IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Rwanda. After visiting the site, he asked Nigerians to tolerate one another and embrace peace, his presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, said via a statement.

The remains of over 250,000 victims of the Kigali genocide were buried in the East African country in 1994 with a yearly event held in honour of the slain Rwandans. Buhari used the opportunity of the visit to tour the permanent exhibitions at the Memorial, paying tribute to the memory of the victims while praying for healing for the survivors.

After the historic visit, the President told journalists that the lessons from his visit were the need for Nigerians to continue to be tolerant of one another, and for the nation to also preserve its own historical antecedents from the Nigeria Civil War (1967-1970).

“I went through all the experiences from 15 January 1966 to date. I was a Governor, Minister, and Head of State and went through detention. I returned to partisan politics and will finish my two terms as constitutionally allowed,” the Nigerian leader was quoted as saying.

There was a mild drama at the Supreme Court premises in Abuja on Thursday when a human rights activist Malcolm Omirhobo appeared in his lawyer robe complemented with other traditional apparel.  

The human rights lawyer, who said he is a traditionalist, argued that his decision was based on the Supreme Court judgement that ruled in favour of Muslim students wearing their hijab in Lagos schools. “I am a traditionalist. I have been missing all along until the Supreme Court gave the judgment on Friday that people can now appear in their religious attires of worship in their school and public school for that matter.

“So, in the circumstance, I just interpreted everything and said they have done the right thing by guaranteeing more of our rights under Section 38 of the Constitution that gives Nigerians the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion from that decision that female students can wear hijab because it is the mode of their worship and any attempt to stop them from wearing it amounts to a violation of their fundamental right. I said, ‘It is good!’ “So, I said I need to also be appearing in my religious attire of worship because it is good for man to be with God all the time. This is my mode henceforth.”

Omirhobo said he will encourage others to wear their religious attires to work, expressing gratitude to the Supreme Court for the ruling. “My children will go to school like this. I will encourage my relations, my friends; those in the army; those in the police; those in the Navy; doctors; lawyers; they will dress in their mode of worship,” the Delta-born added. “I am very grateful to the Supreme Court. I am very happy about this.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has ruled out the bail option for the leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu. Instead, the Buhari insisted that the IPOB leader should “justify all the uncomplimentary things he had been saying against Nigeria in Britain”.

“He felt very safe in Britain and said awful things against Nigeria. We eventually got him when he stepped out of the United Kingdom, and we sent him to court,” Buhari said during a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the margins of the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda. “Let him defend all that he has said there. His lawyers have access to him. Remember he jumped bail before, how are we sure he won’t do it again if he’s admitted to bail?”

According to a statement by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, Buhari also ruled out seeking a third term in office, claiming the person who attempted it did not end well in what many believe is a subtle reference to former President Olusegun Obasanjo. “Another term for me? No!” he maintained. “The first person who tried it didn’t end very well.”

Aside from this, Johnson and Buhari also discussed security issues in Nigeria with the Nigerian leader linked the renewed wave of crimes in Nigeria to the crisis in Libya.

The Supreme Court on Friday struck out President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney General of the Federation’s suit challenging Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act. The case was expunged on the grounds that it lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the suit and is an abuse of court process.

Earlier, a notice for the judgment delivery was served on President Buhari and the National Assembly on Thursday, inviting them to appear before the court today for the judgment. The President and his Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, had filed a suit at the Supreme Court, seeking an interpretation of the controversial clause in the Electoral Amendment Act 2022. 

In the suit filed on April 29, Buhari and Malami, who are the plaintiffs, listed the National Assembly as the sole defendant. There have been several debates regarding Section 84(12) of the amended Electoral Act 2022 which was assented to in February. Upon assenting to the act, President Buhari had asked the National Assembly to delete the contended clause, however, the parliament declined the president’s request. 

Section 84 (12) of the legislation holds that, “no political appointee at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the convention or congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.”

In their suit marked SC/CV/504/2022 and filed on April 29, 2022, President Buhari and Malami sought an order of the apex court to strike out the section of the Electoral Act, which they argue was inconsistent with the nation’s constitution.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Rivers state, Tonte Ibraye, has presented controversial actress, Tonto Dikeh, as his running mate ahead of the 2023 elections.

Dikeh announced the nomination via her social media handles on Friday, where she shared their plans if elected into office during next year’s election. “I thank Mr Tonte Ibraye (@TonteIbraye), the Governorship candidate for ADC, Rivers State for nominating me as his running mate,” Dikeh tweeted. “We are looking at investing in social protection, creating social value system & increased women’s inclusion in governance.”

Tonte Ibraye and Tonto Dikeh were also presented their Certificate of return by the ADC party chairman, Ralph Okey Nwosu in Abuja on Friday. The issuance showed the readiness to start mobilising for support towards victory at the general election.

The certificate presentation was witnessed by members of the party’s National Working Committee and critical stakeholders among others. 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday listed the conditions for political parties to substitute candidates whose names have been forwarded to the commission.

For the electoral umpire, the law does not give any political party the right to replace a validly nominated candidate as it is the prerogative of the individual to be substituted. 

This comes amid reports that some political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party, nominated their vice-presidential candidates as placeholders, pending the conclusion of talks for a substantive candidate to be picked.

While the former forwarded the name of Ibrahim Kabiru Masari as its vice-presidential candidate, the latter had nominated Doyin Okupe for the same position.

Reacting to the development, INEC National Commissioner, Festus Okoye, said the electoral body would take a decision in accordance with the Electoral Act.