News
Atiku, Tinubu ‘fight dirty’ over alleged plot to undermine judiciary
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and President Bola Tinubu are locked in a war of words over an alleged plot to manipulate the ongoing electoral dispute at the Presidential Election Petition Court, Abuja.
Atiku, a former vice president, in a statement on Saturday in Abuja by his media office, alleged that there are threats from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tinubu’s party, that aim to intimidate the judiciary from ensuring justice in the ongoing presidential electoral dispute.
But Tinubu and the APC have dismissed the allegations.
Atiku, who came second in the 25 February presidential election, is urging the Presidential Election Petition Court to overturn Mr Tinubu’s victory on account of alleged electoral fraud.
Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in their separated suits, are also asking the five-member panel of the court headed by Haruna Tsammani, to nullify the president’s victory at the polls.
They are accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of manipulating the entire electoral process in favour of Mr Tinubu. The petitioners also argued during the court’s hearing that Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima were not eligible to vie for the presidency owing to allegations of criminal forfeiture and double nomination against the duo.
However, Messrs Tinubu, Shettima, the APC and INEC, in their defence before the court, contended that there was substantial compliance with the electoral laws in the conduct of the 25 February presidential election.
READ ALSO: Atiku to PEPC: Declare me winner because of 21 states’ results
They urged the court to dismiss the suits against Tinubu.
‘Sinister plot to undermine Nigeria’s judiciary, democracy’
But in a fresh reaction to the court’s proceedings, Atiku said there is a plot to compromise the judiciary’s independence.
In the statement signed by his media aide, Paul Ibe, the PDP candidate described the last general election as the “the worst in the annals of democratic politics in our country,” a position Tinubu has refuted.
Atiku who was Nigeria’s vice president from 1999 to 2007, said INEC’s “arbitrariness” in declaring Mr Tinubu as winner of the election despite not fulfilling the statutory requirements was why he is challenging the outcome.
“But as proceedings on the controversial February 25 election continue at the court, there have been threats from the ruling party that aim to intimidate the judiciary from serving the duty of justice,” the statement said.
He alleged that the APC and Tinubu’s “agents” “have ceaselessly chosen to stand in the way of justice by making catastrophic threats to anarchy if justice is not served according to their whims.”
Last Wednesday, there were social media reports that Tinubu allegedly had a secret telephone conversation with the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, concerning the pending suits against the president.
The reports also alleged that Ariwoola had a clandestine phone conversation with the Director General of Nigeria’s spy agency, the State Security Service (SSS), Yusuf Bichi, with a view to asking the presidential election court to give its judgement in favour of Mr Tinubu.
However, the APC and the Supreme Court management denied the allegations, saying there was “no iota of truth” in the claims.
Atiku cautioned that “Nigeria’s democracy should not be undermined by using the judiciary to serve the interest of the ruling party.”
Referencing the social media reports about Messrs Tinubu and Ariwoola’s alleged phone call, Atiku said, “…reports in the media about some heinous plots to harass justices sitting on the petition are ominous to peace and the security of our nation.”
“To compromise the workings of our democracy and seeking to compromise the workings of our judiciary is an open call for anarchy.”
The former vice president expressed his desire to abide by the law “in resisting any attempt to undermine our fragile democracy.”
Drawing the attention of the international community to the allegations, Atiku recalled how a former CJN, Walter Onnoghen, was unlawfully removed from office in 2019 “when it was obvious that he would not bend to their will.”
In 2019, former President Muhammadu Buhari was re-elected but Atiku challenged the result of the election, which was later upheld by both the presidential election petition and Supreme Court.
Atiku further recalled how armed SSS operatives invaded official residences of judges in 2016 and 2017 “all in a bid to beat the judiciary into submission.”
He lamented that the ruling APC government had earned notoriety in arm-twisting the judiciary.
“The plot of the APC is simple: intimidate the judiciary, threaten judges with arrest so that they will bow to their will. This is a playbook from 2019 when they removed the CJN and then replaced him with Tanko Muhammad, who himself was later accused of corruption by his colleagues at the Supreme Court and resigned shamefully.”
Reacting to the allegations, Mr Tinubu’s spokesperson, Dele Alake, described Atiku’s statement as “laughable.”
Alake said Atiku had “not fully recovered from the shock of defeat, hence the current attempt to mischievously rake up another round of inanities that offend basic logic and rational thinking.”
He said the former vice president failed to provide any evidence to support his claims.
Alake said Atiku “shamelessly resorted to this cheap attempt to intimidate and blackmail the Judiciary even when he is party to a case before the Presidential Election Tribunal.”
Recalling Tinubu’s contributions to the entrenchment of democracy, Alake said the president “was leading the charge against the emasculation of the judiciary and promoting the sanctity of rule of law as the building block for good governance as Governor of Lagos State between 1999-2007, under a PDP central government, Alhaji Atiku was nowhere to be found.”
He added that “no leader with such a sterling and enviable credential as a champion of rule of law, independence of judiciary like President Tinubu will ever contemplate undermining the Judiciary as alleged by Alhaji Atiku.”
