The Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday, sacked Abdulrauf
Modibbo as member-elect representing Yola South/Yola North/Girei
Federal Constituency of Adamawa in the National Assembly.
The court also ordered the Independent National Electoral
Commission to replace Modibbo with Mustapha Usman and declare the
latter as the Rep-elect.
Justice Inyang Ekwo nullified Modibbo’s election while
delivering judgment in a suit filed by Mustapha Usman, challenging
the election.
Modibbo was declared winner of the All Progressives Congress’
primaries held on October 7, 2018 in Yola, and he eventually
represented the APC in the 2019 general elections, in which he was
also declared winner.
Usman sued Modibbo after the election, alleging that Modibbo
falsified his age and was not eligible to contest the APC
primaries.
He prayed the court to disqualify Modibbo as APC candidate for
Yola North/Yola South/Girei Federal Constituency.
He joined the APC and the Independent National Electoral
Commission as defendants in the suit.
Justice Ekwo, in his judgment, declared that Modibbo was not
qualified to contest the APC primaries as well as the 2019 House of
Representatives election for the federal constituency.
The court held that Usman was the lawful winner of the October
7, 2018 APC primaries and candidate of the party for the
constituency.
The judge further held that Usman had successfully proved beyond
reasonable doubt that Modibbo falsified his age in order to contest
the election.
The court also noted that the plaintiff proved that Modibbo
submitted the forged certificates for the purpose of contesting the
party primaries.
The court also held that Modibbo was a serving National Youth
Corps member when he contested the primary election, saying the
action breached Section 4 of the NYSC Act 2004.
“A person who is a lawbreaker cannot be a lawmaker, this
illegality is one that cannot be wished away,” the judge said.
The judge declared that in view of the disqualification of
Modibbo, Usman, who polled the second highest votes in the October
7, 2018 primary election of the APC for Yola South/Yola North/Girei
Federal Constituency of Adamawa, was the lawful winner.
Justice Ekwo gave an order directing the APC and INEC to
immediately replace Modibbo’s name with that of Usman as the lawful
candidate of the APC for the federal constituency.
(NAN)
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Army Reorganizes Exercise Harbin Kunama III
The Nigerian Army has embarked on the reorganization and
expansion of the mandate the Exercise HARBIN KUNAMA III currently
operating in Zamfara state to effectively ensure the complete
defeat of the fleeing bandits.
The Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Tukur Buratai stated this while
briefing the press at the Army Headquarters in Abuja.
The development, according to him, is to restore public
confidence and enhance safety while also ensuring socio-economic
activities continue without fear or intimidation in Zamfara state
and its environs.
Lt Gen Buratai who was represented at the occasion by the Chief
of Training and Operations(CTOPs) of the Nigerian Army, Major
General Lamidi Adeosun said the reorganization will entail the
involvement of other sister security agencies in form of Joint Task
Force(JTF) to rid the zone of criminal elements.
“It is on this premise that I want to plead with the general
public to persevere in the face of seeming inconveniences due to
restrictions that may be imposed in these areas while the Nigerian
Army is conducting the exercise”.
He noted that the “Nigerian Army mandate is aimed at building
confidence and ensuring our country is rid of criminal elements
that are poised to destabilize the normal life, rights and freedom
of the people across the country as enshrined in the Nigerian
Constitution”.
“I want to assure the general public that the Nigerian Army will
carry out its constitutional mandate professionally and within the
ambit of the law while adhering to the Rules of Engagement
(ROE)”
He appealed to the general public to claim ownership of the
security of the country and willfully avail the Army with credible
information that will assist in flushing out subversive and
criminal elements from their hideouts and safe haven.
“Be rest assured that the Nigerian Army will continue to support
the non-kinetic efforts of the civil authority to combat
criminality and banditry as well as prevent it from gaining
traction and spreading to other relatively peaceful regions of the
country”, he said.
The Army Chief also appreciated the traditional rulers and
religious leaders and further enjoin them to continue to support
the Army with credible information that will assist in the
professional conduct of our exercises and operations to rid the
area of banditry and criminality.
“They are encouraged to continue to galvanize their subjects and
followers to tow the path of peaceful resolution of conflicts
rather than resulting to violence which does nobody any good. I use
this medium to once again call on all religious leaders to pray for
the success of our exercise and operations as well as pray for the
total eradication of insecurity in our country”, he said.