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10 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2022 :Vanguard News Osun poll didn't comply with INEC guidelines Oyetola's witness tells court •Adeleke's certificate not in our custody —REC By Shina Abubakar OSOGBO—THE State collation agent for Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adeosun Rasaki, yesterday, told the Justice Tertsea Kume-led Osun state election petition tribunal that though he appended his signature on the July 16 governorship election, the exercise was not conducted in compliance with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, guidelines in 749 polling units. Adeosun, a Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, in his evidence before the tribunal said he received reports of happenings from all the polling units from party agents but was not aware if they all signed the election results in their respective units. Adeosun, who was crossexamined by Counsels to the second respondent, Senator Ademola Adeleke, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, said evidence before his party showed that the Bimodal Voter Registration System, BVAS, was not used in 749 polling units the governor challenged. He said: "My party engaged experts to analyse the results of the election. The election was held in partial compliance with INEC guidelines. The evidence showed that BVAS was not used in 749 polling units. BVAS machine was used in my polling unit. "INEC did not comply with guidelines in 749 polling units to the best of my knowledge. The INEC server cannot be at the polling units but receiving information from all the units. BVAS machine transmits results/data subject to the availability of a network." Responding to Professor Paul Ananba, INEC's counsel questions, Rasaki said he did not operate the BVAS machine on Election Day but knows how it works. Adeleke's certificate not in our custody —REC Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Osun State, had told the panel that the state office of the commission was not in the custody of Adeleke's certificates. The REC was billed to appear before the panel in line with a Subpoena issued on him to produce form CF001 of Adeleke which contained his credentials used for the 2018 governorship election. Mr Sheu Mohammed, a Deputy Director of Election and Party Monitoring, who represented the REC, when asked to produce the document required of him, said: "We are not in the custody of the documents; the documents were submitted to the National Headquarters. We were only given photocopies by the National Headquarters for display. After we might have done with litigations, the only records we kept in our office are the form EC8A Series." Asked by the tribunal to produce the said photocopies given to the state office, the witness said: "We don't have the photocopies again. We have decongested our system." Counsel for Oyetola, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN) subsequently argued that the attitude of the REC was mainly not to obey the tribunal order issued to REC to produce the documents. Olujinmi said: "The REC is representing INEC here and he must obtain the said documents at their National Headquarters. He has not said that the National headquarters cannot find that document. So, he cannot excuse the duty of obedience to that Subpoena by his lame explanation that it was submitted to the national headquarters. "I will apply that your Lordship should direct the REC to approach the national headquarters and obtain the said documents. They had disobeyed the first order and if they like they should disobey the second order." Responding to the arguments, counsel for INEC, Professor Ananaba said: "The representative of REC is here and REC is different from INEC. So, the Subpoena has been complied with because the representative of REC is here to tell the court he is not in the custody of the said documents." But counsel for Adeleke, Ikpeazu said since the documents requested to be produced by the INEC are Certified True Copies, CTC, it can be applied and paid for, without necessarily bringing the REC to the court. The Tribunal adjourned the ruling on the argument of counsels on the failure of INEC to produce the said documents by Friday, November 25. Indian community, Rotary Club honour Gandhi LAGOS—TO celebrate the birth anniversary of the father of the Indian nation and peace icon, Gandhi Jayanti, the Indian Community in Lagos, in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Lagos Island, recently organised a blood donation camp, where pints of blood were generously donated at the Consulate General of India, Lagos. Describing the event as a momentous day, the Consulate General of India, Lagos, Mr Chandramouli Kern, said: "Indian community generally shows its gratefulness by organising such blood donation camps at regular intervals, and it has been the Rotarian culture to donate selflessly to society. A person in need of blood will understand that one pint can save lives." President of the Rotary Club of Lagos Island, Rotarian Anant Sabat, said: "We have conducted many blood donation camps before now."Over 100 persons turned out for the blood donation. President of the Indian Cultural Association of Nigeria, Sanjay Jain, whose members were predominantly donors at the blood donation camp, explained that the association, which clocked 50 years last year, is the apex of the Indian body in Nigeria. :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 CONFERENCE: From left, Ondo State Governor and Chancellor of Owo