‘TINUBU’S INEC CERTIFICATE NOT FROM US,’ SAYS CHICAGO VARSITY

Chicago State University (CSU) has stated that the certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by President Bola Tinubu did not emanate from the university.

Following over five hours grilling by lawyers to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, CSU’s Registrar Caleb Westberg also said that Tinubu neither applied for a replacement certificate nor received one.

He stated that such duplicate diplomas are currently sourced from third-party vendors, even as he insisted that Tinubu is the same person that graduated from CSU in 1979.

He also told the team of interrogators during a deposition ordered deposition that “The university does not typically keep Diplomas. I have the Diploma that was made available to Mr. Enahoro-Ebah in our possession because Mr. Tinubu did not pick it up.”

“We believe Bola Tinubu who attended CSU is the same person who is the president of Nigeria today”, Westberg said during the deposition done on Tuesday in the office of Atiku’s lawyer, Angela Liu, at West Wacker Drive in Chicago.

Five other lawyers from the firm Dechert LLP joined in the deposition. President Tinubu was represented by Victor P.Henderson and Oluwole Afolabi, who joined the session by zoom from New York.

Michael Hayes appeared for Chicago State University.

Pressed further by the battery of lawyers representing Atiku on why he believes the person who is the president of Nigeria is the same person who attended CSU, Westberg said Bola Tinubu is an unusual name in the US.

He matched the Records in the file against the information provided by the student or on behalf of the student.

On the controversy over whether the student the school admitted in 1977 ffrom South West College was a man on woman, Westberg said Tinubu applied to the university as a male and a letter of admission was issued to a male.

On the certificates tendered in the documents given to Atiku, the registrar restated that the university only has Diplomas that students didn’t pick up in its possession.

“The university does not typically keep Diplomas.I have the Diploma that was made available to Mr. Enahoro-Ebah in our possession because Mr. Tinubu did not pick it up.

“I do not have the Diploma that was submitted to INEC in our possession because he had picked it up.’

“Why would Mr. Tinubu request a Diploma and not pick it up or ask that it be sent to him?”, one of Atiku’s lawyers asked.

Westberg replied: “You would have to ask him, that is Bola Tinubu”.

Here are other things Westberg deposed to: “I’m not aware of any instance where CSU had been requested to certify a document.Mr. Wole Afolabi who was acting for President Tinubu insisted that the documents must be certified. Mr. Wole Afolabi is President Tinubu’s lawyer. Mr. Afolabi and Mr. Orr communicated by email.

“I don’t recall seeing the emails. I don’t know if Jason Carter approved of the certification. Apart from Jason Carter I do not know anyone else who was involved in the process.

“I went into Mr. Tinubu’s student’s file and produced the documents to Mr. Orr. I didn’t know that the documents would be certified. I don’t get involved in legal matters.

“Mr. Tinubu requested that the documents be released to Mr. Afolabi for ‘legal proceedings’ The signature on the consent form is similar to the signature we have on record for Mr. Tinubu.

“All of the certified documents came from CSU’s files. Nothing was handed over to us by Mr. Afolabi except for the FERPA form. CSU had never certified documents for anyone before. It must have been made because there was more of a Nigerian thing.

“The documents were released in pursuance of a FERPA request. I believe Mr. Afolabi requested that the documents be certified. I’m not aware if the stamp affixed by Mr. Orr to the documents was an official document. It is not part of CSU practice.

“Mr. Orr later departed from CSU after these documents were certified.I don’t know if his departure was connected to the certification of the documents; but I don’t think it was.

“Mr. Tinubu’s counsel did not prepare any affidavit for me. He didn’t draft anything for me. My statement that Mr. Bola Tinubu graduated from CSU was based on the transcripts in our possession.

“I have never met Bola Tinubu. I have never seen him. He did not visit our campus. He does not donate money to the school.

“In the US, Diplomas are considered merely ceremonial documents. In some other countries, it may be considered more. In the US, more reliance is placed on transcripts and not on Diplomas.

“I did not rely on information from public records to come to the conclusion that President Bola Tinubu is the person who attended CSU. I am not aware that the FBI contacted CSU on whether Bola Tinubu attended CSU.

