The Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, has dismissed an appeal by Jibrin Barde of the Peoples Democratic Party challenging the March 18, 2023, election of Governor Muhammad Yahaya of Gombe state. The lead judgment by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which upheld Governor Yahaya’s election in November 2023.
The apex court held that Barde’s appeal lacked merit and was incompetent, leading to its dismissal. This decision solidifies the appellate court’s earlier ruling, confirming Yahaya’s victory in the governorship election after dismissing two separate appeals challenging his declaration as the winner.
Governor Muhammad Yahaya’s electoral success remains affirmed, marking the conclusion of legal challenges to his victory in the Gombe state governorship election.
In a definitive ruling, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed an appeal by Kenneth Gbagi of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), challenging the election of Sheriff Oborevwori as governor of Delta state. The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Oborevwori, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, as the winner of the governorship election held on March 18, 2023.
Expressing dissatisfaction with Oborevwori’s victory, Gbagi and the SDP pursued legal action, initially approaching the Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Asaba. However, on September 29, the tribunal upheld Oborevwori as the legitimate winner of the March 18 governorship election.
Unsatisfied with the tribunal’s decision, Gbagi then escalated the appeal to the Court of Appeal, which, on November 24, 2023, also affirmed Oborevwori’s election, dismissing Gbagi’s appeal.
Persisting in their legal efforts, Gbagi and the SDP took the case to the Supreme Court, seeking the setting aside of the judgments from the lower courts. Gbagi, in his plea, requested the court to declare that Oborevwori was ineligible to contest the election, among other reliefs.
A 5-man panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, unanimously dismissed the appeal, declaring it lacking in merit and incompetent. The lead judgment was delivered by Justice Lawal Garba, who emphasized the absence of merit in Gbagi’s appeal.
“The appeal lacks merit, and consequently, it is hereby dismissed. Appeal is hereby dismissed. Parties are to bear their respective costs,” Justice Garba stated, affirming Sheriff Oborevwori’s election as the governor of Delta state.
The Supreme Court, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, has affirmed the electoral victory of Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress in the March 18, 2023, governorship election in Ogun state. Justice Tijani Abubakar delivered the lead judgment, dismissing the appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Ladi Adebutu.
Justice Abubakar stated that the appeal was “unmeritorious and deserved to be dismissed, and it is hereby dismissed accordingly.” The unanimous decision upheld the judgments of the lower courts, which had earlier dismissed Adebutu’s petition as grossly incompetent.
The PDP and Adebutu had sought the nullification of Abiodun’s victory, challenging the adherence to the Electoral Act, 2022, and citing corrupt practices and issues of non-qualification. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Abiodun the winner with 276,298 votes, defeating Adebutu, who polled 262,383 votes.
The Supreme Court’s decision solidifies the Court of Appeal’s judgment on November 23, which affirmed the Tribunal’s decision upholding Abiodun’s victory. While two judges of the Court of Appeal dismissed Adebutu’s appeal for lacking merit, Justice Jane Esienanwan Inyang saw merit in the petition. She ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return presented to Abiodun and conduct a new election in 99 polling units where elections were disrupted.
With the Supreme Court’s affirmation, Governor Dapo Abiodun’s electoral victory remains upheld, concluding the legal challenges against his re-election in Ogun state.
The Bauchi State Government, under the leadership of Governor Bala Mohammed, has assured indigenous students in the state that all pending scholarship awards will be settled in the month of January.
Governor Bala Mohammed made this commitment during a meeting with the leadership and members of the National Union of Bauchi State Students (NUBASS) at the government house in Bauchi. The visit by NUBASS was to congratulate the Governor on his victory at the Supreme Court.
Expressing concern over the delay in disbursing the scholarships, Governor Mohammed, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Ibrahim Kashim, assured that he would direct relevant stakeholders, including the Commissioner of Education and the Treasury office, to investigate the reasons for the delay and address the pending issues promptly.
Governor Mohammed appreciated the solidarity visit from the students and pledged increased commitment to their welfare.
In response, the National President of NUBASS, Comrade Adam Muhammad Tukur, congratulated the Governor on his victory and emphasized the importance of addressing the concerns of affected students. He stated that approximately thirty percent of students, both within and outside the state, are yet to receive their scholarships despite the Governor’s approval.
Comrade Tukur reiterated the Indigenous students’ commitment to supporting Governor Bala Mohammed’s administration. The Governor’s assurance to clear the outstanding scholarships reflects a dedication to the educational welfare of the students in Bauchi State.
The Supreme Court, in a decisive ruling on Friday, dismissed an appeal brought forth by Kenneth Gbagi of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), challenging the election victory of Sheriff Oborevwori as governor of Delta state. This decision affirms the Independent National Electoral Commission’s declaration of Oborevwori, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, as the winner of the governorship election held on March 18, 2023.
In response to Oborevwori’s victory, Gbagi and the SDP sought to contest the election’s validity by approaching the Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Asaba. However, on September 29, the tribunal upheld Oborevwori as the legitimate winner of the March 18 governorship election.
Undeterred by the tribunal’s decision, Gbagi pursued further legal recourse by taking the case to the Court of Appeal. On November 24, 2023, the Court of Appeal affirmed Oborevwori’s election, dismissing Gbagi’s appeal.
