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Ondo Election: Appeal Court declares Eyitayo Jegede PDP candidate – how it went.

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The Court of Appeal, Abuja on Wednesday re-listed Eyitayo Jegede as candidate of PDP in Nov.26 governorship election in Ondo State.

Eyitayo Jegede bodexng ondo election

 

Justice Ibrahim Saulaawa, who led two other Justices in a unanimous decision held that the Federal High Court erred in its Oct.14  ruling.

Justice Okon Abang had in that ruling substituted Jegede’s name with Jimoh Ibrahim as the governorship candidate of the party.

Saulaawa said the law forbade the trial court or any other court from denying interested parties  fair hearing.

He also held that the court equally erred when it ordered INEC to remove the name of the appellant from its nomination register.The Judge said Ibrahim who benefited from that ‘strange order’ was never a party in the suit.

“Justice Okon Abang should know that the Constitution and the Electoral Act empower only the national leadership of political parties to nominate political candidates.

“The trial judge on his own, without allowing parties to present their arguments went ahead to deliver that ruling.

“There is no gainsaying that the extant appeal is meritorious and therefore allowed,” he said

The judge said: “Consequently, the Oct. 14 judgment ruling of the trial court is hereby set aside and the appellant”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the appellate court on Nov.10 granted Jegede leave to appeal the decision of the Federal High Court Abuja.On which group is the authentic leader of the party, Justice George Mbaba described the process that led to the June 29 judgment as a ‘fraud’.Mbaba said the trial court breached Section 36(1) of the Constitution by denying the Ahmed Makarfi Caretaker committee right of fair hearing.

The judge therefore held that the judgment of the lower court delivered on June 29 remained void and a nullity.NAN reports that judgment had affirmed the Sheriff-faction of the PDP as the authentic leadership of the party.

“With this development, all actions taken by the Sheriff-faction, including the selection of Jimoh Ibrahim as candidate of the party remain illegal and with no effect,” he said.In his earlier submission, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), counsel to Jegede and the Ahmed Makarfi-faction had prayed the court to set aside the ruling of the lower court, adding that it was given in bad light.Olanipekun had also said the court should order the reinstatement of his client as the authentic candidate of the party to contest the election.

According to him, Jegede is the candidate that emerged from the party’s primary conducted in Akure.He had argued further that Ibrahim’s name was submitted and immediately recognised by INEC following the ruling of the lower court.

“My Lords I want the court to take judicial notice of the fact that my client was affected by a decision of trial court even though he was not enlisted as a party.

“All our attempts for him to be joined as an interested party failed at that level, leaving us with no option but to approach this court,”he said.

Also, Olanipekun had urged the court to reinstate the Makarfi-led Caretaker committee as the authentic leadership of the party.He said the lower court erred in law when it held that Sheriff, the former Acting National Chairman of the party remained the authentic leader.According to him, Sheriff should not have claimed such position following the decision of the National Working Committee (NEC) of the party to set the caretaker committee.

Olanipekun submitted that Sheriff’s tenure  as the leader of the party had expired, adding that he could not have had the right to conduct the Ondo PDP governorship primary.

However, Mr Beloulisa Nwofor (SAN), counsel to Biyi Poroye, Chairman of the Ondo State Chapter of PDP and eight others, told the court that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the appeal.

He had announced to the court that the Nov. 10 ruling that gave leave of the court to Jegede to appeal the nomination of Ibrahim was appealed against at the Supreme Court.He submitted that the panel should refrain from further action on the matter, adding that doing the contrary would amount to the violation of the constitution, the rules of the court as well as the oath of judicial office.The Supreme Court on Nov.22 dismissed the interlocutory motion filed by Nwofor on behalf of his clients.

Justice Walter Onnoghen, the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria went on to restore the jurisdiction to the Court of Appeal to determine all appeals arising from the PDP leadership dispute.

The apex court held that all 12 out of the 14 motions and appeals brought by Sheriff-faction were frivolous as they were not supported by the records of the court of appeal.The apex court further held that it decision to dismiss those appeals was predicated on the fact that all issues raised therein were not proved.NAN reports that Sheriff-faction of the party had asked the apex court to set aside the proceedings of the special panel.It also urged the court to invoke its power to disband the panel following allegation of disregard to hierarchy of court leveled against the three justices.The appeal court had on Oct. 18, suspended its judgment pending the decision of the apex court.

Nwofor, later filed an alternative objections on Olanipekun’s submissions, adding that the appellants breached the rules guiding filing of appeals.He argued that the appellants ought not to have been allowed to appeal judgment out of time.Nwofor argued that the appellants were interlopers, adding that they were not parties in the matter at the trial court.He said they also approached the court after three months of the delivery of the judgment.

Mr Godswill Mrakpo, counsel to Sheriff-faction of the PDP, had aligned with arguments canvassed by Nwofor, as according to him, proceedings by the panel after notice of stay is served  should remain null and void.The presiding judge, however, insisted that the extant appeals earlier argued by Olanipekun sufficed.Sheriff, Makarfi, Obi and Jegede were the parties in the matter.The Executive of PDP South West Zone and Ondo State Executive members of the party were also listed as parties.

