The Nation Newspaper

Tag: petitions

  • Bauchi: Tribunal fixes Monday for pre-hearing conference into petitions

    The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Bauchi State has fixed Monday for its inaugural and commencement of pre-hearing conference into petitions filed before it.

    Alhaji Bello Abdullahi, Secretary to the tribunal, said in Bauchi that three petitions would be heard by the tribunal.

    These are those separately filed by three political parties challenging the election of Senator  Bala Mohammed of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as governor-elect.

    The parties are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) and All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Bala Mohammed had polled 515,113 votes to defeat his closest rival, the outgoing governor of the state, Mohammed Abubakar of the (APC) who scored 500,325 votes.

    The three parties are seeking the nullification of Mohammed’s declaration as winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) due to alleged noncompliance with the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

    The APP in its petition alleged that it fielded Alhaji Gumi Umaru and Sani Umaru as governorship and deputy governorship candidates respectively, but discovered on Election Day that the two candidates were excluded in the ballot papers.

    The party urged the tribunal to nullify the entire election and order for a fresh one to enable their candidates be accommodated.

    The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) in its petition said the electoral body excluded names of its candidates, logo of the party in the ballot papers, including other election materials and all other documents used during the governorship election in the state.

    It also called for nullification of the entire election and sought for fresh exercise to enable its candidate, Ahmed Iliyasu, whom it said met all requirements, participate.

    The outgoing state governor, Mohammed Abubakar and APC in their petition, refused to concede defeat, alleging wide spread irregularities and saying he hoped the checks on disputed ballots of Bogoro, Bauchi and Tafawa Balewa Councils would overturn the results in their favour.

    Abubakar wants the tribunal to declare him as winner of the election or order for conduct of a fresh election in the affected areas.

     

  • The Nation reporter petitions DSS, police

    The Department of State Services (DSS) and the police have been notified of the alleged threat to the life of The Nation reporter in Ekiti State, Odunayo Ogunmola, by Lere Olayinka, an aide to Governor Ayo Fayose.

    In the petitions addressed to the state Director of DSS, Mrs. Promise Iheanacho and Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, Mr. Abdullahi Chafe, Ogunmola said Olayinka and the government should be held responsible should anything sinister happen to him.

    In the petitions dated May 2, the reporter demanded a prompt and in-depth investigation into the alleged threat.

    Read also: Ekiti May Day boycott: Fayose’s aide threatens The Nation reporter’s life

     Ogunmola accused Olayinka of posting his photographs and marking him out with a red arrow, to expose him to attacks.

    He alleged that Olayinka released his phone numbers to the public.

    The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has demanded the sack of the governor’s aide, describing his conduct as capable of threatening peace.

    Addressing reporters in Ado-Ekiti after the monthly meeting of the group, a chieftain, Mr. Tunji Ogunlola, said it constituted a grave criminal offence for a reporter to be threatened for performing his official duty.

  • Kashamu petitions INEC over Ogun PDP exco

    SENATOR representing Ogun East Buruji Kashamu has written the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Executive Council.

    He wrote the commission against the backdrop of a recent judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which directed INEC and the PDP to obey an earlier judgment of the court that declared Adebayo Dayo-led State Exco as the authentic leadership of the party in the state.

    In the letter dated March 26, Kashamu questioned why the commission was recalcitrant in keeping to its tradition of obeying court orders and judgments until a superior court says otherwise.

    “The commission’s position with regards to the Ogun State PDP Exco negates its well-known and established tradition of giving effect to court judgments until a superior court says otherwise. INEC had in similar situations as this case taken the path of honour and rectitude as shown in the cases of Chief Ejike Oguebego Vs Prince Kenneth Emeakayi over the Anambra State PDP Exco; Samsom Ogah Vs Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim Vs Eyitayo Jegede, just to mention a few. So, what has changed? Why is the case of Ogun State PDP Exco different?” Kashamu wrote.

