Tribunal Adjourns Peter Obi’s Petition Against Tinubu’s Election Victory To May 17

The hearing of the petition submitted by Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate at the President Election Petitions Tribunal has been adjourned till next Wednesday, May 17.

Kenneth Okonkwo, the spokesperson for the party’s presidential campaign council, disclosed this on Wednesday via his Twitter page.

The petition is against the ‘president-elect’, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

The court adjourned the hearing of the petition on the request for adjournment by parties to the petition.

Okonkwo said, “After a brief hearing of the matter, the court adjourned to Wednesday 17th of May, 2023, for continuation of hearing.”

“We believe God for a positive outcome with your supplications to God,” he added.

It was earlier reported that the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal earlier on Wednesday dismissed the petition of the Action People’s Party challenging the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential election and subsequent declaration as the 'president-elect'.

The dismissal of the petition followed an application by the party to withdraw its petition challenging the outcome of the election.

Counsel for the party, Obed Agu, disclosed this during Wednesday’s proceedings.

In view of the application, the presiding judge of the Presidential Election Petition Court, Justice Tsammani, in a brief ruling dismissed the suit.

Similarly, on Monday, the tribunal struck out the petition by the Action Alliance (AA) challenging Tinubu’s victory.

The AA earlier withdrew its petition at the Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja, prompting the dismissal.

No reason was given for the withdrawal.

Autopsies on corpses found in mass graves linked to a church : Police

The police in Kenya have said that autopsies carried out on corpses found in mass graves linked to a religious cult in Kenya have revealed missing organs, thereby raising suspicions of forced organ harvesting.

Investigators said that a fresh round of exhumations was set to resume Tuesday (today).
Recall that over hundred corpses were discovered in mass graves in April near the Indian Ocean coastal town of Malindi in Kenya.
The discovery has stunned the deeply religious Christian-majority country in what has been dubbed the “Shakahola forest massacre”.
Police in the country believe that most of the bodies belong to followers of a self-styled pastor, Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, who has been accused of ordering the followers to starve to death “to meet Jesus.”
But the latest revelation showed that starvation appears to be the main cause of their death, the chief government pathologist, Johansen Oduor, reportedly said that some of the victims including children were strangled, beaten, or suffocated.
The Punch reports that court documents filed on Monday said that some of the corpses had their organs removed while police alleged that the suspects were engaged in forced organ harvesting.
Chief Inspector, Martin Munene, said in an affidavit filed to a Nairobi court that “Post-mortem reports have established missing organs in some of the bodies of victims who have been exhumed.”
He added that it is “Believed that trade on human body organs has been well coordinated involving several players,” but gave no details about the suspected trafficking.
Munene said that a high-profile televangelist, Ezekiel Odero, who was arrested last month in connection with the same case and granted bail on Thursday had received “huge cash transactions,” allegedly from Mackenzie’s followers who sold their property at the cult leader’s bidding.
The Nairobi court ordered the authorities to freeze more than 20 bank accounts belonging to Odero for 30 days.
So far, a total of 112 people have been confirmed dead, according to the Kenyan Interior Minister, Kithure Kindiki, who spoke on the matter on Tuesday after arriving in Malindi to supervise the resumption of exhumations, which had been suspended last week because of bad weather.
 Kindiki said that “Search and rescue efforts for persons suspected to be holed up in the thickets and bushes have been going on.”
Meanwhile, there have been questions about how the self-styled cleric, Mackenzie, managed to evade law enforcement despite a history of extremism and previous legal cases against him.
It was gathered that Mackenzie, who was a taxi driver turned himself in on April 14th after police acting on a tip-off first entered Shakahola forest where some 30 mass graves have now been found.
Prosecutors are reportedly asking to hold the father of seven, who founded the Good News International Church in 2003, for another 90 days until investigations are completed.
Senior principal magistrate Yusuf Shikanda said he would rule on the request on Wednesday.

Senate Chief Whip, Orji Kalu Writes Ruling APC, Insists On Senate President Despite Party’s Choice Of Ex-Minister, Akpabio

Kalu's ambition was expressed in a letter he wrote on Monday to the APC leadership and 108 senators-elect, in which he positioned himself as the best contender for the position.

