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Ekiti Guber Poll Fall Out: Court Strikes Out Suit Challenging Gov-Elect’s Candidacy

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Ekiti Governor Elect, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji
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A Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, has struck out a suit filed by an All Progressives Congress governorship aspirant in the January 27 primary in Ekiti State, Kayode Ojo, challenging the emergence of the governor-elect, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, as the party candidate.

Ojo, dissatisfied with the conduct of the APC governorship primary, had approached the court, urging it to nullify what he called “gross irregularities” in the exercise.

He also faulted the use of individuals he described as political appointees as electoral committee/returning officers and consequently ordered a fresh primary.

But APC and Oyebanji, who were first and second defendants in the suit, averred that the direct primary held in all the 177 wards in the state were valid and in compliance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), and the constitution and guidelines of the party.

While Ojo’s counsels urged the court to uphold their statement of claims and grant them the reliefs being sought, counsels to Oyebanji said that the suit was not competent, saying that the discrepancies in the originating processes had rendered the case academic.

Delivering judgment, Justice Babs Kuewumi, who upheld the preliminary objection of the counsel to Oyebanji, Mr Kabir Akingbolu, that the writ of summons and statement of claims of Ojo were defective which dealt a fatal blow to the case, threw out the case.

Justice Kuewumi said, “Due to the irregularities in the identity of the lawyers who filled the processes, the case is defective and terribly bad. As the Bible says, when the foundation is bad what can the righteous do? We must know you can’t put something on nothing, which therefore renders the entire suit as a mere academic exercise. I hereby strike out the suit.

“Having ruled on the issue of objection, there is no further judgment to deliver. The plaintiff is free to approach the higher court for appeal.”

Counsel to Oyebanji, Akingbolu, expressed satisfaction with the verdict, saying, “Before a process is filed in court, a known lawyer must sign, it but many lawyers subscribed to this originating process but there was only one signature. The law is that you must tick the name of the person who signed it and this was not done in this case.

“Again, the NBA seal, which is the authority of office for a lawyer to signal document was affixed but the name on the seal was different from the one on all the process.

“So, there was no way the court could determine whether it was signed by a clerk or whether it was signed by a street urchin or a lawyer. On the ground, the court has rightly thrown away the case and the whole thing has crumbled.”

However, Ojo rejected the judgment, saying, “The judge wrongly dismissed our case based on technicallity. Though, we believe in the santity of the court, but the judge erred in his judgement and we know the appeal court will correct the error.

 

 

 

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Judiciary

Court Remands Former CCT Chairman Danladi Umar in Kuje Prison Over Alleged Abuse of Office

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Danladi Umar
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A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has ordered the remand of former Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Danladi Umar, at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his bail application.

The remand order was made on Thursday by Justice Peter Kekemeke after Umar was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a four-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office by conferring undue advantage on himself while serving as Chairman of the CCT.

According to the prosecution, Umar allegedly received financial benefits from contractors engaged by the tribunal through his wife’s bank account. The Federal Government alleged that in 2021, he collected ₦5.5 million from a contractor awarded the contract to paint the headquarters of the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja.

The prosecution further alleged that on January 25, 2024, the former CCT chairman received an additional ₦6 million, also through his wife’s account, from a contractor responsible for the digitisation of the tribunal’s records.

In another count, Umar was accused of directing a contractor to pay ₦2.43 million as tuition fees for his daughter at Baze University, Abuja.

The offences are said to be contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, which prohibits public officers from using their positions to obtain undue advantage for themselves or others.

When the charges were read, Umar pleaded not guilty to all four counts.

Following his plea, prosecution counsel, Christopher Mshelia, requested the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending further proceedings.

Counsel to the defendant, however, informed the court that a bail application had already been filed on behalf of Umar and urged the court to hear and determine it.

The prosecution opposed the request, stating that it had only just been served with the bail application and required time to study and file a response.

After listening to both parties, Justice Kekemeke adjourned the matter until July 15, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that Danladi Umar be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of the application.

Danladi Umar served as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and presided over several high-profile cases, including those involving former Senate President Bukola Saraki and former Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Walter Onnoghen.

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Judiciary

Court Jails Mother, Sister of Suspected Terrorist Kingpin for 40 Years Over Terrorism-Related Offences

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced two women, Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi, to 40 years imprisonment each for terrorism-related offences linked to the activities of a suspected terrorist and bandit kingpin, Ibrahim Battujo.

The judgment was delivered on Friday by Justice Hauwa Yilwa after the two women pleaded guilty to several counts contained in a five-count charge filed against them by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

The convicts are the mother and sister of Ibrahim Battujo, a suspected terrorist leader who was killed by Nigerian security forces on June 10, 2026, during an operation in a forest near Iluke in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

According to the prosecution, both women admitted to aiding and abetting Battujo’s activities by passing information to him through telephone conversations, despite knowing he was a notorious bandit kingpin.

The charge stated that the offences contravened Section 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

During the proceedings, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Oyedepo Rotimi (SAN), informed the court that the defendants had accepted responsibility for some of the charges and urged the court to strike out counts one and three.

Count one alleged that the women received ₦490,300 from Battujo while knowing the money constituted proceeds of terrorism, while count three accused them of undertaking a sponsored pilgrimage funded with proceeds of terrorist activities.

The court subsequently struck out the two counts and proceeded to convict the defendants on the remaining charges to which they pleaded guilty.

Safiya Salihu, Battujo’s mother, was convicted for aiding and abetting terrorism activities and for concealing information relating to her son’s terrorist operations.

Halima Abdullahi, Battujo’s sister, was convicted for aiding and abetting terrorism activities and for concealing information about firearms illegally acquired by her brother, which she reportedly saw during a visit to his forest camp.

Justice Yilwa sentenced each of the women to 20 years imprisonment on each count of conviction. However, the court ordered that the sentences run concurrently, meaning they will serve the terms simultaneously rather than consecutively.

In addition to the prison terms, the court directed that both convicts undergo rehabilitation after serving their sentences.

The judgment highlights ongoing efforts by Nigerian authorities to prosecute not only individuals directly involved in terrorism but also those found to have supported, facilitated, or concealed information relating to terrorist activities.

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Judiciary

Court Remands Man Over Alleged Social Media Posts Calling for Coup Against Tinubu

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A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the remand of a man, Paul Jibrin Oweleke, in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged cybercrime offences linked to social media broadcasts calling for the removal of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from office.

Oweleke was arraigned before Justice Akintoye Aluko on a two-count charge bordering on alleged incitement and the use of a computer system to circulate content considered harmful to national security and Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.

According to the DSS, the defendant used his online platform, “Oweleke TV,” to publish broadcasts allegedly urging the Nigerian military to overthrow President Tinubu in a manner similar to military takeovers witnessed in some West African countries.

The security agency told the court that the broadcasts were capable of inciting public unrest, encouraging disaffection against the government, and undermining democratic governance in the country.

When the charges were read to him, Oweleke pleaded not guilty.

Following his plea, counsel for the DSS requested that the defendant be remanded pending the commencement of trial.

However, the defence counsel informed the court that a bail application had already been filed and served on the prosecution.

After hearing both parties, Justice Aluko adjourned the case until June 16, 2026, for the hearing and determination of the bail application.

The court further ordered that Oweleke remain in DSS custody pending the outcome of the bail proceedings.

The case comes barely two months after the Federal Government arraigned six other suspects over allegations of plotting to overthrow President Tinubu’s administration.

This version is suitable for newspaper, online news, or broadcast use.

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