The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Nasarawa State has nullified the election of Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress, and declared PDP’s David Ombugadu as the winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election in the state.

Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, the tribunal’s chairman, delivered the verdict virtually and proclaimed Ombugadu of the PDP to be the legitimately elected governor of Nasarawa State.

Sule had been taken to court by Ombugadu to contest the Independent National Electoral Commission’s determination that he had won the election.

He claimed to the tribunal that, notably in the forms EC8B of Gayam and Chiroma Wards of Lafia Local Government Area, his actual votes had been unfairly lowered while Abdullahi Sule’s APC votes had been inflated to help Sule win. The tribunal held that the petitioners duly proved their petition.

The tribunal in its decision deducted the incorrect votes added to Sule and accordingly added back the votes which were reduced from the overall votes of David Ombugadu as evident on the certified copies of the polling units results (forms EC8A) tendered by the Petitioners.

The tribunal added that throughout the trial, the first, second, and third respondents did not present any sets of forms EC8A in opposition.

In the end, the tribunal determined that the petition had validity and as a result, granted the petitioners’ requests for relief.

The tribunal, therefore, ordered that the certificate of return issued to Alhaji Sule of the APC be withdrawn and issued to Dr. David Emmanuel Ombugadu as the validly elected governor of Nasarawa State.

ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR, PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 63RD INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY OF NIGERIA ON SUNDAY, 1ST OCTOBER, 2023

It is my unique honour to address you on this day, the 63rd anniversary of our nation’s independence, both as the President of our dear country and, simply, as a fellow Nigerian.

On this solemn yet hopeful day, let us commend our founding fathers and mothers. Without them, there would be no modern Nigeria. From the fading embers of colonialism, their activism, dedication and leadership gave life to the belief in Nigeria as a sovereign and independent nation.

Let us, at this very moment, affirm that as Nigerians, we are all endowed with the sacred rights and individual gifts that God has bestowed on us as a nation and as human beings. No one is greater or lesser than the other. The triumphs that Nigeria has achieved shall define us. The travails we have endured shall strengthen us. And no other nation or power on this earth shall keep us from our rightful place and destiny. This nation belongs to you, dear people. Love and cherish it as your very own.

Nigeria is remarkable in its formation and essential character. We are a broad and dynamic blend of ethnic groups, religions, traditions and cultures. Yet, our bonds are intangible yet strong, invisible yet universal. We are joined by a common thirst for peace and progress, by the common dream of prosperity and harmony and by the unifying ideals of tolerance and justice.

Forging a nation based on the fair application of these noble principles to a diverse population has been a task of significant blessing but also serial challenge. Some people have said an independent Nigeria should never have come into existence. Some have said that our country would be torn apart. They are forever mistaken. Here, our nation stands and here we shall remain.

This year, we passed a significant milestone in our journey to a better Nigeria. By democratically electing a 7th consecutive civilian government, Nigeria has proven that commitment to democracy and the rule of law remains our guiding light.

At my inauguration, I made important promises about how I would govern this great nation. Among those promises, were pledges to reshape and modernize our economy and to secure the lives, liberty and property of the people.

I said that bold reforms were necessary to place our nation on the path of prosperity and growth. On that occasion, I announced the end of the fuel subsidy.

I am attuned to the hardships that have come. I have a heart that feels and eyes that see. I wish to explain to you why we must endure this trying moment. Those who sought to perpetuate the fuel subsidy and broken foreign exchange policies are people who would build their family mansion in the middle of a swamp. I am different. I am not a man to erect our national home on a foundation of mud. To endure, our home must be constructed on safe and pleasant ground.

 

Reform may be painful, but it is what greatness and the future require. We now carry the costs of reaching a future Nigeria where the abundance and fruits of the nation are fairly shared among all, not hoarded by a select and greedy few. A Nigeria where hunger, poverty and hardship are pushed into the shadows of an ever fading past.

There is no joy in seeing the people of this nation shoulder burdens that should have been shed years ago. I wish today’s difficulties did not exist. But we must endure if we are to reach the good side of our future.

My government is doing all that it can to ease the load. I will now outline the path we are taking to relieve the stress on our families and households.

We have embarked on several public sector reforms to stabilize the economy, direct fiscal and monetary policy to fight inflation, encourage production, ensure the security of lives and property and lend more support to the poor and the vulnerable.

Based on our talks with labour, business and other stakeholders, we are introducing a provisional wage increment to enhance the federal minimum wage without causing undue inflation. For the next six months, the average low-grade worker shall receive an additional Twenty-Five Thousand naira per month.