“Between 1979 and when I assumed duties, CSU must have had at least 6 Registrars. I never spoke to Ms. Davies. Some policies have changed over the years. When there is a replacement Diploma, it is done by outside vendors. I don’t know who created Exhibit # 6.
The institution decided that my name should not be typed on the ‘To whom it may concern’ letter because of the sheer volume of requests I was getting.

“Before CSU, I was at UC, Berkeley and UC, Irving. I’m sure people make mistakes in data entry from time to time. Before this lawsuit I didn’t know anyone called Bola.

“It was possible that someone assumes Bola to be a female and therefore marked the SouthWest Transcript as such.

“I am familiar with the affidavit filed by OLAJIDE Adeniji. I don’t recall his gender.I don’t know if Atiku Abubakar is male or female but I heard is a male. I can’t tell by his name.

“I checked the record and confirmed that OLAJIDE Adeniji and Bola Tinubu were at CSU at the same time. The person said he ran in a closely- contested race against Bola Tinubu for the leadership of the Accounting Student Union.

“I see that he said the same person he ran against is now the president of Nigeria. The Bola Tinubu who attended Southwest College took Accounting courses. The Bola Tinubu who attended CSU also took Accounting courses. I see the address indicated for Bola Tinubu. It’s not far from CSU. I looked at the whole record in making the determination that the Bola Tinubu who is the president of Nigeria today is the same person who attended CSU.

“The entries’1952’ and ‘1954’ could have been made in error. The person who attended Southwest College is the person who attended CSU. The courses taken by Bola Tinubu at Southwest and CSU are consistent.

“Right after the entry ‘F’, the SSN entered indicated in the Southwest transcript is the same as the one that was indicated in CSU records. That is one of the indications that we use to identify students. A Social Security is a unique identifier.

“I recognize Southwest College as a feeder school for CSU. Bola Tinubu graduated with Honours. It’s a GPA distinction. It is awarded to high performing students. Accounting is a rigorous Major. He graduated with Honours. Yes, certain students are more motivated than others.

“The students who are more motivated go on to accomplish greater things in life. I’ve seen that. As far as I know, he’s the president of Nigeria.

“There were materials in Mr. Tinubu’s records that show that he was a male. I see the application to CSU. Mr. Tinubu identified himself as a male. His letter of admission identified him as a male. It says: ‘Dear Mr. Tinubu’

“We know Mr. Tinubu’s Social Security number. It’s contained in his records.

“I see the entry on APC’s website wherein President Bola Tinubu was said to have been born in Lagos on March 29, 1952. I don’t have a copy of the Diploma that was submitted to INEC so I can’t comment on it.

“I am not aware of the fact that in the form that he submitted to INEC he claimed a different nationality or date of birth.

“Yes, our records show that he was born on March 29th. One has ‘1954’ while the other shows ‘1952’ From time to time, people do make mistakes when making such entries”.

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CHRISTIAN LAWYERS WARN INEC, JUDICIARY ON 2023 ELECTIONS

Lawyers under the aegis of Christian Lawyers Association of Nigeria (CLASFON) have warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the 2023 General Elections are free, fair and credible.

The group also called on the judiciary to ensure that it is not used to scuttle the nation’s democratic experience, urging it to shun frivolous lawsuits aimed to derail the elections.

Rising from its President-in-Council Meeting held at Bible Guest House, Ilupeju, Lagos, CLASFON, in a statement made available to CITY LAWYER, said: “As the 2023 elections draw closer, CLASFON calls on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant agencies to take every step to ensure a free, fair and credible election in line with the provisions of the extant Electoral Act. CLASFON enjoins INEC to display the highest level of fidelity to the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act and reject every attempt by political actors to hijack or derail the election process.”

Continuing, it called on the judiciary “to live up to its expectation as a bold, just and independent institution and as the last hope of the common man by acting as a watchdog of Nigerian Constitution and electoral law in ensuring that the will of the people is not thwarted. The Judiciary should be resolute and should not hesitate to dismiss frivolous suits with no value other than to scuttle the electoral process to avoid a repeat of the sad and unfortunate experience of 1993 when the courts were used to prepare the ground for the infamous annulment of the June 12 Election.”

