Even dead knew 2023 election was rigged to favour Tinubu – Atiku’s aide backs EU report
Frank Shaibu, the Special Assistant on Public Communication to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has backed the report by the European Union, EU, Election Monitoring Group that the 2023 presidential election was rigged to favour President Bola Tinubu.
He affirmed the reports that the last general election in Nigeria was marred by electoral irregularities and failed to meet the minimum standard of credibility.
In a statement he signed, Shaibu said, “even the dead knew that the last election lacked credibility, and even the Independent National Electoral Commission had been unable to explain why nearly five months after the election, it had refused to upload the full result on its result viewing portal.
“Even primary school children who did not vote know that INEC failed woefully and that Tinubu rigged the last election.”
He wondered why the Nigerian government would receive billions of dollars from the EU as an election fund but rejected the body’s comment on the polls.
This was as Shaibu criticized Tinubu and his spokesman, Dele Alake, for trying to discredit the report.
He charged Alake to remain quiet rather than defend irregularities.
Fire guts hotel in Onitsha
Fire has gutted Sopurum Hotel, located in the Nkwelle community, a commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State, burning a substantial part of the structure.
The cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained, but it was gathered that the incident started at about 4:30 am on Monday.
As of the time of filing this report, men of the fire service from Delta and Anambra states were already on the ground battling with the situation.
The Anambra State Fire Chief, Martins Agbili, could not be immediately reached for reactions as calls and text messages to his telephone line were not responded to.
But the state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the fire incident, saying that the situation is under control.
“The situation is under control. The fire started around 4:30 am on Monday and when we got the information, our men were quickly mobilised to the scene and they condoned off the area to avoid any case of vandalism.
“No loss of life and the men of the fire service are on the ground controlling the situation and managing the fire,” Ikenga added.
Presidential Tribunal: INEC fails to open defence against Obi’s petition
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Monday, failed to open its defence to allegation by candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, that the 2023 presidential election was rigged.
The Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja, had resumed its proceedings to enable the electoral body to call its first witness to justify its declaration of candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, as winner of the presidential election that held on February 25.
However, when the case was called up for hearing, INEC, through its team of lawyers led by Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, told the court that its witness was not available.
Though the Commission expressed its determination to produce three witnesses to defend the outcome of the disputed presidential poll, it, however, told the court that the first person it wanted to put in the box as a witness, was involved in a domestic issue.
Consequently, its lead counsel, Mahmoud, SAN, persuaded the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel of the court to adjourn further proceedings in the matter till Tuesday.
Obi’s legal team, led by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, did not oppose the application for an adjournment.
Likewise, President Tinubu’s lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, as well as that of the APC, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, said they were not against the request for the matter to be adjourned.
Owing to the development, the panel, deferred the case till Tuesday to enable the electoral body to produce its first witness.
Protest Breaks Out At Trademore Estate In Nigeria’s Capital City Over Planned Demolition
A protest has broken out in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital as gates of the popular Trademore estate were shut by the residents on Monday.
The protest is against the planned demolition of structures by officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) in the estate.
The residents displayed placards bearing various inscriptions and called on FCDA to stop its planned demolition of structures in the estate.
The Executive Secretary of FCDA, Malam Shehu Ahmed on Sunday disclosed that the FCT Administration would demolish all structures on waterways across the nation’s capital.
Shehu told journalists in Abuja that some structures were preventing water from flowing freely through its natural course. He blamed it for the flooding recorded in some parts of the city.
He said: “People are clamouring that we act quickly and take tough decisions to save lives. And this is what we must do.
“We cannot act as though we don’t see this man-made problem caused by those who violate the Abuja Master Plan.
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