According to Alake, Tinubu won the February presidential election in a “free and fair” manner, saying it was the “most transparent election ever conducted in Nigeria since 1999.”
Similarly, the APC described Atiku’s statement as “arrant nonsense” and “lacking in substance.”
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said Tinubu won the election convincingly and it has full faith and confidence in the nation’s courts.
“Our attention has been drawn to a Press Statement by a media aide to Atiku Abubakar, Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The statement alleges that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its government are engaged in a plot to intimidate members of the judiciary towards unduly influencing the outcome of pending cases before the court. Atiku Abubakar and his minions offered no evidence to support their wild, hollow, and mischievous allegations.
“Quite frankly, there is nothing in Atiku Abubakar’s statement that is worth a reaction from the APC. It is just arrant nonsense, totally lacking in substance and cogency. Its only imaginable purpose is a childish attempt to float an alibi to deflect the shame of a highly probable defeat in court, having miserably failed to make out a credible case to justify his bogus claim that he won the last Presidential Election.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and our Party won the election convincingly. We have full faith and confidence in our courts to dispense electoral justice in accordance with our Constitution and all applicable laws,” Morka said.
Premium Times
The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has listed the Silverbird Entertainment Centre in Abuja for sale to recover a longstanding multi-billion naira debt linked to a former Nigerian Senator, Ben Murray-Bruce, and his companies.
The listing, published in a recent public notice by AMCON, shows that the Abuja Mall, a prime commercial complex located in the Central Area, Cadastral Zone, is now open for bids from interested buyers. The property is among several assets AMCON disposes of across different states, including Lagos, Rivers, Oyo and Plateau.
The Abuja mall, operated under Silverbird Entertainment, was previously seized following a 2016 Federal High Court order over a debt of more than N10 billion owed to AMCON by several companies owned by the Murray-Bruce family. Those affected include Silverbird Productions Limited, Silverbird Showtime Limited and Silverbird Galleria Limited.
In June 2016, the court appointed a receiver, M.A. Banire, to take over the companies’ assets on AMCON’s behalf. Justice C.M.A. Olatoregun, who presided over the matter, also barred Mr Murray-Bruce, his brothers Guy and Roy Murray-Bruce, and other family members from interfering with the receiver’s work. The court’s order covered several mortgaged properties in Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt.
Despite negotiations that followed the initial seizure, the debt remained unresolved. AMCON said the latest sale is part of a broader asset recovery strategy targeting high-profile debtors who have failed to meet their obligations.
Silverbird’s Abuja mall is one of the group’s flagship properties, housing retail shops, a cinema, restaurants and office spaces. According to AMCON’s notice, the property comes with a gross lettable area of 15,050.91 square metres and is being sold as is.
Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, who served in the National Assembly representing Bayelsa East from 2015 to 2019, is also a prominent media entrepreneur and founder of the Silverbird Group, which operates television and radio stations in Nigeria and Ghana, as well as the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) beauty pageant.
As of 2017, AMCON said over 400 high-profile obligors were responsible for about N4.5 trillion nearly 80 per cent of the total outstanding debt on its books. The Corporation has since adopted more aggressive recovery efforts, including asset sales and legal enforcement.
Bids for the Abuja mall and other listed properties are due by 11 July.
Prospective buyers are advised to visit AMCON’s official website or contact the designated coordinating agents for details.
Murray-Bruce did not respond to a request for comment on the planned sale as of the time of filing this report.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to participate in the 17th Summit of Heads of State and Government for the Global South and Emerging Economic Bloc, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS).
The President’s flight touched down at the Galeao Air Force Base tarmac at 8:45 pm on Friday, where the Galeao Air Force Base Commander coordinated the Guard of Honour.
Brazil’s Deputy Minister for Africa and the Middle East, Ambassador Carlos Sergio Sobral Duarte, and the Deputy Minister for Trade Promotion, Science, Technology, Innovation, and Culture, received President Tinubu.
President Tinubu is in Brazil at the invitation of President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva. The Nigerian leader will attend a bilateral meeting hosted by President Lula today, July 5, ahead of the summit on June 6 and 7.
At the BRICS Summit, the President will participate in a plenary session and deliver an address on Nigeria’s ongoing reforms to reposition the economy for global competitiveness.
According to the Presidency, he will also attract investors to capitalise on the country’s opportunities in agriculture, solid minerals, healthcare, and alternative energy.
The summit’s theme is “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.” Deliberations will centre on health, Artificial Intelligence, governance, and Climate Change issues.
Ahead of the Leaders’ Summit, the political negotiators of BRICS brainstormed over aligning more commitments to combat socially determined diseases, artificial intelligence governance, and climate finance.
State Governors participating in the summit with the President are Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Prince Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta) and Mohammed Umar Bago (Niger).
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has appointed Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori as the acting National Chairman of the party following the resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Dalori, who currently serves as the Deputy National Chairman (North), was directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assume the leadership role in an acting capacity pending the meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which is being convened immediately to fill the vacancy.
