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Tag: disqualification

  • Disqualification: APC appeals judgment

    THE All Progressives Congress(APC), in Rivers State says it has filed appeal against last Monday’s high court judgement against it ahead of next month’s general election. A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on January 7, had disqualified the state chapter of  APC  from fielding any candidate in the general poll for failure to comply with the provisions of the electoral act number 87(1), on the process of nominating candidates by political parties to elections in the country.

    Justice James Kolawale Omotoso in his judgement nullified the congresses and primary elections held by the party to select candidates for the polls and restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing the name of APC candidates for the exercise. Justice Omotoso said the purported process the APC had claimed to have cimplied with was held in disobedience to pending court injunction order placed over the conduct of the exercise  by the political party (APC), in May last year.

    He stated that since the ward, LGA,   state congress ans primary elections were held to slide the court, all the  the products, candidates who emerged from the exercise is non and void, hence not fit to be fielded for the general elections in Febraury and March, this year. He warned the party’s governirship, Senate, House of representative and state House of Assembly candidates who are already parading themselves as going around the state to campaign for votes to cease forthwith insisting that they are not qualified to cintest the polls having not complied with the provisions of the electoral act.

    Omotoso ordered INEC to remove the logo of the APC from all election materials and all concerned, and neither should they publish the list of any APC candidate for the polls. However, The party yesterday  hinted that they have appealed the judgment and have equally served all concern, including INEC. Counsel to APC, Emenike Ebete confirmed it to the Nation in a telephone interview yesterday evening. Ebete said, “Yes we have file appeal against the Federal High Court’s disqualification judgment on the APC. We filed the Appeal yesterday (Thursday), and served parties today(yesterday)., we have also served those concern, including INEC.” Asked the implication of the appeal said, “The implication is that status quo remains until the appeal is disposed of, so APC candidates should carry on with all activities for the elections while the Court of Appeal hears the matter.” He however  said that date for hearing it is yet to be fixed and hoped that date will be  given for the hearing soon.

  • Disqualification: ‘Mama Taraba’ quits ministerial position, APC

    WOMEN Affairs and Social Development Minister, Aisha Jummai Alhassan, popularly called Mama Taraba, yesterday resigned her membership of the federal executive council.

    She also pulled out of the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing ‘grave injustice’ to her by the party, a veiled reference to her disqualification from the APC’s governorship primary in Taraba State scheduled for today.

    She immediately joined the United Democratic Party (UDP) to which she handed over a plaza in Jalingo, the state capital, and offices in other parts of the state, she had donated for the use of the APC.

    Alhassan was the APC’s candidate in the 2015 election which she narrowly lost to Mr. Darius Ishaku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The former minister in a September 29, 2018 letter to President Muhammadu Buhari expressed shock and dismay over her disqualification by the APC leadership.

    In her letter she said: “I write with a lot of respect to inform Mr President of my decision to resign my appointment as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC)

    “You may wish to recall that I joined the APC in 2014 along with other members of the then new PDP, contested the 2015 governorship election as the flag bearer of the APC and to the glory of God,” she detailed how much she contributed to the party’s success in Taraba and thanked the president for making her a minister.

    She added, “Mr President may also wish to recall that I wrote to notify you of my intention to again contest for governor of my state in forthcoming 2019 election under the umbrella of APC and you again graciously blessed my intention and wished me well.

    “I purchased the APC nomination forms and went for the party’s screening on Thursday, the 20th of September 2018 along with 10 other contestants for the governorship of my state, Taraba. I, with your permission, proceeded to Taraba on the 23rd of September 2018, to prepare for the presidential and governorship primaries then scheduled for the 25th and 29th of September 2018 respectively.”

    She protested her disqualification to contest the 2019 governorship by the National Working Committee of the party (APC), saying no reason was given for her disqualification.

