Headlines
End of the Road for Senator David Umaru as Supreme Court Issues Sack Order
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed an appeal by David Umaru to affirm him as the senator-elect of Niger East senatorial district.
The court in a unanimous judgement led by Ibrahim Muhammad held that Mr Umaru, who was elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), was not validly nominated by the party.
The court said it was satisfied that the appellant, Mohammed Sani, was the rightful winner of the primary election APC conducted for the senatorial district.
The court set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which on April 8 affirmed Mr Umaru as the winner of the Senatorial seat.
Consequently, the Supreme Court restored the judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which declared Mr Sani as the validly nominated candidate of the APC for the election.
The apex court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to, without delay, issue a certificate of return to Mr Sani as the Senator representing Niger East.
An Abuja division of the Federal High Court presided by Folashade Ogunbanjo, had in a judgement on February 7 said that it was satisfied that Mr Umaru was not genuinely nominated by the APC.
The court declared Mr Sani as the authentic winner of the primary election the party conducted on October 2, 2018.
Mr Umaru, not satisfied with the judgement, went on an appeal, where he insisted that the lower court erred in law when it wrongly assumed jurisdiction over the matter.
He said Mr Sani’s suit was not filed within 14 days in pursuant to the fourth alteration of the 1999 constitution after APC forwarded his name to INEC.
A Court of Appeal panel led by Stephen Adah later vacated the high court judgement in a unanimous decision.
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
