Politics

Court Rejects EFCC’s Request To Arraign Yahaya Bello Without His Counsel, Adjourns To Dec 13

Published

5 months ago

November 29, 2024

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Court Rejects EFCC’s Request To Arraign Yahaya Bello Without His Counsel, Adjourns To Dec 13

•Ex-Gov to remain in custody

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, adjourned sitting on the alleged N80bn fraud charge against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to December 13, 2024
for the Motion for abridgment and possible arraignment.

Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the sitting in the interest of fair hearing, noting that the matter had been originally adjourned to January 21, 2025.

When the matter was called on Friday, the former Governor was asked why his lawyers were not in court. He said he was only informed of the sitting late Thursday night and so could not contact his lawyers to be at the court.

The EFCC Counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, insisted that the Defendant’s plea be taken.

“What the law requires is the presence of the Defendant, not the presence of his lawyers,” he argued. But the judge declined.

While delivering a short ruling, Justice Nwite said, “The matter came up on the 30th of October 2024. It was adjourned to 21st January 2025. From the statement of the Defendant, his Lawyers are not aware of today’s date. In the interest of fair hearing, I will not proceed for arraignment.

“The prosecution should serve the Defendant’s Lawyer with the application for abridgment of time while we come back to take that.

“This matter is peculiar. It is peculiar in the sense that we have already agreed on a date, which is in January…It will be unfair if the matter is taken without the defendant’s counsel. It would be a different thing if the defendant had no counsel,” the Judge said.

The Court suggested December 13, 2024 for the Motion for abridgment.

However, the EFCC counsel applied that the date be for Motion and possible arraignment and that the Court should order that the defendant should remain in EFCC custody till the 13th of December when he is to appear before the Court.

The judge agreed and so ordered.
He directed that hearing notices be issued and served on the defendant’s counsel, while the Defendant should remain in the EFCC’s custody till December 13.

Recall that at the last hearing on October 30, Justice Nwite had adjourned arraignment to January 21, 2025. But the EFCC had applied for the abridgment of the adjourned date initially fixed for arraignment.

The Defendant’s lawyers were, however, not put on notice.

Former governor Bello is already in EFCC custody over a fresh N110bn charge before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court.

The ruling on his bail application was adjourned to December 10, while he and his Co-Defendants were to remain in the Commission’s custody till that date.

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Politics

Bugaje Accuse APC of Using Money, EFCC Threats To Weaken PDP Through Defections

Published

2 days ago

April 25, 2025

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Bugaje Accuse APC of Using Money, EFCC Threats To Weaken PDP Through Defections—-Former member of the House of Representatives and ex-presidential adviser Dr. Usman Bugaje has accused Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), of systematically using money to induce defections from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking in an interview with Arise News, Bugaje claimed that the APC has been aggressively targeting opposition figures, leveraging both financial incentives and potential legal threats.

His words: “Well, for what I know—and I don’t claim to know everything—the APC is basically using money to buy off PDP.

“Some say it’s a carrot and stick approach. The money is the carrot. What’s the stick? Possibly the EFCC. They might do these kinds of things. This has been the practice since the time of President Obasanjo.”

Bugaje argued that the root cause of the ongoing wave of defections is money, warning that such practices pose a grave threat to Nigeria’s democratic system.

He said: “For me, this is a very serious issue. This should be the center of our political discourse. As long as money remains the determining factor, then that’s the end of democracy and the end of politics.”

His comments come in the wake of a major political shake-up in Delta State, where Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who was also the PDP’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, defected to the APC. They were joined by members of the National Assembly, State Assembly, and several local government chairmen.

Bugaje stated that he is skeptical about the PDP’s ability to function as an effective opposition.

“There has not been real opposition since the moment Nyesom Wike did what he did,” Bugaje said.

“The PDP missed its chance to be a viable opposition party. Just look at their conduct on major national issues—from emergency rule debates to budget discussions. They failed to act like an opposition,” he added.

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Atiku is the Messiah Nigeria needs, says Former Lagos PDP Chairman Aeroland

Published

2 days ago

April 25, 2025

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Atiku is the Messiah Nigeria needs, says Former Lagos PDP Chairman Aeroland

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Segun Adewale, says former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is the Messiah Nigeria needs now and he can fix the economy.

Adewale, a former Lagos State Chairman of the party, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos that no one should write off Abubakar politically or tell him to leave the PDP.

Recalls that some critics of Abubakar’s presidential ambition, including former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George and former Gov. Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State had advised the former vice president not to run on the PDP platform in 2027.

While George on Wednesday told Abubakar to immediately resign from the PDP over an alleged anti-party activities, Fayose said he would work against his presidential ambition, if he decided to contest in 2027.

Speaking, Adewale popularly known as Aeroland, said that no one should play God over the ambition of the former vice president.

“He (Abubakar) has been tested and tried as part of the few politicians with contentment, and he has never given up.

“He has been in power, he understands Nigerian politics. He knows our challenges compared to other politicians that just want to grab power to get wealth.

“Atiku is one of the politicians that I know that is satisfied with whatever he has. Most others politicians, like his critics, are gluttons.

“It is unfortunate that the unrelenting opposition that Atiku has is still in the PDP, his party, not even outside PDP,” Adewale said.

According to him, it is sad that members of the PDP are still the one vehemently opposing Abubakar’s planned coalition to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for PDP, and return the party to power.

“Anyone within PDP saying Atiku should not contest in 2027 is working for the opposition and not for the party or the country.

“They are working for personal pocket, therefore, should not be listening to. We must discard their opinions.

“All dissenting voices in our party are working for their stomach, not for Nigeria,” Adewale said.

He maintained that none of the opposition party could defeat the ruling party single-handedly, not even Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party.

Calling for a rejig in Nigeria’s electoral system to deepen democracy, Adewale claimed that he had been allegedly robbed of electoral victory severally in Lagos State owing to a flawed system.

“It is not about how smart we are, but about the system. It is not about how popular you are, it is about the system. We must join hands to correct this before 2027 polls.

According to him, Nigerians are tired of poor governance, calling for a change and breath of fresh air.

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