Politics
Allocation freeze: states set timetables for council elections
Some states have unfolded plans for local government elections, following the Supreme Court judgment which ordered non-release of allocations to councils run by caretaker committees.
The states that have set timetables for polls are Katsina, Osun, Enugu, Sokoto, Abia and Anambra.
Others are Benue, Jigawa, Ondo, Kebbi and Imo.
Today in Abuja, Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Wale Edun, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and Federal Accounts and Allocation Committee (FAAC) officials will meet to discuss the implementation of the apex court verdict.
An aide to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice told The Nation that the Supreme Court was unambiguous in its verdict.
When asked if the apex court decision had been communicated to the parties, the aide said: “There is no need communicating it to the federal and states’ executives. They were parties to the dispute through their attorneys-general.”
He added: “The Federal Government through remarks of Mr. President has acknowledged the court judgment. So, it’s up to relevant agencies of government to begin immediate implementation.”
The aide listed the Ministry of Finance, the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), FAAC representatives and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) as the agencies responsible for implementation.
Reflecting on the judgment, the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) called for increased allocations to the 774 local governments to enable them tackle the challenges of grassroots development.
Osun: no tenure extension for caretaker committee
The Chairman of Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), Hashim Abioye, said the commission has a timetable for elections that would be held in February .
He said: “Notice of election goes to the very root of the election. Any defect in the notice will knock off the election as it will lack any valid foundational basis.
“The notice we have given was in line with the law. Both the Electoral Act, 2022, and OSSIEC Law, 2022 provides for at least, 360 days before the date of the election. This we have done since February, this year. We are therefore, in a good stead to go ahead with our activities.”
Abioye said the tenure of the caretaker committee appointed by Governor Ademola Adeleke will expire next month.
He expressed doubt if their tenure would be extended.
However, 16 opposition political parties have said they would boycott the polls.
Osun State Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC),in a communique by its Chairman, Victor Akande, said “Abioye is not legally fit to conduct free, fair and credible local government election “ because he is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Abioye, said the allegation by the 16 parties was unfounded.
Enugu: we are ready for October 5
Enugu State government has reiterated its readiness to conduct polls as scheduled by the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC).
The polls will hold on October 5.
The Commissioner for Information, Aka Eze Aka, said: “The state has declared that it will conduct elections in the local government areas and will democratically do so. The next factor is the mobilisation of the people.
“We’re ready at any point and cost. We’re ready to conduct free, fair and credible local government elections.”
But, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ensure that elections into local governments are conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and not state electoral commissions(SIEC)
It’s chairman, Ugochukwu Agballah, said elections conducted by SIECs are not just a shame, but also an embarrassment to the international community.
Sokoto: Polls hold September
The Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Sambo Bello Danchadi, said council polls will hold in September.
He said: “Although, no exact date has been fixed, the SIEC has commenced preparations for the conduct of the elections.”
Benue: election is November 16
The Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) has fixed council polls for November 16.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Local and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dennis Akura, said,: “ Even before the judgment, Governor Alia on his first day in office granted autonomy to local governments in Benue State and had been channeling funds straight to their accounts.”
He added: “The Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy is a boost for Benue because the State Electoral Commission has fixed November 16 for polls.”
Kebbi: Opposition to participate on August 31
The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Kebbi said it would participate in the elections scheduled for Aug. 31.
Its spokesman, Alhaji Sani Dododo, who spoke in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, said: “The decision to fully participate during the polls was reached after a meeting of enlarged stakeholders of the party.
“The meeting resolved that the party should fully participate in the poll so as not to jeopardise the ambition of young party members willing to test their popularity at the said elections at both councillorship and chairmanship levels.
“We are going to submit the names of our candidates for both the councillorship and chairmanship positions by July 17.”
Imo: poll on September 21
Council polls will hold in Imo State on September 21, Imo State Government,(IMSG) has said.
Its Chairman, Charles Ejiogu, reassured the people of the government’s determination, saying that the date would not be compromised.
He said: “Pursuant to its establishment Law No 14 of 2000, as amended, the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) is charged with the task of conducting and supervising a free, transparent, and credible local government council elections in Imo State.
