Court of Appeal nullifies Mark’s election

The Court of Appeal sitting in Makurdi, Benue State on Saturday nullified the election of the former President of the Senate, David Mark.

The court also called for fresh election in Mark’s Benue South Senatorial District within 90 days.
The appeal panel, presided by Justice Memson Domgbam, agreed that the appellant, Daniel Onjeh of the All Progressives Congress, had proved his case beyond reasonable doubts.
The panel said Onjeh proved that the Electoral Act was substantially breached in the conduct of the election.
The jurists said it was wrong for results to be declared while collation was ongoing in most polling units.
Reading the lead judgement, Justice Olabisi Ige said it was evident that the lower tribunal did not consider the issues that were raised by the petitioner/appellant.
“The lower tribunal also failed to make any findings on the appellant’s claim about the day of declaration, which was in contention,” Ige said.
Ige, therefore, said Onjeh’s appeal was meritorious, set aside the judgment of the lower tribunal and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh poll.
NAN recalls that Onjeh had taken Mark elections petitions tribunal on account that the conduct of the polls, which he said were in contravention of the Electoral Act.
However, the lower court had dismissed Onjeh’s petition on the grounds of failure to prove his case ad merely dumping materials on the court.
Onjeh had contended that INEC declared Mark the winner of the poll while collation was ongoing in most polling units contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act.
He also alleged electoral malpractices and averred that the Electoral Act 2010 as amended was substantially breached.
Onjeh’s grounds for appeal were that the tribunal failed to consider and make necessary findings of fact on all the vital issues raised in the petition.
He argued that tribunal erred by departing from its earlier decision on similar matters in which it had declared that collation of votes after declaration and return on certain votes is substantial irregularity.
He also said the tribunal erred by failing to consider his final written address and determine the relevant arguments proffered in it and that there was miscarriage of justice by deciding against the evidence before the tribunal.
He, therefore, urged the appellate court to invoke the provision of Section 15 of the Court of Appeal Act and review the evidence in his petition so as to overturn the decision of the lower court.
NAN.

Suicide bombers disguise as worshippers, kill many in Borno mosque

Dozens of worshippers were killed on Thursday when two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a mosque in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, Borno State, witnesses said.

“All the people in the mosque died. Not a single one escaped,” said Muhtari Ahmadu, a trader near the scene.

“We counted 42 dead bodies outside the mosque,” added Amadu Marte, a vigilante supporting the security forces in the fight against the Islamist Boko Haram group, which has carried out repeated attacks in the region.

The Borno State Police Command confirmed that the mosque was hit by twin bombings but gave a lower toll of about 14 dead.

Following the explosions, the mosque collapsed and injured “many people praying”, the police said in a statement.

“Casualties have been evacuated to UMTH (University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital) and specialist hospitals in Maiduguri,” it added.

The bombers slipped into the mosque disguised as worshippers, witnesses said.

One of the attackers set off the first blast when he entered the mosque, they said.

The second bomber detonated his explosives soon after, when many had rushed to the scene to help the first victims.

“When rescuers and sympathizers gathered in front of the place, the second one went off, killing many of them,” Marte said.

The blasts occurred around 6:30pm (1730 GMT) in Molai, in the western suburbs of Maiduguri, where worshippers had gathered for evening prayers, the witnesses said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but suspicion fell on Boko Haram, which was founded in Borno’s State capital, Maiduguri, in 2009.

The city has been hit repeatedly since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power on May 29with a vow to crush the insurgency.

Boko Haram claimed responsibility for three suicide attacks in the satellite towns of Kuje and Nyanya outside Nigeria’s capital Abuja on October 2, which killed a total of 18 people and injured 41.

Nigeria’s military claims the Islamist militants are a spent force and that troops have driven them from their camps and occupied territory in the remote region.

But guerrilla-style attacks have continued, including across the border.

At the weekend, 41 people were killed in triple explosions in Baga Sola, on the Chadian side of Lake Chad, where Nigeria meets Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

The four countries have launched a joint offensive against the Islamists.

Their mission received a boost on Wednesday when US President Barack Obama said he was deploying up to 300 military personnel to Cameroon for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations against Boko Haram insurgents.

At least 17,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million made homeless since Boko Haram began its bloody campaign.

Bayelsa confirms death of ex-Gov. Alamieyeseigha

The Bayelsa State Government has confirmed the death of a former Governor of the State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

Alamieyeseigha, 63, died on Saturday evening at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

He was said to have died of cardiac arrest.

He reportedly slipped into coma on Thursdayand was rushed to the hospital.

Two officials of the Bayelsa State Government on Saturday confirmed Alamieyeseigha’s death.

Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the Chief Press Secretary to the Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria in a telephone interview.

Iworiso-Markson said the government would issue a statement later.

The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Esueme Dan-Kikili, also confirmed the death of Alamieyeseigha to to Channels Television.

Alamieyeseigha was born on November 16, 1952 in Amassoma, Ogboin North Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

He attended the Bishop Dimeari Grammar School, Yenagoa.

He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy as a Cadet Officer in 1974, then joined the Nigerian Air Force, where he served in the department of Logistics and Supply.

