Judge on wheelchair accepted bribes to compromise election petition in new Falz video

Popular rapper, Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana, has released the video of his new single titled ‘Mr Yakubu’ in which he featured Olanrewaju Ogunmefun popularly known as Vector.

The song mirrored a Peoples Gazette exclusive which exposed plans of a secret meeting between President-elect Bola Tinubu and Chief Justice Kayode Ariwoola in London.

Messrs Ariwoola and Tinubu had planned their trips a week apart and had the Supreme Court’s head disguise as a physically challenged man to facilitate the meeting without arousing suspicion from the public.

As characters deliberate over the conduct of the elections in the video, the judge adjudicating election matters was wheeled in into the scene on a wheelchair accurately depicting the pictures of Mr Ariwoola’s London sighting which has now flooded the internet.

Mr Ogunmefun, popularly known as Vector, said that Mr Ariwoola would go down in history as the judge in whose hands the law died, highlighting the judge’s untoward relationship with politicians.

“Who killed the law, who will people ask,” Vector asked rhetorically as the camera pointed towards the judge.Highlighting the possible financial inducements of judicial officers, Falz said the judge had been bribed to maintain Mr Tinubu’s widely disputed electoral victory.

“Thank you my lord, I respect you my lord… since he has paid, you have hurriedly written it [the judgement] and you said he has been elected, they should bring the crown,” he said.

The song also drove home the perceived role of Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the elections.

Mr Yakubu and his commission continue to face fierce public disapproval over the announced results of the election. Several candidates have accused the electoral chairman of conniving with the ruling party and the president-elect to subvert the will of the public by all means, including internal sabotage.

‘Mr Yakubu’ also criticised the poor conduct of the election in which there was a massive failure of the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the suspicious downtime of the electoral commission’s server, thwarting the stipulated rule of uploading results from various polling units to increase transparency.

‘Mr Yakubu’ posits that the election did not reflect the N305 billion – Nigeria’s highest election budget in modern times – that was spent on the exercise.

“Mr Yakubu don’t behave like a fraudster… the 300 billion you collected from the government, what did you do with it?” the song rhetorically asked in its lyrics.

“You wrote fake figures, the portal shut down, and you’re lying to us that somebody hacked it… Mr Yakubu don’t be a fraudster,” it added. Vector criticised the ruling party’s claim that the election was free and fair.

According to him, the impropriety was obvious beyond what anyone could deny. The song also highlighted several factors that were at play during the election season including violence and improper religious, tribal and ethnic divisions which were employed by politicians to secure their bases.

FEC Approves N59.78bn For Ogoni cleanup projects

The Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday. March 29, approved N59.78 billon for the continuation of Ogoni cleanup exercise.

The council also approved two major contracts for the construction of a Centre of Excellence for environmental restoration Wiiyaakara in Kana council area of Rivers State and a 100-bed specialist hospital in Ogoni.

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, said the projects were to facilitate efficient and cost-effective approaches to contamination management and environmental restoration while supporting the well-being and welfare of the people who had been impacted by the negative effects of contamination in those areas.

He said;

“On behalf of the Ministry of Environment, HYPREP Project Office, I presented two memos one for the award of contract for the construction of Centre of Excellence for environmental restoration at Wiiyaakara, Bori in, in Khana local government area of River State, in favour of CCECC Nigeria Limited, in the sum of N41,472,263,848.60, with a completion period of 24 months.

“The second memo, which is equally approved, which is also in line with the UNEP Report on the level components, is the contract for the construction of Ogoni 100-bed specialist hospital in favour of Messrs Tannit Medical Engineering Limited, in the sum of N18,308,463,225.37, plus 7.5% of VAT, with a delivery period of 24 months.”

Name and arrest those plotting an interim govt – IPAC chairman tells DSS

The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yabagi Sani, has asked the Department of State Service (DSS) to name and apprehend those it said are behind plans to install an interim government in the country.

