• Consensus arrangement within group difficult

Ahead of the inauguration of the 10th House of Representatives, there is a major split among the G7 aspirants for Speaker because of the visit of one of them, Muktar Aliyu Betara, to President-elect Bola Tinubu in France.

It was learnt that Tinubu and Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima have persuaded Betara to step down for Tajudeen Abbas, who has been endorsed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the next Speaker.

Other aggrieved aspirants, who were caught unawares by the trip, felt bad that they were being left out of the scheme.

Betara has, however, vowed to take the risk to slug it out with Abbas on June 13, a source said.

He is said to be banking on the votes of the incoming members of the House from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Also yesterday, opposition lawmakers under the aegis of Greater Majority clarified that they have not endorsed anyone for Speaker.

Some of the members have met Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi and his New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) counterpart, Rabiu Kwankwaso for consultation.

According to sources the France shuttle has widened the cracks in G7.

In a counter-move, the Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, was also at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to welcome the President-elect back to the country.

The G7 aspirants for the Speakership include Wase, Betara; Adamu Yusuf Gagdi; Aminu Sani Jaji; Sada Soli; Miriam Onouha and Ado Doguwa.

 Doguwa, however, exited the group on May 17 when he publicly declared support for Abbas.

The remaining six aspirants, who are in disarray, have been pulling the strings against Abbas.

A top source said: “All is not well in the G7 or now G6 camp since Betara visited the President-elect in France. Other aspirants felt they might lose out in the power game if APC and the President-elect succeed in ensuring the election of Abbas as the 10th Speaker.”

Another source said: “Some of them alleged that Betara was given undue attention over and above them. The rest of them were asking: Why only Betara?

“For example, like the Deputy Speaker, Wase, he thinks that his current position should have made him to also go to meet with Tinubu in France. But apparently, Betara was singled out. So, the likes of Wase and Gagdi are not happy about it.

“There is this silent disaffection among all of them. They won’t come out to talk publicly because they have gone far together to tell Nigerians that they’re working for a common goal. But when the chips are down, you guys will see what will happen.

“Some of the aspirants among the G7 are just lurking around and behaving like low-hanging fruits waiting to be harvested by the Tajudeen Abbas group.

“All that some of them want is recognition and a strong deal. They’re waiting for the main group of Abbas to harvest them. If they’re invited by the President-Elect to a meeting today, that’s the end of it. They’ll all fall in line.”

It was gathered that Betara has vowed to “take the risk to slug it out with Abbas” on June 13 when the House will be inaugurated.

A highly-placed source said: “Betara has not accepted the olive branch from the President-elect and the Vice President-elect. His claim was that he was persuaded to step down for the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, by Tinubu in 2019.

“He insisted on contesting even if it means  he will lose. His confidence is buoyed by his war chest and the support of the members-elect from PDP and some opposition parties.

“His permutation is based on the likelihood of the emergence of Sen. Jibril Barau (from Kano in the North-West) as the Deputy President of the Senate. Since the election of the principal officers of the Senate will come first, Betara will capitalise on Barau’s victory to sway the House against Abbas, who is from the Northwest.”

The source said: “Betara has said that he sees nothing wrong in the Vice President and the Speaker emerging from the Northeast like the present situation in which Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Gbajabiamila are from the Southwest”.

Doguwa’s factor 

Investigation confirmed that Doguwa’s abandonment of the G7 may make the group to lose steam.

“They pretended as if nothing has happened. But the truth of the matter is that Doguwa’s decision to pull out of them also affected them a great deal,” a source hinted.

Doguwa had during a meeting between the Joint Task – 10th Assembly and other members-elect on May 17 announced his decision to support Abbas wholeheartedly.

“He said he is a loyal party member who has benefitted immensely from the APC,” a source said.

He was flanked by two former aspirants, Makki Yalleman and Abdulraheem Olawuyi, both of whom also stepped down for Abbas.

Greater Majority: we have not endorsed candidates 

The Greater Majority said it has not endorsed anyone for Speaker and Deputy. 

The group is made up of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Young Progressives Party (YPP) caucuses. 

Speaking at the fourth session of the forum at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, its Convener, Fred Agbedi (PDP-Bayelsa), said there was need to interact with stakeholders to arrive at a decision on the Presiding Officers. 

Agbebi inaugurated state coordinators who are to meet at their various state levels for the objective. 

He said there would also be zonal coordinators, who will also meet at the zonal levels with the various states in collating their decisions after due consultations.

