The deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is expected to sign an undated resignation letter, according to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji.
The Speaker explained that the submission of an unsigned resignation letter would be in compliance with the agreement reached by party leaders during the reconciliation brokered by President Bola Tinubu in Aso Villa, Abuja, at the weekend.
Apart from Oladiji, other All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders from Ondo State present at the peace parley include Secretary to Government Mrs. Oladunni Odu; party chairman, Ade Adetimehin and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South).
The report of the peace parley was presented to lawmakers during yesterday’s plenary where lawmakers declined to approve moves by some members to pronounce Ayedatiwa as acting governor.
Before the presentation, the Assembly approved the names of newly appointed management committee members for 51 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) after their screening.
Ondo State, with 18 Local Government Areas, recently created 33 LCDAs.
According to the Speaker, who read the prepared text, other terms of the agreement at the meeting with the President are the suspension of impeachment proceedings against the deputy governor, withdrawal of court cases by Ayedatiwa, maintenance of status quo at the party, House of Assembly and State Executive Council; Ayedatiwa to function as deputy governor and not as acting governor and exhibition of loyalty by the deputy governor to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu
The Osun chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that Governor Ademola Adeleke is missing from government activities in the state.
The APC stated that Governor Adeleke has been vacationing in the United States for the past two weeks, contrary to claims made by his spokesperson that he is on an official trip to Europe and Asia for partnership deals.
The Osun State APC chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, made this known in a statement sent to journalists on Sunday.
Lawal insinuated that Adeleke’s absence from the state during the imminent celebration of his one-year administration might be part of an effort to evade accountability.
His words:
“Governor Adeleke has been holidaying in the United States in the last two weeks, shortly after the debilitating defeat of his party in Kogi State, where he wasted meagre resources of Osun people to prosecute the electoral misadventure of a co-mannequin, Dino Melaye.
“Of course, this is a mere prelude to a foundation-laying for excuses that Governor Adeleke would not be physically present in the state for the celebration of his one-year administration coming up tomorrow.
“It was reliably gathered that a recorded statement from the governor would be played for the people of the state in lieu of his physical presence tomorrow.
“No one can begrudge another for falling sick or nursing an ailment as such is beyond the control of any human being, but God Almighty, but it beholds on those who are holding the people’s mandate in trust to always tell the truth and stand by the truth.
“We know very well that Governor Adeleke has absconded from the state, so he would not be able to give due account of his stewardship to the people of the state.
“Since November 2022, when he came on board, Governor Adeleke has run the state aground with his sheer incompetence, lack of proper education and his zero administrative acumen.
“He is afraid to disclose to Osun people how he has mismanaged over N130billion revenue accrued to his government in the last one year.
“He is afraid to tell them how he has allocated in the supplementary budget over N10billion for his food, entertainment and office use while parents of UNIOSUN students are struggling to pay increased school fees his regime forced on them to pay.
“Governor Adeleke is ashamed to face the Osun people that one year after, his promise of making Osun another Dubai is a fluke told by a scoundrel and conman.
“Adeleke is distraught to face Osun people because he has failed to provide palliative for them in the face of economic hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy and the N9billion he collected from the Federal Government, his demonic government has looted it.
“Adeleke is afraid to face the anger of Osun people that while a serious state like Ogun is investing in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, which is capable of making the cost of transportation cheaper per, Adeleke in a ploy to line his pocket, is putting Osun money in unsustainable diesel-propelled vehicles purchased over 10 years ago.”
The Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, has denied a media report that his principal has approved the removal of Rotimi Akeredolu as the Governor of Ondo State. A news platform (Not Naija News) had claimed that President Tinubu and other All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders have agreed to invoke the doctrine of necessity to remove Akeredolu and appoint the embattled Ondo Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as acting governor.
The report said the decision was reached during a closed-door meeting between President Tinubu and political stakeholders from Ondo State at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday.
It added that with the doctrine of necessity invoked, the Ondo Assembly is expected to reconvene on Monday to formalise Aiyedatiwa’s appointment as acting governor, granting him full executive powers to steer the state forward.
Reacting in a tweet via his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday, the presidential aide described the report as very fake news.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has called for a review of the judgments delivered by the Court of Appeal which sacked three opposition governors.
Lagos Reporters understands that Falana made this call on Sunday, during an interview on Channels TV.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Abba Yusuf (Kano), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara) and Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau) as duly elected governors of their respective states in the March 2023 governorship elections.
The Court of Appeal, however, in separate judgments, sacked the governors who were members of the opposition New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In Kano, the Court of Appeal declared the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Nasir Gawuna, the winner of the poll.
It also ruled that the poll in Zamfara State was inconclusive and ordered INEC to conduct a fresh election in three local government areas of the state.
