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The election of the
governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki as a senator has become the
subject of litigation. A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
and a senatorial contestant in the party’s primary election, L’Aziz
Ayinla Kolawole Jimoh wants the governor’s election as senator
overturned.

Mr Jimoh asked the
Federal High Court in Abuja to declare that at the time of collection
and submission of nomination forms for the senatorial election, Mr
Saraki was a presidential contestant.

Mr Jimoh went to
court to seek for a declaration that the purported election of Mr
Saraki as the PDP senatorial candidate for the Kwara-Central senatorial
district at the re-run of the party primary election which was held in
Ilorin on Saturday, January 29, 2011, is illegal, unconstitutional, and
therefore null and void. In the suit, the PDP is the 1st defendant
while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is the 2nd
defendant, and Mr Saraki is the 3rd defendant.

Mr Jimoh also
sought a court order to restrain the PDP from authenticating,
recognising, or accepting the result of the re-run primary election,
and the nomination of Mr Saraki as the PDP’s senatorial candidate for
the Kwara Central senatorial district.

Furthermore he said
that he paid for, and was duly issued with the nomination form to seek
nomination as the PDP senatorial candidate in the district.

“Apart from myself,
one Gold Sola Isiaka from Ilorin-West of the Kwara-Central district
also obtained and paid for the necessary forms of the party and was
also screened and cleared to contest the primaries of the party,” Mr
Jimoh said. “I know that myself and Gold Sola Isiaka were screened and
cleared to contest the 1st defendant’s primaries on 30th day of
December 2010 by the screening panel committee of the 1st defendant.”

He stated that only
he and Mr Isiaka contested for the party ticket at the party’s primary
election held at the Ansar ul-Islam School, Okekere, Ilorin on January
7, 2011.

“At the end of the
said election, I was credited with 12 votes while Gold Sola Isiaka was
credited with 1,064 votes and he was accordingly declared the winner,”
Mr Jimoh said.

No internal democracy

Mr Jimoh said that
while at home on Friday, January 28, 2011, the secretary of the Kwara
State PDP, Yekini Ilobu brought to him a letter from the state chapter
of the party. The letter stated that Mr Isiaka, the elected senatorial
candidate of the party had withdrawn and a proposed re-run election was
slated for January 29, 2011. He said that at the re-run primary
election, Mr Saraki and one Yunus AbdulRahaman were listed as the
aspirants.

“I know that the
3rd defendant and Yunus AbdulRahaman were not aspirants at the close of
nomination and screening on December 29, 2010 and the primary election
held on January 7, 2011,” Mr Jimoh said.

He also said that
by the result of the re-run election, Mr Saraki was declared the winner
with over 1000 illegal votes and the result was sent to the INEC who
received and acted on same.

“Even though I did
not appear in the purported re-run, I was credited with five illegal
votes by the agents of the PDP and Mr Saraki who conducted the re-run,”
Mr Jimoh said. “I know that with the withdrawal of Gold Bola Isiaka, I
became the candidate of the party who is to be confirmed at the re-run
primary election and whose name is to be submitted to INEC.”

He added that the
conduct of the PDP in accepting and adopting Mr Saraki and, or any
person other than himself as the senatorial candidate is against the
spirit of internal democracy and democratic governance.

The acting chief judge of the Federal High Court, Ibrahim Auta,
ordered Saraki to file his response and the matter was adjourned to May
26, 2011 for hearing.

Even with Obiora
Akubeze already ordained as Archbishop of Benin Archdiocese, the
members of Edo Liturgical Group appear undaunted in their quest to oust
him. They have again appeared before Justice Rowland Amaize of the
Benin High Court with another demand. This time they are seeking the
return of the case challenging Mr Akubeze’s ordination to the state
chief judge, for the case to be reassigned to another judge for retrial.

The group had two
weeks ago secured an injunction to stop the ordination of Mr Akubeze as
Archbishop of Benin on the ground that he is of Igbo descent. They are
demanding for a Benin bishop in his stead. The same court, however,
overturned its former decision on the injunction, thereby permitting
the ordination of Mr Akubeze last week.