On Wednesday, March 29, the DSS issued a statement saying it had discovered a plot by “misguided” political actors to set aside the constitution and install an interim government in the country as the May 29 date for the takeover of the new government approaches.

However, speaking on Channels Television on Wednesday, Sani who is also the chairman of the African Development Party (ADP) said it is not enough for the DSS to announce a plot for the interim government but that the security agency should go further to name the plotters as well as take action against them.

“To say the least, it is an embarrassment because I believe that the DSS, the agency that is in charge of gathering intelligence and then passing intelligence to other agencies, are supposed to take action.

And I don’t think it serves the purpose of this country for the DSS to come and make this pronouncement in the manner they are making it. What would have made sense to us is that so person is involved, so person has been arrested or is under interrogation or whatever action has been taken. Okay, what do we do as politicians or citizens of this country? We can’t do nothing” Sani said

He said that law enforcement agencies should not fail to demonstrate that nobody is above the law as this will serve as a deterrent to others who might have other plans to scuttle democracy in the country.

“Look at what happened in the United States when (Donald) Trump wanted to interrupt the inauguration of (Joe) Biden, something happened, they took action. So, I believe as much as we commend the effort of the DSS, I think they should go beyond that because as citizens what can we do?” he queried

Atiku Abubakar asked that we deepen our engagement with LP – PDP Chieftain Osita Chidoka

Osita Chidoka, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has urged his party members to deepen engagement with the Labour Party (LP).

Mr Chidoka, a former Aviation Minister, shared photos he took while meeting with the Labour Party’s presidential candidate Peter Obi after his meeting with Atiku on Wednesday, March 29.

He wrote in the caption:

“At 8 am today I met with Atiku Abubakar and he asked that we deepen our engagement with LP. “At 6pm I met with my brother Peter Obi at his campaign office where he has been since 8am and still plan to be till 10pm. “Interesting how the erstwhile candidates are out and about pursuing their goals towards a better Nigeria.”

Chidoka did not disclose the details of the engagement. Atiku came second in the February 25 elections while the presidential candidate of the LP, Peter Obi, who defected from the PDP, came third.

Both PDP and LP are challenging the outcome of the February 25 election at the Presidential Election Petition Court.

Some ‘key players’ are plotting to install Interim Government in Nigeria – DSS

The Department of State Services (DSS) said it has uncovered a plot by some “key political players” to halt the inauguration of the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu, and foist an Interim Government in Nigeria.

DSS spokesman, Dr. Peter Afunanya, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, stated that some persons have weighed various options, which include foisting interim government after obtaining frivolous court injunctions to forestall the inauguration of new executive administrations and legislative houses at the Federal and State levels.

“The Department of State Services (DSS) has identified some key players in the plot for an Interim Government in Nigeria,” the statement read.

“The Service considers the plot, being pursued by these entrenched interests, as not only an aberration but a mischievous way to set aside the constitution and undermine civil rule as well as plunge the country into an avoidable crisis”

“The illegality is totally unacceptable in a democracy and to the peace loving Nigerians. This is even more so that the machination is taking place after the peaceful conduct of the elections in most parts of the country,”

Afunanya said such persons were also considering sponsoring endless violent mass protests in major cities to warrant a declaration of State of Emergency.

“The planners, in their many meetings, have weighed various option, which include, among others, to sponsor endless violent mass protests in major cities to warrant a declaration of State of Emergency”

“Another is to obtain frivolous court injunctions to forestall the inauguration of new executive administration and legislative houses at the Federal and State levels”

“The DSS supports the President and Commander-in-Chief in his avowed commitment to a hitch-free handover and will assiduously work in this direction”

“It also supports the Presidential Transition Council and other such related bodies in the State. It will collaborate with them and sister security and law enforcement agencies to ensure seamless inaugurations comes 29th May, 2023”

“Consequently, the Service strongly warns those organising to thwart democracy in the country to retract from their devious schemes and orchestrations.”