In a separate judgment, the appellate court ordered INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to APC’s Nentawe Goshwe in Plateau State.
Speaking during the interview, Falana said, “If you look at what happened in Lagos is different from what happened in Plateau. You are being told in Plateau that there was a judgment of the High Court to the effect that primaries have to be conducted. The judgment, as usual, was dishonoured and disobeyed and the election went on.
“It is different from Kano where you are being told that voters can be punished. It is a very dangerous judicial policy to sanction voters for the mistake of electoral officers.
“We are being told that 165,000 votes are wasted, they are invalid because some electoral officers committed an error by not stamping them. How does that affect the validity of the election?
I do hope that this time around, the Supreme Court will resolve these needless controversies surrounding the non-stamping of ballot papers by INEC officials who have not been recommended for any sanction.
“This is why these judgments will have to be reviewed.”
The Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun has responded to the NBA and Mr Femi Falana on the ongoing investigation of the allegations against the Chief Judge of Osun State, Hon. Justice Adepele Oyebola Ojo.
In a statement released on Monday, 20 November 2023, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Olamide Tiamiyu, declared that the Osun State House of Assembly has no intention of encroaching on the constitutional duties of the National Judicial Council. Instead, the Osun State House of Assembly is fulfilling its constitutional duty of exposing corruption as stipulated in Sections 128 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which provides as follows:
“(2) The powers conferred on a House of Assembly under the provisions of this section are exercisable only for the purpose of enabling the House to-
(b) expose corruption, inefficiency of waste in the execution or administration of laws within its legislative competence and in the disbursement or administration of funds appropriated by it.”
Given that the Osun State House of Assembly received several petitions alleging corruption against the Chief Judge of Osun State, the Osun State House of Assembly would have been negligent and in breach of its constitutional responsibilities if it had ignored the petitions.
For the benefit of the public, some of the allegations against the Chief Judge are:
Diversion of the funds for the State Judiciary Library.
Diversion of the robe allowance of a brother judge of the Osun State High Court which is about #5,000,000 : 00 (Five Million Naira).
Indiscriminate suspension of Judicial staff without going through the Judicial Commission and diversion of their salaries.
Diversion of revenue due to the Government from filing electronic affidavits through the sole appointment of a consultant by the Chief Judge. In this case, the consultant makes #1000 on an affidavit as against just #250 that is being remitted to the state coffers.
Disobedience of a Court judgement that discharged and acquitted a judicial staff of the allegation of embezzling #30,000 typing sheet fund.
Diversion of the proceeds that was recovered from the convicted armed robbers of the Ikirun robbery.
The Osun State House of Assembly is aware of the position of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the decisions of the Supreme Court in various cases stating that the Governor of a State and the House of Assembly cannot remove a Chief Judge from office without the participation of the National Judicial Council.
Therefore, we urge commentators to be cautious in their utterances, as they may convey the misconception that the Osun State House of Assembly has removed or intends to remove the Chief Judge of Osun State without the involvement of the National Judicial Council.
It is pertinent to also clarify that the Osun State House of Assembly was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit filed by the Chief Judge of Osun State at the National Industrial Court, Ibadan. Moreover, the Osun State House of Assembly has not been served with any injunction related to this lawsuit, so it is false for anyone to insinuate that the House of Assembly acted in contravention of an order of a Court of competent jurisdiction.
Finally, the Osun State House of Assembly wishes to emphasize that it will not be deterred or influenced by the misguided interpretations of its actions. It is important to note that the House is committed to upholding the Constitution and will not abuse its constitutional powers to achieve unconstitutional objectives. The Osun State House of Assembly stands firm in carrying out its constitutional responsibilities and will not succumb to any form of intimidation.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Forever Initiative has given Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State 72-hour ultimatum to either resume his duties or hand over power to his deputy for effective management of the state.
Speaking in Abuja, Obande Gideon Obande, the National Coordinator of the PDP Forever Initiative, said it is important not to let Governor Akeredolu’s health condition affect governance and such, he has to hand over power to his deputy.
Obande highlighted past instances, cited the case of former President Umar Musa Yar’Adua, who was sick and unable to transfer power to the Vice President before leaving the country. In that situation, the PDP invoked constitutional powers, allowing the Vice President to serve as Acting President.
Obande also cited the case in Taraba State, where the late Governor Danbaba Suntai had an air crash. The PDP took swift action to address the crisis.
Obande questioned why the APC-led government in Ondo State couldn’t bring order to the State Assembly and promote a harmonious relationship between the Deputy Governor and the Governor’s family.
He said, “What is so difficult about bringing order to the State Assembly and ensuring a smooth working relationship between the Deputy Governor and the sick Governor’s family? Our country belongs to all of us, regardless of political affiliations. Therefore, we cannot stand idly by while our nation suffers.”
