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Tag: atiku

  • Breaking: Tribunal rejects Atiku’s prayer for forensic analysis of election materials

    The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has rejected the request by candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and his party to be allowed to conduct forensic scanning and analysis of materials used for the February 23 presidential election.

    The tribunal said such request was beyond the scope of the provisions of Section 151(1) & (2) of the Electoral Act (as amended).

    In a unanimous ruling on an ex-parte application by Atiku and PDP, a three-man panel of the tribunal granted them the permission to inspect the materials and obtain certified true copies (CTC) of the materials.

    Read Also: Tribunal opens hearing in Atiku’s motion to inspect election materials

    In the lead ruling read by the leader or the panel, Justice Abdul Aboki, said the request by Atiku and PDP to call experts to engae in forensic anylysis and scaning of INEC materials was outside the scope of the meaning of inspection under Section 151 of the Electoral Act.

    Details shortly…

  • Breaking: Tribunal opens hearing in Atiku’s motion to inspect election materials

    The Presidential Election Tribunal has commenced the hearing of a motion ex-parte filed by the Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and his party to be allowed to inspect materials used for the February 23 presidential election.

    A three-man panel led by Justice Abdul Aboki is currently taking argument from the lawyer of Atiku and PDP, Chris Uche (SAN).

    Details shortly…

  • Atiku faces uphill task at tribunal, says Agbakoba

    National Intervention Movement Co-chairman, Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), on Wednesday said Alhaji Atiku Abubakar faces an uphill battle to overturn Presidential Muhammadu Buhari’s victory at the Election Petition Tribunal.

    According to him, it has to be proven that there were electoral irregularities and that they affected the election results.

    Agbakoba, a Life Bencher who chairs the Peoples Trust Party (PTP) and the “third force political parties”, said he was misquoted in his earlier statement to say that Atiku would lose at the Tribunal.

    “That is far from the truth. I meant the former Vice President will face an uphill task, given the circumstances of challenging the election results.

    “My initial decision to charge the former Vice President not to go to court is based on the fact that President Buhari has subverted the Supreme Court by the removal of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen, and the appointment of the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria.

    “My perception is that we need to resolve the status of the Supreme Court. I wonder what is taking the National Judicial Council so long.

    “I am also worried about the historical precedent, as no petition on presidential election result has ever succeeded.

    “As one of Nigeria’s experienced election petition lawyers, I know that the burden of proof to succeed in an election petition is unfairly huge.

    “We first have to prove that there are electoral irregularities and in my view, once you prove this, you should succeed.

    “Unfortunately, even if you prove electoral irregularities you will have to show how that affected the results of the election.

    “Remember that the gap between former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and President Buhari is about four million votes,” Agbakoba said.

    The former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President believes the presidential election results were “manifestly riddled” with electoral irregularities.

    Read Also: Buhari’ll decide senate presidency – Omo-Agege

    He, however, emphasised that Atiku is constitutionally entitled to approach the tribunal.

    “My personal advice has become irrelevant. I fully support and wish former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar every success,” Agbakoba.

    In the earlier statement urging Atiku not to challenge Buhari’s victory, Agbakoba said: “I understand the PDP is aggrieved about the outcome of the election and alleged massive irregularities. But, I urge former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar not to approach the Election Petition Tribunal.

    “He might have moved backwards by his loss but he should not lose sight of the legacy and greatness that lies in front of him. He is in a strong position to take up the mantle of a statesman.

    “He can build a new Nigeria movement from the motley of small parties, third force actors, change actors and millions who are desperate for a strong, united Nigeria.”

  • Campaign financing: Court to hear suit against Buhari, Atiku, others

    A Federal High Court has scheduled hearing for March 26 in a suit accusing President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar of violating Section 91(2) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) in their election campaign spending.

    The plaintiff, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/191/2019, filed by the candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) in the February 23 presidential election, Usman Ibrahim Alhaji, alleged that Buhari and Atiku expended more than N1billion in their campaigns in alleged violation of the provisions of the Electoral Act.

