Tag: Appeal Court

“Present yourself for arraignment” – Appeal Court orders ‘fugitive’ Yahaya Bello

Aminu Imam
A'Court orders Yahaya Bello

The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, has ordered former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to present himself for arraignment. The court gave the verdict yesterday, while also restraining the embattled governor from taking further action until he is arraigned. It also restrained Bello from taking further steps to stop the charges unless he is arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC). Recall that Bello has been evading the arrest by the EFCC to answer questions on corruption allegations levelled against him by the anti-graft agency. He has…

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Rivers: ?Fubara wins, as Appeal Court strikes out suit seeking tenure extension for pro-Wike LG Chairmen

Aminu Imam
Rivers A'Court strikes out suit

The Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal, yesterday, dismissed two appeals filed by former elected local government chairmen in Rivers State, loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, seeking the elongation of their tenure in office. This is as two factions of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister Wike held separate sittings at different locations in Port Harcourt, with pro-Wike lawmakers giving a seven-day ultimatum to the governor to represent the State’s 2024 Budget proposal for…

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Governorship Disputes: “Supreme Court used judicial ‘koboko’ to flog Appeal Court” – Ozekhome 

Aminu Imam

 Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome, has said the Supreme Court “spared no words” in criticising some of the rulings of the Appeal Court on governorship election disputes. He said the apex court used judicial “koboko” (a flexible whip made with cow skin or horsetail) to “flog” the appeal court while giving verdicts on the matters. Recall that delivering judgment on eight governorship election cases on Friday, the Supreme Court overturned the decisions of the Appeal Court in Kano, Plateau and Zamfara States. Speaking yesterday, during an interview on…

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Enugu: Confusion over Appeal Court’s judgment

Aminu Imam

Five days after the Court of Appeal, sitting in Lagos, delivered judgment on the conduct of the Enugu State House of Assembly in Nkanu-East during the 2023 general election held on March 18, confusion still abounds as to who is the person declared winner of the appellate court’s judgment. Both the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Michael Okwy Nnaji, a surveyor, and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival, Okey Mbah, are claiming victory. It was gathered that five days after the Appeal Court delivered its judgment, none of the parties has been…

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Kaduna: Appeal Court nullifies election of Assembly’s Speaker

Aminu Imam

The Appeal Court in Abuja has nullified the election of Hon. Yusuf Dahiru Liman, of the All-Progressives Congress (APC), representing Makera constituency in the Kaduna State House of Assembly, and ordered a re-run in 5 polling units. Earlier, Hon Solomon Nuhu Katuka, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), had filed a petition before the tribunal challenging the election of the speaker, Hon Yusuf Dahiru Liman, of the APC, representing Makera constituency in the House of Assembly. The PDP candidate argued that there were gross irregularities regarding the election of the…

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Kano: “Appeal Court judgment: “Be neutral” – Ohanaeze to Igbos

Aminu Imam

Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has urged Igbo residents in Kano State to exercise utmost caution and remain neutral amid the on-going political uncertainties and tensions. With pro and anti-protests surrounding the judgment of the Appeal Court, Ohanaeze advised Igbo residents in the State against participating in any of the protests. Recall that the appellate court had sacked Governor Yusuf and declared Gawuna as the duly elected governor of the State. However, the Certified True Copy of the judgment showed that the court affirmed the victory of Yusuf. However, the…

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Kaduna: Appeal Court affirms Uba Sani’s election as Governor  

Aminu Imam

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has declared Governor Uba Sani, of Kaduna State, as validly elected governor during the March 18 election. The appellate court affirmed the judgement of the State Election Petitions Tribunal, which earlier dismissed the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Isa Ashiru, against the election of Governor Sani. The court held that the Tribunal was right in dismissing the petition of the PDP and Ashiru because the petitioners abandoned their petition for their failure to apply for issuance of pre-hearing information…

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Nasarawa: A‘Court upholds Gov.’s election after tribunal sack

Aminu Imam

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, yesterday, affirmed the victory of the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule. Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Sule, of the All-Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the election, while David Ombugadu, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second. However, the State election petition tribunal, led by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, in a split judgment held that based on evidence from the various polling units, Ombugadu had the majority of valid votes at the election. But Sule appealed the judgment…

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Kano: Protests over A’Court verdict sacking Gov. Yusuf

Aminu Imam

…As court admits clerical error in judgments CTC Protests rocked Kano yesterday, following the sacking of Governor Abba Yusuf by an Appeal Court. This was as Police dispersed protesters along the ?an-Agundi area of the metropolis yesterday. The fresh protests followed the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgement which appeared in public domain and seemed contrary to the verdict of the appellate court. Some of the protesters said they were ready to die, as they demanded justice. There had been several interpretations of the judgment following a discrepancy between what…

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A’ Court verdicts: Obasanjo rejects sacking of Govs.

Aminu Imam

…Says 3 Judges shouldn’t upturn million voters’ decision Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, in his reaction to the recent appeal court verdicts, sacking three governors in the wake of one week, faulted the decision of the Nigerians judges on the electoral disputes. Obasanjo, while speaking at the high-level consultation on ‘Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa’, which was held at Green Resort Legacy, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State, faulted what he labelled “cathedral pronouncements” by the judges. According to the former president, three to five judges should not…

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