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Atiku is eligible to vie for presidency, Adamawa govt. tells court

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Atiku Abubakar
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar
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The Adamawa government, on Tuesday, told a Federal High Court, Abuja, that former Vice President Atiku Abukakar was eligible to vie for the office of the president.

The Attorney-General (AG) of Adamawa, Afraimu Jingi, told Justice Inyang Ekwo while moving a motion on notice, seeking to be joined in the suit filed by a group against Atiku and three others.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the group, an Incorporated Trustees of Egalitarian Mission for Africa (EMA), in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/177/2019 had sued Atiku, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.

EMA is challenging Atiku’s eligibility to contest for presidency on the grounds that he was not a Nigerian citizen by birth.

The group asked the court to hold among others, that considering the provisions of Sections 25(1) &(2) and 131(a) of the constitution and the circumstances surrounding the former vice president’s birth, he cannot contest for the top office. But Jingi, through his lawyer, Chief L.D. Nzadon, in the motion dated April 26 and filed June 24, sought an order of the court to be joined in the matter.

Moving the motion, Nzadon based his argument on 21 grounds.

The lawyer described the matter as “a public interest suit to ensure that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) is complied with in the election of the President of Nigeria.”

He said the Adamawa AG is a chief law officer of the state who must be brought in as a party.

“The Attorney-General is traditionally the guardian of the public interest in any public interest litigation,” he added.

According to him, this matter can not be effectively and conclusively determined unless the Attorney General of Adamawa is joined as a party.

Nzadon said Atiku, against whom the suit was primarily directed, is a citizen of Nigeria from Adamawa who had been elected as a Governor of the state in 1999 and served as the vice president of the country between 1999 to 2007.

He said the suit threatens the right of not just the ex-vice president to contest the office of president “but that of the citizens of Nigeria of Adamawa State origin covering 12 out of the 21 Local Government Areas in the state.”

The lawyer listed the local government areas to include Ganye, Jada, Toungo, part of Mayo-Belwa, part of Fufore, part of Song, part of Hong, Maiha, Mubi-North, Mubi-South, Michika and Madagali.

He said the total population of the citizens of Nigeria from Adamawa who would be affected by the outcome of the suit was about 2 million people going by the 2006 National Population Census.

“Every citizen of Nigeria whatever his ethnic, religious or cultural background or persuasion should have the same right to vie for any political position under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as any other citizen.

“To disenfranchise the citizens of the 12 local government areas of Adamawa State in relation to the office of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is to discriminate against them contrary to Section 42(1)(a), (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended),” Nzadon told the court.

According to him, Adamawa has the highest number of Nigerian citizens from the former Trust Territories of Northern Cameroon of the three states that have such citizens, to wit: Adamawa, Taraba and Borno States.

The lawyer said it would be extremely difficult to get each one of these Nigerian citizens to defend this action in court.

“This is a public interest Suit and can best be defended by the Adamawa State Government through its Chief Law Officer, the Attorney General of Adamawa State.

“This cause will be defeated by the non-joinder of the citizens whose civil rights and obligations will be affected in violation of Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended),” he said.

“The citizens of Adamawa in the 12 local government areas ought to have been joined as necessary parties to this suit but were not.

“The presence of the said citizens is necessary to enable the court to effectually and conclusively adjudicate upon and settle the questions involved in the action.

“The government and people of Adamawa State have a greater interest in this suit than the 4th respondent (AGF).

“It is the constitutional responsibility of the Adamawa Government to advance and protect the political, social and economic interests of the citizens of Nigeria from Adamawa State.

“The applicant is a necessary party to this suit without whose joinder the citizenship issues affecting the indigenes of Adamawa State from the 12 of the 21 local government areas in the state can not be determined with finality,” the lawyer said.

Since counsel to other parties in the suit did not oppose the motion, Justice Ekwo granted the prayer.

 

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NASS Primaries: Bamidele, Fasuyi, Adaramodu Emerge APC Senatorial Candidates

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The All Progressive Congress (APC) has concluded its senatorial primary elections in Ekiti State, with Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, Senator Cyril Fasuyi and Senator Yemi Adaramodu emerging candidates for Ekiti Central, Ekiti North and Ekiti South Senatorial Districts respectively.

