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After Postponement, Ihedioha, Ganduje, Five Other Governors Know Fate Today
The Supreme Court on Monday suspended some appeals before it, postponing the fate of seven state governors till today and causing apprehension among parties, who were either represented or physically present in the court. The appeals, which emanated from the March 2019 governorship election across the federation, had been slated for hearing and determination by the apex court. Typical of days when high-profile cases are heard, the courtroom was filled to capacity with parties to the appeals, party loyalists, families and friends of the appellants and respondents.
The unexpected, however, happened less than an hour into the commencement of the sitting when Chief Justice of the Federation, Ibrahim Mohammed Tanko, announced that one of the justices on the panel had suddenly become ill. He, therefore, stood down the matter, so that the sick colleague could be attended to. As the justices rose to take the bow, all eyes watched to identify the sick judicial officer. The crowd waited, hopeful that proceedings would somehow resume, until one of the court registrars returned with the final announcement adjourning the matter till today.
Other members of the panel besides Tanko are Justices John Inyang Okoro, Sylvester Nwali Ngwuta, Uwani Musa Aba Aji, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Aminu Sani and Olukayode Ariwoola.
The affected governors are: Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha; Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto); Umar Ganduje (Kano); Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa); Bala Mohammed (Bauchi); Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Samuel Ortom (Benue).
Meanwhile, a High Court in Jabi, Federal Capital Territory, yesterday fixed February 25 to hear a suit challenging the qualification of House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila to contest an election. The suit is also challenging his nomination as the Speaker of the Ninth Assembly.
When the matter, which was slated for the hearing of pending applications came up, the claimant’s counsel, Obed Agu, informed the court that he had a motion on notice before the court. He said his application was seeking to regularise his processes by way of asking for an extension of time, to enable him to file his reply.
The motion was brought in pursuant to the rule of the court dated November 18 and filed November 19, 2019 in a four-paragraph affidavit.Agu said he had filed his written address and wanted to adopt the same as an oral argument, urging the court to grant his prayers.The judge, Justice Charles Agbaza, asked the first defendant’s counsel, Femi Adedeji, if he had any objection to the application.Adedeji, on his part, did not raise any objection. In his ruling, therefore, Agbaza said the application had merit and granted it in the interest of justice.
The judge also directed that a hearing notice be served on the other defendants, who were absent from Monday’s proceeding. Also, a Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday adjourned until February 11 the trial of the president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Paul Usoro, charged with an alleged N1.4 billion fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Usoro before Justice Rilwan Aikawa on 10 counts.He was first arraigned before Justice Muslim Hassan in December 2018, but the case was re-assigned to Justice Rilwan Aikawa. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges before Hassan. He also maintained his not-guilty plea before Aikawa and was granted bail.
The continuation of trial, earlier fixed for yesterday, has now been further adjourned to February 11, as Aikawa did not sit.Also mentioned in the charge is the incumbent governor of Akwa Ibom, Emmanuel Udom, who is described as “currently constitutionally immune from prosecution”.Others are: the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Finance, Nsikan Nkan; Accountant General of Akwa Ibom State, Mfon Udomah; the Akwa Ibom Attorney General, Uwemedimo Nwoko and Margaret Ukpe.
The aforementioned names were described in the charge as being at large.In the charge marked FHC/418c/18, the anti-graft agency alleged that the defendant committed the offence on May 14, 2016. Usoro was alleged to have conspired with others to commit the offence within the jurisdiction of the court.
The Guardian
A former Minister of Education, Dr. (Mrs) Obiageli Ezekwesili, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of suppressing civic freedoms and eroding citizens’ rights.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) titled “A Memo to Nigerians: A Call to Collective Voice on the Shrinking Civic Space and Erosion of Citizens’ Rights in Nigeria,” Ezekwesili condemned what she described as a “deeply troubling trend” of growing state intolerance and repression of dissent.
She urged President Tinubu to immediately direct the Inspector-General of Police to release activist Omoyele Sowore and his colleagues, who were recently detained.
Ezekwesili also called on Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to publicly apologise to EiE Nigeria’s Executive Director, Yemi Adamolekun, and activist, Ms. Nafziger, over their reported harassment during a peaceful #EndSARS memorial event.
“The latest wave of actions against citizens by state security agencies reflects a deeply troubling trend — the steady shrinking of civic space and erosion of citizens’ fundamental rights in our democracy,” she wrote.
The former minister cited three recent incidents — the harassment of Adamolekun, the police clampdown on protesters demanding Nnamdi Kanu’s release, and the repeated arrests of Sowore despite a valid court order — describing them as evidence of “a dangerous pattern” of intolerance and abuse of power.
According to her, the Tinubu administration has become “intolerant of dissent, allergic to accountability, and fearful of citizens’ voices.”
“It is clear that President Tinubu is running a government and security apparatus that are increasingly intolerant of dissent. True strength of a government lies not in silencing critics, but in protecting those who speak truth to power,” she stated.
Ezekwesili urged Nigerians to defend their democratic rights, stressing that sovereignty belongs to the people, not the government.
