Tribunal merges APM, Obi, Atiku petitions

The Presidential Election Petition Court on Tuesday gave the pre-hearing report on three different petitions seeking to nullify the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

The court also presented the trial schedule.

The chairman of the five-man panel of the court, Justice Haruna Tsammani, read the pre-hearing report which included the declaration of the court’s decision to consolidate all the petitions to be heard as one.

Following this, Tsammani announced that the hearing of the petition would commence on May 30, 2023.

Furthermore, he said after the adoption of written addresses on August 5, 2023, the court shall thereafter prepare for judgement.

This was made known when the petition of the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi was called.

I didn’t engage in vote buying – Adebutu

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, has cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop blackmailing him, saying he did not engage in vote buying during the March 18 polls.

DAILY POST reports that the Chairman of the APC in Ogun State, Yemi Sanusi, had petitioned the police, asking that Adebutu be investigated and arrested for alleged vote buying.

But, in a statement made available to our correspondent in Abeokuta on Tuesday, the Media Director of Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation, Afolabi Orekoya, described the claim as unsubstantiated, saying the APC and its candidate have “decided to go for cheap blackmail after realizing that our candidate and PDP’s petition before the tribunal is unequivocally tight.”

Orekoya said the APC resorted to blackmail after failing in its efforts to “coax, intimidate and harass Adebutu to withdraw the petition” despite pleas from their emissaries, delegations and despite “offer of monetary compensation.”

He said the party “resorted to blackmail, media trial, depravity and malfeasance in an attempt to buy public sentiment and confuse the judiciary.”

According to him, Mr Tunde Oladunjoye, the Ogun APC Publicity Secretary, had earlier claimed on a television show that one of the many humanitarian gestures of the Adebutu family was for other purposes and intent.

US President, Biden sends 9-man delegation to attend Tinubu’s inauguration

US President, Joe Biden’s has announced a 9-man team to attend the inauguration of Nigeria’s President-elect, Bola Tinubu in Abuja, Nigeria, on 29 May.

“I am honored,” tweeted Judd Devermont, on Monday evening. Mr Devermont is the special assistant to US President Joseph Biden and senior director for African Affairs in the National Security Council, as he expressed his sentiments on being a part of the Presidential Delegation that will travel to Nigeria in the coming days.

On Monday 22 May, Mr Biden announced a 9-person Presidential Delegation to represent him and America, “to the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu” on 29 May 2023, in Abuja, Nigeria, led by the Marcia Fudge, who is the 18th U.S. Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Her leading the delegation is noteworthy because she is a past Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. She served as a legislator in the U.S. Congress—110th–117th (2007–2021), a period of fourteen years—representing the Democratic Party.

Yahaya Bello reinstates five cabinet members who resigned to contest guber primary

Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi, has announced the reinstatement of five cabinet members who resigned to contest for the governorship ticket under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

On Monday, Ayoade Folashade, secretary to the state government (SSG), said the key officials were subjected to an inquiry by the state’s assembly before their formal reinstatement.

She said Jibrin Momoh, former accountant general; Jamiu Abdulkarim-Asuku, former chief of staff to the governor; Yakubu Okala, former auditor-general; Idris Asiru, former commissioner for finance and Momodu Ozigi-Deedat, the former commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, were all reinstituted.

“The office of the governor of Kogi, Yahaya Bello, has officially announced the immediate reinstatement of five key officials in the state,” she said.

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