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Edo Guber Tribunal: INEC fails to present witness

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The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has closed its case before the Edo State governorship election tribunal without presenting a witness.

INEC’s legal counsel formally moved to close its case without presenting any witnesses— a motion accepted by the Tribunal.

The Commission would be relying solely on cross-examinations and arguments from the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Governor Monday Okpebholo’s lawyers.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had first mounted a challenge to the election results, accusing INEC of orchestrating widespread irregularities and vote manipulation.

Leveraging the 2022 Electoral Act, the PDP’s legal team focused heavily on documentary evidence rather than oral testimony.

Key provisions of the Act— such as Section 137, which prioritizes documentary evidence over oral testimony, and Section 73(2), which mandates the nullification of results in polling units where ballot paper and BVAS serial numbers were not pre-recorded, form the crux of the PDP’s petition.

The Tribunal has already admitted critical BVAS machines into evidence.

Testimonies from PDP witnesses, including local government agents and an expert witness (PW12), detailed systemic manipulation during result collation.

Recall that the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja had on Wednesday adjourned further proceedings till today, February 6, at the instance of the INEC, whose five witnesses were not in court.

INEC was billed to begin its defense on the conduct of the September 21, 2024 gubernatorial poll but came to the Tribunal with information that its witnesses have been held up.

Counsel to the electoral body, Abdullahi Aliyu, informed the Tribunal that the five listed witnesses were held up on their trip from Benin City and opted to tender three documents in order to make a semblance of progress in the day’s proceedings.

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Obafemi Hamzat promises to end ‘unauthorised levies’ in Lagos if he is elected

“Nobody should stand at junctions to collect anything from anybody,” he said.

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Obafemi Hamzat, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, says his administration will end arbitrary levies in the state if elected.

Hamzat, the Lagos deputy governor, spoke on Thursday during an appearance on The Platform, an Independence Day programme organised by Covenant Christian Centre.

” What we will do is to make sure that any levy that is unauthorised, that is not known, that even we can’t track, must go,” Hamzat said.

He said the state government would establish an economic council to coordinate with the local governments, because they “are attending to the same citizens”

.According to the deputy governor, businesses in the state should know exactly what they are required to pay in so they can plan their budgets accordingly.

“Nobody should stand at junctions to collect anything from anybody,” he said

(The Cable)

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BREAKING: AAC sues Tinubu, NASS over Europe vacation

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The African Action Congress (AAC) has filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja against President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, and the Attorney General of the Federation over the President’s prolonged Europe vacation.

In an originating summons filed on Monday, September 28, 2026, the party alleges that Tinubu breached Section 145(1) of the 1999 Constitution by leaving the country without transmitting a written declaration to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The suit, variously reported under suit numbers including FHC/ABJ/CS/2358/2026, lists Tinubu, the AGF, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and the National Assembly as defendants.

According to the AAC, Tinubu departed Nigeria for Europe on August 30, 2026, and remained abroad as of the date the suit was filed. The party claims the failure to notify lawmakers before the trip was undemocratic and a gross violation of the Constitution. It further argues that the National Assembly failed in its duty under Section 145(2) by not passing a resolution to authorise Vice President Kashim Shettima to act as President after the absence exceeded 21 days.

The AAC is seeking declarations that Tinubu’s actions and the National Assembly’s inaction were unconstitutional, as well as a perpetual injunction restraining the President (and future presidents) from embarking on any vacation—within or outside Nigeria—without first transmitting the required written declaration. The suit was filed through the party’s National Legal Adviser, Inibehe Effiong.

Tinubu’s trip, initially described by the Presidency as a three-week working vacation that began in London and continued in Paris, was later extended. The development has drawn criticism from opposition figures who question compliance with constitutional handover provisions.

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2027: Atiku, ADC Move to Amend Suit Challenging Tinubu’s Eligibility

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are set to amend their lawsuit challenging President Bola Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Legal sources close to the matter confirmed that the planned amendment seeks to strengthen the grounds of the suit, which questions Tinubu’s constitutional qualification to run for a second term.

The original filing is expected to be updated with additional arguments and supporting documents before the next court hearing.

Atiku and the ADC have maintained that the challenge is rooted in constitutional provisions regarding eligibility. The move comes amid growing political activity ahead of the 2027 general elections, with opposition figures intensifying scrutiny of the president’s candidacy.

Tinubu’s camp has previously dismissed similar eligibility challenges as baseless and politically motivated. No formal response to the planned amendment has been issued yet.

The case is being closely watched by political observers as parties position themselves for the next electoral cycle.

Further details on the amended suit are expected in the coming days.

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