    The letter reads: “You would recall that I had written three different letters dated 29th January, 2018, 5th and 12thFebruary, 2018 respectively to you, in respect of the Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Executive. However, it is surprising that up till date, the commission has not replied any of the letters.

    “The silence, notwithstanding, I am again constrained to write you, particularly to draw your attention to yet another judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which has not be stayed or upturned on appeal.”

    The lawmaker said the latest judgment has been served on the commission’s legal department and wondered why the “the Director of Legal Services, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, is either keeping the judgment away from your office and/or sitting on it”.

    Kashamu contended that the court held that the judgment of the Supreme Court on the national leadership tussle between Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi has nothing to do with the issue of the Ogun State PDP Exco.

    “As you would find in the judgment, the court held that the resolution of a political party in respect of a State Exco cannot vitiate the subsisting judgment of court. It also ruled that the judgment of the Supreme Court in the Ali Modu Sheriff/ Makarfi case has nothing to do with the issue of the Ogun State Exco.

    “So, the ill-advised decision of the commission to recognise some dissidents instead of the authentic and legally-recognised Ogun State PDP Exco has no basis in law and it is antithetical to internal democracy and justice.”

  • Lawyer petitions ICPC over FMC Owo contract

    A controversy is trailing a contract awarded at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) at Owo in Ondo State for the construction of OPD building in the Federal Government-owned institution by its former Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr O. Omotoso.

    At the centre of the conflict is Chamberline Adiaso of Solid Foundation and Builders Company, who allegedly got the N313,105,301 contract in 2012.

    Adiaso was recently appointed as a board member of Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

    An Akure lawyer Idowu Bewaji petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over the nomination of Adiaso.

    He accused Adiaso of committing a fraudulent act in 2016.

    In the petition, addressed to ICPC chairman, with copies to the Minister of Petroleum Resources and Chairman of PEF, Bewaji said Adiaso was involved in a fraudulent act while handling some contracts awarded to him by the management of FMC in Owo.

    He averred that Adiaso duped one of his clients, Mrs Yemisi Adewole, by obtaining money from her under false pretence to build a house at the FMC in Owo.

    According to him, the contractor (Adiaso) also borrowed N3 million from his client to execute a job he claimed was given to him at the University of Ibadan Teaching Hospital (UCH) for the supply of a life support machine.

    Bewaji said Adiaso eventually issued two DUD cheques to his client and put the woman in “psychological and mental trauma”.

    The lawyer said Mrs Adewole’s creditors had been looking for her because of the indebtedness.

    He regretted that Adiaso had disappeared and police efforts to arrest him proved abortive.

    Bewaji said his client got wind that the FMC in Owo had paid part of the money to Solid Foundation and Builders Company for the job she did, adding that she had not been reimbursed.

    He said Adiaso has several cases, many of which bother on corruption, fraud and false pretence, among others.

    The lawyer said the contractor was arrested by the Edo State Police Command but released, following an agreement he entered into with the police.

    Bewaji said Adiaso failed to honour his pledged to pay since 2016, adding that he had allegedly gone underground.

    The petition reads: “It is surprising to know that Adiaso, who has cases to answer with the ICPC since 2016 and has remained at large, has been nominated by proxy for this juicy position by the Federal Government.

    “In the light of the foregoing, we do appeal to the ICPC to bring to book Adiaso by informing the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and Petroleum Equalisation Fund of his criminal antecedent as he is not eligible for the current recommendation.

    “He should even show up to answer the allegation of fraud levelled against him.”

    Efforts to get Adiaso’s side of the story were unsuccessful last night.

  • NJC gets petitions against Ajumogobia, two other judges

    NJC gets petitions against Ajumogobia, two other judges

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has sent petitions to the National Judicial Council (NJC) against three judges for alleged bribery and corruption, abuse of office and unethical practices.

    The judges are Justice Rita Ngozi Ajumogobia and Justice Hyeladzira. A. Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court and Justice Agbadu James Fishim of the National Industrial Court(NIC).

    It was also learnt that evidence and details of the cases against the judges have been presented to the NJC for consideration.

