Politics

Why I’m Not Worried About Tinubu’s Swearing-In On May 29 – Atiku Speaks

Published

2 weeks ago

May 23, 2023

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has spoken about the impending swearing in of Bola Tinubu as President.

Atiku, on Tuesday, said he was not worried that the President-elect, Tinubu, would be sworn in on May 29, before the conclusion of petitions seeking to nullify his election victory.

Atiku, who is currently challenging the declaration of Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as winner of the presidential election that held on February 25, said he was hopeful that he would reclaim his mandate in court.

Speaking through his lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, shortly after the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja, consolidated his petition with the ones that were filed by candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi and the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, Atiku, maintained that the court, has the powers to sack Tinubu from office, even after the swearing in ceremony.

Noting that full blown hearing on the three merged petitions would commence on May 30, a day after Tinubu’s swearing in as President, the PDP candidate, through his team of f lawyers, said: “I have been asked about May 29, I want to assure people that swearing in is only a ceremony that does not in any way tie the hands of the court.

“The taking of oath binds the person who takes the oath and not the court

“The court has given you its timelines for parties to present their case. We are happy that with the development, the petitions will be expeditiously determined, ” Atiku’s lawyer, Uche, SAN, added.

It will be recalled that the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel had during the presentation of its pre-hearing report on Tuesday, okayed Atiku’s request to be use three weeks to present evidence before the court, through 100 witnesses.

Atiku had in his joint petition with the PDP, marked: CA/PEPC/05/2023, maintained that the declaration of Tinubu as winner of the presidential election was “invalid by reason of non- compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022”.

He argued that Tinubu’s election was invalid by reason of corrupt practices.

Aside from praying the court to declare him winner of the presidential election, having secured the second highest number of votes cast, Atiku and the PDP, applied for the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return that was already issued to Tinubu by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Meanwhile, the President-elect, Tinubu, has barred his legal team from speaking to newsmen throughout the duration hearing of the petitions seeking to invalidate his election victory.

The lead counsel that appeared for the APC at the resumed proceedings on Tuesday, Chief Niyi Akintola, SAN, made the disclosure in the open court after the panel gave a hint that it may ban both lawyers and members of the public from entering the courtroom with their mobile phones and other electronic gadgets.

Justice Tsammani said the decision was based on the need to enhance security within the courtroom and to protect the sanctity of the proceedings.

Responding, Chief Akintola, SAN, said: “My lords, that is why those of us that are representing the 2nd and 3rd respondents (Tinubu and APC), are acting on strict instructions.

“We have taken a decision not to talk to the press. We have 38 SANs in our team and my lords, in fact, the penalty for anyone that goes against the instruction and speaks to the press after every proceeding, is expulsion from the team,” he added.

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NEWS

Senate Presidency: I’m Not Stepping Down – Orji Kalu Vows

Published

2 weeks ago

May 30, 2023

Baba Blow

Kalu made this known during a press briefing on Tuesday morning at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.

The chief whip of the Ninth Senate, Orji Kalu has said he has no plan to step down in his bid to become Senate President.

The lawmaker made this known during a press briefing on Tuesday morning at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.

He also added that he was in talks with one of the contenders for the Seanet Presidency, former Zamfara governor, Abdulaziz Yari over collaboration and partnerships.

The National Working Committee of the All Progressive Party had named Senators Godswill Akpabio and Jibrin Barau as its preferred candidates for the office of the Senate President and Deputy respectively.

Senator Kalu said, “I won’t step down for anybody.

“We are talking with Governor Yari. Our group and his group are talking intimately and in partnership. We will make sure that no one zone can produce the Senate presidency. Like I used to tell people, no zone can produce the president of Nigeria.

“What we are trying to do with Senator Yari is a united partnership that will work for Nigeria. In the coming days or weeks, that partnership will be unveiled, so we are in serious talks. I cannot deny it; Yari is a friend of mine and I’m his friend and we have decided to talk. We have been speaking for the past four weeks and the result will be unveiled by our sponsors, he has his sponsors and I have my sponsors.”

He added, “The sponsors will come together to decide what direction this partnership will be. I’ll be very happy to reveal what the sponsors will say. Two of us are thinking of the integrity of the Senate and support President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima. If you are thinking that what happened during Saraki’s time, it will never happen again.”

Recall that in 2015, Bukola Saraki, a former governor of Kwara state, defied the All Progressives Congress to emerge senate president. The ruling party at the time chose current Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

The chief whip noted that the collaborations of Kalu-Yari won’t disappoint Nigerians.

He said, “We are capable of representing ourselves; Yari-Kalu – Kalu-Yari – we won’t disappoint Nigerians. We

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NEWS

Shehu Sani Reacts As Tinubu Removes Fuel Subsidy

Published

2 weeks ago

May 29, 2023

Baba Blow

Former federal lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani has taken to Twitter to react following the removal of the fuel subsidy regime by President Bola Tinubu.

Recall that Tinubu had during his inaugural speech, said the subsidy is no longer sustainable in the country, stressing that it is gone.

Reacting, Sani, in a tweet on his verified Twitter handle, lauded President Tinubu, stating that it is the right time to take tough decisions that are capable of revamping the nation’s economy.

He wrote: “Within seven months last year, the CBN ‘defended’ the naira with $11.24 billion. Currently, petrol subsidy consumes N400 billion monthly.

“There is no better time to take tough economic decisions to revamp our economy than now. The culture of allocating foreign exchange to elites with multiple bureaus de change to sell on the black market must end.

“The opacity of the subsidy regime’s chains of fraud must also end.”

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NEWS

BREAKING: President Tinubu Makes First Set Of Appointments

Published

2 weeks ago

May 29, 2023

Baba Blow

President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who was sworn in on Monday, May 29 has made his first set of appointments as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In the appointments, he named Ambassador Kunle Adeleke as the State Chief of Protocol (SCOP) to the President.

He also appointed former Lagos State Commissioner of Information, Dele Alake as the Presidential Spokesman and Olusegun Dada Special Adviser, Digital Media.

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