To ensure better grassroots development, we set up an Infrastructure Support Fund for states to invest in critical areas. States have already received funds to provide relief packages against the impact of rising food and other prices.

Making the economy more robust by lowering transport costs will be key. In this regard, we have opened a new chapter in public transportation through the deployment of cheaper, safer Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses across the nation. These buses will operate at a fraction of current fuel prices, positively affecting transport fares.

New CNG conversions kits will start coming in very soon as all hands are on deck to fast track the usually lengthy procurement process. We are also setting up training facilities and workshops across the nation to train and provide new opportunities for transport operators and entrepreneurs. This is a groundbreaking moment where, as a nation, we embrace more efficient means to power our economy. In making this change, we also make history.

I pledged a thorough housecleaning of the den of malfeasance the CBN had become. That housecleaning is well underway. A new leadership for the Central Bank has been constituted. Also, my special investigator will soon present his findings on past lapses and how to prevent similar reoccurrences. Henceforth, monetary policy shall be for the benefit of all and not the exclusive province of the powerful and wealthy.

Wise tax policy is essential to economic fairness and development. I have inaugurated a Committee on Tax Reforms to improve the efficiency of tax administration in the country and address fiscal policies that are unfair or hinder the business environment and slow our growth.

To boost employment and urban incomes, we are providing investment funding for enterprises with great potential. Similarly, we are increasing investment in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Commencing this month, the social safety net is being extended through the expansion of cash transfer programs to an additional 15 million vulnerable households.

My administration shall always accord the highest priority to the safety of the people. Inter-Service collaboration and intelligence sharing have been enhanced. Our Service Chiefs have been tasked with the vital responsibility of rebuilding the capacities of our security services.

Here, I salute and commend our gallant security forces for keeping us safe and securing our territorial integrity. Many have paid the ultimate sacrifice. We remember them today and their families. We shall equip our forces with the ways and means needed to perform their urgent task on behalf of the people.

We shall continue to make key appointments in line with the provisions of the Constitution and with fairness toward all. Women, Youth and the physically challenged shall continue to be given due regard in these appointments.

May I take this opportunity to congratulate the National Assembly for its role in the quick take-off of this administration through the performance of its constitutional duties of confirmation and oversight.

I similarly congratulate the judiciary as a pillar of democracy and fairness.

I also thank members of our dynamic civil society organizations and labour unions for their dedication to Nigerian democracy. We may not always agree but I value your advice and recommendations. You are my brothers and sisters and you have my due respect.

Fellow compatriots, the journey ahead will not be navigated by fear or hatred. We can only achieve our better Nigeria through courage, compassion and commitment as one indivisible unit.

I promise that I shall remain committed and serve faithfully. I also invite all to join this enterprise to remake our beloved nation into its better self. We can do it. We must do it. We shall do it.!!!

I wish you all a happy 63rd Independence Anniversary.

Thank you for listening.

May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Federal Government team and organized labor are currently in a meeting in the Chief of Staff Conference Room at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The purpose of the meeting is to inform the government team of the resolutions made by the organs of the two labor centers regarding the laborers’ offers and concessions made by the government.

After the meeting yesterday, the leaderships of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, of Nigeria, agreed to take the new government offer to their various organs for consideration in order to call off the proposed October 3 strike

Recall that President Bola Tinubu had on Sunday evening succumbed to the N35, 000, Provisional wage increment demand by labour after his initial N25, 000 approval for the average low grade worker to run for six months was rejected.

Instead, labour insisted that the provisional wage increment should be across board and run till a new minimum wage expected to be negotiated next year is put in place.

A statement issued by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris explained that some of the resolutions reached at the Sunday meeting were that, “the issues in dispute can only be resolved when workers are at work and not when they are on strike.

“Labor Unions lobbied for a greater salary award, and the Federal Government Team committed to bringing President Bola Tinubu’s attention to their proposal.

“A sub-committee to be constituted to work out the details of implementation of all items for consideration regarding government interventions to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.
“The lingering matter of Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos State needs to be addressed urgently and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who participated virtually, pledged to resolve the matter.

The statement read, “NLC and TUC will consider the offers by the Federal Government with a view to postponing the planned strike to allow for further consultations on implementing the resolutions above.”

In attendance are the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo, the NLC General Secretary, Emma Ugbaja, and the TUC Secretary General, Nuhu Toro, among other members of the organized labor force.

The Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejecha, the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, make up the government team.