Diocese, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu; Bishop of Owo Diocese, Revd Dr. Stephen Fagbemi; and his wife, Mrs Florence Fagbemi, during a press conference to announce the activities lined-up for the 40th anniversary of the Diocese. Kudirat Abiola killed on Al-Mustapha's order —Children •Al-Mustapha keeps mum LAGOS—THE children of the late Kudirat Abiola, yesterday, maintained that their mother was killed on the orders of the presidential candidate of the Action Alliance, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (retd). Khafila Abiola, in a statement on behalf of Kudirat's children, was reacting to a statement attributed to Al-Mustapha, where he claimed that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo coerced Sergeant Jabila Mshiola, aka Sergeant Rogers, to implicate him (Al-Mustapha) during the 1998 Oputa panel. Kudirat, the wife of late MKO Abiola, was assassinated on June 4, 1996. At the panel, Sergeant Rogers confessed to have taken part in the assassination under Al- Mustapha's orders. Though Al-Mustapha was sentenced to death by hanging in 2012, he was later released by a court of appeal in Lagos. However, in a recent interview published by Sahara Reporters, Al-Mustapha had claimed that Osinbajo, the then Attorney General of Lagos, coached Sergeant Rogers on what to say to incriminate him (Al- Mustapha). But reacting to the interview, Kudirat Abiola's children, in a statement, said "Our attention has been drawn to a recent Ekiti Assembly crisis unacceptable —Elders, Olanipekun By Rotimi Ojomoyela ADO-EKITI—THE Ekiti Council of Elders and chairman, Body of Benchers, Wole Olanipekun, yesterday, condemned the crisis rocking the State Assembly saying it is unacceptable. They also urged the warring parties to sheath their swords and allow peace to reign. Recall that Mr Olugboyega Aribisogan was elected Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, last week, following the death of Mr Funminiyi Afuye but four days after his election, Aribisogan was impeached, while Mrs Olubunmi Adelugba was elected speaker. Reacting to the Assembly crisis, the Council, in a statement by its President and Secretary General, Messrs Joseph Oluwasanmi and Niyi Ajibulu, decried the unnecessary power tussle in the state legislature. The statement reads: "The Elder's Council implores the Assembly members to be peaceful and honourable in their dealings in the interest of the government and people of Ekiti State. "The Council, therefore, appeals to all interest parties and power brokers to allow democratic process in all their activities, that the installation of a new speaker should be done in a sombre manner rather than the needless imbroglio. "The Elders call on all Ekiti sons and daughters to always be Akungba chieftaincy tussle: Ole Ruling House tackles Ondo govt for disregarding court orders By Dayo Johnson AKURE—THE Alale of Akungba Chieftaincy tussle in Akoko South West, area of Ondo state, took a new dimension as the Ole Ruling House, yesterday, described the appointment of Oba Isaac Ajimo, by the state government as flagrant disobedience to a court order. The Alale stool became vacant in 2007. Counsel to the Agure and Mokun branch of the Ole ruling house, Mallam Gani Asiru, said that Oba Ajimo was appointed when the matter "was pending at the Court of Appeal, Akure, by the immediate past administration in the state." Asiru noted that the former governor, Olusegun Mimiko "in flagrant disobedience to the order of the court, went ahead to appoint Oba Isaac Sunday Ajimo as the Alale of Akungba. "It is this violation of rule of law that we are inviting and praying your Excellency to correct. The law is clear until set aside; the judgement of the court remains sacrosanct and must be obeyed. "However, the Ajimoh branch of the Ole ruling house went to court by the institution of Suit No. AK/195/2007 praying the court to stop the approval. "The Agure and Mokun counter-claimed. At the end of the trial, Ajimo's claims were dismissed and the reliefs contained in the counterclaim of our clients granted. "The court ordered that the government should not consider any list other than the one which produces Prince Isiaka Adu. " •Sue for peace guided by the ethos of Omoluwabi by which Ekiti is known for." Similarly, a former President of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Mr Wole Olanipekun urged the warring factions to sheath their swords and embrace peace. Olanipekun described the ongoing conflict in the State Assembly as a threat to peace, order and good government of the state. His words: "As an elder and stakeholder in the state, I plead to all the feuding parties and their sponsors qua backers to sheath their swords. They should be reminded that the state does not belong to them alone but to all of us. The politicians are in the minority, hence they should stop seeing, taking and treating the State as their fiefdom, property or estate. "Now, my proposal to end this self-imposed crisis: Let the Speaker, freely elected by the legislators, Olugboyega Aribisogun be, while the Deputy Speaker, who was elected alongside the late Funminiyi Afuye retain his position. "To me, this is a win-win approach, and in my private discussions with some principal actors in the unwelcome drama, I have made this proposal, but politicians always, but wrongly believe that they possess the monopoly of wisdom. "Although the politicians behind the ongoing parliamentary fiasco in Ekiti may see it as business as usual, they should be told in no unmistakable language that it is a veritable threat to the peace, order and good