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Election Tribunal in Niger dismisses PDP’s petition, awards cost
The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Minna High court complex, Thursday, dismissed the petition filed by Mohammed Nazeer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), against the election of Shehu Saleh of the All Progressives Congress ( APC).
Justice Angela Otaluka, while dismissing the petition described it as lacking in merit.
Mohammed Nazeer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), approached the Tribunal challenging the election of Shehu Saleh who was declared winner of the February 25 National Assembly Election claimed that the election was manipulated in favour of the respondent and he should be declare the rightful winner of the election.
He alleged that the election was also marred with irregularities and non compliance with the electoral act arguing further that, the respondent did not score the rightful vote cast at the polls.
Nazeer in his petition prayed the Tribunal to upturn the election of Shehu Saleh and return him as rightful winner as he scored the majority and rightful votes cast at various polling units across the Magana Rijau federal constituency .
Justice Angela Otaluka while reviewing the petition during the judgement asserted that all the issues raised and the evidences tendered before the Tribunal are all immaterial and inconsequential and lack merit.
She averred that the petitioner failed woefully to prove the allegations of over-voting and manipulation of voting as well as non compliance with the electoral act among others claimed in his his Petition and the petition was accordingly dismissed as it lack merit.
Justice Otaluka while dismissing the petition she awards a cost of N300,000 to be paid to the respondent
Also, a petition filed by Saidu Isah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of Agaie Federal constituency challenging the election of Mahmud Abdullahi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), suffered another setback as the petition was dismissed by Justice Angela Otaluka led Tribunal.
Saidu Isah had approached the Tribunal to declare him the rightful winner of the February 25 National Assembly Election to represent Agaie Lapai federal constituency claiming that he scored the majority of vote cast at most of the polling units of Agaie and Lapai.
According to the petitioner the election was marred with unprecedented irregularities and characterized with crisis at the most of the polling units across the two federal constituency of Agaie and Lapai claiming that his polling unit and ward agents were chased away from the polling units.
Saidu Isah prayed the Tribunal to return and declare him the winner of the February 25 National Assembly Election unconditionally and upturned the election of the respondent as he did not win the majority of vote cast at the February 25 National Assembly Election to represent Agaie Lapai federal constituency.
In her four hours judgement Justice Angela Otaluka stated that the petitioner failed in totality to substantiate his claim as contained in his petition and he also failed to prove the allegations of non compliance and dismissed the petition with a cost of N300,000 to be paid to the respondent.
News
BREAKING: INEC confirms contact details, begina recall process of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from Senate
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has confirmed that the representatives of the petitioners seeking to recall the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District have now provided their contact details.
In a statement on Wednesday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said:
“The contact address of representatives of the petitioners, their telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses have now been provided in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission.”
He added that INEC has formally notified the senator about the recall petition.
“As provided in Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a letter has been written to notify the senator sought to be recalled about the receipt of the petition and delivered to her official address,” Olumekun stated.
He further explained that the same letter had been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on the Commission’s website.
Speaking on the next step, Olumekun said INEC would now verify the signatures to ensure that more than 50% of registered voters in Kogi Central signed the petition.
“This will be done in the coming days. The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission,” he said.
Olumekun reassured Nigerians that the recall process would be conducted in an open and transparent manner.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Senate Matters, Senator Basheer Lado, has commended his principal for assenting to South West and South – South Development Commissions Bills as well as the Nigeria Anti – Doping Bill 2025.
Senator Lado who made the commendation in a personally signed statement, described presidential assets to the bills as monumental milestone and testament to visionary leadership and national progress.
The statement reads: “I extend my warmest congratulations to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for yet another historic achievement his decisive and visionary assent to the South-West Development Commission Bill, the South-South Development Commission Bill, and the Nigeria Anti-Doping Bill, 2025.
“These landmark legislations are a clear reflection of President Tinubu’s relentless commitment to inclusive governance, equitable progress, and Nigeria’s emergence as a global powerhouse.
“His Excellency has once again demonstrated that leadership is not merely about policies—it is about impact, legacy, and a deep-rooted dedication to uplifting every citizen.
“By signing into law the establishment of the South-West and South-South Development Commissions, President Tinubu has reaffirmed his role as a transformational leader who prioritizes regional empowerment, economic expansion, and infrastructural excellence.
Building on the foundation of his earlier assent to the South-East and North -West Development Commissions, it is evident that President Tinubu is deliberate in bringing development across all regions.
“These commissions will serve as catalysts for industrial growth, job creation, and social advancement—ensuring that every corner of Nigeria benefits from his administration’s progressive vision. This is the mark of a true statesman—one who understands that a nation’s strength lies in its ability to uplift all regions without bias.
“In the same vein, the Nigeria Anti-Doping Bill, 2025 is yet another bold step that solidifies Nigeria’s commitment to fairness, excellence, and integrity in global sports.
“President Tinubu has once again positioned Nigeria as a nation of high ethical standards, ensuring that our athletes compete on the world stage with honor and credibility. By domesticating the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sports, his administration has safeguarded the future of Nigerian sports, protecting our athletes from unfair practices while reinforcing our global reputation as a country that upholds integrity.
“This momentous occasion underscores President Tinubu’s unmatched leadership—one that is proactive, decisive, and deeply attuned to the needs and aspirations of the Nigerian people.
His ability to enact groundbreaking policies that foster unity, drive economic prosperity, and elevate our international standing speaks volumes of his unwavering dedication to national transformation”.
News
BREAKING: Key contact details missing in petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan – INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has acknowledged receiving a petition for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District but noted that key contact details of the petitioners were missing.
In a press release signed by Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, the commission stated that the petition was submitted with six bags of documents containing signatures from more than half of the 474,554 registered voters in the district.
However, the covering letter only provided a general location, “Okene, Kogi State,” without a specific address or multiple contact numbers as required by INEC’s regulations.
INEC emphasized that the recall process is guided by the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and its 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for Recall.
The commission assured that once the petition meets all requirements, it will proceed with verifying the signatures using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in an open process involving petitioners, observers, and the media.
INEC is currently making efforts to reach the petitioners through other means and urged the public to disregard speculation on social media regarding the recall process.
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