The convener of the PDP Forever Initiative sought guidance on the appropriate course of action when the governor is assumed unfit to manage the state and the deputy is not allowed to act.
Obande emphasized that if the governor doesn’t resume duty or hand over power within 72 hours, the PDP Forever Initiative will have no choice than to occupy the Ondo State Government House to reinforce their demand.
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday urged the Court of Appeal to dismiss the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Ladi Adebutu against the judgment of the Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which affirmed the election of the Governor during the March 18 elections.
At the hearing of the appeal by the Appeal Court, sitting in Lagos, Abiodun, APC, and INEC told the 3-man panel of justices, led by Justice Joseph Shagbaor Ikyegh that the appeal by Adebutu and PDP, lacked merit and was ambitious.
The Tribunal had on September 30, dismissed the petitions by Adebutu and his party and affirmed the re-election of Governor Abiodun.
Leading the charge, counsel to first Respondent (INEC), A.J. Owonikoko SAN urged the Court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit.
Reacting to the issue of 49,000 disenfranchised voters, raised by the Appellants’ counsel (Chief Chris Uche SAN), Mr Owonikoko referred to paragraphs 4.37 to 4.40 at pages 18 and 19 of his Brief to point out that Appellants only called 48 witnesses. He explained that in cases of disenfranchisement, all the disenfranchised voters must be called as witnesses but Appellants did not do so. He concluded that the Court cannot amplify 48 witnesses to 49,000 witnesses as Appellants want.
He urged the Court to dismiss the appeal
Counsel to the 2nd Respondent (Prince Abiodun), Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, also identified and adopted his Brief.
As a preliminary point, Chief Olanipekun stated that contrary to the position set out by Chief Uche SAN, the recent decision of the Supreme Court in the Atiku v. INEC case completely encapsulates the issues in the appeal.
He argued that in that appeal, the Supreme Court simply adopted in toto the decision of the Court of Appeal, adding that incidentally, the same Samuel Oduntan who was rejected as a witness by the Court of Appeal in Atiku’s case metamorphosed as PW 93 in the appeal under consideration. In response to the Court’s demand, Chief Olanipekun promised to provide a copy of the judgment.
In addition, Chief Olanipekun SAN emphasised pages 3-5 of his Brief where he identified about 8 key findings of the Trial Tribunal that Appellants did not challenge, paragraph 4.3 of the Brief arguing that Appellants have abandoned about 5 Grounds of Appeal, and issue 3 at page 17 of 2nd Respondent’s Brief where 2nd Respondent argued that Trial Tribunal rightly struck out paragraphs of the Appellants’ pleadings.
On the margin of lead, Chief Olanipekun argued that there was nothing to even consider on margin of lead and urged the Court to dismiss the appeal for lacking merit.
Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, appearing for the third Respondent (APC), emphasised that Exhibit PT609 is not a proper document to use (referring to Pages 71-72 of his Brief).
On the Atiku appeal, Dr Ikpeazu SAN noted that the Supreme Court did not do anything novel as it relied on settled Constitutional positions already espoused in Ararume v INEC and in Oke v. Mimiko to the effect that all witness statements must accompany the Petition.
He argued that all the witnesses who could be said to have given substantial evidence in this appeal did so on subpoenas and thus were rightly discountenanced. He too urged the Court to dismiss the appeal.
Chief Uche SAN counsel to the Appellants had noted that there is a distinction between the facts in the Supreme Court decision in Atiku v. INEC & 2 Ors and his clients’ appeal as cited by the 2nd Respondent in support of First and Second Issues raised.
He also told the judges that Appellants called 94 witnesses, half of which were Polling Unit Agents, adding that on the issue of margin of lead, that elections did not hold in 99 Polling Units based on which about 41,000 votes were excluded.
He also pointed out that up to 37,000 ballot papers utilised by INEC were either not thumb printed or carried multiple thumb prints.
Calling on the appeal to be allowed, Chief Uche said when the 41,000 and 37,000 votes are utilised, the declaration of Governor Abiodun would have been set aside.
The Court of Appeal reserved judgment to a date to be communicated in the future
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2023 gubernatorial election in Lagos State, AbdulAzeez Olajide Adediran popularly known as Jandor has filed an appeal challenging the September 25th ruling of the state election petition tribunal which affirmed the victory of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adediran in the appeal dated 13 October expressed dissatisfaction with the miscarriage of law that characterised the tribunal judgement and therefore asked the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgement of the tribunal.
This was revealed in a statement to the media over the weekend signed by Gbenga Ogunleye Head, Media and Communications of the Jandor campaign organisation.
