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Author: funsho williams

  • Osun election: Oyetola building evidence to counter Adeleke’s victory

    Osun election: Oyetola building evidence to counter Adeleke’s victory

    Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just concluded governorship election in the state is prepared to seek legal means to upturn the results in his favour.

    Recall candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ademola Adeleke was declared the winner of the Osun governorship held on Saturday, July 16, 2022.

    Adeleke polled PDP 403,371 to defeat Oyetola and the APC with 375,027 votes, while Lasun Yusuf of Labour Party, LP polled 2,729

    Speaking on Oyetola’s preparation for legal action against Adeleke’s victory, Kunle Adegoke, a senior advocate who is a member of Oyetola’s legal team revealed that 50 lawyers have indicated interest to join the case.

    When asked about the legal grounds with which Oyetola will be challenging Adeleke, Adegoke stated that they are still studying the election results and building their evidence.

    “We are still studying the election results, working on the legal grounds, and building evidence to challenge Adeleke’s declaration as governor-elect; as we speak, about 50 lawyers have indicated interest to join us.” He said.

  • NewsClick Nigeria to attend UN’s training for journalists on SDG

    NewsClick Nigeria to attend UN’s training for journalists on SDG

    In pursuit of its goals of developmental journalism, NewsClick Nigeria will on Tuesday join other selected journalists from different media organisations to participate in a training organised by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Lagos and Media Awareness and Information For All Network (MAIN) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda.

    The workshop is scheduled to take place between 10 – 11 May 2022, 9 a. m daily at American Corner, (Former Concord Newspapers office), 42 Local Airport Road, Ikeja, Lagos.

    According to a statement released by the organisers of the event, seeks to acquaint journalists with SDGs targets and indicators and mechanics of monitoring specific indicators of SDGs with a view to generating compelling stories that will galvanise local and people’s action for sustainable development in Nigeria.

    The training workshop has been held in Maiduguri, Kano, Abuja and Uyo; and Lagos and Enugu will complete the six geo- political zones of Nigeria.

    Meanwhile, this is not the first NewsClick Nigeria is partnering with and engaging global bodies that are committed to promoting positive global changes.

    It will be recalled NewsClick Nigeria was accredited by the UN and participated in the 26th edition of UN global climate change conference which held in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, between 31 October and 12 November 2021, under the Co-Presidency of the United Kingdom and Italy.

  • 2023: Oshiomhole, Akpabio, Okorocha, 6 other contenders may step down for Tinubu

    Reports reaching NewsClickNg indicate that some presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress, APC are set to step down and declare support for the candidacy of former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the race for 2023 presidential election is gathering momentum hots up.

    Though, the development is coming after the party adopted the consensus method, a chieftain in APC disclosed to NewsClick under the condition of anonymity that some of the candidates who are on the verge of stepping down to back Tinubu were sponsored by the national leader of the party (Tinubu) in anticipation of the crisis presently troubling the party.

    Among the names listed by the aforesaid source include, Senator Godswil Akpabio; Sen. Rocha Okorocha; Com. Adams Oshiomole; Prof. Ben Ayade; Emeka Nwajiuba; Sen. Ken Nnamani; Ahmed Sani Yerima; Ajayi Borriface and Mrs Uji Ohnenye.

    Recall the number of presidential aspirants bidding for the party’s ticket has almost reached 30, despite the presidential form being pegged at N100m.

    Meanwhile, the Campaign Director General of APC frontline presidential aspirant, Ahmed Tinubu, Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin, has announced plans to dump APC.

    Jubril who made the notification public via his Twitter handle said he would be announcing his new party in the next 24 hours

    He tweeted, “I have done my best for APC. Its time to move on. I will announce my new political party within the next 24 hours insha Allah. I will make a formal statement in due course. Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin.”

    So far, 12 aspirants have purchased the presidential form. They are Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, APC stalwart, Bola Tinubu, the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajuiba, Lagos pastor, Tunde Bakare, Governor Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa State, his Ebonyi State counterpart, Dave Umahi, and Senator Rochas Okorocha, Governor Yahaya Bello; the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Ms Unu Onaneye, the only female and Nicholas Felix.