He held various air force positions in Enugu, Markurdi, Kaduna and Ikeja.

Alamieyeseigha retired from the Air Force in 1992 as a Squadron Leader.

After leaving the Air Force, he became the Sole Administrator of Pabod Supplies, Port Harcourt.

Later he became the Head of Budget, Planning, Research and Development of the National Fertiliser Company.

Alamieyeseigha was impeached on allegations of corruption on December 9, 2005 during his second term as governor of Bayelsa State

Diepreye Alamieyeseigha is dead

The first Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, is dead, The Nation is reporting.

Alamieyeseigha was said to have died at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State.
Calls made to the mobile telephone of the Daniel Iworiso, the Chief Press Secretary of Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State,  unanswered.
More details on this news blog soon.

Death toll in Hajj stampede rises to 769

The death toll in the stampede that occurred in Mina, Saudi Arabia during the Hajj on Thursday has risen to 769.

The death toll as at Thursday was 717.
The new figure of 769 was announced by the Saudi Health Minister, Khalid al-Falih, on Saturday.
Al-Falih told a news conference: “The latest statistics up to this hour reveal 769 dead.
“That is an increase of 52 on the previous figures.
“Those are the ones who died in various hospitals since the event.”
Al-Falih said 934 people were wounded.

Bayelsa: Fresh primary for APC a cruel hoax – Sylva

The Timipre Sylva Campaign for the Bayelsa State 2015 gubernatorial election has dismissed media reports that two additional governors will be joining their Edo State counterpart, Adams Oshiomhole, to organise a fresh primary for the emergence of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Yenagoa on Tuesday.

Citing unnamed sources, some news outlets and a few newspapers had reported on Saturday that Governors Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto) and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) had been drafted to join Oshiomhole for a new primary.
The campaign organisation, in a statement by Doifie Buokoribo, described the report as a “cruel hoax”, stressing that there is no way a fresh primary can be organised on Tuesday as it would amount to an act of “illegality”.
The Sylva campaign said: “Let us restate here that an APC candidate for the December 5, 2015 governorship election in Bayelsa State has emerged and that candidate is Chief Timipre Sylva. No amount of media manipulation can change that. This is a society of law and order.
“The latest disinformation through the media goes to show the level of desperation of some people who want the APC governorship ticket through the back door. An election was conducted, Sylva won, the whole world has seen it.
“Besides, there is no way a hopelessly compromised Oshiomhole, who has also openly displayed his bias, can be asked again to go and conduct an election in Bayelsa State. Even his masters know that will be unacceptable to Nigerians.
“Similarly, as at Saturday, 26 September 2015, Tambuwal is in far away New York attending the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) while Amosun is attending Hajj in Saudi Arabia. Are they going to conduct a virtual election?
“Despite the orchestrated lies and disinformation, the Sylva Campaign will again urge our teeming supporters to be law-abiding, peaceful but resolute. Victory is sure.”

Timi Sylva to Odigie-Oyegun: You can’t annul my victory

The Timipre Sylva Campaign for the Bayelsa State 2015 gubernatorial election has described as misleading and completely untrue reports purporting that the All Progressives Congress governorship primaries held on September 22 in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, has been cancelled or rescheduled.
In a statement issued on Friday in Yenagoa, the campaign maintained that the primary, which it claimed was won by Chief Timipre Sylva, was conducted in accordance with the party’s rules and guidelines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission and as such the party has no basis to cancel its outcomes.
The National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, after the uproar that attended the primaries, had announced that it had been postponed and a new date would be made known soon.
But Sylva, in the statement, signed on behalf of the campaign by Doifie Buokoribo, said: “We want to state categorically that since the primary election was conducted according to the rules and duly won by Sylva, he remains the candidate of the APC in Bayelsa State and any statement to the contrary is mere rumour.
“The National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, does not have the powers to unilaterally annul a state primary election. We are even shocked that he allowed his name to be used when he has not even received the report from members of the electoral panel. Beyond the electoral panel’s report, there is also an Appeals Committee, which has the responsibility to examine complaints arising from the primary election. It is only after the Appeals Committee has concluded its job that the National Working Committee (NWC) will meet to consider all reports from the primary, including those of the security agencies.
“There are seven members of the panel. Let us say Governor Adams Oshiomhole has submitted his own report through the pages of newspapers, there are six members left and the NWC has to sit and debate the reports.
“Oshiomhole lied that the election was marred by violence. There are pictures and videos to prove that he lied. There are pictures and video to show that Oshiomhole presided over the election and handed over the exercise to the Secretary of the Panel on the excuse that he was going to eat.
“It should also be pointed out that only Oshiomhole left the venue of the election and that the remaining six panel members and INEC officials remained in the venue till the winner was announced.
“Oshiomhole must answer some questions relating to his conducts, which completely compromised his position as Chair of the election panel. Right from the beginning, it was obvious that Oshiomhole was working towards a pre-determined answer, unfortunately for him, the will of our people prevailed.
“Lastly, you cannot abort a baby that has already been born. The APC governorship primary has been concluded in Bayelsa State, a winner has emerged, and the winner is Sylva.
“We therefore ask our teeming supporters to remain calm and ignore the rumour that a new primary is being scheduled for early next week.”