Appeal Court – Precise Post

Appeal Court Victory: Grace of God my greatest advocate – Hon. Ogene

December 16, 2023December 16, 2023 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

By Lilian Osuagwu The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja, has dismissed the appeal brought before it by the House of Representatives candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Anambra State, against the victory of the Labour Party candidate, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, whose victory had earlier been affirmed by the Election Petition Tribunal, in Awka, Anambra State. Justice M.I.Sirajo, who delivered the judgment, on Saturday, December 16, 2023, said that the appeal by Hon. Onyema, lacked merit and therefore affirmed the earlier judgement of the Tribunal, which was delivered on Friday, October 20, 2023. Speaking after the judgment, Hon. Ogene attributed the victory to the grace and favour of God, which he said have paved the way for him right from the day he decided to participate in the election. Hon. Ogene, who is the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy, said further, “Just as I said after the tribunal verdict, which also declared me victorious, the grace of God is my greatest advocate. And my judicial victories are true validation of …

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Appeal Court fines Gov. Makinde, others N50m for withholding ex-council chiefs’ funds

December 8, 2023December 8, 2023 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

ABUJA- The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Friday awarded N50 million in damages against Gov..Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, and six others for failure to pay the outstanding balance of N3,374,889,425.60 (N3.4 billion) from the N4,874,889,425.60 (N4.9 billion) debt, arising from a May 7, 2021 judgment of the Supreme Court. A three-member panel of justices, in a unanimous judgment, condemned Makinde’s conduct, which it described as disrespectful of the nation’s judicial system. The court affirmed the April 27 decision of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ordering the state governor to paid the outstanding balance. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the N4.9 billion debt arose from the judgment of the Supreme Court given against Makinde, the state’s Attorney-General (A-G), Accountant-General and four others in an appeal by chairmen and councillors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but sacked on May 29, 2019, by Makinde, upon assuming office. In the judgment, the appellate court upheld the arguments by the lawyer to the ex-council chiefs, Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, resolved the two …

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Just In: Appeal Court sacks last PDP member from Plateau assembly

November 29, 2023November 29, 2023 - by Lovina - Leave a Comment

The Abuja division of the Court of Appeal dismissed Hon. Cornelius Doeyok, the only member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) remaining in the Plateau State House of Assembly, from the Quaanpan South Constituency on Wednesday. The court in yet another, unanimous lead judgement, declared Theodore Bala Maiyaki, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the March 18, 2023, general election. Detail loading…

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Kano: One Dead In Fresh Protest Over Appeal Court Verdict

November 29, 2023November 29, 2023 - by Lovina - Leave a Comment

One person has been confirmed killed in fresh protest that rocked Kano State over an Appeal Court verdict sacking Governor Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). The deceased, Salisu Rabiu, identified as a footballer is one of the persons shot by policemen dispersing protesters. Wednesday’s protest is the fourth since the appellate court sacked the governor on November 17, 2023, and declared All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nasiru Gawuna, as the winner of the March poll. On Wednesday, protesters gathered in some locations across the state with placards having inscriptions like ‘Our mandate must restored’, ‘Kano voted for Abba’, injustice exposed in CTC’, amongst others. Wearing colour red popular among the Kwankwasiyya, a socio-religious movement with NNPP 2023 presidential candidate and ex-Kano governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso as the group’s leader, the protesters chanted solidarity songs to register their displeasure. Policemen were seen stationed at various entrances of the state. The protesters blocked the road linking to Katsina State, preventing commuters from traveling. ‘Trigger-Happy Cop Arrested’ In a statement, the police spokesman in the state, Abdullahi Kiyawa, confirmed the …

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Scandalous verdicts: Groups demand probe of Kano Gov election judgement

November 26, 2023November 26, 2023 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

… Seeks Reduction In Cost Of Governance The recent controversy over Appeal Court decisions on some election cases, especially on the Kano State Governorship, is not only upsetting the people in the North but also in the South. In Rivers State, South-South Nigeria, a coalition of three pressure groups said “The judiciary must immediately look inwards to correct the negative impression that Nigerians have about them”. The groups include the South-South Routine Movement, Bayelsa Routine Movement, and Delta Youth Movement for Good Governance. The spokesperson of the Coalition, Podoki Austin at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital, called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate the complaints about the decisions of the election tribunal and Appeal courts with reference to Zamfara, Plateau and especially, Kano States. “Even to us as youths in the South-South, it is glaringly clear that the contradictory nature of the lead judgment in the Kano Appeal case is scandalous and is an indicator of what the people of Nigeria see about the judiciary!” he said Sunday. He said “a couple of …

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Appeal Court Verdict: Sen. Chukwu calls for unity to move Enugu East senatorial district forward