    Listed as defendants in the suit are: Buhari, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).

    The plaintiff is praying the court for the following reliefs

    *A declaration that the 1st and 3rd Defendants (Buhari and Atiku), have brazenly and flagrantly violated the provisions of section 91(2) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), having exceeded the maximum legally allowable N1billion election expenditure for presidential candidates, taking into cognizance, the excessive, profligate and continuous extravagant presidential campaign of the 1st and 3rd Defendants since their emergence as presidential candidates of their respective political parties.

    Read Also: How Adhoc staff sabotaged election in Imo -REC

    *A declaration that the 1st defendant unauthorized use of state resources brand-named ‘TRADERMONI’, with which the 1st defendant through his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has employed to tacitly induce electorates in exchange for their votes, amount to fraud covered within section 124(1)(a) (b) (c) and section 130 of the Electoral Act.

    *A declaration that branded items such as bags of fertilizers, bags of rice, distributed to electorates at campaign rallies by the 1st and 3rd defendants, amount to inducement of electorates in exchange for their votes, amount to fraud covered within section 124(1)(a) (b) (c) and section 130 of the Electoral Act”.

    *An order of this honourable court directing the 5th defendant (INEC) to expunge the names of the 2nd and 4th defendants (APC and PDP) from the presidential ballot papers so as to rescue Nigeria’s democracy from money bags, the influence of money, also to prevent the undue use of money, and to preserve the peoples’ sovereignty as enshrined in section 14(2)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

    When the case came up on Tuesday, Justice Ahmed Mohammed directed that processes in the case be served on Buhari and Atiku, through the legal departments of their political parties.

    The judge ordered substituted service after plaintiff’s lawyer, Ezekiel Ofou, told the court that his client found it extremely difficult servicing processes on Buhari and Atiku, due to the retinue of security aides around them.

  • Why we arrested Atiku’s son-in-law, by EFCC

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) said it had begun investigation of alleged money-laundering by the Finance Director of Atiku Abubakar’s group of companies, Alhaji Babalele Abdullahi.

    Acting Spokesman of EFCC, Mr Tony Orilade, stated this in Abuja on Monday and confirmed to News Agency of Nigeria that Abdullahi was in the commission’s custody.

    “We are investigating a case of money laundering against Abdullahi.

    “We shall speak at the appropriate time,” Orilade said.

    He declined to disclose the figure involved in the laundering allegation against Abdullahi, but NAN investigation revealed that it was about 150 million Euros.

    Read Also: My son-in-law, lawyer detained for supporting me, says Atiku

    Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the just-concluded Presidential election, few days ago raised an alarm over the arrest of Abdullahi by EFCC operatives, who invaded his residence.

    In a statement in Abuja by his Media Aide, Mr Paul Ibe, the former Vice President alleged that in a “desperate move” to make him concede and congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari, EFCC invaded the Maitama residence of Abdullahi.

    “The EFCC agents numbering about two dozen came in two regular vehicles, an 18-seater Toyota bus with registration number Abuja CS 522 RSH and a Hilux van.

    “They came with a warrant to search the house and office of Abdullahi and found nothing incriminating.

    “They then proceeded to his office at Oakland Centre in Maitama and found nothing incriminating there.

    “However, they took away some documents of landed property. Not done, the EFCC officials stormed his Wuse residence where they again found nothing incriminating after searching.

    “Afterwards, Abdullahi was taken away to the EFCC office in Wuse to make a statement,” Abubakar said.

  • My son-in-law, lawyer detained for supporting me, says Atiku

    The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has condemned the alleged detention of his son-in-law and lawyer by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Atiku, via a Tweet on his Twitter handle on Monday, said: “My son in law and lawyer have been detained, one for 3 weeks and the other recently. They are paying the price for supporting me. I urge those now persecuting them to remember that a government’s mandate is to pursue peace and justice for all, and not just those who support them.’

