• Insists on prosecution of suspects in Osun

• Lawyer fears charges against Adedoyin, others could be quashed in Abuja

The family of Timothy Adegoke, an MBA student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State who died mysteriously at Hilton Hotel and Resort, yesterday retrieved his corpse for burial.

Our correspondent, who was at the premises of the Osun State Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, observed that the elder brother of the deceased, Gbade Adegoke, came with two clerics to retrieve the corpse from the hospital morgue.

They drove the corpse out of the premises of the hospital around 12:45 pm.

Gbade Adegoke, speaking with our correspondent, confirmed that the burial of his late brother was slated for today in Oyo State.

“There won’t be any problem in getting justice for my brother with his burial. The suspects will surely face the wrath of the law.”

The counsel to the family, Barrister Naim Adekilekun, expressed fear that the Federal High Court may quash the charge against Chief Ramon Adedoyin and other suspects.

Speaking with newsmen at Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo yesterday, Adekilekun said: “In a criminal prosecution, you don’t give a chance. The court must also have the prerequisite jurisdiction to enable the court to take out the judicial function.

“In this case, what is probable is that this charge could be quashed because of lack of jurisdiction, and if that is done, it would give the defence counsel an opportunity to get their clients off the hook, and that is not what we want in this case.

“What the police need to do is to transfer the case file to the Ministry of Justice, Osun State and the needful will be done.

“If our complaint is looked into by the IGP, that charge will be withdrawn.

“It will be preemptive of us to be talking about the charge now. Our petition has been submitted to IGP and we will go to Abuja to see him or possibly the CP legal who is in charge of the prosecution.”

Adekilekun insisted that the suspects arrested in connection with the death of Adegoke should be prosecuted in Osun State and not at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

He said: “As we are preparing for the prosecution of the suspects arrested in connection with this murder, we wish to state that it has filtered to us that the police in Abuja is ready to prefer charges against the suspects in respect of this case at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“It must be stated here that the family never doubted the competence of the police to prosecute this case to a logical conclusion. But as the Solicitors to the family, we have our reservations for the prosecution of this case at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.

“To start with, in criminal prosecution, the court in the territorial jurisdiction of the area of the alleged crime will be seized of the case and nothing more, though this may not be the case of some Federal offences triable at the Federal High Court of any judicial Division.

“And the reason is not far-fetched. This can be traced to the fact that the law recognises Federal High Court of Nigeria to be one and single court irrespective of the division.

“As it stands now, the Administration of Criminal Justice Act is the law that guides the prosecution of crimes at the Federal High Court in Nigeria and other offences punishable in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This law provides the framework for criminal litigation in those courts where it is applicable. We are of the firm view that since none of the elements of the offence to be tried by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory happened or took place in the Federal Capital Territory, we shall be demanding that the case be tried at the High Court of Osun State, being the court with the requisite jurisdiction to try the case.

“There is nothing in Section 93 (1) and (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act that can make the police act otherwise.”

By ‘Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor and Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) across the country have been left agitated and frustrated  by the delay in unveiling the zoning formula to be adopted by each of  the parties for next year’s presidential election, according to an investigation by The Nation.

Although some chieftains of the two parties have already declared their interest in the race while some others are biding their time, there is no decision yet by the two parties on which section of the country they will grant the right to fly their flags.

Not even the aspirants are sure of anything yet, sparking speculations and conjectures on what could happen.

The PDP already has its National Chairman from the North, although that has not stopped speculations that the party’s presidential ticket could be thrown open to aspirants from the North and the South.

In the case of the APC, it has not even unveiled the zoning formula for its national executive committee.

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, who doubles as the leader of the party in the state, said yesterday that the APC expects President Muhammadu Buhari to play a key role in formulating its zoning arrangement.

The party’s national convention has been fixed for next month in Abuja.

Observers are of the view that the APC is waiting to see what the PDP will do about zoning before taking its own stand on the issue.

A reliable source in the Anyim Pius Anyim camp said the group suspected that the PDP governors from the South may have compromised the interest of the zone following alleged plan by the PDP Governors Forum to corner the presidential and vice presidential tickets of the party for its members.

The Nation also learnt that the Senator Iyorchia Ayu led National Working Committee (NWC) is already contending with some forces within the party who are bent on having their way.

Ayu, according to sources, prefers to convene a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party to discuss and take a decision on the matter.

Sources also said while some prominent chieftains of the party like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki, among many others want  the party to shun zoning and allow aspirants from all parts of the country to contest the primary, some other prominent PDP members, led by PDP southern governors, have continued to urge the part to respect the zoning arrangement and cede the presidential ticket to the south.