Signed by Prof. John Akintayo and Precious Nwadimuya, CLASFON’s President and National Secretary respectively, the statement also decried the insecurity ravaging the country, saying: “CLASFON is worried about the increasingly alarming and pervasive incidence of insecurity in Nigeria. While commending the efforts of security personnel saddled with the duty of securing Nigeria, CLASFON joins other well-meaning Nigerians and groups to call on the Federal Government to restructure its security architecture.”

It stated that “the Nigerian Government should not merely declare that Nigeria is safe and criticise the travel advisories released by the diplomatic missions of some countries in Nigeria, including the United Kingdom and the United States, but it must ensure that all tiers of government act with caution and take concrete and measurable steps to adequately protect the citizens and other residents of Nigeria. CLASFON calls on all relevant security agencies to brace up and discharge their constitutional and legal mandates since no country can thrive or develop amid insecurity.”

Below is the full text of the communique.

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‘HOW MY SIGNATURE WAS FORGED FOR INEC, BVAS LAWSUIT,’ BY LAWYER

• SAYS ‘MY COLLEAGUE HAS APOLOGIZED TO ME, BUT ….’

• LAWYER SAYS IT IS A ‘MISPLACEMENT’

The lawyer in the middle of the controversial lawsuit filed at Federal High Court, Owerri to stop electronic transmission of results and use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has told CITY LAWYER that the lawyer who actually filed the lawsuit “forged” her signature on the court documents.

According to Onyinyechi Joy Abazie, an Owerri based lawyer, the lawyer has also apologized over the incident.

Restating her earlier disclaimer concerning the lawsuit, Abazie who said that she is a “junior lawyer” in the Law Office of CK Mgbekonye & Co., Shekinah Chambers of No. 9 Egbu Road, Owerri, told CITY LAWYER that “I want to use this opportunity to further disclaim that I did not file any suit in Federal High Court, Owerri against INEC or Professor Mahmood Yakubu.”

She said that the suit “was filed in my name and without my consent by Blessing B. Mike Iwuajunwa, Esquire.”

Giving details on how her Nigerian Bar Association issued official stamp got on the court document, Abazie said: “She (Iwuajunwa) called me from my our own office at No. 9 Egbu Road, Owerri while I was in Lagos during the NBA National Conference, requesting that I give her two of my (NBA) seals.

“I asked her what she needed to do with my seal; being a senior lawyer, at least she can afford to pay for any quantity that she wants. And she said she bought a landed property in her name, that she doesn’t want to be the donee and also the maker of the Power of Attorney.

“I said OK, no problem. Give any of our secretaries phone. She gave one of our secretaries Chinyere phone. And I instructed Chinyere where she would collect my seal from and give this my learned senior – which Chinyere did.

“My learned senior left and promised that we would see when I come back from the conference. I came back from the conference and called her severally for us to meet, probably for me to go through the document that she has prepared and know if it is worth signing by me or not, but due to our busy schedules we didn’t meet.

“So I travelled to the village today in preparation of my mum’s burial which is (to hold) a week today, only for me to be getting numerous calls upon calls concerning this suit that she filed in my name without my consent.

“And the most painful part of it is that she also forged my signature. This is so disheartening. I am being distracted now from the normal activities that brought me home.

“I don’t know why a senior lawyer of her kind that I respect so much, how she could descend this low to do things at my own detriment. I feel very very bad. I feel really pained now.

“She has called to apologize, but then the deed has been done.”

When CITY LAWYER asked Iwuajunwa whether she was involved in the matter, she said “No.” She accused CITY LAWYER of ‘hacking’ her telephone number, even as she kept asking: “How did you get my number?”

Iwuajunwa also said: “I just read the disclaimer you sent to me. I want to know how I am connected.” She finally stated that “there is a misplacement in the name” but did not respond to further enquiries.

CITY LAWYER had in an earlier report noted how Abazie had disowned the lawsuit, saying she does not know the plaintiff, Nwankwere Morale Chinwen.

