The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the summit, which focused on Western Nigeria, was organised by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) in collaboration with the six governors.

The governors are Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state, Dr Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun and the host governor, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

In his address of welcome, Makinde argued that a regional approach to resolving the security challenges facing the South West states was important.

According to him, the South West states are interlinked and the challenges of one state could easily become the challenges of the entire zone.

He said some states were close to international borders, increasing the threat that the zone was collectively facing.

The governor described the problem of insecurity in the zone as ” a snake on the roof and we cannot ignore it and go to sleep.”

Makinde decried the rising spate of kidnappings and the growing tension between farmers and herdsmen in the zone.

He was, however, optimistic that deliberations at the summit wouldl ”throw up tailor-made solutions that can be applied to the states of the South West.”

”As a group on this side of the Niger, we have always had more things that unite us than those that divide us.

”We have always held our doors open and been welcoming of strangers and want things to continue like this because the diversity in our states is an ingredient for economic development.

”We shall not allow the actions of miscreants and enemies of unity to make us change who we are.

”As governors, it is our responsibility to ensure that everyone in our midst, indigene or alien, is assured of security of life and property.

”We know that there are barriers preventing us from carrying out this constitutional responsibility to the fullest measure.

”One of those barriers is the fact that we do not control the security apparatuses in our states.

”It is my belief that at the end of our deliberations, we would have come up with arguments that we are in support of state police,” Makinde stated.

In his keynote address, Gov Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, noted that insecurity had became a major issue in the polity.

Akeredolu, who is the chairman of the South West Governors Forum, said that the security of life and property of citizens should not be compromised.

He urged other governors in the zone to be proactive in tackling the current security issues, saying adoption of a scientific approach would bear far-reaching effects.

Akeredolu said Ondo had adopted a holistic and integrated strategy to manage security risk.

He urged the governors in the zone to ensure that their strategies were harmonised to achieve a common purpose, stressing that the respective states could not work in isolation.

”We must cast aside all partisan considerations in the interest of our people.

”Our ultimate aim must be the socio economic integration of the region which reflects our collective aspirations for a peaceful and prosperous environment,” he said.

Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti in his remarks said that the advocacy for state police was not in opposition to a federal police.

Fayemi, who is also the chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, said there was need for state police to complement the work of the federal police.

He noted that the security challenges were not peculiar to the zone alone but a national problem.

Gov Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun said the summit was a call to duty for the governors to secure the region.

The trio said that the priority of the governors was to make every nook and cranny of the region safe for its people.

The governors assured the people of the zone that the issue of insecurity would soon be tackled.

A Deputy Inspector General of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, who represented the Acting Inspector General of Police, Adamu Idris, said there was no nation that was isolated from crime and

He said: ”We are now more conscious of the imperative of collaboration, the indispensability of common front to fight our common enemies who make lives miserable by their nefarious activities.

”Governors are central and their enviable roles pivotal to security of their states, the people are also cardinal in the overall security architecture.

”This is why everyone who desires peace and adequate protection must establish with the police and other relevant security agencies a symbiotic relationship that will foster or engender the much desired peace and tranquility in our various communities,” he said.

Lakanu gave an assurance that the police had put in place frameworks that would facilitate the strengthening of Operation Puff Adder and ensure the sustenance of its gains.

”These include plans directed at re-organising and re-launching the safer highway and Safer City Models of Policing which will entail the acquisition of new fleet of vehicles that will be deployed to dominate the public space as well as the emplacement of CCTV’, ” he said.

The post South West governors meet in Ibadan, pledge to tackle security challenges appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Adeleke’s lead counsel, Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), said his team had received the hearing notice in respect of today’s proceedings.

The appellants are by their appeal challenging the May 9, 2019 majority judgment of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal which affirmed Oyetola’s victory at the September 2018 poll.

By a split decision of two to one, the three-man tribunal had in its verdict delivered on March 22, 2019 nullified the election of Oyetola and his party and declared Adeleke and his Peoples Democratic Party, as the true winner.

But on May 9, 2019, the Court of Appeal, in a four to one split decision of its five-man panel led by Justice Jummai Sankey, nullified the majority verdict of the tribunal.

