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*Presidential election petition tribunal sittings in Abuja (Nigeria) Conference Of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, has thrown its weight behind calls for live broadcast of the proceedings of the presidential election petition court sittings in Abuja. In a statement by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, the umbrella body of all registered political parties and political associations in the country noted that not only will the live broadcast douse tension associated with the ongoing proceedings and high expectations by the electorates, it will also promote transparency in the court process in public interest. The CNPP also reasoned that “there is no way the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and it's candidate in the presidential election, Bola Tinubu, will oppose a live broadcast of the tribunal’s sittings up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria where the matter will eventually terminate if any of the parties procee...

(Nigeria) The Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, has commended the Federal High Court Abuja, over its order of perpetual injunctions restraining the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, from imposing fines on broadcast stations in the country. Ruling on originating motions marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1386/2021, instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda against the NBC - as sole respondent in the suit, Justice James Omotosho, also set aside the N500, 000 fines imposed on March 1, 2019, on each of 45 broadcast stations. The judge also held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations. He further held that the Nigeria Broadcast Code, which gives the commission the power to impose sanction, is in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution that vested judicial power in the court of law. In a statement by its President, Mustapha Isah and the General Secretary, Dr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren, on Wednesday, the Guild salut...

(Nigeria) The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has been restrained by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, from imposing fines on broadcast stations in the country. Trial judge in the matter, Justice James Omotosho also set aside the N500,000 fines imposed on March 1, 2019, on each of 45 broadcast stations. The court made the orders in its judgment a suit by the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda, MRA, which had sued the NBC. Justice Omotosho held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations. The court further held that the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which gives the commission the power to impose sanction, is in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution that vested judicial power in the court of law. He said the court would not sit idle and watch a body imposing fine arbitrarily without recourse to the law. He said that the commission did not comply with the law when it sat as a complainant and at...

(Nigeria) Police from Force Criminal Investigation Department, Force CID, Annex, Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos, have charged the Chairman of NEM Insurance company, Chief Adewale Teluwo on charges of conspiracy and wilful destruction of property. The insurance guru was arraigned Tuesday, before Yaba Chief Magistrate Court, Lagos on the alleged offences. The prosecutor, Morufu Animashaun, while arraigning the defendant before the court presided over by Magistrate O. Y. Adefope, told the court that the defendant committed the offences around Mile 12, Area of Owode-Onirin, Lagos, on November 25, 2021. He told the court that the defendant, and others now at large wilfully destroyed the perimeter fence of the aforementioned property belonging to one Isiaka Abdullahi. The prosecutor told the court that the offences committed by the defendant contravened sections 411 and and 340 of the Criminal Law of Lagos state 2015, and punishable under the same sections. The defendant pleaded not guilty to the...

(Nigeria) The Board Chairman of Seplat Energy Plc, Mr. Basil Omiyi, has assured that the company would hold its scheduled Annual General Meeting, AGM, on Wednesday, in compliance with the final and binding judgment of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja. The court, Tuesday, in its judgment, ordered Seplat Energy Plc to hold its AGM as scheduled. The judgment by Justice A. Mohammed in suit number FHC/ABJ/PET/7/2023 - Akinnifesi & Adelaja V. Seplat Energy Plc - ‘further restrains any current or former directors, shareholders, and officers of the company from cancelling or postponing the AGM as announced to the public.” Consequently, Mr. Basil Omiyi in a statement said that in due compliance with the law and the judgment, its AGM will hold on May 10, 2023, at 11a.m., as expressly ordered by the court. According to him, the announcement on the AGM, “Is made pursuant to Rule 17.10 of the Rulebook of the Nigerian Exchange, 2015 (Issuer’s Rule).” The suit before Justice Inyang Ekwo, wa...

*Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State (Nigeria) The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the Osun State governor. A five-member panel of the apex court in its judgment on Tuesday, held that the Appeal Court correctly reinstated Adeleke as governor of Osun State. *The Supreme Court The apex court held that since it was not in dispute that the BVAS contain record of accredited voters, "it is, therefore, the only direct and primary record of voters accredited at polling units on election day." The apex court said it found no reason to set aside the verdict of the Court of Appeal which upheld Adeleke's election victory and dismissed the appeal by Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, APC. .

*Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (Nigeria) Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has filed a contempt suit against the Federal Government and Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice “for failing to recover over N40 billion double pay and life pensions from former governors who are serving as lawmakers and ministers.” Justice Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court, Lagos had in November 2019 ordered the Federal Government to “recover life pensions collected by former governors serving as ministers and members of the National Assembly.” Justice Oguntoyinbo also directed Mr Malami to “challenge the legality of states’ life pension laws permitting former governors and other ex-public officials to collect such pensions.” However, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to implement the judgment. Justice Oguntoyinbo who last month retired from the bench expre...

*Musilu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo (Nigeria) Road Transport Employers' Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, has called on the Lagos State Government to direct members of Parks and Garages Committee, led by Musilu Akinsanya, known as MC Oluomo, to leave their offices in compliance the judgment of a National Industrial Court sitting in Lagos. Acting Chairman of RTEAN in the state, Aransiola Qudus, who briefed newsmen in Lagos on Thursday, said: “RTEAN as a law-abiding organisation that does not take the laws into its hands but believes in the rule of law and follow due process, took the matter to a competent court of jurisdiction, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Suit No: NICN/LA/381/2022. “RTEAN is a registered trade union established under Decree 21 and 22 of 1978 as amended by Decree 1 of 1999 under the senior staff and employers Association as well as the Trade Union Act CAP T14 laws of the federation 2004 which falls under the exclusive legislative list of the constitution ...