    According to a highly-placed source in NJC, the EFCC’s petitions to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, are  dated January 5, 2018.

    The source said: “I am aware the EFCC has written petitions to the NJC against the three judges based on some of the charges already preferred against them.

    “I think the only difference now is that the EFCC has submitted its findings to the NJC to enable it to take disciplinary action (if necessary) against the judges some of who are currently not sitting to hear cases.

    “This is in line with the position of the NJC that it ought to look into the cases against judges on merit before taking any suspected ones to court. The petitions are in line with a new understanding between the Executive and the Judiciary.”

    In one of the petitions, the EFCC said it received intelligence report against Justice Nganjiwa  on allegation of “unlawful enrichment.”

    Some of the allegations against Nganjiwa (including those already in the public domain) are running a firm, as a principal officer and director.

    The anti-graft agency alleged that Nganjiwa also operated the firm’s bank account.

    “From June 2012 till the commencement of investigation, Justice Nganjiwa enriched himself to the tune of N61, 912.465. That investigation revealed that part of the enrichment represents contracts by him through this company account.”

    In the petition against Justice Ajumogobia, the EFCC accused her of operating foreign accounts with HSBC UK (Account number 40460951625 233) and Barclays Bank, UK with number 1093492.

    “That Ajumogobia has a substantial interest in a foreign company in the UK with account number 10934925/10631301 with FBN UK

    “The firm was incorporated in the Republic of Seychelles on 25th of June 2012 with 100,000 shares of $1 each wholly owned by her.

    “In November 2016, Hon. Justice Ajumogobia and Godwin Obla (SAN) were charged to court on a 30-count charge before Hon. Justice Oshodi of the Ikeja High Court of Lagos State,

    “There were communications between Justice Ajumogobia and Chief Godwin Obla (SAN) during the pendency of a criminal suit. Whilst the suit was pending, Obla gratified Ajumogobia on 21st day of May 2015.”

    Concerning Justice Fishim, the EFCC alleged that he received money from seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria, one other Lagos-based lawyer and one law firm between 2013 and 2015.

    It told NJC that Justice Fishim was already facing a 19-count charge before Justice Raliat Adebiyi of Lagos State High Court in Ikeja.

    It claimed that Justice Fishim had alleged significant increase in his assets that he cannot reasonably explain in relation to his lawful income.”

    The EFCC has filed an application before the Supreme Court against the judgment of the Court of Appeal which quashed the 14 charges fixed against Justice Nganjiwa before the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere on June 23.

     

  • Lawyer petitions IGP over sack of three cops

    ALaWYER, Aiyewunmi Remilekun, has petitioned the Police Service Commission (PSC) and Inspector-General of Police (IGP), over the alleged unlawful dismissal of three policemen attached to Igbeba Police Division of Ogun State Police Command.

    Mufutau Olaosun, an Inspector; Adebayo Temitope, a Sergeant, Adesoye Ayokunlehi and Bakare Taiwo who are corporals, were dismissed last June for allegedly extorting N50,000 from Akala Oluwatobi.

    But Olaosun, Ayokunlehi and Adebayo, through their lawyer, described their dismissal as “illegal and unlawful.”

    In an August 27 petition , they complained of “intimidation, harassment, political manoeuvering of orderly room proceedings and conducts unbecoming of a police officer” against the officers who conducted their orderly room trial.

    The lawyer stated that sometime in June 2017, information was lodged at the Area Commander’s office, Igbeba, information reached the Igbeba Police Division that 10 youths were conducting themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace at Molupa.

    Remilekun said: “Upon this information, the three cops and one other were drafted to the area to prevent breakdown of law and order, and for possible arrest, which the affected officers immediately booked at the charge room before leaving for the area.

    “On getting to the area, the affected policemen were able to arrest two of the boys while others ran away on sighting them.

    “One of the boys when asked to identify himself but could not give a satisfactory explanation, upon which the officers became suspicious and the boy was taken to their office for interrogation and investigation.”

