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

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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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FAAC shares N2.094tn October revenue among FG, States, LGAs

The N2.094 trillion distributable revenue consisted of N1.376 trillion statutory revenue, N670.303 billion Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue, and N47.870 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL).

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The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) shared a total of N2.094 trillion from the October 2025 Federation Account revenue among the Federal Government, the 36 States and the 774 local government councils.

The N2.094 trillion distributable revenue consisted of N1.376 trillion statutory revenue, N670.303 billion Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue, and N47.870 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL).

FAAC reported that the gross revenue for October stood at N2.934 trillion. From this amount, N115.278 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while N724.603 billion went to transfers, interventions, refunds and savings.

The communiqué stated that gross statutory revenue amounted to N2.164 trillion, an increase of N36.832 billion compared to the N2.128 trillion recorded in September 2025.

However, VAT inflow for October was N719.827 billion, lower than the N872.630 billion recorded in September by N152.803 billion.

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BREAKING: VP Shettima arrives in Kebbi over Schoolgirls abduction

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The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has arrived in Kebbi State to meet with the state government officials and families of schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga.

The aircraft carrying Shettima landed at the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi.Shettima was accompanied by Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Zubaida Umar, and other government officials.

Shettima, who had earlier departed Abuja for Kebbi on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, is expected to convey Tinubu’s message to the people of the state, as well as receive a briefing on the situation for onward communication to the President.

Ohibaba.com recalls that the attack on the Kebbi school claimed the life of the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, who was reportedly killed while trying to prevent the bandits from taking the girls away.

Meanwhile, the police said on Monday that a combined tactical team was deployed to comb the forests in a bid to rescue the girls.

President Bola Tinubu has condemned the attack and commiserated with the families of those affected.

He also postponed his scheduled trips to Johannesburg in South Africa and Luanda, Angola, to attend the 20th G20 Summit of leaders and the 7th AU-EU Summit, respectively.

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Tinubu postpones S’Africa, Angola trips over Kebbi, Kwara attacks

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President Bola Tinubu has postponed his scheduled trip to South Africa for the G20 Leaders’ Summit as he awaits further security briefings from Vice President Kashim Shettima on the kidnapped Kebbi schoolgirls and the attack on Christ Apostolic Church worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State.

Tinubu also ordered the deployment of more security personnel “to Eruku and the entire Ekiti Local Government Area of the state, and directed the police to go after the bandits who attacked worshippers,” a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed on Wednesday.

The directive was “in response to the request by the governor of Kwara State,” Onanuga stated.

Officials close to the President had told our correspondent that Tinubu intends to receive first-hand reports on the situation in Kebbi, including the outcome of meetings with local leaders, before embarking on his trip.

Tinubu was scheduled to leave Abuja today to attend the 20th G20 Summit of leaders in South Africa and thereafter proceed to Luanda to attend the 7th AU-EU Summit.

“Disturbed by the security breaches in Kebbi State and Monday’s attack by bandits against worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, President Tinubu decided to suspend his departure.“

He now awaits reports from Vice President Kashim Shettima, who paid a sympathy visit to Kebbi on his behalf, as well as reports from the police and the Department of State Services regarding the attack in Kwara,” Onanuga explained.

The President reiterated his directive to the security agencies to “do everything possible to rescue the 24 schoolgirls, abducted by the bandits and bring the girls back home, safe.

”On Tuesday night, Tinubu had directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to visit Kebbi State on Wednesday over the abduction of 25 students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, and the killing of the school’s Vice-Principal.

The President, who had been briefed by the military authorities “expressed sadness over the abduction of the schoolgirls, despite intelligence warnings of a possible strike by the bandits.

The Zuru Emirate in Kebbi State was thrown into panic in the early hours of Monday after armed bandits attacked Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area and killed the Vice Principal and abducted at least 25 students.

While assuring the guardians of the kidnapped schoolgirls that the government will ensure their quick release, Tinubu also commiserated with the military over the death of the gallant soldiers and Brigadier General Musa Uba, who paid the ultimate price while on active duty fighting insurgents in Borno state.

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