Borno 2019: PDP guber aspirant, Grema Terab petitions IGP over arrest, detention

Detained Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial aspirant In Borno State, Alhaji Grema Terab has petitioned the Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission over his “illegal” detention by the Borno State Police Command.

Terab, who was accused of complicity in the killing of a man at a political gathering he organized at his residence in Maiduguri about three months ago, was picked up at a meeting involving former Vice President Abubakar Atiku and members of the PDP in Borno State.

According to the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Damian Chukwu, Terab was picked up at Atiku’s meeting with Borno PDP stakeholders after he refused several invitations by the police to explain his role in the murder at his residence.

Terab, in the petition dated 19th July 2017, filed by his counsel Abdulmalik Avoswahi & Co. in Abuja, called the attention of the IGP to the violation of a Court Order stopping his arrest, describing the arrest and subsequent detention as illegal.

In the petition, which was copied to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the National Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International, the British High Commissioner, the American Ambassador, among others, demanded for the immediate release of the detainee.

Demands were also made for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the killers of Maina Mustapha, and for the Commissioner of Police to desist from further harassing Terab.

The counsel to the accused also demanded that the IGP take appropriate disciplinary measures against the officers involved in the breach of their clients right, N100 million compensation for the breach of his client’s right and a billion naira for the miscarriage and psychological torture that his wife was subjected to while in detention.

The counsel alleged that the killing of Mr. Maina Mustapha, at Terab’s residence was a bid to frame him up for his stand against injustice and misrule in Borno State.

The counsel said: “It is our brief that on the 15th April, 2018 our client and his supporters had a goodwill rally at his residence located at No. 1 Bishara Close, Adamawa Street, Off Damboa Road, Maiduguri. This good will gathering was in furtherance of our client exercising his right of association as guaranteed in sections 40 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution and basically a show of support which ended peacefully with our client leaving the venue to meet his other supporters.

“However, unknown to our client, those with sinister plans began to cause commotion which led to the stabbing and death of one Mr. Maina Mustapha.”

The counsel also alleged that the police twisted the case against Terab, his family and friends to make them look like criminals instead of the ones attacked.

The petition read: “While the members of our client’s family were in detention, it is our brief that hoodlums and police officers attached to the Borno SARS unit kept making unwarranted visits and trespassing on to our client’s houses and family homes demanding for our client and other relatives without any warrant of arrest. This show of force and intimidation has smeared the name of our client causing him severe loss of goodwill and damaged his business interests.”

It added that: “In a curious twist that indicates premeditated plan of persecution and blackmail, the Police arrested and detained our client’s wife, children and supporters for 26 days without any arrest warrant as suspects in connection to the Murder of Mr. Maina Mustapha. It remains to be seen how victims of a crime will suddenly become prime suspects, but more worryingly is the fact that their arrest and detention was in breach of sections 2, 3, 4 5 6 and 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).”

Laying formation for damages, the counsel said: “It is our brief that our client’s wife who was pregnant and detained during this period was denied access to decent healthcare or medication. As a result of this denial which led her now having a miscarriage. We consider this a grave assault on the person of our wife’s client as she is now undergoing severe trauma and pain of not only losing her unborn child but the medical and emotional scar that such loss will cost in contravention of section 33 and 34 of the 1999 Constitution

“The hounding of our client and his family has distracted our client from giving attention to his business and means of livelihood. This is because he is no longer safe to move around Maiduguri metropolis for fear he would be likely unlawfully detained indefinitely. As a result his business partners are also scared of interacting with him for fear of false accusation.”

The counsel lamented that: “It is pertinent to state here that while all these tragic incidents and breach of our client’s rights unfolded, the killer of Mr. Maina Mustapha remains at large and no any evidence or charge for any crime has been brought against our client. This is further indication that the entire intimidation and harassment of our client is part of a wider plan to derail his political ambition.”

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Osun guber: PDP aspirants fault process, insist on redress

Scores of aspirants who vied for the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State have come out to berate the process of the primary election, held on Saturday, July 14, 2018.

Seven, out of the eleven aspirants, including the second runner off, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, Professor Adeolu Durotoye, among others, in a press conference in Osogbo, unanimously demanded that the national leadership of the party should rescind its decision on the nomination of Senator Ademola Adeleke as flag bearer of the party.

They accused the leadership of the party of carrying on with outright impunity unabatedly, contrary to the earlier promise to change the old pattern of operation the party was known for.

They argued that against the figure released by the 5-man electoral panel, in which total votes of 1562 was allotted to Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, the actual figure was 1690.