“To this end, ISIEC is set to conduct the much expected council elections into the 305 INEC Registration Areas/Wards and in all the 4,758 INEC polling units in the 27 local government area councils of Imo State, come Saturday 21 September, 2024.”
Ejiogu added: “We are very well prepared for the election that will usher in 27 democratically elected council chairmen, their deputies, and 305 councillors, in line with the objective of the polls.”
Rivers: APC gives conditions
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has announced October 5 as poll date, urging political parties to brace for it.
The Chairman of the commission, Justice Enebeli (rtd), said the date was mutually agreed upon by 17 political parties.
He said: “We will conduct a free, fair credible local government elections. Every vote will count, only winners with majority vote count will be declared”.
But the All Progressives Congress (APC) said it would only partake in the poll, if the processes are transparent.
Its Caretaker Committee Chairman, Tony Okocha, shunned the meeting organised by the commission.
He said: “I was not invited. My party was not invited. My party is too big not to be officially invited for an event like that.
“I am too big to attend an event that I was not officially invited. RSIEC refused to officially invite me as a chairman of a major opposition party in the state.”
Ondo: Councils will be funded
The people of Ondo State were warming up for council polls before they were postponed indefinitely last month by the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODSIEC).
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has set up Transition Committees for the 18 local governments and 33 Local Councils Development Areas.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Amidu Takuro, said the setting up of Transition Committees was part of the processes leading to the conduct of local government elections.
Oyo: Makinde summons emergency meeting
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde yesterday summoned an emergency stakeholders consultative meeting to discuss the Supreme Court judgment.
The governor, who also set up two committees- Technical and Legal – to review the judgment, expressed displeasure at what he referred to as “lacuna” in the court decision.
Addressing the stakeholders at the Executive Chamber of the Governors Office in Ibadan, the state capital, Makinde gave four weeks to the committees to present their reports.
At the meeting were ALGON members, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abiodun Aikomo, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Ademola Ojo, and Chairman of House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, representatives of the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), and Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).
Makinde said the problem confronting the nation was not how to share money, but how to become more productive and create economic prosperity.
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21, 2024 Edo State governorship election, Dr Asue Ighodalo on Friday, opened his case challenging the victory of Sen. Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by tendering over 1000 documents used in the election, in support of his petition.
Ighodalo and th PDP in a petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024 are contesting Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) declaration of Okpebholo, winner of the election alleging that there were irregularities during the exercise.
Ighodalo claimed that he scored the highest valid votes and not Okpebholo and wondered why the INEC would declare him the winner.
When hearing resumes on Friday, the Lead counsel to the Petitioners, Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, tendered from the bar Certified True Copy (CTC) of Form EC8E which is the INEC’s final declaration result sheet of the poll in support of the petitioners’ cases.
Kenneth Mozia, who conducted the presentations at the instance of Oyeyipo also tendered CTC of Form EC8D; the summary of results from Local Government Areas Collation at the State Level.
Other documents tenders were Certified True Copies of Form EC8Cs, covering the 18 Local Government Areas in the state, CTC of Forms EC8B (Wards Results Sheets) used for the conduct of the election in the 192 Wards in the state were also tendered by Mozia, all in support of the petitioner’s cases.
The petitioners further tendered in evidence 320 Certified True Copies of Form EC8A documents (polling Units results sheets),
While presenting before the court 318 CTCs of INEC’s Polling Units Booklets, each containing Form EC25D, Mozia, again, tendered in court 58 CTCs of Form EC8A (IREV).
Reacting, counsel to INEC, Governor Monday Okpebholo and APC (1st to 3rd respondents), Kanu Agabi, SAN, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, and D.C. Denwigwe, SAN, who held the brief of Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, objected to the admissibility of the documents
The respondent’s counsel told the court that they would be abducing reasons for their objections to the petitioners’ CTC documents at the final address stage of the petition.
Justice Wilfred Kpochi led the tribunal in response provisionally admitted all the documents tendered in evidence and marked the same as exhibits.
“Learned counsel to the respondents shall state their reasons for their objections at the address stage”, Justice Kpochi held.
