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February 2, 2024 PDP Excluded from Plateau Re-Run Elections
IFMUYONEWS

PDP Excluded from Plateau Re-Run Elections

As the stage is set for tomorrow’s by-elections into the Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly seats across 26 states.
Already, sensitive materials have been distributed to the affected polling districts and constituencies by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

However, the commission said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not participate in the election in Plateau North Senatorial District and Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency, based on the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

The court had nullified the victory of PDP House of Assembly members in the state, following the party’s failure to conduct its Congresses according to laid down rules.

However, barely 24 hours to the exercise, INEC has confirmedn that the PDP will not participate in the exercise in Plateau North Senatorial District and Jos North/ Bassa Federal Constituency.

There were also indications that security agencies have placed Plateau State under watch for the poll while all the parties have been advised to respect the judgment of the Appeal Court on the previous polls in the district and federal constituency.

Following the fate that befell the PDP, the senatorial by-election may be a stiff contest between Chris Giwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Gyang Zi of the Labour Party (LP).

Sources said PDP members may vote for the LP in protest against the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

The appellate court had sacked a former Senate Minority Leader, Simon Mwadkwon, who was declared winner of February 25, 2023 poll by INEC.

Also, the Court of Appeal invalidated INEC’s declaration of Musa Avia-Agah as winner of the Jos North/ Bassa Federal Constituency.

Although 11 parties have been cleared by the electoral commission for the poll, the battle may be between the APC and the LP.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Having considered legal advice, INEC has dropped PDP from the ballot in deference to the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which is the final arbiter on disputes from National Assembly poll.

 

“The appellate court said Mwadkwon was not validly nominated by the PDP for the election because 12 Local Government Areas (LGAs) did not participate in the congress that elected him as candidate of the party for the election.

“INEC cannot afford to be lawless. Apart from court pronouncement, INEC is not part of any political compromise. Even when INEC met with the leadership of PDP on January 8, 2024, it made it clear that the party will be excluded from the poll. We are standing by this decision.

“Even this week, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja struck out an application for an order of Mandamus by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to compel INEC to allow it and its candidates to participate in the 3rd February 2024. The judge said the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain election matters, and the applicants did not follow the due process of the law to initiate the matter.”

It was gathered that security agencies have advised all the parties in the state to respect the judgment of the Court of Appeal.

Another source said: “As for Saturday by-elections, security agencies have keen interest on the development in Plateau State. We will ensure that all the parties comply with the judgment of the court.

“We have also advised the stakeholders in the state, especially political parties, to comply with the decisions of the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court. Any unlawful action will amount to a breach of the security.”

Apart from Plateau and Ebonyi, states where the rerun will hold are Yobe, Kebbi, Lagos, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, Borno, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, and Cross River.

Others are Delta, Enugu, Jigawa, Katsina, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Kano, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

January 31, 2024 Supreme Court Dismisses Binani’s Case, Affirms Fintiri as Adamawa State Governor
IFMUYONEWS

Supreme Court Dismisses Binani’s Case, Affirms Fintiri as Adamawa State Governor

The Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the duly elected Governor of Adamawa state.

In a judgment delivered today; Wednesday 31, January, a five-member panel of the apex court unanimously dismissed the appeal by Aishatu Ahmed Dahiru, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last governorship election in the state.

In the lead judgment, Justice John Okoro, who presided over the panel, held that the declaration of Dahiru winner of the election by the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) was unlawful and a nullity.

Justice Okoro further held that it was the Returning Officer of any election that is empowered by the Electoral Act to announce the results of an election and that any other person, who assumes that rules, acts illegally .

He also held that the appellants (Dahiru and the APC) failed to provide credible evidence to show that their claim of non-compliance with the relevant laws and that he won the election with majority of lawful votes cast during the election.

January 31, 2024 Most Governors in the Wage Review Committee are Not Paying the Current Wage – Joe Ajaero
IFMUYONEWS

Most Governors in the Wage Review Committee are Not Paying the Current Wage – Joe Ajaero

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero said in a television interview that most Governors of the 37-Member Tripartite Committee On Minimum Wage are not complying with the proposed base pay structure.

Recall that Vice President Kashim Shettima had inaugurated the committee in Abuja earlier on Tuesday, saying the decision was aimed at ensuring a decent living wage and in compliance with the existing National Minimum Wage Act of 2019 which will expire in a few months from now.

He said said, ”Most of the governors in the minimum wage committee are those who are not paying minimum wage or paying them in breaches.”

”The governors who are in full compliance with the minimum wage are not adequately represented, so whatever made the Federal Government bring in those who are not compliant or compliant in breaches to form the bulk of the membership of the minimum wage committee from the state government that will unfold with time,” he added.

The House of Representatives’ move to amend the National Minimum Wage Act in 2017 for a compulsory review of workers’ remuneration every five years led to the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

When sked to name certain states that have failed to implement the minimum wage, Ajaero said, “A state like Zamfara, I don’t know how much Borno and Bauchi are paying, there is a minimum wage law which criminalises the non-compliance of the minimum wage.”

”And the Nigerian state has not tried to enforce these laws, others are just enforcing them in breaches. Take Anambra State for instance, Anambra State pays N30,000 for the least paid. I challenge anybody from Anambra to prove that even a permanent secretary is earning up to N170,000 or N180,000,” he said.

January 29, 2024 Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali Quit ECOWAS
IFMUYONEWS

Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali Quit ECOWAS

Three countries have abruptly pulled out of the Economic Community of West African States; ECOWAS citing influence of foreign powers and refusal to reverse sanctions meted out to them since democratic governments were toppled in their domains.

Niger Republic, Mali and Burkina Faso announced their withdrawal  from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ‘with immediate effect’.

The countries did so on the grounds that after 49 years, the bloc no longer pursues the interests of its people but is influenced by foreign powers. They also criticised ECOWAS over the sanctions imposed on them as part of efforts to reverse the coups in their countries.

The joint statement reads: “After 49 years of existence, the valiant people of Burkina, Mali and Niger note with much regret, bitterness and great disappointment that their organisation has moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and Pan-Africanism.   
 
“Furthermore, ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its founding principles, has become a threat to its member states and its populations whose happiness it is supposed to ensure.
  
“Indeed, the organisation has not provided assistance to our States in the context of our existential fight against terrorism and insecurity; worse, when these States decided to take their destiny into their own hands, it adopted an irrational and unacceptable posture by imposing illegal, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible sanctions in violation of its own texts; all things which have further weakened populations already bruised by years of violence imposed by instrumentalised and remote-controlled terrorist hordes.
  
“Faced with this continuing situation, Their Excellencies, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Colonel Assimi Goïta and Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani, respectively Heads of State of Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali and the Republic of Niger, taking all their responsibilities in the face of history and responding to the expectations, concerns and aspirations of their populations, decide in complete sovereignty on the immediate withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States.”

Mauritania was the first Country to pull out of the West African bloc in December 2020, after giving the required one year notice according to the treaty.

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