“Contrary to the promise made by the new leadership of our party, the reign of impunity appears to have continued unabated with the way and manner the primary election in Osun State was conducted.

“The exercise was regrettably marred by gross violations of that Electoral Guidelines issued by the National Working Committee as well as outright manipulation of the results of the election in favour of Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke in a manner suggesting that he was the favoured candidate of some powerful individuals in the top echelon of the PDP.

“We make bold to say that Senator Adeleke did not in fact score the highest number of votes in that primary election, having polled a total number of 1569 as against his major opponent, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, whose actual votes at the point of sorting was 1690”, they resorted.

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Recces: Nigerian govt begs Senate

The Presidency has appealed to the National Assembly to suspend the ongoing recess and attend to requests by President Muhammadu Buhari pending before the legislature.

The National Assembly was billed to proceed on holiday on Thursday but the lawmakers went on emergency recess on Tuesday following the alleged clampdown on President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki and the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

One of such requests is the one asking the lawmakers to vire funds in the 2018 Appropriation Act to fund the supplementary budgets of the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

Buhari had recently presented a N228bn supplementary budget to the National Assembly, asking the legislature to re-allocate part of the N578bn voted to the projects inserted by the lawmakers into the 2018 Appropriation Act.

On Thursday, the Presidency pleaded with the lawmakers to reconvene and approve Buhari’s requests in the interest of the country.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, warned that delaying the approvals would frustrate some organs of the government.

Enang said, “The executive – President and ministers – will keep working with the legislature with respect due their offices and persons, and keep working with them as legislators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who make laws for the executive to execute irrespective of their individual political decisions while leaving all options open for conciliation.

“We will be praying the legislature – the leadership and membership – to consider that there are many matters of very urgent nature which are pending before the legislature and unless (they are) considered, the functioning of certain institutions of the government will be hampered.

“If you recall, a lot of the funding for the 2018 budget was budgeted to come from some external sources. The request for approval to raise funds from these external sources is before the legislature and unless (it is) considered, it may hamper the level of implementation. Again, before the legislature proceeded on vacation, Mr President also laid before them the request for virement, this also will be affected.”

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Osun guber: Adeleke speaks on school certificate, primary election controversies

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the September 22, 2018 governorship election in Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke has spoken on controversy over his school certificate.

The Senator representing Osun West Senatorial District was dragged to court on allegation that he does not possess a school leaving certificate as required by Section 177 (d) of the 1999 constitution.

On Thursday, an Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo asked him to present his original certificate on Wednesday August 1, 2018.

The presiding judge, Justice David Ademola declared that it would be inequitable not to allow the lawmaker to show his school leaving certificate to court if he has any.

Speaking to newsmen at the PDP secretariat on Thursday in Abuja, the Director, Media and Public Affairs of the Senator Ademola Adeleke Campaign Organisation, Olawale Rasheed, said there was no cause cause for alarm.

He said, “On the issue of school certificate, Section 177(c) of the Nigerian Constitution and Section 317 for interpretation on educational requirements for the office of the Governor are very clear and unambiguous. Senator Adeleke is eminently eligible and qualified to seek the office of a governor.

“The school, Ede Muslim High School (Formerly Ede Muslim Grammar school) he attended still exists in Ede, his hometown. We challenge those asking questions to go to the school and find out if he attended and finished at the school or not between 1976 and 1981.”

On the outcome of the primary election which the first runner-up, Akin Ogunbiyi is contesting, Rasheed said: “It is open to the public that the Osun PDP primary election was one of the most transparent in recent political history. The entire electoral activity was televised live and the counting was done in the open.

“The challenger requested for recount and this was done twice. No process can be more open than what the Governor Dickson election committee did in Osun last Saturday. It is thus very disheartening that the said aspirant relied on spurious allegations to smear the party, her officials and the chosen candidate.

“Electoral contests within a political party are governed by rules. The party as an organization has internal mechanisms for resolving disputes arising from party primaries. Aggrieved aspirants are entitled to raise issues but within the bounds of party rules and processes. Appeal can be lodged, and the party will decide. In the case of Osun state, the aggrieved aspirant appealed against the result of the primary election.

“The party’s appeal panel after due consideration and examination of the appeal, upheld the election of Senator Adeleke as the flag bearer of the party and subsequently forwarded his name officially as the party’s flag bearer to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,” he added.