government of the State, and unless nipped in the bud now or immediately, the consequences may be farreaching." statement made by Major Hamza Al-Mustapha. "In it, he accused the current Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, of instigating Sergeant Rogers to falsely claim that he, Al-Mustapha, was behind the assassination of our mother, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola. "First of all, we all watched the proceedings of the Oputa Panel where Sergeant Rogers freely stated that he assassinated our mother and attempted to murder Senator Abraham Adesanya and Alex Ibru, late Publisher of The Guardian newspaper, based on the instructions given to him by Major Al-Mustapha. "The evidence of Sergeant Rogers was not challenged by Al- Mustapha and his lawyers at the Oputa Panel. "Second, the Lagos High Court convicted and sentenced the armed agents of Al- Mustapha to imprisonment for the attempted murder of Senator Abraham Adesanya. "Third, the Lagos State High Court also convicted and sentenced Al-Mustapha and his accomplices to death for the coldblooded murder of our mother. "Their subsequent acquittal by the Court of Appeal was most likely politically motivated. The appeal filed against the judgment is currently pending at the Supreme Court. "However, Al-Mustapha may be counting on the pervasive culture of impunity in Nigeria to not only attempt to deny his dastardly role in the assassination of a defenceless woman; but to also now contemplate running for office, along with Mohammed Abacha, who was alleged to have provided his driver to convey the assassins to carry out the mission. "Impunity lays waste to the promise of the democracy for which our dear mother paid the ultimate price. "As those that oversaw her assassination now seek to rewrite the history of what they did, we are forced to seek justice for our beloved mother within a jurisdiction not susceptible to the political games that hold sway in Nigeria. "Justice may be delayed but it must not be denied." Al-Mustapha keeps mum Efforts to get Al-Mustapha to react to the allegations proved abortive. C M Y
Y Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2022 — 11 :Vanguard News :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058 RENAMING: From left, Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun and Chairman, Governing Council of the Tai Solarin College of Education, Yemi Adefulu, during the renaming of the Tertiary institution after the monarch, Sikiru Adetona College of Education, Science and Technology in Ijebu-Ode, yesterday. Insecurity: Herdsmen invade Enugu community, kill 10, injure many, raze houses •Ugwuanyi releases N10m for victims •Ebubeagu operatives shoot 2 youths in Ebonyi •Gunmen kidnap Imo APGA state Assembly candidate By Our Reporters E NUGU—SUSPECTED killer herdsmen, Monday, invaded Agu-Amede community in Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State and unleashed an attack which left at least ten persons dead and many others wounded. The killer herders were also said to have ransacked the community and set houses on fire. This came as men of the South East Security outfit code-named Ebubeagu were last Saturday alleged to have shot two youths, Samuel Okam and Micheal Oji at Ekoli Edda of Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Meantime, gunmen yesterday at about 08:45 Am, abducted the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, for Ahiazu Mbaise State constituency in Imo State, Nduka Anyanwu. Killer herdsmen invade Enugu community, kill 10 Vanguard gathered that two of the victims who were farmers were killed on Saturday, while eight were killed Monday. It was further learned that about 25 members in the community sustained various degrees of injuries. Among those killed, according to sources from the community, were two daughters of a church cleric in the community. A community leader, Augustine Odoh, who confirmed the attack, explained that it happened on Monday around 1pm. Odo said that all the members of their community living outside the community had been summoned home, adding that by Tuesday, (yesterday), the community would convey the corpses of the deceased to the Enugu State Government House to meet Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, alleging that the government has abandoned them. According to Odo, "They (herdsmen) invaded first on Saturday, killed two people. Today (monday), they invaded the community again and killed eight people including our women and children. So many other people about, 25 of them were equally wounded. They are in the hospital; we don't know how many people are going to survive." He said that residents were now deserting their houses over the renewed attacks. Lamenting the incessant attack by herdsmen, Odo claimed that in all the attacks, no government security came to their aid. "Our people cannot confront them with bare hands. They came in their numbers with AK-47 rifles and other dangerous weapons, shooting and destroying houses for hours unchallenged. "The government will only deploy soldiers in communities in other South East states to hound and kill members of pro-Biafra groups especially the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, but same soldiers cannot be deployed to our communities to stop herdsmen and terrorists attacks. "That is the hypocrisy in this government. In my community, people see soldiers and other security agents as sympathisers and collaborators of the terrorists masquerading as herdsmen who are trying conquer our lands". Another member of the community, who pleaded for