    Others include Governor Ben Ayade, Ex-Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Governor Kayode Fayemi, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, former Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Senator Orji Kalu, ex-Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, and Senate President Ken Nnamani.

    Mr Yakubu Mohammed; Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim; Tien Jack-Rich; Tech Entrepreneur, Adamu Garba; Rev. Moses Ayom; Dr Ibrahim Bello-Dauda; and Ibinabo Dokubo are also expected to pick forms.

    However, aspirants and their campaign groups, who had got wind of the planned adoption of the consensus method, in separate interviews with The PUNCH, were divided over the plan with some of them warning that it could lead the party into a major crisis.

    While campaign groups of the APC National leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, warned against imposing the method, organisations campaigning for the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, said their principal would emerge the consensus candidate.

  • Court Vacates Exparte Order Against Union Homes

    Court Vacates Exparte Order Against Union Homes

    A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday have discharged and vacated an Exparte order made against Union Homes Savings and Loans Plc.

    Justice Daniel Osiagor discharged the order sequel to a motion filed and argued by the counsel to Union Homes Savings and Loans Plc Dr Muiz Banire SAN and Kunle Adegoke SAN.

    Justice Osiagor had on February 24, 2022, made the Exparte order against the financial institutions as well-appointed a Reciever Managers, while granting an Exparte application filed against it by Union Trustees Limited, in a suit marked FHC/L/CS/02/2022.

    The development which led to the taking over the premises of the firms located at 153, Ikorodu road, Onipanu, Lagos by the Receiver Manager appointed by the court.

    Perturbed with the order, Union Homes Savings and Loans Plc and two others, Aso Savings and Loans Plc and Union Bank Plc, through their counsel, Dr. Muiz Banire and Kunle Adegoke, both Senoir Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) approached the court with motions to discharge and vacate the order.

    However, at the resumed of hearing today, counsel to Union Homes Savings and Loans Plc and Aso Savings and Loans Plc, Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN), Mr. Kunle Adegoke (SAN) respectively, argued and moved the motion to discharge with the affidavit in support deposed to by Edeking Jegede and Maimuna Chionuma.

    The two Silk asked the court to discharge and vacate the order on the ground that Plaintiff/Respondent materially misrepresented to, and concealed material facts, engaged in deliberate suppression of facts and that the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the matter or make the ex-parte orders in issue.

    The two senior lawyers also told the court that the underlying matter amounts to a gross abuse of court process.

    The plaintiff counsel Ifedayo Adedipe SAN file a counter-affidavit urging the court to dismiss the motion as does not disclose any infraction done I’m obtaining the experte order

    Ruling on the motion, Justice Osiagor held that “after hearing Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN) for the first Defendnt/Applicant and Mr. Kunle Adegoke (SAN) for the second defendant/Applicant, move in terms of the Motion paper.

    “It is hereby ordered that the Orders of this Honourable Court made on the 24th day of February, 2022 but which was served on the 2nd Defendant/Applicant on the 4th day of March 2022 is hereby discharged immediately.”

    Meanwhile, further hearing on the substantive Suit has been adjourned till April 23

  • Timaya arrested over alleged hit-and-run which leaves lady hospitalised

    Timaya arrested over alleged hit-and-run which leaves lady hospitalised

    Nigerian music star, Timaya has been arrested hours after he was accused of almost killing a young lady.

    On Wednesday, March 2, 2022, an Instagram user Osinubi Omowumi, who claimed to be the sister of the victim, accused the music star of ramming his car into her sister after she challenged him for damaging her car.

    In the latest development, men of the Nigeria Police Force stormed the residence of the music star on Thursday morning.

    The singer was seen explaining to the officers what transpired during the alleged hit and run incident.

    A few minutes later he was whisked away by the armed police officers.

    Omowumi accused the music star of causing severe injuries to her sister.

    “She is in the hospital now in serious pain and the funniest part is me messaging him to do the needful but this wicked fellow blocked me after reading my messages,” part of her post read.

    She also accused him of blocking her on Instagram when she tried to reach out to him.