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Osun 2018: Your contribution to successful poll indispensable -Aregbesola charges corps members

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has charged Batch B corps members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) in Osun State, to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the success of the September 22, governorship election in the state.

He said that their contributions remained indispensable.

Aregbesola disclosed this at the NYSC orientation camp, Ede, Osun State, during the kick-off of the 2018 orientation course, on Thursday.

He said the participation of the corps members in the election was very important in ensuring free, fair and credible process.

“Your non-partisanship and patriotism towards the realization of the Nigerian dream has brought about a renewed hope and trust in the nation’s electoral process.

“I want you to shun all forms of gratification and inducement capable of marring the effectiveness and credibility of collaboration between NYSC and INEC.

“You must fulfill the hope of the program on the moral and physical development of its youth for a better tomorrow”, Aregbesola said.

He added that the orientation programme was designed to impact leadership qualities of perseverance, endurance, discipline and peaceful coexistence with fellow compatriots from different socio-cultural and religious backgrounds.

In his address, the coordinator of NYSC Osun state, Mr. Emmanuel Attah commended Aregbesola for his passion for the NYSC and the payment of the state allowances to corps members.

He added that government in the state had provided enabling environment for the corps members to fulfil their statutory obligations.

He said the NYSC scheme had different ventures to serve not only the corps members, but the host community as well.

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Nigerians react as suspected gunmen kidnap Senator Dino Melaye

Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye was reportedly kidnapped on Thursday morning in Gwagalada on his way to court.

DAILY POST recalls that the lawmaker was supposed to appear in court on Thursday but failed following a reported attack on him by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers.

Nigerians, however, took to the social media to react to the news.

While some are of the opinion that the Kogi lawmaker might have staged his own abduction, others said they were tired of the various drama playing out in Nigeria.

Here are some comments gathered by DAILY POST:

I wholeheartedly condemn the abduction of @dino_melaye. I implore those that have kidnapped him to return him home safely to his family and loved ones. I urge the Federal Government to do its job and protect the Nigerian people before it is too late.

@Ibrahim Ijaola “Another day, another Dino Melaye headline

@Ebuka Obi-Uchendu “Plot twist… What if Dino Melaye planned his own kidnap just to gain public sympathy?

@Wale Adetona “Who will rescue Dino Melaye? This man has been shouting that his life is in danger. The police ignored him,withdrew his security & APC herdsmen mocked him saying he faked his neckbrace. Did he also fake his own kidnap?!

@Miz Cazorla “Similar case, Saraki was on his way to honor police invitation, before police blocked him. Dino on his way to court, but was abducted. This a Nollywood script similar to neck brace story. Please look for another script.

@olatunji k abiodun “Who has now kidnapped Dino Melaye? Can’t y’all corrupt politicians just get along?

@Imoh Umoren “Dino Melaye said to be abducted on the way to court today.

Condolences to his family. I have deep concerns as to why anyone would abduct a man already going to face the law. And I also hope this is not a self-arranged kidnap to avoid court. Oh Nigeria. The drama never ends.

@ YourFavOnlineDoctor “Why must it be only him they attack every time he’s to be present in court

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Court orders Sen. Adeleke to present certificate next week amid alleged forgery

The Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo has ordered Senator Ademola Adeleke to present his original certificate come Wednesday, August 1, 2018.

The presiding judge, Justice David Ademola declared that it would be inequitable not to allow the lawmaker to show his school leaving certificate to court if he has any.

DAILY POST reports that Rasheed Olabayo and Oluwaseun Idowu had approached the court, claiming that Senator Adeleke did not possess Certificate as required by Section 177 (d) of the 1999 constitution.

The applicants asked the court to set aside the July 21st, 2018 primary election which produced him as the party’s flagbearer.

While ruling on the ex-parte application filed by the two members of the opposition party on Thursday, Justice Oladimeji explained that granting the leave to restrain the PDP from presenting Adeleke as its governorship candidate over his inability to present his certificate may subject the court to mockery if the Senator presents the certificate thereafter.

According to the judge, “It will be inequitable not to allow the respondent to come and show his certificate if he has any but if given the opportunity to present side of the case, the balance which is necessary for interlocutory injunction would be adequately considered.”

He explained further that the ex-parte injunction has only seven days lifespan and that there were still window left open till August 8 according to the affidavits sworn to by the applicants.

He said “being an election matter, it is my conviction that the public will not be uninterested in the proceedings of this court. Once a matter is before a court any party cannot take a further step without the express permission of the court”.

The matter was adjourned till Wednesday, August 1, 2018 for definite hearing.

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