But some members are not convinced that the southern governors are totally committed to the southern project.

“It is uncertain if all our governors are still committed to the zoning struggle. We heard of a new agenda by the governors and the body language of southern governors lately suggests a change in intentions,” a source said.

The anti-zoning groups are of the view that the only way the party can win the 2023 presidential election is to discard zoning and allow aspirants from all parts of the country to contest in the primary.

“The PDP wants to win election, and as such, the party is considering what will deliver the votes more than what will ensure the continuation of an agreement,” Tade Olusakin, Southwest Coordinator of PDP Youth Volunteers Forum (PYVF) said.

If everything goes according to plan, Senator Ayu is expected to summon a NEC meeting to discuss and finalise on the party’s position on the zoning debate.

“PDP must address the zoning issue before the primary election. The party knows that Nigerians are waiting for it to take a decision. Ayu has decided to leave the decision to the NEC and he will soon convene a NEC meeting,” a source claimed.

A former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, recently argued against the call for zoning the 2023 presidential ticket of the party to the Southern part of Nigeria. Kwankwaso condemned the insistence of the Southern Governors Forum in July 2021 that the next president of the country must come from their region.

He dismissed the agitation for zoning as an attempt to intimidate the northern region into relinquishing its right to contest the seat.

He posited that the party had produced more southern presidents than the north.

“You see, many people are mixing what ordinarily shouldn’t come together at all. We have PDP, we have APC, we have APGA and we have many other parties today in this country. And the issue of where a party put his presidency or vice presidency is a matter of strategy.

“If you look at it from 1999 to date, or even after 2023, we have 16 years for PDP, eight years for APC. Now, in the 16 years of PDP, we had a situation where the presidency has been in the south for 14 years and only in the north for two years during the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of blessed memory.

“Now we see some people, maybe because they don’t understand politics or they want to be mischievous, they keep on mixing the two issues of two political parties together. This PDP and APC are contestants in this game,” he said.

The situation in the APC is even more uncertain as the leadership of the party continues to deny the existence of any zoning arrangement ahead of its proposed elective convention next month.

Yobe State Governor and Chairman, Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni, during the week denied social media reports that the party had zoned positions ahead of the national convention.

The denial, contained in a statement by the governor’s Director-General, Press and Media Affairs, Alhaji Mamman Mohammed, noted that the publication was false, baseless and unfounded.

The story had claimed that Buni announced the zoning arrangement as follows: President (South); Vice President (North); Senate President (South); Deputy Senate President (North); House of Reps Speaker (North); House of Reps Deputy Speaker (South).

APC National Working Committee National Chairman (North); National Secretary (South); National Treasurer (South); Financial Secretary (North) Legal Officer (North); Welfare Officer (South); Auditor (North); National Youth Leader (South); National Woman Leader (South); Publicity Secretary (South); Persons With Disability PWD Leader (South).

But Mohammed noted: “His Excellency has in clear and unambiguous terms denied the said list, saying it is false, baseless, unfounded, misleading and it has nothing to do with him.

“The chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee said the party has not taken any decision at any forum on anything relating to zoning of offices.

“The publication is just a figment of the author’s imagination and has nothing to do with the chairman and the party. The public is hereby urged to disregard the purported list as it is misleading and completely false.”

Party sources said while it is very likely that the APC concede its presidential ticket to the south, the party may be delaying the announcement because it is waiting to see what the PDP will do on the matter.

“We also want to win election. We understand the mood of the people and APC will do the needful. But I must tell you this is politics and it is not out of place to shadow your opponents and see what they have in plan,” a party source told The Nation.

Buhari will guide party on way forward — Abiodun

The All Progressives Congress (APC) expects President Muhammadu Buhari  to guide it in achieving equity and justice in the party’s  zoning formula, ahead of  next month’s National Convention, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State said yesterday.

Abiodun, emerging from a closed-door meeting with the President at State House, Abuja, told correspondents that  Buhari would continue to provide the direction to move the party forward.

The governor was at the head of a delegation from Ogun State to thank the President for his recent visit to the state during which he commissioned some projects.

The governor said he was not in a position to advise the APC but he knew that the party was working on a formula that would be made public once approved by the National Executive Council (NEC).

He said: “I will be hesitant to delve into the details of this question because one, I’m not in any position or capacity to advise the party. I am a governor, I am a member of the party and I will continue to be guided by the party leadership and in line with party discipline.

“We have a President in place. We are the party that’s in government. Our President is the leader of the party. I believe that His Excellency, Mr. President, will continue to offer us the guidance that’s required and will do that which we need to do under his leadership.