Persisting in their legal efforts, Gbagi and the SDP then appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking to set aside the judgments of the two lower courts. Gbagi, in his plea, requested the court to declare that Oborevwori was ineligible to contest the election, among other reliefs.
A 5-man panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, unanimously dismissed the appeal, declaring it lacking in merit and incompetent. The lead judgment, delivered by Justice Lawal Garba, emphasized the absence of merit in Gbagi’s appeal.
“The appeal lacks merit, and consequently, it is hereby dismissed. Appeal is hereby dismissed. Parties are to bear their respective costs,” Justice Garba stated, solidifying the Supreme Court’s affirmation of Sheriff Oborevwori’s election as the governor of Delta state.
The Supreme Court, on Friday, delivered a decisive ruling by dismissing an appeal filed by Kenneth Gbagi of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) challenging the election victory of Sheriff Oborevwori as governor of Delta state. The Independent National Electoral Commission had previously declared Oborevwori, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, as the winner of the March 18, 2023, governorship election.
Expressing dissatisfaction with Oborevwori’s victory, Gbagi and the SDP pursued legal action, initially approaching the Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Asaba. However, on September 29, the tribunal upheld Oborevwori as the legitimate winner of the election.
Undeterred, Gbagi then escalated the appeal to the Court of Appeal, which, on November 24, 2023, also affirmed Oborevwori’s election, dismissing Gbagi’s appeal.
Persisting in their efforts, Gbagi and the SDP took the case to the Supreme Court, seeking the overturning of the judgments from the lower courts. In their appeal, Gbagi requested the court to declare Oborevwori ineligible to contest the election, among other reliefs.
The 5-man panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, unanimously dismissed the appeal, declaring it lacking in merit and incompetency. The lead judgment was delivered by Justice Lawal Garba, who emphasized the absence of merit in Gbagi’s appeal.
“The appeal lacks merit and consequently, it is hereby dismissed. Appeal is hereby dismissed. Parties are to bear their respective costs,” Justice Garba stated, finalizing the Supreme Court’s affirmation of Sheriff Oborevwori’s election as the governor of Delta state.
The Supreme Court has affirmed the election victory of Sheriff Oborevwori as governor of Delta state, upholding the prior judgment of the Court of Appeal. The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Oborevwori, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, winner of the governorship election held on March 18, 2023.
Challenging the outcome, Ovie Omo-Agege of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ken Pela of the Labour Party (LP), and Kenneth Gbagi of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) filed separate petitions before the governorship tribunal. The Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal had previously upheld Oborevwori’s victory.
Unsatisfied with the dismissal of the petition, Omo-Agege and the APC appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the election did not comply substantially with the Electoral Act. Omo-Agege contended that the results were not properly recorded at some polling units, and the forms with recorded results lacked serial numbers.
However, a 5-man panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Inyang Okoro, dismissed the appeal, deeming it lacking in merit and incompetent. The court held that there was substantial compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
“The appeal lacks merit, and the concurrent findings of the two lower courts are hereby affirmed. The appeal is hereby dismissed. Parties are to bear their respective costs,” Justice Okoro stated in a unanimous decision. This ruling solidifies Sheriff Oborevwori’s position as the affirmed governor of Delta state.
Ondo State Security Network, known as Amotekun Corps, has successfully thwarted three kidnapping attempts in the Northern Senatorial District of the state over the last two weeks.
The Amotekun Corps, in collaboration with other security agencies, arrested 19 suspects involved in laying siege to black spots on highways with the intent to kidnap passing vehicles.
The Corps Commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, emphasized the role of intelligence gathering and public cooperation in achieving these successes.
During the parade of 36 suspects, he highlighted a shift in criminal activities, focusing more on house-breaking and stealing.
Adeleye assured continued efforts to maintain security in the state and urged the public to report any suspicious activities promptly.
President Bola Tinubu has approved a total of N5,128,180,623.63 for the funding of 185 successful research proposals under the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) National Research Fund (NRF) 2023 Grant Cycle.
The decision aims to boost Research and Development for economic and technological development in Nigeria.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, conveyed the approval following the report of the TETFund National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRFS&MC).
The grants cover Science, Engineering, Technology, and Innovation (SETI), Humanities and Social Science (HSS), and Cross Cutting (CC) thematic groups, with individual grants ranging between N8 million and over N46 million.
The NRF Grant supports research in areas relevant to societal needs in Nigeria, aligning with TETFund’s mandate.
Pan Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere, has called on the Federal Government to assist victims and families of casualties of the fatal explosion that occurred in Ibadan, Oyo State on Tuesday night.
The organization also demanded the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the blast, linking it to the activities of illegal miners.
Afenifere urged the Federal Government to ensure proper control of the mining sector in line with constitutional provisions, expressing concern over the impact of illegal mining activities.
The statement, signed by the National Organizing Secretary, Otunba Kole Omololu, conveyed shock and sadness over the explosion, which resulted in loss of lives, injuries, and destruction of property.
The organization commiserated with Governor Seyi Makinde, the government, and the people of Oyo State, offering condolences to the families of the victims. Afenifere emphasized the need for organized mining activities under the law to prevent further incidents and called for the prosecution of illegal miners.
The statement supported Governor Makinde’s commitment to bringing those responsible for the disaster to justice and called for federal assistance due to the magnitude of the disaster, urging the government not to leave the burden solely on the Oyo State government.
