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JUST IN: INEC explains kicking against tendering own documents against Tinubu’s election

Published

3 years ago

June 2, 2023

377 Views

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has shed light on why it kicked against the tendering of its documents as exhibits by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Gregory Obi, to establish his petition against the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The electoral body had on Thursday vehemently objected to the admission of several documents brought to the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) by Obi and the Labour Party for the purpose of tendering them as exhibits to justify their petition.

However, at Friday’s proceedings, INEC lawyer Kemi Pinheiro SAN, told the court that the electoral body kicked against the tendering of certified true copies of the documents, mainly election result sheets, because Obi and the Labour Party did not challenge the conduct of the election in the areas relating to the documents.

Pinheiro explained that issues were not joined in the local government areas where the result sheets were sought to be tendered, adding that it was wrong of the petitioners to go beyond the areas where the election is disputed.

He accused Obi of trying to confuse issues by bringing result sheets where he did not dispute the election and the returns adding that the presidential candidate ought to have guided himself with the pleadings in his petition.

According to INEC, the local government areas unlawfully smuggled into proceedings of the court are totally strange to the petition and cannot stand in the face of the law.

INEC’s explanation offered while lawyers were ordered to make an appearance, however, drew the anger of the Presiding Justice of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani.

Justice Tsammani held that it was wrong of INEC’s lawyer to have smuggled the explanation into the proceedings because all parties in the petition had agreed to offer such explanations at the address stage of proceedings.

Pinheiro, in return, apologized to the court but said that he was forced to speak up on the objections because of the deluge of criticisms suffered in the media by his client.

The senior lawyer hinted that social media users had turned his client to an object of ridicule without finding out reasons for objections against the admissibility of the documents.

Meanwhile, the court has admitted as exhibits form EC8A from 21 local government areas of Adamawa and eight local government areas of Bayelsa States and parts of Rivers and Niger State as tendered by Obi and the Labour Party.

Peter Afoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, is conducting proceedings for Obi and LP.

Earlier, hearing in the petition of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) was further shifted to June 9 by the court to enable lawyers to obtain the May 26 judgment of the Supreme Court that would determine whether the petition still has life to sustain it or not.

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Groups protest over deputy speaker’s professional integrity

The controversy centres on petition BB/LPDC/1948/2026, filed on January 20, 2026, by John Aikpokpo Martins, Esq., where he alleged significant inconsistencies regarding Kalu’s National Youth Service Corps NYSC service year and his period of enrollment at the Nigerian Law School’s Enugu Campus.

Published

10 minutes ago

March 11, 2026

OCHEFA

2 Views

The Civil Society Groups for Good Governance (CSGGG) protested today over what it described as a “continued failure, refusal and neglect” by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee LPDC committee to act on a petition involving the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu.

Members of the coalition who stormed the premises of the Body of Benchers in Abuja, wielded placards with various inscriptions such as “Integrity First; Verify Before You Lead”, “Show Your Certificate, Benjamin Kalu”; “No More Foolery, Submit Your Certificate”; “Transparency Now, Show Your Certificate”; and, “The Law Applies to Everyone Including You”, among others.

CSGGG maintained that these allegations strike at the very root of the Deputy Speaker’s professional standing and the integrity of his admission to the Nigerian Bar.

In a strongly worded letter addressed to the LPDC Chairman, convener of the CSOs, Chief Dominic Ogakwu argued that the committee’s silence suggests that certain individuals may be considered “beyond scrutiny.”

“The Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee exists precisely to safeguard the integrity and credibility of the legal profession.

Its responsibilities are not discretionary exercises to be undertaken only when convenient; they are statutory duties imposed by law”, he stated.

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JUST IN: IGP Disu Assigns Portfolios to New DIGs

DIG Zachariah Fera Achinyan has been deployed to Legal Services, DIG Zango Ibrahim Baba to Research and Planning, and DIG Isyaku Mohammed to Training and Development departments.

Published

17 hours ago

March 10, 2026

OCHEFA

23 Views

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu has assigned the new Deputy Inspectors -General of Police (DIGs) their duties responsibilities.

Sources said that the DIGs were assigned departments based on their areas of competence.

DIG Zachariah Fera Achinyan has been deployed to Legal Services,

DIG Zango Ibrahim Baba to Research and Planning, and DIG Isyaku Mohammed to Training and Development departments.

Similarly, DIG Margaret Agebe Ochalla has been posted to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID);

DIG Mohammed Abdul Sulaiman to Finance and Accounts; DIG Kenechukwu Onwuemelie will oversee the Force Intelligence Department (FID); DIG Fayoade Adegoke will head Information and Communication Technology, while DIG Umar Shehu Nadada has been posted to Operations departments.

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Airport Access Gates: FG Approves Cash and FAAN Go Cashless Cards for Payment

The statement also noted that motorists who already possess FAAN Go Cashless Cards can continue using them until further notice.

In addition, other electronic payment channels, including Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals and approved digital platforms, will remain available

Published

19 hours ago

March 10, 2026

OCHEFA

30 Views

The Federal Government has directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to accept both cash and electronic payments at airport access gates nationwide, as part of efforts to ease traffic congestion.

The directive followed a meeting between the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development and officials of the FAAN, alongside senior officials of the ministry, on Tuesday.

The move comes after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the suspension of the full cashless payment system at airport access gates following complaints that it had caused traffic gridlocks.

In a statement issued in Abuja by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood, the government has resolved to gradually transition to a fully automated payment system at airport access points.

As part of the interim measures, the ministry announced that a hybrid payment system allowing both cash and card payments will take effect at all airport access gates from March 13, 2026.

The statement also noted that motorists who already possess FAAN Go Cashless Cards can continue using them until further notice.In addition, other electronic payment channels, including Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals and approved digital platforms, will remain available