“I am not sure that I am capable or have the capacity to begin to advise the party when I am just a member of the party and a governor, and the party has a leader who is the President.

“We are aware that the party is working on zoning, and when that is formalised and ratified by NEC, then it will be made public so we’ll know where the chairman of the party will come from, we’ll know where the President will come from and things will evolve in their own time,” he said.

Abiodun said the delegation was at the State House to thank the President for his recent visit to the state to commission a number of projects.

During the visit, the President Buhari had commissioned landmark and legacy projects like roads and housing estates, which he described as “projects of outstanding quality” during the ‘thank you’ visit.

Buhari particularly said the new roads would cut travel time considerably, lauding Governor Abiodun for also working hard on security and other projects that touch the lives of the people.

Buhari recalled that he began his military career in Abeokuta as a Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army, “so I will always see Ogun as home.”

With Abiodun  were former governor of the state, Aremo Olusegun Osoba; former deputy governor, Mrs Salimot Badru; the Akarigbo of Remoland and Chairman of Ogun State Council of Traditional Rulers, Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi, Torungbuwa II; and the Chairman of Rite Foods, Alhaji Sulaimon Adegunwa.

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State is blaming the Supreme Court for the delay in resolving the legal dispute over the Value Added Tax (VAT) between the state and the Federal Government.

Wike, speaking yesterday during the presentation of a book entitled: Contemporary Essays on Law & Practice in honour of retired Justice Anwuri Ichegbu Chikere of the Federal High Court, labeled the action of the apex court lethargic.

Wike also aimed a diatribe at the National Judicial Council (NJC) for allegedly becoming a willing tool to intimidate judges.

“While the entire country is waiting for its speedy resolution in the national interest, the Supreme Court of Nigeria remains lethargic in hearing this very important matter, thereby unjustifiably aiding the Federal Government to continue to enforce its illegal and oppressive VAT policy on the polity,” Wike said.

The governor said judicial independence suffered greatly when judges were subjected to summary trials and preconceived indictments by the NJC on the promptings of persons or parties with vested interest in the outcome of the litigation processes.

His words: “By doing so, the National Judicial Council (NJC) may be joining the league of unholy forces now assailing the independence and reputation of judicial officers across the country.

“My candid opinion is that the National Judicial Council must tread with utmost caution in matters of judicial complaints and discipline lest it wittingly or unwittingly turns itself into another bully to be feared rather than being respected in its roles as both the headmaster and guardian angel of the nation’s judiciary,” he said.

The governor said no nation could be seen and reckoned with to be free, fair and just without a strong, independent and functional judiciary.

He also observed that no democracy could survive, flourish and deliver social and economic progress without a courageous, efficient and effective judiciary.

Wike, himself a lawyer, asked judicial officers to remember the time when the nation’s judiciary was truly independent, manned by men and women of courage, who were publicly trusted to deliver justice fairly and equally to everyone.

He said: “There was also a time when our judges were respected the world over for their independence, courage and credibility.

“Again, time was that decisions from Nigerian courts were widely accepted and celebrated across the world as timeless models of judicial precedents.

“But today, what is your candid assessment of the character and integrity of our country’s judiciary, which is becoming more confusing and painfully contradictory?”

Wike listed factors eroding confidence in the judiciary as case backlogs, poor case management and rampant delays in the administration of justice.

He said: “There are also serious concerns about the apparent lack of courage among several judges and the declining quality of judgments from our courts at all levels.

“Having succumbed to fear, intimidation and blackmail, most of our judges are being compelled to tailor their judgments towards the wishes and desires of powerful political interests.”

Wike, however, commended the few judicial officers who he said have kept hope alive with their extraordinary courage.

He spoke highly of what he called the years of meritorious judicial service of Justice Chikere, saying as a judge, he demonstrated absolute independence of mind.

He also noted that Justice Chikere exhibited excellent judicial temperament of being calm always, courteous and compassionate towards everyone, including her colleagues, lawyers and litigants in or outside the office.

The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State had, in a landmark judgment last year, held that it was unconstitutional for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to collect VAT and personal income tax in Rivers State.

Following the judgment, the Rivers and Lagos State Governments introduced separate laws conferring on them the right to collect VAT.

But the Court of Appeal headed by Haruna Tsammani on September 10 last year issued orders that all parties should maintain the status quo.

Dissatisfied by the action, the Rivers State Government approached the Supreme Court to challenge the decision of the Appeal Court.

In his remarks at yesterday’s book presentation, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, represented by Justice Binta Nyanko, noted that Justice Chikere served the judiciary meritoriously from the bench for 19 years with her health and integrity intact.