“Stakeholders, notably judicial authorities, media and the Civil Society, are enjoined to be watchful and cautious to avoid being used as instruments to subvert peace and stability of the nation”

“While its monitoring continues, the DSS will not hesitate to take decisive and necessary legal steps against these misguided elements to frustrate their obnoxious intentions,” the Service said.

Makinde, Oyo Assembly members-elect receive certificates of return

On Wednesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State issued a certificate of return to Governor Seyi Makinde, who emerged winner of the governorship election held on March 18.

The event, held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, also witnessed the presentation of certificates of return to 32 newly elected House of Assembly members.

Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner in charge of Oyo, Ekiti and Lagos, supervised the presentation of the certificates.

In his remarks, Mr Olumekun said the commission would continue to conduct free and credible elections in the country regardless of any odds encountered.

He attributed the general election’s success to early preparations immediately after the 2019 general elections.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Oyo State, Adeniran Tella, reassured all stakeholders in the electioneering process that INEC was poised to build on the high level of credibility it has achieved so far by deploying the use of technology into our electoral process.

“This further confirms the commission’s determination and commitment to becoming one of the best election management bodies in the world that will meet the aspiration of the people.”

Mr Tella appealed to the governor-elect, his deputy and all the 32 state House of Assembly elected members to be magnanimous in victory.

He urged them to use the renewed mandates to serve the people diligently and truthfully.

Mr Makinde, in his remarks, promised to take the state from poverty to prosperity and dedicated his election victory to the people of Oyo State.

Political associates of the governor, government appointees, traditional rulers, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) members, and religious leaders, among others, attended the event.

Buhari swears in ex-IGP Arase as PSC chairman

Former Inspector-General of Police, Dr Solomon Arase (retd.) was on Wednesday morning, March 29, sworn in as Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).

The swearing in ceremony, which coincided with that of five members of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), took place before the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

The ceremonies were held in the Executive Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Former IGP Arase took over as Chairman of the PSC, following the resignation of another former Inspector-General of Police, Musiliu Smith, who was reported to have been advised by the PSC Board to resign in September 2022.

Arase, 65, who retired in 2016, was the 18th indigenous Inspector-General of Police (between April 2015 and June 2016) and has served in various capacities including as head of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, the foremost intelligence-gathering unit of the Nigerian police.

The President also swore-in five board members of the Code of Conduct Bureau. They include Murtala Kankia from Katsina State (North-West); Zephaniah Bulus from Nasarawa State (North Central) and Farouk Umar from Yobe State (North East), Taofeek Abdulsalam from Ondo State (South West) and Prof. Juwaria Badamasi from Kogi State (North Central).

LP to refund N25m nomination fee to late Imo governorship aspirant

National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, has said the party will be refunding the N25 million nomination fee paid by late governorship aspirant of the party in Imo State, Humphrey Anumudu, to his family.

Anumudu had purchased the party’s form to contest the LP primary ahead of the November 11 governorship election in Imo State but died last week.

Abure who spoke on Tuesday, March 28, said the party decided to return the nomination fee to the family of the deceased to show empathy and compassion.

He said;

“You will recall that one of our aspirants in Imo State lost his life. I am pleased to announce to members of the public and members of the Labour Party family and his immediate family that the party will refund the nomination fee of N25 million that he spent.

“We feel that we need to do this the support the family and show leadership of compassion, of empathy and that is whet the Labour Party stands for.”

PDP wins 22 Bauchi assembly seats, APC 8, NNPP 1

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won 22 out of the 31 Bauchi House of Assembly seats in the March 18 state parliamentary elections.

This is contained in the list issued by Aliyu Shaba, INEC’s deputy director of voter education in Bauchi, on Tuesday.

The list also showed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) won eight seats while the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) clinched one in the state.