  • BREAKING: France asks citizens to leave Russia

    France “strongly” asked its citizens on Thursday to leave Russia if their presence there was “not essential” following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and the closure of airspace between Russia and the European Union.

    “In the context of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and following the imposition of international sanctions, we must increase our vigilance,” the foreign ministry wrote on its website. Already on Sunday, Paris had recommended French citizens passing through Russia to leave the country.

    This is coming after French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire declared an “all-out economic and financial war” against Russia to bring down the its economy as punishment for invading Ukraine, before rowing back on language he later said was inappropriate.

    The United States and its allies have imposed sanctions on Russia’s central bank, oligarchs and officials, including President Vladimir Putin himself, and barred some Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system.

    French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire described the sanctions packages as proving “extremely effective”.

    “We’re waging an all-out economic and financial war on Russia,” Le Maire told France Info radio. “We will cause the collapse of the Russian economy.”

    Le Maire later told French news agency AFP he had misspoken and that the term “war” was not compatible with France’s efforts to de-escalate tensions surrounding the Ukraine conflict.

    “We are not in a battle against the Russian people,” the minister added.

    In a matter of weeks, Russia has turned from a lucrative bet on surging oil prices to an uninvestable market with a central bank hamstrung by sanctions, major banks shut out of the international payments system and capital controls choking off money flows.

  • Abramovich announces plan to sell Chelsea, says proceeds goes to Ukraine victims

    Abramovich announces plan to sell Chelsea, says proceeds goes to Ukraine victims

    Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich on Wednesday confirmed he will sell the Premier League club amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    Russian billionaire Abramovich has decided it is in the “best interest” of the Champions League holders if he parts ways with the club he has transformed since his purchase in 2003.

    “As I have stated before, I have always taken decisions with the club’s best interest at heart,” Abramovich said in a statement.

    “In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the club, the fans, the employees, as well as the club’s sponsors and partners.”

    Chelsea have won 19 major trophies in the Abramovich era, including their first two Champions League crowns and five Premier League titles.

    But the 55-year-old’s reign will come to an end following the fall-out from the Russian invasion.

    The British government has yet to order sanctions against Abramovich, who is said to be close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the Chelsea owner’s concern about the potential seizing of assets is said to have sparked his move to off-load the Blues.

    Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss and USA investor Todd Boehly are reported to be two of the parties now preparing a joint bid for Chelsea.

    Abramovich, who made a rare appearance to watch Chelsea win the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi recently, has also pledged to donate any net proceeds from the sale to help victims of the war in Ukraine.

    “The sale of the club will not be fast-tracked but will follow due process,” Abramovich said.

    “I will not be asking for any loans to be repaid. This has never been about business nor money for me, but about pure passion for the game and club. Moreover, I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated.

  • 115 Nigerians storm Ukraine embassy in Abuja, volunteer to fight against Russia

    Some 115 Nigerians have besieged Ukraine Embassy in Abuja, the federal capital of Nigeria to volunteer help for Ukraine to wage war against Russia.

    The report was confirmed by the Second Secretary of the Ukraine Embassy, Bohdan Soltys who said no steps had been taken yet to that effect.

    As Russia continues its onslaught in Ukraine, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had announced a visa free regime for anyone willing to help the nation.

    The men, who besieged the Ukraine Embassy in Abuja, also put down their names in a register provided by the embassy.

    This is coming at a time Nigerians in the troubled country are struggling to return home.

    Nigeria’s foreign affairs ministry had, in a statement by Gabriel Aduda, the ministry’s permanent secretary, announced that it expects to receive the first batch of evacuees from Ukraine on Thursday.

    According to Mr Aduda, “the chartered flights (Air Peace, Max Air) will depart on Wednesday, March 2, to pick up Nigerian evacuees back home.”

    He added that the Nigerian embassies in Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have received 650, 350, 940 and 150 persons respectively from Ukraine.

    On the routes and capacity for the air lifts, Mr Aduda noted that Max Air will lift 560 persons from Romania while Air Peace will lift 364 persons from Poland and 360 from Hungary.

