Nigerian singer turned politician, Olubankole Wellington, popularly known as Banky W, has lost the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency seat to his opponent from the Labour Party (LP).
Mr Wellington who prior to the elections was optimistic of beating his opponents hands down sadly secured 18,666 of total votes cast while Thaddeus Attah amassed 24,075 of the votes.
Also, the third contender in the fiercely contested elections, Mr Babajide Obanikoro of the APC, had 16, 901 votes.
This is the second time Banky W contested in the Nigerian elections.
His first attempt was in 2019 when after he announced his decision to run for the House of Representatives seat back in November 2018.
Incidents of thugs looting and vandalising ballot boxes were recorded during the elections
In the 2019 elections, he contested the House of Representatives seat under the Modern Democratic Party (MDP) but lost to Ibrahim Obanikoro of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The music star announced that he would be running for the seat again in April 2022, on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Meanwhile, counting is still underway in the just-ended General Elections in Nigeria.
Turnout appears to be high, especially among young people who make up about a third of the 87 million eligible voters.
The election has seen an unprecedented challenge to the two-party system that has dominated Nigeria for 24 years.
The candidates comprise Peter Obi from the previously little known Labour Party, Mr Tinubu from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and 15 others.
So far official results from the south-western Ekiti state show a clear victory for ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu in one of his strongholds.
In anticipation of the February 25, 2023 presidential elections, Chatham House, a significant policy institute and think-tank forum, has invited Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) to speak about his ideas for Nigerians.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, is anticipated to attend the event in London, United Kingdom, on January 16, 2023. This gathering and its associated products are just one of many that focus on the 2023 elections in Nigeria.
On December 5, 2022, Bola Tinubu, an All Progressives Congress (APC) rival of Obi’s, gave a speech at Chatham House in London where he discussed some of his ideas for crucial areas like technology, education, the military, and the economy.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu
As part of the event, which drew harsh criticism, Tinubu also assigned some of his loyalists, including governors and MPs now in office, to respond to questions from attendees.
Obi, Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are the leading candidates in the 2023 presidential race.
One woman is running for president of Nigeria out of the 18 candidates, but experts says she has no chance of winning, and neither do the other 13 contestants.
According to the majority of analysts, only four candidates; Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), have a chance of winning or influencing the outcome of the presidential election in February 2019.
Peter Obi is the youngest of the four at 61 years old, despite the call for leaders from a younger age. They are all familiar with one another and with Nigerian politics.
It is unusual for Nigerian presidential candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu to speak directly to the media.
Aides answered all of the press questions at a recent high-profile event in London.
Perhaps frustrating for those in attendance, but even more so for Nigerians eager for answers ahead of the February election, not just on the key policy concerns of insecurity and unemployment, but also on how Mr Tinubu amassed his personal wealth.
Finally, he has broken his silence and agreed to a BBC interview.
I asked him how a Tinubu presidency would differ from the current Buhari presidency, given that they both belong to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mr Buhari has “done his best”, says Mr Tinubu.
“I am different. I am Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I have governed Lagos. I’ve built a modern state that could be a country on its own. I have led an administration that’s so prudent.”
Despite being credited with reshaping Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, the question of his personal wealth – and the source of it – is a big point of contention for Nigerians.
If you’re visiting the wealthy suburb of Ikoyi in Lagos, you can’t fail to notice Mr Tinubu’s enormous mansion.
What’s being claimed is that he has benefitted from the state since leaving office as governor in 2007. He told me that those allegations are unproven.
“The West is yet to feel comfortable enough with a Buhari administration to sell us the arms and technology necessary. We have to look at alternatives – the mass recruitment of individuals in the volunteer army to really clean up the system.”
By that he means beefed-up military and security forces.
And if he had to choose one of the two other main candidates, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who is standing for the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Labour Party’s Peter Obi, popular among young Nigerians, who would it be?
He makes it plain – he feels neither are up to the job.
“They are not as competent as any other person out there. They have no track record. None of them is qualified except me.”
The final decision, of course, will be up to Nigerians.
Bola Tinubu, a two-time governor of Lagos state who is running for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February elections, has avoided the Nigerian media since winning the party’s ticket, instead delegating spokespeople to speak on his behalf.
In addition, in the run-up to the elections, he avoided presidential debates and town hall meetings with other candidates.
As a result, many people who tuned in to Mr Tinubu’s highly publicised appearance in London had high hopes of hearing him answer key policy questions.
How would he deal with widespread insecurity in Nigeria? How would he solve the country’s huge unemployment rate? How would he stop oil theft in the Niger Delta?
Thankfully, these questions were asked by journalists inside the packed hall but many were stunned as Mr Tinubu elected aides to respond on his behalf, a departure from the norm at the institute popular with those seeking elective offices in Nigeria.
A spokesman for the candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described it as “an abdication of responsibility” while many others said it confirmed Mr Tinubu’s lack of physical and mental rigour to lead Africa’s most populous country.
But Dele Alake, his media adviser – who answered a question on his behalf at the event – said those criticising Mr Tinubu “are ignorant of the nuance and dynamics of leadership”.
“He wanted to show the calibre of his team,” he said.
The APC candidate did take some questions though, speaking publicly for the first time on controversies surrounding his age and work profile.
He confirmed he was 70 sayinghe was born in March 1952 – there had previously been a lot of speculation about his age.
He also said that he had been schooled at Chicago State University and later worked at financial consultancy firm Deloitte, both facts have been greatly disputed in the past.
Mr Tinubu is one of three frontrunners seeking to lead Nigeria next year.
The Federal High Court in Gusau, Zamfara State has nullified the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship primary election in the state held on May 25, 2022.