In the results announced by the INEC, the constituencies are Duguri Gwana, Abdullahi Dan-Bala – PDP; Kirfi, Umar Habibu – PDP; Bauchi – Jamilu Dahiri – PDP; Zungur Galambi, Yusuf Ahmed – PDP, Dass, Abdullahi Ahmed – PDP, and Bogoro, Musa Nakwada – PDP.

Others are Lame Toro, Lawal Garba – PDP; Toro Jama’a, Saidu Hamza – PDP; Ningi, Abubakar Sulaiman – PDP; Ningi Bura, Tanko Bura – PDP; Hardawa Misau, Babayo Akuyam – PDP; and Dambam Dagauda Jalam, Mohammed Garba – PDP.

The PDP also won Ganjuwa East, Ladan Mohammed; Ganjuwa West, Adamu Kawu; Katagum Zaki, Bello Maiwa; Sakwa Zaki, Wanzam Mohammed; and Itas Gadau, Abdullahi Yusuf.

Similarly, the Disina Shira constituency was won by Hodi Jibir – PDP; Shira, Hassan Auwal – PDP; Giade, Adamu Abubakar – PDP; Madara Chinade, Katagum, Ala Ahmed – PDP, and Gamawa, Sarkin-Jadori Bello – PDP.

The APC won Azare Madangala Katagum, Saleh Zakariyya; Udubo Gamawa, Lele Mohammed; Pali Alkaleri, Garba Aminu; and Darazo, Sulaiman Darazo.

Dauda Lawal of APC also won the Sade Darazo state constituency; APC’s Yahaya Maikudi for Chiroma Misau; Abdul Rishi for Lame Toro – APC; and Abdulrasheed Adamu for Lere Bula – APC, while Mubarak Haruna of NNPP won in Jama’are constituency.

The Ninth Assembly has no female members.

Senate approves 10 additional national parks for Nigeria

The Senate on Tuesday approved the establishment of 10 additional national parks in the country.

This followed the adoption of a motion on the National Park declaration Order 22, sponsored by Gobir Abdullahi (APC-Sokoto) at the plenary.

Presenting the motion, Mr Abdullahi said President Muhammadu Buhari wrote to the Senate on November 16, 2022, requesting the concurrence of the Senate to the National Park declaration Order 2022, in consonance with section 18 of the National Park Service Act 2004.

He said the national park declaration order sought to establish 10 additional national parks based on due feasibility studies and environmental impact assessment in 12 selected forests and game reserves in various states.

Mr Abdullahi listed the parks as Alawa National Park, Niger State; Apoi National Park, Bayelsa State; Edumenun National Park, Bayelsa State; Galgore National Park, Kano State; and Hadejia Wetland National Park, Jigawa State.

Others were Kempe National Park, Kwara State; Kogo National Park, Kastina State; Marhi National Park, Nasarawa State; Oba Hill National Park, Osun State; and Pandam National Park, Plateau state.

He said the additional parks were necessary to regulate Nigeria’s unique ecosystem, particularly the fauna and flora ecosystems.

“The establishment will address the fast rate of disappearance and degradation of Nigeria’s forest, achieve and develop adequate tourism infrastructure in line with international best practices,” he said.

He said the establishments would help protect and preserve Nigeria’s biodiversity and natural heritage.

Mr Abdullahi said section 18 of the National Park Service Act 2004 as amended provided for the concurrent of the National Assembly.

Aggrieved women strip to their innerwear outside US embassy to protest outcome of 2023 presidential election

A group of women on Monday, March 27, protested in front of the United States Embassy in Abuja over the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

The women, who are members of the Free Nigeria Movement, were at the US Embassy to report the alleged fraud that happened during the 2023 polls.

Some of the women stripped to their innerwear during the protest.

They had placards inscribed with messages expressing their grievances.

The protesters called on the US Government to place a visa ban on the instigators of violence during the poll.

This comes barely one month after Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared winner of the February 25 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral, INEC.

Tinubu was declared winner of the 2023 polls. His closest challengers, candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party have since petitioned the Election Tribunal to seek redress.

