Headlines
Supreme Court Begins Hearing on Six Appeals Filed by Atiku Wednesday
The Supreme Court has fixed Wednesday for the hearing of about six appeals on the case instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to challenge the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari at the February 23, 2019 poll, it was learnt on Sunday.
Atiku and his party had jointly filed their appeal before the apex court to challenge the September 11, 2019 judgment of the Justice Mohammed Garba-led Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.
The tribunal’s judgment, which Atiku and his party are dissatisfied with, had dismissed their petition challenging the outcome of the February 23, 2019 poll.
Subsequently, the petitioners on September 23, 2019 filed 66 grounds of appeal before the Supreme Court to challenge the judgment of the tribunal.
The PDP had publicly expressed concerns over the alleged delayed in the hearing of the appeals relating to the presidential election case.
Our correspondent learnt from senior members of Atiku and Buhari’s legal teams on Sunday that Wednesday had been fixed for the hearing of all the appeals.
Chief Chris Uche (SAN), a top member of the appellants’ legal team, confirmed to The PUNCH on Sunday that Wednesday had been finally fixed for the hearing of the pending appeals in respect of the February 23, 2019 presidential poll.
Uche said, “Yes, we were notified through a text message from the registry of the Supreme Court this morning (Sunday) that the appeals would be coming up for hearing on Wednesday.
“He said he expected that there would be a formal service of the hearing notice.
One of the senior lawyers in the Buhari’s legal team, Dr Alex Izinyon (SAN), also confirmed the Wednesday’s scheduled hearing to our correspondent on Sunday.
He said, “Yes, I can confirm that the hearing comes up on Wednesday. We have received hearing notices in respect of the five to six appeals scheduled for hearing.
“Four of the appeals are interlocutory appeal. There is also an appeal challenging the main judgment.”
The Supreme Court’s Director, Press and Information, Dr Festus Akande, also confirmed the Wednesday hearing date in a text message he sent to our correspondent on Sunday.
The Punch
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.”