In the controversial suit obtained by CITY LAWYER, Chinwen is urging the Federal High Court sitting in Owerri to grant “AN ORDER of injunction restraining the Defendants, whether by themselves, staff, officers, privies, or howsoever described from using or deploying the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) or any other similar device, equipment, instrument, or gadget of such or same nature for the accreditation of registered voters in the 2023 General Elections.”

The plaintiff is also seeking “AN ORDER of injunction restraining the Defendants whether by themselves, staff, officers, privies, or howsoever described from electronically transmitting, feeding or collating the results of elections at the 2023 General Elections.”

Dated August 24, 2022, the lawsuit was allegedly filed by “J. O. ABAZIE, ESQ” of Dimogbuji Chambers, 134 Wetheral Road, Owerri.

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LAWYER DISOWNS SUIT AGAINST INEC, BVAS, ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION, BLAMES COLLEAGUE

Controversy has enveloped a lawsuit reportedly filed against the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) by one “J. O. ABAZIE ESQ,” an Owerri-based lawyer.

Washing her hands off the lawsuit, Joy Abazie stated in a “Disclaimer” now trending on social media that “I do not know Nwankwere Morale Chinwen, the purported plaintiff in the Suit neither have I met him/her before. He is not my client and neither did he brief me for any matter whatsoever.”

Abazie, an Owerri-based lawyer who said that she is currently bereaved and battling over burial plans for her deceased mother, also stated that “The person behind this unfortunate act is one Blessing Iwuajunwa, Esq, a colleague in Owerri who was the only person I have given my NBA stamp since this year and she told me that she needs the stamp to prepare a land instrument owing to unavailability of her stamp.”

Continuing, Abazie added that “It is very pathetic that such sensitive suit which is likely to make or mar the future of a Nation could be filed without my consent, authority or approval.”

In the controversial suit obtained by CITY LAWYER, one Nwankwere Morale Chinwen is urging the Federal High Court sitting in Owerri to grant “AN ORDER of injunction restraining the Defendants, whether by themselves, staff, officers, privies, or howsoever described from using or deploying the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) or any other similar device, equipment, instrument, or gadget of such or same nature for the accreditation of registered voters in the 2023 General Elections.”

The plaintiff is also seeking “AN ORDER of injunction restraining the Defendants whether by themselves, staff, officers, privies, or howsoever described from electronically transmitting, feeding or collating the results of elections at the 2023 General Elections.”

Dated August 24, 2022, the lawsuit was allegedly filed by “J. O. ABAZIE, ESQ” of Dimogbuji Chambers, 134 Wetheral Road, Owerri.

Efforts by CITY LAWYER to reach both lawyers proved abortive. While Abazie’s verified telephone number was “switched off,” the telephone contact endorsed on the court process and suspected to be Iwuajunwa’s contact rang without response.

A source close to Abazie however told CITY LAWYER that she had “complained bitterly” about the matter to him, adding that she is “totally in the dark concerning the lawsuit.”

It was unclear at press time whether any date has been fixed for hearing of the lawsuit.

Below is the full text of Abazie’s disclaimer.

DISCLAIMER

My attention has just been drawn to a Suit commenced via Originating Summons filed at the Federal High Court, Owerri Judicial Division in Suit No. HOW/OW/CS/144/2022 Between NWANKWERE MORALE CHINWEN V. INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION & 1 ANOR.

I hereby state in categorical and unequivocal terms that the suit was filed without my consent. The signature on the process is not mine and my initials is O.J. Abazie, Esq. The office address on the process is also not mine.

The person behind this unfortunate act is one Blessing Iwuajunwa, Esq, a colleague in Owerri who was the only person I have given my NBA stamp since this year and she told me that she needs the stamp to prepare a land instrument owing to unavailability of her stamp.

Let it be known that I do not know Nwankwere Morale Chinwen, the purported plaintiff in the Suit neither have I met him/her before. He is not my client and neither did he brief me for any matter whatsoever.

Let it be known also that I have been preoccupied in the village with the burial preparation of my late mother for some time now.

