Category: Court

Supreme Court to Pronounce Verdict on Nnamdi Kanu’s Trial this Friday

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The Supreme Court is set to announce its judgment on the appeals lodged by both the federal government and Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on Friday. The five-member panel, led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, scheduled the verdict for October 5 after receiving final submissions from Tijani Gazali (SAN), representing the federal government, and Mike Ozekhome (SAN), counsel for Kanu. The federal government is urging the court to overturn a prior judgment by the Court of Appeal, which nullified the treasonable felony charge against…

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Supreme Court Rejects PDP’s Bid to Oust Uzodinma, Fines Counsel N40 Million for Frivolous Application

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The Supreme Court has rejected the application filed by Emeka Ihedioha, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in his attempt to oust Hope Uzodinma from his position as the governor of Imo state. Ihedioha had sought a consequential order from the court, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue him a certificate of return as the duly elected governor of Imo state in the 2019 election. Justice Tijjani Abubakar, delivering the lead judgment on Tuesday, declared the application devoid of merit, characterizing it as frivolous and vexatious.…

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FCT High Court Adjourns Emefiele’s Case Until January 18

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The FCT High Court has postponed the continuation of the trial in the alleged procurement fraud case against the former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Godwin Emefiele, to January 18, 2024. Initially faced with 20 charges amounting to N6.5bn, the charges were later reduced to six, totaling over N1.2bn by the Federal Government. Emefiele is accused of leveraging his position to provide an undue advantage to Sa’adatu Yaro, a CBN staff, by awarding a contract for the procurement of 43 vehicles worth N1.2 billion between 2018 and 2020. During Tuesday’s…

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AGF Issues Strict Warning to 58 New SANs: ‘Rank Withdrawal Permanent for Misconduct

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The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, has delivered a stern caution to the recently sworn-in Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), urging them to uphold the highest ethical standards as outlined in the 2022 Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocates of Nigeria. Fagbemi warned that failure to adhere to these guidelines could result in the permanent withdrawal of their prestigious rank. He conveyed this message during the Supreme Court legal year ceremony, emphasizing a crucial distinction from the 2018 Guidelines. Unlike…

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Appeal Court Declares Tribunal’s Vote Re-computation ‘Erroneous’ and Dismisses Judgment in Favor of Nasarawa Governor Sule

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The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Thursday, overturned the annulment of Governor Abdullahi Sule’s election in Nasarawa State. Justice Uchechukwu Onuemenam, delivering the lead verdict, stated that the tribunal had relied on legally inadmissible evidence in declaring the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, David Ombugadu, as the rightful winner of the March 18 governorship election. The appellate court emphasized that the tribunal erroneously considered the statements of eight witnesses presented by the PDP candidate, as these statements were not submitted alongside the petition within the stipulated time, violating constitutional…

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Naira Marley and Sam Larry Regain Freedom After Meeting Bail Conditions

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Singer Azeez Fashola, widely known as Naira Marley, and Balogun Samson, aka Sam Larry, have been released by the Lagos State Police Command on Friday after both individuals fulfilled their bail requirements. The disclosure was made by Benjamin Hundeyin, the State Police Public Relations Officer, in a brief statement on Friday. Hundeyin, a Superintendent of Police, confirmed their release after Naira Marley and Sam Larry successfully met the conditions set by a Lagos State Magistrates’ Court. The court had granted bail to the duo on Monday, November 6, with a…

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Appeal Court Invalidates Kano State Governor’s Election

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In a significant legal development, the Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Friday, invalidated the election of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State. The unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices declared that Governor Yusuf was not a valid candidate in the gubernatorial election held on March 18. The court’s ruling was grounded in evidence presented by the parties, establishing that Governor Yusuf was not a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) at the time of the election. According to the court, under section 177(c) of…

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Court of Appeal Nullifies Zamfara Governorship Election, Declares it Inconclusive

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In a significant legal development, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has ruled the Zamfara State governorship election held on March 18 as inconclusive. The unanimous decision was delivered by a three-member panel of Justices, overturning the earlier declaration of Governor Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the gubernatorial contest. The court directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election in three Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Zamfara State where elections did not take place previously or where results from…

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Appeal Court Withholds Judgment in Nasarawa Governorship Case

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The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday refrained from delivering a verdict on the appeal lodged by Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule against the tribunal’s decision that declared David Ombugadu, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, as the winner of the state’s governorship election. In a split judgment, the tribunal, presided over by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, determined that Ombugadu secured the majority of valid votes in the election based on evidence from various polling units. Governor Sule contested this ruling, urging the appellate court to overturn it. During the hearing,…

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Judgment Set for Wednesday in Rhodes-Vivour and Jandor’s Appeals Against Governor Sanwo-Olu’s Re-Election

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The Court of Appeal in Lagos has scheduled Wednesday, November 15, for the delivery of judgment in the appeals filed by Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party’s governorship candidate, and Abdulazeez Olajide Adediran of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Both candidates are contesting the re-election of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC). A notice from the court to the concerned parties conveyed that the judgment would be pronounced at 3 p.m. tomorrow. The Court of Appeal panel, headed by Justice Yargata Nimpar, had reserved judgment on November 7th…

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Court Grants Bail to Former CBN Governor, Emefiele

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The court has granted bail to the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Emefiele, ordering his release to his legal representatives. In a ruling delivered by Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, the judge emphasized the need to put an end to detention without trial and pointed out that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had failed to comply with the court’s previous order from November 2, which led to this decision. Furthermore, the court rejected the Federal Government’s claim that Emefiele would be arraigned on a fresh charge on November…

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Kano: Court Reserves Verdict on Gov. Yusuf’s Appeal Against Election Tribunal Decision

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The Court of Appeal, located in Abuja, has chosen to defer its judgment in the appeal filed by Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf. This appeal seeks to challenge his removal by the State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal. Recalling the earlier decision of the tribunal, which nullified Yusuf’s election on September 20, the tribunal had deemed 165,663 of his votes as invalid due to the absence of signatures and stamps on the ballot papers used, which was a requirement set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Subsequently, the tribunal declared…

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