Orji Uzor Kalu

Orji Kalu, the Senate Chief Whip, has written to the ruling All Progressive Congress about his “Senate President” ambitions, only hours after the party announced former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, as its handpicked candidate for the position.
Kalu's ambition was expressed in a letter he wrote on Monday to the APC leadership and 108 senators-elect, in which he positioned himself as the best contender for the position.
The former Abia State governor who said in April that it was his turn to become the Senate President, declared that he had what it took to ensure the success of the 10th Senate.
He wrote, “It is with a deep sense of joy and humility that I bring you warm greetings and that of the Abia north senatorial zone. My emergence as the senator to represent Abia north in this critical time in the history of our dear nation comes with huge responsibilities, top of which is to make quality laws for the good governance of our people.
“To be able to achieve these enviable goals, we require good leaders who will pilot the affairs of the 10th senate. Leadership of a sophisticated senate at the 10th session will need men and women with abundance of shared vision, consensus building, charisma, credibility, and pragmatism in the saddle.
“This is why I most humbly write to officially inform you of my interest to be elected the next Senate President. I make this offer to serve you and the Nigerian people with sincerity of heart, humility, and candor.
“The biggest asset I bring to the table is wisdom and experience garnered over the years in the management of human and material resources.
“I promise to work for you, promote and defend the constitution and the party, and foster a congenial and cordial relationship between the party, the executive and judiciary.

“One thing is indubitably certain: working together in unity and mutual love and respect, we can take Nigeria to the next level of peace, progress, and development.” 

There Is No Reason To Waste Your Time – South-West Monarch, Ooni Of Ife Asks Atiku, Peter Obi, Supporters To Accept 'President-Elect' Tinubu

The Yoruba king made the statement while welcoming a team led by Kenyan President, William Ruto, at the Lagos State annex of his palace.

Nigerian first-class monarch, the Ooni of Ife, has urged the supporters of the flag bearers of opposition parties, particularly Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi to declare their support for the incoming administration of the “President-elect”, Bola Tinubu.

The Yoruba king made the statement while welcoming a team led by Kenyan President, William Ruto, at the Lagos State annex of his palace.

Francis Koskie, Kenya's chief of staff, Aliko Dangote, chairman of Dangote Group, Harry Ebohen, CEO of Propetrol, Dapo Abiodun, Governor of Ogun State, and Kunmi Demuren, a fintech executive, were among the delegation members.

The team had also met with Tinubu to discuss how Africa might work together to achieve collective development, PM Nigeria News reports.

During their visit, Ooni urged all Nigerians to rally behind Tinubu in order to establish a better Nigeria.
He said: “As the presidential inauguration approaches, I beseech you all, young and old, Obidients and Atikulates, hopeful and weary, amiable and passionate, to lay down your arms.

“There is no reason to waste time looking back; all we have is today and the future. Now is the time to embrace our diversity and uniqueness
“We may differ in opinions and approaches to achieving a better Nigeria, but we all want a nation that we can be proud of. Let us come together to support the vision of Asiwaju Gbogbo Ile Oodua.”

Speaking further at the event, Ooni said: “Symbolically, Nigeria remains Africa’s largest economy, most populous nation, and a political powerhouse. During my last visit, the Kenyan President assured me of his government’s unwavering determination to improve its nations’ and businesses’ footprints in Nigeria. I identify with Kunmi Demuren, my son and formidable partner, a fintech guru known globally for excellence. With me also was my ever-friendly and charismatic governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, who shares in the vision of new Africa, and I must pay tribute to Mr. Harry Ebohen, Propetrol’s CEO, is a business genius with extensive experience in the oil and gas and banking industries and most importantly, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

“Indeed, Africa is a continent of boundless possibilities not only of the past, but also of the present and the future. President William Ruto is impeccably devoted to work with Nigeria to lead the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) while creating an innovative future for our young people. The ambition of Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who developed Africa’s largest oil refinery and the world’s largest single-train facility, has left its imprint on the remarkable story of Africa and AfCTA. Africa is the world’s engine, and we must remodel its priceless natural resources and safeguard its age-old wealth for our progress.”

2023 Presidential Election Is Worst In Nigerian History; Your Party Rigged, Didn't Win Because Of Anybody's Overconfidence – Labour Party Lambasts Buhari

The Labour Party (LP) has described President Muhammadu Buhari's position on the outcome of the February 25 presidential election as false and untrue.

Buhari had declared that Bola Tinubu of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), won the February 25 presidential election.

