“A Political Smudge”, Top Nigerian Lawyer Reacts to Adamawa Poll Controversy, Lauds INEC’s Timely Response
- All that transpired in the Adamawa supplementary governorship election, has continued to generate mixed reactions in the polity
- While some political pundits continue to blame the entire process that led to the controversial declaration of Binani as the winner, others applauded INEC's swift and timely response to the development
- Speaking with Legit.ng, a top Nigerian lawyer and political analyst lauded INEC's intervention, noting it was in accordance with the provision of section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022
The electoral battle between Governor Ahmadu Umar Fintiri of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and his closest rival and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aishat Dahiru (Binani) became the top news of the week when the Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa Ari declared winner of the supplementary poll without a figure on Sunday, April 16.
Reacting to the development, a lawyer and political analyst, Barrister Oluwole Olukunle Moses, revealed what the law says about Ari's action, the process which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), swiftly declared as “null, void and of no effect”, and how it affected the nation's entire democratic system.
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Lawyer lauds INEC's swift response
In a chat with Legit.ng on Sunday, April 23rd, he said,
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"The breaking of the news regarding the declaration of Aishatu Dahiru also known as Binani by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) as the Winner of the Adamawa Governorship election is nothing short of what I call a political smudge which has finally smut the remnant imagery of our nation's democracy. Oh, what a pity! The rift in our nation's democracy has now become widened by the sordid announcement made by the REC, who did not only usurped the power conferred only on the Returning Officer by the provision of section 25 of the Electoral Act (amended in 2022) but also almost plunge the entire state in political inertness which is the possible consequence of declaring the election inconclusive.
"I am however elated with the swift intervention of INEC in declaring the action of the REC null and void in accordance with the provision of section 65 of the Electoral Act.
"Let me state categorically that the declaration of Binani by the REC as the winner of the governorship election is a total contravention of the Electoral Act and should be marked as such regardless of the sentiments being whooped by some persons in certain quarters. I do not want to call names. Therefore the declaration cannot stand in law and the quick arrest of the situation by INEC is 'ballon d'or'. I can't say more.
Dino Melaye stands a chance of winning Kogi polls, lawyer says
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In a different approach to the nation's political happenings, the legal luminary spoke extensively on the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Kogi State, Sen. Dino Melaye's chances of emerging as the next governor of Kogi State in the November poll.
Speaking on PDP's chances of defeating the ruling APC in Kodi state, Barrister Moses said,
"At the heels of the emergence of Dino Melaye as the PDP governorship candidate, a lot of reactions have trailed the selection process that led to his emergence and this, as we all know, is not unaccustomed to Nigeria's political litany.
"Having said this, I am of the opinion that Dino stands a chance of winning the Kogi governorship's sit given the avalanches of complaints against the ruling party in the state. This however does not mean he will have the prestigious sit on a plater of gold especially when the cancerous vote buying and manipulation syndrome is still very much in our electoral process, the introduction of BVAS not withstanding."
Who among the lawmakers-elect should become the next Senate president and House of Reps speaker? Barrister Moses speaks
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Meanwhile, the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections have come and gone, and the results have shown that an overwhelming majority of Nigerians have kept faith with the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) by handing the party continuity in the Presidency and a comfortable majority in both Chambers of the National Assembly.
With the party set to commence another journey of leading the country into another phase of development, zoning the position of the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 10th Assembly has become a matter that top major discussion in the polity.
Reacting, Barrister Moses said the next leader of the 10th assembly is a difficult task but he wished for an Igbo to emerge as the next speaker of the 10th legislative assembly.
He said:
"As the race for senate president in the tenth national assembly begins, notable political gavels like Ahmed Lawan (incumbent Senate President), Orji Uzor Kalu, Adams Oshiomole, Godswill Akpabio, Barau Bibrin, Abdul-Aziz Yari among others, have started subtle campaigns and lobbying and no doubt this is a race among the APC's Senators, being the party with the majority of sits. It is certain that the leadership of the APC will zone the office of the number three citizen in Nigeria and that zoning decision is mostly affected by certain political considerations and this really makes it very difficult to predict who the next leader of the 10th assembly will be.
"This is also my take in respect of the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. We can only hope for the best leaders who will not be rubber stamps. But I personally wish and want the Senate president office seat to go to an Igbo, in order to douse the ethnicity and religious flame being lit by the emergence of the Muslim-Muslim presidency."
May 29 handover: The lawyer itemises five key areas Tinubu's administration should focus on
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To cap it all, the Nigerian lawyer, highlighted major areas the incoming administration should prioritise.
He urged the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take the following key issues into consideration and work on them, for the growth and development of the country.
Barrister Moses said,
"The problem ravaging our electricity sector must not only be prioritized but must be fixed immediately.
"There must be a major constitutional reform of the judiciary viz a viz the enforceability of the orders make by the court. This is important because this country is already on a slippery slope to lawlessness as nobody want to obey court orders again. This is very dangerous for this country legal sanity. Court orders are been flagrantly disobeyed by political office holders, government agency, police and the military (who ought to be enforcing the courts' orders) and even by corporate entities like banks and private individuals. This is so because the court is helpless when it comes to the enforceability of its own orders as the law enforcement agents are in the sole custody of the political office holders i.e. the executive. This is not good for a country like Nigeria. The president elect must do something about this constitutional menace immediately after being sworn in.
"He needs to find a lasting solution to fuel scarcity, even though thing seems a little bit calm now.
"Certainty has to be restore with respect to our dear Naira.We don't know if the old 200, 500 and 1000k which were reintroduced into the economy have come to stay or not. All we get from CBN is opposing policies regarding the use of the old naira note and the new ones. In fact it is difficult to get the new 200, 500 and 1000k naira notes in the bank or any where else in Nigeria. It's as if all the printed new naira notes have disappeared into the thin air while the old naira notes seems to be capping the naira market. This is very unfortunate despite the humongous amount spent on printing the new naira notes
"The new government has to take our economy very serious and invest in local production of goods for export in order to boost our foreign earnings."
Adamawa poll: "The declaration was unconstitutional and wrong" - APC chieftain
Mr. Williams Dakwom, a member of the APC presidential campaign council (PCC) in Plateau state, has reacted to the controversy surrounding the Adamawa state governorship election.
The APC chieftain in a chat with Legit.ng on Sunday, April 23, disclosed the declaration of the All Progressives Congress, APC), governorship candidate in Adamawa, Senator Aishatu Dahiru (Binani) by the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa Ari, was wrong but the timely intervention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was key.
He said,
"The declaration was unconstitutional so it was wrong, and the immediate intervention of INEC was timely. And she didn't play a role of a democrat by abiding by the mandate of her citizen if truly she's a true democrat; not to impose yourself on the people by any other means."
Tinubu speaks on outcome of supplementary elections in Adamawa, Kebbi, others
In another development, Nigeria's president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, congratulated the winners of the supplementary elections held across various states over the weekend.
Tinubu made this known via a statement made available to Legit.ng on Wednesday, April 19.
As contained in the statement, Tinubu stated that the conduct of the election and its atmosphere was a clear testament that the people had made their intentions clear that they accepted the election's outcome.
Source: Legit.ng