Agbedi also said the group had met with the PDP Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum; Obi; and Kwankwaso, ahead of the retreat of the group billed for Uyo, Akwa Ibom State next month. 

Agbebi said: “Our leaders have authoritatively told us that they have not given mandates to their members-elect to either identify with either Mr A or Mr B. The only mandate and directive they gave to their people is to network, interact and ensure that they collate what is going on and give them the feedback; that at the appropriate time decisions would be reached, directives would be given, alliances would be formed and as minorities, we would be told or there would be some kind of agreement as to which direction to go.  

“So, as I stand here, I don’t have any mandate from my party or my governor as to what to do. But interestingly, all our leaders are excited and happy that we have been able to mobilise ourselves together, meeting, networking and being able to show that we are a strong minority group that is ready to stand to the expectations of the 10th House of Reps. We are ready to deepen democracy.”

By Olukorede Yishau, United States Bureau Chief

President Joseph Biden has announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to attend the inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President on May 29.

The delegation will be led by Marcia L. Fudge, Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

A statement from the White House on Monday lists other members of the delegation as Mr. David Greene, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., U.S. Embassy Abuja, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, United States Representative (D), California, Marisa Lago, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, U.S. Department of Commerce, General Michael E. Langley, Commander of U.S. Africa Command, Enoh T. Ebong, Director, U.S. Trade and Development Agency, Mary Catherine Phee, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Judd Devermont, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs, National Security Council and Monde Muyangwa, Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development.

The Supreme Court has fixed Friday to rule in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suit against the Tinubu/Shettima ticket.

The PDP is seeking, among others, to void the joint ticket of President-elect Bola Tinubu and Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A five-member panel of the court, headed by Justice John Okoro, chose the date after lawyers to parties adopted their processes and made final arguments.

Lawyer to the appellant, Joe Agim (SAN), prayed the court to allow the appeal and set aside the Court of Appeal judgment which earlier affirmed the judgment by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, where he queried the right of the PDP to question the candidate nomination process another party.

But lawyers to the respondents – the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tinubu, Shettma and the APC – prayed the court to reject the appeal and affirm the concurrent findings of the two courts below.

Babatunde Ogala (SAN), who appeared for the APC, urged the court to strike out the suit since the 180 days allowed by law to hear a pre-election case had elapsed.

The PDP, in its July 28, 2022 suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenged the validity of the Tinubu/Shettima ticket for the 2023 presidential election. The party argued, among others, that Shettima’s nomination as Tinubu’s running mate was in breach of the provisions of Sections 29(1), 33, 35 and 84(1)(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended).

It also claimed that Shettima had double nominations and so his nomination as a vice-presidential and Borno Central senatorial candidate contravened the law.

However, Justice Ekwo, in a January 13 judgment, dismissed the suit on the grounds that the PDP was without the requisite locus standi to institute the action. But the PDP appealed the decision, urging the appellate court to reverse the High Court’s judgment.

In its unanimous judgment on March 25, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal held that the PDP failed to establish its locus standi.

Justice James Abundaga, who read the lead judgment, agreed with the submissions of lawyers to the respondents, and described the PDP as a ‘busy-body which dabbled into issues that constitute the internal affairs of the APC’.

Justice Abundaga held that the trial court was right to have held that the PDP failed to establish its locus standi.

“The appellant, having failed to disclose its locus standi, this appeal therefore fails and is hereby dismissed,” he said, and proceeded to affirm the judgment of the Federal High Court.

Justice Abundaga also awarded N5 million cost against the appellant’s lawyer, J. O. Olotu.

• Tinubu, APC oppose consolidation of PDP, LP, APM petitions

The tribunal is not a stadium or a marketplace and its business cannot be trivialised, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) ruled yesterday while dismissing prayers for a live broadcast of proceedings.

It also held that televising the proceedings was a policy decision that is outside its powers.

The court dismissed two applications by Atiku Abubakar/Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi/Labour Party (LP) for live telecast/streaming.

The Presiding Justice (PJ), Haruna Tsammani, in the lead ruling, held that live transmission of proceedings was not provided for under the law.

According to him, the requirement that the court sits in public “does not mean that it should sit in a stadium or in a marketplace”.

Besides, he added that the court had made sufficient arrangements for public participation as required.

The judge added that there was no way televising the proceedings could advance the interest of a fair hearing for parties, or aid the interest of the petitioners in relation to issues raised in their petitions.