The announcement was contained in an official statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, on Friday in Abuja.
According to the statement, Ganduje tendered his resignation with immediate effect in order to attend to “urgent and important personal matters.”
Dalori’s appointment comes nearly two years after Ganduje was appointed National Chairman in August 2023, succeeding Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
During his tenure, Ganduje was praised for promoting party cohesion, driving electoral strength, and overseeing key defections into the party.
With Dalori now at the helm, the APC said it remains “steadfast and unwavering” in delivering President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and sustaining internal unity.
The party expressed gratitude to Ganduje for his “invaluable contributions and distinguished record of service” and extended well wishes for his future endeavours.
President Bola Tinubu has signed the four tax reform bills into law. Tinubu assented to the bills at the Presidential Villa on Thursday.
The four proposed laws are the Nigeria tax bill, the Nigeria tax administration bill, the Nigeria revenue service (establishment) bill, and the joint revenue board (establishment) bill.
The signing ceremony was attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, and Julius Ihonvbere, house majority leader.
Also present were Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman, governor of Kwara, Hope Uzodinma, his Imo counterpart, and Wale Edun, minister of finance, among others.
Tinubu transmitted the proposed legislation to the national assembly on October 3, 2024, urging lawmakers to pass the tax reform bills.
The bills initially faced opposition from the northern governors, who argued that the proposed laws could harm the region’s interests, asking the national assembly to reject the bills and demanding fair and equitable implementation across all regions.
However, in January, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) endorsed the bills after agreeing on an “equitable” VAT-sharing formula.
The house of representatives passed the bills in March, while the senate approved them in May.
On June 18, the legislature transmitted the bills to the president for assent.
Speaking earlier on Thursday, Tinubu said the tax bills will unify the country’s fragmented tax system.
“They (tax reform bills) deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet,” Tinubu said.
“For too long, our tax system has been a patchwork—complex, inequitable, and burdensome. It has weighed down the vulnerable and shielded inefficiency. That era ends today.”
Tinubu added that the bills will eliminate wasteful duplications, reduce red tape, restore investor trust, and promote transparency and coordination at all levels.
A businessman, Peter Otomewu and his company, Pebeto Enerji Limited, were on Monday arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, before the Ikeja Special Offences Court for allegedly defrauding a petroleum services company of $75,000.
The defendants were docked on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing, preferred against them by the EFCC.
The anti-graft agency’s prosecution counsel, M.S. Owede, told the court that Otomewu and his firm committed the alleged offences sometime in 2018.
Owode told the court that the defendants fraudulently obtained the sum of $75,000 from Virgin Forest Energy Limited under the false pretext that they had a vessel, MT AYSU, capable of transshipping petroleum products from a mother vessel.
The prosecutor alleged that the representation was false and that the money was never used for the stated purpose.
Otomewu and his firm were accused of dishonestly converting the entire $75,000 property of Virgin Forest Energy Limited to their use.
According to the EFCC, the offences committed contravened Sections 278, 278(1), and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, and Section 1(1)(a) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
However, both defendants who were docked before Justice Mojisola Dada pleaded not guilty to the charges against them when it was read.
Following the not-guilty plea, Owede asked for a trial date and also urged the court to remand the first defendant, Otomewu, in a correctional centre.
But the defence counsel, Mr Peter Ajabor, however, prayed the court to grant bail to the defendants on liberal terms.
Consequently, Justice Dada granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N50m, with two sureties in like sum.
The judge ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and reside within the court’s jurisdiction.
She also ordered that the sureties must have N50m in their bank accounts.
Justice Dada further ordered the remand of Otomewu in the correctional centre, pending the perfection of the bail conditions.
The matter was adjourned to September 29, 2025, for commencement of trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has interrogated an Abuja-based businesswoman, Halimat Tejuosho, over her alleged involvement in an appointment and contract scam.
Tejuosho, said to be the founder of Haleems Integrated Services Limited, was reportedly quizzed after victims accused her of using false pretenses to obtain funds in exchange for promises of federal appointments and lucrative government contracts.
Counsel to one of the victims, Chief Tolu Babaleye, alleged that Tejuosho ran an elaborate scheme involving forged documents and fake appointment letters to deceive unsuspecting individuals.
He claimed she posed as an aide to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to lend credibility to her claims.
“The court had earlier recommended her for prosecution on charges bordering on Advance Fee Fraud, Criminal Diversion of Funds, Criminal Breach of Trust, and Cheating,” Babaleye said.
He also alleged that Tejuosho used her involvement in humanitarian and NGO activities as a smokescreen to attract victims and gain their trust.
EFCC Spokesperson, Mr Dele Oyewale, confirmed that she was invited for questioning and has since been granted administrative bail under stringent conditions.
Investigations are ongoing, and the commission says she may be formally charged to court in the coming weeks.
The anti-graft agency also urged other potential victims to come forward, reiterating its resolve to clamp down on all forms of financial crime.
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