    Alhassan restated that she was a “very committed and loyal party member and was at no time queried or admonished for any wrongdoing or unconstitutional behaviour” adding that grave injustice had been done to her by her disqualification.

    She thanked the President for the honour, rare privilege and lifetime opportunity “you gave me to serve under your great and credible leadership. I learnt a lot (especially patience) under your leadership,” and also thanked Vice President Yemi Osinbajo “from whom I have also learnt a lot and my colleagues, other members of the Federal Executive Council, the SGF and cabinet office staff for their fellowship and support to me both as minister and personally.”

    National chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, had told reporters in Abuja on Friday that Alhassan was disqualified because she “has issues that have to do with party loyalty.”

    He added: “Our constitution is clear and it dictates that to contest elections or even hold office in the APC, you must be loyal to the party in every material concern.

    “From all she had said in the past and even her comments and general attitude during the screening, the NWC reviewed everything taken together and we arrived at the conclusion that she does not possess the level of loyalty that the APC requires for her to contest elections on our platform.

    “The Electoral Act and the APC constitution forbid anyone from being a member of more than one political party at a time.”

    He was apparently referring to a video recording that went viral last year in which the former minister was heard endorsing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the 2019 Presidential election.

    In a follow up interview with the BBC Hausa Service, Alhassan said: “Atiku is my godfather even before I joined politics. And again, Baba Buhari did not tell us that he is going to run in 2019.

    “Let me tell you today that if Baba said he is going to contest in 2019, I swear to Allah, I will go before him and kneel and tell him that ‘Baba I am grateful for the opportunity you gave me to serve in your government as a minister but Baba just like you know, I will support only Atiku because he is my godfather. If Atiku said he is going to contest.”

    The former VP earlier this year returned to the PDP, but Alhassan remained in the APC and sought the president’s permission to join next year’s governorship race.

    One of her associates said by phone from Jalingo yesterday that  the UDP leadership has  “wholeheartedly surrendered the party machinery to her and her candidates for the national and state House of Assembly positions.”

     

    Oshiomhole: We can’t continue to habour people who don’t have our core values as a party

    Giving an update yesterday on the decision of the APC to disqualify Alhassan and Communications Minister Adebayo Shittu from the party’s governorship primaries, Oshiomhole said that the party “cannot continue to preach discipline and harbour people, who in our view, conduct themselves in a way that suggest that they do not have those core values that should bind us together as a political party.”

    Inaugurating committees charged with conducting the APC’s governorship primaries, the party chairman said: “if we must sustain this tradition, obviously we must begin to look beyond paper qualifications in terms of who is eligible to be fielded on the platform of our party.

    “It is in view of this and several other reasons that we found ourselves unable to clear otherwise two very eminent Nigerians who are members of our party- one a lady, one a man- which shows that we are balanced and sensitive because there are issues that might even be right in the eyes of the law but – are immoral and they are indecent in the eyes and in the minds of very ordinary, decent human beings.

    “Society is governed and sustained by the rule of law. But the rule of law alone is not enough to guarantee peace and progress.

    “ If there are no values, no ethics, no commitment, no passion, which is why some criminals are walking freely because Senior Advocates are able to persuade their Lordships that there are no convincing reasons to jail them.

    “So, based on this commitment, we disqualified two eminent Nigerians and I am glad that we found the courage to do so.

    “We cannot continue to preach discipline and harbour people who in our view conduct themselves in a way that suggest that they do not have those core values that should bind us together as a political party.”

     

    Presidency unaware of Alhassan’s resignation, says Garba Shehu

    Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam  Garba Shehu, said yesterday that  Buhari was  yet to receive Alhassan’s  letter of resignation.

    “Her resignation letter, if any such letter is written, has not been received at the Villa,” he said.

    “Understandably, the President, to whom such letter is to be directed is away attending the UN General Assembly.

    “We therefore are unaware that she has left the Cabinet.”

