JUST IN: Supreme Court dismiss appeal challenging Buhari’s academic qualification

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the appeal seeking the
disqualification of President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019
presidential poll over alleged act of perjury.

The appellants, Kalu Kalu, Labaran Ismail and Hassy El-Kuris had
approached the Supreme Court to nullify the candidacy of President
Buhari in the just concluded presidential poll over allegations of
perjury.

However, the apex court dismissed the appeal and upheld the
decision of the Court of Appeal to the effect that it was statute
barred and as such cannot be heard.

The appellants specifically wants Buhari’s nomination and
subsequent victory at the February 23 presidential election
nullified on the grounds that President Buhari lied on oath in his
form CF
001 he submitted to INEC for the purpose of clearance for the
presidential election.

In the Notice of Appeal marked: CA/A/436/2019, the appellants
are asking the apex court for an Order to set aside the judgment of
the Court of Appeal and hear the matter on merit and grant the
reliefs sought in the Originating Summons.

The Court of Appeal in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice
Mohammed Idris, had on July 12, 2019, held that the singular fact
that the suit was filed outside the 14 days provided by the law
robbed the court of jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

The suit was accordingly dismissed for being incompetent and
lacking in merit.

Details later

Aregbesola Pledges continuity of policies, Reforms of
his Predecessor

The Honourable Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji
Aregbesola, has assured that he will continue with the policies and
reforms embarked on by his predecessor, saying that they are in
line with the “SET” objectives of President Muhammadu Buhari-led
Administration, which are improving security, economic
revitalisation and entrenching transparency in the conduct of
government business since governance is a continuous process.

The Minister gave the assurance at a reception in honour of the
former Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. (rtd) Abdurahaman Bello
Danbazau, held in Abuja, yesterday.

Aregbesola acknowledged that the former Minister has done
creditably well, particularly in the area of repositioning the
services under the Ministry, through ensuring that the services are
given the needed support to aid them in the maintenance of internal
security, in line with the mandate of the Ministry.

He added that the former Minister was able to provide the
Ministry with a befitting office complex for the Honourable
Minister, noting that all the reforms and policies that General
Dambazau initiated while in office were to ensure the provision of
internal security for Nigerians, so as to provide conducive
environment for foreign investment, thereby improving the economy
and ensuring transparency and good governance for the
citizenry.

Aregbesola who emphasised the main function of government which
is the protection of lives and properties of Nigerians, assured of
the Ministry’s total commitment to President Muhammadu Buhari’s
Administration to move the country to the next level by ensuring
collaboration amongst relevant security agencies through the
sharing of information with the view to arresting all forms of
security threats.

He observed that there is no meaningful development that will
take place without adequate security. “Therefore, Nigerians must
begin to see security as everyone’s business if only the country is
to move to the next level of socio-economic development”.

The Minister pointed out that corruption is also a cankerworm
that Nigerians must fight headlong, as there is no country in the
world that can attain meaningful development with corruption. “We
must together fight this menace and ensure transparency in all our
dealings,” he said.
He emphasised that the issue of Security, Economy and
anti-corruption does not begin and end on President Muhammadu
Buhari’s table alone. “It belongs to you, me and all Nigerians. We
must all join hands with President Muhammadu Buhari to address
these issues, politics and sentiments apart. We must begin to have
a rethink that it is a battle that all Nigerians irrespective of
their status in the society must together join hands with
government to do away with them. We must together join hands as a
team to move the country to the next level,” he affirmed.
..
Earlier, the former Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdurahaman
Bello Danbazau thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for granting him
the opportunity to serve, particularly in a Ministry that housed
para-military officers.
He said it accorded him the opportunity as a retired military
officer to learn more.

He dedicated his successes while in office to God, who elevated
him to the peak of his career, both in the military and in
academics and that it behoves on him now to serve the people.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Barr. Georgina
Ekeoma Ehuriah, MON in her welcome address eulogised the former
Minister, describing him as “a workaholic boss” whose innumerable
achievements had led to the actualization of President Muhammadu
Buhari’s Change Agenda in the sector.

According to her, “these can be seen from the outstanding
successes recorded by the Federal Fire Service through the
acquisition of firefighting equipment, the Nigeria Prisons Service
which culminated in the Nigeria Correctional Service and the
Nigeria Immigration Service among others”.
Ehuriah added that his monumental achievements in the promotion of
internal security cannot be forgotten in the history of Nigeria too
soon. “Many a man would have buckled under the pressure of the
hydra headed security challenges confronting our beloved country
but you fought like the General that you are and just yesterday,
you gave a passionate treatise replete with strategies to be
deployed to achieve peace in the North East and Lake Chad area”.
She said
SIGNED
Mohammed Manga
Director (Press & Public Relations)