Counsel to the
plaintiff, Jonathan Aghimien (SAN), expressed displeasure over the way
the court vacated its order restraining the Catholic Church from
installing Mr Akubeze as archbishop, saying that he was not properly
served. This he said was responsible for his absence in court on the
day the lawyer to the respondent, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), secured the
order vacating the restraining order.

Mr Aghimien said
that a lawyer in his chamber signed for the process on Good Friday
(April 22), adding that someone drew his attention to the matter over
the telephone. He argued further that one could not be served court
processes through the telephone. He noted that what pained him the most
was that he was made to appear as if he dodged the court. He therefore
sought for the transfer of the matter to another judge for
adjudication, alleging that his clients were being intimidated and
harassed, threatened with de-robing as knights of the Catholic Church.

“This is not the first time a member of a church would be going to court, especially on issues of administration,” he said.

Responding, the
counsel to the defendant, Mr Ozekhome, said a lawyer in the plaintiff’s
lawyer’s chamber signed for the court processes, saying that great
damage would have been done to the image of Nigeria if the order was
not vacated to facilitate the installation of the archbishop. Mr
Ozekhome said the judge gave an undiluted ruling, adding that they
agreed that the case should be transferred to another judge.

Having listened to both parties, the trial judge, Justice Rowland
Amaize, therefore granted the prayer of the petitioners and ordered the
case to be returned to the chief judge for re-assigning to another
judge.

The Ogun State
governor-elect, Ibikunle Amosun yesterday constituted a transition
committee to work with the relevant organs of government to plan and
work together towards his (Amosun) swearing-in scheduled for May 29,
2001.

Mr Amosun had
written to the out-going governor, Gbenga Daniel requesting him to
allow the committee members to have access to information and
facilities required to achieve a hitch-free transition.

The Committee is
headed by former secretary to the state government, Poju Adeyemi, while
other members include: Sam Durojaiye, Olumide Ayeni, Muyiwa Oladipo,
Yewande Amusan, Dolapo Atekoja, Adebayo Fari and Aderonke Folarin.
Others are: Lekan Adegbite, Gbolahan Dada, Ibrahim Jimoh, Lanre Tejuoso
and Olufemi Allen.

Content of letter

“I have great
pleasure to forward to Your Excellency the attached list of the members
of the transition committee that has been constituted to liase and
interface with the relevant organs of the government to plan and work
together to achieve a smooth and orderly transition leading to the
inauguration of the new administration on 29th May, 2011.” It was
stated further in the letter personally signed by Mr Amosun that: “It
is my understanding and, therefore, a request for the kind
consideration of Your Excellency that the committee will have access to
information and facilities required to achieve the objectives of a
hitch-free transition.

He also used the letter to thank the out-going governor, “for the
telephone call during which you congratulated me on my victory at the
polls. I am most grateful for this demonstration of goodwill and trust
that I can count on these in months and years ahead.”

The Action Alliance
(AA) in Oyo State on Tuesday protested against the exclusion of its
logo from the list of political parties which appeared on ballot papers
in the last elections.

The Oyo State
chairman of the party, Babatunde Anifowose-Kelani, who led some other
party officials to address a press conference at their Ibadan office
yesterday, sought the support of all Nigerians to fight the alleged
injustice.

In a speech
presented to the press, the party chairman accused the hierarchies of
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of conniving with
some expelled members of the party to ensure that the AA was not
registered by the electoral body.

According to him,
despite fulfilling all the laid down rules of the electoral act on
party participation in elections at record time, the INEC still denied
them the right to be part of the April poll.

“The nominations
were concluded but when it was time for submission, INEC refused to
accept the completed forms it gave out to us earlier on a trump-up
excuse that there existed a crack in our national exco.

“It was, however,
discovered that INEC was acting out a script by a cabal within the
commission. They sponsored non-members to camouflage as national
officers of AA so as to make it look as if there was a crack.