Supplementary elections to hold April 15

The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed April 15 for the conduct of all outstanding governorship, National and State Assembly supplementary elections.

This was made known by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi on Monday.

Oyekanmi said, “Arising from its meeting held today, the Independent National Electoral Commission has decided that all outstanding governorship, National and State Assembly supplementary elections will take place on Saturday 15th April 2023.

Court Remands Agba Jalingo In Jail For Cybercrime

Agba Jalingo, a Nigerian journalist on trial for treason, has been remanded in Kuje prison from Monday till Thursday.

A judge in the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar remanded journalist Agba Jalingo to Kuje prison for cybercrime.

According to Politics Nigeria, Justice Abubakar allegedly denied Jalingo’s lawyers the opportunity to move a motion for bail after he was arraigned for cyberstalking.

Jalingo was accused of defaming Elizabeth Ayade, the wife of Frank Ayade, who is a brother of Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade. He was remanded to Kuje prison until Thursday.

Jalingo, the publisher of CrossRiverWatch, was arrested on August 22, 2019, over a report alleging that Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, diverted N500 million belonging to the state.

Governor Adeleke claims Oyetola has not congratulated him

The Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has said that the immediate past governor of the state, Gboyega Oyetola, has not congratulated him after his victory at the Appeal Court.

Adeleke who said he was open to working with the former governor said he had yet to hear from Oyetola.The governor said this when he featured on Arise TV Morning Show on Monday.

“Immediately after the news of the Appeal Court (judgement), I tried to reach out, I called him – the former Governor Oyetola – to let us forge ahead to move Osun forward, but up till now, he has not called me to congratulate me and I’m still hoping that he will do that because we don’t have any other state than Osun State here. So, I’m ready, my hands are open, let’s come together and move Osun State forward,” Adeleke said.

When asked what he would like to say to Oyetola, Adeleke made a U-turn on reaching out to Oyetola, saying he never called the former governor.

“Well let me correct it, I did not say I put a call to him, what I said is I’m still expecting him to call me so that he can congratulate me, and if he wants to do otherwise and go ahead to the Supreme Court, he has the right to do that,” the governor said.He reiterated that he would like to work with Oyetola.

The governor also said he was not afraid of the Supreme Court, saying he had his people and God on his side.

APC supporters protest in Abuja to demand congratulatory messages for President-elect Tinubu

Supporters of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress have called for a demonstration in Abuja on Monday.

Billed to defend the mandate of the party’s leader and president-elect, Bola Tinubu, the protesters said the failure or refusal to congratulate a new Nigerian leader could continue to fuel doubts over his mandate.

Suleiman Raji, one of the organisers who said he came in from Ilorin to attend the protest, said it was to condemn those who have been silent because their action or inaction could put Mr Tinubu’s mandate in jeopardy.

“They are refusing to congratulate him and that is why we keep seeing people coming with all manner of attacks on the president-elect,” Mr Raji said on Monday morning.

“It is very wrong because he was elected by Nigerians in a free and fair campaign.”John Onaiyekan, a frontline Christian leader in Nigeria, President Joe Biden of the United States and several other religious and political leaders in Nigeria and beyond appeared to have withheld congratulatory messages to Mr Tinubu.

Mr Tinubu was declared winner of Nigeria’s February 25, 2023, presidential election in a race that pitted him against three formidable challengers.

Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party came second, while Peter Obi of the Labour Party came third. Both politicians are now challenging Mr Tinubu’s emergence as president-elect, alleging Mr Tinubu’s ineligibility and irregularities in the conduct of the exercise.

While Mr Onaiyekan has publicly disclosed his reasons for withholding any messages to Mr Tinubu, Mr Biden’s office has yet to state any grounds for its decision.

Although the U.S. State Department congratulated Mr Tinubu, the president-elect’s supporters said a message from the White House would remove any doubts about the U.S. leader’s acceptance of the new Nigerian leader.