He said granting the request by Atiku and the PDP could trivialise the business of the court.

Justice Tsammani held that whether or not to televise the proceedings was a decision to be taken by either the President of the Court of Appeal or the National Judicial Council (NJC) as was done during the COVID-19 era when policy directions were drawn up for virtual court sittings.

Other members of the five-member panel agreed with the lead ruling.

Justice Misiturat Bolaji-Yusuf said: “The avoidance of the trial by ordeal of the camera will better serve the interest of justice in this case. Allowing live broadcast is a distraction.”

Justice Boloukuromo Ugo said the sensitive and delicate nature of election petitions should not be compared to the trials of O. J. Simpson (in the US) and Oscar Pistorius (in South Africa).

He noted that the law provides for the shielding of the identity of witnesses in election cases.

Ruling on consolidation of petition today

The tribunal has scheduled a ruling for 10 am today on whether or not to consolidate the three petitions by Atiku/PDP, Obi/ LP and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

The court is also expected to render its pre-hearing report that will provide the template for the court’s subsequent proceedings.

The report will provide information on when the hearing will commence (when parties will call witnesses); time to be allocated to parties for each witness to testify (give evidence-in-chief, be cross-examined and re-examined), number of days within which a party should conduct its case, among others.

Justice Tsammani said this while adjourning further proceedings in the three petitions till today.

He spoke after arguments on the provision of Paragraph 50 of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act 2022.

The paragraph states: “Where two or more petitions are presented in relation to the same election or return, all the petitions shall be consolidated, considered and be dealt with as one petition unless the tribunal or court shall otherwise direct in order to do justice or an objection against one or 

more of the petitions has been upheld by the tribunal or court.”

Lawyers to the petitioners – Eyitayo Jegede (SAN) for Atiku and the PDP; Awa Kalu (SAN) for Obi and the LP, and Shehu Abubakar, for the APM – urged the court to consolidate the petitions to save time and eliminate undue delay.

Jegede argued that consolidating the applications will retain the characters of each petition, save time and cost and ensure expeditious hearing.

Counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), said his client was neither for nor against consolidation but will abide by the court’s position.

Pinheiro, however, noted that the provision of Paragraph 50 was mandatory.

Respondents’ lawyers – Akin Olujinmi (SAN) for the President-elect and Vice President-elect, Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettma; Lateef Fagbemi and Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan (both SANs) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Roland Otaru (SAN) for Ibrahim Masari (the placeholder) opposed consolidation.

They argued that the proceedings would be cumbersome and confusing if the petitions were consolidated in view of their varying characters.

Olujinmi argued that not only are the characters of the petition not the same but the evidential issues and prayers in petitions also vary.

Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, who spoke for the APC in the petition by Atiku and the PDP, contended that consolidation will make the proceedings unwieldy and prevent his client from presenting its case in detail.

Otaru said: “Consolidation will cause embarrassment, chaos and confusion.”

Petitions to lapse Sept 16

The court expressed concern about the amount of time lawyers to parties, particularly that of Obi and LP, proposed to spend in conducting their case.

Justice Tsammani noted that should the court allow the seven weeks within which lawyers to Obi and the LP planned to conduct their case, the court will be left with only four days to write the judgment.

The Presiding Justice and other members of the court’s panel, who intervened, asked the lawyers representing Obi and LP to consider reducing the time they plan to spend.

Justice Tsammani, who noted that the petition will lapse on September 16, said the court did not want to be accused of not affording parties sufficient time to present their cases.

He, however, noted that if the petitioners (Obi/LP) were allowed seven weeks, in addition to what other parties have proposed, the court will be left with just four days for judgment.

Kalu, who later agreed to reduce the period to six weeks, blamed INEC for the delay.

He claimed that the commission was yet to provide them with some of the documents they requested for. 

Kalu said his clients have been unable to conduct the court-ordered forensic examination of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), among others.

But, Pinheiro said INEC had provided all that the petitioners requested.

He claimed that many of the requested documents are currently waiting for the petitioners in INEC’s offices in some states, but can only be accessed upon paying the mandatory fees.

Pinheiro said the petitioners have also been afforded access to the information in the BVAS which has since been stored in the backend server.

• 40 per cent of output from the 650,000 bpd facility for export

First batch of products will roll out from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery before end of July, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has said.

The refinery was inaugurated yesterday at Lekki, Lagos, by President Muhammadu Buhari and five other presidents.