In his notice of appeal, he said the State election petitions tribunal erred in law and thereby reached a wrong conclusion when it dismissed the petition he lodged to challenge the qualifications of Babajide Sanwoolu of APC.
He also faulted the tribunal for striking out from his petition against Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the candidate the candidate of the Labour Party in the election, saying contrary to the holding of the tribunal, since he also alleged that the sponsorship of Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour, was also invalid, the tribunal must also invalidate his candidacy before he could take benefits of their unpardonable infractions.
Jandor and his political party, the PDP reiterated that their petitions, asking for the disqualification of the duo of APC and Labour Party candidates are premised on the provision of section 177(c) and 182(1)(j) of the constitution of the Federal Republic Nigeria, which are constitutional grounds for qualification and disqualification for the office of Governor in Nigeria and supported by section 134(1) and 134(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.
By this action, Jandor has reaffirmed his commitment to birth a breath of fresh air in governance in Lagos State by ensuring the provisions of the constitution and the electoral law as regards the election of a truly qualified governor is upheld.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced that an additional N25,000 will be added to the salaries of an average low-grade worker for the next six months. The president said this in his nationwide broadcast as part of the programme of events marking Nigeria’s 63rd Independence anniversary celebration.
“Based on our talks with labour, business and other stakeholders, we are introducing a provisional wage increment to enhance the federal minimum wage without causing undue inflation. For the next six months, the average low-grade worker shall receive an additional N25,000 per month,” he announced, while outlining measures being taken to relieve the stress on families and households after the removal of fuel subsidy and unification of exchange rates.”
The President appealed to Nigerians to be patient with his government as it carries out various reforms in the Nation’s economy, particularly with the fuel subsidy removal. He said he has a heart that feels the hardship of the people.
“I said bold reforms were necessary to place our nation on the path of prosperity and growth. On that occasion, I announced the end of the fuel subsidy. I am attuned to the hardships that have come. I have a heart that feels and eyes that see. I wish to explain to you why we must endure this trying moment. Those who sought to perpetuate the fuel subsidy and broken foreign exchange policies are people who would build their family mansion in the middle of a swamp. I am different. I am not a man to erect our national home on a foundation of mud. To endure, our home must be constructed on safe and pleasant ground.
Reforms may be painful, but it is what greatness and the future require. We now carry the cost of reaching a future Nigeria where the abundance and fruits of the nation are fairly shared among all, not hoarded by a select and greedy few; a Nigeria where hunger, poverty and hardship are pushed into the shadows of an ever fading past.“
The Ogun State governorship election petition tribunal has dismissed as incompetent, the petition brought forth by Ladi Adebutu, the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because it referred to INEC’s result as “purported.”
The petition contested the legitimacy of the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in March as the outcome of the polls against incumbent governor, Dapo Abiodun.
On Saturday, the tribunal concluded that Mr Adebutu’s petition was fatally flawed on the grounds of incompetence hinged upon the fact that the petitioner’s case did not directly address the election results as officially declared by INEC. Rather, Mr Adebutu’s petition had insinuated that the results were “purported,” which, in essence, suggested that he might have come before the tribunal to argue based on mere rumours rather than established facts.
In its ruling, the tribunal asserted, “Petitioners have a duty, as outlined in the Schedule, to plead the election results as officially announced. Regrettably, the petitioners failed to fulfil this duty. Instead, they used the word ‘purportedly’ when describing the election results, a term that, according to the dictionary, implies unverified rumours. Therefore, the court finds that the petitioners should have challenged the officially announced results, not unsubstantiated rumours.”
Consequently, the tribunal arrived at a decision, deeming the petition as legally incompetent due to this fundamental flaw. The tribunal’s decision may have underscored the significance of adhering to procedural norms in election petitions, emphasizing that claims must be based on credible and officially recognized election results it could also mean to some analysts, a miscarriage of Justice unreasonably hinged on a ridiculous technicality as it was clear that the figures were in fact INEC’s figures.
This particular aspect of Mr Adebutu’s petition, which centred on alleged irregularities such as cancelled votes, fake ballot papers, overvoting, and the failure to utilize the Biometric Verification Authentication System (BVAS), was relegated to the periphery by the tribunal. Instead, the tribunal’s focus primarily honed in on the use of the term “purportedly” by the petitioner when addressing the election results.
The implications of this ruling are far-reaching. INEC declared that Mr Abiodun won the election polling 276,298 votes against Mr Adebutu’s 262,383. At the time of the announcement, the margin of lead was less than the number of voters who could not cast their votes due to violence and other factors. In cases like this, the number of voters left out could significantly affect the results of the election had they voted, the law requires that the election be declared inconclusive and supplementary elections held.
The solid ground upon which Mr Adebutu built his petition, according to the court, will no longer matter because the legal team referred to the figures as “purported.”