November 25, 2023November 25, 2023 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

By Ogechi Okorie As the Appeal Court, Lagos State division on Friday put to rest the Enugu East Senatorial District election matter, Senator Kelvin Chizoba Chukwu has enjoined all well meaning citizens of Enugu to join hands with him to move the state forward. Sen. Chukwu (Labour Party) defeated the former governor of Enugu State, Sen Chimaroke Nnamani who was the incumbent federal lawmaker representing Enugu East Senatorial District at the red chamber prior to the election and others to emerge the winner. Recall that his party graciously replaced him with his elder brother Barr. Oiybo Chukwu, who was gruesomely murdered during the build up to the presidential and National Assembly elections. Further recall that Professor Joachim Omeje had declared Chukwu Kelvin Chizoba, Senatorial candidate for Enugu East Senatorial zone under the platform of Labour Party winner of the election conducted on Saturday 18th March 2023. Chukwu polled a total of sixty-nine thousand, one hundred and thirty-six (69,136) votes to emerge winner while his closest rival, Chimaroke Nnamani of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) got a total of forty-eight thousand, …

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Appeal Court reverses sack of Abdullahi Sule as Nasarawa state governor

November 23, 2023November 23, 2023 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

ABUJA- Appeal Court on Thursday reversed the sack of the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule by the State Election Petitions Tribunal in its judgment delivered on October 2. The Appellate Court held that Tribunal headed by Ezekiel Ajayi acted in grave error in using witness statements on oath not front loaded as required by law to arrive at the unjust conclusion of nullifying the election of the governor. In a judgment delivered by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, the Court of Appeal said that the Tribunal was legally bound to act on witness statements filed along with the petition or front loaded within 21 days stipulated by law. The Court held that no petition can lawfully be amended outside the 21 days allowed by law as wrongly done by the Tribunal. It added that since the statements used by the Tribunal to sack the Governor were not front loaded in compliance with law, the statements were product of illegality with no probate value tor a law Court to act upon. The Court also dismissed the over voting issues also used to annul …

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Confusion as appeal court’s certified judgment affirms Kano governor’s election

November 22, 2023November 22, 2023 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

KANO- There was confusion in Kano State on Tuesday with the emergence of a Certified True Copy of the Court of Appeal judgment on the state gvernorship election. While the widely reported verdict of the court last Friday indicated that the appelate court upheld the decision of the petition tribunal sacking Governor Abba Yusuf, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Haruna Isa-Dederi, argued that CTC of the judgment showed that Yusuf’s Victory at the poll was affirmed by the appeal court. Isa-Dederi disclosed this while addressing a presa conference on Tuesday night. He said as indicated in the written judgment, the Court of Appeal set aside the judgment of the Kano Election Petition Tribunal for lacking in merit. “The evidence contained on page 67 of the the copy of the Appeal Court judgment released on Tuesday and signed by Registrar, Jameel Ibrahim Umar, appellate court upheld the victory of Abba Kabiru Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party as duly elected Governor of Kano,” he said. The PUNCH reports that the three member panel of the appeal court, on …

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Appeal Court Verdict: See why PDP’s Bwala criticised sacking of Plateau Gov

November 21, 2023November 21, 2023 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

By Chris Udochukwu A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Daniel Bwala, on Monday, criticised a judgement of the appellate court sacking Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State. “We have never seen where an election was invalidated on the ground that somebody disobeyed a court order,” Bwala said on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Monday. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mutwang polled 525,299 beating 17 other candidates including Nentawe Goshwe of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 481,370 in the March poll. Back in September, the Plateau State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal affirmed the election of Mutfwang but two months later, an appellate court on Sunday sacked the PDP governor and ordered INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to Goshwe. The court held that the party violated the court order that a valid congress be conducted in the 17 local government areas of that state. However, Bwala, who is a lawyer, said an election should not be invalidated because of a court order on party congresses. “If you look at the grounds in …

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Sack of Kano governor in order– Lawyer

November 18, 2023November 18, 2023 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

LAGOS- A Lagos-based constitutional lawyer and public affairs analyst, Mr Jide Ologun, says sack of Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano State by the Appellate Court on Friday is in accordance with the constitution. Ologun, while reacting to the Appellate Court’s ruling, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday that the court’s decisions against the lone New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) governor were based on existing laws and not sentiments. “As a nation, our affairs are managed ranging from the constitution to guidelines and regulations. “The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices, held that Yusuf was not a valid candidate in the gubernatorial election that held in the state on March 18. “This is by virtue of non-compliance with the provision of section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as he was not validly sponsored by the NNPP,” the legal practitioner said. According to him, the constitution stipulates that a person must be a member of a political party before he can be sponsored for an election. He added that Section 77 …

