***Says Media Trial Tantamount To Disregard For Rule Of Law

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
A Legal Practitioner and former Spokesman to Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar
Daniel Bwala has faulted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over what he termed Disregard for Rule of Law and Media Trial of former governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi.

Bwala who made the remarks while fielding questions from newsmen in an interview on Wednesday bared his mind on the judicial relevance of the utterances of Ola Olukoyede, EFCC Chairman, at his Tuesday press conference.

The EFCC is seeking to arrest, detain and prosecute former governor Yahaya Bello over sundry allegations bordering financial fraud amounting to over N80.2 billion.

The Lawyer and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria said, “What he did and everything he said during the news conference has no consequential effect in the court of law, even if the media go out and conclude that Yahaya Bello has committed those crimes.

“The EFCC chairman knows that in criminal trial, the prosecution has the burden of proof to prove the element of the offenses in the charge.

“The standard of proof is beyond reasonable doubt. And what you need to establish that are cogent and compelling evidence should be done in the courtroom.

“That is the very reason why people can conclude by his media briefing that he actually does not want to prosecute the Yahaya Bello.

“Again,by what he did yesterday, he has given materials to Bello to use against him in the court of law.

“We don’t even want to bring the politics of it. Bello can come out and say, since he has called me personally, then | want to tell the world that he has actually asked me for money.”

According to Bwala, Bello is still at large and yet to present himself on grounds that he has a Kogi High Court Injunction restraining the EFCC from persecuting or charging or arresting him.

He said that the Federal High Court on Tuesday had fixed May 20, to rule on the argument of the bench warrant of arrest issued to EFCC on Bello .

“The import of what transpired in court based on this fact now is that it is superfluous for EFCC to be looking for Yahaya Bello. EFCC is just to wait and come that day to hear the ruling .

“If it does not, then Bello, on that day, in any case, will appear before the court and now be arraigned before the court.

“Now, what it means is that any day after that yesterday, any effort by EFCC to attempt to arrest the Bello will amount to violating the due process of law.

“This is because where parties have submitted to the jurisdiction of the court, they have to allow the court to run proceedings, and therefore they cannot run the proceedings for the court.

“These are matters of law. These are matters that at least new entrants in the legal department of EFCC ought to know. So the question now is, what is EFCC trying to achieve?

“I gave a good example. Yahaya Bello has an order that has not been set aside. The order says that he should not be arrested, he should not be prosecuted. The EFCC does not believe that that order should be sustained.

“The EFCC challenged that order. That challenge has not been determined by court. Now, attempting to arrest him when that has not been determined is violation of the rule of law.

“They also have another order to arrest him. And that order to arrest him has now been brought before a court in which counter-argument was made and court adjourned for ruling. What is the import of that? So you have coalition of judicial voices.

“And these courts that have given the various orders are courts of coordinated jurisdiction, which each other’s decision does not bind the other. So we are not even going into the administration of the federal high court as to how do you deal with this kind of conflicting order.

“All these orders are valid and subsisting until they are set aside. But you see, all of them have been overtaken by event because before this court, it has been adjourned for ruling, ” Bwala said. (Ends)

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has clinched the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket as the candidate of the party for the forthcoming November 16 governorship election in the state by sefeating fifteen other aspirants in a landslide victory

The Chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee and Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, made the declaration on Monday morning in Akure, the state capital.

Ododo said Aiyedatiwa clinched the APC ticket with a total of 48,569 votes followed by his closest rival, Mayowa Akinfolarin, who trailed behind with 15,343 votes, while Chief Olusola Oke secured the third position with 14,865 votes.

Below is a breakdown of the final results of the election.

