Governor Bello Matawalle has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of punishing him because he opposed his naira redesign policy and joined other governors in filing a suit against him at the Supreme Court.

The Zamfara governor slammed the president for his anti-democratic tendency, accusing him of militarising the March 18 governorship election to ensure that APC did not win in the state, thereby scuttling his reelection.

“And I tell you, they were over 50 soldiers in our polling units in Zamfara. They were even straight about it that those voting for APC would not be allowed to vote. People were harassed and beaten because they wanted to vote for APC,” Mr Matawalle told DW Hausa in a post-election interview.

“We all have this evidence on video. When we called soldiers to come to our aid, they didn’t come. But I have left everything to God.”

Dauda Lawal-Dare of the Peoples Democratic Party polled 377,726 votes from the 14 local government areas to defeat Mr Matawalle, who had 311,976 votes.

The Zamfara governor also slammed Mr Buhari for exhibiting the same vindictiveness towards Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano).

According to the Zamfara governor, the president should be held responsible for the failure of APC candidates in the states to win the gubernatorial elections.

“When I saw that (the soldiers being sent), I knew they were up to something. That was why it didn’t bother me because I received intelligence report on what they were going to do against me. Not only myself but other governors that did something that is considered wrong,” Mr Matawalle explained.

He added;

“Yes, what’s being said is that we went to the court (Supreme Court) over new naira notes redesign. They said myself, Ganduje and El Rufai would be punished accordingly.”

The governor alleged that Mr Buhari ordered the deployment of 300 vehicles filled with soldiers in Zamara three days before the election.

“We have security challenges in Zamfara state, and we’ve been asking them to send soldiers to us, but they didn’t. But three days to the election (gubernatorial), they sent over 300 vehicles conveying soldiers into Zamfara,” Mr Matawalle claimed.

“Such a high number of soldiers. If they could send them to us to fight insecurity, it would be better. But they only sent them during elections.”

The president’s media aides, Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, declined to comment on the Zamfara governor’s allegations.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.”