The president had maintained that the opposition parties lost the election because of their “overconfidence, complacency and bad tactical moves,” which he maintained also created more problems for them than anyone else.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had noted that Buhari said this on Thursday when he received the Progressive Governors Forum led by their Chairman, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State at his residence in the State House.

Buhari asserted that while the APC was working hard to retain power in the recent elections, the combined opposition was busy telling their foreign backers that they would defeat the APC.

The Peoples Democratic Party earlier calling on the international community to impose a visa ban on the Nigerian leader.

The party noted that the President position is not a true reflection of what played out during the election, claiming that Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not win the election.

However, the Labour Party’s Acting National Secretary, Obiorah Ifoh, in a statement reply to the President, said Buhari’s position on the outcome of the said election was false, untrue, and it was not a true reflection of what played out during the election.

He said; “There are several reasons why opposition political parties lost the 2023 election; the first is that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC snubbed the electoral act wherein it failed to upload the result from the polling unit in real time as promised and in disregard to the laws guiding the election. The INEC by so doing, created room for that election to be rigged,” the Friday statement read.

"The current APC president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu didn’t win the election, because the said election, particularly, the presidential election was manipulated and rigged beyond comprehension. So political parties didn’t lose the election because of overconfidence or complacency as proffered by Mr. President. APC in collaboration with the various government agencies simply rigged the election and rigged themselves into power.

“Let me remind Mr. President of the magnitude of violence, ballot snuffing, snatching and manipulations of results from the collation centres using security agencies, which included police, army amongst others as well as thugs to manipulate elections in favour of the ruling party.

“Recently, we saw the show of shame that took place in Adamawa. What played out in Adamawa was a microcosm of what played out all over the states during the February 25 and March 18 elections in Nigeria. Why the case of Adamawa was given huge publicity and attention was because of the involvement of an INEC National commissioner who was a victim, thus forcing INEC to take prompt action.

“From Lagos to Rivers, from north to southern parts of the country, all over, violence characterised that election. In most cases, some agents and supporters were not allowed access to the polling units.

“All of these put together, do they amount to overconfidence and complacency on the part of the opposition party? It shows that the President who promised Nigerians that he was going to give Nigerians a free, fair and credible election simply failed in his duty in giving Nigerians the election they deserved.

“The 2023 general election is the worst election the country ever had since the current republic; since 1999 to date. The 2023 general election is the worst ever as reported by virtually all the international observers and communities. In fact, the election took Nigeria back to the days of the First and Second Republics where political thugs, where violence and thuggery characterized politics and elections.

“So Mr. President is completely wrong. I believe that he was ill-advised. It was erroneous for him to say that opposition parties lost the election because of overconfidence. In fact, Labour Party won the election but it was brazenly stolen by APC. Mr. President is aware of the fact that APC did not win the election and that it was stolen,” the statement added.

Sahara Reporter

Jungle justice: Police arrest suspects for stoning man to death in Ondo

The Ondo State Command has arrested two suspects who allegedly stoned a 35-year-old man, Olorunfemi Tope, to death in Akure.

Recall that an angry mob on Monday April 10, stoned Tope to death, when his alleged reckless driving caused an accident that left two persons dead and six others injured. injured. 

The late Tope was said to have allegedly rammed into commercial motorcycles with their passengers along Ijoka road, by Sunday bus stop, Akure, in Ondo state capital.

Irate mob stoned Tope to death and set his car ablaze.

Spokesperson of the command, SP Olufunmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, who confirmed the development on Tuesday, said police detectives have arrested two suspects in connection with the jungle justice. 

Odunlami-Omisanya stated that one of the two arrested suspects allegedly masterminded the burning of Tope’s car. 

The PPRO, who said that the suspects would be charged to court for murder and arson, appealed to members of the public never to take laws into their own hands.

“We need to see ourselves as one and love each other. We should first see ourselves as human beings before becoming either a commercial motorcyclist, policeman or any other professional. As of now, no one can confirm if the dead young man in question was an internet fraudster," the spokesperson stated.

"Rather than people around to have helped when the accident happened, some resolved to jungle justice by killing the young man and setting his car ablaze. We need to refrain from engaging in jungle justice, shun hearsay and report any incident to the nearby police station so that there will be peace in our community."

 

 

Photos from the wedding of Cameroonian teacher who found love after years of being rejected by women due to his height

A 39-year-old Cameroonian teacher, Kwoyela Derick, who was rejected by women due to his height, has married his lover, Kahboh Patience. 