When fully operational, 60 percent of the refined  PMS (petrol) will be dedicated to the local market and the remaining 40 per cent for export.

“Our first product will be in the market before the end of July this year. Once our plant is fully on stream, we expect that at least 40 percent of the capacity will be available for export,” said the promoter of the   $18.5 billion refinery.

 Dangote, who is the  president of Dangote Group, said besdies helping to reposition the country as a key player in the Downstream Petroleum Sector of the global market, the refinery would contribute significantly to  ”foreign exchange inflows into the country.‘’

He added that the group’s huge investment in the oil industry was prompted by its desire to support and contribute to the Federal Government’s sustained effort to transform the economy and reposition Nigeria as the leading nation in Africa, and a respected player among emerging economies.

He said: “This commissioning ceremony is just the beginning of a great journey, a milestone in a new and exciting trajectory for the downstream sector of Nigeria’s oil and gas Industry.

“It is our firm commitment that we will replicate in this sector, what we have achieved in the cement and fertiliser markets, where Nigeria transited from being the largest importer of these products to a net exporter.

The business mogul added that apart from ensuring a consistent supply of high-quality fuel, the refinery would provide essential raw materials to plastics, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, packaging, and construction industries.

He further stated that the refinery’s operation and related businesses would generate a substantial number of job opportunities.

 Dangote said: ‘’We have built a refinery with a capacity to process 650,000 barrels per day (plus 900,000 tonnes of polypropylene) in a single train – which is the largest in the world. We have selected the best plants and equipment and the latest technologies from across the world.

‘’Our products slate is designed to meet the highest quality standards and high-value products including Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (Diesel), Aviation Turbine Kerosine (ATK); all of Euro V Standards that will enable us not only meet our country’s demand but also to become a key player in the African and global market.

‘’Our coastal location and offshore loading and offloading (SPM) facilities with a capacity to receive all our crude oil supplies and evacuate up to 75 percent of our liquid products give us direct access to the rest of Africa and the global market for exports. In addition, 80 percent of our products can be discharged through trucks nationwide.’’

He recalled his initial attempt at acquiring a refinery under the Federal Government’s privatisation programme in 2006/2007, saying that its reversal served as an impetus for the first private refinery in Nigeria.

His words: “The privatisation policy was reversed and our payment returned. This motivated us to rethink our market-entry strategy and business model.  We subsequently committed to entering the market boldly with a vision to invest in a greenfield refinery that will transform the industry in Nigeria and Africa.

“We decided on a plant designed with state-of-the-art technology and at a scale in a capacity that will be a game-changer  in Africa and the globe.”

Beyond the inauguration, he said the first goal is to ramp up production of the various products to ensure that within this year, “we are able to fully satisfy our nation’s demand for high-quality products to enable us to eliminate the tragedy of import dependency.

“We also agreed that we must stop, once and for all, the dumping in our market of toxic sub-standard petroleum products.”

Dangote promised that apart from ensuring  ”constant availability of high-quality fuel  for our transportation sector, the refinery will also make available to our Industries, vital raw materials for a wide range of manufacturers in the plastics, pharmaceutical, food and beverages, packaging, construction, and many other industries.”

“This refinery will generate massive job opportunities while the downstream value chain will equally provide far more absorptive capacity for labour in hundreds of thousands,” he added.

ROLL CALL

President Muhammadu Buhari

President Gnassingbé Faure (Togo)

President Nana Akufo-Addo (Ghana)

President Macky Sall (Senegal)

President Mohamed Bazoum (Niger Republic)

President Mahamat Déby (Chad)

Vice President-Elect Kashim Shettima

Senate President, Ahmed Lawan

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos State)

Governor Dapo Abiodun (Ogun State)

Chief Olusegun Osoba, former Ogun State Governor

Senator Ibikunle Amosun, former Ogun state Governor

Mr. Godwin Emefiele Governor, CBN Governor

Ooni of Ife, Enitan Ogunwusi

Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III

Oniru of Iruland, Gbolahan Lawal

Elegushi of Ikateland, Saheed Elegushi

Jim Ovia, Zenith Bank

Tony Elumelu, Heirs Holdings

Aigboje Aig-Imohkuede, former MD of Access Bank

Femi Otedola, oil magnate

Herbert Wigwe, GMD, Access Holdco

Mele Kyari, CEO, NNPCL

Mr. Peter Obi, former Anambra state Governor