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IWMF seeks nominations for Courage in Journalism Awards

Itoro ETUKUDO
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IWMF seeks nominations for Courage in Journalism Awards

THE International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) is seeking nominations for its Courage in Journalism Awards in English, French and Spanish.

Nominations are opened to full-time and freelance women journalists working in print, broadcast or online media in any country.

IWMF is built to serve the holistic needs of women and non-binary journalists with equity, opportunity, recognition and safety.

The Courage Journalist Award honours women who have demonstrated extraordinary strength of character in journalism under difficult or dangerous circumstances.

Candidates must be full-time staff or freelance women or nonbinary reporters, writers, editors, photographers or producers working in any country and of any nationality.

Nominations for the award is strictly third-part based (no self nomination). The deadline for application submission is March 3, 2024.

Interested applicants can apply here.

Supreme Court affirms Inuwa’s election, dismisses PDP appeal

Mustapha USMAN
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Supreme Court affirms Inuwa’s election, dismisses PDP appeal

THE Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya.

In a unanimous judgment on Friday, January 19, by a panel of justices, the apex court dismissed the appeal filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mohammed Barde, stating that the appeal lacked merit.

The ICIR reported how Barde and PDP had approached the State Election Petitions Trubunal, and subsequently Appeal Court, challenging Yahaya’s victory.

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Barde insisted that Yahaya was not re-elected by a majority of valid votes cast in the election held in March 2023.

However, both the tribunal and the appellate courts upheld the governor’s victory, and maintained that Barde’s appeal lacked merit.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Yahaya as the winner of the Gombe state governorship election after he polled 342,821 votes.

The Supreme Court had on Thursday, January 18, dismissed the appeal filed by the Action Democratic Congress (ADC) and its candidate, Nafiu Bala, against the governor’s triumph.

In a judgment by a five-member panel of the court’s justices led by Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the court described the appeal as frivolous.

“You can’t come to court with frivolous appeal. I think you should not waste our time,” the court ruled.

The appeal was, therefore, withdrawn by lawyers representing the ADC and the case was dismissed.

Protests trail Supreme Court ruling on Nasarawa guber polls

Ijeoma OPARA
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Protests trail Supreme Court ruling on Nasarawa guber polls

PROTESTS have trailed a Supreme Court ruling upholding Abdullahi Sule’s election as Nasarawa state governor.

Some residents took to the streets of Lafia, the state capital, to convey their dissatisfaction with the ruling shortly after it was delivered on Friday, January 19.

Blocking the Lafia-Jos expressway, the protesters set bonfires, leaving commuters stranded and forcing business owners to be temporarily shut.

Security operatives are, however, present at the scene to restore calm and order.

Following the 2023 governorship elections, which produced Sule as governor, the Election Petition Tribunal in Nasarawa nullified his victory in October.

It declared the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), David Ombugadu, the winner.

Two justices out of the three-member panel that passed the tribunal judgement ruled in favour of Ombugadu, while one dissented.

However, the Court of Appeal overturned the tribunal’s ruling and declared Sule governor.

In its ruling delivered on November 23, 2023, the Court of Appeal said Sule was not given a fair hearing and that oral and documentary evidence presented by Ombugadu and the PDP did not demonstrate over-voting.

The PDP appealed the appellate court’s judgment, which the Supreme Court upheld.

In a unanimous judgment, the Supreme Court’s panel of justices, led by Kudirat Kekere-Ekun on Friday, ruled that the decision upholding Sule’s election was thorough and well thought out.

The court dismissed the PDP’s case for lack of merit and did not award any cost.

Supreme Court dismisses appeal against Kaduna governor

Ijeoma OPARA
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Supreme Court dismisses appeal against Kaduna governor

THE Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the victory of the Kaduna state governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Uba Sani, at the 2023 governorship election.

In a judgment delivered on Friday, January 19, the court described the appeal as frivolous, vexatious and without merit.

“The appeal is frivolous, vexatious, and irritating. It, therefore, deserves to be dismissed, and it is hereby dismissed,” Supreme Court Justice Tijjani Abubakar, who delivered the lead judgment held.

Sani’s victory at the polls was challenged by the PDP candidate, Ashiru Isa, who approached the Kaduna State Election Petitions Tribunal to annul the election outcome.

The PDP alleged that the election was rigged and Sani did not secure a majority of the votes cast.

Isa had won in 13 local government areas (LGAs) during the elections while Sani cleared 10.

However, Sani secured 730,002 votes, defeating Isa, who followed closely with a total of 719,196.

The tribunal upheld Sani’s election in a judgment delivered by a three-member panel led by Victor Oviawe.

It stated that Isa and the PDP could not establish their claims that the election was rigged.

The tribunal also ruled that Isa’s appeal lacked merit because the filing of pre-hearing notice “was abandoned and out of time, and therefore had dealt the entire petition a fatal blow.”

On November 24, 2023, the Court of Appeal affirmed Sani’s election and upheld the tribunal’s ruling.