The traditional and civil wedding took place in Bali Nyonga, on Friday April 7. While the church wedding was held in Bamenda, North West Region on Saturday, April 8, 2023.

The couple caused a stir on social media after they announced their union few weeks ago.

Derick said he had struggled with societal stereotypes before finding love in Patience.

See more photos below…

 

20-year-old man in Kano strangles girlfriend to death after failed attempts to abort pregnancy

The Kano State Police Command has paraded one Philibus Ibrahim, 20, who was arrested for strangling his 20-year-old pregnant girlfriend, Theresa Yakubu, to death in Tudun Wada Local Government Area of the state.

Spokesperson of the command, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, said the suspect conspired with his friend, Gabriel Bila, 25, and lured Theresa into a bush where he strangled her to death.

According to the PPRO, Philibus confessed to killing Theresa who was pregnant for him, after all efforts to abort her pregnancy proved abortive.

“On 28/03/2023 at about 1630hrs, a report was received that a lady was seen laying on the ground motionless by the roadside at Anadariya Village, Bebeji Local Government Area, along Kano-Jos Road, Kano State,” the statement read.

“On receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Mamman Dauda psc(+) raised and instructed a team of detectives led by SP Tanimu Wada, Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Bebeji Division to proceed to the scene. The team immediately rushed to the scene and moved the body to Tiga General Hospital where a medical Doctor confirmed her dead.

“Preliminary investigation revealed the identity of the deceased as Theresa Yakubu, ‘f’, 20 years old with a two-month-old pregnancy, of Anadariya Village, Bebeji LGA.

“It also led to the arrest of her boyfriend, one Philibus Ibrahim, ‘m’, 20 years old of Unguwar Korau Quarters, Tudun Wada LGA and his friend, one Gabriel Bila, ‘m’, 25 years old, of the same address

“On investigation, Philibus confessed that he impregnated the girlfriend two months ago, and all efforts to abort the pregnancy proved abortive. He then conspired with his friend and took her to a bush, the friend held her hands and Philibus used her head tie and strangled her to death

“The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Homicide Section for discreet investigation. Suspects will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.”

Gunmen Who Invaded Abuja Estate Demand N50million Ransom, 11 Residents Remain In Captivity

It was further gathered on Monday that some persons had been released by the kidnappers but no fewer than 11 people still remained with the kidnappers because they had yet to bring the ransoms.

The gunmen, who on Friday night invaded Grow Home Estate in the Chikakore area of Kubwa, a satellite town of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and abducted several residents, have demanded N50million ransom from the affected families amid the prevalent naira scarcity.

It was further gathered on Monday that some persons had been released by the kidnappers but no fewer than 11 people still remained with the kidnappers because they had yet to bring the ransoms.

It was reported that some gunmen invaded the estate, opposite Champions Church, around 10pm on Friday and shot sporadically before making away with several victims.

The victims had included a pastor, whose name had yet to be ascertained, his wife and three children, totaling no fewer than 15 persons during the one-hour assault.

It was gathered that the gunmen made away with the victims through the forests at about 11pm but gunshots from the vigilantes forced them to allow about seven persons to escape.

On Monday, a top source close to the families said the gunmen had got across and demanded for N50million ransom.

“Yes, they have called in. They called in on Sunday and demanded for N50million ransom. One or two persons have been released but 11 persons are still with them. We believe the police and other security agencies are also working underneath to secure their release,” the source stated.

Why I’m Not Part Of Team Defending Tinubu’s Victory In Court – Keyamo

Festus Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has explained his absence from the legal team defending Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the president-elect, in court.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Tinubu winner of the February 25 presidential election, but his major rivals in the exercise, headed for the court to challenge his victory.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of Labour Party are both claiming to have won the election and they have hired lawyers to prove their case in court.

On Tuesday morning, the list of Tinubu’s 48-man legal counsel went viral on social media.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) also released a 12-man list of senior lawyers to defend Tinubu.

However, the name of Keyamo is not on any of the lists.

In an apparent response to inquiries on the absence of Keyamo in the legal team, the senior lawyer wrote, “For those who made inquiries, a serving Minister (by our Constitution) cannot be listed in any private legal team, though he/she can support the team in preparation. Hence, the present cabinet Ministers who are SANs can only formally join the Election Petition team after May 29th.”

Keyamo was actively involved in the campaign of Tinubu, serving as a spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council.

He is currently the minister of state for Labour and productivity.