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President Tinubu Not Indicted Over Forfeited $460,000 — Bamidele Tells Tribunal

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Michael Bamidele, the Senate Majority Leader, on Wednesday, said that there were no criminal charges against President Bola Tinubu in any United States court.

Bamidele was summoned as a sole witness during the proceedings of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja.

The Senate Majority Leader insisted that the $460, 000 forfeiture order against the President by an American court was in respect of a civil matter that could not take the place of criminal charges.

He said there was no conviction and sentence against Tinubu as required by law for it to be turned into criminal charges.

The witness also told the court that the February 25 presidential election results for All Progressives Congress in  Kano State were recorded with a shortfall of 10, 292 votes against Tinubu.

President Bola Tinubu and the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, along with their party, the All Progressives Congress have closed their defence in the joint petition filed by the Labour Party and its candidate, Peter Obi.

The trio are co-respondents in the petition by the LP and Obi challenging their victory in the February 25 presidential election.

The respondents through their team of lawyers led by Wole Olanipekun, SAN, (for Tinubu and Shettima) and Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, (for the APC) closed their defence after tendering several documents and calling a witness to testify in aid of their counter-arguments against the issues raised by the petitioners.

Despite the objections by the petitioners, the five-man panel of the court presided over by Justice Haruna Tsammani admitted the documents as evidence and marked them as exhibits.

The court gave the respondents 10 days to file their final written addresses, the petitioner seven days to respond and five days to reply on point of law.

Justice Tsammani said the date for the adoption of the final written addresses would be communicated to the parties.

Under cross-examination by counsel for the APC, Fagbemi, SAN, Bamidele told the court that Obi’s name was not contained in the membership list of the LP submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Other documents tendered and admitted during Wednesday’s proceedings include a letter from the Nigeria Police to the United States Embassy, dated February 3, 2003; a letter from the United States Embassy to the Nigeria Police, dated February 4, 2003; and US Visas and immigration documents between 2011 and 2021.

In a related development, Tinubu, Shettima, and the APC closed their defence in the joint petition by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Among other grounds, the petitioners contended that INEC did not comply with the electoral laws including failure to transmit the election result electronically using the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System and the INEC Results Viewing portal.

They also argued that, contrary to the provisions of the law, the president failed to poll at least 25 per cent of votes from the Federal Capital Territory.

During the resumed hearing in their defence on Wednesday evening, the respondents in the petition proceeded to close their case after tendering several documents and calling one witness to testify in the matter.

As in the case of Obi, the court gave the respondents 10 days to file their final written addresses, the petitioner seven days to respond and five days to reply on point of law.

Under cross-examination by counsel for the APC, Fagbemi, SAN, Bamidele affirmed that the president was not charged with any criminal offence by any American court.

This was about the widely circulated court affidavit from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division on civil forfeiture proceedings against Tinubu concerning $460,000.

However, the witness affirmed that “there can’t be a conviction without a charge, arraignment and defence.”

He said the president had a clean bill of health as far as criminal charges in the USA were concerned.

He further affirmed the statement by the senior advocate that the president is a citizen of Nigeria by birth.

Under cross-examination by counsel for the PDP and Atiku, Eyitayo Jegede(SAN), the witness argued that scoring 25 per cent votes in  Abuja was not a mandatory requirement for the office of the president.

BIG STORY

Laffmattazz: Lagos 3rd Coming Features Star-Studded Lineup with D’Banj, Queen Salawa Abeni, Reminisce, And More

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Legendary comedian Gbenga Adeyinka is set to host the much-anticipated third edition of his comedy show, Laffmattazz: Lagos 3rd Coming, on November 17, 2024.

The event will take place at the prestigious Balmoral Convention Center, Victoria Island, Lagos, promising an unforgettable night of laughter and entertainment.

The lineup features a mix of iconic comedians and musicians, including Omobaba No.1, Gandoki, Dr. Smile, Bash, Queen Salawa Abeni, Reminisce, and a host of surprise acts, with D’Banj headlining the show.

Gbenga Adeyinka remarked, “Laffmattazz: Lagos 3rd Coming will be the biggest comedy show of the year! We’ve curated an incredible roster of iconic headliners, and I’m excited to bring this level of entertainment to Lagos.”

Laffmattazz has cemented its place as a leading comedy brand, showcasing Nigeria’s finest comedic talent. This year’s event is poised to outdo its predecessors, featuring performances from Akpororo, Forever, Seriki Dariya, Princephelar, Dee One, Taooma, Baba Alariya, Madiba of Comedy, ATM, and more.