    Atiku’s tweet is coming two days after he raised an alarm of alleged moves to make him congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari, following the outcome of February 23 election.

    In a statement by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, on Saturday, the PDP candidate said his son-in-law, who is also the finance director of his group of companies, was arrested in Abuja.

    According to the statement, officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) allegedly invaded the Maitama residence of Babalele (Atiku’s son-in-law)  in Abuja.

    Atiku insisted that he would under no circumstance “mortgage the mandate of Nigerians as freely expressed on the 23rd of February 2019.”

    However, the EFCC and other relevant agencies are yet to react to the allegations by the former vice president.

  • Buhari’s group urges EU, AU to caution Atiku

    The Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO) has urged the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) to prevail upon the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to jettison his plan of going to court to challenge President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election.

    In separate letters addressed to the heads of EU and AU Observation Missions in Nigeria, the support group noted that the international bodies must act fast to save the country’s democracy from what it described as Atiku’s inequitable conduct despite the reports of fairness in the just concluded polls by the international observers.

    In the letters made available to reporters in Abuja yesterday by its Director of Communications and Strategic Planning, Mallam Gidado Ibrahim, the BCO said Atiku ought to have congratulated Buhari instead of yielding to PDP’s politics of bitterness.

    The group noted that Buhari’s magnanimity in victory, which was demonstrated in his appeal to his supporters not to humiliate the opposition, was enough reason for Atiku to shed his obstinacy and congratulate the President on his re-election.

    It stated: “We are writing to inform you of the undemocratic tendencies of the presidential candidate of the main opposition party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, who has chosen to take the electoral process in Nigeria backward after a peaceful and credible presidential and National Assembly elections conducted penultimate Saturday.

    “In spite of reports by foreign observers acknowledging the polls as free, fair and peaceful, the opposition party and its candidate have chosen to discredit the entire process and make the Observation Missions look as if they are biased in their assessment of the just-concluded presidential poll. Apart from blatantly refusing to congratulate the winner of the said poll, President Muhammadu Buhari, the PDP and its candidate have taken the battle to court apparently to cause distractions with a view to slowing down the wheels of governance in the country.

    “The PDP is still inciting the Nigerian public against the government of the day, irrespective of the fact that President Buhari had been magnanimous in victory. He has pledged to run an all-inclusive government and has even urged us, his supporters, not to gloat or humiliate the opposition, an enjoinder we have adhered strictly to the letter. We deem it fit to draw your attention to this brazen attempt to frustrate the democratic process, hoping that you will intervene by calling the PDP and its presidential candidate to order and ensure that the tenets of democracy are adhered to in the ongoing electoral process in Nigeria.

    “Atiku should follow former President Goodluck Jonathan’s example. Nobody’s life should be sacrificed for any politician’s ambition. He should abide by the agreement signed by all presidential candidates with the National Peace Committee to accept the results of the just-concluded presidential poll in good faith. Nigeria has in the past witnessed enough shedding of the blood of innocent Nigerians. If Atiku wants to help Nigerians, he should work with the Buhari-led government for a prosperous nation. He should not set Nigeria aflame with his inordinate ambition and insatiable taste for power.”

  • EFCC Arrests Atiku’s son-in-law Babalele

    • Ex-VP vows: I’ll not mortgage peoples’ mandate • Inaugurates legal team

    Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday arrested Alhaji Babalele Abdullahi, a son in law of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

    It was not clear why he was arrested, but the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) believed it was politically motivated.

    He vowed that under no circumstance would he mortgage “the mandate of Nigerians as freely expressed on the 23rd of February, 2019.”

    Atiku’s media team said in a statement in Abuja that the EFCC operatives invaded Abdullahi’s residence at Maitama, Abuja to effect his arrest.

    He doubles as finance director of Atiku’s group of companies.

    The Atiku Media team said: “The EFCC agents numbering about two dozen came in two regular vehicles, an 18-seater Toyota bus (registration Abuja CS 522 RSH) and a Hilux van.