“We tried to make
them see the truth that we have no crack in our party but they would
not listen. Investigation has, however, revealed that some charlatans
within INEC are conniving with some powerful but disgruntled
politicians who were members of our party up till 2006 to get Action
Alliance deregistered so as to ensure their illicit activities while in
AA is covered up,” he alleged.

Mr Anifowose-Kelani
further alleged that all court orders the party obtained and served on
the electoral body with respect to the attempts to deny them
participation were ignored.

He said as far as he and the party are concerned, there were not elections in Oyo State.

According to the
chairman, Oyo is the strongest base of the AA, adding that they fielded
candidates in almost all the electives post available in the state.

But to his
consternation, the logo of the party was missing in the ballot papers
for the elections, except that of the state House of Assembly.

Against the constitution

Mr Anifowose-Kelani
said the case of the systemic exclusion from the elections was already
in court and would be followed to a ‘logical conclusion’.

He also debunked
the rumour that the state leadership had collected money from some
individuals to play spoilers role in the victory of the Action Congress
of Nigeria (ACN) in the elections.

“It is not true
that we collected money for this struggle. We were already in court
before the elections were conducted. It is not that we are just
starting now. I even expect the beneficiary of this injustice to join
in this crusade because it could be their turn tomorrow,” he said.

The Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Attahiru Jega says the
inspiring leadership of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) had
shamed those he described as “unscrupulous persons” who wanted to
derail the April 2011 general elections.

Mr Jega made the remarks in a letter of appreciation, dated April 27, to Maharazu Tsiga, the NYSC director-general.

“It is clear that
but for the inspiring leadership of the patriotic men and women of the
corps, the designs by the unscrupulous persons to derail the elections,
by intimidating and scaring away the corps members, would have been
realised,” he stated.

The letter said
history would bear witness that the unyielding commitment to the
survival of the nation’s democracy inspired the corps members.

It added that the corps members defied reckless purveyors of violence to render selfless service as INEC ad hoc staff.

“It is, therefore,
beyond a shadow of doubt that Gen Tsiga, along with the entire staff
and membership of the NYSC, has demonstrated this virtue to the highest
degree.

“I am certain that
the history of our democracy will not be complete without a mention of
the laudable role you and your organisation have played,” the letter
further stated.

The INEC boss
expressed regret over the violence, which affected some corps members,
and expressed heartfelt condolences to those who lost loved ones to it.

The letter described them as “martyrs of our democratic aspiration as a country.”

The governorship flag bearer of the All Progressives Grand
Alliance (APGA), in Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has alleged that there are
plans to rig next Friday’s supplementary governorship election in the state.

Mr Okorocha who made the disclosure in a news briefing in
Owerri, the Imo State capital, hinged his allegations on video clips obtained
with spywares deployed into the field by his party.

In the recording which had vivid pictures of some government
officials addressing observers and another tearing up ballot papers voted
against the PDP in Nkwerre council area of the state, Mr Okorocha lamented the
inaction of the law enforcement agencies in the state.

The evidence

Another clip from Oguta council area showed where some hoodlums
held youth corps members hostage in a bush while thumb-printing of the ballot
papers went on.

Mr Okorocha who was flanked by Martin Agbaso, the zonal vice
chairman of APGA, Chris Ejike Uche and his deputy, Mr Jude Agbaso also
displayed fully thumb-printed fake ballot papers recovered last Sunday by
soldiers.

Lamenting the desperation to rig the Friday supplementary
election by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the APGA governorship
candidate, while noting his party’s preparedness for the election listed
conditions for their participation in the supplementary poll on Friday.

Mr Okorocha demanded that the Resident Electoral Commissioner
(REC) in the state, Selina Oko should be removed and Austin Okojie, one of the
four RECs deployed for the make-up election, dropped for his role in the
subversion of APGA’s mandate to govern Imo State in 2007.

He also demanded that no staff of the Federal University of
Technology, Owerri (FUTO) recruited as INEC adhoc staff should take part in the
collation of the Friday election result.

The Senate will today resume to a pile of significant bills that may suffer huge setbacks if not passed within the month.

