputy Senate President. “We, the Senate Unity Forum, comprising of Senators-elect from various States and zones of Nigeria, have met, held extensive discussions and resolved to support Senator Ahmad Lawan as Senate President and Senator George Akume as Deputy Senate President of the 8th Senate,” Gemade said following this development.

Flanked by Senators and Senators-elect, Gemade said: “Kindly take this to be our collective decision in the best interest of our party, APC and our dear nation.”

According to reports, Senator George Akume, and the National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who is notoriously famous for imposing candidate on the party, last month met with Akume.

Tinubu had in the meeting told Akume to shelve his ambition and support Senator Ahmed Lawan, who represents Yobe-North senatorial district in the 8th Senate.

The battle for the Senate Presidency was between the North-east and the North-central and Akume, who is currently the Senate Minority Leader, represents the Benue-North senatorial district in the Senate.

Senator Bukola Saraki, who represents Kwara-Central senatorial district in the North-central geopolitical zone, had also openly expressed his intention to contest for the number three seat in the country.

Tinubu had explained to Akume that Lawan and Senator Mark are very close and already, some members of the PDP support him.

“Lawan has a good track record in the Senate and has been backed by almost all the Senators in the North-east who feel the zone has been seriously marginalized.

“The catch there is that if the APC members in the Senate do not support Lawan and he wins the Senate Presidency with bloc votes from the PDP and his friends in the North-east, he will be loyal to the PDP and may sideline us just as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, attributed his victory to the APC back in 2011 even though he was a member of the PDP,’’ an APC Senator who quoted Tinubu said.

“Akume was also asked to step down by Tinubu because the North-central, where he hails from, had been holding the Senate Presidency since 2007 while the North-east had never presided over the upper chamber of the National Assembly since independence.”

He added that giving the North-east the seat would also be a way of rewarding them for giving the APC the second highest number of votes during the presidential election. “The current Senate President is from Benue State and has been in charge for eight years.

“Would it be fair to also hand over the Senate Presidency to another person from Benue?”

Reports have emerged that some influential backers behind Akume led by Tinubu have withdrawn their support mainly because they see he is not their choice as Senate President, and any attempt to railroad him will be rejected.

Apart from that, Akume decided to step down for Lawan because of the intimidating qualities the latter has and he cannot contend with.

Read More: post-nigeria

Fayose, Deputy, Others Lose Bid To Stop Impeachment

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Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose and his deputy, Olusola Kolapo, yesterday lost the bid to stop moves for their impeachment. A Federal High Court in Abuja rejected their prayers for interim orders restraining House of Assembly Speaker Adewale Omirin and other All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers, the Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola and others from proceeding with the impeachment plot.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed, in a ruling on their motion ex-parte, granted them leave for substituted services of all processes in relation to the suit, on the defendants.

The judge ordered Omirin and other defendants in the suit to appear before the court on April 16 to show why the restraining orders sought against them by the plaintiffs should not be granted. The plaintiffs include Joseph Dele Olugbemi (who claimed to be Speaker), the  House of Assembly, Fayose and Kolapo. Listed as defendants are Omirin, the inspector general of Police (IGP), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the chief judge.

Read More: thenationonlineng