Politics
INEC Urges Tribunal To Dismiss Atiku’s Petition For Not Meeting With Constitutional Requirements
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked the Presidential election tribunal to dismiss the petition of the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, on grounds that he did not meet the constitutional requirements to be declared winner of the February 25 election.
In a response filed before the tribunal by INEC, The commission said the PDP flag bearer failed to score at least, one-quarter of the votes cast in at least two-thirds of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and as such could not have been declared the winner.
As against the claim by the petitioners, INEC added that the election was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 and was not marred by any corrupt practices.
The commission insisted that the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu was duly elected as the President-elect.The commission said the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate met all the legal requirements to be so announced as the winner.
It argued that a candidate must not secure 25 per cent of votes in the FCT to be declared the winner.
On why it returned Tinubu as the winner, INEC said the APC candidate scored 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in 29 states of the Federation. The commission added that by the margin of the lead, it did not act hastily, as claimed by Atiku and the PDP in declaring Tinubu the winner.
It noted that Tinubu scored 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in 29 states, namely: Ekiti, Kwara, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Yobe, Lagos, Gombe, Adamawa, Katsina, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Niger, Benue, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Kogi, Bauchi, Plateau, Bayelsa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kano, Zamfara, Sokoto, Taraba, Borno and Rivers.
It added that the FCT, beyond being the country’s capital “has no special constitutional status over and above the other 36 states of the Federation” to require a candidate in the presidential election to obtain at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in the FCT before being declared winner of the presidential election.
The commission subsequently urged the Tribunal to dismiss Atiku’s petition.
Note that the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi also filed a petition. Perhaps he met the requirements since no stone has been thrown at him yet.
We are waiting for response from the People’s Democratic Party Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Politics
President Tinubu Restructures Media and Communications Team
President Bola Tinubu has re-designated the positions of two recently appointed officials in the State House media and communications team to enhance efficiency within the government’s communication machinery.
The restructuring is as follows:
1. Mr. Sunday Dare – hitherto Special Adviser on Public Communication and National Orientation is now Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications.
2. Mr. Daniel Bwala – announced last week as Special Adviser, Media and Public Communication, is now special adviser Policy Communication.
These appointments, along with the existing role of Special Adviser, Information and Strategy , underscore that there is no single individual spokesperson for the Presidency.
Instead, all the three Special Advisers will collectively serve as spokespersons for the government.
This approach aims to ensure effective and consistent communication of government policies, decisions, and engagements.
Signed: Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President, (Information and Strategy)
More accolades for the Minister of State for Defence H.E Dr Muhammed Bello Matawalle, MoN, for his commitment and dedication to his duties and the
latest is the remarks of goodwill of the minister made by the newly elected National Speaker of the leading Youth’s body in Nigeria, the Youth Assembly of Nigeria (YAN), Comrade Famuyibo Oluwasegun, during his acceptance speech at the national election held at Agura Hotels, Abuja weekend.
Comrade Oluwasegun, who hails from Ekiti State, described the Minister as a Youths role model who has demonstrated rare courage in fighting bandits and terrorists to their standstill in North West and other parts of the country and above all his loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.
The National Youth Speaker noted further that “After God Almighty who made his emergence possible, the Minister of State Defence and former Governor of Zamfara state, Dr. Bello Matawalle was a prominent factor to his new attained height.
“My mentor, His Excellency Dr. Matawalle extended an unalloyed hand of leadership, direction and support to me which were instrumental to making my victory a reality”, Famuyibo stated.
The YAN Speaker-elect thanked the YAN Board of Trustees, Convention Planning Committee and the entire YAN delegates for finding him worthy to lead the 4th Assembly of Nigerian Youths.
Also lending his voice, the Acting BoT Chairman of YAN, Hon. Gt. C Samuel advised the newly elected leaders of YAN to be good Ambassadors of Nigerian Youths and Nigeria at all times. He encouraged them to bring out the best of their thinking caps while planning for a befitting inauguration of the 4th Assembly as elected.
Other elected new national leadership of the 4th Assembly of Youth Assembly of Nigeria, included Umar Bala Babayaro of Kaduna state emerged the Deputy National Speaker, Sadiq Abubakar of Borno state as Majority Leader, Ezeanikwe Charles as Deputy Majority Leader, Raymond Sylvanus of Cross Rivers state as National Chief Whip, Jennifer Ornguga of Benue state as National Minority Leader and Jude Chinonso as Diaspora Ambassador.
The Federal Executive Council chaired by President Bola Tinubu has scrapped two ministries, Techeconomy can report.
The ministries, according to a tweet by President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, are Niger Delta Ministry and the Ministry of Sports Development.
“There will now be a ministry of regional development to oversee all the regional development commissions, such as Niger Delta Development Commission, North West Development Commission, South West Development Commission, and North East Development Commission.
“The National Sports Commission will take over the role of the Ministry of Sports”, Onanuga tweeted.
“The FEC also approved the merger of the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy.
“The decisions were taken today at the meeting of Federal Executive Council in Abuja.
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