Justice Sankey along with three other members of the panel, Justices Abubakar Yahaya, Isaiah Akeju and Bitrus Sanga, adopted the majority judgments on the three appeals which went in favour of the APC and its candidate.

But another member of the panel, Justice George Mbaba, dissented from the majority judgments in the three appeals.

Justice Mbaba went on to dismiss the three appeals filed by Oyetola, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission and upheld the majority judgment of the tribunal which declared Adeleke and the PDP as the true winner.

Both the PDP and Adeleke appealed to the Supreme Court against the majority decision of the Court of Appeal.

The post Osun governorship poll: Supreme Court hears Adeleke, PDP’s appeal today appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Others who prayed the court to return Oyetola as governor includes the APC, and Oyetola himself.

Counsel to the parties made the unanimous call while adopting their written addresses before a five-man panel of justices of the court led by Justice Hannatu Sankey.

The other justices are Abubakar Yahaya, Isaiah Akeju and Bitrus Sanga.

The Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal on March 22 declared Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the duly-elected governor of the state.

The tribunal held that the re-run election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC was unconstitutional.

It therefore directed INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return earlier issued to Oyetola and issue same to Adeleke.

Yusuf Ali, SAN, Counsel to INEC while adopting his address, however argued that the decision of the lower tribunal was made in error.

Ali submitted that the respondents’ argument that the commission failed to conduct proper accreditation and deliberately voided votes to favour Oyetola was a figment of imagination.

He said the Adeleke and the PDP failed to prove over-voting in the election, adding that the results from both the Sept.22 and Sept. 27, 2018 were true reflection of the exercise.

He however, explained that the anomalies in the recording of votes in columns of form EC8A were not substantial enough to sway the election in Adeleke’s favour.

Ali submitted that the commission fully complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution as amended in the conduct of the election.

On his part, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, Counsel to Oyetola, averred that Adeleke’s return by the majority decision of the tribunal was done in error.

He explained that Justice Peter Obiora, who delivered the lead judgment was not diligent in his attendance of the proceedings.

Olanipekun submitted that the judge was particularly absented himself on April 6 proceeding but went ahead to make references to the proceedings of that day.

He said the validity of the decision was called to question as the Justice Obiora failed to sign it.

“My Lord, we were in court on April 6 and we can testify that Justice Peter Obiora was not part of the panel that day, but we were surprised that he made allusion to the proceedings he never experienced in the judgment.

“We can also see from the judgment heading that his name was listed as part of the panel but he clearly did not sign his portion on the document.

“My Lords, we implore you to discountenance the decision and set it aside. We also pray the court to return Oyetola as the duly elected governor of Osun’’, he said.

On the whether the respondents proved over-voting, Olanipekun submitted that they only dumped the Voter Register on the tribunal without linking all the variables that could prove over voting.

Also, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN) Counsel to the APC aligned himself with the arguments canvassed by both Olanipekun and Ali.

Olujimi argued further that the respondents had merely drew inferences and not evidential matters that could sustain the tribunal’s decision, adding that the appeal should be upheld.

However, Dr Oyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), Counsel to both Adeleke and PDP urged that court to dismiss the submission advanced by the counsel to the appellants, adding that the cancellation of the Sept.22, 2018 governorship was unconstitutional.

Ikpeazu submitted that the Electoral Act did not empower INEC to willingly cancel election when a winner had clearly emerged.

He explained that the cancellation which was done by the collation officer rather than the presiding officer was indicative of how deep the electoral body went to thwart the process in favour of the APC candidate.

He also said that the respondents were able to prove over voting at the lower tribunal, adding that the supplementary election conducted in 70 polling units on Sept.27 was marred by violence and malpractices.

“Our contention has always been the non-declaration of Adeleke after he was clearly in the lead and it was resounding that the tribunal eventually right the wrong’’, he said.

He further INEC was unable to defend the entire process that it handled, adding that vital sensitive forms that should guarantee transparency of the process were not entered by the electoral body.

A total of three appeals and one cross appeal were treated by the court.

Justice Sankey went ahead to reserve judgment on the appeals after counsel to parties adopted all their addresses.

The post Court of Appeal urged to return Oyetola as Osun governor appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.