Emmanuel Okikiola

The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has dismissed the allegation by the Labour Party and its candidate, Peter Obi, that the 2023 presidential election was manipulated to favour President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, September 6.

The ruling delivered by Justice Abba Mohammed, said that Obi and the Labour Party did not provide credible evidence nor establish their allegation that the election was manipulated.

The court noted that although Obi and the LP, insisted that the election was rigged in 18, 088 polling units across the nation, they were unable to give specific details of where the alleged irregularities took place.

It held that different parts of the petition where the allegations were contained were “vague, imprecise, nebulous and bereft of particular materials.”

The Honourable Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu has stated that in view of the numerous capabilities of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), it remains a key enabler to the successful implementation of the 8-point agenda of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.

The Minister stated this on 5 September 2023, when she paid a courtesy visit to the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar.

She noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to reducing the number of Nigerians in dire need of humanitarian assistance irrespective of their location.

However, she stated, this will only be realizable if her Ministry can have easy access to some of the victims who reside in inaccessible areas. It was in view of the difficulty experienced in gaining access to these locations that the Minister was at the NAF Headquarters to seek for assurance and solicit for assistance in the delivery of relief materials to the needy in areas hindered by difficult terrains or insecurity.

Speaking further, Dr Edu stated that families of NAF veterans as well as those who paid the supreme price while on active duty will be captured in the new expanded poverty alleviation programme set to be rolled on in some weeks to come.

To ensure that the appropriate NAF beneficiaries are captured under the expanded poverty alleviation programme, the Minister suggested for the establishment of a humanitarian desk officer at Headquarters NAF for ease of liaison with her Ministry during the compilation and submission of the list of beneficiaries.

She also used the opportunity of the visit to commend the NAF for its assistance to the Ministry and its parastatal in the areas of casualty evacuation, distribution of relief materials as well as evacuation of stranded Nigerians in conflict areas overseas.

Responding, Air Marshal Abubakar stated that the NAF and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Affairs have had a long history of collaboration either directly or through its numerous agencies. He assured the Minister of NAF’s readiness and willingness to assist her achieve the mandate of the Ministry and called for effective coordination which he said, is the cornerstone of any successful humanitarian operation.

The CAS went on to propose key areas where both the NAF and the Ministry can strengthen their partnership. According to him, “Our organizations can partner in the areas of joint training and capacity building as well as optimize disaster response protocols to enable us act swiftly, minimize duplication of efforts and ensure more efficient allocation of resources.” He also noted that close collaboration will ensure that aid gets to those in need in a timely and efficient manner.

The Minister, who was accompanied by senior officials of her ministry, also took time out to lay a wreath at the NAF Memorial arcade.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, takes notice of the public reaction to the speaking engagement of Adedamola Adewale, (aka Ade Herself) at the NYSC Orientation lecture of August 31, 2023, in Lagos; with many questioning the Commission’s wisdom in recruiting a purported fraud suspect to educate the youths against cybercrime.

In a statement, the anti-graft agency said: “The public’s concern is duly acknowledged. Unfortunately, most of the comments bordered on lack of information on the status of the case involving Miss Adewale.

“It is important to state that the fraud charges brought against the Influencer by the Commission had been determined. Indeed, her presence in the Commission is pursuant to the judgement of the court that ordered the Commission to tap her talent as an actress, skit maker and social media influencer in a programme of reformation to dissuade other youths from getting entangled in cybercrimes.

“Her engagement with the Commission is part of her non-custodial sentence.”

Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for visiting 12-year old Master Adebola, the boy with a case of alleged missing small intestine.

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, described the Governor’s action as a reflection that the government was responsive and caring.

“It shows the Governor is caring for him to have visited mother and the child at the hospital and the promise he made which gives hope. It is commendable.

Dr. Obasa, however, said it was important to have a system in place to ensure a structure that curtails any challenge that affects institutions in the State adding that it was, therefore, necessary to get to the root of the problem.

An ad-hoc committee set up by the Speaker to investigate the issue has the Majority Leader, Noheem Adams, as chairman. Other members are Hon. Temitope Adewale, Hon. Steve Ogundipe, Hon. Surajudeen Tijani, and Hon. Lawal Aina Musibau.

In his position, the Deputy Whip of the House, Hon. David Setonji, thanked the Speaker for calling the attention of the lawmakers to the issue, adding: “We need to look more into the health sector of the State.

He noted that the House had taken pragmatic steps to pass a law on organ harvesting and that the law has an important role to play in the progress of the State.

On his part, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu noted the importance of the law on organ transplant adding that organ theft is another area that can be looked into.

Urging the House to set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the case, Hon. Olanrewaju Afinni recalled how, through an ad-hoc committee, the House had been able to unearth more information concerning the elevator accident that killed a medical doctor some weeks ago.

Hon. Sa’ad Olumo applauded the courage exhibited by the mother of the boy for calling the attention of Nigerians to her plight.

Contributing, Hon. Desmond Elliot commended Governor Sanwo-Olu for displaying a sense of true humanity and service. He supported the probing of the issue adding: “We have so many people who cannot voice out. thank God the woman did.”

Also, Hon. Oladipo Ajomale, who appreciated the Speaker for sharing the video of the woman’s cry with all the lawmakers at the weekend, also appreciated the Governor for visiting the patient.

He urged the National Assembly and other state legislatures to ensure implementable laws on organ harvesting.