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  ACTDA FLASH Public Announcement Yesterday, Tuesday 5th Sept 2023, officials of Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA) arrested some children who were seen gallivanting under the Aroma Flyover.  It has become an ugly trend at Aroma flyover of recent, where children in their numbers occupy the pedestrian walkways of the popular Aroma flyover, terrorizing the environment, stealing from unsuspecting members of the public and vandalizing Government properties situated within the area.  Findings revealed that some of the children have not been to their homes for the past 15 months as their parents alleged when they came to reclaim them from the authority.  Some of the arrested children are part of a growing syndicate of professional beggars who are recruited by a boss and dropped off every morning at different locations to make money for the same person.  ACTDA hereby issues a final warning to parents and guardians whose children engage in such nefario...

September 6, 2023 Press Statement  PDP Rejects Presidential Election Petition Court Judgment  Few moments ago, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) delivered Judgment in the Petition filed by our Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Candidate, Atiku Abubakar against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the declaration of the APC and Senator Tinubu as Winner of the February 25, 2023 Presidential election by INEC. As a Party, we have had an initial review of the Judgment as delivered by the PEPC and we unequivocally reject the said Judgement in its entirety. The Judgement is against reason, against the facts and evidence presented in Court; against the relevant Electoral Laws, Guidelines and Regulations as well as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). Indeed, the Judgment is generous in technicalities and very short in delivering subst...

Nigeria superstars, Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala have been nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or award. French Football, organisers of the award, listed the nominees on Wednesday evening, September 6, with Osimhen and Oshoala making the cut. Osimhen will battle it out with 29 other nominees including Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Mohamed Salah, and Kevin De Bruyne. Also on the 30-man shortlist are Antoine Griezmann, Martin Odegaard, Luka Modric, Ilkay Gundogan, Vinicius Junior and Robert Lewandowski. In the women’s category, Oshoala will also hope to beat off competition from 29 players including Women’s World Cup winner Aitana Bonmati to land the award. The Ballon d'Or 2023 ceremony will be held at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 30.  

Tribunal sacks Delta South senator, orders re-run within 90 days The Senatorial Election Tribunal sitting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, on Wednesday, sacked the lawmaker representing Delta South, Senator Thomas Onowakpo. The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Michael Diden, had approached the tribunal with his petition seeking the disqualification of the APC candidate. He argued that the electoral body did not follow the Electoral Act before declaring APC winner of the election. The tribunal Chairman, Justice Catherine Ogunsola, ruled that Onowakpo’s certificate of return be withdrawn.  

Tribunal nullifies LP’s Ogah’s election, declares Onyejeocha of APC winner The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, the Abia State Capital has nullified the election of Hon. Amobi Ogah of the Labour Party, representing Isiukwuato Umunneochi Federal Constituency. Delivering judgement in the petition tagged EPT/AB/HR/8/2023 on Wednesday in Umuahia, the three-member panel of the tribunal said Ogah did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act. “How a candidate is sponsored by a political party is both a pre and post-election matter, there is no evidence of giving 21 days’ notice to INEC by the respondent before conducting their primary election. “No date of primaries was placed before us, no evidence of primaries and the 3rd respondent has always said it’s an internal affair of the party. “We have tabulated and found out that the results computed by the petition are correct and the results computed by the 1st respondent are dis-countenanced.” Oga had...

Indigenous petroleum firm suffers N500m loss in arson attacks at Imo oil fields Indigenous petroleum firm suffers N500m loss in arson attacks at Imo oil fields By Dickson Omobola Some suspected hoodlums have launched arson attacks at the site of OML 16 operated by Sterling Global Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Advance Oil Production Systems Ltd (AOPSL)/NNPCL Joint Venture in Ochia-Awara/Assa community of Imo State. Security sources stated that the incident specifically took place at the location of a contractor, Anotech Global Company Nigeria Limited, an indigenous oil and gas pipelines/facilities construction and installation company. Anotech is handling a 23-kilometre pipeline installation, which cuts across several communities, namely, Obitti, Ochia, Awala, Assa, Obile Ana and Ada Palm communities of Imo State.  It was gathered that equipment burnt during the invasion of Anotech’s site included an excavator, self-loader truck, several 150kva electric generators, over 20 weldin...