The primary election was nullified on the grounds of irregularities and non-compliance with the party’s 2017 Constitution as well as its electoral guidelines for the conduct of elections.
Justice Aminu B. Aliyu nullified the governorship primary while delivering judgment in Suit No. FHC/GS/CS/13/2022, filed by Dr. Ibrahim Shehu Gusau, Aliyu Hafiz Muhammad and Mallam Wadatau Madawaki against the purported primary election, which sought the order of the court to nullify it for breaching the constitutional provisions and other instant laws.
Joined in the suit were the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adamu Maina Waziri, Chairman, Zamfara State Governorship primary election of PDP; Col. Bala Mande (rtd), Chairman, Zamfara State chapter of the PDP; Dr. Dauda Lawal Dare and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants 1 to 5.
Justice Aliyu in a Certified True Copy of the judgment delivered on September 16, 2022, which SaharaReporters obtained exclusively, restrained the PDP from submitting the name of Dr. Dauda Lawal Dare, the 4th Defendant to INEC as its candidate for the governorship election in Zamfara State come 2023 unless a valid primary election is conducted in compliance with the 2017 Constitution and electoral guidelines of the PDP.
The Plaintiffs/Applicants in the suit filed on July 6, 2022, had sought other reliefs “an Order directing the 1st Defendant (PDP) to conduct a valid Primary Election for Governorship position in Zamfara State under the full supervision of the 5th Defendant (INEC) and present the winner to the 5th Defendant for enlistment as the party’s candidate for the 2023 General Election in Nigeria.
“An Order directing the 5th Defendant (INEC) to accept the Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Partyin Zamfara State for the 2023 General Election upon the valid conduct of Primary Election on the Order of Court.”
But in its judgment, the court ordered: “A declaration is made that the 1st Defendant Governorship Primary Election in Zamfara State Claimed to have been held on 25th May, 2022 was conducted in flagrant violation of Sections 50(2) (b) & (3) of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party, 2017 (as amended).
“A declaration is made that the importation of staunch members of the opposition party into the 1st Defendant’s list delegates and the consequent failure to validly conduct accreditation of delegates and announcement of the total number of delegates accredited to vote at the 1st Defendant’s Governorship Primary Election in Zamfara State on the 25th May, 2022 is a substantial irregularity and same is offensive to part V8(c) (d) (e) & (6) of the Peoples Democratic Party Electoral Guidelines for the conduct of Primary Election.
“An Order is made nullifying the Peoples Democratic Party’s Governorship Primary Election in Zamfara State claimed to have been held on the 25th May, 2022 on the grounds of irregularities and non-compliance with the 2017 Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party as well as its Electoral Guidelines for the conduct of Primary Election.
“An Order of injunction is made restraining the 1st Defendant from submitting the name of the 4th Defendant to the 5th Defendant as the Peoples Democratic Party flag bearer for the Governorship Election in Zamfara State come 2023 unless a valid Primary Election is conducted in compliance with the 2017 Constitution and Electoral Guidelines of the Peoples Peoples Democratic Party.
“An Order is made directing the 1st Defendant to conduct a valid Primary Election for Governorship position in Zamfara State under the full supervision of the 5th Defendant and present the winner to the 5th Defendant for enlistment as the party’s candidate for the 2023 General Election in Nigeria.”
The plaintiff had while arguing their case told the court that the electoral act provides a mandatory 21-day notice to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the conduct of any primary election, adding that a non-compliance with this provision of the law renders any purported election, primary or nomination invalid.
Section 85 (1) of the Electoral Act (as amended) provides that: “Every registered political party shall give the Commission at least 21-day notice of any convention, congress, conference or meeting convened for the purpose of electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any of the elective offices specified under this Act.”
A source who is a legal practitioner said, “It is well-settled law that where legislation lays down a procedure for doing a thing, there should be no other method of doing it. Thus, where a notice of primary election given to INEC whereat a candidate emerged as a candidate is short of the mandatory 21 days, that candidate is not qualified to contest the election.
“While surprisingly Zamfara state PDP conducts a primary election within three days which is purely a violation of electoral legislation and it’s highly nonsensical.
“As it has been held that any violation of the 21 days mandatory notice goes to the root of the sponsorship or qualification of a candidate. See Dangana v. Usman. In that case, the qualification of the 1st Appellant to contest election into the Senate was attacked on the basis of the invalid primary election from which he emerged as a candidate and which primary election did not comply with the mandatory provision of Section 85 of the Electoral Act 2010.
“Therefore, Dr. Dauda Lawal has breached the statute in order to impose himself as ‘a candidate’ of the PDP in the upcoming 2023 general election. In the eye of the law, his failure to meet the due process of law will surely invalidate his attempt to be regarded as a candidate sponsored by the PDP.
“Also, the case of C.P.C. v. Ombugadu further underscores the point that for a candidate to emerge and properly acquire the right to be nominated and sponsored by a political party at an election, he ought to have emerged from a properly conducted primary election. Per Ngwuta J.S.C. thus: ‘…the sole purpose of a party’s primary election is the emergence of one of the contestants as the party’s candidate at the election…I subscribe to the above view and I wish to add that there can be no nomination of a candidate and acquisition of a vested interest in an inconclusive party primary election.’
“In the case of Labour Party v. Wike, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division reviewed and upheld the earlier decision of the Tribunal on its interpretation and application of Section 85(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). In that case, the Labour Party had sponsored a candidate for the governorship election but the notice it gave for its primary election was less than the 21 days prescribed by Section 85(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). The party and its candidate lost the election and the party presented the election petition subject matter of the appeal.
“In conclusion, the above position of the law has shown that only a candidate who duly complied with electoral provisions can participate in an election.”