anonymity, however, said that soldiers and other security operatives have moved into the bushes from where the marauders gained access into the community to comb for them. Efforts to get reaction of the Enugu State Police Command were not successful as the spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, did not take his calls. Ugwuanyi releases N10m for Eha-Amufu victims in IDPs camp However, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has released the sum of N10 million for the immediate needs of the affected victims of the attack in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp. Speaking after a closed-door meeting with Gov. Ugwuanyi at the Government House, Enugu, Bishop Olinya, the Anglican Bishop of Eha Amufu Diocese, said that he was impressed with “the prompt interventions of Enugu State Government on the crisis in the place,” adding: “I want to thank especifically, the Governor of Enugu State for bringing out ten million naira for the people affected. “I am very happy this evening for the prompt intervention of Enugu State Government in the crisis in our place, Eha Amufu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.” The Anglican Bishop disclosed that the governor “has given us ten million naira to go and see the people and to meet their immediate needs and I am very sure that this will make them have a sense of belonging, make them feel that the state has heard their cry and has really come to help them.” Ebubeagu operatives allegedly shoot 2 youths in Ebonyi The incident happened when the convoy of a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, in Ebonyi State, Chief Julius Oji (aka Ochiri Edda) was attacked in Ekoli Edda community of the state. The bodies of the two victims were riddled with bullet wounds even as they are presently receiving treatment in the hospital. Vanguard gathered that trouble had ensued Saturday evening, when a convoy of vehicles conveying the PDP chieftain and other dignitaries, was halted following a roadblock that was mounted by the Ebubeagu men. Narrating his ordeal, Chief Oji said it took God's intervention for him to escape the mayhem plotted against him by the Ebebeagu operatives, alleging that the state has become insecure for the people. He said, "I went to see Sen. Sonni Ogbuoji in his house in Ebunwana Edda community and while returning to Ekoli Edda community, just between the road that connects Letu from Ekoli Edda, that was where the incident happened. And if not for God, I don't know what would have become of me, because these people plotted evil for me. "It was at this particular place in Ekoli, that the Ebubeagu men blocked the road on seeing us, and they started shooting. They kept shooting as they blocked the road. But what saved me was that the particular PRADO Jeep that I came to the village in, was new and I have never taken it to the village before and so, none of them knew the very vehicle I was in. "That was when one of the policemen in our convoy got down to check what was going on. Their very target was me because if they knew the very vehicle that carried me, it would have been a different thing altogether. Thank God this was the very first time I brought that Jeep to the village because I wanted to keep it in the village. Recently and usually each time I come home, I do use Hon. Chidi Ejem's car, being my younger brother. So, this very car is new in the village and nobody knew I was in it. "Another miracle was that the policeman I had used for a very long time which these people know, was not with me in that car. He was in another car behind us. That was how all of a sudden, my driver zoomed past the Ebebuagu people. And it was then that the policeman radioed the one with me in the car to speed off and take me straight to the house that there was danger. I was hearing them. But I kept wondering what would happen to the people with me that were left behind." Gunmen kidnap Imo APGA state Assembly candidate The Imo State Chairman of APGA, John Iwuala, confirmed the ugly development to newsmen in Owerri. However, Iwuala later confirmed that the Anyanwu was later freed by his captors after security surveillance was mounted on the abductors. According to the APGA State Chairman: "He was kidnapped at Ahiazu Mbaise local government area of Imo State and the kidnappers drove him towards a thick forest in Ehime Mbano local government area. He was kidnapped in the morning and he was later freed in the afternoon. "They collected so many of his belongings before they allowed him to go. We knew about it when our people called us from Ahiazu Mbaise and we moved into action and reported the incident to the security agencies. We started gathering intelligence to track them and by God's grace he was released in the afternoon." Reacting, the State Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mike Abattam, said: "Please, let them make a formal report for police to commence an investigation." Nnamdi Kanu sues Malami, demands N20bn NNAMDI KANU, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, has slammed another N20 billion suit against the Attorney- General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. Kanu, through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, stated that the AGF defamed the IPOB leader when he claimed that the latter jumped bail, and had asked for N20bn for damages. This is coming barely four days after the initial N20bn suit filed by Kanu against Malami was discontinued. The first suit dated September 23, had sought “a declaration that the defendant's arrest and imprisonment of the