Hearing on the petition continues tomorrow, Saturday, December 18, 2024 as the petitioners are expected to tender more documents in support of their petitions.
There was confusion at the entrance of the courtroom where the Edo state Governorship election petition Tribunal were sitting as youth leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC chased out private security men believed to have been contracted by the Governorship aspirant of the PDP in the just concluded Edo Governorship election.
The drama started at the corridor leading to the courtroom when the APC youth leaders and their supporters were prevented from gaining access, before they mobilized their supporters to chase the security men who were dressed in black away.
Speaking to newsmen, two of the APC youth leaders identified as Comrade Kelly and Tony Kabaka, said they have to chase them away as only the DSS and policemen were permitted to provide security at the court.
Meanwhile, former deputy governor of Edo state Comrade Philip Shaibu and Asue Ighodalo of the PDP were present inside the courtroom while the drama lasted.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Friday, affirmed Mr. Julius Abure as the authentic National Chairman of the Labour Party, LP.
The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel, upheld the October 8, judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, today grant the LP under Abure’s leadership, all the rights and privileges accorded a political party duly registered in the country.
According to the appellate court, it found no reason to dislodge the judgement that was delivered in Abure’s favour by Justice Emeka Nwite.
It will be recalled that following a leadership crisis that rocked the LP, the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party resolved to remove Abure as the National Chairman.
To fill the leadership vacuum, the party constituted a 29-member caretaker committee, with former finance minister, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, as Chairman and Hon. Darlington Nwokocha as Secretary.
The decision was the outcome of an expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the party that was hosted in Umuahia by governor Alex Otti of Abia State.
The meeting where Abure was sacked from office was chaired by his former ally and candidate of the party in the 2023 presidential election, Mr. Peter Obi.
Dissatisfied with the decision, Abure approached the high court to validate his position as the National Chairman of the party.
In an affidavit he personally deposed to in support of the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, Abure told the court that following the death of the National Chairman of the LP, he was lawfully elected as the Acting National Chairman of the party at a National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the party that held in Benin City, Edo State, on March 29, 2021.
He told the court that on April 18, 2023, at the NEC meeting of the party held in Asaba, Delta State and duly monitored by INEC, it was resolved that tenures of State Chairmen whose tenures had expired, be renewed.
He said it was at the same meeting that some members that were engaged in anti-party activities were expelled and replacements for vacant positions created as a result of the expulsion, done.
Abure averred that in line with a consensus that was reached at the meeting, the party subsequently held its National Convention on March 27, 2024, at Nnewi, Anambra State, where we was lawfully elected to the office of National Chairman of the LP.
He said the party under his leadership produced candidates for governorship elections in both Edo and Ondo states.
According to the plaintiff, on June 28, 2024, INEC, issued to him and 18 other National Chairmen of political parties, a Notice for Inspection of Sensitive Election Materials for the Ondo and Edo state governorship polls.
However, he decried that a later notice that INEC gave for political parties to nominate two persons from their IT Unit to undertake a training on how to upload data unto INEC’s portal for the purpose of the impending Ondo state gubernatorial election, was not served on him.
Abure told the court that he became aware of the existence of the said notice of the training by INEC, on August 21, 2024, due to the fact that he is a member of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee, IPAC.
Therefore, he prayed the court to intervene by compelling INEC to acord him recognition as the National Chairman of the LP.
While granting the request, Justice Nwite held that he found merit in the case of the plaintiff.
The court equally ordered INEC to perform its lawful duty by conducting a refresher training for the upload of LP’s agents into the INEC portal and to issue the plaintiff (Abure) the Access Code required to access INEC’s portal for the Ondo Governorship Election that held on November 16, 2024.
“I am of the view that and so hold that on the basis of these cogent verifiable documents, the defendants attempt to impeach the validity of the leadership of the plaintiff fails.
“The plaintiff has proved his case.
“I hereby make an order compelling the defendant to accord the plaintiff’s political party under the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure all the rights and privileges accorded a political party duly registered in Nigeria,” Justice Nwite held.
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