NEWS
JUST IN: Court Mandates Swift Hearing On Petition To Stop Tinubu’s Presidential Inauguration Today
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has prepared for a conclusive hearing scheduled for today, Friday, regarding a new lawsuit aiming to prevent the inauguration of President-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on May 29.
The Court issued an order that the case, identified as CA/ABJ/CV/259/2023, which aims to prevent Asiwaju Bola Tinubu from being inaugurated as Nigeria’s new President on May 29, must be heard today at 3 pm without fail.
In order to facilitate the hearing of the case, the Court of Appeal considered a motion for joinder filed by Tinubu’s legal representative, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, on May 18.
After hearing the arguments, the Court granted Tinubu’s request and included him as the 4th respondent in the case, joining President Muhammadu Buhari and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Following the joinder of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the lawsuit due to his potential jeopardized interests, the Court promptly directed President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Tinubu to file their Respondents’ Briefs.
Additionally, they were instructed to serve the Appellants with the said briefs by 10 am this morning.
The Appeal Court further issued an order stating that the Appellants should file their Reply Brief and serve the Respondents by 12 noon today. Subsequently, the Court scheduled the hearing of the suit for 3 pm today as well.
The hearing notice posted on the notice board of the Court of Appeal, was also confirmed by Chief Ambrose Albert Owuru, the first Appellant in the case.
The lawsuit has been filed by Chief Ambrose Albert Owuru, a presidential candidate in the 2019 Presidential election, along with his political party, the Hope Democratic Party (HDP).
Owuru, who was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1982, is requesting the Court of Appeal in Abuja to prohibit President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from carrying out the inauguration of the President-elect for the year 2023 on May 29.
Owuru, who argues that he should be recognized as the constitutional winner of the 2019 presidential election, bases his objection to Tinubu’s inauguration or anyone else succeeding Buhari on the grounds that Buhari has not completed his four-year tenure as mandated by law.
Owuru maintains that President Buhari has been encroaching upon his tenure of office since 2019 due to the fact that the Supreme Court has not yet ruled on his petition, which he filed in 2019. In the petition, he contested the legitimacy of Buhari’s declaration as the winner of the election.
Following the dismissal of his initial lawsuit by Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on January 30, 2023, Owuru proceeded to the Court of Appeal in order to express his dissatisfaction and pursue his case further.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has named Tony Elumelu, Founder and Group Chairman of Heirs Holdings, to its newly formed Advisory Council on Entrepreneurship and Growth.
The council, convened by IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, is tasked with addressing regulatory barriers to entrepreneurship and shaping policies that foster innovation, resource allocation, and private sector-led economic expansion.
A statement confirming Elumelu’s appointment was released on Friday, highlighting his influence as a strong advocate for entrepreneurship in Africa.
READ ALSO: Tony Elumelu Marks Daughter’s Birthday
Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, he has provided funding, mentorship, and training to over 25,000 African entrepreneurs since 2015, championing the belief that private sector investments can drive the continent’s economic transformation.
“Elumelu will be instrumental in ensuring that Africa’s entrepreneurial potential is central to global economic policymaking,” the statement noted.
The IMF Advisory Council comprises global leaders from business, finance, and academia, including: Marc Benioff, CEO and Co-Founder of Salesforce, Ana Botín, Executive Chair of Banco Santander, Margherita Della Valle, CEO of Vodafone Group, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Group, Robert Smith, Founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, HRH Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Ambassador to the U.S., Federico Sturzenegger, Argentine Minister of Deregulation and Professor Ufuk Akcigit, Economist, University of Chicago.
At the council’s inaugural meeting on March 26, 2025, Georgieva emphasized the significance of entrepreneurship in economic growth.
“The Council brings together a group of leading thinkers and practitioners in business, finance, academia, and policymaking to share their views and experiences on how macroeconomic and financial policies can provide a supportive environment for innovation, entrepreneurship, and productivity—key ingredients for a thriving private sector and strong economic growth,” she stated.
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, shaking the region and sending tremors as far as Thailand and China.
The quake’s epicenter was located in the Sagaing region, near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, home to around one million people and renowned for its historic temple complexes.
Panic erupted as buildings swayed and dust filled the air.
READ ALSO: Powerful 6.8-Magnitude Earthquake Hits China, Dozens Killed
In Mandalay, videos shared online showed terrified residents rushing out of residential towers while traffic came to a sudden halt.
Reports indicate that a major bridge spanning the Irrawaddy River collapsed into the water in a cloud of dust and debris.
The quake was felt as far as Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, where video footage showed a partially constructed building in Chatuchak Park crumbling to the ground.
Thai authorities reported that 43 people were trapped in the wreckage, while seven others sustained injuries.
In Chiang Mai, a resident described feeling the tremors for about ten seconds before fleeing into the streets.
In Myanmar’s commercial hub, Yangon—about 380 miles from the epicenter—residents also experienced the powerful shaking.
One resident recalled, “We felt the quake for about a minute, then ran out of the building.
It was very sudden and very strong.” Another noted that phone networks in the city, home to around 8 million people, briefly went down but were later restored.
Myanmar, one of Asia’s poorest nations, is already grappling with the effects of a brutal civil war sparked by a military coup over four years ago.
The conflict has devastated the economy, and the country remains ill-equipped to handle a major natural disaster of this scale.
The Sagaing region, where the earthquake struck, is a war zone with multiple factions—including the ruling junta, pro-military militias, and rebel groups—fighting for control.
The ongoing violence has made travel by road or river extremely dangerous, posing significant challenges to delivering emergency aid and assessing the full extent of the damage.
Tremors were also felt in China’s southwestern Yunnan province, underscoring the quake’s intensity.
Authorities across the region are now assessing the situation, with emergency teams mobilizing in both Myanmar and Thailand.
A fire outbreak in the early hours of Friday morning has gutted buildings on Ifejika Street, by Sokoto Road, Onitsha, prompting swift intervention from the Anambra State Fire Service.
The inferno, which reportedly started in one of the buildings at about 6:20 a.m., quickly spread to an adjacent structure, causing panic among residents and business owners in the area.
The exact cause of the fire remains unknown at the time of this report.
READ ALSO: Fire Ravages Two-Storey Commercial Building In Anambra
Eyewitnesses say residents and passersby joined forces with the firefighters in an attempt to salvage goods and properties from the affected buildings.
The head of the Media and Publicity Unit of the Anambra State Fire Service, Chukwudi Chiketa, confirmed the incident in a brief statement.
“Anambra State Fire Service is currently on intervention at the scene of the fire outbreak at Ifejika Street, by Sokoto Road, Onitsha. The distress call came at 6:20 a.m. today, and our firefighters deployed immediately. The public is advised to remain calm as the situation is under control,” Chiketa said.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to completely extinguish the fire were still ongoing.
Authorities are yet to determine the extent of the damage and the possible cause of the outbreak.
More details to follow………
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