Nigeria News
Nigeria Breaking News Today , Friday, March, 29, 2019
This is a roundup of some of the breaking news in Nigeria for Today, Friday, March 29, 2019
INEC Declares PDP’s Fintiri Winner Of Adamawa Rerun
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Umar Ahmadu Fintiri, winner of the Adamawa state 2019 governorship election. Naija News reports the state Returning Officer, Professor Andrew Haruna, made the announcement at the INEC office in Yola early Friday morning, March 29.
Announcing the final results of the governorship supplementary elections held on Thursday, Prof. Haruna said the PDP candidate scored a total of 376,552 votes to defeat the outgoing governor of the state and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Jibrilla Bindow who got 336,386 votes. His words: “That Umar Ahmadu of the PDP, having satisfied the highest number of votes is hereby declared elected,” Prof. Haruna said.
Biafra: Nnamdi Kanu Explodes Over Court Order On His Arrest
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, says there is a gang up against him, his group and Biafra. Naija News reports that Kanu who resurfaced in Jerusalem, Israel, October 19 2018, after the military invasion of his community in Abia State, southeast Nigeria, in 2017, made this comment in reaction to the court order revoking his bail as well as ordering his arrest.
This online news platform had reported earlier that a Federal High Court presided over by Justice Binta Nyako in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, revoked Kanu’s bail on Thursday and also ordered his immediate arrest.Reacting to the court order in a live broadcast on Radio Biafra on Thursday night monitored by Naija News, Kanu said he was compelled to make the broadcast because of what his “enemies are doing head-on”.The IPOB leader stressed that his enemies will not prevail because light is on his side.
Appeal Court Confirms Kayode Fayemi As Ekiti Governor
The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday night upheld the victory of Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last governorship election held in Ekiti State. A three-man panel of the court, in a unanimous judgment, dismissed the appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the election. Kolapo Olusola, for lacking in merit.
The appellate court upheld the January 28, 2019 judgment of the Ekiti State Election Tribunal, which sat in Abuja owing to problem of insecurity in Ekiti State. The tribunal had, in its judgment, upheld Fayemi’s victory and dismissed the petition by PDP and Olusola on the grounds that they failed to prove their allegations, among which was that the election was marred by irregularities.
Justice Stephen Adah, who read the lead judgment, resolved the seven issues, identified for determination, in favour of the respondents – Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC and Fayemi.
Adamawa Election: Atiku Reacts To PDP’s Fintiri Victory
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has congratulated Ahmadu Fintiri for winning the Adamawa Governorship elections. Naija News reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Umar Ahmadu Fintiri, winner of the Adamawa state 2019 governorship election.
The state Returning Officer, Professor Andrew Haruna, made the announcement at the INEC office in Yola early Friday morning, March 29. Announcing the final results of the governorship supplementary elections held on Thursday, Prof. Haruna said the PDP candidate scored a total of 376,552 votes to defeat the outgoing governor of the state and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Jibrilla Bindow who got 336,386 votes. Reacting to the victory in a post on Twitter, Atiku wrote: “Congratulations to the man of our people, Governor-Elect Ahmadu Fintiri.
APC Reveals Why Igbos Can’t Get Senate Presidency
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena, has said that the Igbos can only blame themselves for losing out in the slot for either Senate President or Deputy Senate President in the incoming 9th National Assembly.
The APC spokesperson said this while reacting to the comment made by former Abia state governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, that the party must make him the deputy senate president or he will contest for the Senate President. Naija News understands that the party has since zoned the Senate President position to North-East, Deputy Senate President to the North-West, and Chief Whip to the South-East.
Speaking to Daily Independent, Nabena said the party does not deserve any blame for not zoning the position of Senate President or Deputy Senate President to the South-East but rather the South-East should blame itself for queuing behind Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the PDP in the just concluded general elections.
He said that while nobody is stopping Kalu from contesting for the position of Senate President, the reality is that he cannot win since the zoning arrangement didn’t favour him.
Why Court Ordered INEC To Prosecute Ifeanyi Ubah
A federal high court in Awka, Anambra state capital on Thursday ordered INEC to prosecute Ifeanyi Ubah, senator-elect of Anambra-south and M.N Umenweke, the returning officer, because of criminal allegations levelled against them in the February 23 election.
Naija News gathered that the order followed an application sought from the court by Chris Ubah, the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the election.
Chris Ubah had, among others, asked for “A further order of mandamus compelling the 1st Respondent to prosecute the second (Prof MN Umenweke) for announcing or publishing a false result to the effect that the 3rd Respondent had won the election held on the said 23/2/2019 even when they both knew that the said election was inconclusive and from which no genuine result had thereby been generated.”In the order, Justice Gafai asked the INEC to conduct an investigation into the matter within 14 days for the purpose of prosecuting the respondents.
“Upon the honourable court having delivered a considered judgement today, it hereby ordered as follows: The 1st Respondent (INEC) shall within 14 days from today conduct or cause investigation into the criminal allegations of the Applicant (Chris Uba),” the judgement reads in part.
Osinbajo, Fayemi And Yari Meet Briefly In Aso Rock
There has been an evening meeting between Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, the governors of Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi and Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari states at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The meeting which seems to be coded took place between 5.40pm when the governors arrived at the villa and 6.30pm when they departed.
No official position was given on why the governors met with Osinbajo. Neither Fayemi nor Yari responded to inquiries from State House correspondents. They left without uttering a word soon after the closed-door meeting ended.