It is very pathetic that such sensitive suit which is likely to make or mar the future of a Nation could be filed without my consent, authority or approval.

I hereby condemn such act in unequivocal terms and shall take the necessary steps to address such unprofessional conduct.

The public should therefore take note.

O.J. Abazie, Esq.

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ELECTORAL ACT 2022: LOCUS STANDI ON QUALIFYING ASPIRANTS AN ABERRATION

In this article by DR. KAYODE AJULO, he x-rays Section 29(5) and Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act, 2022 and argues that limiting the persons who can challenge the submission of false information to INEC to only an Aspirant who participated in the primary election amounts to giving a carte blanche to political parties to indulge in impunity and continued violation of the Constitution to the detriment of electorate

LIMITATION OF LOCUS STANDI OF PERSONS WHO CAN CHALLENGE QUALIFICATION OF A CANDIDATE TO ONLY AN ASPIRANT BY SECTION 29(5) OF THE ELECTORAL ACT IS AN ABERRATION AND INIMICAL TO EFFECTIVE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE.

Introduction
It is no more news that President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, 25th February, 2022 signed the Electoral Act, 2022 into law. It suffices to recall that the said Bill was signed into law after it has suffered protracted delay and setbacks both from the Presidency and the National Assembly, particularly on the provision of the Bill which relates to mandatory direct primaries.

While commending the drafters of the Act for the wealth of industry and Mr. President for leaving behind a great legacy in our electoral process, it is pertinent to draw attention to the provision of Section 29(5) of the Act which limits the power to challenge the Constitutional qualification of a candidate for an election to only an Aspirant.

Exclusive right of a Political Party to field in candidate of its choice
Before delving into the probity or otherwise of Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022, it is pertinent to state as a prefatory that the choice of candidates by political parties for elective office being a political issue is governed by the rules, guidelines and constitution of the political party concerned and is a matter of internal affairs of the political party concerned. It is not to be questioned before any Court as it is non-justiciable. See the case of DALHATU V. TURAKI (2003) 15 NWLR (PT 843)

Furthermore, as a legal proposition, no member of a political patty has the locus standi to question the party’s prerogative right on the issue of its choice of candidates for elective office not even in the face of breaching of its rules and regulations.
The Supreme Court in the case of PDP & ORS v. EZEONWUKA & ANOR (2017) LPELR-42563(SC) held as follows:
“I dare say, The redress available to such a member who is aggrieved and who has suffered any damage as a result of refusing him nomination and sponsorship lies in damages against the political party and subject to the provision of the party constitution, rules and regulations.”

Redress available under the Electoral Act

However, the Electoral Act has made provision for instances where persons can challenge the qualification of a candidate fielded for election by a political party on the one hand and the failure of the political party to comply with its Constitution, guidelines and the provision of the Electoral Act in the conduct of primary election.

This rights were conferred by the provision of Section 31(5) and Section 87(9) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) both on “any person” in the first instance and on an “Aspirant” in the second instance.

The rationale for ensuring rights of redress and access to court have been given judicial imprimatur by the Supreme Court.

In the case of Ugwu v. Ararume (2007) FWLR (Pt.1048) 367 at 449 Noki-Tobi, J.S.C held that
“…It is certainly not the intention of the Act (Electoral Act of 2006) to gamble with an important aspect of the electoral process, such as primaries in the hands of a political party to dictate the pace in any way it likes, without any corresponding exercise of due process on the part of the aggrieved person.”

Similarly, at page 461 of the judgment Oguntade, J.S.C held as follows:
An observer of the Nigerian political scene today easily discovers that the failure of the parties to ensure intra-party democracy and live by the provisions of their Constitutions as to the emergence of candidates for elections is one of the major causes of the serious problems hindering the enthronement of a representative government in the country.

What does Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022 provide?

Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act provides as follows:
“Any Aspirant who participated in the primaries of his political party who has reasonable grounds to believe that any information given by his political party’s candidate in the affidavit or any document submitted by that candidate in relation to his constitutional requirements to contest the election is false, may file a suit at the Federal High Court against that candidate seeking that the information contained in the affidavit is false.”

