Headlines
Court fixes September 14 to hear Wike’s suit against Atiku
Justice Ahmed Mohammed of a Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed September 14 for hearing in a suit challenging the emergence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election.
The suit, which has the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and one Newgent Ekamon as plaintiffs is seeking the disqualification of Atiku as standard bearer of the PDP on the grounds of alleged irregularities in the conduct of the May 28 and 29 presidential primary that produced Atiku as PDP’s candidate.
Although Wike has since distanced himself from the court action, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/782/2022, the plaintiffs placed eight issues for determination before the court,including whether the purported transfer of Tambuwal’s votes to Atiku by the PDP was illegal and void.
Defendants in the suit are PDP, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Atiku Abubakar and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal as 1st to 4th respectively.
But the defendants, in their response, have asked the court to dismiss the suit for being frivolous, baseless, unwarranted and unknown to law.
PDP, Atiku and Tanbuwal predicated their objections on four cardinal grounds, amongst which were that the instant suit as filed was unknown to law and not cognizable under a pre-election matter.
In the suit filed on their behalf by Mr Ayo Ajibade, SAN, the three respondents averred that the first plaintiff, Ekamon, having not participated in the primary election conducted by the PDP lacked the requisite locus standi to institute this suit.
Atiku PDP and Tambuwal further stated that the suit as brought by the applicants did not fall within the purview of Section 84 of the Electoral Act, as such did not qualify as a pre-election dispute.
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The fourth ground was that the instant suit was not initiated by due process of the law and therefore sought order of the court striking out or dismissing the suit in its entirety for want of jurisdiction.
In the Originating Summons, the plaintiffs were asking the court to determine if Tambuwal lost his claim to votes the moment he stepped down for Atiku.
They asked the court to determine whether Tambuwal, “having stepped down during the primaries, ought to lose his votes.”
Wike and Ekamon argued that should these issues be determined in their favour, the court should grant their reliefs, including a declaration that the purported transfer of Tambuwal’s votes to Atiku be declared null and void.
They further sought a declaration that the PDP acted negligently and in bad faith by assigning the Sokoto governor’s votes to Atiku at the primary.
Headlines
Commission, journalists partner to revamp water sector in Kaduna
The Kaduna State Water Services Regulatory Commission (KADWREC) says it is partnering media practitioners towards revamping water services in the state.
Mr Dogara Bashir, the Executive Chairman of KADWREC, disclosed this on Monday at a one-day workshop organised for media practitioners on regulation of ‘Water, Sanitation and Hygiene’ (WASH) activities held in Kaduna.
Bashir said the commission was aware of the importance of the role media practitioners played in the society.
He stated that the workshop was to provide an avenue to liaise with them as important stakeholders on water supply and sanitation services in the state.
Bashir said: “As media practitioners, we believe you are a gateway to the citizens so, the workshop would acquaint you with some of the regulations already in place so that you can in turn transmit it to the public
“The state of water services in Kaduna State is in dire need of attention and the State Water Corporation and KADWREC were established towards addressing the seeming challenges.
“The commission is mandated to ensure better service delivery and regulation of water and sanitation services in the State.
“The idea is that once the regulations are developed, we send them to the State Ministry of Justice to gazette and then we get the state government to endorse and give the go ahead to commence the implementation of the regulations
“We intend to implement them fully come January, 2025 God willing, as we have embarked on advocacy activities having gone to zones 1 and 2 where we talked to traditional rulers, security agencies and the Judiciary.”
He disclosed that a special Court has already been attached to the commission by the Chief Judge of the State for service providers who may likely violate regulations.
The chairman further said that amongst the commission’s objectives include ensuring security, reliability and quality of service in the production and delivery of water to the consumers as well making regulations to control the sinking of boreholes.
Others included; maximising access to water services by promoting and facilitating consumer connections to distribution systems in urban and rural areas.
According to Bashir, they also include ensuring that regulatory decision-making has regards to all the relevant health, safety, environmental and social legislation applying to the water sector.
Bashir further said that the commission collaborate with the relevant state and federal agencies on water policies.
Crime
2 ladies docked for allegedly obtaining money by fraud
The police in Lagos have dragged two women, Mmesuma Ofunna, and Blessing Adimekwe, before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, over alleged obtaining money by false pretence.
Ofunna, 22, and Adimekwe, 25, were arraigned before the Magistrate, Mr L K J Layeni, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, stealing and conduct likely to breach peace.
They each, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecutor, ASP Simon Uche, told the court that the defendants conspired with others now at large, to commit the offence on Oct. 26 at the Okokomaiko area of Ojo.
He alleged that they had obtained the sum of N70, 000 from one Faith Ahamefule, with a promise not to post her nude photo on social media.
The prosecutor alleged that the defendants later posted the nude photo of the nominal complainant on social media, knowing that their promise was false.
He alleged that they stole the N70, 0000, thereby conducting themselves in a manner likely to breach public peace.
The offence contravenes the provisions of sections 168(d), 287, 314, and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
The court granted the defendants bails in the sum of N500, 000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.
He adjourned the case until Jan. 8, 2025 for mention.
Headlines
Driver jailed 6 months for attempting to steal a car
A Jos Magistrates’ Court on Monday, sentenced a 37-year-old driver, Ahmad Umar to six months in imprisonment for attempting to steal a car.
The Magistrate, Shawomi Bokkos, summarily tried and sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty to the charge.
Bokkos in his judgment, ordered the convict to pay an option of N30, 000 fine or spend six months in prison.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Ibrahim Gokwat, told the court that the case was reported on Oct. 10, at the Area Command Police station through a distress call by one Sydney Peacemorie the complainant.
Gokwat said the complainant parked his Toyota RAV4 in front of Access Bank and went inside to carry out some transactions, only to return to find the convict inside his car.
“The convict unlawfully opened the car and was in the driver’s seat when the complainant raised alarm and he was apprehended, but his accomplice escaped.
“The convict was severely beaten by a mob but was rescued by the police,” said Gokwat.
“The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the Plateau Penal Code Law.
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