 

Announcing the results in Ado Ekiti on Monday night, the Chairman of the Primary Election Committee and Chief Returning Officer, Asipa Wasiu Adedoyin, declared Senetor Opeyemi Bamidele winner of the Ekiti Central Senatorial District primary election having contested alone and polled 29,586 votes.

For Ekiti North Senatorial District, the committee declared incumbent Senator Cyril Fasuyi winner after polling 14,179 votes to defeat a former Member of the Senate, Senator Ayo Arise, who scored 4,868 votes and Engr Bamisaye Oladipupo who polled 3,694 in the keenly contested exercise

 

Similarly, in Ekiti South Senatorial District primary, Senator Yemi Adaramodu secured 12,200 votes to emerge winner, defeating a former National Assembly member, Senator Biodun Olujimi, who polled 7,420 votes and Hon Bamidele Faparusi who polled 5,502 votes.

 

Adedoyin commended party members for the peaceful conduct of the exercise across the three senatorial districts, describing the process as transparent and in line with the guidelines of the party.

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APC Primary Crisis Deepens as Akinlayo Faults Ekiti North II Outcome

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A member of the House of Representatives and aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for Ekiti North Federal Constituency II, Hon. Akinlayo Davidson Kolawole, has rejected the results announced for the exercise, describing them as inconsistent with the wishes of party delegates and supporters.

 

 

In a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Assistant on Special Duty, Kunle Adetifa, the lawmaker said the outcome declared by the Returning Officer did not reflect the true votes cast during the primary election.

 

 

Kolawole alleged that the process fell short of the standards of transparency, fairness and due process expected in a credible party primary, insisting that the announced results failed to represent the actual will of delegates across the constituency.

 

 

The federal lawmaker maintained that his aspiration enjoyed massive grassroots support throughout Ekiti North Federal Constituency II and expressed confidence that a transparent collation process would have affirmed the mandate given to him by party faithful.

 

 

He called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress and relevant electoral authorities to intervene by reviewing the conduct of the primary election and ensuring that the authentic outcome of the exercise is upheld in accordance with party guidelines and democratic principles.

 

 

Kolawole also appealed to his supporters to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding, assuring them that all legitimate and lawful measures would be pursued to protect their mandate and preserve the integrity of the electoral process.

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Crisis Rocks APC Reps Primary in Ekiti North as NWC Takes Over

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives Election Committee has announced the results of the party’s just-concluded primary elections in Ekiti State, declaring that the National Working Committee (NWC) will determine the final outcome of the disputed Ekiti North Federal Constituency I primary.

 

 

Chairman of the election committee and returning officer, Asipa Adedoyin Wasiu Banjo, said the primary election in the Oye/Ikole Federal Constituency was disrupted by crises beyond the control of the committee.

 

 

According to him, the issues that emerged during the exercise were beyond the powers of the committee to resolve, adding that there was no provision for a rerun under the party’s constitution.

 

 

Banjo explained that the APC National Working Committee would review the situation and determine the final outcome of the Oye/Ikole Federal Constituency House of Representatives primary election.

 

 

The election was keenly contested between former House of Representatives member Bimbo Daramola and incumbent lawmaker Akin Rotimi. Controversy, however, trailed the exercise after one of the aspirants was alleged to have announced himself winner in the media while the electoral process was still ongoing.

 

 

Another aspirant in the constituency, Kemi Elebute-Halle, also alleged in a viral video that some of her supporters were prevented from participating in the exercise, particularly in Ward 10, Ikole-Ekiti.

 

 

Meanwhile, former Deputy Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Oladapo Karounwi, emerged winner of the APC primary for Ekiti Central Federal Constituency II. Karounwi defeated incumbent House of Representatives member, Biodun Omoleye, polling 6,573 votes against Omoleye’s 1,412 votes.

 

 

In Ekiti South Federal Constituency I, Toyin Okoro defeated serving lawmaker Rufus Adeniyi Ojuawo to secure the party’s ticket.

 

 

Also, Oluwafemi Bamisile won the APC ticket for Ekiti South Federal Constituency II, paving the way for a third-term bid in the House of Representatives.

 

 

Similarly, former House of Representatives member Ibrahim Olarewaju defeated Akinlayo Kolawole to clinch the APC ticket for Ekiti North Federal Constituency II.

 

 

In Ekiti Central Federal Constituency I, Olusola Fatoba also secured the party’s ticket for a third-term ambition.

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