  • Enugu APC protests mass disqualification of its candidates

    The Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has protested the alleged massive disqualification of its candidates by the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) ahead of the November 4 local government election.

    Addressing reporters yesterday in Enugu, the state’s APC Chairman, Dr Ben Nwoye, accused ENSIEC of carrying out the bidding of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against APC candidates.

    Seventy-one counsellorship candidates and two chairmanship candidates of APC were disqualified.

    The chairman also accused the PDP of taking Enugu to the lowest level through the disqualification of the state’s opposition candidates.

    He said ENSIEC deliberately disqualified APC candidates in the wards of former Governor Sullivan Chime, who is now a chieftain of the party, as well as the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VOA), Dr Osita Okechukwu, who has consistently been winning at his Eke Ward for many years.

    Nwoye sad the same situation played out at many other wards where APC has chieftains and notable grassroots politicians.

    The chairman said the PDP had disenfranchised the electorate, who were eager for change, by disqualifying the candidates they wanted to vote for.

    According to him, the PDP never wanted to go for the election because it was aware of the plans of the masses to vote against its candidates.

    Nwoye said this led what he called the surgical operation against APC candidates.

    The chairman recalled that the Supreme Court, while delivering a verdict in the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN) vs the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suit in 2007, made it clear that the electoral empire has no power under the constitution to disqualify candidates sponsored by a party.

    He wondered where ENSIEC derived the power to disqualify APC candidates.

    Nwoye urged ENSIEC Chairman Mike Ajogwu to resign immediately.

    The chairman said his party had assembled lawyers to examine a legal option in the matter.

    He expressed dismay that Ajogwu refused to pick his calls, adding that he had made himself unavailable after allegedly carrying out the bidding of the PDP.

    Nwoye said: “We are calling on ENSIEC chairman to resign. We have assembled lawyers who are looking into our legal options. They disqualified our candidates and carried out surgical operations in areas where APC has comparative advantage.”

    But Information Commissioner Ogbuagu Anikwe faulted the APC allegations.

    He said those disqualified did not present evidence of tax payment.

  • Again, Saraki seeks disqualification of CCT Chair

    Again, Saraki seeks disqualification of CCT Chair

    •Queries Umar’s ability to do justice

    For the umpteenth time, Senate President, Bukola Saraki has challenged the procedure of his trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for alleged false assets declaration.

    This time, Saraki has filed a fresh application seeking among others, an order asking the Chairman of the tribunal, Danladi Umar to disqualify himself from further presiding over his trial.

    Saraki, in the fresh application filed by his lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN), accused Umar of making statements capable of being prejudicing the outcome of the trial.

    The Senate President cited the reported statement by Umar, where he deplored the delay tactics being employed by Saraki’s legal team and noted that the delay would not affect the consequences of the trial on the defendant if found guilty.

    The application, already served on the prosecution may not be heard today as it (prosecution) was yet to respond the it (application) yesterday.

    Although Saraki had, since his trial commenced late last year, filed series of applications, challenging the jurisdiction of the tribunal, the competence of the charge filed against him, among others, this is the second time he would be asking Umar to disqualify himself from the trial.

    The first he filed through one of his lawyers, Ajibola Oluyede, is currently a subject of appeal, having been rejected by the tribunal.

    Although the tribunal is empowered under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 to delay the hearing of such applications to the end of trial, it is not clear if Umar will elect to hear this one now, having heard similar interlocutory applications in the past.

    Saraki’s legal team is expected to have its 12th day of cross-examination of the 1st prosecution witness in the case, Michael Wetkas.

    The prosecution, led by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) has complained on several occasions that the defence was wasting too much time on just one of the many witnesses it intends to call.

    Jacobs expressed similar view on the last hearing date of June 7, when he complained that the defence was unduly delaying proceedings having spent 11 days cross-examining a single witness presented by the prosecution.

