Headlines
Court Adjourns Ambode’s Bus Probe Suit Against Lawmakers Till Nov 20
A Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has adjourned hearing till November 20, 2019 in a suit filed by the immediate past Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to stop the state House of Assembly from probing him over the 820 mass transit buses purchased by his administration.
Justice Y.A. Akinsanya ordered Ambode and the lawmakers to maintain the “status quo” pending the hearing of the suit.
The adjournment followed a request by the lawmakers’ lawyer, Adenike Osinowo, for time to study Ambode’s suit and file appropriate response.
Osinowo said the court processes were served on her late on Tuesday.
She said, “We were served the Motion on Notice very late yesterday (Tuesday) and we shall be opposing the motion.
“We shall be asking the court for a date to regularise our processes.”
While adjourning for hearing, Justice Adesanya directed the parties to the case maintain the status quo.
The judge on Tuesday declined hearing an ex parte application by Ambode’s lawyer, Mr Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), to make orders of injunction against the lawmakers.
Rather than entertain the ex parte application, Justice Adesanya directed the ex-governor to put the defendants on notice and adjourned till Wednesday for hearing.
In the suit, Ambode urged the court to restrain the lawmakers “from compelling the claimant, in any manner whatsoever, to appear before the defendants pursuant to the resolution passed by the defendants on August 27, 2019 or any other resolution passed in respect of the subject matter of this suit”.
He urged the court to declare that “it is not lawful for the defendants to represent or continue to represent to the public that the claimant, Akinwunmi Ambode, procured 820 buses in breach of budgetary approval”.
In his statement of claim, Ambode accused the lawmakers of deliberate misrepresentation of facts, contending that contrary to their claims, “the procurement of the 820 buses was captured in the 2018 Appropriation Law which was duly approved by the House”.
He said, “In Section 1 of the bill, the 1st defendant (House of Assembly) authorised the total budget for the year 2018 to be N1,046,121,181,680, comprising the sum of N347,038,938,872.00 only and N699,082,242,808.00 only as the recurrent and capital expenditures, respectively.
“Part of the items authorised by the bill under Capital Expenditure was: ‘LAGBUS Public Transport Infrastructure; part financing of 820 buses’ which was Item 8 under Schedule 1- Part C of the bill.”
He added, “Having prescribed the manner of withdrawal of funds in Sections 3 and 4 of the 2018 Appropriation Law, it was unconstitutional for the House to attach another condition in Section 9 of the law for further approval to be sought before incurring any expenditure on the purchase of the buses.”
The Punch
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has expressed deep shock and sadness over the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba by terrorists.
This was released through his official X page on Monday.
Criticizing the military hierarchy for failing to provide a clear explanation of the incident, he noted that initial official statements had reportedly denied the circumstances surrounding the general’s death.
He further described the tragedy as “unequivocally a failure of political leadership.”
Atiku accused President Bola Tinubu of prioritizing political battles over his responsibilities as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
He called Gen. Musa’s death, along with those of the troops under his command, “one death too many” and warned of the dangers of a resurgent terrorist threat.
He as well urged citizens and military personnel to remain resilient, saying, “Even this season shall pass away.”
In addition, he also directed a pointed message to the President, stating that the security of Nigerians is the government’s foremost responsibility.
“You must live up to it or be humble enough to admit incompetence and either ask for help or resign,” he added.
He suggested that, if he were President, he would order the military to occupy Borno State or any other areas under siege by bandits or armed groups until they are cleared, emphasizing the need to protect those risking their lives for national security.
He extended his condolences to the Nigerian Armed Forces, the family of the deceased, and all Nigerians, expressing hope that the nation would soon overcome this dark period.
The Super Eagles’ 2026 World Cup dream suffered a major blow on Sunday as DR Congo advanced to the intercontinental playoff following a dramatic penalty shootout at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying ended in heartbreaking fashion, marking the second consecutive year the Super Eagles will miss out on the world stage.
The match ended 1–1 after 120 minutes of regulation and extra time, sending the high-stakes encounter to penalties.
Nigeria initially went ahead through Frank Onyeka in the third minute, but DR Congo equalised in the 32nd minute through M. Elia.
The tension continued into the penalty shootout.
Nigeria’s Calvin Bassey and Moses Simon missed early chances, while Nwabali denied DR Congo’s first penalty.
Akor Adams kept the Super Eagles alive, but DR Congo struck back through Sadique and later scored the decisive fourth penalty, leaving Nigeria trailing 4–3 in the shootout.
The victory sets up DR Congo for a chance to secure one of the final World Cup tickets to the expanded 48-team tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Nigeria’s defeat marked the second consecutive year the Super Eagles will miss out on the world stage.
Both teams had earned their places in the final after dramatic semi-finals.
Nigeria had booked their place in the final with a dramatic 4–1 extra-time win over Gabon in Thursday’s semi-final at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium.
DR Congo also advanced with a 1–0 victory over Cameroon at the Al Barid Stadium the same evening.
The Leopards now await their intercontinental playoff opponent, keeping alive their hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup, while the Super Eagles’ campaign comes to an agonising end in Rabat.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expelled Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, its suspended National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, and former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose.
Their expulsion was announced on Saturday at the party’s National Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