Tsoho said keeping pace with a long judicial career in Nigeria was no mean task and Justice Chikere weathered the adversities and challenges successfully.

He said: “As we gather to celebrate this outstanding judicial officer for her years of impressive service to the nation, the occasion evidently climaxes the fame attribute that excellence and selfless service are virtues worthy of emulation.

“Hon. Justice Chikere is notably calm and collected and is much like a mother to many colleagues.

“As a Christian, she is fervently adherent to the tenets of Christ, especially love for humanity.  He has been remarkably humble, peaceful, friendly, humane, honest,  generous, incorruptible and hardworking.”

In her response, Justice Chikere said her sojourn in the federal judiciary made her a better person.

She expressed gratitude to Dr. Peter Odili, who was accompanied by his wife, Justice Mary Odili of the Supreme Court, for allowing her to be transferred from the State Judicial Civil Service to the Federal Judicial Service.

The Office of the Clerk to the National Assembly is working to clean up the harmonised version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021 before transmission, The Nation learnt yesterday.

The move followed the harmonisation of the two versions of the Bill passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives during the week.

The Catholic Church said yesterday that the President’s continued delay in signing the bill into law was unacceptable.

The painstaking clean-up of the Bill, The Nation gathered, was meant to ensure that the errors spotted in it were completely eliminated.

A competent source familiar with the process told our correspondent that the people handling the assignment are not leaving any stone unturned in the bid to produce a clean copy for transmission to the President for assent.

The source also noted that those assigned the duty to produce an error-free copy are working at the speed of light in order to beat the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to him, the process is likely to be concluded this weekend or early next week.

The source said: “This time around, a thorough job will be done to eliminate all errors in whatever form.

“The Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill is so important to most Nigerians and it is critical to the smooth conduct of the 2023 general elections that all hands should be on deck to get it right this time.

“The two chambers have done their part. Every other process to transmit the Bill to the President for his assent is being pursued vigorously.

“A clean copy of the amended Act is likely to reach the President’s desk next week.”

President Muhammadu Buhari had in December 2021 vetoed the Bill and cited restriction of political parties to the direct mode of primary as the only means of nominating candidates for elections as the sole reason for his action.

Buhari had said: “Aside the serious adverse legal, financial, economic and security consequences, the limitation or restriction of nomination procedures available to political parties and their members constitute an affront to the right to freedom of association.

“It is thus undemocratic to restrict the procedure or means of nomination of candidates by political parties as it also amounts to undue interference in the affairs of political parties.

“Indirect primaries or collegiate elections are part of the internationally accepted electoral practices.”

Senate President Ahmad Lawan, in his remarks after the Senate passed the re-amended of the Bill, said the National Assembly decided to respond swiftly and patriotically to the President’s observations.

“What we have done today is to respond to the observation of Mr. President and that of our constituents and other stakeholders on the need for us to expedite action on addressing those observations made by Mr. President, and we have done that very patriotically,” Lawan said.

He added: “Today, as the bill stands, there is provision for all possible options for selection of candidates from presidency to councillorship.

“The available options we have are: the direct primaries, indirect primaries, and consensus candidature.

“What this means is that political parties are now, once this becomes law, challenged to ensure that they choose what is appropriate, what is suitable for them when it comes to the processes of producing their candidates.

“I will urge that we should practice all these three so that we are able to develop them, because there is advantage in each just as there could be disadvantage in all of them.”

It will be recalled that some civil society organisations (CSOs) had claimed that they spotted drafting errors in the Bill earlier vetoed by the President, hence the determination of the legal department of the National Assembly to ensure that the Bill is free of any such errors before transmission.

Delay of legislation unacceptable —Catholic Church

The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) yesterday questioned President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to sign the Electoral Bill into law.

CSN said the church is committed to free and fair elections in the country, emphasising that signing the Electoral Bill into law will aid the process.

The National Director of Social Communication, CSN, Very Rev. Fr. Michel Umoh, while briefing reporters on the state of the nation, said the church will continue to encourage Buhari to sign the Electoral Bill into law.

Concerning the forthcoming 2023 general elections, Umoh said true Nigerians must rise in unison to act and lend their voices to all that is good and noble in order to save the country.

He advised Nigerians to go and obtain their voter cards, adding that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must ensure that the process of obtaining the voter cards is made easy for people.

Umoh also called on INEC to ensure that people’s votes are counted during the election.

His words: “Politics is governance, so Catholic Church supports politics and it encourages members to support politics. But Catholic Church does not play party politics.