    The lawyer said when his clients conducted a search on the arrested boy named Akala Oluwatobi, “N50, 000, was recovered from him but he could not give a satisfactory account of the money.”

    He said when the money was recovered it was registered with the Exhibit keeper in register 084/2017, of June 6, and a case file was opened and the statement of the arrested boy was taken.

    Remilekun also stated that instead of the arrested boy to present himself the next day with his father whom he claimed to be his boss, as directed by the policemen, he opted to call Police Complaint Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU), following which the Officer-in-Charge of the Unit directed the Divisional Police Office (DPO) of Igbeba Police Division to investigate the matter and report.

    Remilekun added that the DPO’s report exornorated his clients, “but this did not go down well with the Area Commander,” who directed that his clients be tried in an orderly room.

    According to him, the orderly room trial proceedings was then altered against his clients.

    The lawyer claimed that his clients were not given fair hearing as no memorandum of appearance was issued to them before their trial and they were also denied the right of Appeal.

    This, he added, contravened the 1999 Constitution,” which guarantees the right to fair hearing and the Police Act.

    He demand an “immediate retraction of the police wireless message DTO: 291121/06/2017, the publication purporting to dismiss of our clients from the Nigerian Police Force and their immediate reinstatement to their position without any loss of Rank, status and remuneration, with a letter of apology to each of them.”

  • Kashamu wants to kill me, Daniel petitions IGP

    Kashamu wants to kill me, Daniel petitions IGP

    The immediate past governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, yesterday accused the Senator representing Ogun East, Chief Buruji Kashamu, of sending hired killers after him.

    Daniel, in a petition to the Police claimed that  “five hefty men, two of them in military fatigue” on Thursday invaded his Abuja residence with a view to terminating his life.

    He said they were acting on behalf of Kashamu, who, according to the former governor, has “on several other occasions boasted in the company of his friends that he will not rest until he sees my end.”

    He added: “This renewed offensive was as a result of the recent Supreme Court ruling placing his own faction at a disadvantage and ending the reign of his control over the State Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, which were all secured through various controversial court orders.

    He asked the police for  additional security protection and to put Kashamu “under security watch list and strict surveillance.”

    The Senator, reacting to the accusation last night said it was a  hoax.
    “It is certain that OGD is hallucinating,” Kashamu’s Media Adviser, Austin Oniyokor said in a  statement.

    “He is the accuser, the investigator, prosecutor and judge in his own case.

    “Pray, why would Senator Kashamu go after a man who is at the twilight of his political career?
    “By the grace of God, the distinguished Senator Buruji Kashamu is PDP’s highest political office holder in Ogun State despite the OGD’s efforts to make him lose the election. So, why would he want to attack a former governor who has lost political relevance six years after leaving office? Is OGD the only former governor in Ogun State?”
    Daniel and Kashamu belong to rival factions of the PDP in Ogun State.
    Their disagreement dates to Daniel’s tenure as governor of the state.

  • Ondo PDP candidacy crisis: Jegede’s group petitions NJC

    Ondo PDP candidacy crisis: Jegede’s group petitions NJC

    • Ibrahim to INEC: I’m candidate

    The Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Judicial Council (NJC), and the Attorney -General of the Federation over alleged unethical conduct and criminal conspiracy to subvert justice in a suit on the party’s governorship candidate.

    In separate petitions against Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja and others, the party alleged unethical conduct in the handling of the suit by Prince Biyi Poroye and eight others against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and PDP.

    In the petition signed by Ondo PDP Chairman Clement Faboyede, the party said it was taken aback when, on October 14, Justice Abang granted an order directing INEC to substitute the name of Mr Eyitayo Jegede with Jimoh Ibrahim as PDP’s candidate.

    The party said the judgment was based on a September 29 motion on notice for the enforcement of an earlier ruling of June 29 in which the applicants sought an order requiring PDP to reject any other nomination forms submitted by any persons apart from Ibrahim.

    “When the application which gave rise to the said order of 14th October 2016 was brought , heard and granted, the judge and the counsel were aware that Eyitayo Jegede’s name had been forwarded to the INEC by the PDP as its candidate,” the petitioner said.

