Politics

Lawan Affirmed as Authentic APC Candidate for Yobe North

By Web News 420

The Supreme Court has affirmed Ahmed Lawan as the authentic Candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District.

In the lead judgement, Justice Centus Nweze faulted the approach of Bashir Machina in commencing the suit at the Federal High Court Damaturu division by way of originating summons and without oral evidence to prove allegations of fraud.

In the majority decision, the apex Court also set aside the decision of the Appeal Court, Gombe Division, which affirmed the decision of the trial court that declared Machina the Senatorial Candidate for Yobe North.

But in a dissenting decision by Justices Emmanuel Agim and Adamu Jauro, the apex Court said Ahmad Lawan never participated in the APC primary held on 28 May, as he withdrew voluntarily to participate in the presidential primary held on the 8 June 2022.

The minority decision held that in the conduct of another primary on June 9, 2022 where Lawan emerged was in breach of Section 84 (5) of the Electoral Act as the APC never cancelled that held on 28 May before organizing another.

Justice Centus Nweze who read the lead judgement, held that the decisions of the Federal High Court in Yobe and the Court of Appeal in Abuja were perverse and must be set aside.

He added that Mr Machina ought to have commenced his suit by a writ of summons going by the allegations of fraud levelled against the APC in transmitting Mr Lawan’s name to INEC.

But, two other members of the Supreme Court panel, Adamu Jauro and Emmanuel Agim, disagreed with the majority judgement.

In the lead dissenting judgement, Justice Adamu Jauro held that the APC “appeal is devoid of merit.” He slammed a N3 million fine against the APC in favour of Mr Machina.

Justice Emmanuel Agim while reading his dissenting view, says the APC’s primary election held on 9 June which produced Mr Lawal was an illegal contraption.

He noted that Mr Lawan’s withdrawal from the Yobe North Senatorial District race on12 May, to vie for the APC presidential ticket automatically disqualified the Senate President from the National Assembly election.

Mr Agim further adds the purported primary election held on 9 June, 2022, was a ruse as it was not monitored by INEC.

Channeltv / Titilayo Kupoliyi

Subscribe to our Telegram and YouTube Channels also join our Whatsapp Update Group

Economy

Lawan Guarantees Quick Passage of 2023 Budget

By Web News 421

Senate President Ahmed Lawan has assured residents of timely consideration of the 2023 Appropriation bill.

Senator Lawan explained that the budget will be considered and passed before the end of the year as has been the tradition in previous years.

The Senate President emphasized that the activities of oil thieves had led to huge financial losses to the government, describing them as enemies of the country and calling for proactive action to deal with them.

He also said drew the attention of the President to the menace of the flood that has recently ravaged parts of the country.

Punch/ Adebukola Aluko

Subscribe to our Telegram Channel and join our Whatsapp Update Group

Join our WhatsApp Update Group

Politics

Lawan Loses Senatorial Ticket

By Web News 361

The Federal High Court sitting in Damaturu has declared Bashir Sheriff Machina as the All Progressives Congress (APC) authentic senatorial candidate for Yobe North in the coming 2023 National Assembly elections.

The presiding judge, Justice Fadimatu Murtala directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to accept and publish his name accordingly.

Machina and President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan who is representing Yobe North in the Senate have been at loggerheads for months over the ticket won by the former at the primary held on June 9, 2022.

Lawan had contested the presidential primary of the ruling party at about the same time as the senatorial primary won by Machina.

The President of the Senate, however, lost to Bola Tinubu, a development that forced him to jostle for the senatorial ticket but Machina insisted that he won’t step down.

Ahmed Lawan has been in the National Assembly as a federal lawmaker for 23 unbroken years.

Hadiza Abdulrahman/ Oluwayemisi Owonikoko

Subscribe to our Telegram Channel and join our Whatsapp Update Group

Politics

Buhari Assents To Electoral Bill

By Web News 475

 President Muhammadu Buhari has finally signed into law, the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

The President assented to the bill at past midday on Friday, at a brief ceremony held at the Council Chamber of the Aso Villa in Abuja.

The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, witnessed the signing of the bill.

The President received the bill from the National Assembly on the 31st of January for a second time after he returned the bill to the legislative arm.

President Buhari had told the National Assembly to remove the clause that had to do with direct primaries for political parties from the electoral act amendment bill.


Oluwakayode Banjo