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Court Sets Date For Edo APC Candidate Dispute

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled a hearing for May 8, 2024, regarding a lawsuit challenging the selection of Monday Okpebholo as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State.

The suit, brought forth by Anamero Dekeri, a participant in the primary election, seeks to reverse the declaration of Okpebholo as the party’s candidate.

Dekeri, who is also a House of Representatives member representing Etsako Federal Constituency, was previously declared a winner in the state governorship primary election.

Ojo Babatunde, speaking on behalf of all the local government returning officers, revealed that Anamero Dekeri garnered 25,384 votes, securing the lead position over Dennis Idahosa, who received 14,127 votes, coming in second.

Contrary to this, the Chairman of the primary election committee and the governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, announced Dennis Idahosa as the winner of the primary exercise.

However, Stanley Ugboaja, the returning officer for the election, declared Monday Okpebholo as the APC candidate.

Subsequently, the National Working Committee of the party deemed the election inconclusive and mandated a supplementary election to be held.

Bassey Otu, who served as the chairman of the APC supplementary primary election and is the governor of Cross River, officially declared Okpebholo as the victor on February 23.

In a lawsuit marked as FHC/ABJ/CS/299/2024, Dekeri has sought the court’s intervention to prevent the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing Okpebholo as the APC candidate.

Dekeri is also urging the court to invalidate the primary election that led to Okpebholo’s selection, citing it as unconstitutional and undemocratic.

The APC, INEC, and Okpebholo are named as the first to third defendants in the lawsuit, respectively.

The reliefs partly read, “A declaration that the first defendant does not possess the vires, power or authority to forward to the second defendant any other name (particularly, that of the third defendant) other than the name of the plaintiff who secured the highest number of votes in the primary election of 17 February 2024 and was set to secure the highest number of votes had the rescheduled re-run for 22 February 2024 held and conducted in line with Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, the Electoral Act, 2022, as amended, as well as the Constitution and Guidelines of the first defendant.

“A declaration that the submission of the name of the third defendant to the second defendant by the first defendant, to contest election on the platform of the first defendant as its flag bearer to the office of the Governor of Edo State at the off-cycle governorship election slated for 21 September 2024, is unconstitutional, illegal, ultra vires, oppressive, undemocratic, arbitrary, null and void, and of no effect whatsoever.

“An order setting aside the nomination and/or submission of the name of the third defendant to the second defendant by the first defendant as its standard flag bearer for the office of the Governor of Edo State at the off-cycle gubernatorial election slated for 21 September 2024.”

 

 

Politics

ICPC Tracks 60 Kaduna Projects Worth Billions

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced the monitoring of constituency projects worth N21 billion across Kaduna State.

The initiative, aimed at promoting accountability and transparency in the use of public funds, is part of the commission’s broader effort to tackle corruption and ensure the timely completion of government projects.

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Addressing journalists in Kaduna, Chief Superintendent Haruna Aminu, who represented the Constituency and Executive Tracking Department under the leadership of ICPC Chairman Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, revealed that the commission is currently tracking 60 projects across the state.

“We are here to track about 60 projects across Kaduna State with a total value of N21 billion. We started on Wednesday with the Kafanchan axis, where we tracked at least 21 projects.

“Now we are in Kaduna main town, Kabala area, focusing on projects such as solar-powered streetlights across the town,” Aminu said.

The ICPC team observed progress on some of the projects, but Aminu highlighted concerns over delays and execution challenges.

“Generally, on the solar project, we have seen a level of execution. However, we discovered certain shortcomings. This is a project that touches people’s lives, and we will ensure its completion,” he added.

Aminu stressed that contractors who fail to deliver on their obligations will be held accountable.

“There is no contractor that is going to be skipped. They cannot collect government money and abandon projects. The era of abandoned projects is over. We have clear directives and support to hold defaulters accountable,” he warned.

The delay in completing certain projects, particularly the solar-powered streetlights, has affected the intended impact on communities, Aminu noted.

“These projects are vital to improving livelihoods in Kaduna State. If completed last year as planned, they would have made a significant difference by now,” he said.

The ICPC announced that the next phase of the exercise would focus on taking action against contractors who fail to execute their projects.

The commission reiterated its commitment to ensuring that public funds translate into tangible benefits for citizens.

 

 

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PDP Governors Probe Ondo Polls, Criticizes Edo Result

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the outcome of the Ondo State governorship election, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of electoral malpractice, including vote-buying and result manipulation.

This was disclosed during a meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum on Saturday in Jos, Plateau State.

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The forum, chaired by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, criticized the conduct of the election, which saw APC’s Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa secure a landslide victory for another four-year term in Alagbaka, Akure.

“We are still reviewing documents from the Ondo election, where the APC openly bought votes and manipulated results,” Mohammed said.

He urged the judiciary to “save Nigerian democracy” and called on the National Assembly to strengthen electoral laws to prevent what he described as “institutional sabotage of the people’s will.”

The PDP governors also condemned the September governorship election in Edo State, describing it as a “rape of democracy.”

The forum accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of colluding with the APC to declare its candidate the winner despite claims that the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, had secured the majority of lawful votes.

“INEC blatantly manipulated the results in favor of the APC candidate. This undermines the credibility of our electoral process,” Mohammed said.

Beyond electoral grievances, the governors urged the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) to convene a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting by February 2025.

They emphasized the need for broader consultations with stakeholders to resolve the party’s internal leadership crisis and strengthen its position as the main opposition party.

The forum reiterated its commitment to democratic values and vowed to push for electoral reforms that would restore public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.

The Ondo governorship election has sparked a renewed call for transparency in the country’s electoral system, with the PDP vowing to challenge what it views as a subversion of democracy.

 

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Gaetz Withdraws From Trumps Cabinet Nomination 

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Following his observations that ‘the momentum was strong’ Matt Gaetz whom 47th POTUS elect, Donald Trump nominated for Attorney General has withdrawn.

Biztellers reports that this follows his meeting with Senate and the feedback, which included two women, represented by their attorneys, who accused him of having paid for sex.

Consequently, Gaetz placed on record his full commitment to seeing “that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history.”

His withdrawal according his statement on micro-blogging site, X, was based on his conviction that “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle”.

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In is view, “Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1”.

Gaetz wrote, “I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition. There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.

“I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.”

His backers have promptly encouraged to take his seat in the House of Representatives, having been elected to the house under the flag of the Republicans to represent Florida.

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