*Court of Appeal, Lagos (Nigeria) The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has asked the Court of Appeal, sitting in Lagos, to declare the purported pardon granted to an Indian businessman, Ashok Israni and three others, by the Lagos State government as illegal, unconstitutional, null and void. Addressing a special panel of the appellate court on Thursday, during the hearing of the appeal filed by Israni, and two officials of Keystone Bank, Anayo Nwosu and Olajide Oshodi, EFCC lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, submitted that there are plethora of legal authorities that pardon cannot be granted to convicts whose rights of appeal have not been exhausted. Members of the Special Panel are: Justice Joseph Ikyegh (Presiding), Justice Ebiowei Tobi, and Justice B. Gafai. Justice Kudirat Jose of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere, had on December 9, 2019, convicted Israni, and two officials of Keystone Bank, Anayo Nwosu and Olajide Oshodi, on an amended 15-count charge b...

(Nigeria) Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over “the failure to investigate allegations of electoral violence and other electoral offences including bribery against some state governors and their deputies during the 2023 elections.” According to reports, the recently concluded presidential and national assembly elections and governorship elections in some states witnessed widespread reports of voter suppression, voter intimidation and the destruction or theft of election materials by political party agents and thugs across the six geopolitical zones. In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/583/2023 at the Federal High Court, Abuja SERAP is asking the court for “an order of mandamus compelling INEC to seek the appointment of independent counsel to investigate allegations of electoral offences against state governors and their deputies during the 2023 elections.” SERAP is seeking “an order o...

*Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State (Nigeria) A Federal High Court in Lagos, on Wednesday, struck out an interim order of forfeiture obtained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, seeking to seize 14 properties allegedly linked to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, because he(Bello) enjoys immunity. Justice Nicholas Oweibo struck out the suit on the ground that Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution prevents the institution of any criminal or civil case against a sitting governor or the President. The judge had, on February 22, granted the temporary forfeiture order, following an exparte motion filed by the anti-graft agency seeking to seize 14 properties located in Lagos, Abuja and the United Arab Emirates, UAE. The Court also directed EFCC to make publication in two national dailies for any interested parties to show cause why the order should not be made absolute. However, consequent upon the publication of the preservative order, Governor Bello had filed Not...

(Nigeria) Labour Party has alerted Nigerians of plot by a faction of the party, under its suspended Deputy National Chairman, Lamidi Apapa, that had approached the tribunal seeking to discontinue the legal challenge of the outcome of the just concluded general elections. Recall that Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, alongside his running mate, Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed and the party are currently at the tribunal, seeking the nullification of declaration of the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu as the president-elect Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, loyal to Julius Abure, Pastor Obiora Ifoh in a statement, in Abuja, on Tuesday, said: “Daily, the evil intention of the breakaway faction of the Labour Party, led by the suspended Deputy National Chairman, Lamidi Apata continues to manifest and just this morning, our legal team was confronted by the stark revelation that these men have advanced their pl...

*President Muhammadu Buhari (Nigeria) Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to “set up a presidential panel of enquiry to promptly probe the grim allegations that over 149 million barrels of crude oil are missing, as documented in the 2019 audited reports by the Auditor General of the Federation and Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI.” SERAP also urged him to “ensure the effective prosecution of anyone suspected to be responsible for the plundering of the country’s oil wealth and the full recovery of any proceeds of crime.” According to the 2019 audited report by the Auditor General over 107 million barrels of crude oil were lifted as domestic crude without any document or tracing. NEITI also reported missing 42.25 million barrels of crude oil in 2019. In the letter dated April 22, 2023, by SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “There is a legitimate public interest in ensu...

*Mr Thomas Joel-Onowakpo, Senator-elect of APC. (Nigeria) Michael Diden, candidate of the People's Democratic Party, PDP, has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, before the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal in Asaba, Delta State. Specifically, Diden and his party, the PDP, in their petition marked EPT/DT/SEN/ 01/2023, are asking the tribunal to void INEC's declaration of candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Thomas Joel-Onowakpo as Senator-elect. They predicated their request on the grounds that Joel-Onowakpo "was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election" and the his election "was invalid by reason of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022". In the petition dated and filed on March 17, 2023, by their team of lawyers led by Chief Ayo Asala, SAN, the petitioners amongst others are seeking an order of the tribunal "collating the results of the elect...

*Prince Bola Ajibola (Nigeria) Former Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, has paid glowing tributes to the former Judge of International Court of Justice, Hague, Netherlands, Prince Bola Ajibola, describing him as an accomplished jurist, arbitrator and educator. The former Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, President, in his condolence message, said the late jurist would be greatly missed, adding that his death was a big loss to the legal profession, the education sector, and Nigeria as a whole. He described Prince Ajibola as a superb patriot, a totally committed public servant, a detribalized Nigerian. He noted that the outstanding lawyer and eminent Jurist used his God given knowledge, intellect and talent to advocate for justice, fairness and equity in all his undertakings within and outside Nigeria. According to the former AGF, the late Ajibola also contributed to the development of Nigeria’s educational sector as founder of Crescent U...

*President Muhammadu Buhari (Nigeria) Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, and Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, CJID, have dragged President Muhammadu Buhari before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, praying the court to “declare arbitrary, illegal and unconstitutional the N5million fine imposed on Channels Television over a recent interview with the Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed.” Joined in the suit as defendants are the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, and Mr Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture. The NBC had recently fined Channels Television N5 million over an interview with Datti Baba-Ahmed. The NBC alleged that the interview ‘violated the NBC code.’ But in the suit number FHC/L/CS/616/2023 filed last week at the Federal High Court, Lagos, the plaintiffs are asking the court to determine “whether the NBC code used to impose a fine of N5million on Channels TV and the threat of ‘higher sancti...