By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Constitutional lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to stop conducting by-elections in the country as such by-elections only lead to unnecessary and wasteful spending of funds.

Falana who made the call in a statement on Sunday, argued that since votes recorded during elections belong to political parties, the replacement of elected candidates as a result of death or resignation should not call for a by-election. “The political parties that sponsored the candidates that die or resign should be directed to fill the vacancy by nominating another candidate,” the lawyer said. He also urged the National Assembly to amend the electoral act to allow parties to replace elected officers without resorting to by-elections.

“The National Assembly should therefore amend the Electoral Act to allow political parties to replace elected public officers who lose their positions as a result of death, resignation or impeachment.

By virtue of Section 221 of the Nigerian Constitution, elections are won by political parties and not by candidates. “In the case of Amaechi vs. INEC & Ors (2 008) LCN/3642 (SC), the Supreme Court held that “The above provision (i.e.Section 221) effectually removes the possibility of independent candidacy in our elections, and places emphasis and responsibility in elections on political parties. Without a political party, a candidate cannot contest

“In his own contribution to the judgment, Pius Olayiwola Aderemi JSC (of blessed memory) emphatically stated that “…it is the political parties that the electorates do vote for at election time. “In P D.P. v. I.N.E.C. (1999)7SC (PT II) 30, Mr. Boni Haruna was allowed to be the governor of Adamawa State following the resignation of the elected governor, Mr Atiku Abubakar, who had been nominated as Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party. “For some inexplicable reasons, the Independent National Electoral Commission changed the law when it decided to conduct an additional election after the death of Mr. Audu Abubakar who had emerged the Governor of Kogi State,” he said.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Parents and relatives of the #Endbadgovernance protest that took place from 1-10 August 2024, has charged the federal government to investigate the numbers of casualties who were killed, injured and missing during and after the protest.

Ibrahim Yaha who spoke on behalf of the bereaved victims parent at a press briefing in Kano on Monday stated that the government has neglected investigating the killing by the police and swept justice under the carpet leaving them in pain.

“Each one of us has been in pain since August 2024 because our sons and daughters were killed by the police. We expected the government to acknowledge the atrocities committed by the police during the protest and to bring to justice all those suspected of responsibility for the killings and injuries.

“We all waited and waited but there seemed to be no any effort to investigate the police handling of the protest. We are dismayed that we did not receive condolences and not even a sympathy visit. Some of our sons and daughters were not even part of the protest, but they were killed because of excessive use of force and lethal attempts made by the police to suppress the protest. We are ready to provide all the information and evidence.”.

They however demanded that President Bola Tinubu should order a panel of inquiry in the killings that will constitute of experts as well as the parents of those killed.

Other demands include call for a public and impartial investigations into all the killings by the police during #Endbadgovernance protest, those suspected of being responsible for the killings must be held accountable and brought to justice and Justice for Victims’ Families.

Two Nigerians, identified as Simi and Peter, have opened up about the challenges they face as immigrants in Canada.

In a video circulating on social media on Monday, they both explained that they moved to the country with hopes of a brighter future, but unforeseen circumstances have pushed them to the brink of homelessness.

Narrating her story, Simi, who moved to Canada alone to pursue her studies, recalled the initial excitement of arriving in the country.

“When I came to Canada, I was going to school in Hamilton, so it was pretty good. I was in boarding school, so it was pretty good,” she said.

Despite the promising start, Simi said that her journey took a turn when a failed business investment and rising housing costs in Toronto derailed her plans.

“It’s a long story, but it’s mostly because I invested in a business idea that failed. I was running colleges down the street, and I had a fashion business,” she explained.

The soaring cost of housing compounded her struggles.

“There is an issue with housing. It’s not so much detox, it’s not so much hospitals, it’s not so much the mental health, like the therapy. It’s more so housing that there’s issues with,” she said.

Simi also added that she battles anxiety, which makes traditional employment challenging.

“I struggle with anxiety. And so working on a 9-to-5 is quite difficult. I’m trying to figure out what to do and how to balance myself,” she added.

When asked if she is currently homeless, Simi said, “I’m working on it.”

Meanwhile, 25-year-old Peter noted that he arrived in Canada as a student in December 2023, with his father as his financial sponsor.

However, tragedy struck when his father suffered a stroke, leaving him unable to continue supporting Peter.

“I came in as a student. I was doing good, but all of a sudden my dad, who was my sponsor, fell sick. He got a stroke. So they were unable to support me again,” Peter explained.

Now homeless, Peter expressed his immediate need for shelter.

When asked what he needed the most, he replied, “Shelter. They help me the most.”