Presidential poll: INEC denying us access to sensitive documents, Atiku, PDP tell court
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of denying them access to vital electoral documents needed to effectively prosecute their petition challenging the February 25 election won by president Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The petitioners told the Justice Haruna Tsammani led five-member Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) that after paying a whopping N6 million to INEC for certified true copies of those vital documents, the commission has deliberately refused to provide them.
A senior counsel in the legal team to the petitioners, Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, who conducted Tuesday’s proceedings made the allegation after unsuccessful efforts to tender result sheets contained in INEC Forms EC8As from 10 out of 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Kogi State to establish the petition against the outcome of the disputed election.
The exhibited result sheets which the petitioners had sought to tender in evidence are those from Ankpa, Dekina, Idah, Ofu, Olamaboro, Yagba East, Yagba West, Kabba-Bunu, Igalamela- Odolu.
Although, the petitioners had filed their schedule of documents along with the exhibits, the Court however noted that tendering such sensitive exhibits at piece meals would not be tidy enough especially in the areas of marking and numbering them.
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 general elections, Mr Peter Obi has called members-elect and Senators-elect from the party to support Senator Abdulaziz Yari and Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara for the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.
The directive did not however go down well with the members-elect, many of whom, it was learnt, had already made up their minds to vote for the APC preferred candidates both in the Senate and the House namely, Senator Godswill Akpabio for Senate President, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas for Speaker of the House and their respective deputy nominees in the persons of senator Jibrin Barau and Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
A source from the group who was part of the meeting held in Abuja but does not want his name in print said that the meeting ended up in a stalemate.
The source said: “First, we met with Datti before now, and he said unequivocally that we can’t vote for Tajudeen Abbas, Akpabio or any other candidates the APC is supporting
“He told us that Abbas was endorsed by the APC to suppress him and Benjamin Kalu was endorsed to suppress Alex Otti in Abia state. The meeting ended in a stalemate. Chopsticks were the venue.
“Another meeting was held on Monday around Zone 5. Obi was present. He said he was endorsing Yari for Senate President and Betara for Speaker, and compelled all LP members-elect to vote for Betara and Yari.
“Ideologically, he’s forcing us. If that is the case, there’s nothing new about LP. He’s able to get one person away from the Abbas project among us. It’s a female. He wants to force us to do what he wants, but no way.
Shelved strike: ‘I salute the courage of labour leaders’, says Adediran
The Coordinator of North Central Agenda for Asiwaju/Shetima 2023, Presidential elections, Surveyor (Prince) Adediran Alabi Johnson popularly known as “Baba Meta of Kwara” has saluted the courage of Labour leaders for reconsidering their decision by embarking on strike on Wednesday.
Through this development, he commended the labour movement for the cooperation given to President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his plans for a prosperous Nigeria through the removal of fuel subsidies.
Speaking at a media interaction with journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday, Prince Adediran said that,” with the removal of fuel subsidy, President Tinubu has displayed that he knows solutions to Nigeria’s major problems which has brought unemployment, and various economic crisis to the citizens. “
He also said that the labour leaders have shown deep understanding and maturity by suspending the strike, a development he stressed would be beneficial to the good people of Nigeria.
Tinubu Parleys Akpabio, Wike, Umahi In Aso Rock
President Bola Tinubu yesterday met with former governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi) and Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The three former governors arrived at about 2:33 pm.
Akpabio is the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Senate presidency of the 10th National Assembly (NASS).
As of press time, the agenda for the visit was unclear, but it may not be unconnected with the leadership of the 10th Assembly that will be inaugurated on June 13, 2023..
This is the second time Wike has met with Tinubu in the last 72 hours.
After the last visit, Wike denied claims that he would dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for APC.