A bird view of the above provision and a literal interpretation of the above section is to the effect that only an Aspirant who participated in the primaries of his political party and who has reasonable grounds to believe that a candidate of his political party submitted false information to INEC can challenge same.

Who is an Aspirant?

An aspirant is a person with a strong desire to achieve a position of importance or to win a competition. In the case of PDP & ANOR V. SYLVA & ORS (2012) LPELR-7814(SC) defined an Aspirant as follows:
An aspirant is a person with a strong desire to achieve a position of importance or to win a competition.

Indeed Section 87 (1) of the Electoral Act States that: “A political party seeking to nominate candidates for elections under this Act shall hold primaries for aspirants to all elective posts.”

From the above it is clear that an aspirant is aperson who contested the primaries. An aspirant is thus a candidate in the primaries.

Hence by parity of interpretation, it is only a person who contested at the primary election of a political party that can challenge the qualification of a candidate to contest election.

It therefore implies that by virtue of the provision of Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022, a concerned citizen, member of an opposition party, Non-Governmental Organization can no longer challenge the qualification of a candidate to contest election.

Comparison of Section 31(5) of the Electoral Act, 2015 and Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022.

In proffering argument in support of the limitation placed by Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act, 2015, it is imperative to consider a similar provision of Section 31(5) of the Electoral Act, 2015.

Section 31(5) provides as follows:
Any person who has reasonable grounds to believe that any information given by a candidate in the affidavit or any document submitted by that candidate is false may file a suit at the Federal High Court, High Court of a State or FCT against such person seeking a declaration that the information contained in the affidavit is false.

This provision of the Act has been adjudicated upon and interpreted by the tiers of Court, particularly the Supreme Court of Nigeria. In the case of LAWRENCE V. PDP & ORS(2017) LPELR-42610(SC) held as follows:
The operative words in Section 31(5) of the Electoral Act therefore are, a person”. The determination is a matter of interpretation.

I seek to state that in the interpretation of statutes, the law is trite and well entrenched that where the legislative words are clear and unambiguous, the Court must interpret and apply the words in their plain and ordinary meaning. This Court has held in a long line of cases that, it is not for the Court to re-draft a statute especially where the wordings are devoid of ambiguity or confusion. See Kotoye v. Saraki (1994) 7 NWLR (Pt.357) page 414…For all intents and purposes, the use of the words, a person” presupposes any person. It is also open ended to all and at the same time inclusive of all and without restriction or exclusion. The fact that one is a member of a particular political party or not, is of no relevance but is all embracing.
See also the case of PDP V. INEC & ORS (2014) LPELR-23808(SC).

It is opined that limiting the persons who can challenge the submission of false information to INEC under the provision of Section 66(i) of the 1999 Constitution and other relevant sections to only an Aspirant who participated in the primary election as done under Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022 amounts to giving a carte blanche to political parties to indulge in impunity and continued violation of the provisions of the Constitution to the detriment of electorates and the Nigerian Citizens.

The Supreme Court while berating such acts of impunity in the case of SALEH V. ABAH & ORS held as follows:
“The culture of impunity exhibited by the 1st and 3rd Defendants continued unabated with 2nd Defendant, INEC declaring 3rd Defendant not only eligible but the winner of the said general elections 2015 (sic) and returned him unopposed as the Honorable member for the said Federal constituency on the platform of 1st Defendant, PDP, as other registered Political parties fielded no candidates at the general election 2015. The era of political parties presenting candidates holding public offices at Local, State and National levels with forged certificates which still persists in the polity needs to be addressed urgently by relevant law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders (and we add-including Courts) in this nascent democracy (Emphasis ours).”

The Apex Court further held as follows:
This Court must take the lead, in righting the wrongs in our society, if and when the opportunity presents itself as in this appeal. Allowing criminality and certificate forgery to continue to percolate into the streams, waters and oceans of our national polity would only mean our waters are and will remain dangerously contaminated. The purification efforts must start now, and be sustained as we seek, as a nation, to now ‘change’ from our old culture of reckless impunity.