Speaking to newsmen after the court’s session, Jegede said the development would help to nurture the country’s fragile democracy.On his part, Makarfi said the pronouncement of the appellate court had ended the reign of darkness in PDP.

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FAAN shuts KFC outlet that humiliated Gbenga Daniel’s wheelchair-bound son

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The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has shut down a KFC outlet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

This move came less than a day after the airport branch of the fast-food restaurant allegedly humiliated a wheelchair user, Adebola Daniel, the son of former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel.

Sharing his experience, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, Daniel said he was “made to feel “less than human” because of his disability.

He said while passing the time alongside his wife and siblings, at the restaurant ahead of his flight, a manager of the restaurant told him to leave the premises because “No wheelchairs allowed.”

“To be disabled in Nigeria is to be undesirable, unwelcome and unaccepted. As I’ve said before, it’s a lonely, scary and isolated place. Never has this been more true than it has ever been today where I faced the worst sort of public humiliation that I have ever experienced. To think that this happened at an international brand, KFC at an international airport – Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos – is unthinkable,” he said.

Reacting, the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, announced in a statement on Thursday, March 28, 2024, that the restaurant has been shut down.

According to the statement signed by Obiageli Orah, the law clearly states, “A person shall not deprive another person of access to any place, vehicle, or facility that members of the public are entitled to enter or use on the basis of the disability of that person.” This legislation underscores the seriousness with which the Nigerian authorities view discrimination, particularly in spaces accessible to the public.

The incident came to light after a Passenger with Reduced Mobility (PRM) reported on social media the unfair treatment they encountered at the KFC outlet within the airport premises.

Reacting to these allegations, FAAN’s MD/CE, Olubunmi Kuku assembled a team to investigate the claims. The team included other officials of the agency such as the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, and the Regional Manager South West, Sunday Ayodele, among others.

Following the investigation, FAAN said the allegations were confirmed to be true and proceeded to close the KFC facility implicated in the discriminatory act.

As part of the corrective measures, KFC management has been instructed to issue a written apology to the affected individual and to publicly display a policy statement of non-discrimination at their facility.

This statement must be visibly placed at the entrance of the KFC outlet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport before the establishment is allowed to resume operations.

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FCT court discharges, acquits Adoke in OPL 245 trial

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Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the FCT high court has dismissed the charges of fraud, bribery and conspiracy filed against Mohammed Bello Adoke, former attorney-general of the federation, by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ruling on the “no case” submission made by Adoke, Kutigi said the EFCC failed to prove its charges of fraud, bribery and money laundering and ruled that the defendant has no case to answer.

He discharged and acquitted the former minister on all counts.

The judge said the allegation of illegal tax waivers granted to Shell and Eni was not corroborated by the Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS) or any authority in government.

On the alleged N300 million bribe said to have been given to Adoke by Abubakar, the court ruled that the EFCC did not provide any evidence to prove its case.

Nigeria has now lost virtually all the cases it filed or joined in Italy, the UK and Nigeria.

This is expected to finally bring litigation over the OPL 245 saga to a close.

The EFCC had earlier conceded that it did not have sufficient evidence to oppose the applications by Adoke, who was listed as first defendant, and others — although it insisted that Rasky Gbinigie had a case to answer over the alleged forgery of company documents to remove the name of Mohammed Abacha as a director.

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DHQ declares eight wanted over murder of army personnel in Delta

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The Defence Headquarters has declared eight persons wanted in connection to the killing of army personnel in Okuama community, Delta state.

The 17 army personnel were killed on March 14 during an operation in the community.

DHQ named those declared wanted as Akeywiru Omotegbono, Ekpekpo Arthur, Andaowei Bakrikri, Igoli Ebi, Akata David, Sinclear Oliki, Clement Oghenerukevwe and Reuben Baru.

The names of the deceased soldiers are A.H Ali, D.E Obi, S.D. Ashafa, U. Zakari, , Yahaya Saidu, Danbaba Yahaya, Kabir Bashir, Abdullahi Ibrahim, Bulus Haruna, Sole Opeyemi, Bello Anas, Alhaji Isah, Clement Francis, Abubakar Ali, Adamu Ibrahim, Hamman Peter, and Ibrahim Adamu.

After the killing of the army personnel, President Bola Tinubu and the military high command promised that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

On Wednesday, the personnel were buried at the military cemetery in Abuja and were posthumously conferred with national honours by President Tinubu.

The president also offered scholarships to children of the late officers.

Speaking during the burial ceremony of the late personnel at the military cemetery in Abuja, Taoreed Lagbaja, chief of army staff (COAS), said it was “highly demoralising” that the soldiers were killed by those they were equipped to protect.

The army chief added that it took over 72 hours of searching to recover the vital organs of some of the deceased soldiers.

He added that the Nigerian Army exercised “a lot of restraint” in the search for missing arms and body parts of the deceased soldiers.

The army chief also said some of the widows of the slain officers are pregnant.

“The Okuama killing has added to the care of the Nigerian Army and, by extension, the Nigerian state, 10 widows, three of whom are four, five, and eight months pregnant, 21 orphans, and many other dependents, which include parents,” Lagbaja said.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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