    “They came with a search warrant to search the house and office of Babalele and found nothing incriminating.

    “They then proceeded to his office at Oakland Centre in Maitama and found nothing incriminating there. However, they took away some documents of landed property.

    “Not done, the EFCC officials stormed his Wuse residence where they again found nothing incriminating after the search.

    “Afterwards, Babalele was taken away to the EFCC office in Wuse to make a statement alongside Mr. Lawan Ayuba.

    “It was gathered that the petition relied upon to invade the residence and office of Babalele was authored by a brother of the wife of President Buhari.

    “As a law abiding citizen, Atiku Abubakar recognizes the constitutional role of the EFCC and indeed any other agency of the government to carry out investigations, but will not be cowed by any attempt to blackmail him into mortgaging his mandate.”

    In a separate statement, the Atiku Media office said he inaugurated a legal team to challenge the result of the 23 February presidential election.

    The legal team is headed by Dr Livy Uzoukwu (SAN).

    He was quoted as saying: “I am encouraged by the presence of fearless men and women of the Bench.

    “The judiciary which had in the past discharged itself ably is once again being called upon to deliver judgement on this matter that will be untainted by lucre and uncowed by the threat of immoral power.”

     

  • Support Buhari to build a stronger country, lawmaker tells Atiku, others    

    Chairman of the public accounts (state) committee of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Moshood Oshun, has admonished Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and other opponents of President Muhammadu Buhari to see how they can support the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next four years to build a stronger nation.

    Oshun, who reacted to President Buhari’s victory at the polls as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday noted that Nigeria has several challenges before it, adding that it is time for leaders and followers to unite ahead of the next four years.

    Noting that Buhari has remained magnanimous in victory, Oshun urged the opposition to congratulate the winner of the election and support the move to build a Nigeria of everyone’s dream.

    He congratulated the president and the APC for the victory, describing it as well deserved from the citizens who are passionate to see that their country is no longer governed by alleged thieves in government.

    The lawmaker commended the co-chairman of the Buhari Campaign Council, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, and all the various groups who championed the battle for the success of the APC at the polls.

    Oshun also expressed optimism that the next four years would make better impacts on the lives of Nigerians arguing that the government would simply continue from where it would end the current dispensation.

    “We are going to witness a better four years and my admonition to Nigerians is for us all to unite and support the government. Let’s not distract the administration. I am sure that with our support, we would end the next four years meeting set targets,” the lawmaker said.

  • Why I met with National Peace Committee, by Atiku

    Presidential Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar has offered insights into why he met with members of the National Peace Committee on Thursday in Abuja.

    He said he met with the committee to demand unconditional release of party members illegally arrested and detained for political reasons in the just-concluded presidential election.

    Abubakar made the call ahead of the March 9 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections on Thursday night when he and PDP leaders met with the National Peace Committee, in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Mr. Paul Ibe, on Friday in Abuja,

    He also called for the non- deployment of the military in compliance with constitutional provisions and the subsisting judgment of the court.

    Abubakar and his team claimed that the Feb. 23 presidential election was the worst in the history of the country since the return to democracy in 1999.

    The former vice president, who described the election as sham said it was marked by militarisation, vote suppression, intimidation in collaboration with security agencies, INEC and the ruling party to subvert the will of Nigerians.

    He said that the issue of his party’s recourse to legitimate actions to reclaim the “stolen’’ mandate was not discussed at the meeting.

    Atiku restated that as a democrat, he would follow laid down constitutional and democratic procedures to challenge the “electoral malfeasance”.

    He urged Nigerians to come out en masse and vote during the March 9, Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections for PDP candidates and called on the electorate to stay and defend their votes up to the collation point.

    The National Peace Committee was represented at the meeting which took place in Atiku’s residence in Abuja by former military Head of State, Gen. Abdulasalami Abubakar, the Chairman of the committee, John Cardinal Onaiyekan and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.

    Others are PDP presidential candidate, his vice presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Senate President and D-G of PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Sen. Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus.(NAN)