News
Tribunal: Atiku, PDP Indicates Plans To Call 100 Witnesses
Both the Peoples Democratic Party and it’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar are challenging the declaration of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the February 25 election.
Both PDP and Atiku have indicated plans to call “not more than 100 witnesses” to the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.
Counsel for Atiku and the PDP, Chris Uche, addressing the court in Abuja on Saturday, said all the parties had met, and considered and agreed on the numbers of witnesses, duration and examination of witnesses.
Uche added that though the new time given them to call the witnesses is seven weeks, they would need three weeks, since the issues were getting narrower.
All the parties in the suit agreed to streamline the numbers of witnesses as well as the duration of each party to call witnesses.
For the evidence in chief, they categorised them into 30 minutes for the lead witness because they will tender and identify documents.
They also proposed 15 minutes for each respondent for cross-examination and five minutes for re-examination of the lead witness of the petitioners. In addition, 10 minutes was proposed for other witnesses of the petitioners, as well as 10 minutes for cross-examination of these witnesses, by the respondents.
The star witnesses of the respondents — the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tinubu and the APC — 30 minutes was proposed, while 30 minutes was proposed for cross-examination of the respondents’ witness, by the respondents.
INEC said it has two witnesses that will testify, while the counsel to President -elect said it had 39 witnesses ready.
For the President-elect, the report of any star witness should be made available 48 hours before hearing.
The schedule of documents to be filed must be given to other parties before the hearing and calling of witnesses.
Examination of experts/star witnesses was fixed for 20 minutes, while cross-examination by respondents was scheduled for 30 minutes. Re-examination was fixed at five minutes.
Furthermore, examination of non-experts/star witness was scheduled for 10 minutes; cross-examination, 15 minutes; and re-examination at five minutes.
The same applies for the APC. The only difference is the number of witnesses — it has 25 witnesses set to testify.
News
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.
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.
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.
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.
News
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.
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.
News
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
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
-
Politics2 days agoBREAKING: Rivers House of Assembly Confirms Five Out of Nine Commissioner Nominees Submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara
-
Politics2 days agoZamfara Governor Dauda Lawal Defects from PDP to APC Amid Party Crisis
-
News2 days agoIGP Disu Wears New DIGs Insignia
-
News1 day agoAirport Access Gates: FG Approves Cash and FAAN Go Cashless Cards for Payment
-
News1 day agoLASEMA Cautions Social Media Platforms Against Circulating False News
-
News2 days agoBREAKING: Court of Appeal Upholds Federal High Court Ruling Halting PDP’s Ibadan National Convention
-
Sports13 hours agoFIBA W/Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament Begins Today with Nigeria’s D’Tigress Vs Colombia
-
Politics2 days agoPDP Vows to Fight On as Court of Appeal Upholds Suspension of National Legal Adviser and Other Officers
