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BREAKING: There Will Never Be a Live Broadcast of Election Petition Proceedings – Tinubu, Shettima Boast

Published

3 years ago

May 17, 2023

355 Views

The President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, have urged the Presidential Election Petition Court to dismiss the application by Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party for a live broadcast of proceedings, while arguing that the relief sought by the applicants are not such that the court could grant it.

Both Tinubu and Shettima said “With much respect to the petitioners, the motion is an abuse of the processes of this honourable court,” .

Besides describing the application as frivolous, they said the court is not a soapbox, stadium or theatre where the public should be entertained.

Through their team of lawyers, led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, they both wondered why a petitioner would file an application to distract the court and waste its precious time, while stating, in the counter affidavit, that the application relates to policy formulation of the court, which is outside the PEPC’s jurisdiction as constituted.

Olanipekun stated that: “The application also touches on the powers and jurisdiction invested in the President of the Court of Appeal by the Constitution, over which this honourable court as presently constituted cannot entertain.

“The application touches on the administrative functions, which are exclusively reserved for the President of the Court of Appeal.

“The application is aimed at dissipating the precious judicial time of this honourable court.

“The said application does not have any bearing with the petition filed by the petitioners before this honourable court.

“It is in the interest of justice for this honourable court to dismiss the said application filed by the petitioners,” they said.

In an attached written address, the respondents faulted the applicants’ reference to the fact that virtual proceedings were allowed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

They argued that Atiku and his party failed to draw the court’s attention to the fact that practice directions were made by the respective courts for the exercise.

“Another angle to this very curious application is the invitation it extends to the court to make an order that it cannot supervise.

“The position of the law remains, and we do submit that the court, like nature, does not make an order in vain, or an order which is incapable of enforcement,” the respondents stated.

More so, they stated that “At the very best, this application is academic, very otiose, very unnecessary, very time-wasting, most unusual and most unexpected, particularly, from a set of petitioners, who should be praying for the expeditious trial of their petition.

“Petitioners have brought their application under Section 36(3) of the Constitution which provides that the proceedings of a court/tribunal shall be held in public.

“The word ‘public’ as applied under Section 36(3) of the Constitution has been defined in a plethora of judicial authorities to mean a place where members of the public have unhindered access, and the court itself, sitting behind open doors, not in the camera.

“Even in situations where a class action is presented, the particular people constituting the class being represented by the plaintiffs or petitioners are always defined in the originating process.

“Here, in this application, the public at whose behest this application has been presented is not defined, not known, not discernable.

“Beyond all these, it is our submission that the court of law must and should always remain what it is, what it should be and what it is expected to be: a serene, disciplined, hallowed, tranquil, honourable and decorous institution and place.

“It is not a rostrum or a soapbox. It is not also a stadium or theatre. It is not an arena for ‘public’ entertainment.

“With much respect to the petitioners, the motion is an abuse of the processes of this honourable court.”

Related Topics:Election Proceedings Featured Shettima Tinubu

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Tinubu Assigns Jimoh Ibrahim to UN, Omokri to Mexico, Fani-Kayode to Germany, Yakubu to Qatar

Published

3 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Charles Flames

4 Views

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the postings of 31 career and 34 non-career ambassadors to various countries and the United Nations.

The Senate confirmed the ambassadors-designate last December.

