A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday slated for November 30 judgment in the suit challenging the qualification of Anambra State governor-elect, Prof. Charles Soludo; and Deputy governor-elect, Onyeka Ibezim, to contest the last governorship election in the state.

The PUNCH reported that Justice Taiwo Taiwo fixed the date after lawyers to parties made their final submissions.

The plaintiffs – Adindu Valentine and Egwudike Chukwuebuka – are contending that Soludo provided false information in the affidavit (Form EC9) that he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission and should be deemed unqualified to stand for election.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/711/2021, the plaintiffs claimed that Soludo indicated in the affidavit that he was contesting the Aguata 2 Constituency seat when, in fact, he was contesting the Anambra governorship seat.

Defendants in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Soludo and Ibezim.

In their final submission, plaintiffs’ lawyers, A. O. Ijeri and Kelvin Okoko argued that having indicated the wrong seat he was contesting, Soludo supplied INEC with false information, violated extant legal provisions and ought to be disqualified.

“The constitution has made a state a constituency in relation to the governorship election, but in this case, the third defendant (Soludo) named Aguata 2 as the constituency he is contesting,” Ijeri said.

As against the contention by lawyers to the second to fourth defendants, Ijeri argued that his clients have established that there was a cause of action and that the court has jurisdiction to determine the case.

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“The cause of action in a pre-election matter, by the provision of Section 285(9) of the Constitution, is determined by the date of the occurrence of the event, a decision or action complained about in the suit by the plaintiff.

“There is evidence that INEC received the submitted Form EC9 on July 6th 2021,” Ijeri said.

He then prayed the court to find merit in the case and grant the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs.

Lawyer for APGA and Soludo, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), argued that the suit was without merit and that the court lacked jurisdiction.

Ikpeazu contended that error in an affidavit cannot be a basis to disqualify a candidate from the election, noting that the false information contemplated in Section 31 of the Electoral Act was criminal in nature.

Lawyer to Ibezim, C. Mbaeri, argued in a similar vein and prayed the court to uphold his objection and dismiss the suit.

Lawyer to INEC, Bashir Abubakar, said his client did not file any process in the case and has elected to leave the decision at the discretion of the court.

Source

Speakers at the just concluded Leadership Lecture Series in honour of late Maitama Sule, have attributed the insecurity bedevilling the nation to the over 2,000 unmanned porous land borders across the country.

The speakers include the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega who has in recent times been a loud voice in the criticism against government over poor leadership, Dr Muttaqha Darma, Special Adviser to Katsina State Governor on security matters, Ibrahim Katsina and Dr Aminu Idris who presented a paper during the lectures organized by the Students’ Wing of the Coalition of Northern Groups, held at the Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina.

The lecture series had as its theme: The Political and socio-economic consequences of border porosity in Northern Nigeria.

At the lecture series, the question about the porous nature of the nation’s border was brought to the fore.

The former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, attributed the current state of the nation’s insecurity to the thousands of unmanned porous illegal routes.

He also faulted the government for the increase in the insurgency, the lack of purposeful leadership and the disconnection of the youths from the scheme of leadership in the country.

The guest lecturer at the event, Dr Muttaqha Darma, hinted that the insecurity in the Northern region is due to insufficient resources and poor management of the border areas, which has increased over the years to about 3,125 as of 2018.

The Special Adviser to Katsina State Governor on Security Matters, Ibrahim Katsina, advocated for the collapsing of the borders in the affected countries, to make the management effective in synergy.

Similarly, a paper presenter at the lecture series, Dr Aminu Idris, called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency, digitize border security management, use border surveillance equipment, as well as increase the number of border security personnel, who are grossly inadequate.

In the end, the speakers were of the view that the Federal and State Governments should identify circumstances that led to systemic factors causing insecurity, review the border policy of the nation, ensure effective coordination of border security agencies and suggested that the border management be moved to the office of the National Security Adviser, rather than remain under the ministry of interior.