El-Rufai vs Ashiru: What happened in court on Monday

POLITICS

El-Rufai vs Ashiru: What happened in court on Monday

 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday presented 17 witnesses out of the 685 it lined up as it opened its case against the declaration of Gov. Nasir El-Rufai as winner of the March 9, 2019 Governorship election in Kaduna State.

The PDP and its Governorship candidate in the poll, Alhaji Isah Ashiru are asking the state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to nullify the election of El-Rufai and declare its candidate the winner, having scored the majority of valid votes cast during the election.

The petitioners, who joined INEC, APC and El-Rufai in the case, alleged that the poll was characterised by massive rigging, ballot box stuffing and violence in 110 wards in 12 local government areas of the state.

The LGAs all of which the PDP lost to the APC as declared by INEC, include Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Igabi, Ikara, Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Kubau, Kudan, Lere, Sabon Gari, Soba and Zaria.

The party said it had assembled 685 witnesses, mostly party agents and returning officers it assigned during the poll.

The PDP, at the resumed hearing on Monday, submitted names of 17 persons as first batch of witnesses who began testifying before the tribunal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 684 PDP witnesses are expected to testify before the tribunal within 14 days.

Earlier, the Ibrahim Bako-led Tribunal had admitted in evidence various documents presented by the petitioners.

Elisha Kurah (SAN), Counsel to the petitioners, had presented certified true copies (CTC) of forms from polling units, ward collation centres, and local government collation Centres obtained from INEC.

Kurah also submitted INEC documents allegedly used to declare the winner of the March 9 election to the tribunal.

He told newsmen that the forms allegedly contained discrepancies that would be proved before the tribunal.

Kurah said: “the forms we tendered, were forms that INEC used during the election.

”Some of the forms were not signed by the agents, some were not stamped and, you find handwriting of one person on all the forms. I mean one person wrote everything in those forms we have presented.

“The Tribunal has accepted all the documents we presented and addmitted same in evidence.

“There are lots of differences between those INEC forms we presented to the Tribunal and that of the PDP agents,” he said.

The Counsel said: ” the witnesses have been assembled to speak on the forms and the lack of genuineness of the forms we collected from INEC.”

According to him, the witnesses would present genuine copies of the documents as they testify.

NAN reports that the witnesses are appearing based on the documents the Tribunal had earlier admitted.

Dr Musa Aliyu, Counsel to INEC said the commission had raised objection to some of the documents and would submit details of their objections when it address the Tribunal.

“The witnesses are coming to testify what happened during the March 9 poll.”

Also, Ibrahim Bawa (SAN), Counsel to the APC said his clients would present their objections in the course of the proceedings.

Bawa said the APC would also bring its witnesses to the Tribunal to prove that the petitioners had no case.

The Tribunal has adjourned to Tuesday, June 18 to continue, after taking three witnesses from Zaria LG.

 

SHARE THIS STORY

Buhari, Tinubu, Oshiomhole will soon taste El-rufai’s venom – Shehu Sani

POLITICS

Buhari, Tinubu, Oshiomhole will soon taste El-rufai’s venom – Shehu Sani

 

Shehu Sani, a former Senator representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, has warned President Muhammadu Buhari to be wary of his state governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Sani warned that Buhari would soon taste the venom of El-Rufai’s treachery.

In a post on his Facebook page, the former lawmaker stressed that the governor was known for betraying those who helped him ascend power when they are no longer important to him.

He wrote: “Your treacherous history of jumping from one godfather to another is well-known to all Nigerians.

“And I have always believed that it’s a matter of time before PMB will have a taste of your patented venom and perfidy once you reach a point that he is of no further importance to you.”

The former lawmaker disclosed that before he dumped the All Progressives Congress, APC, he told Buhari, party National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole; and National Leader, Bola Tinubu, that El-Rufai would attack them too, “when the time is right.”

“Before I left the APC, I told PMB and Oshiomhole and Tinubu that you will insult, betray and fight them. It is in your DNA.

“The liquor of power makes you think and act like a god, enjoy it while it lasts. It seems your mind is still troubled,” he added.

 

SHARE THIS STORY

Religious bill: Islamic scholar, Sheikh Maraya warns El-Rufai against licensing preachers in Kaduna

NEWS

Religious bill: Islamic scholar, Sheikh Maraya warns El-Rufai against licensing preachers in Kaduna

 

A Kaduna-based Islamic scholar and former Special Adviser to late governor Patrick Yakowa on Islamic Matters, Sheikh Haliru Abdullahi Maraya, has advised governor Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai not to assent to the religious bill recently passed by the State House of Assembly.