The 2011
Appropriation Bill, the Petroleum Industry Bill and the Freedom of
information Bill are expected to top the agenda. However, bills like
the Anti Money Laundering bill and Anti Terrorism bill, which is
awaiting passage by the House of Reps and subsequent harmonisation, may
have to be carried over to the next session of the assembly.

According to the
spokesperson for the senate, Ayogu Eze, the senate will give top
priority to “working out the details of the 2011 budget and sending it
for presidential assent.”

The 2011 budget was passed shortly before the lawmakers went on the election break but its details have not been sorted.

Mr Eze added that the senate would also focus on the FOI bill which was also passed by both chambers before the election break.

“The FOI bill will equally be given accelerated treatment in harmonising the two versions passed by both chambers,” he said.

The bulky
Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which the senate dumped after a pressure
group called for its accelerated passages would also receive attention,
according Mr Eze.

He said the PIB
will equally receive urgent attention considering its overall short and
long term impact on the Nigerian economy.

The decision of
the senate to consider the PIB, Mr Eze said, is “considering too that
those campaigning for it (to be passed) have changed tactic from
blackmail to civilised messages which appeal to the conscience of all
concerned.

“The point we have
been trying to make is that no one loves Nigeria more than the
legislators. We are equally patriotic and committed to policies and
laws that will promote Nigeria’s growth for today and tomorrow,” the
senate spokesman added.

A couple of other
equally important bills may however not be passed in this session of
the senate. The Anti Money Laundering Bill and Anti Terrorism bill
which has been passed by senate may have to wait for a fresh start in
the incoming session of the National Assembly as it does not appear in
the priority list of the senate. Although it has been passed by the
senate, it has not been passed by the House of Reps. The senate,
however, still has a role to play in its final harmonization and
passage.

President Goodluck
Jonathan has directed all security agencies in the country to remain on
full alert, especially in identified flashpoints across the country, to
thwart any further attempt to breach the peace of the country.

The President, who
is currently on a seven-day working retreat at the Obudu mountain
resort, also said he is determined to move Nigeria further along the
path of democratic consolidation in the next four years to build on the
gains of the 2011 general election.

Some states of the
federation, especially in the northern parts of the country, erupted
into violence after the presidential elections won by Mr Jonathan.

Although there is
no official figure for the number of casualties, it is believed that
hundreds of people were killed and properties worth millions of naira
must were destroyed in the riots.

States like Borno
and Kaduna have also witnessed frequent deadly detonation of bombs by
suspected members of the Boko Haram group, which had claimed
responsibility for some attacks on government officials in recent
months.

The spokesperson
for the President, Ima Niboro, said yesterday that the president
thanked all political stakeholders and Nigerians for the success of the
just concluded election and reiterated that he is “committed to working
with all stakeholders to address any observed weaknesses which persist
in the country’s electoral system”.

Mr. Jonathan has
also urged winners in the elections to be magnanimous in victory and to
commit themselves to good governance for all their constituents without
discrimination. He urged them not to engage their predecessors in
“unnecessary battles, which may turn out as counterproductive”.

He also sympathised
with those who lost elections and advised them to gallantly concede
defeat and congratulate the victors. He advised them to refrain from
taking laws into their own hands but to “take the legal route where
they feel dissatisfied with the outcome of the process”.

Appreciation to all

With the 2011
general elections all but concluded, except for the supplementary
elections scheduled to hold in parts of Imo State on Friday, Mr. Niboro
said the President thanks all Nigerians and friends of Nigeria who have
contributed to the delivery of the free, fair and credible elections
promised by his administration.

“He expressed appreciation to the Chairman, commissioners, permanent
and ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC), especially members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)
some of whom sadly lost their lives in patriotic service to the
country, the national security services, local and international
observer groups as well as millions of Nigerians who trooped out thrice
in the month of April to peacefully vote for leaders of their choice,”
Mr Niboro said.

Today, most women and men discuss issues of violence in other
people’s relationships without knowing or identifying similar traits within
their own bad relationships, let alone getting out of them. Violence in
whatever form, within or outside the home, has its implications on personal
development, and addressing violence in its earlier stages reduces its
re-occurrence.