plaintiff (Kanu) at a location in Kenya and the subsequent imprisonment of the plaintiff in the aircraft that conveyed him from Kenya to Nigeria amounted to false arrest and false imprisonment.” However, in the latest suit dated November 21, Kanu demanded compensation following alleged defamatory and libellous claims against him. The suit was contained in a letter sent to Malami titled, “RE: Pre-action notice and formal demand for settlement of the claim of defamation/libel of the character of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu grounded on your false, defamatory and libelous publications that Mazi By Chidi Nkwopara OWERRI—NIGERIANS have been reminded that the task of rebuilding and reclaiming the country, "which has derailed from its mandate, is the responsibility of all and not that of the government alone". The Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Anglican Communion, His Grace, Dr. David O. C. Onuoha, stated this in his address at the second edition of Imo Prays, Owerri. While assuring the state government of the preparedness of the church in making society better, the cleric however said that the battle is not yet over. His words: "As the battle is not yet over, we are persuaded to continue the onslaught against the kingdom of darkness. "We ask that all bloodthirsty demons that have opened their mouths to drink the blood of Nigerians through insurgency, militancy, banditry, terrorism, and accidents should bow. Nnamdi Kanu jumped bail.” Sharing copies of the document on his Twitter page yesterday, Ejimakor said: “Yesterday, I served on AGF Malami a Legal Notice (as required by law), notifying him of my intention to take legal action against him for his defamatory & libelous statements that #MNK jumped bail.” Kanu, through his lawyer, said Malami’s claim that he jumped bail despite a court order clearing him was libellous. Condemning Malami’s remark, Ejimakor said in the letter, “Given the said judgment of the Abia State High Court, your above utterances were false, malicious, and reckless and they were read and heard worldwide and portrayed our Client in light.” According to the letter, Kanu demanded “the sum of N20,000,000,000.00 (Twenty Billion Naira only) being general and exemplary damages; “An unreserved personal letter of apology, to be prominently and boldly published full-page in two Nigerian Newspapers of national circulation, namely: Guardian Newspaper and Sun Newspaper. “You shall write and deliver to your superior officer(s) and/or your employer(s) a Legal Opinion to the effect that our Client did not jump bail given the 19th January 2022 Judgment of the High Court of Abia State.” We must rebuild, reclaim Nigeria —Archbishop Onuoha THE PEOPLES Democratic Party, PDP, Abia State, has said that Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and members of the G-5 Governors will grace the official flag-off of the party's campaign on Thursday. PDP Vice Chairman, Abia North, and the Acting Publicity Secretary of PDP, Elder Abraham Amah who disclosed this at a press briefing, yesterday in Umuahia, said that the presence of the G-5 Governors at the event would be in honour and solidarity with Gov Okezie Ikpeazu who is one of them. Amah, who was flanked by former Secretary to State Government, SSG, Elder Ralph Egbu; and the Secretary of the PDP Campaign Council, Chief Stanley Ojigbo, said Abia remained the stronghold of PDP in the South East. "The Integrity G5 PDP governors namely; Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Dr. Samuel Ortom "We have come to ask that all those who sabotage the economy of this nation through massive stealing and looting of the public treasury, thereby occasioning hardship and untold suffering and pain on the generality of the citizens, should bow. "We are here to demand that all those who directly or indirectly perpetrate, encourage, or promote any form of criminality in Imo State should bow. In addition to our wellbeing, we demand that the next general elections in Nigeria shall be peaceful, credible, free, and fair. "Any person, group, power or force working, planning, and scheming to go against the will of God for the good of this nation must bow." Archbishop Onuoha remained optimistic that 2023 holds a great future for the country, stressing that "God has heard the cry, pain, and anguish of Nigerians and is set to deliver us from the grip of those who have mercilessly dealt with us". Wike's G-5 to witness Abia PDP campaign flag off By Steve Oko of Benue State; Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; Mr. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; and the host governor Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu would grace the occasion in person as a mark of respect and solidarity with their brother governor", he said. Amah said that the party's governorship candidate, Professor Uche Ikonne; his running mate, Hon. Okey Igwe; and other PDP candidates for the 2023 elections would be formally unveiled at the event slated for the Umuahia Township Stadium. The PDP Spokesman who said that his party had done well in the key sectors of the state economy expressed optimism that PDP would retain power in Abia State next year. His words: "It's an article of faith for us that they will choose the PDP that rescued them from the shackles of poverty in the past seven years despite the economic decline foisted on them by the APC government at the centre due to its inability to formulate sound economic policies for the growth and prosperity of Nigerians." C
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