Supreme Court sacks lawmaker over defection

The Supreme Court on Friday, April 14, ordered an Ondo State lawmaker, Ifedayo Abegunde, representing Akure South/North Federal Constituency, to vacate his seat following his defection from Labour Party (LP) to the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

A Seven-man panel of Justices of the court, headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, declared that Abegunde is not fit to remain at the legislative house, noting that the lawmaker acted illegally by abandoning the party that sponsored his election.

It said that the lawmaker’s defection to another party would have been justified if there was a division in the national structures of the LP, such that is capable of impeding the smooth operation of the party.

The Supreme Court stated that the “division” or “factionalisation” of Labour Party, which was cited by the lawmaker as his excuse for abandoning the party, was only at the state level.

Abegunde was elected into the parliament on the platform of the ruling Labour Party (LP) in the April 2011 general elections, but defected to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) after a few months in the House.

Labour Party subsequently began a recall process against him and approached the court to sack the decampee lawmaker in order for the party to reclaim his seat.

The lawmaker also filed a counter motion seeking judicial protection against his recall by the Ondo State House of Assembly.

No Apologies For Voting PDP –Ibaji Leader

The Special Adviser (Political) to former governor Ibrahim Idris of Kogi State Mr. Fidel Egwuche has said that the people of Ibaji Local Government Area of the state will vote the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over and over again because the party had shown care for them. Egwuche who was speaking on “Why did Ibaji go the way they went” in an interview with THE UNION on Wednesday in Lokoja said Ibaji had no choice than to vote PDP in the just concluded Presidential/National Assembly and Governorship/ State Assembly elections.

He said that a former governor of the state had told the people that he did not give them an ambulance because they had no roads for the ambulance to ply. He said that the PDP under governor Ibrahim Idris constructed a 30-kilometer road from Idah into Ibaji and built three cottage hospitals with resident doctors aside other school projects. Governor Idris Wada, also of the PDP Connected Onyedega, headquarters of Ibaji Local Government to the national grid and the area now had electricity, he added.

Egwuche, a former Niger State correspondent of NAN and former Permanent Secretary, Land and Survey as well as the first Sole Administrator of Ibaji LG said “We voted PDP because PDP recognized our people.” He said that the greatest problem of Ibaji people was roads saying that the people were blessed with natural resources and did not lack food but lacked basic social amenities and access roads to bring out their farm produce.

Talking about the political change sweeping through the country, Egwuche said: “The change you look for is the change that will better your life. We don’t change for changing sake. Change is not sacrosanct. “Any government that gives us road, we will vote for that 20 times over”, he said adding that credible candidates be voted into power as most political parties in the country were ideologically baseless.

PDP accuses INEC of fraud, pulls out of rescheduled election

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday, April 17, said the party is not participating in the April 18 House of Assembly election in Orhionmwon II.

The party alleges that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has manipulated the whole process to favour the All Progressives Congress (APC).

INEC had rescheduled the exercise in 12 polling units, in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of the state, especially in Ukpato, Ugu and Evboesi.

The PDP Chairman in the council, Nosakhare Ogieva-Okunbor said; ”considering the flagrant and gross abuse of electoral process that have trailed the elections conducted so far, we have resolved to pull out of the election.

“INEC has manipulated the whole process. Results that are favourable to us from the previous election were rejected while those favourable to the APC were accepted.”

The PDP candidate in the election, Friday Ogieriakhi, said it would be futile to take in the election as major complaints tendered by the PDP to INEC had been rejected.

“We will not dignify the fraud that is being perpetrated by INEC. We will challenge the result of the election in court and reclaim our mandate,” he said.

S/Africa calls for diplomatic support to end violence

South Africa on Friday, April 17, sought diplomatic support from countries across the continent to tackle the ongoing anti-immigrant violence in the country.

This was as a result of series of complaints by foreign nationals that the South African police are failing to protect them.

They said the crisis was stirring hostility to South Africans working abroad.

South African Foreign Minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, told a reporter after the African diplomatic meeting in Pretoria, that there is urgent need to nip the crisis in the bud.

"We believe that working together, we can defeat this demon," she said.

Malawian Information Minister, Kondwani Nankhumwa, said on Friday that government has hired buses to repatriate 500 of its nationals from South Africa.

He urged South Africa to provide greater protection for immigrants, echoing demands from China and the African Union.

Kenya and some other African governments have also offered to evacuate any of their citizens who feel threatened.

Chadian Ambassador, Mahamoud Adam-Bachir, said the Pretoria meeting had helped to alleviate some safety concerns.

"It went better than expected, we were assured of the security of our nationals," he said.

The Foreign Ministry of China, a major trade partner of South Africa, said Chinese-run shops have been damaged in Johannesburg. The Chinese consulate said it has lodged a protest with the police and asked that they ensure the safety of Chinese people.

Kenya to evacuate citizens in South Africa

Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Amina Mohamed, said on Friday, April 17 in Nairobi, that Kenya will evacuate its nationals from South Africa as xenophobic violence increases.

She said that though there are no Kenyan casualties in the uproar in South Africa, government is planning to evacuate those it can get hold of.

Mohamed said the evacuation has become necessary because of the fear that the attacks may spread across the country.

According to her, this measure will be taken after a new spate of violence has left at least five people killed in the eastern port city of Durban.

Some foreign-owned shops in Johannesburg's downtown area have reportedly shut this week amid fears, with the police maintaining a heavy presence in the city.

Mohamed said some Kenyans living in the affected regions, mostly business people, have moved to temporary camps provided for victims, but not in large numbers.

She said the Kenyan Mission in South Africa is ready to offer assistance to any Kenyan national who may be adversely affected.

Victims of Xenophonic attacks housed at police stations

Following series of Xenophobic attack that has left over a thousand immigrants homeless in South Africa and several dead, many have taken refuge at the South African police stations in Durban.

According to the South African police, angry locals in the eastern port city of Durban carrying out these attacks have vowed to push the immigrants out.

A Nigerian PHD holder has been rumoured dead, but according to Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner, Ambassador Martin Cobham, there is no record of a dead Nigerian so far.

A high crime rate and a lack of jobs among other things have been blamed on foreigners by some indigenes.

President rejects constitutional amendments

President Goodluck Jonathan has rejected the amendments made to the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly, according to reports.

The President is said to have rejected the changes because they did not comply with the provisions of Section 9 (3) of the Constitution.

News of the rejection was disclosed to Punch by a senior government official who chose to remain anonymous.

“The President has vetoed the constitution amendment and he has sent it back to the National Assembly,” the source said.

“The amendment did not meet the provision of Section 9 (3) of the constitution which talks about the need for four fifth of the National Assembly to agree with the amendment,” he added.

Jonathan is said to have rejected the document on Monday, April 13, 2015 and returned it to the Assembly.

The amendment and a letter accompanying will expectedly be read on the floors of the Senate and the House of Representatives any time from Wednesday, April 14.

Section 9 (3) of the Constitution reads:

“An Act of the National Assembly for the purpose of altering the provisions of this section, section 8 or Chapter IV of this Constitution shall not be passed by either House of the National Assembly unless the proposal is approved by the votes of not less than four-fifths majority of all the members of each House, and also approved by resolution of the House of Assembly of not less than two-third of all states.”

The rejected amendment seeks to approve the separation of the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation from that of Minister of Justice.

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