“Signing the electoral bill will ensure peaceful election. The government of the day is dillydallying on signing this bill.

“We are against such dillydallying. President Muhammadu Buhari should sign the bill. Signing the bill will shape the process of having a free, fair and credible election.

“The church will encourage the Presidency to ensure that the bill is signed. The church is out for honesty, transparency in political matters.

“ The next dispensation, which we eagerly look forward to with hope, does not give room for trading blames or for those petty partisanships which have often been defined along tribal, ethnic, religious or political affiliations.

“These tools, in the hands of typical politicians have been used for too long to mesmerize and exploit the people. Most politicians use them as a smokescreen to hide their clandestine interests and ambitions.

“The only reasonable political consideration now left to choose from, irrespective of our tribe, tongue and religious beliefs, is between truth and falsehood, the good and the bad, the oppressed and the oppressor, the loyal and disloyal citizens of Nigeria. These are the only two parties that matter in the country now.

“Now, more than ever, is the time true Nigerians must rise in unison to act and lend their voices to all that is good and noble in order to save our country. It is time to wise up and correct the mistakes of the past that have plunged the nation into the excruciating pains we now experience.

“We cannot wait for another chance if we are blessed to have this one, and we may not have another chance to rescue this nation if we fail to take advantage of this one.

“In view of this, every good citizen of Nigeria must go out, to obtain their voter card while INEC must ensure that this process is made easy for the people and the people’s votes are made to count during election.”

The founder and Senior Pastor of Salvation Ministries, David Ibiyeomie, has cautioned men of the Nigerian Police Force to stop collecting money from internet fraudsters known as ‘yahoo boys’.

He lamented how some victims of fraudsters have died due to the amount of money they lost to scam.

In a video of his sermon shared on his verified Instagram page, Ibiyeomie said: “It is a demonic satanic way of getting money. What kind of nonsense money is that? You are a thief. No matter how you colourise it, you’re a thief. You love stealing. Is it your money?

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“Internet fraud must stop in Nigeria. Police, all those ‘yahoo boys’, jail them arrest them. If you take bribes from ‘yahoo boy’, you policeman, that money will kill you. Do you know why?

“They stole from somebody who died and you collected the money. Then you and your family will die with it. Police, stop taking that kind of money but arrest them and jail them. It is blood money.”

“All people doing ‘yahoo’, stop giving them chieftaincy title. They are thieves. Why will you give a ‘yahoo’ person chieftaincy title? He’s a thief. Deal with them as armed robbers.”

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has raised the alarm over what it termed unguarded and nonsense statements from Asari Dokubo against its members and leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The group said Dokubo would appreciate what it could do if any of its members in hinterlands and coastal region of Biafra died as a result of his threat.

In a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, IPOB reminded Dokubo that he is not an Igbo man and should stop portraying himself as such.

It warned the Niger Delta militant to withdraw the empty threat and to stop exposing his historical shortcomings and ignorance by dabbling into a matter that he has completely no idea about.

The statement partly reads: “We wish to put the whole world on notice particularly the Izon people, of the unguarded and nonsense statements coming out from Asari Dokubo against the people of IPOB and our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu because when it will start nobody will blame.

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“Dokubo numerated how he sabotaged and planed how our leader Mazi Nnamdi KANU was abducted and extraordinarily renditioned from Kenya to Nigeria.

“He should know that he is not an Igbo man, and should stop portraying himself so. Igbo believe in equity and justice and Igbo don’t need a traitor like Asari Dokubo.

“He should equally remember that IPOB never declared war against him since he started his nonsense statements against IPOB and Nnamdi KANU. We don’t want to be distracted or join issues with you.

“But we want to make it categorically clear to you that if any IPOB member both in the hinterland and coastal region of Biafra dies as a result of your threat you will understand what IPOB is capable of doing.

“Again, we want you to withdraw this your empty threat and stop exposing your historical shortcomings and ignorance by dabling into a century that you have completely no idea about.

“You are not an Igbo and have no link with Igbo people. Igbo don’t need Asari to live their lives. Asari should know that he doesn’t and can never love Igbo people more than Nnamdi KANU and IPOB movement.

“Asari Dokubo should know that his sabotaging the Biafran struggle will not stop us from getting Biafra freedom. Your grouse with Nnamdi Kanu was because you were more interested in becoming the President of Biafra, and he told you to wait first until Biafra comes. You turned against him and Biafra freedom because you hate truth.

“Asari is thinking that his criminal gangs sponsored by Aso Rock and some politicians in the region will kill IPOB members and blame it on Igbo people. We know whom he is and he will soon regret his actions against a just cause.”