In 2015, President Barack Obama congratulated Muhammadu Buhari on his election in that year’s election.

“We have to defend the mandate freely given to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu because it is the right thing to do,” another protester Sherifat Yusuf said.

“We cannot sit down and allow them to rob us of a mandate that was freely given to Asiwaju.”

The protesters said they would make their demands regularly until Mr Tinubu is sworn in on May 29.

“Their silence is very loud at this sensitive period because people out there are thinking that something bad may happen to this new government,” Ms Yusuf said while on her way to the Unity Fountain venue of the rally.

“We have to show support to Asiwaju until he is successfully sworn in as president to take our country to the next level.”

Edo State government plans airport in Auchi

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said his government is committed to the development of a new airport in Auchi, after it got tentative approval from the Federal Government.

Briefing journalists in Auchi, Obaseki noted that the government was working with aviation experts to finalise the survey of the airport project.

He said;

“The charting of the airport is already ongoing to ensure the safety measures required for approval of the airport project as safety is the main consideration. We want to make sure that the approaches for landing on the airport runway are clear and safe for landing and will not endanger the aircraft.

“These are the final reports and studies that are being conducted and as soon as we get final approval, we will break ground and commence construction of the Auchi Airport.”

He added;

“This is not a political project. Between Benin City and Abuja on this axis, which is more than 600 km, there is no airport. From the transportation standpoint, it makes a lot of commercial sense to have an airport in Edo North.

More importantly, there are emerging businesses, particularly in the areas of mining and academia. There are two cement companies producing over six million tonnes of cement on this axis. There are a lot of activities to support an airport in this area.”

Court blocks Seyi Makinde government’s accounts over multibillion-naira debt

The Abuja High Court has issued an order attaching funds standing to the credit of Governnor Seyi Makinde’s government and state agencies in four banks.

Justice A.O. Ebong issued the order while ruling on a motion ex parte for garnishee order nisi filed by the ex-chairmen and councillors led by Bashorun Majeed, Bosun Ajuwon and Idris Okusesi.

The banks are First Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Wema Bank and Zenith Bank.Mr Ebong ordered the banks to show cause why the order nisi should not be made absolute.

The ruling on the motion marked FCT/HC/BW/M/238/2023, was delivered by the judge on March 2 and a certified true copy (CTC) sighted on Sunday in Abuja.

The funds, according to court filings, are to settle the outstanding balance of N3,374,889,425.60 from the judgment debt owed some former local government chairmen and councillors sacked on May 29, 2019 before the end of their tenure by Mr Makinde.

The garnishee proceeding, initiated for the chairmen and councillors by their lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi, is in execution of a judgment they got against the governor and six others from the Supreme Court on May 7, 2021.

“A garnishee order nisi is hereby granted to attach the judgment debtors’ accounts with garnishees numbers one to four in the motion ex parte, for the purpose of settling the judgment debt outstanding in the sum of N3,374,889,425.60 as awarded by the Supreme Court and conceded by the judgment debtors in Exhibit 11 attached to the applicant’s motion,” said the court ruling.

It added;

“The garnishees (first to fourth) shall file affidavits and attend court on the next adjourned date to show cause why the order nisi should not be made absolute. A copy of this order nisi shall be served on the judgment debtors as required by law. This matter is hereby adjourned to the 4/4/2023 for continuation.”

It was gathered that the judgment creditors have since effected service of copies of the order on the judgment debtors as ordered by the court.

Listed as judgment debtor with Mr Makinde are Oyo attorney general, the commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, the accountant general, the house of assembly, the speaker and the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC).

The ex-chairmen and councillors were elected in an election conducted by OYSIEC on March 12, 2018 for a three-year term.

Upon learning that Mr Makinde, who took office on May 29, 2019 had planned to sack them, the chairmen and councillors filed a suit at the state’s high court to challenge the constitutionality of sections 11 and 12 of the Oyo State Local Government Law 2001, which empowered the governor and the house of assembly to dissolve LG executives in the state.