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Appeal Court affirms election of Bala Mohammed as Bauchi State Governor

November 17, 2023November 17, 2023 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

ABUJA- The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday, affirmed the election of Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the March 18 governorship election in Bauchi state. The appellate court upheld the judgment of the Bauchi state governorship tribunal which dismissed the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar. Delivering the judgment, a three-member panel, led by Justice Chidiebere Uwa dismissed the appeal for lacking in merit. Uwa held that the appellants failed to prove their allegations of non-compliance to the provisions of the Electoral Act by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) The appellants had alleged that the Electoral materials were not properly filled in 8 local governments of the state. However, the court said that the appellants did not call officers of INEC, supervising and Presiding officers to give evidence to prove that the said forms were not filled and why. The court held that though, there were blank spaces in some of the forms produced as evidence, it was not …

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KNSG sues for calm as appeal court delivers judgment on governorship election

November 17, 2023November 17, 2023 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

KANO- Kano State Government on Thursday advised people in the state to remain calm and avoid acts capable of causing breach of the peace as the Appeal Court delivers judgment on Friday, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NNPP had appealed against the judgment of the Kano Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal. This is contained in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Baba Dantiye, in Kano on Thursday. Dantiye said the advice became necessary as some unscrupulous persons may take advantage of the situation and cause a breach of the peace Dantiye, who was reacting to Friday’s governorship election judgnt by the Appeal Court in Abuja, stressed the need for the people to maintain the peace for the development of the state and the country at large. He also called on the security agencies to redouble their efforts in ensuring that law and order were maintained as well as ensure the full protection of of the lives and properties of the citizens in the state.( NAN)

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Court of Appeal affirms Sanwo-Olu’s re-election

November 15, 2023November 15, 2023 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

LAGOS- The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, has dismissed an appeal by the PDP and its Governorship Candidate for Lagos State, Mr Abdulazeez Adediran, against re-election of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat. The court upheld the Sept. 25 decision of the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal affirming the victory of Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat in the March 18 governorship poll. It held that the appellants failed to prove their allegations of forgery and non-qualification against Sanwo-Olu and his deputy. “Though they were all pre-election matters, the appellants, PDP and its candidate, Adeniran, still failed to prove them. “The appellants came empty-handed and left empty-handed. “Their petition lacked merit and is dismissed,” the court held. The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that, as at the time of this report, the court was delivering judgment in a similar appeal by Labour Party and its Candidate for the election, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour. (NAN)

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Dr. Mbah wins as Appeal Court affirms his election as Enugu gov

November 10, 2023November 10, 2023 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

ABUJA- The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos on Friday affirmed the election of Dr. Peter Mbah as the duly elected Governor of Enugu State. The Enugu Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal had upheld the election of Mbah in the March 18th Governorship election but his opponent, Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party, who was not satisfied with the decision of the tribunal, proceeded to Appeal court to challenge the decision of the panel. But in a judgement delivered on Friday, the Appeal Court dismissed the appeals of Edeoga as lacking in merit. All the three issues raised by Edeoga as grounds of appeal were resolved in favour of Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

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Abia central seat: Appeal Court sacks Senator Nwokocha, Declares PDP’s Akobundu winner

November 4, 2023November 5, 2023 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

By Chris Udochukwu The Court of Appeal has declared Austin Akobundu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the rightful winner of the Abia Central Senatorial District election. Akobundu defeated the Senate Minority Whip, Darlington Nwokocha of the Labour Party, who was earlier declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Akobundu is a former Minister of State for Defence and a former National Organizing Secretary of the PDP.

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Appeal Court Victory: Senator Onyesoh dedicates victory to God, says no victor, no vanquished

October 29, 2023October 29, 2023 - by Editor - Leave a Comment

…Hails Wike for His Charismatic Leadership and unwavering Support Ogechi Okorie Senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District, Allwell Onyesoh, has expressed gratitude to God for the favourable victory recorded at the Court of Appeals. The Senator who is the Chairman Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs and also the Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) equally thanked the people of Rivers East, political leaders, and party loyalists for their unwavering support. This is coming on the heels of the judgement of the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, which unanimously upheld his election and threw out the appeal filed by Okwuwolu E. Benjamin. In the appeal tagged CA/ABJ/EP/SEN/RV/50/23: Okwuwolu Wolu Ekelechi Benjamin of the Labour Party Vs INEC and three others, the court declared Senator Onyesoh the rightful winner of the February 25th general election. The judges emphasized the petitioner’s failure to substantiate his case, emphasizing the absence of polling unit agents’ testimonies and the necessity for validation by those present at the voting units. In a statement by his Media Officer, Peter Oriri, Senator …