    In response to Jacobs’ compliant, Umar had said: “I am not happy at the delay tactics by the defence counsel. And I must say this thing out, that this delay tactics will not reduce the consequences the defendant will meet from this tribunal at the end of the trial if he is found guilty.”

    Responding on behalf of the defence, Agabi told the tribunal that the defence team was not comfortable the tribunal Chairman’s view on the allegation of delay made by Jacobs.

    “From the defence side, we are not worried about the law and facts that will be placed before this tribunal by the prosecution. But we are worried about enemies, who may wish to use this tribunal to achieve their ulterior motive.

    “As the tribunal Chairman, we love you, we respect you, but we are afraid of consequences, especially as just stated by this tribunal this morning. Our fears have been reinforced, but we pray against consequences that are against natural justice,” Agabi said.

     

  • Lawyers seek candidate’s disqualification

    Some Benin lawyers have concluded arrangements to sue the Edo South Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate, Matthew Urhoghide. They are asking that he be disqualified from the March 28 general elections.

    The team, led by Enogieru Osarumwenze, addressed reporters in Benin where they said there is evidence from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that Urhoghide did not submit his primary school certificate, and West Africa School Certificate (WAEC) as required by the  Constitution and the Electoral Act of 2010.

    They opined that if Urhoghide misplaced his certificates in 2002, he should have obtained a certified true copy from WAEC, 13 years after the alleged misplacement.

    “We are realistic here. We were unable to find Urhoghide’s primary six certificate and WAEC certificate in University of Benin (UNIBEN), where he allegedly graduated from in 1983.

    “We want Urhoghide to explain why he cannot obtain a certified true copy of his WAEC certificate from WAEC and UNIBEN, 13 years after his allegation that his certificate might be misplaced.

    “We have already obtained certified true copies of Matthew Urhoghide’s forms, affidavit and credentials from INEC and we are confident the court will grant our prayers to disqualify him from Edo south senatorial race.”

  • Odegbami, Ogunjobi calm over NFF disqualification

    Odegbami, Ogunjobi calm over NFF disqualification

    Former Nigeria international, Segun Odegbami has spoken about his disqualification ahead of the upcoming elections into the board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

    Odegbami was disqualified on Wednesday for failing to meet three of the pre-election requirements.

    Chairman of the NFF’s electoral committee, Amoni Biambo, said Odegbami has been stopped from contesting the polls because he did not attach a receipt to his nomination form.

    Biambo also added that no endorsement (letter) from Odegbami’s zone was attached to the nomination form which he was also accused of handing in late. Odegbami said he was surprised at the development.

    “I can tell you that these things (Biambo said) are not true. He is lying,” Odegbami told supersport.com.

    Odegbami said the situation would become clearer in the coming days.

    “So many things are happening right now and I will speak about this more comprehensively in the coming days. Just watch and see what will happen in the next few days,” he said.

    Former NFF secretary general, Taiwo Ogunjobi, was also disqualified from running for the office of president of the football federation.

    Ogunjobi says he is not losing sleep over the development. “I won’t comment on my disqualification now but anyone who thinks I am unhappy does not know me. As long as God remains in control, we should all be happy. When anyone wakes up in the morning and he can eat, talk and go about his daily activities, he should be happy. I am always a happy man,” he said.

  • Cnpp, Lema hail Inec’s disqualification of rival Apc

    The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for rejecting the registration of the Africa Peoples Congress (APC) because of irregularities in its application.

    In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Osita Okechukwu, CNPP said the electoral umpire “has by the action served the cause of justice and defended the 1999 Constitution.”

    The CNPP said the rival APC was formed out of mischief. It accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of being the unseen hand behind an attempt to register the party with the aim of sustaining a one-party system in the country.

    “ We’ve always known that African Peoples Congress was born out of mischief to sustain the one party state foisted at variance with the constitution by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the country.”

    According to the CNPP, when the legal representative of the APC went to the INEC office, both the sponsor of the legal team and the protem chairman were still members of the PDP.