Ballon d’Or 2023: Osimhen, Messi, Haaland make nominees for men’s award [Full List] Nigerian forward, Victor Osimhen has been nominated alongside Inter Miami forward, Lionel Messi and Man City forward Erling Haaland for the 2023 Ballon d’Or men’s award. The Super Eagles hotshot becomes the first Nigerian to be nominated for the prestigious prize since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999. The Napoli striker scored 26 Serie A goals last season to guide the Partenopei to the Scudetto for the first time in more than three decades. Osimhen will compete with favourite and seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi who was instrumental to Argentina’s World Cup glory in Qatar. There is also Manchester City forward Erling Haaland who had a stellar debut season with City as they won the treble for the first time in the club’s history. See full list for Ballon d’or 2023 men’s award Josko Gvardiol Jamal Musiala Andre Onana Karim Benzema Mohamed Salah Bukayo Saka Kevin DeBruyne Jude Bellingham Randal Kolo Muani Bernado ...

Tribunal Judgement: A Lady Collapse Outside The Courtroom September 6, 2023      There was panic in Abuja after a lady collapsed outside the courtroom, as the tribunal delivers judgement on the petitions filed by Peter Obi and the Labour Party against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress. Tribunal Judgement: Panic In Abuja As Lady Collapse Outside The Courtroom Outside the court are various groups marching in solidarity for their preferred candidate. The peaceful demonstrators representing different interest groups are awaiting the tribunal’s final verdict on the presidential election petitions against Tinubu. Tribunal Judgement: Panic In Abuja As Lady Collapse Outside The Courtroom However, an unidentified lady collapsed at the venue of the solidarity march.  

Presidential Tribunal Strikes Out Atiku’s Claim Of Dual Citizenship, Drug Case Against Tinubu September 6, 2023 The Presidential Election Petitions Court has dismissed the ground of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, alleging dual citizenship and drug conviction against President Bola Tinubu. In a judgment on the objections of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Tinubu grounds that the issues bordering on his non-qualification to contest the February 25 presidential election, Justice Moses Ugo held that the grounds were new issues. He upheld the objections of the APC and Tinubu that the Atiku and PDP could not smuggle new issues not pleaded in their petition on the grounds of non-qualification. Atiku had in his reply to Tinubu challenging submitted that he was constitutionally disabled from contesting for the office of President of Federal Republic of Nigeria because he forfeited the sum of $460,000 in a compromise agreement for narcot...

NPFL 2023/24 Season Postponed Again The kickoff date for the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) 2023/24 campaign has been postponed yet again.  NPFL Board announced the postponement in a statement on Wednesday. The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the NPFL, Davidson Owumi, made the move after consultations with stakeholders. “We have everything set for the kickoff in Ibadan on Saturday but following representations from multiple stakeholders and more cogent is the complex logistics involved in having our Chairman and Clubs leadership travel from Ibadan to Uyo,” Owumi said. “Note therefore that there will be no flag-off game this Saturday, September 9 as originally planned,” the statement added. According to him, the move has been communicated to clubs who may have started arrangements for the start of the NPFL season earlier billed for September 9, Before the September date, the campaign was set to start on August 26.  

Sacked Spain Coach Vilda Says Dismissal ‘Unjust’ Sacked Spain women’s coach Jorge Vilda says he has a clear conscience and his dismissal 16 days after La Roja’s World Cup triumph was unjust. The 42-year-old was removed from his post by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) on Tuesday in the wake of the Luis Rubiales scandal. RFEF president Rubiales was suspended by FIFA after he kissed Spain player Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony in Sydney on August 20, while the Spanish government is seeking further sanction. Hermoso said the kiss was not consensual, while Rubiales continues to insist it was. After Rubiales refused to resign, over 80 players went on strike from the women’s side until the leadership of the RFEF was removed. “The explanation (for the sacking) was ‘structural changes’,” Vilda told radio station Cadena Ser. “After everything that has been achieved, giving absolutely everything … I have a clear conscience. “I gave 100 percent and I don’t understand it, I don’t thi...

‘You Can’t Interrupt Judgment’, Tribunal Scolds APC’s Lawyer Who Complained After Eight Hours There was a mild drama at the Court of Appeal, the venue of the Presidential Election Petitions Court on Wednesday when the justices delivering judgments shut down a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and counsel for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, for interruption. The Tribunal resumed at 9am and the justices have been delivering verdicts in what can be described as a marathon judgment. Apparently fatigued after eight hours of judgment delivery by the five-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, Uwensuyi-Edosomwan at 5pm asked the court to be brief and either “dismiss or allow” the petitions of the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi; against the victory of President Bola Tinubu of the APC. “I have listened to your Lordship’s eloquent judgement,” Uwensuyi-Edosomwan interjected. “You don’t have to interrupt judgment, we are delivering judgmen...