In its judgment on May 6, 2019 the court declared sections 11 and 12 of the state’s Local Government Law 2001 as unconstitutional, on the grounds that it violated section 7(1) of the Constitution.

Despite the subsistence of the judgment, Mr Makinde sacked the chairmen and councillors on May 29, 2019 and subsequently appealed the judgment.

The Court of Appeal, in its judgment on July 15, 2020 set aside the judgment of the high court. The chairmen and councillors appealed the decision at the Supreme Court.In its judgment on May 7, 2021 a five-member panel of the apex court, presided over by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, allowed the appeal marked SC/CV/556/2020 and set aside the decision of the appelate court.

The apex court, which awarded a cost of N20 million against Mr Makinde, ordered that the ex-chairmen and councillors, who were unlawfully sacked by the governor, be paid their salaries and allowances from May 29, 2019 to May 11, 2021 when their tenure ought to have expired.

In the lead judgment by Justice Ejembi Eko, the Supreme Court came down hard on Mr Makinde, who it found, acted arbitrarily and undemocratic.“I will not conclude this appeal without commenting on the disturbing ugly face of impunity displayed by the governor of Oyo state (first respondent herein) on 29th May, 2019, tantamounting to executive lawlessness, outrightly and vehemently condemned by this court in the case of the military governor of Lagos state v. Ojukwu,” said the judge.

He noted that, even before appealing the high court judgment, Mr Makinde on May 29, 2019 “issued imperial directives dissolving all democratically elected local government councils in Oyo state in spite of the subsisting judgment of Oyo state high court in the suit No. 1/347/2017.”

He added;

“Series of applications were filed by the judgment creditors, the present appellants, to restrain, particularly the first respondent (the governor), from embarking on the self-help designed to contemptuously frustrate the judgment of the high court. He was not dissuaded. He proceeded in his imperial omnipotency to continue in his untrammelled, albeit invidious contemptuous, disregard of subsisting judgment of the high court.”

Mr Eko stressed that “it is unthinkable that a democratically elected governor would embark on these unwholesome undemocratic tendencies. These tendencies no doubt endanger democracy and the rule of law,” pointing that “it is almost becoming universal phenomena that the democratically elected governors have constituted themselves into a specie most dangerous to democracy in this country.”

EndSARS: Sanwo-Olu pays court-awarded N5 million damages to Lagos Uber driver

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos said he’ll be paying the sum of N5 million awarded by the court as compensation to an Uber driver, Adedotun Clement, who was assaulted during the first year anniversary of the EndSARS protest.

The victim was assaulted on October 20, 2021, by officials of the Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Agency and police officers at the Lekki Tollgate.

Mr Clement and his lawyer, Inibehe Effiong filed a N500 million lawsuit against the police and the state government agency in a court in Lagos State.

On March 14, the Lagos division of the high court ruled that the state government should pay N5 million as compensation to Mr Clement.

In a series of tweets on Saturday, Mr Sanwo-Olu said he was willing to pay the compensation and would uphold the rule of law and protect citizens rights.

He added that he had directed the state’s attorney-general, Moyosore Onigbanjo, to set up a meeting to pay the compensation awarded by the court.

“Good evening Lagos, as Governor, I’m committed to upholding the rule of law and protecting citizens’ rights with empathy and authority,” he said.

“I recently became aware of the case involving Mr. Clement Adedotun and the judgement by the Federal High Court, and I understand the impact this legal battle has had on him.

“After reviewing Mr. Clement’s case, I’ve directed the Honorable Attorney General to set up a meeting and pay him the compensation awarded by the Court,” Mr Sanwo-Olu said.

Mr Sanwo-Olu said the state government will not appeal the ruling of the high Court, but would instead comply with the court’s ruling for public good. He assured Lagosians that he was committed to upholding their human rights and commended the applicants for seeking justice.

