Benue South: Abba Moro wins as Supreme Court dismisses Joe Ojobo’s appeal

NEWS

Benue South: Abba Moro wins as Supreme Court dismisses Joe Ojobo’s appeal

 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a case brought before it by Joe Ojobo over the outcome of the October 2018 senatorial primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Benue South.

Justices of the apex court validated the nomination of Comrade Moro as the authentic candidate of the PDP for the Benue South senatorial district.

Hon Ojobo had gone to the court to challenge the declaration of Comrade Moro, winner of the primary election.

In a unanimous decision, the five-member panel of judges led by Justice Bode Rhodes Vivour, dismissed the petition for lacking in substance and upheld the decisions the court of first instance and the appellate court.

Justice Amina Augie, who read the judgement of the court went through the main points of the judgement from the High Court and held that the appellant was not declared winner after the primaries of October 4 because the margin of lead which stood at 50 votes was less than the number of delegates from the three local government areas that didn’t vote (358).

She affirmed that INEC monitored both the inconclusive primaries of October 4th and the concluding part of October 7th which conferred legitimacy on them both.

Justice Augie further stated that section 87 (4) (c) of the electoral act says, “at the end of voting” and so voting was not concluded on October 4th.

She said there’s nowhere in the electoral act where it is stated that a primary election must be held in one full swoop.

She dismissed the appeal and said details of the judgement will be made available on a later date.

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Benue guber: Tribunal fixes May 28 for pre-trial of Benue governorship petitions

POLITICS

Benue guber: Tribunal fixes May 28 for pre-trial of Benue governorship petitions

 

The Governorship, National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Benue State has fixed May 28 to commence pre-trial on the only governorship petition before it.

Tribunal secretary, Deborah Musa, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Friday in Makurdi, said that all court processes had been completed and that the pre-trial was set to begin.

Mr Emmanuel Jime of the All Progressive Congress (APC), is challenging the re-election of Gov Samuel Ortom of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the March 2, 2019 polls.

In the petition filed by Mr Sunday Ameh (SAN), Jime is asking the tribunal to upturn Ortom’s victory and declare him winner having scored the highest number of lawful votes cast.

Mr Michael Gusa, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Benue, has,however, said that the governor was sure of victory at the tribunal.

“We are very hopeful of victory. The governor’s team of lawyers has raised a preliminary objection asking the court to dismiss the petition for lack of merit,” Gusa had told NAN while filing Ortom’s defense.

Ortom had polled 434,473 votes to defeat Jime, who garnered 345,155 votes

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Between APC and PDP: What Ortom told Benue election tribunal

POLITICS

Between APC and PDP: What Ortom told Benue election tribunal

Gov Samuel Ortom on Wednesday filed his defence before the Governorship, National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi.

Ortom, through Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General Mr Michael Gusa, raised preliminary objections and asked the court to strike out the petition.

“The petition should be dismissed because we are saying that it lacks merit and so it should be dismissed”, Gusa said.

“In fact in the first instance, we have seen a lot of infractions against the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, so we have raised preliminary objections that the case be dismissed and also gone ahead to attack the petition on the merit “.

The lead counsel, Mr Sabastine Hon SAN, said the governor filed his defence within time and has fulfilled his statutory duty of attaching all the document he would be relying on in the course of the case.

Hon who defended the governor at the tribunal over the 2015 election said that the two cases have some striking similarities, although the circumstances are slightly different.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Emmanuel Jime of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had filed the petition challenging the re-election of Ortom.

In the disputed election, Ortom of the PDP polled 434,473 votes to defeat Jime who scored 345,155 votes.

Jime’s counsel, Mr Sunday Ameh urged the tribunal to upturn Gov Ortom’s victory and declare Jime the winner of the 2019 governorship elections having scored the highest number of lawful votes.

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Gov. Ortom gives assurance on public service reforms

POLITICS

Gov. Ortom gives assurance on public service reforms

 

The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has assured the state of public service reforms.

Ortom gave the assurance after receiving the report of the state Public Service Reform Committee at the state’s Government House on Wednesday.

He commended the committee for what he termed “meticulous work done” as contained in its findings and recommendations.

Assuring that his administration would be guided to a better public service in the state by the findings of the committee, the governor said he was not surprised by the manner the committee carried out its assignment in view of the calibre of seasoned serving and retired technocrats paraded.

Ortom promised that his administration would judiciously implement the committee’s recommendations.

The Committee, which was set up by the governor, urged the State Government to compel its agencies to strictly account for their internally generated revenue receipts or face sanctions.