He noted that the bill in itself is a gross violation of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

The state government had in 2016 argued that the religious bill was meant to regulate religious preaching in order to promote religious harmony and peaceful coexistence to topple religious freedom.

It provides for the establishment of an interfaith Regulatory Council at the state level and committee at the local government levels responsible for screening and issuing licence to preachers.

But, Sheikh Haliru Abdullahi Maraya observed that passing the religious bill by the State House of Assembly is not the yearning of the people of the state.

He stated, “What currently disturbs the good people of Kaduna State is insecurity particularly along Kaduna-Abuja highway, Birnin Gwari-Kaduna road and other parts of the state.

“The State House of Assembly should have promulgated a law with a view of dealing with potential kidnappers, bandits and other criminal tendencies that has become the order of the day in the state just like what the Katsina State House of Assembly did on kidnappers and other criminals.

“The primary responsibility of any government is to protect lives and property and also deliver social responsibilities to its people as contained in section 14 (2b) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.”

Sheikh Haliru Abdullahi Marsha stated that the religious bill contravenes section 1(3) of 1999 constitution as amended, saying that any law that contravenes the provision with the constitution should be considered void.

He added that section 38 (1) gives Nigerians the right to practice the religion of the choice, to change one religion to the other and to propagate their religion either in public or private.

He explained, “Any licence to be given before propagating one religion contravenes the 1999 constitution as amended. Any law that contravenes section 38(1) is inconsistent and should be considered void.”

Sheikh Haliru Abdullahi Marsha asked, “Who are the issuance of the licence, it is said that it is a body of representatives of JNI and CAN. As a Muslim, the constitution does not said l should practice Islam under a body called JNI, section 40 of the 1999 constitution as amended has given all Nigerians the right to freedom of association. This clearly showcase that l can be a member of an association and l can also decline not to be a member.

“Then to say JNI is to issue me with a licence before l can exercise my constitutional right is a contravention of the 1999 constitution as amended.”

He explained that going by JNI and CAN, it means the government has given the two religious organizations preeminent positions over other groups, stressing that it is a clear discrimination against other groups, a transgression of section 42 of the 1999 constitution as amended.

He observed, “One expect the State House of Assembly to outline things preachers are expected to do or are not expected to do. It should be made in such a way that any preacher who goes contrary to it should be sanctioned.

“For the State House of Assembly to pass a bill to make Christians and Muslims not to exercise their fundamental human rights until they are licenced is a violation of their fundamental human rights as enshrined in the 1999 constitution as amended.”

SHARE THIS STORY

Kajuru crisis: Christians, Muslims celebrate Eid-el-Fitr together despite killings

NEWS

Kajuru crisis: Christians, Muslims celebrate Eid-el-Fitr together despite killings

 

Despite incessant killings that led to the loss of lives and property in Adara chiefdom in Kajuru local government area of Kaduna state, Christians and Muslims in the area celebrated Eid-el-fitr together in the spirit of love, forgiveness and reconciliation.

The Adara people have of recent witnessed incessant killings by unknown gunmen resulting to the loss of lives and destruction of properties of unimaginable magnitude.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman, Peace and Reconciliation Committee in the area, Mr. Patrick Maigari said the coming together of both Christians and Muslims in the area was to strengthen their bonds of love and unity that unite them since time immemorial.

Mr. Patrick Maigari, a former House of Assembly member, Chairman of Kajuru local government area and former commissioner of health in the state said, “The event is part of activities to ensure peace and mutual understanding amongst ourselves and forge ahead as a people irrespective of any difference.”

Maigari congratulated the Muslims on the Eid-el-Fitr celebration and appealed to all ethnic and religious groups to support the committee in the actualization of peace and unity that eluded the people some times.

Muslims and Christians have held special Sallah celebrations to strengthen bonds and relationships in crisis-prone Kajuru local government area of Kaduna state.

He urged the people to submit all perceived wrongfull acts and complaints to the committee, stressing that it was the only way there would be better understanding with a view to attending to complaints.

Also speaking, a Social Democratic Party, SDP, governorship candidate in the 2019 election, Alhaji Haruna Saeed Kajuru, expressed sadness over crisis in the area, stressing that it has tarnished the image of the area.

He advised the Peace and Reconciliation Committee to maintain the tempo and look for ways that would immediately resolve the lingering problems and bring lasting peace to the Kajuru people.

In his remarks, the Emir of Kajuru, Alhaji Alhassan Adamu, commended organizers of the event and asked the people to return to their farms without fear of anything but enjoined the people to work together as a family and report any suspicious movement to the constituted authority.

Representatives of Jamatu Nasiru Islam, Christian Association of Nigeria, Hausa and Fulani and the Adara Community Development Associations commended the state authority for the release of elders detained as a result of the crisis.

SHARE THIS STORY