• Lagos State Governorship Tribunal Concludes Hearing as Rhodes-Vivour Closes Case
• Father of Accused UTME Candidate Denies Forgery Allegations, Calls for Fairness
• APC Leadership Claims Ignorance of Senate and House Principal Officers Announcement
• Tinubu Optimistic About Reforms and Growth, Engages Bank of America
• INEC Closes Defence in Obi and Labour Party’s Petition

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss

Lagos State Governorship Tribunal Concludes Hearing as Rhodes-Vivour Closes Case

In a significant development, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State, wrapped up his case before the Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Tuesday. Rhodes-Vivour is contesting the victory of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the March 18 governorship poll. Additionally, he is challenging the eligibility of Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, alleging that Hamzat renounced his Nigerian citizenship and pledged allegiance to the United States of America.

During the hearing on Tuesday, the petitioner’s counsel, Idowu Benson, informed the three-member Tribunal, headed by Justice Arum Ashom, that the petitioner would be closing his case. A total of ten witnesses had testified on behalf of the LP candidate in the petition.

Benson also submitted a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s Form EC9, which is an affidavit containing the candidate’s particulars. This form, completed by Hamzat, had been previously presented by the counsel for the All Progressives Congress (APC), the 4th respondent in the case.

However, objections were raised by all the counsel representing the four respondents regarding the admissibility of the document presented by the petitioner. Norrison Quakers (SAN), who represented the APC, argued that the CTC was not part of the court records as it was only warehoused by INEC. Quakers stated, “It is not a document before this tribunal, it is only a document signed by INEC that can be tendered. We will further argue on why this document should not be admitted in our final written address.”

Following the objections raised, Justice Ashon admitted the document as evidence, marking it as exhibit PE713.

After the petitioner’s case was closed, Eric Ogiegor, counsel for the first respondent (INEC), applied for a date to begin their defense. He commended the petitioner for concluding their case, even though it came as an unexpected move.

Bode Olanipekun (SAN), the counsel representing Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat, also praised the petitioner for closing their case while suggesting that they should have done so earlier, thereby avoiding unnecessary delays.

The tribunal adjourned the proceedings until July 5, 2023, when INEC will commence its defense.

Father of Accused UTME Candidate Denies Forgery Allegations, Calls for Fairness

Romanus Ejikeme, the father of Mmesoma, a 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate who has been accused of forging her result, vehemently denies the allegations and asserts that his daughter is being falsely accused.

Speaking to Channels Television shortly after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) imposed a three-year ban on his daughter and deemed her result as “patently fake,” Romanus expressed his concerns about the potential harm this could cause to his daughter’s talent.

“They should not kill the talent of that innocent girl, they should not do that,” Romanus pleaded. He believes that JAMB has been unfair to his daughter, emphasizing that she has demonstrated exceptional abilities since her early days in primary school. Despite his disappointment, he stated that he has no intention of seeking legal recourse and instead entrusts the matter to God.

In a viral video released by Mmesoma herself, she narrated how she obtained her result from the JAMB portal and expressed her surprise at the accusations of forgery. “I printed the result from the JAMB portal,” she stated. “I am traumatized that they accused me of forging my own result. I am not capable of forging a result.”

However, JAMB maintains its position, alleging that Mmesoma “manipulated” her result in this year’s examination. According to the exam body, the candidate claimed a score of 362, while in reality, she had obtained a score of 249.

The case continues to garner attention, highlighting the need for a fair and thorough investigation into the matter to ascertain the truth. Both Mmesoma and her father are hopeful that justice will prevail.

APC Leadership Claims Ignorance of Senate and House Principal Officers Announcement

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed its lack of knowledge regarding the announcement of principal officers in the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday.

As the ruling party holding the highest number of seats in the 10th National Assembly, the APC is expected to nominate principal officers for the majority caucus.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio had announced Opeyemi Bamidele, the senator representing Ekiti Central, as the majority leader, while David Umahi, representing Ebonyi South, was named as the deputy majority leader. Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, was appointed as the chief whip, and Lola Ashiru, representing Kwara South, became the deputy chief whip.