The night will also include musical performances by Tee Famous, The Countryman, Dami Cruz, and others, with DJ Wiki spinning on the decks.

 

Event Details:

– Date: Sunday, November 17, 2024

– Time: Red Carpet (3:00 PM), Show Start (5:00 PM)

– Venue: Balmoral Convention Center, Victoria Island, Lagos

 

Ticket Information:

– Regular: ₦7,000

– VIP: ₦20,000

– Table of 8 Gold: ₦1.5 million

– Table of 8 Platinum: ₦3 million

 

Purchase Tickets at:

1. Ile Iyan by PODs, GRA Ikeja

2. Ofada Boy, Surulere

3. Prince Ebeano Supermarket, Lekki

 

Online Tickets Available at:

1. Ariiyatickets.com

2. Grandtickets.ng

3. Laffmattazz.ng

 

For ticket purchases, sponsorships, inquiries, and collaboration opportunities, please contact: (+234) 08156111111.

 

Brought to you by: Maltina, Goldberg, Ace Roots, Goldberg Black

Supported by: Parralex Bank, Enclave Green Homes, FIRS, Lagos State Government.

Media Partners: African Magic, Royal Roots Cinema, Hip TV, Views Channel, Vybz FM, Ibrand TV, Rapid Broadcasting Network, City FM, Jordan FM, Rainbow FM, Mainland FM, Boom Radio, TVC, Kennis FM, Beat FM

Outdoor Partners: Nimbus Media, FPL Media, Folham, Media Crush, Elev8 Media

 

Stay updated by following Laffmattazz on social media @laffmattazz_ga1st for the latest news and behind-the-scenes content.

Don’t miss this epic comedy event! Secure your tickets now and join the conversation online using #LaffmattazzLagos3rdComing #GbengaAdeyinka.

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BIG STORY

AfDB Approves $100m For Establishment Of Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank In Nigeria

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The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved $100 million for the establishment of the Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank in Nigeria.

Akinwunmi Adesina, president of the AfDB, made the announcement while delivering a keynote address at the 90th birthday lecture of former head of state, Yakubu Gowon, in Abuja.

“I am delighted to announce here today that just three days ago, the African Development Bank’s board of directors approved $100m for the establishment of the Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank for Nigeria,” Adesina said.

He emphasized that the initiative reflects the AfDB’s commitment to supporting Nigerian youths, who are vital to the country’s development.

The bank will provide technical assistance, business incubation, quasi-equity, and debt to youth businesses.

It will also offer guarantee instruments to de-risk lending to these businesses by financial institutions.

Adesina added, “It will be a new day and a new dawn for Nigeria.” He also stated that this initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision and plans for the youth in Nigeria.

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BIG STORY

Court Threatens To Jail DSS DG Ajayi For Disobeying Order On Access To Nnamdi Kanu

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A federal high court in Abuja has cautioned Adeola Ajayi, the director-general (DG) of the Department of State Services (DSS), against defying the court’s order for Nnamdi Kanu’s visitation rights.

Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been held in DSS custody since his re-arrest in Kenya and extradition to Nigeria in 2021.

He is facing trial on a seven-count charge, including treasonable felony.

Kanu’s legal team has repeatedly accused the DSS of denying its members access to their client.

The court had directed the DSS to allow Kanu’s legal team, with a maximum of five people, to visit him on designated days.

On Friday, the registrar of the federal high court in Abuja issued “form 48 notice of consequences of disobedience to the order of court” against DSS director-general.

The notice warned the DSS boss that he would be guilty of contempt of court and would be liable to imprisonment if he disobeyed the court-ordered visitations.

“Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in this order (see overleaf), by allowing the applicant’s counsel to conduct the court-ordered visitations with the applicant on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison,” the notice reads.

  • Kanu’s Lawyers Threaten To Sue Ajayi

In a statement on Friday, Aloy Ejimakor, counsel to the IPOB leader, said if Ajayi disobeyed the court order, the defence team would file contempt charges against him.

“This notice is necessitated by the repeated disobedience of the court-ordered visitation of Mazi Kanu by the newly appointed Director-General of the State Security Services (Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi), who has, for almost a month, not allowed Mazi Kanu’s lawyers to visit him,” the statement reads.

“To be clear, this notice is a quasi-criminal judicial process that forewarns any person disobeying a court order of the penal consequences of such misconduct.

“Therefore, if the Director-General of DSS persists on this ignoble path, he will leave us with no other option than to commence vigorous contempt proceedings against him.”

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