However, the fact that not all people can identify violence at
an early stage is a problem. Interactions with women who survived violent
relationships have revealed that when their abuse started, most of them were
silent about it because they did not recognise or see the signs as something to
worry about.

Recognise the signs

As individuals, we need to check this list to be sure we are
safe from abusive relationships. If you are in a relationship where your
partner calls you names; insults you or talks continuously about your
weaknesses; does not trust you and acts envious or possessive all the time;
tries to isolate you from family or friends; monitors where you go, who you
call and whom you associate with; does not want you to work, controls your
finances or refuses to share money; punishes you by withholding affection;
expects you to ask permission; threatens to hurt you, the children, your family
or your pets; or humiliates you in any way, then you are in an abusive
relationship.

It is worse when your partner has ever: damaged property when
angry (thrown objects like bottles, punched walls, broken glasses); pushed,
slapped, bitten, kicked or choked you; abandoned you in a dangerous or
unfamiliar place; scared you by driving recklessly; used a weapon to threaten
or hurt you; forced you to leave your home; and locked you out. Similarly, you
can be sure you are in an abusive relationship if your partner has trapped you
in your home or kept you from leaving; stopped you from making calls to the
police or seeking medical attention; hurt your children; or used physical force
in sexual situations.

Take action

The list above is not exhaustive as there may be several other
signs not mentioned here. But the reality is that in whatever form it comes,
abuse is dangerous and a red alert to immediately seek help or intervention to
break the silence. Talking to someone about it does not mean you are weak. It
only means you are empowered, courageous and can take control of your own life,
which no one else owns but you. You are responsible for all the consequences
thereafter.

Beyond the pain that comes with abuse – psychologically, physically,
socially, and economically – it has its untold strain on the human resources
much needed for one’s development, because only a sound mind can make
meaningful contributions to any process.

As citizens of the world, as declared in the 1948 Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, protection and freedom from pain is a universal right and should
not be denied anyone under any circumstance. Therefore, now is the time to say
no to all forms of abusive relationships within the home, in offices, and any
other space – public, local and international.

The Edo State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)
yesterday announced the abduction of yet another of its members. According to
the association, Paul Oriaifo was on Sunday morning abducted by suspected
kidnappers in Ekpoma.

Just last week, a member of the association and former Permanent
Secretary, Edo State Ministry of Health, Momoh Daudu was kidnapped.

The NMA yesterday lamented the poor state of security in the
state just as it said security agencies in the state were not making use of
intelligence information available to curb crime.

The association recalled that the closure of banks in Edo
Central in the last three weeks over incessant robbery incidents had created
lots of hardship for the people in the area, as banks have refused to open for
business since the last two weeks due to almost daily occurrence of robbery. A
statement jointly signed by the state chairman of the association, Philip
Ugbodaga, its Secretary, Emmanuel Ighodaro and its Public Relations Officer,
Kennedy Alohan, called for an overhaul of the security apparatus in the state
for efficiency.

Unconditional release

“The NMA, Edo State branch is extremely concerned that
kidnapping is still a prevalent and thriving business in Nigeria. Despite the
often trumpeted resolve by both the state and federal government to tackle this
emerging threat to free movement and to humanity, very little is being done in
that regard. The inability to curb this menace is a failure of intelligence
gathering.

“While we join the rest of the world to celebrate the killing this morning
of Osama Bin Laden as a result of sound intelligence network, we recommend
undercover intelligence operations by the various security agencies to deal
with the problem of kidnapping. We have gotten to a breaking point. Medical
personnel are now unable to differentiate between abductors and genuine
patients making it difficult for doctors to undertake their humane duty to save
lives. If this problem is not curbed fast, the effect on society will be
devastating.”

The group stated further that “The abductors of Dr Paul Oriaifo are
demanding six million naira. Neither the NMA nor the family is prepared to
negotiate any payment of ransom for his release. We demand his unconditional
release and hereby charge the security agencies to do all that is necessary to
get him freed.”