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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.
The Ogun State Government has called for an immediate, temporary suspension of lead ingot exportation pending a full investigation into alleged lead contamination in the Ogijo area of Sagamu Local Government.
This position followed an on-the-spot inspection in Ogijo after a viral video raised concerns about possible lead poisoning in the community. The Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, led a combined team of experts from the Ministries of Environment and Health, the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).
During the visit, the government ordered the closure of seven industries involved in Used Lead-Acid Battery recycling within the Ogijo axis.
Oresanya assured residents that there is no cause for panic, noting that the state will immediately commence a comprehensive Health and Process Audit of the affected facilities. This will include testing for lead levels in humans, soil, air, and water sources across the industrial community.
He added that the government will make the findings public once the investigation is completed, while also reviewing the methodology used in the earlier test results circulated in the media.
News
Insecurity: Lagos Will Remain Peaceful, says Sanwo-Olu
At the routine meeting, which was chaired by Mr Sanwo-Olu, were the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 9 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. A.O. Owolabi, Group Capt. M.A. Imam, Commander 651 BSG, Nigerian Air Force, Commander NNS Beecroft Naval Base, Apapa, Commodore PP Nimmyel, Commissioner of Police Olohundare Moshood, representative of the Department State Services Director, A.B. Alade…
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu assures that the State will remain peaceful for residents and all visitors amidst the insecurity across the nation.
Sanwo- Olu gave the assurance on Thursday during a meeting of the Security Council.
In a statement, Gbenga Omotoso HC (Information & Strategy, disclosed that the state’s security Council, which comprises heads of Security agencies in the state, met at the State House, Marina.
At the routine meeting, which was chaired by Mr Sanwo-Olu, were the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 9 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. A.O. Owolabi, Group Capt. M.A. Imam, Commander 651 BSG, Nigerian Air Force, Commander NNS Beecroft Naval Base, Apapa, Commodore PP Nimmyel, Commissioner of Police Olohundare Moshood, representative of the Department State Services Director, A.B. Alade, Secretary to the State Government Barr. Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, Chief of Staff to the Governor Tayo Ayinde, Chief Security Officer to the Governor CSP Fagbemi Adekunle, and Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) Executive Secretary Ayo Ogunsan.
After being briefed by the security chiefs, Governor Sanwo- Olu expressed satisfaction with their reports and assured all Lagosians and visitors that the Yuletide will truly be a season of goodwill.
News
Police, PSC set up committee to recruit 30,000 new officers
The primary mandate of the Joint Ad-hoc Committee is to collaborate and brainstorm on creating a seamless, transparent, and efficient recruitment process.
• Police IGP, Kayode Egbetokun
The Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have set up a high-powered joint Ad-hoc Committee to drive the immediate commencement of the recruitment of 30,000 new officers.
The PSC disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, following the inauguration of the Ad-hoc Committee on Wednesday, 26th November, 2025 by the Chairman, Police Service Commission DIG Hashimu Salihu Argungu (rtd) at the Police Service Commission Corporate Headquarters, Jabi, Abuja.
The establishment of the committee followed the presidential directive to bolster the numerical strength of the NPF and enhance national security.
The primary mandate of the Joint Ad-hoc Committee is to collaborate and brainstorm on creating a seamless, transparent, and efficient recruitment process.
It added that the committee will work to ensure the exercise is conducted with the highest standards of integrity and merit.
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