    It added that Jegede was allegedly not afforded an opportunity to be heard.

    But businessman Jimoh Ibrahim slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for not immediately recognising him as the candidate.

    Relying on the October 14 judgment of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Ibrahim said he remained the authentic candidate of the party in the election.

    The suit was jointly filed by the Executive committees of the PDP in Ondo, Osun and Oyo states, with INEC and the PDP as defendants.

    Extract from the Justice Okon Abang’s judgment stated: “That INEC shall accept and process for the purpose of its functions and activities in organisation and conduct of Ondo State governorship election only the nomination of Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim who emerged from primary election conducted by the 1st and 2nd judgment creditors/applicants on 29th August, 2016 as the candidate of the PDP in the said Ondo state governorship election slated for November 2016”.

    However, INEC had said that it would await the outcome of an appeal against the judgement, expected to be delivered on October 27. The appeal was filed by the Makarfi camp.

    But Ibrahim said yesterday that it was out of place for INEC to take such a position.

    According to him, the said appeal referred to by INEC was filed by an individual who was not party to the original suit in the first place. He added that there was no appeal against the judgment, insisting that the individual seeking leave to appeal the judgment was an “outsider”.

    Ibrahim called for the removal of the Ondo State Resident  Electoral Commissioner (REC) for alleged partisanship.

  • Party petitions police

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has petitioned Police Commissioner James Etop over alleged threats to members’ lives by Governor Ayodele Fayose’s aides.

    A statement by the Secretary, Omotoso Paul Ayodele, pointed the commissioner’s attention to an earlier petition to the police dated June 26, alleging planned attacks against members.

    In a petition copied to the state Director of DSS, Omotoso alleged that on June 27, under the guise of holding a rally against President Muhammadu Buhari and in support of Governor Fayose, hoodlums suspected to be Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members stormed a restaurant/bar operated by an APC member, Mrs. Ayoola Adetola, at Okeyinmi in Ado-Ekiti and smashed cartons of beer worth about N40,000 for no reason other than for being a member of the APC.

  • Family petitions police over land

    The Onafonyin family of Isiu in the Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State has appealed to the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Mr. Kakwe Christopher Katso, to save it from an unprofessional and illegal investigation carried out by some policemen to pervert justice and prevent the family from reaping the fruit of its labour on its land.

    In a petition, written by the solicitor to the family, Mr. Tunji Busari, dated Thursday, May 2016, sent to Mr. Katso, the family frowned at the way the policemen shoddily and maliciously handled a land matter belonging to it brought by the proprietor of a private university.

    According to the petition, the way and manner the Imota Police Division carried out its investigation of the complaint of the proprietor was to obstruct the judgment creditors, which is the family, from reaping the fruit of the judgment delivered by Hon. Justice H.A.O. Abiru of High Court of Lagos State, Ikorodu Judicial Division, dated September 11, 2008 in favour of the Onafonyin  family.

    Mr. Busari noted that based on a ruling empowering the judgment creditors to take possession of the land dated May, 19 2015, the family engaged the services of surveyors to conduct the perimeter survey of the said land adjudged to belong to the family.

    He said, to his dismay, when the surveyors mobilized their men to work on the said parcel of land, the university’s men came with the police to arrest “our clients, workers and surveyors on site.”

    “On getting to the Imota Police Station, our clients’ men were directed to vacate the said parcel of land within five days, otherwise our clients and their workers shall be dealt with brutally without even considering the fact that our clients had a judgment declaring them owners of the said parcel of land absolutely.”

    According to the family solicitor, the action of the proprietor of the university with full support and assistance of the police was a gross violation of the principle of law and contempt of law “but our clients being law-abiding citizens decided that the matter be investigated by your honourable office which is full of capable and proficient force men an investigators into this matter.”

    In the light of this, the family appealed to Mr. Katso to use its good offices to wade into this matter “to save our clients from being the victims of an inept, unprofessional and illegal investigation”.