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Saraki Tackles El-Rufai Over Restructuring Comments, Says They Are “Cheap Lies”

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Bukola Saraki, former senate president, has described recent comments by Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna, about restructuring as “cheap lies”.

While speaking in an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, el-Rufai accused Saraki of frustrating the constitutional amendment agenda of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to restructure the country when he was senate president.

Saraki was the senate president between 2015 and 2019.

But reacting through Yusuf Olaniyonu, his media aide, Saraki described el-Rufai’s comments as “cheap lies”.

Olaniyonu said the Kaduna governor is “fond of making excuses and trading blames to explain his failure and that of his party”.

He said it’s been years since Saraki left office and “within the period el-Rufai and his party have the Senate President they want and the type of Senate they want, yet they have not done anything to restructure Nigeria”.

Olaniyonu asked el-Rufai to “tell Nigerians if Saraki is also the one that is responsible for the high level of insecurity which has escalated from just the north-east to a menace that has now engulfed the whole of Nigeria under the APC administration”.

“We need him to tell Nigerians if the former Senate President is responsible for the collapsing state of the economy, spiralling inflation, huge cost of living, extremely low standard of living across the country, endemic poverty in the land, the foreign exchange rate that has moved from N200 in exchange for a dollar to N740 to a dollar, the high level of youth unemployment, the high rate of oil theft, the alarming rate of borrowing by the government, high rate of disunity among the component units that make up the country and other ills bedevilling the country under the APC administration,” he said.

“El-Rufai claimed he and his party prepared a report on restructuring and engaged with the National Assembly leadership to amend the constitution in 2018 when as of February 2016, more than two years earlier, the 8th National Assembly had commenced the constitution amendment process by setting up committees in both chambers. Members of the committees traversed the entire country and came up with reports and draft bills.

“By 2018 as El Rufai mentioned, President Muhammadu Buhari had commenced assent to constitutional amendment bills. Out of the 32 Constitution Bills considered by the National Assembly, 24 secured the required number of votes on the floors of both chambers. Also, when the 24 were sent to the state Houses of Assembly, only 12 bills got the required votes.

“This same El-Rufai was one of the governors that frustrated the passage of most of the bills by state Houses of Assembly. Eventually, the President assented to five of the 12 Bills submitted to him in 2018 and refused to sign seven others.

“Even then, it will be interesting to ask the Kaduna State Governor how his state has implemented important restructuring Bills passed by Eighth National Assembly headed by Saraki that have been signed into law like the Financial Autonomy for State Legislature and Judiciary Act.

“If the APC was elected into power in 2015 and El Rufai and his cohorts were talking about amending the constitution to implement restructuring three years later when the government had less than a year to the end of its tenure, the restructuring agenda must be an after-thought or a less important one on the hierarchy of issues on the APC’s plate.”

Olaniyonu added that el-Rufai has “now become the spokesperson of a failing presidential campaign as he struts from one television station to the other, making vile threats, throwing abuses, and spewing lies. The day of reckoning will soon be here. Nigerians will surely not reward failure or buy cheap lies”.

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MOHBAD: Police Grill Sam Larry, Lagos CP To Address Press

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The Lagos State Police Command has deepened its probe of Balogun Eletu popularly known as Sam Larry, over the ongoing investigation into circumstances leading to the death of late Singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba aka Mohbad.

Recall that Sam Larry was detained by the police on Thursday night after he honoured the police invitation, and has since been grilled by police investigators over his disagreements with the late musician.

It was gathered that the suspect who is currently detained at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters and was yet to hire the services of a lawyer over the incident as of Saturday, is very much likely to remain in police custody until next week Monday.

According to The Punch, a security source under anonymity also revealed that police officers arrested Sam Larry at the Murtala Muhammed Airport on Thursday night following his arrival from Kenya.

“Sam Larry was arrested by policemen at the Murtala Muhammed airport last night (Thursday) after he arrived from Kenya, and he was immediately driven to the Lagos Command Headquarters in Ikeja for questioning,” the source noted.

Speaking with our correspondent in an exclusive interview, Friday night, the Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin revealed that the outcome of the police investigation would determine the decision to be taken on Sam Larry.

The police spokesman further noted that he could not reveal details of the controversial socialite’s statement to the police, adding that the Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa will address the press about the development soon.

Hundeyin revealed, “Sam Larry is still with us. But I’m not talking about our plans yet because he’s still under investigation, hence the outcome of our investigation will determine the lifeline of our next move.

“I’m not disclosing the content of his statement yet; the Commissioner of Police will address the press over the development soon, and when the CP addresses the press, I’d be able to talk about our investigation so far.”

SP Benjamin Hundeyin, earlier Thursday, had revealed that Sam Larry was held in police custody, and was assisting with an ongoing investigation.