The Nigerian Constitution is supreme. It desires that no one who had ever presented forged certificate to INEC should contest election into Nigeria’s National Assembly. This is clear and sacrosanct…

More compelling as a judicial determination had been taken by no less a technical panel sitting in, at least, a panel of three judges as Election Tribunal with constitutional mandate to determine such issues as they relate to elections and its outcomes, including eligibility. This has also been affirmed by the trial Court in this appeal. On these issues, our duty is to apply the Constitution and the law in its start, original form undiluted by colourated interpretations.

Flowing from the above, disempowering concerned citizens who has no political interest from challenging the qualification of a candidate who presented false information or forged certificate to INEC will only allow criminality and certificate forgery to continue to percolate into the streams, waters and oceans of our national polity and would only mean our waters are and will remain dangerously contaminated.

Presentation of false information or forged Certificate to INEC is a violation of the provisions of the Constitution and any person who believes that there is a violation of the Constitution ought to be allowed to approach the court to seek redress.

On this point, it is also imperative to draw attention to some salient questions:
a. What happens where there is only one Aspirant or where there is a consensus candidate and same has presented a forged certificate or false information to INEC?
b. What happens where an Aspirant has been bought over by the political party or its candidate?

It is also pertinent to add for the enlightenment of the unlearned that INEC cannot unilaterally disqualify a candidate from participating in an election even if same is aware of any anomaly perpetrated by the candidate or his political party.

It is therefore opined that the National Assembly must forthwith amend the provision of Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act to allow any person who believes that a candidate has submitted false information or forged certificate to INEC to approach the Court to seek a declaration of same.

On Limiting jurisdiction to challenge the qualification of a candidate and conduct of primary election to only the Federal High Court.

A careful perusal of Section 29(5) and Section 84(14) of the New Electoral Act clearly shows that the only court with jurisdiction to entertain any pre-election matter and any suit challenging presentation of false information to INEC is the Federal High Court.

The implication of the above is that the Federal High Court is spooked with a lot of pre-election matters.

One must not forget that there are other civil and criminal cases pending before the Court.

One therefore tend to wonder what befalls these other cases during pre-election period, particularly considering the limited number of judges and the fact that all pre-election matter must be concluded within a period of 180 days from the date of filing.

The Supreme Court in the case of LAU V. PDP & ORS (2017) LPELR-42800(SC) while commending the drafters of the Electoral Act, 2010(as amended) for making more courts available for Aspirants held as follows:
“Obviously, the law is not static, particularly in election matters, and what the lawmakers have done with the enactment of Section 87(9) of the Electoral Act, is to make more Courts available to aspirants, who complain that provisions of the Electoral Act and Guidelines of a Political Party, has not been complied with in nominating candidates. To insist on the narrow and limited jurisdiction exclusive to the Federal High Court under Section 251 (1) (q) (r) and {s) of the 1999 Constitution when it comes to election and election related matters, is to close the doors that was opened to such dissatisfied aspirants to seek redress in the other High Courts other than Federal High Court. This I will not do; and this issue is resolved in favour of the Appellant.”

As could be gleaned from the decision of the Apex Court, limiting the court with jurisdiction to challenge the qualification of a candidate and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act and guidelines of a political party as done in Section 29(5) and Section 84(14) of the Electoral Act, 2022 will clog the wheel of progress of politics in Nigeria, considering the large number of cases in the dockets of the Federal High Court and the limited number of Federal High Court judges.

Conclusion
On the backdrop of the above arguments and salient judicial authorities cited, it is therefore opined that to ensure free and fair election and sustenance of good governance in our polity, concerned members of the society, civil society organizations, members of the opposition party must be able to challenge the qualification of a candidate who has presented false information or forged certificate to INEC.

Similarly, the High Court of the States and the FCT should be donated with jurisdiction to entertain pre-election matters as same is time bound and requires expedite adjudication.

Ajulo, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), is the Managing Partner at Castle of Law, Nigeria.

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INEC: NBA ASKS SENATE TO DUMP BUHARI’S NOMINEE

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged Nigeria’s Senate not to confirm Ms. Lauretta Onochie as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Commissioner.