POSTINGS OF NON-CAREER AMBASSADORS / HIGH COMMISSIONERS

S/N NAME MISSION APPROVED

1. SENATOR GRACE BENT: LOME-TOGO

2. SEN. ITA ENANG: SOUTH AFRICA

3. IKPEAZU VICTOR: SPAIN

4. NKECHI LINDA UFOCHUKWU: TEL-AVIV, ISRAEL

5. MAHMUD YAKUBU: QATAR

6. PAUL OGA ADIKWU: THE VATICAN CITY HOLY SEE

7. VICE ADMIRAL IBOK-ETE EKWE IBAS: THE PHILIPPINES

8. MR. RENO OMOKRI: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

9. HON. (ENGR.) ABASI BRAIMAH (FMHR): BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

10. MRS. ERELU ANGELA ADEBAYO: PORTUGAL

11. BARR. OLUMILUA OLUWAYIMIKA AYOTUNWA: TOKYO, JAPAN

12. RT. HON. UGWUANYI IFEANYI LAWRENCE: ATHENS, GREECE

13. BARR. CHIOMA PRISCILLA OHAKIM: WARSAW, POLAND

14. AMINU DALHATU: UNITED KINGDOM, UK

15. LT. GEN ABDULRAHMAN BELLO DAMBAZAU: BEIJING, CHINA

16. HON. TASIU MUSA MAIGARI: GAMBIA

17. OLUFEMI PEDRO: AUSTRALIA

18. BARR. MUHAMMED UBANDOMA ALIYU: ARGENTINA

19. LATEEF KAYODE ARE: USA

20. AMB. JOSEPH SOLA IJI: RUSSIA

21. SEN. JIMOH IBRAHIM: UN PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE

22. FEMI FANI KAYODE: GERMANY

23. PROF. ISAAK FOLORUNSO ADEWOLE: OTTAWA, CANADA

24. AJIMOBI FATIMA FLORENCE (F): AUSTRIA

25. MRS. LOLA AKANDE (F): SWEDEN

26. AYODELE OKE: FRANCE

27. YAKUBU N. GAMBO: SAUDI ARABIA

28. SENATOR PROF. NORA LADI DADUUT: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

29. BARR. ONUEZE CHUKWUJIKA JOE OKOCHA SAN: DUBLIN

30. DR. KULU HARUNA ABUBAKAR: TUNIS, TUNISIA

31. RT. HON. JERRY SAMUEL MANWE: PORT OF SPAIN.

T&T POSTINGS OF CAREER AMBASSADORS / HIGH COMMISSIONERS LIST

S/N NAME MISSION APPROVED

1. AMB. NWABIOLA EZENWA CHUKWUMEKA: COTE D’IV/OIRE

2. BESTO MAIMUNA IBRAHIM: NIAMEY-NIGER

3. MONICA OKWUCHUKWU ENEBECHI: SAO TOME, STP

4. AMB. MOHAMMED MAHMUD LELE: ALGIERS-ALGERIA

5. ENDONI SYNDOPH PAEBI: OUAGADOUGOU-BURKINA FASO

6. AHMED MOHAMMED MONGUNO: CAIRO EGYPT

7. AMB.JANE ADAMS (NEE OKON) MICHAEL (F): KINGSTON-JAMAICA

8. AMB. CLARK-OMERU ALEXANDRA (F): LUSAKA-ZAMBIA

9. CHIMA GEOGGREY LIOMA DAVID: BAMAKO-MALI

10. AMB. ODUMAH YVONNE EHINOSEN: MALABO –E/GUINEA

11. AMB WASA SEGUN IGE: BEIRUT, LEBANON

12. RUBEN ABIMBOLA SAMUEL (F): ROME, ITALY

13. AMB.ONAGA OGECHUKWU KINGSLEY: MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE

14. AMB.MAGAJI UMAR: KINSASHA, DR CONGO

15. AMB.MUHAMMAD SAIDU DAHIRU: NEW DELHI-INDIA

16. AMB. ABDUSSALAM HABU ZAYYAD: DAKAR-SENEGAL

17. AMB SHEHU ILU BARDE: ACCRA GHANA

18. AMB.AMINU NASIR: ETHIOPIA

19. ABUBAKAR MUSA MUSA: N’DJAMENA, CHAD

20. AMB. HAIDARA MOHAMMED IDRIS: THE HAGUE-NETHERLANDS

21. AMB.BAKO ADAMU UMAR: RABAT-MOROCCO

22. AMB. SULU GAMBARI OLATUNJI AHMED: MALAYSIA

23. AMB.ROMATA MOHAMMED OMOBOLANLE (F): TANZANIA

24. AMB. SHAGA JOHN SHAMAH: BOTSWANA

25. SALAU, HAMZA MOHAMMED: TEHRAN, IRAN

26. AMB.IBRAHIM DANLAMI: KENYA

27. IBRAHIM ADEOLA MOPELOLA (F): COTONOU-BENIN

28. AMB.AYENI ADEBAYO EMMANUEL: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

29. AMB.AKANDE WAHAB ADEKOLA: BERNE-SWITZERLAND

30. AMB. AREWA (NEE ADEDOKUN) ESTHER (F): WINDHOEK-NAMIBIA

31. AMB.GERGADI JOSEPH JOHN: LIBREVILLE-GABON

32. AMB. LUTHER OGBOMODE AYO-KALATA (F): SIERRA LEONE

33. DANLADI YAKUBU NYAKU : KHARTOUM-SUDAN

34. BELLO DOGON-DAJI HALIRU: BANGKOK, THAILAND

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already received agrément from the United Kingdom for the High Commissioner-designate, Ambassador Aminu Dalhatu. Similarly, France has sent the agrément for Ambassador Ayo Oke.

The Ministry has also conveyed the nominations of the other 62 designated envoys to all the countries concerned, including a request for their agreements in line with standard diplomatic practice.

President Tinubu has directed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should immediately commence the induction programme for the ambassadors-designate and High Commissioners.

News

Political Thugs Set Rivers ADC Office On Fire

Ubima is the country home of the former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi.

Published

5 hours ago

March 6, 2026

OCHEFA

13 Views

Suspected political thugs have set ablaze the office of the African Democratic Party (ADC) at Ubima Community, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Ubima is the country home of the former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi.

The political thugs also attacked the Minister’s Community with heavy firepower, shooting sporadically in the area.

Amaechi,a two times governor of Rivers state between 2007 to 2015 is one of the leaders of the ADC, the political party seeking to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

Meanwhile, Amaechi is expected to visit Ubima , Friday, to officially register with the ADC at the ward level.

The thugs reportedly invaded the community, Thursday night, shooting heavily and setting the party Secretariat on fire.

Locals say the thugs may have caused the panic in the community to scare people from coming out to welcome the former governor of the state who is visiting the party office in his ward for official registration with the ADC.

They reportedly reappeared Friday morning mounting Road block on the Omuawa-Ubima toad stopping every bus with ADC banner from entering the community.

Meanwhile,intervention from security operatives mobilised to the area is said to have restored normalcy.

News

EFCC says 100 senior lawyers on trial for alleged financial crimes

Olukoyede, a lawyer, added that investigations uncovered offences ranging from the diversion of clients’ funds to aiding money laundering.

Published

5 hours ago

March 6, 2026

OCHEFA

15 Views

Photo: EFCC Chairman , Ola Olukoyede

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Ola Olukoyede, says that the Commission is investigating 100 senior lawyers for corruption-related offences.

In an address in Abuja during the second annual lecture of the Body of Benchers, the EFCC chairman expressed concern over the growing involvement of lawyers in financial crimes.

He noted that the anti-graft agency had received multiple petitions against members of the profession.

“We have had calls to investigate quite a number of senior members of the Bar,” he said.

Olukoyede, a lawyer, added that investigations uncovered offences ranging from the diversion of clients’ funds to aiding money laundering.

“Before I came here, I checked our database and discovered that we have about 100 senior members of the Bar that we are prosecuting at the moment for those offences.

“It has become very necessary for us to work together,” he said.