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Presidential Election Tribunal: Abba Kyari Speaks on Atiku, Buhari’s Certificate, Others
Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday told the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal that the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, in the Feb. 23 general election is a Cameroonian “flesh and blood’’.
Kyari, who was led through his deposition by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, Counsel for the president, insisted that Jada, hometown of the former vice president was in Adamawa Province, an enclave that belonged to Northern Cameroon in 1946 when he (Atiku) was born.
He explained that Atiku was already born in 1946 before the plebiscite was conducted in 1961 to balcanize Nigeria and Cameroon where Jada which was part of Northern Cameroon voted to become Nigerian territory.
Kyari further said that the plebiscite also resulted in the Southern part of Cameroon officially aligning to becoming Cameroonian territory.
The witness, therefore, said the French system of assimilation had compelled people of Jada, including Abubakar’s father and grandfather to be full Cameroonians in “flesh and blood’’.
On the status of Buhari Certificate, Kyari said he had personally gone to collect the Cambridge University West Africa Examination Certificate of the president on July 18 for further proof.
“I can confirm that I was the one that collected and signed the Cambridge University West Africa Examination Certificate on behalf of the president on July 18, 2019,’’ he said.
Buhari and his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) had urged the tribunal to dismiss PDP’s petition for fielding a non-Nigerian to contest the presidential election.
They submitted that the Constitution had foreclosed the participation of non-Nigerians in the County’s election.
They further argued that it did not matter if the provision was not tested when Atiku was selected to be the country’s vice president.
The president and APC had therefore invited the tribunal to do the needful by dismissing all the allegations made by the petitioners against Buhari’s victory.
The respondents further submitted that it was inappropriate for a non-Nigerian to contest or challenge outcome of the Feb.23 presidential election.
Also testifying was Retired Gen. Paul Tarfa, who said Buhari was he enlisted with Buhari into the Officer Cadre of the Nigerian Army on April 16, 1962.
Tarfa explained that English Language was the medium of instruction, adding that Buhari had achieved an enviable record during the military training.
He listed some of their colleagues to include Brigadier Ola Oni, Maj:-Gen. Durojaye, Col. J.C Ojukwu, Late Brigadier Shelleng as well as Late Maj:-Gen Musa Yar-Adua.
He said the conduct of the promotional examination in the military was always done in the merit, adding that Buhari had always come out in flying colour.
On his part, Malam Suleman Mai-adua, Buhari’s classmate in Katsina Provincial Secondary School in his evidence in chief, said, they graduated from the school with Cambridge University West African Examination Certificate in 1961.
The witness, who came to court with a group photograph of the class six of 1961 set and their principal, was able to spot himself and Buhari in the picture.
Earlier, the tribunal admitted a total of 26 documentary evidence from the president through his counsel, Olanipekun.
NAN listed the some of the exhibits to be 19 Certified True Copies of Newspaper publications.
The respondent also tendered the APC Roadmap to a new Nigeria as evidence.
The others are: Cambridge Assessment International Education Certificate for Muhammadu Buhari obtained in 1961 and Receipt of the above document.
The tribunal also admitted as evidence, a Certified-True-Copy of Confidential Result sheet of the University of Cambridge West Africa School Certificate 1961 for Katsina Provincial Secondary School showing names of candidate who attended sat for the examination.
Another set of evidence included the class six group photograph of Katsina Provincial Secondary School taken in 1961 and news publication of June 22, 2015 of the above photograph.
Also tendered and admitted was the Curriculum Vitae of the second respondent (Buhari) which was duly signed by him.
Furthermore, the tribunal admitted a commendation letter on Buhari signed by the Commandant of the U.S. Army War College delivered to Lt:- Gen. Alani Akinrinade (Rtd) in June 1980.
However, Dr Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, Counsel for the Petitioners objected to the admissibility of the all the materials but had reserved reasons to the address stage.
Justice Mohammed Garba, Chairman of the tribunal, thereafter adjourned proceedings until July 31 for continuation.
The Presidency has dismissed claims that Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent comments were directed at the political situation in Rivers State or President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s constitutional decisions on the matter.
In a statement on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, the Presidency described the reports as a “gross misrepresentation.”
The statement clarified that Vice President Shettima’s remarks at the public presentation of a book by former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), were misconstrued by some online platforms and individuals.
“These reports have distorted the Vice President’s comments in pursuit of a mischievous agenda,” it stated.
“They twisted his account of how the administration of former President Jonathan considered removing him as Borno Governor during the insurgency to falsely link it with current events in Rivers State.”
The Vice President, who spoke at the launch of OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block in Abuja on Thursday, was said to have referenced the past solely to commend Adoke’s professionalism while in office, and to reflect on Nigeria’s constitutional evolution regarding federal and state relations.
“For the avoidance of doubt, President Tinubu did not remove Governor Fubara from office. The constitutional measure implemented was a suspension, not an outright removal.
“This action was taken in response to the grave political crisis in Rivers State at the time, with the governor facing a looming impeachment and the State Assembly complex under demolition,” Nkwocha clarified.
The Presidency insisted that the action taken by President Tinubu in declaring a state of emergency and suspending the Governor was fully in line with Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which authorises such measures when there is a breakdown of public order requiring extraordinary intervention.
According to the statement, the President’s proclamation invoking Section 305(2) was subsequently ratified by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the National Assembly, confirming the legitimacy and constitutional propriety of the decision.
“The action of President Tinubu in suspending Mr. Fubara and others from exercising the functions of office averted the governor’s outright removal. To conflate suspension with removal is misleading,” the statement further noted.
Nkwocha also stressed that Vice President Shettima’s comments were delivered extemporaneously and intended to underline the importance of public accountability and historical documentation.
He referenced the Vice President’s mention of past public servants, including Adoke and former Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, to illustrate principled leadership.
“His remarks were not in any way a criticism of President Tinubu’s actions, which the Vice President and the entire administration fully support and stand by without reservation,” the spokesman stated.
The Vice President, the statement added, remains in “loyal concert” with President Tinubu and is committed to implementing all constitutional measures necessary to safeguard democracy and uphold order across the country.
Concluding, the Presidency called on media organisations and political actors to desist from misrepresenting public remarks for sensational or partisan purposes.
“We urge media organisations and political actors to desist from the destructive practice of wrenching statements from context in order to fabricate nonexistent conflicts,” Nkwocha said.
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Akpabio Relieves Natasha of Committee Chairmanship Position, Appoints Akwa Ibom Senator As Replacement
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has replaced suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora/Non-Governmental Organisations.
In her place, Akpabio named Senator Bassey Aniekun Etim (Akwa Ibom -East).
The Senate President, who made the announcement on the floor in Abuja on Thursday, did not give any reasons.
The committee position had remained vacant since March when the Senate suspended the Kogi-Central Senatorial District lawmaker for six months for flouting the Senate’s rule on the seating arrangement and seat allocation.
The suspended lawmaker, at a point, chaired the Senate Committee on Local Content before Akpabio reassigned her to the Committee on Diaspora/NGO, shortly before she ran into trouble with the Senate over her conduct on seat allocation.
The Supreme Court has affirmed the 2024 governorship election victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissing the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asuerinme Ighodalo.
In a unanimous decision by a five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba, the apex court ruled that the appeal lacked merit. It upheld the earlier judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had both declared Okpebholo the validly elected governor.
