Headlines
Court Grants Abba Kyari Bail
The suspended head of the Nigeria Police Response Team (IRT), Abba Kyari, has been granted bail.
SaharaReporters reported that Kyari was granted bail on Thursday by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kyari and two of his siblings were charged after being accused of failing to declare assets to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The NDLEA had filed the 24 counts marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/408/2022 against Kyari and his two siblings – Mohammed Baba Kyari and Ali Kyari.
Justice Omotosho granted Kyari conditional bail in the sum of N50 million with two sureties in like sum with registered properties in the matter FRN Vs Abba Kyari and 2 others.
The sureties must have property worth N250 million within the jurisdiction and he must submit his passport.
However, SaharaReporters learnt from a source in the court that no one had come to perfect his bail yet.
“However, Abba Kyari will remain in prison because of his drug case before Justice Emeka Nwite.
“He was in court yesterday but for some reason, his trial could not proceed before Intelligence Justice Nwite,” the source said.
The judge noted that Kyari and his team did not escape when they had the chance to do so during an attack on Kuje Prison on July 5, 2022.
The majority of inmates at the facilities escaped during the attack but Kyari and some others did not escape.
According to the judge, Kyari’s refusal to escape proves that he is willing to face the allegations against him and not jump bail.
The judge also noted that the allegations against Kyari are bailable.
However, SaharaReporters learnt that Kyari cannot return home yet because of a pending case before Justice Emeka Nwite.
Justice Nwite had refused to grant bail to Kyari and his co-defendants.
Kyari is standing trial on cocaine-related charges alongside four members of his former police unit, the Intelligence Response Unit (IRT).
The four police officers among Mr Kyari’s co-defendants are Sunday Ubua, an assistant commissioner of police; Bawa James, an assistant superintendent of police; Simon Agirgba, an inspector, and John Nuhu, also an inspector.
SaharaReporters
By Eric Elezuo
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been declared winner of the presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The declaration was made at the Trascorp Hilton Hotel, where the final collation of results was made.
The former Vice President polled a total of 1, 846, 370 votes to defeat his closest rival, former Governor of Rivers State, Hon Rotimi Amaechi, who scored just over 500 thousand votes. Alhaji Muhammed Hayatu-Deen came third.
Headlines
ADC Presidential Primary: Hayatu-Deen Alleges Rigging, Withdraws from Results Announcement
One of the presidential aspirants of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, says he will not attend the announcement of the party’s presidential primary election results, citing allegations of widespread vote rigging.
In a statement on his X handle on Tuesday, Hayatu-Deen expressed concern over reports of electoral irregularities from across the country.
The ADC aspirant noted that he witnessed some of the incidents.
“I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps,” the statement read.
The development comes amid keen competition for the ADC presidential ticket involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Transportation and former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and Hayatu-Deen.
The ADC presidential primary election collation exercise will take place in Abuja. Results are expected from across the nation.
Ahead of the nationwide presidential primary held on Monday, the ADC had urged aspirants, party leaders, delegates, and members to conduct themselves peacefully and uphold party unity.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the exercise as a defining moment for both the ADC and Nigerians seeking a credible political alternative.
According to him, the party remained committed to internal democracy and a transparent leadership selection process.
“The ADC remains proud to stand today as the only truly democratic party in Nigeria because it is the only political party whose choice of presidential candidate is determined through open primaries,” Abdullahi stated.
The party also stressed that the conduct of aspirants and party members during the exercise would reflect the leadership culture the ADC seeks to promote.
Headlines
You’re Not Different from APC, INEC, Amaechi Slams ADC, Rejects Presidential Primary Results
A former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has rejected the results of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primaries, alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement and electoral malpractice.
Amaechi, in a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday, described the outcome of the exercise as “concocted results.”
He said he had earlier made it clear that he would only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair and transparent.
“I will not accept results from a process that does not reflect the values that the ADC had pledged to uphold,” he said.
Amaechi alleged that about 80 percent of party members across the country were prevented from voting during the exercise.
“There’s no way that about eighty percent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results,” he stated.
The former Governor of Rivers State accused the party of engaging in practices it had previously condemned in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him, the ADC cannot criticize vote buying, rigging and manipulation of election results by others while allegedly engaging in similar acts during its own primary.
Amaechi added that the development was unacceptable and contrary to the ideals upon which the party was founded.