In a statement by the Chairman of the Governing Council of NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), Dr. Monday Ubani, the lawyers’ body said that “Mrs. Lauretta Onochie, a clearly partisan individual by the President, an individual who has in recent years publicly displayed her partisanship and undying support for the ruling Party in her utterances, conduct and interaction with the Public cannot and should not serve as INEC Commissioner, a role reserved for an unbiased Umpire. I on-behalf of the Nigerian Public urge the Senate to righteously reject her nomination and confirmation forthwith.”

The Senate leadership had recently directed its Committee on INEC to screen Onochie for possible confirmation.

Below is the full text of the statement.

Distinguished Senator Kabiru Gaya
Chairman Senate Committee on INEC
National Assembly Complex,
F.CT,
Abuja.

Dear Sir,

OBJECTION FOR THE CONFIRMATION OF LAURETTA ONOCHIE AS INEC COMMISSIONER.

I write this letter of objection to your sir at this critical and turbulent times in our Nation’s history, and I strongly believe that the Senate as a democratic institution of this great Country, has what it takes at this trying times to save and preserve Nigeria from heckling down to hell.

Sometime in October 2020, Mrs. Lauretta Onochie, was nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari as an INEC Commissioner. Mrs Lauretta Onochie, who until her nomination by the President, served as the President’s Personal Assistant and was an unapologetic member of the ruling Party the All Progressive Congress (APC) hence, her nomination by the President as INEC Commissioner, a position that the law prescribes the holder of same should be non-partisan, is ultra-vires and unconstitutional.

Recently her name came up for confirmation by the senate after an initial set back, therefore, as a concerned Citizen of this great Country, and as a Constitutional Legal Practitioner with grave concern for the preservation and sustainability of our very fragile democracy, I hereby strongly object to the nomination of Mrs. Lauretta Onochie by the President and her intended confirmation of her nomination by the Senate.

Distinguished Senate Chairman, considering the reality of Nigeria today, with the high level of insecurity, ethnic tensions and mistrust among Citizens, the decline in trust and confidence by the Citizens in their elected officials and democratic institutions to mention a few, it is very important, that as the next election draws closer, whoever is to be nominated by the President to serve as INEC Commissioner, Chairman or as an unbiased Umpire for National elections must be in compliance with the law and must be persons that, the general public view as not being partisan or compromised in any form or manner.

Sir, Section 152 of the Electoral Act, provides that. “no person holding an elective office to which this act relates or a registered member of a Political Party shall be eligible for or be appointed to carry out duties of a returning officer, an electoral officer, presiding officer or Poll Clerk”. Therefore, the nomination of Mrs. Lauretta Onochie, a clearly partisan individual by the President, an individual who has in recent years publicly displayed her partisanship and undying support for the ruling Party in her utterances, conduct and interaction with the Public cannot and should not serve as INEC Commissioner, a role reserved for an unbiased Umpire. I on-behalf of the Nigerian Public urge the Senate to righteously reject her nomination and confirmation forthwith.

For emphasis;

As a card carrying member of the ruling party or any other party for that matter, she is unfit for the position she is nominated. I also doubt that Section 154 (3) of the constitution was complied with, which prescribe that the President nominates INEC Commissioner in consultation with the Council of State. Paragraphs B of Part 1 of the 3rd Schedule of the constitution provides that the Council of State shall have power to advise the President in the exercise of his power with respect to (iv) the INEC including the appointment of members of the Commission. When was this Section and paragraph complied with? If I may ask.

Most importantly paragraph 14 of part I of the third schedule of the constitution as amended in Section 30 No. 1 of 2020, a member of INEC should be “non partisan”, can Mrs. Lauretta Onochie be regarded by anyone in Nigeria, knowing her antecedent as the Special Assistant to the President as “non partisan” under the Nigerian context? The right answer is No.

I therefore, on behalf of the Nigerian Bar Association urge that her nomination be rejected and her confirmation be denied forthwith.

Thanking you in advance for the positive consideration of my request.

Dr. Monday O. Ubani, Esq.
Chairman
NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law.

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NBA Blasts INEC On Controversial Osun Election

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the controversial Osun State Governorship Election. Continue Reading