Headlines
Tribunal Orders Yakubu, REC to Produce Documents Demanded by Atiku
- /home/rhoncare/pointblank.ng/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://pointblank.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/dc04dda5-mahmood-yakubu-1-800x600.jpg&description=Tribunal Orders Yakubu, REC to Produce Documents Demanded by Atiku', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/rhoncare/pointblank.ng/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 69
https://pointblank.ng/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/dc04dda5-mahmood-yakubu-1-800x600.jpg&description=Tribunal Orders Yakubu, REC to Produce Documents Demanded by Atiku', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
The five-man Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and the commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Zamfara State to produce electoral documents requested by the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The tribunal, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, gave the order after receiving complaints by the petitioners that INEC officials had refused to comply with the court’s subpoenas served on them for the production of the documents.
He ordered INEC officials to produce the documents in court on Thursday.
But the tribunal at the end of the proceedings, following a request by the petitioners’ lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), fixed Friday as the next hearing day.
The Wednesday’s hearing was the ninth of the 10 days given to the petitioners to present their case.
The proceedings were adjourned Wednesday after the petitioners called nine additional witnesses, making a total of 58 they had called in nine days.
The PDP and Atiku, who are the petitioners challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress at the February 23, 2019 poll, spoke through their lawyer, Chief Chris Uche (SAN).
Before the petitioners started calling their witnesses on Wednesday, Uche informed the tribunal that INEC officials had refused to release the requested documents to the petitioners despite the fact that the fees for the certification of the documents had been paid to the commission.
“We have made concerted efforts and we stated in the letters we wrote to them that we had it on good authority that they were instructed not to release the documents,” Uche said.
Accusing both INEC chairman and the Zamfara State REC of disobedience to the summons of the court, he said that upon his clients’ applications, the court issued two subpoenas on July 9, 2019 which had been served on the two officials.
“One was upon the chairman of INEC for the production of some documents. The subpoena was issued on July 9, 2019. The documents were paid for. The subpoena was served on the same date of July 9, 2019. It was to produce documents, not to testify.
“On the same July 9, another subpoena was issued to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC, in Zamfara State, Gusau, in which we applied for all the Forms EC8A (polling unit result sheets), and they refused to release them to us.
“They have not been produced and we have not seen them in court. Neither have the persons on whom the subpoenas were issued in court. We seek your lordships’ intervention,” he said.
Responding, Justice Mohammed Garba, who leads the panel, noted that the subpoenas were not served on INEC officials as claimed by the petitioners’ lawyer, but that one was served on the chairman on July 15 and the other was served on the REC, Zamfara State, on July 12.
In his reaction, INEC’s lawyer, Yunus Usman (SAN), said he and members of his legal team met with the commission’s chairman, up till 11.30pm on Tuesday but he never made mention of any subpoena.
As for the Zamfara REC, Usman said he received a text message from her indicating that the documents requested by the petitioners had been certified but the petitioners had refused to come up to make the needed payment.
Other respondents’ lawyers, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) for Buhari and Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) for the All Progressives Congress, said the petitioners ought to do more by liaising with INEC’s lead counsel and ought to have made the requests for the documents earlier than last week.
But responding, Uche said, “We have made so many efforts.
“We wrote a letter addressed to the chairman of INEC on April 15, 2019 and the letter was received the same date.
“An earlier one on the same subject matter was dated April 9, 2019 was received the same date.
“We also wrote an earlier one on the same subject-matter on March 12 and it was received the same date.”
In his comments before ruling, Justice Garba noted that the legal team representing INEC in the matter owed the court the duty to ensure that the court’s orders were obeyed by their clients.
“I have seen from the record of the court that the INEC chairman and the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Zamfara State, were duly served with subpoena issued on July 9, 2019, to produce documents named therein.
“The INEC chairman and the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Zamfara and the legal team representing them are under binding obligation to ensure that the orders contained in the subpoena are obeyed.”
The Punch
Jude Bellingham scored a dramatic extra-time winner as England overcame an unfortunate Norway to reach the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup.
Bellingham slid home the winning goal in the first half of extra time after a second Norway goal was ruled out by the VAR for an Erling Haaland foul.
Andreas Schjelderup had given Norway the lead, but Bellingham equalised with a brilliant finish — although England were fortunate the goal stood after the ball struck the Spidercam during the build-up.
England rode their luck at times but will now face either Switzerland or old rivals Argentina as they seek to reach the World Cup final for the first time since 1966.
New York Times
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has expressed relief and joy over the release of the abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
“It is such a big relief for all of us. Right now, I am overjoyed and can hardly say much,” the governor told Channels Television.
President Bola Tinubu has also expressed delight over the successful rescue of abducted children and teachers, commending the military, the DSS, and the Nigeria Police Force for ending their 56-day captivity.
The President said the security operation led to the arrest of eight suspected abductors while several others were neutralised, describing the outcome as a major relief for the victims, their families and the nation.
In a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu praised the security agencies for what he described as their tireless efforts in securing the victims’ release.
He also sympathised with the children, teachers and their families over the trauma they endured during the prolonged ordeal
The President further commended the Oyo State Government for its cooperation with the Federal Government throughout the rescue operation and urged the state to strengthen security around schools to prevent similar incidents.
President Tinubu also directed emergency response agencies to work with the Oyo State Government to provide the rescued children and teachers with all necessary medical care and relief support as they recover from the ordeal.
The schoolchildren and teachers kidnapped by suspected bandits in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have been rescued after about 56 days in captivity.
According to a statement by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the victims were freed through the efforts of security agencies.
“Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo State, have been rescued by our security agencies,” Onanuga said.
He disclosed that eight members of the kidnapping gang were arrested during the rescue operation and are now in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Onanuga said the rescue operation did not involve any exchange or concession to the kidnappers, noting that a notorious gang leader whose release had been demanded by the abductors remains in custody and is being prosecuted for his alleged crimes.
He added that security agencies would provide a full account of the operation soon.
“In the course of the rescue operation, eight of the kidnappers were arrested and are now in DSS custody, while some of them were neutralised. There was no quid pro quo in the rescue, as one of the terrorists, a kingpin whose release was demanded by the kidnappers, is being prosecuted for his atrocities. The security agencies will give full account soon,” he added.
In a video shared alongside the statement, a woman believed to be one of the rescued teachers was seen thanking President Bola Tinubu for securing their release. The schoolchildren were also seen eating biscuits and joining the teacher in chanting, “Thank you, sir,” at the end of her remarks.
“Hello sir, our father, we are grateful. Mr President, sir, we are grateful. We understand your commitment to our safety and we appreciate all you did for us. We could see your hand in this. Thank you very much. Every security operative tried so much, and that is why we are still alive today. We are very grateful to you. Thank you very much,” the teacher said.