“Nigeria’s democracy cannot survive on the silencing of conscience. Every act of repression against one citizen diminishes the liberty of all,” she warned.
”We must collectively safeguard our right to speak, assemble, and demand accountability. Our democracy must not become one without citizens.”
The United States government has revoked the non-immigrant visa of Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate.
In a letter dated October 23 and signed by the US consulate-general in Lagos, Soyinka was directed to present his passport at the consulate for physical cancellation of the visa.
Soyinka spoke during a media parley held in Lagos on Tuesday, where he read excerpts from the official correspondence sent to him.
“This letter serves as official notification by the United States Consulate General in Lagos that the nonimmigrant visa listed below has been revoked pursuant to the authority contained in U.S. Department of State regulations 22 CFR 41.122 and is no longer valid for application for entry into the United States,” the letter reads.
The Nobel laureate said he could not identify the specific offence that led the revocation of his visa by the US government.
Soyinka said he applied for the visa after he received a letter from the US Internal Revenue Service about an audit for tax returns.
He explained that his trip was to resolve the tax issues, adding that he wanted to prevent a situation where the US might advertise him as a “tax dodger” to the world.
Soyinka made reference to how he discarded his US green card after President Donald Trump assumed office in his first term.
The Nobel laureate said he wondered whether his visa was revoked because he described Trump as “Idi Amin in white face”.
“It is necessary for me to give this press conference so that people in the United States who are expecting me for their event, not to waste their time. I have no desire,” he said.
“It is necessary for me to give this press conference so that people in the United States who are expecting me for their event, not to waste their time. I have no desire,” he said.
“I have written a lot of plays about Idi Amin. Maybe it is about time I also write about Donald Trump. Literary compliment. Maybe he would reconsider and restore my visa.
“I want to reassure the US Consulate that I’m very contend with the revocation of my visa. Individual citizens are free to interact with me.”
In September, Soyinka said he would not honour an invitation by the US consulate in Lagos for a visa interview scheduled for September 11, 2025.
TheCable
Cameroon ’s top court on Monday declared incumbent Paul Biya, the world’s oldest president, the winner of the Oct. 12 election. Clashes with security forces left at least four protesters dead ahead of the announcement as opposition supporters rallied to demand credible results.
Biya, 92, has led the central African nation since 1982. The Constitutional Council said he received 53.66% of votes while former ally-turned-challenger Issa Tchiroma Bakary got 35.19%. The turnout was 57.7%.
In a social media post after the declaration, Tchiroma said that there was gunfire directed at civilians and two people were shot dead in his hometown in Garoua.
He said: “Toll of their attack: two dead. I wonder what will be said this time? Shooting point-blank at your own brothers — I can’t help but wonder if you’re mercenaries. Kill me if you want, but I will liberate this country by any means necessary. What blatant impunity.”
The four protesters were shot dead in Douala, the economic capital, on Sunday, as hundreds of people stormed streets in several cities. Tchiroma had claimed victory days before Monday’s announcement, citing results he said were collated by his party. Biya dismissed the claim.
According to Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua, governor of the Littoral Region that includes Douala, several members of the security forces were injured by protesters. He said at least 105 protesters were arrested.
Dozens of opposition supporters, activists and leaders have been arrested in recent days. Paul Atanga Nji, minister of territorial administration, said on Saturday the government arrested several people plotting violent attacks.
One protester, Oumarou Bouba, a 27-year-old trader in Maroua, said: “I am ready to stake my life to defend my vote. I voted for Tchiroma because I want change.”
Following the announcement of the results, Sani Aladji, a 28-year-old who works in a hotel in Maroua, said: “Nothing will change. I expected that Issa Tchiroma would bring change, which is why I voted for him. There’s rampant corruption under Biya’s regime. We are tired of that. We don’t have roads.”
Biya has ruled Cameroon longer than most of its citizens have been alive. Over 70% of the country’s almost 30 million population is below 35. The election has been the latest dramatic example of tension between Africa’s youth and the continent’s many aging leaders.
He first came to power in 1982 following the resignation of Cameroon’s first president and has ruled the country since then, later benefiting from a constitutional amendment that abolished term limits.
Critics accuse Biya of leading Cameroon from a period of relative stability into one of crisis and conflict. The country in recent years has faced attacks by Boko Haram militants in the north and a secessionist insurgency in the country’s English-speaking North West and South West regions.
That crisis, triggered by the government’s attempts to impose French in English-speaking schools and courts, has killed nearly 7,000 people, displaced more than one million more internally and sent thousands fleeing to neighboring Nigeria.
Despite Cameroon being an oil-producing country that is experiencing modest economic growth, young people say the benefits have not trickled down beyond the elites. According to World Bank data, the unemployment rate stands at 3.5%, but 57% of the labor force aged 18 to 35 works in informal employment.
“Many young people across the country and in the diaspora had hoped for change, but that their hopes have been dashed. It feels like a missed opportunity,” said Dr Emile Sunjo, a senior lecturer in international relations at the University of Buea. “Cameroon could potentially slide into anarchy.”
Source: AP