    Meanwhile, the Nigerian embassy in Ukraine has ascertained that there are over 5,000 Nigerian students in Ukraine.

  • ‘Concerned Nigerians’ accuses Gov Uzodinma of rigging, urges INEC to cancel Ngor Okpala bye-election

    A civil rights group, Concerned Nigerians has on Monday filed a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to condemn the process that led to the emergence of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Blyden Amajirionwu, as the winner of the House of Assembly bye-election which was held on Saturday.

    The group in a letter titled, “Hope Uzodinma: A threat to Nigeria’s Democracy” and signed by its convener, Deji Adeyanju alleged that Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodima turned the election into a battleground and accused him of rigging the process in favour of the APC.

    Recommending steps to INEC to prevent the recurrence of such electoral flaws, the group called for the immediate cancellation of the Ngor Okpala state constituency election and advised INEC to immediately sensitise on the salient provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, which particularly as it relates to its powers to review and cancel elections.

    The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to the fact that a few hours ago, President Buhari yielded to the cry of the average Nigerian citizen and signed the Electoral Act Bill into law.

    “We commend the President for this positive and courageous step. As we had earlier stated in various press releases, it is not too late for the President to retrace his steps and leave a positive legacy that will be talked about for years to come. This Electoral Act and the innovations it will bring into our electoral space will be considered as one of the President’s greatest legacies.

    “Notwithstanding the attempts by politicians with vested interest to mislead the President into refusing assent, we are happy that the president has behaved like a statesman. Nigeria is bigger than every political office holder and we must always put this into consideration in taking decisions that affect the country. It should be noted that the Electoral Act has introduced very innovatively and far-reaching clauses, some of which are the institutionalisation of electronic transmission of results, card reader usage, the conduct of primaries not later than 180 days before the election, and more significantly, the resignation of political office holders before the conduct of primaries.

    “We note that while signing the bill into law, the President requested the National Assembly to immediately amend the Act and expunge section 84 which provides that political office holders must resign before the conduct of primaries. We urge the National Assembly to reject this request, as the principle behind that section was well thought out. Any political office holder who seeks to contest for a public office should resign and concentrate on the electioneering process, rather than using public funds to fund his election. This section is in consonance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999), as amended.

    “In addition to the foregoing, we urge the President to take a step further by immediately ordering the release of the election funds to INEC, to enable it to commence preparation for the elections. We are optimistic that the signing of the Electoral Act Bill into law will yield a new dawn for Nigeria, and perhaps, a better legacy for the President.”
    [19:48, 28/02/2022] Lufemi: Th

  • 2023: Jonathan floors Tinubu on Twitter poll amid speculated second coming

    Former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has floored the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a viral presidential poll conducted by netizens on a microblogging website, Twitter.

    This is coming at a time the race for elective positions in 2023 has thickened, with a lot of speculations about the candidates for the next presidential election.

    The clamour for Jonathan’s return is reportedly widespread among members of the ruling party where Tinubu has declared his intention to run for president and also in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where he (Jonathan) presently belongs.

    Latching on the rumored comeback of Jonathan, popular Nigerian Twitter Influencer Dr. Harvey Funmilayo, conducted a poll to measure opinions of Nigerians on Jonathan’s likey comeback in comparison with Tinubu who has kickstarted a presidential campaign in the country.

    “So I’m seeing this shocking hashtag saying #GEJisComing …It’s really surprising to say the least. But let’s do a quick online vote. IF it comes down to just two men- Tinubu and GEJ- who has your vote? RT if you will vote GEJ.Like if you will vote Tinubu. Pass this on.” He posted.

    In the aforesaid poll, the former president garnered 2977 retweets while Tinubu had only 693 likes.

    Meanwhile, the hashtag, #GEJisComing and the result of the poll have continued to generate varying reactions from Nigerians on the social media space, many of whom assert that Jonathan is the unifier needed to lead the country while others are skeptical of his return.

    On the other side, some Nigerians are kicking against Tinubu’s presidential aspirations due to his failing health while his supporters believe he’s fit for the 2023 feat.

    Here are some of the popular reactions to Jonathan’s second coming on Twitter: