Ondo election tribunal strikes out NNPP’s petition against Senator-elect Ipinsigba

senatorial district, Pastor Jide Ipinsigba.

Buhari signs

NIPA, NSSE bills, six others

By Musa Baba Adamu

President Muhammadu

Buhari has assented to the National Social Investment Programme Agency, National Senior Secondary Education and six other Bills, passed by the National Assembly, in furtherance of the provisions of the Acts Authentication Act Cap. A2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The National Social Investment Programme Agency is established to assist and empower the poor and vulnerable in Nigeria. The objective of the Act is to provide a legal and institutional framework for the establishment and management of the National Social Investment in Nigeria.

The National Senior Secondary Education Act establishes a Commission, prescribes minimum standards for senior secondary education in Nigeria and the management of National Senior Secondary Education Fund.

The Chartered Institute of Power Engineers of Nigeria Act establishes the Chartered Institute of Power Engineers of Nigeria and is charged with the responsibility for determining the standard of knowledge and skill to be attained by persons seeking to become chartered power engineers.

The President also assented to the Federal University of Health Sciences Ila-Orangun (Establishment) Act, the Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare (Establishment) Act, the Chartered Institute of Development Studies and Administration of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (Establishment) Act, and the Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria Act, respectively.

Ruling on the case, Mrs Rose Soji, the chairman of the tribunal, said: “The motion on notice filed by the first petitioner, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), praying the tribunal to withdraw the petition is granted as prayed. The petition is hereby dismissed.”

Earlier, NNPP counsel, Mr Segun Ogodo, had applied to withdraw the case and told the tribunal of his client’s interest in discontinuing the petition.

“The party, which is the NNPP that I’m representing, has shown interest in withdrawing the petition against the respondents, Pastor Ipinsigba, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and INEC, and accordingly, the court has granted the application.

“The second petitioner, Mr Phillip Alonge, earlier on also brought an application to discontinue the petition, but he had no appearance in court today, and the petition literally appears to be abandoned.

“If the second petitioner does not appear in person in court at the next adjourned date, the court has the discretion to do what it likes, and it may strike out the petition,” he stated.

The respondent’s counsel, Mr Moradele Oke, said that he would not oppose the application.

“This should be the fourth proceeding that we would be appearing in. The first petitioner’s application has been granted, and the second petitioner has also filed an application to withdraw further presence in the case. The tribunal took a careful examination of the process and duly struck out the name of the first petitioner.

“The implication is that the petition subsists because the second petitioner is still on record and he has the liberty to be given a hearing,” he said. The tribunal, therefore, adjourned the case until May 24 for the continuation of the hearing on the second petition.

10th NASS leadership must

By Christiana Ekpa

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State chapter, has warned that the incoming leadership of the 10th National Assembly, NASS, should not be used as a divisive tool.

The Chairman of CAN, Kaduna State, Rev. John Hayab stated this in a statement on Monday in Kaduna.

Hayab said he had been following the developments in the leadership race for the 10th national assembly with dismay