News
Presidential Election: Legal Practitioner and Social Critic, Inibehe Effiong Urges LP, PDP not to panic over INEC’s objections
A legal practitioner and social critic, Inibehe Effiong has urged people not to panic over objections to admissibility of documents by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, at the ongoing hearings at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, saying
it is a distraction, while claiming that the objected documents by the INEC were duly certified, adding that the Court will act on them.
In a post via his verified Twitter handle on Thursday, the legal expert claimed that “the Electoral Commission’s neutrality is a mirage, especially in electoral litigations”.
He alleged that the INEC had basically aligned its defence strategy with the other Respondents, including the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Effiong said, “People should not panic over objections to admissibility of documents by INEC at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. I’m not surprised by INEC’s roguish and embarrassing attitude. These are public documents duly certified. The Court will act on them. It is a distraction.
“Ordinarily, INEC being the maker of the documents which they’ve certified, that is Form EC8 series (polling unit & collation results), they’re not supposed to object to their admissibility.
“I’ve always said that INEC’s neutrality is a mirage, especially in electoral litigations.
“The documents have been admitted, though the Respondents will state the grounds for their objections in their final addresses.
“Typically, the tribunal will look into the documents and act on them.
“As long as the documents have been duly certified, there’s no cause for alarm.
“INEC has basically aligned their defence strategy with the other Respondents (Tinubu, APC and Shettima). They’re working in sync as they always do.”
At the resumed hearing of the petition filed by Atiku and the PDP challenging the election of President Tinubu at the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja, counsel to the petitioners, Mr Chris Uche, SAN, said that the team had prepared a second schedule of documents to be tendered.
Some documents the petitioners tendered in evidence through Mr Eyitayo Jegede, SAN, were certified true copies of Form EC8A downloaded by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from its Result Viewing Portal (IREV).
The Form EC8A was for eight local government areas of Bayelsa, 23 local government areas of Kaduna State, 20 local government areas of Ogun and of 23 local government areas of Kogi.
Form EC8As are sheets used for collection of results at the polling units level.
But counsel to INEC, Mr Kemi Pinhero, SAN, objected to the admissibility of all documents relating to Kogi except for those of five Local Government Areas, namely, Olamaboro, Ofu, Omala, Okehi and Ajaokuta.
He said this was because the five local governments whose documents he did not oppose were specifically pleaded in the petitioners’ pleadings.
Pinhero also objected to the admissibility of the documents relating to the BVAS except for Kogi, Rivers and Sokoto states.
News
Police must pay transport fares, says AIG
” No police officer has the right to enter your vehicle without paying. We should assist one another willingly, not by force,” he said.
• The Assistant Inspector-General of Police(AIG) in charge of Zone 2 Command, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, speaking with transporters at Obalende garage, Lagos State, on Wednesday.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Command, Mr Olohundare Jimoh, has declared that officers must pay fares before boarding commercial vehicles, warning against abuse of authority.
Jimoh spoke on Wednesday at Obalende garage during a sensitisation meeting with drivers and transport workers marking National Police Day 2026.
He stressed that relations between police and the public must be based on partnership, not coercion, urging both sides to support each other voluntarily.
“No police officer has the right to enter your vehicle without paying. We should assist one another willingly, not by force,” he said.
Jimoh called for stronger cooperation to maintain safety and order on roads, insisting there was no conflict between officers and transport unions.
“I don’t collect money from officers. We don’t arrest people arbitrarily. If you have issues with any officer, report directly to me,” he said.
(Vanguard)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will leave for Jos tomorrow to commiserate with the state government and residents over recent deadly gun attacks that lefts dozens dead.
This was following Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s security briefing to the President on the recent violent attack in Angwan Rukuba, Plateau State.
During the meeting on Wednesday at the presidential villa in Abuja, Governor Caleb Mutfwang told Mr President that although security forces have restored calm after fresh disturbances involving looters on Wednesday morning, following the deadly Palm Sunday attack that left more than a dozen dead and many others injured.
He said that investigations are continuing to determine the identities or motives of the attackers who are yet to be apprehended .
Presidency source said that President Tinubu was initially scheduled for a planned trip to Ogun State to flag off operations at the Gateway International Cargo Airport on Thursday.
From Jos, the President will travel to Lagos to observe Good Friday.
On Saturday, April 4, he will visit Ogun State to commission projects including the cargo airport.
He will then return to Lagos during the Easter holiday to commission several state infrastructure projects, including the Ojota/Opebi Link Bridge.
Before heading back to Abuja, the president will visit Bayelsa State on April 10 to commission projects completed under Governor Duoye Diri.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will tomorrow embark on a visit to Jos, Plateau State, as the first leg of a five-state tour across the country.
The Presidency announced that the President has postponed his scheduled trip to Ogun State to enable him to commence the series of official visits.
Details of the remaining four states in the tour are expected to be released by the Presidency in due course.
The development comes as President Tinubu continues nationwide engagements aimed at assessing development projects, interacting with stakeholders, and addressing key national issues in the respective states.
Further updates on the itinerary will be communicated as the visits progress.
Ebonyi: Gunmen Assasinate Another Traditional Ruler
From South Africa to US, ‘Cicada’ COVID-19 variant spreading
FIFA ranks Super Eagles third in Africa, 26th globally
Tech Expert, Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions, Adesanya, Alexander
Organ Trafficking: Ekweremadu bags 10 years in UK prison
SAINT OBI: Between his marriage and his death
-
Business2 days agoBUA Foods Plc Reports Strong 2025 Performance with ₦1.77 Trillion Revenue, Proposes Record ₦28 Dividend per Share
-
News2 days agoNELFUND Debunks Claims of ₦25,000 Student Upkeep Allowance
-
Business1 day ago33 Nigerian Banks Beat CBN’s Recapialisation with ₦4.65trn Combined Capital Base
-
News2 days agoTinubu Appoints CAC, NPC, Officials, Names Adviser on Political Economy
-
Sports2 days agoSportsville Awards: Olopade Leads NSC Delegation to Honour Dikko with Transformative Impact Award
-
Politics3 days agoLagos PDP Governorship Aspirant Adeoye Rejects One-Party Dominance
-
News2 days agoNigeria Welcomes African Games Bid Evaluation Committee
-
Sports1 day agoFirstBank Sponsors Samuel Okwaraji U-16 Football Championship 2026