In the House of Representatives, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas unveiled Julius Ihonvbere, the lawmaker representing Owan East/Owan West of Edo, as the majority leader, with Abdullahi Ibrahim Halims, the legislator representing Ankpa/Omala/Olamaboro of Kogi, named as the deputy majority leader. Bello Usman Kumo, representing Akko federal constituency of Gombe, was designated as the chief whip, and Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga, representing Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North federal constituency in Ogun, was appointed as the deputy chief whip.

However, during a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) and APC governors in Abuja, Abdullahi Adamu, the national chairman of the party, dismissed the news as a “rumor” and stated that it was not a decision made by the APC leadership.

Adamu clarified, “The national headquarters of the party, the NWC, has not given any such information or communicated about the choice of officers. Until we formally resolve and communicate with them in writing, which is the norm and practice, it is not our intention to break away from traditions. So, whatever announcement is done is not from this secretariat.”

The chairman expressed the readiness of the NWC to seek counsel from the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and a newly reconstituted caucus to enhance the party’s positioning.

“We hope that we will be receiving some reports from the Progressive Governors Forum chairman, or his representative, to get to know about your feelings and what is going on,” Adamu stated. “And what is your thinking on what to do to improve the chances of the party and therefore reduce the problems and bickering that we have been hearing from time to time? Then we will have time, by the grace of God permitting, we will have interactions.”

Tinubu Optimistic About Reforms and Growth, Engages Bank of America

President Bola Tinubu expressed optimism about the progress of his administration despite the current challenges facing Nigeria. Speaking during a meeting with officials from the Bank of America at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja on Tuesday, Tinubu reiterated his administration’s dedication to implementing reforms that would foster sustainable growth and development in the country.

Seeking the support and partnership of the bank’s management, Tinubu emphasized the mutual benefits that could be derived from collaboration between the country and the financial institution. In a statement issued by Dele Alake, the special adviser to the president on special duties, communications, and strategy, Tinubu was quoted as saying, “We believe we are on the right track so far. We believe we need all the help we can get.”

The president acknowledged that the governance and development challenges facing Nigeria require comprehensive fiscal and institutional reforms. Tinubu also stressed the importance of collaborating with willing partners and institutions, as Nigeria alone cannot effectively address these issues. He further highlighted the interconnectedness of actions in the 21st century concerning climate change, finance, and innovation. Tinubu stated, “Having a good platform and believing in innovation will help in undertaking reforms and tackling the issues.”

As the largest economy and democracy in Africa, Tinubu emphasized the necessity of Nigeria taking the lead in addressing its development challenges. He asserted, “If we cannot do it, nobody will do it for us.”

Bernard Mensah, the leader of the Bank of America delegation and president of International for the bank, expressed excitement about the new policies implemented by Tinubu’s administration. Mensah assured the president that the bank is not only willing to provide financial assistance but is also committed to contributing ideas to help Nigeria overcome its challenges.

INEC Closes Defence in Obi and Labour Party’s Petition

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded its defence in the petition filed by Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP) before the Presidential Election Petition Court.

During the court session on Tuesday, Lawrence Bayode, an information technology practitioner, provided evidence under the guidance of Abubakar Mahmoud, the counsel representing INEC.

Before calling the witness, INEC submitted several documents as evidence, which were accepted and marked as exhibits by the court.

During cross-examination, Bayode stated that blurred documents downloaded from the result viewing portal did not impact the polling unit results recorded in forms EC8As. He further explained that photographic copies of forms EC8A, obtained through the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and transmitted to IReV, were not relevant for the collation of results.

The witness also emphasized that the glitch experienced during the presidential poll did not affect the credibility of the election results. He clarified that only physical results in the form of EC8As were utilized for the collation of the final election results.

Following the discharge of the witness, Mahmoud informed the court that they had no further witnesses to call.

Wole Olanipekun, the counsel representing President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima, announced that he would present their defence on Wednesday.

The five-member panel, led by Haruna Tsammani, adjourned the case to Wednesday.

In the petition marked CA/PEPC/03/2023, Peter Obi and the Labour Party are challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the presidential election held on February 25.