Judiciary
Tribunal Affirms Orji Kalu’s Victory, Throws Out PDP, LP’s Petitions
Emeka Nnaji, Umuahia
The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, the Abia State Capital, has upheld the victory of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu representing Abia-North Senatorial District in the February 25, 2023 National Assembly election.
A three man panel led by Justice Samson Paul -Gang in its unanimous ruling on Tuesday dismissed the petition of People’s Democratic Party’s Mao Ohuabunwa and Labour Party’s Nnamdi Iro Orji for lacking merit.
The court while upholding the victory of Kalu of the All Progressives Congress, APC said that the election of the former Senate Chief Whip compiled with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The tribunal judges also faulted the arguments of both petitioners that election did not hold in over 120 polling units mainly in Ohafia and Arochukwu Local Government Areas of the zone.
Nnamdi Iro and Ohuabunwa who came second and third respectively,Labour Party, who came second and third respectively, in separate suits had asked the court to overturn the election of the former Abia Governor as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, alleging irregularities.
Also kicked out in the petition of the PDP and Labour Party was the argument that the total number of registered voters in the allegedly affected polling units was far above the margin of win between Kalu and the first and second runners-up.
The court in its constitutional interpretation also validated Kalu’s eligibility to contest the election stating that his trial and conviction was quashed by the supreme court.
Two other matters filed by the Labour Party challenging Kalu’s election were also interpreted and laid to rest by the Tribunal judges and thus declared Kalu the duly elected Senator of Abia North.
Kalu, a Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) was declared winner by the INEC returning Officer for Abia North, Mr Chinedu Nnamdi at Ohafia.
Kalu a two time Lawmaker who currently presides as the Chairman Senate committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation was declared winner by INEC of the keenly contested February 25 Senatorial polls having scored 30,805 votes to defeat Nnamdi who got 27,540 votes.
While Kalu’s other opponent Mao Ohuabunwa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 15,175 votes to place third.
Olasunmibo Aboluwade, Abuja
Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has warned relevant government agencies to thread with caution and ensure the safety of a former minister of power and steel, Dr. Olu Agunloye, who has been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Service.
Agunloye is currently awaiting trial on corruption charges.
Soyinka likened the travail of Agunloye to the tragic 2001 assassination of former Minister of Justice, Bola Ige.
Agunloye had pleaded not guilty to the charges when he was presented before the Federal High Court.
The presiding judge ordered his remand in Kuje pending the issuance of bail.
Soyinka raised concerns about Agunloye’s safety within the correctional facility.
He emphasized the historical context, reminding the nation of Bola Ige’s murder, which remains unsolved to this day.
The Nobel laureate said, “I wish to alert the nation and the government that there exists a justifiable, high-level concern for his safety.
“His predecessor in office, the late Chief Bola Ige, was murdered in his bedroom by a professional assassin even while his police protection detail took time off, all at the same time, to a nearby eatery,” Soyinka stated.
Drawing attention to Agunloye’s previous collaboration in investigating Ige’s murder, Wole Soyinka expressed the potential dangers that the former minister might face due to the abrupt decision to remand him to prison.
Soyinka called for the establishment of an independent, non-partisan commission to thoroughly investigate the scandal surrounding Agunloye’s case.
“The latest development is sinister and alarming. Let it be understood that if anything happens to this pivotal witness while in custody, the inference will be heard loud, clear, and unambiguous,” Soyinka warned.
The backdrop to this controversy includes the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declaring Agunloye wanted in December 2023 on charges of forgery and corruption.
Soyinka’s statement serves as a powerful call for transparency, justice, and a careful examination of the circumstances surrounding Agunloye’s legal proceedings.
Olasunmibo Aboluwade, Abuja
The Director General of the National Institute For Legislative And Democratic Studies, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, said on Thursday that the inadequate number of legislative drafters in National and state assemblies is affecting lawmaking in Nigeria
Sulaiman, who is a former Minister of National Planning stated this during the inauguration of the third NILDS Internship Programme on Legislative Drafting, in Abuja.
He said NILDS introduced the internship programme on Legislative Drafting when it discovered the need to strengthen the nation’s parliaments with experts that would make the lawmakers’ jobs easier.
The DG said the insufficient numbers of legislative drafters in the parliaments across Nigeria was because no university in the country was offering it as a course.
Sulaiman said all the interns are qualified lawyers who had either first class or second class upper at their degree level.
He said “The NILDS Internship Programme on Legislative Drafting is an initiative designed to provide interns with the requisite knowledge, and skills in Legislative Drafting.
“This is to enhance the capacity of interns in legislative drafting and equip them with the necessary knowledge needed to actively contribute to the drafting of laws and other legislative instruments for the legislature in the country.
“This initiative is important in view of the fact that legislative drafting is a very specialised area of law that is not taught as a regular course in conventional institutions of learning.
“It is on this note therefore, that I wish to urge the participants who have been carefully selected by our team of experts to consider themselves lucky to benefit from this great opportunity.
“The objectives of the Internship programme are specially designed to acquaint interns with knowledge on the principles and rules of legislative drafting, the legislative process and the role of a legislative drafter.
“They are expected to know the different types of legislation, such as bills, regulations, and treaties.
“They will also have the skills on legal research and analysis of legal issues relevant to legislative drafting, committee system in the Legislature, and to understand the impact of legislation on the society.
“This initiative is based on the commitment of the Institute to bridge the gap in the acute shortage of legislative drafters in the country despite the increasing demand for their services across the national and sub-national levels.”
Sulaiman added that the internship initiative was the first of its kind to be organised by any African Parliament.
He said, ” Nigeria is taking the lead and hopes that other Parliaments will follow suit.”
The DG said the leadership of the 10th National Assembly was commitment to sustaining the laudable initiative considering the gains and potentials it would have in consolidating and strengthening the legislative institution.
He said, “In 2022, two batches of interns were trained by the Institute. The training for the first batch commenced in February, while the 2nd batch commenced in May 2022.
“At the end of the programme, the interns were assessed, and the Institute granted the best interns employment opportunity with the Institute, and this year’s internship programme will not be an exception.
“The interns were also issued certificates, as well as letters of recommendation for engagement of their services by legislators.”
THISDAY reports that 30 interns were admitted into the programme.
The institute had so far trained 60 legislative drafters since the internship programme started in 2022.
Olasunmibo Aboluwade, Abuja
The Court of Appeal, Abuja, has nullified the victory of the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Simon Mwadkwon, who is representing Plateau North- Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
In a unanimous judgement, the three-member panel led by Justice Daudu Williams held that the PDP did not validly nominate Mwadkwon.
The panel held that it is their view that court orders were not fully complied with by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as 12 Local Government Areas (LGAs) didn’t participate in the congress.
The court also ordered a rerun for the Plateau North Senatorial seat to be conducted in 90 days.
The court cited non-compliance with a subsisting court order from the Plateau State High Court made since 2020 for the PDP to conduct Congress before nominations, as a key factor in their decision.
The panel at the Appellate court led by Justice Okon Abang also nullified the victory of PDP’s Musa Avia representing Bassa North in the House of Representatives