 Over 10 Thousand Miners Operates In Niger - Comrade Nasko Over ten thousand miners are said to have been operating in Niger state. Of the number about five hundred of them have registered with the Federal Government under the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development. Chairman Nigeria Union of Mining Workers Niger state Council Comrade Adamu Musa Nasko made this known in an interview with Newsmen in Minna. Comrade Adamu Musa Nasko explained that most of the miners in Niger state are operating with their operational licence and wondered why the state Governor Mohammed Umar Bago recently announced the banning of all mining avtivities in all the twenty five local government councils.  He descrbed the decision as hasty and appeaeled to the Niger state Government to rescind its decision to enable them sit in a round table to iron out this problem. Comrade Adamu Musa Nasko lamented that the action by Niger state government will further create unemployment among youths in addi...

Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal Affirms Tinubu’s Win The Presidential Election Petition Court has declared that President Bola Tinubu and vice president Kashim Shettima were validly Elected in the February 25th polls. In an over eleven hour verdict being presided over by justice Haruna Tsamani, the tribunal has held that the petitioners, Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Mr. Perter Obi have not been able to prove their allegations of non compliance with the electoral laws against the election. Allegations that President Tinubu was not academically Qualified to Contest For Presidency and that he has drug case hanging over him in the United States were also dismissed for lacking in merit as it was a civil forfeiture procedure. On the claim that president Tinubu did not score 25% In the FCT and so should not have been declared president, the court ruled that the spirit and letters of the law does not give FCT a special status, explaining that there was equality amongst ...

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE   PRESIDENT TINUBU WELCOMES TRIBUNAL VERDICT AND CALLS FOR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS TO BUILD THE NATION President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Wednesday, has assured Nigerians of his renewed and energized focus on delivering his vision of a unified, peaceful and prosperous nation, following the judgment by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja. President Tinubu welcomes the judgment of the Tribunal with an intense sense of solemn responsibility and preparedness to serve all Nigerians, irrespective of all diverse political persuasions, faiths, and tribal identities. The President recognizes the diligence, undaunted thoroughness, and professionalism of the five-member bench, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani in interpreting the law. The President affirms that his commitment to the rule of law, and the unhindered discharge of duties by the Tribunal, as witnessed in the panel's exclusive respect for the merits of the petitions brought forward, further reflect t...

PRESS RELEASE FROM LABOUR PARTY : LABOUR PARTY REJECTS THE PEPC JUDGEMENT   The Labour Party watched with dismay and trepidation the dismissal of petitions by the five-man panel of the Presidential Election Petition Court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani today and we reject the outcome of the judgment in its entirety because justice was not served and it did not reflect the law and the desire of the people.  Nigerians were witnesses to the electoral robbery that took place on February 25, 2023, which was globally condemned but the Tribunal in its wisdom refused to accept the obvious. What is at stake is democracy and we will not relent until the people will prevail. We salute the doggedness of our team of lawyers who fearlessly exposed the wrath in our system. We can only weep for democracy in Nigeria but we refuse to give up on Nigeria. Details of the party's position will be presented after consultation with our lawyers after the Certified True Copy of the judgement is made a...

  Your Petition Against Tinubu Is Incompetent, Unmeritorious, PEPC To Obi, LP The Presidential Election Petitions Court PEPC on Wednesday described as “unmeritorious”, the petitions of the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, claiming that President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not duly elected during the February 25, 2023 poll. On the contention by LP that Tinubu ought not to be declared winner of the election because he scored less than 25 per cent votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast, the Tribunal held that the argument is “ridiculous”. The five-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani considered the directive of state policy and the preamble of the constitution that provides for the equality of citizens and held that by the provisions of Section 134 (2a) of the constitution, and without any form of equivocation, “scoring 25 percent in the FCT in a presidentia...

Fire Guts Section Of Lagos International Airport The baggage area, Terminal 1 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos has been gutted by fire at about 0723 this morning. A suspected electrical spark at the baggage hall ceiling was reported to have caused the smoke incident. According to the spokesman for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Abdullahi Yakubu-Funtua, the source of the smoke was identified as burning litium inverter battery installation at the basement. He said, the fire was put out by the quick response of the firefighters from the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (ARFFS) of the Airport and the Electrical Department of the Authority. “Their swift response and professional efforts have successfully brought the situation under control”. “In accordance with our unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of passengers, staff, and all airport users, the Terminal building was promptly evacuated due to the smoke that had permeated som...