The Appeal Court held that the PDP did not prove its allegations of election rigging, adding that the party’s key witnesses only testified based on hearsay.

Gunmen invade Army Estate in Abuja, abduct 2

Ijeoma OPARA
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Gunmen invade Army Estate in Abuja, abduct 2

GUNMEN invaded the Nigerian Army Post Housing Estate in the Kurudu area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the late hours of Thursday, January 18, and abducted two residents.

The incident occurred at about 10.00p.pm.

One of the abductees is the wife of a lawyer, Cyril Adikwu, and the other is his in-law.

According to residents of the area, the kidnappers invaded the estate, shooting sporadically in the air and fled with the abductees before soldiers arrived at the scene.

“We heard the gunshot in the barrister’s house, and then we alerted the estate’s management, who immediately swung into action. In a short time, Army people came around and started shooting too, but before they came, the kidnappers had taken the wife and one of the in-laws of the barrister.

“This is really traumatising because we could not sleep throughout the night due to fear of the kidnappers coming back. President Tinubu should please help Nigerians put an end to this barbaric act by the kidnappers,” a resident, Austine John, told jounalists.

The ICIR reached out to the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, Clement Nwachukwu, over the issue, but he has yet to reply to a call and text message to his phone number.

Recently, there has been an upsurge in the rate of kidnapping within the Nigeria’s capital.

The ICIR reported that some FCT residents had abandoned their homes due to several successful abductions by bandits within their communities.

Several kidnap cases were recorded in the FCT during the festive period, including the mass abduction of about 23 residents of Dei-dei, Bwari, and 12 others in Gbaupe, a rural community along Airport Road.

Since the New Year, several successful abductions have also been carried out by kidnappers.

On Wednesday, January 17, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, said his administration would not tolerate abductions.

He also warned area council chairmen to be more proactive in security matters.

Supreme Court confirms Idris as Kebbi governor

Mustapha USMAN
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Supreme Court confirms Idris as Kebbi governor

THE Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal filed by Aminu Bande of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the election of Kebbi state Governor Nasir Idris.

In its ruling on Friday, January 19, the panel of justices unanimously held that the appeal lacked merit.

The ICIR reported how Bande and the PDP had approached the Supreme Court, unsatisfied with the Appeal Court’s ruling affirming Idris as governor.

But the appellate court rejected the PDP and Bande’s appeal, ruling that it lacked merit.

The appellate court determined all five issues in favour of the governor and against the PDP in a majority decision read by Ndukwe Anyannwu.

The Kebbi state gubernatorial election, held on Saturday, March 18, was on Monday, March 20 declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The INEC returning officer Yusuf Sa’idu, a professor at Danfodio University in Sokoto, announced the development at the collation centre in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.

He said cancellations occurred across several registration areas (RAs) in 20 of the 21 local government areas in the state.

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According to him, declaring the election inconclusive was in line with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

Dissatisfied with the election outcome in which Idris was eventually declared the winner, Bande approached the state governorship election petitions tribunal.

He alleged that there was over-voting in some polling units and that Idris was not qualified to contest the election.

While the tribunal deducted 1,735 votes from APC and over 900 votes from PDP’s results, these deductions did not affect Idris’ victory.

PDP loses as Supreme Court affirms APC’s Abdullahi Sule election

Bankole ABE
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PDP loses as Supreme Court affirms APC’s Abdullahi Sule election

THE Supreme Court has affirmed Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as Nasarawa state governor. 

In a unanimous decision on Friday, January 19, the apex court dismissed the appeal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, David Ombugadu, against Sule’s election.

One of the court’s justices, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, read the lead judgment. 

She stated that the court of appeals’ decision upholding Sule’s election was thorough and well thought out.

The panel dismissed the case for lack of merit and did not award any cost.

In October 2023, the governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital, sacked Sule as governor and declared Ombugadu as duly elected.

Two justices out of three ruled on Monday, October 2, that Ombugadu won the election, while one dissented.

In the judgement delivered virtually, the panel chairman, Ezekiel Ajayi, argued that there was no room for reasonable doubt, and the petitioner’s evidence was convincingly made.

However, the Court of Appeal in Abuja dismissed the tribunal’s ruling and affirmed Sule as duly elected.

In its ruling on Thursday, November 23, the appellate court stated that the tribunal erred in naming Ombugadu as the legitimate winner.

The Court of Appeal decided that the tribunal did not give Sule a fair hearing.

It concluded that the tribunal erred in deducting Sule’s votes when the PDP failed to provide evidence of overvoting.

Dissatisfied with the appellate court’s ruling, Ombugadu approached the Supreme Court, where he lost on Friday, January 19.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Sule the election winner with 347,209 votes. Ombugadu came second with 283,016 votes, while Abdullahi Maidoya of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) garnered 11,726 votes.

Supreme Court upholds Dapo Abiodun’s victory

Mustapha USMAN
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Supreme Court upholds Dapo Abiodun’s victory

THE Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 governorship election, Ladi Adebutu, challenging the election of Ogun state Governor Dapo Abiodun.