The police had earlier invited Sam Larry and singer, Azeez Fashola aka Naira Marley for questioning over Mohbad’s demise.

The police, last week, also confirmed that pathologists have concluded the autopsy conducted on Mohbad, while the police await the result.

“Autopsy has been concluded. Awaiting results”, Hundeyin confirmed.

This development followed the exhumation of Mohbad by a combined team of the Nigeria Police Force and health officials.

The police had also arrested the nurse who reportedly injected the deceased singer prior to his demise on Tuesday, September 12.

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President Tinubu Returns To Abuja One Week After UNGA

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Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has returned to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, one week after he attended the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States.

The 78th UNGA session was held from September 18 to 26.

Tinubu, during one of the sessions, voiced concerns about foreign exploitation in Africa and rising insecurity, and asked other nations to offer solutions of mutual benefit. The UNGA session was his first as Nigeria’s president.

After delivering the national statement and holding several meetings on the sidelines of the global assembly, Tinubu also rang the closing bell at the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ).

Although there was no official statement, multiple reports said the president departed New York for Paris, France for a short vacation.

Tinubu’s return to Nigeria comes amid threats by labour unions to commence an indefinite strike from October 3, if he fails to address the rising cost of living.

The president’s arrival also comes a few days before Nigeria’s 63rd independence anniversary on October 1.

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Tension In Ogun As Tribunal Determines Abiodun, Adebutu’s Fate

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There’s anxiety and tension in the premises of Isabo Magistrate Court, Abeokuta, the state capital as Ogun State Governorship Election Tribunal is set to deliver judgement in the petition filed by Hon. Ladi Adebutu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the election victory of Governor Dapo Abiodun.

After three month, long sitting and conclusion of hearing, the Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal reserved  judgement for today in the petition filed by PDP’s Adebutu against Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Adebutu is praying the tribunal headed by Hamidu Kunaza to nullify Governor Abiodun’s victory and declare him winner of March 18 Governorship election in Ogun State.

Adebutu, among things, is also seeking an order of the Tribunal to upturn the election of Governor Abiodun, alleging that the election that brought him into office for the second time, was riddled with violence, irregularities and rigging.

In the final oral and written address through his counsel, Mr Chris Uche, SAN, Hon Ladi Adebutu who is not in the country at the moment, prayed the tribunal to grant all the reliefs, including the disqualification of Abiodun as a candidate in the March 18 election.

He also asked the tribunal to sack Abiodun and declare him as winner of the poll instead, declaring that heavens would not fall if the Governor was thrown out by the Tribunal.

He alleged non-compliance by INEC with the Electoral Act and corrupt practices by the governor and his All Progressives Congress(APC) during the election even as former lawmaker claimed the process was sabotaged by thugs who allegedly deployed violence in over 99 polling units to disenfranchise over 40,000 voters.

But countering in his written address through his counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Governor Dapo Abiodun urged the Tribunal to dismiss the petition filed by Adebutu and his party against his victory.

Also, in their separate submissions counsels to the 1st respondent (INEC), Mr Remi Olatubora (SAN), and the APC, Mr Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), told the tribunal that the petitioners failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Counsel to INEC, Olatubora, specifically asked the tribunal to dismiss the petition for absolutely lacking in merit and being a waste of the tribunal’s precious time.

He posited that the allegations of corrupt practices, non-compliance, multiple thumb printing of ballot papers, ballot stuffing, and forgery as alleged by Adebutu and his party were not proved beyond any reasonable doubt.

He also described the testimony of the witnesses brought by the petitioners as heresy, which is not admissible in law.

Counsel for Abiodun, Chief Wole Olanipekun, (SAN) in his final address, described Adebutu’s petition as a mere academic exercise.

Olanipekun submitted that the soul of the petition was not duly signed or stamped and, therefore, lacked merit to be adopted.

He urged the Tribunal to strike it out.

“The document is not signed, not dated, no heading, no title, no identity, no signature, no stamp. The CTC has no signature,” Olanipekun alleged.

However, in his counter-argument, Counsel to Adebutu, Chris Uche, SAN, told the tribunal that all documents presented by the petitioners were obtained from INEC.

He urged the tribunal to declare Adebutu the winner of the governorship election or, in the alternative, order a rerun of the election in 99 polling units where he alleged that there were disruptions.

Counsel to APC, Tayo Oyetubo, who spoke to reporters at the time of trial, said the respondents have presented a good case, even as he expressed confidence that the verdict would be in their favour.

However, The Nation’s bid to access the Court was prevented by a security operative who stated the newspaper was not listed to cover the court matters today.

He also pulled a list, showing that the media organisation was not authorised to cover it.

It is not yet clear how the list was generated.

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