Kebbi Teachers To Retire At 65  Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State has approved the domestication of the law upgrading the retirement age for teachers from Sixty to Sixty-Five years of age The Commissioner for Basic Education, Hajiya Halima Mohammed Bande, disclosed this at a news briefing shortly after the Weekly State Executive Council Meeting in Birnin Kebbi.  Hajiya Halima mentioned that, as a result, teachers with a thirty-five-year career in the education field now have the chance to extend their service to forty years before retiring. According to her, necessary paper work will be presented to the Ministry of Justice to prepare a Bill for onward submission to the State House of Assembly to enact a law.  The Commissioner also stated that when the bill becomes a law, the Governor would certainly approve it to enhance the spirits of teachers throughout the State. The Commissioner added that once the bill become a law the Governor would definitely assent to it in orde...

 RE: THAT LAGOS MAY NOT GO UP IN FLAMES Segun Ogundeji Ironically, it was the day that the media was agog with the news that “Lagos ranks the 5th Best African City” that a seasoned journalist, Mr. Bola Bolawole chose to express a contrary opinion. Of course, he is entitled to his opinion.  However, there is a need to set the record straight because, as they say, fact is sacred.Writing in the New Telegraph of Wednesday, August 30, 2023, Bolarinwa, in an article titled, ‘That Lagos may not go up in Flames’, made a lot of false claims. First, he claimed that the number of Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the State is 39, whereas it is 37. Then, he went ahead to allege that “Lagos has become a glorified slum and must be the dirtiest city in the world”. He based his conclusion on the report of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), which reportedly ranked Lagos as the fourth worst city in the world in terms of living standard.   What Bolawole did not, however, i...

GEORGE AKUME, SECRETARY TO TINUBU AIRLIFTED TO GERMANY FOR EMERGENCY TREATMENT 6th September, 2023    Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) appointed by President Bola Tinubu, is reportedly unwell and has been transported overseas for immediate medical care, according to SaharaReporters. According to an unidentified source, Akume, who had previously served as the governor of Benue State, has been in Germany for the past five days after being flown there for medical treatment. The source further indicates that Tinubu’s SGF, who is currently unwell, has left the country and is in Germany for immediate medical attention. He has been in the European nation for five days as of now. His absence at the NDC graduation ceremony It’s worth mentioning that the 69-year-old Akume has been noticeably absent from official duties lately and has been represented by other officials at various events. Most recently, on Tuesday, he was represented by Alhaji...

STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT TINUBU TO INDIAN INVESTORS: DO NOT PROCRASTINATE AS NIGERIA OFFERS THE BEST RETURN ON INVESTMENT; LAUDS $14 BILLION IN NEW INVESTMENT PLEDGES AT NIGERIA-INDIA ECONOMIC ROUNDTABLE President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday commended Indian investors for significant investment pledges amounting to nearly $14 billion U.S. dollars committed during the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and Conference in New Delhi, India, saying, "we are ready to give you the best returns for investment possible, there's nowhere else like our country. Nigeria offers the best returns for investment today, so invest now." Among these many new investments, Indorama Petrochemical Limited has pledged a new investment of $8 billion U.S. dollars in the expansion of its fertilizer production and petrochemical facility in Eleme, Rivers State. Jindal Steel and Power Limited, one of India's largest private steel producers, has committed to investing $3 billion in Nigeri...

 Tribunal declares Natasha winner Kogi central senatorial election The Kogi State Election Petitions Tribunal has declared Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial election held in February. It also invalidated the victory of Senator Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress. The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako, delivered the unanimous judgment of the three-man panel, revealing that Sen. Ohere’s results were inflated in nine polling units in the Ajaokuta Local Government Area. He added that the Independent National Electoral Commission reduced Natasha’s results in those areas and omitted the results of three other polling units meant for Natasha in the same LGA. Following the necessary corrections, the court declared Natasha as the winner of the election with 54,074 votes, surpassing Ohere, who garnered 51,291 votes.

 Electronic Transmission Of Election Results Optional, Court Rules The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal said INEC regulations and the Electoral Act give room for manual collation of results. It said electronic transmission is optional at best. The court added that the only device that must be used by INEC for elections is the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) It noted that there’s no regulation showing BVAS must be used to electronically transmit results from polling units. On the issue of substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the law, especially with regard to non-transmission of result sheets to INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), the court holds that there is no law that says INEC must transfer or transmit the results of the election from the polling units electronically. The law simply empowers INEC to decide the means of collation of results of elections, the court argued.