In the judgment passed on Friday, January 19, by a five-member panel of the court’s justices, led by Tijjani Abubakar, the court described the appeal as ‘unmeritorious.’ 

“In the end, this appeal is unmeritorious and deserves to be dismissed. It is hereby dismissed,” Abubakar held.

The ICIR reports that Adebutu contended that Abiodun’s election did not comply with the electoral laws and requested the court to declare his victory null and void.     

In March 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Abiodun, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the poll winner.

Abiodun got 13,915 votes to extend his tenure as the state governor for a second and final term of four years.

Declaring Abiodun winner, the returning officer for the state governorship poll, Kayode  Adebowale, who is vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, said the governor polled 276,298 to edge PDP’s Adebutu who scored 262,383 votes.

Unsatisfied by the ruling, the PDP and its candidate sought redress in the state election tribunal and subsequently at the Court of Appeal in Lagos state.

However, on Friday, November 24, the Appeal Court declared Abiodun the March 18 governorship election winner in a split – two-to-one – decision.

In the majority judgment delivered by Joseph Ikyegh, the appellate court rejected the appeal filed by Adebutu, the PDP candidate.

Supreme Court affirms Oborevwori as Delta Governor

Bankole ABE
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Supreme Court affirms Oborevwori as Delta Governor

THE Supreme Court, on Friday, January 19, affirmed the election of  Sheriff Oborevwori as the governor of Delta state.

The apex court dismissed the appeal of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Ovie Omo-Agege, seeking to overturn Oborevwori’s election.

In a judgment delivered by Inyang Okoro, the court held that the appellant could not prove his case of over-voting and noncompliance with the electoral laws.

The Supreme Court also rejected the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) candidate’s case against Oborevwori. 

The five-judge jury unanimously rejected the appeal for lack of substance. 

The candidates and the three political parties – the APC, SDP and Labour Party (LP) are all opposing Oborevwori’s declaration as the elected governor of the state.

Due to a lack of time, the justices issued summary judgment to consider appeals from other states.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced that Oborevwori got 360,234 votes to beat Omo-Agege, who won 240,229 votes, to win the governorship race.

The immediate past Deputy President of the Senate, Omo-Agege, dissatisfied with the outcome, filed a request with the court to declare the election results void.

FG okays shell’s $2.4bn asset sales amid IoCs exit concerns

Harrison EDEH
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FG okays shell’s $2.4bn asset sales amid IoCs exit concerns

AMID worries over the exit of some international oil companies (IOCs), the Nigerian government has approved the $ 2.4 billion onshore assets sale of British energy giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Limited.

Shell had on Tuesday, January 16, announced official plans to sell its Nigerian onshore oil and gas subsidiary to a consortium of five companies known as Renaissance for $ 2.4 billion.

Also, Seplat Energy has been waiting for regulatory approval for its purchase of  Exxon Mobil’s onshore assets for $ 1.3 billion since February 2022.

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Oando recently secured a $800 million loan for the purchase of 100 per cent shares of Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, who confirmed the approval for the sale of Shell assets said the Federal Government would not oppose any legitimate business transactions in the oil and gas sector.

“On the part of the government, once we get the necessary documents, we will not waste time to give the necessary considerations and consent,” he stated.

He, however, affirmed the Nigerian government’s commitment to fostering a business-friendly environment in the sector.

The Special Adviser on Media and Communication to the Minister, Nneamaka Okafor, who disclosed the minister’s position in a statement said, the minister addressed Shell’s decision to sell its onshore assets to a consortium of five Nigerian companies on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The company explained it would sell the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) for $1.3 billion, while the buyers would make an additional payment of up to $1.1 billion later.

Responding to concerns about international oil companies (IOCs) diversifying their onshore assets, Lokpobiri highlighted the positive aspects of the diversification.

He explained that it would create opportunities for indigenous companies with the capacity to acquire and professionally manage the assets, leading to increased profitability and the maximization of their potential.

Addressing potential negative impacts on the country,  the minister reassured that the diversification would not adversely affect Nigeria.

He emphasised the government’s engagement with IOCs regarding the decommissioning of non-productive assets and abandonment issues.

The minister stated that concerns raised by IOCs, particularly with Nigerian banks, had been addressed, assuring a safe environment for the handling of funds related to decommissioning and abandonment.

As a government, we will adhere to the law without jeopardizing legitimate businesses,” he added.

Responding to questions on preventing IOCs from diversifying their upstream operations, the minister clarified that companies had not left their upstream deepwater assets. Instead, they were diversifying their onshore assets, creating opportunities for local companies with developed capacity and financing to acquire and profitably manage these assets.

The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to addressing the sector concerns, including insecurity and aging infrastructure, such as pipelines.

He highlighted ongoing engagements with companies to invest in pipeline technology and other critical infrastructures within the oil and gas value chain.

Lokpobiri  further disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had approved a licensing bid round to ensure transparency in oil sector business.

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