“Although the State Government has appealed the ruling, I’ve interceded in this instance in the interest of the public good, and requested that the State’s Attorney General comply with the court’s ruling,” Mr Sanwo-Olu said.

“As a strong advocate for the rule of law, I commend all parties for seeking justice through the appropriate channels, and I remain committed to upholding the rights of all Lagosians,” he added.

Gov. Makinde asks Oyo opposition politicians to help develop state

Governor Seyi Makinde has called on his co-contestants in the just concluded March 18 governorship election in Oyo to join hands with him to develop the State.

“Electioneering campaign is behind us now and we are to battle the issue of governance now.

“This is our state and commonwealth and we must make sure we move our state forward,’’ Mr Makinde said on a radio programme on Saturday in Ibadan.

He described his electoral success as victory for the people of Oyo and said he was open to working with the ideas of his co-contestants wherever they were found to be superior to his.

According to him, everyone must now come together in the interest of Oyo State and that he will reach more people with infrastructural development.

He promised to continue to deliver quality projects that would touch all sectors of the state, stressing that he would continue to build on the solid foundation already laid in the last four years.

The governor added that he would also put the sticky points learnt during the campaigns into practice and continue to develop the state vigorously as he had done since 2019 when he took office.

Mr Makinde appreciated all residents, including elder statesmen and women, businessmen, labour unions, market associations and religious bodies that stood by him before, during and after the election.

He equally noted that his administration would reach more areas with infrastructure and touch a wider population of Oyo State in his second term of office.

He maintained that the recruitment of teachers and other non-teaching staff, building of more education infrastructure would receive major priority in his second tenure.

Mr Makinde added that the administration would reabsorb many of the workers that were sacked provided they were not linked to fraud.

The governor said contract for the rehabilitation of the Agbowo Shopping Complex, situated opposite the University of Ibadan main gate, would be re-awarded to a contractor with the right capacity soonest.

2023 census technology cannot be manipulated, FG assures Nigerians

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has assured Nigerians that the technology to be deployed in the conduct of the 2023 census cannot be manipulated.

The Director-General of NOA, Garba Abari, gave this assurance during the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja on Sunday, while urging Nigerians to ensure that they’re counted during the conduct of the 2023 National Population and Housing Census.

The NOA boss said the technology to be deployed for the exercise would facilitate its credibility and acceptability, and “will make it difficult for anyone to manipulate the process.

“No doubt, the exercise will be different from previous ones because we are advancing through the use of modern technologies,” he said.

The country is getting set for national population and housing census in May. The last time Nigeria had a census was in 2006.Mr Abari, who is a member of the National Publicity and Advocacy Committee on census, said that the exercise is due to begin on May 3.

He, therefore, appealed to the media to help in educating Nigerians about the importance of presenting themselves for the headcount when it begins.

He said;

“I urge Nigerians to participate fully in the exercise so as to avail the country of the benefits that can be derived from the population and housing census.

“Nigerians, please remember you count, so come out and be counted. Census is for all of us and census is for development and development is all we need.”

While highlighting the importance of census to national planning and development, he emphasised the need for accurate figures that would be credible and acceptable, saying “in this day and era, we cannot be planning on the basis of conjectures.”

He added that so far, every building in the country had been coded for the purpose, assuring Nigerians not to expect manipulations in the forthcoming census.

He expressed the commitment of NOA to mobilise Nigerians for the exercise through robust sensitisation.He said the federal government’s consideration of the 2023 census as a priority programme in spite of challenges confronting the country underscored why Nigerians should participate in the process.

He added that, “we will ensure that all Nigerians are well informed to be properly counted.

“We need to sensitise the population to know the importance of the national population census.

“This is for the purpose of planning, legislative representation and insecurity that will reflect the peculiarity of our national demography — men, women, youths and children per local government, state and geo political zone.

“Be assured of the commitment to conduct a credible digital census in the country,” Mr Abari said.