Total number of voters – 117922

Total number of accredited voters – 95,178

Total votes cast – 95178

Invalid – Nil

Jimi Odimayo – 490

Omogoroye Judith – 115

Lucky Aiyedatiwa – 48,569

Isaacs Kekemeke – 1045

Soji Ehinlanwo – 492

Olugbenga Edema – 395

Jimoh lbrahim – 9456

Adekojo Funmilayo – 529

Akinfolarin Samuel – – 15343

Wale Akinterinwa – 1952

Olusola Oke – 14,915

Olamide Ohunyeye – 424

Morayo Lebi – 290

Diran lyantan – 348

Prof Dayo Faduyile – 353

Ife Oyedele – 462

1: Ilaje LG

Lucky Aiyedatiwa 2,485

Wale Akinterinwa. 26

Olusola Oke. 2,511

Jimoh Ibrahim 589

2: Ile Oluji/Okeigbo

Jimoh Ibrahim: 282

AIYEDATIWA: 1225

WA: 474

3: Ondo West LG

Jimoh Ibrahim: 2668

Aiyedatiwa: 10610

4: Ese Odo LG

Aiyedatiwa – 298

Akinterinwa – 0

Oke – 147

Jimoh Ibrahim – 174

5: Owo LG

Aiyedatiwa – 2,123

Akinterinwa – 345

Oke – 225

Jimoh Ibrahim – 192

6: Idanre LG

Aiyedatiwa – 1, 579

Akinterinwa – 119

Oke – 225

Jimoh Ibrahim – 120

7: AKOKO NORTH EAST LG

Aiyedatiwa 1, 664

Akinterinwa 135

Oke 138

Jimoh Ibrahim 505

8: AKOKO NORTH WEST LG

Aiyedatiwa 5, 430

Akinterinwa 198

Oke 2, 721

Jimoh Ibrahim 728

9: AKOKO SOUTH EAST LG

Aiyedatiwa 2, 533

Akinterinwa 43

Oke 391

Jimoh Ibrahim 67

10: AKOKO SOUTH WEST LG

Aiyedatiwa – 2, 747

Akinterinwa – 272

Oke – 415

Jimoh Ibrahim – 466

11: No results for IFEDORE LGA due to alleged violence

12: OSE LGA

Aiyedatiwa 1, 091

Akinterinwa 39

Oke 800

Jimoh Ibrahim 267

13: IRELE LG

Aiyedatiwa 1, 203

Akinterinwa 15

Oke 93

Jimoh Ibrahim 139

14: ODIGBO LG

Aiyedatiwa 2, 631

Akinterinwa 114

Oke 138

Jimoh Ibrahim 845

15: AKURE NORTH LG

Aiyedatiwa 2, 860

Akinterinwa 177

Oke 1, 239

Jimoh Ibrahim 1, 606

16: AKURE SOUTH LG

Aiyedatiwa 3, 265

Akinterinwa 86

Oke 328

Jimoh Ibrahim 294

17 OKITIPUPA LG

Aiyedatiwa 1, 622

Akinterinwa 27

Oke 1, 571

Jimoh Ibrahim 109

18: ONDO EAST LG

Aiyedatiwa 4, 803

Akinterinwa 141

Oke 1, 171

Jimoh Ibrahim 406

Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State and chairman of the Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election committee has applauded stakeholders and members of the party in the state for their orderly conduct and massive turnout during the direct primary election in the state.
Special Adviser on Media to the Governor Ismaila Isah in a statement quoted the Governor to have given the commendation while receiving reports from members of the APC Governorship Primary Election committee, security agencies and other stakeholders who monitored the conduct of the election in different parts of the 18 local government areas in the state.

According to the Governor

“I have received reports from our committee members and security agencies as well as NGOs monitoring the election including video footages and I can say that the process has been transparent and we are going to produce a candidate that will unify the APC ahead of the November, 2024 governorship election in the state.”

Responding to questions over delay in arrival of materials in some wards and local government areas, Governor Ododo said he was certain that the delay has no adverse effect on the conduct of the primary election.

The Kogi State Governor also expressed confidence that concerns noticed in the revalidated membership list would not have any major impact on the outcome of the primary election, stressing that the committee is well guided by the APC guidelines for the nomination of candidates for general elections and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

Governor Ododo called on the aspirants and their supporters to see the primary election as a contest among brothers and sisters in one family seeking to make the family better as candidate of the party in the November, 2024 Governorship election in Ondo State.