It also recommended the scrapping of government agencies which have remained dormant and not added value to the economy of the state.

It decried the trend where some agencies generate revenue but fail to adequately remit such accruals to government accounts.

The Committee also encouraged the State Government to hasten the process of establishing the state’s Information and Communications Technology Development Agency in order to address challenges of e-governance.

Former Head of Service in the state, Chief Theophilus Azaagee, who presented the report on behalf of the chairman of the committee, recommended the establishment of Benue State Bureau of Public Service Reform and the conversion of College of Education Oju or Katsina-Ala to a faculty of Education under the Benue State University.

Other recommendations included, merging of Government Technical College Makurdi and Business Engineering and Skills Training Centre, BEST, with Government College Makurdi.

The committee also commended the Ortom administration for initiating the process for a Contributory Pensions Scheme in the state and encouraged the government to expedite action on the matter.

The Committee made recommendations in other areas such as education, health as well as local government and chieftaincy affairs.

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Benue State Acting Gov, Abounu Reveals Benue Is Under Siege By Insurgents

​BREAKING NEWS

Benue State Acting Gov, Abounu Reveals Benue Is Under Siege By Insurgents

The Acting Governor of Benue State, Engr. Benson Abounu, has declared that the state is currently under siege by insurgents.

Engr Abounu, who spoke yesterday after an emergency security meeting at his office, said Benue was at the moment under attack from all corners as insurgents had invaded the state, picking their targets at will and spilling blood everywhere.

The meeting followed Tuesday early morning attack by bandits, suspected to be herdsmen on Ayar Mbalom, Gwer West local government area and the killing of 19 persons, including two Catholic priests, who were officiating the morning mass at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Gwer East.

The Acting Governor, who described the day as a dark one for Benue state and its people, said, “The attack was a calculated one; well planned and well executed by the bandits who first attacked the church, killed the priests, a catechist and some parishioners, then went to a venue of a burial ceremony and killed some of the mourners.”

He said the attack on the church was a new dimension to the farmers/herdsmen crisis and one that needs a determined and appropriate response from the federal government and the security agencies the way insurgency in the North East is being tackled, adding that what they are experiencing today is insurgency.

The Acting Governor, who stated that the bandits, who numbered about 30 might still be lurking around the bushes directed the security agents to pursue them, flush them out of the area and get them apprehended so that they can be investigated to know the root causes of the killings.

He disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, who has visited the area himself, has deployed his men to the area, the same thing as the Commander of the 72 Special Forces battalion who has also dispatched soldiers there.

While appealing for calm, he called on people of the state to be extra vigilant and to report any suspicious movement to the security agencies.

                                                  

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Nigerian Troops Nabs Herdsmen, Recovers Guns After A Shoot Out In Benue

​BREAKING NEWS

Nigerian Troops Nabs Herdsmen, Recovers Guns After A Shoot Out In Benue

Troops of the Nigerian Army, Sunday said they apprehended five gun-wielding herdsmen in six communities in Benue State, after a gun duel which led to the killing of one herdsman.

It was learnt that the troops of 72 Battalion Special Forces on Saturday nabbed the herdsmen at about 1.30pm in the communities identified as Gbajimba, Baka, Tomanyi, Iyode, Dogon Yashi and Chembe.

According to the army, the armed herdsmen on sighting the troops, said to be on Operation Cat Race, engaged them in a shoot-out.

It was gathered that during the exchange, one herdsman was killed while another was injured. Also, one AK-47 assault rifle was recovered after the encounter.

The army said the bandits, however, fled into the bushes on sighting the troops and none was arrested.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig Gen Texas Chukwu, confirmed the arrests in Benue on Sunday in a press release.

The army spokesman said, “Troops on clearance operation in Gbajimba, Baka, Tomanyi, Iyode and Dogon Yashi made contact with armed herdsmen who engaged them in a gun duel. In the exchange of fire, one herdsman was killed while three others were arrested. One AK-47 assault rifle was recovered after the encounter.

“Additionally, two herdsmen engaged in destructive activities on farmlands were arrested at Chembe community. Earlier, troops of the battalion on patrol at Jatoaka town arrested 10 armed robbery suspects. All the suspects have been handed over to the police.

“Also in Taraba State, troops of 101 Special Battalion conducted clearance operations along Suntai-Muji-Kungana Road and encountered bandits who blocked the road, harassed and dispossessed road users of their valuables. The bandits fled into the bushes after they were engaged by troops. A search of the area led to the recovery of a dane gun.”

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