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Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Friday, urged the Justices of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) to be guided by integrity, truth and fear of God in the discharge of their crucial national assignment.

Frank in a statement in Abuja reminded the five Justices of the court to be mindful of the great expectation of Nigerians who see them as the last hope in redressing discontent that emanated from obvious manipulation and rigging of the February 25, 2023, Presidential election.

He urged them to painstakingly sift the petitions before them, examine arguments for and against made by petitioners and defendants and unbiased reach a decision based on facts and unassailable truth.

He warned them against resort to legal technicalities in taking their final decisions, saying such an action is capable of completely eroding the confidence reposed in the judiciary by the oppressed and marginalized petitioners whose electoral mandates have been brazenly stolen.

Frank said: “As the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal begins its hearing and determination of suits brought before it, it is noteworthy that the enthusiasm and expectation of Nigerians is at an all-time high, which signifies a renewed hope in the judiciary as an unbiased arbiter.

“The five Justices who have been selected for this arduous task are aware of the magnitude of the assignment before them, and therefore, must ensure that they uphold the high sense of integrity expected of them as Justices of the Court of Appeal.

“The overall consideration and subsequent decision of the tribunal must be seen to reflect the basis for judicial decisions, which are the products of two fixed elements: the facts and the rule of law.

“Therefore all the features of a good judgment are expected to be demonstrated by the Justices in an accurate, succinct, factual and vivid manner.

“The Justices must be reminded that the fate of the nation is currently in their hands, and the least responsibility expected by Nigerians is their unalloyed loyalty to the people and their oaths of allegiance to the Nigerian Constitution.

“They must resist any form of pressure from whomsoever whether within or without. The Justices must display utmost uprightness as Nigeria will be in the spotlight of international stakeholders and citizens eager to follow the proceedings.”

Frank, who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Ambassador to East Africa and Middle East, insisted that expectations of Nigerians who feel disenfranchised should be the main cause of worry for the Justices.

According to him, “the total disregard by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in adhering to its set procedures and denying same is a shame to say the least, notwithstanding the earlier position of its National Chairman affirming to follow the electoral guidelines.

“It is rather appalling that several months after the conduct of the Presidential elections, we’re still confronted with unuploaded results on the IREV Portal. Therefore utmost importance to details rather than technicality must be the bedrock in determining the conduct of the 2023 General elections.

“The Presidential Tribunal must adhere to strict compliance with the timeframe for the tribunal’s sitting as stipulated in the revised Electoral Act, as so much time has already been expended unnecessarily.

“The call for a speedy judgement before the May 29th 2023 handover date is sacrosanct and must be respected. We want to remind the Honourable Justices to do their own part in delivering a just judgement, while we look up to the Supreme Court for its final ruling.

“We do not expect anything less, otherwise the Nigerian people will hold the Justices liable for any eventuality.

“Furthermore, we urge all friends and stakeholders of the Nigeria project to also lend a voice in ensuring that the judiciary upholds the dignity and integrity expected of them.

“We are hopeful that there is a more sense of reasoning, rather than technicality that will aid in the final determination of the various Appeals.

“Let the Justices also remember as stated in the book of Psalms that they can stand boldly on the truth and have confidence that no matter how big the mountains or the giants are, with God they are surmountable!

“He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings shall you trust: His truth shall be your shield and buckler.” – Psalm 91:4

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum(AYCF) has advised that outgoing Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi should be supported to emerge as Senate President in the spirit of national stability cohesion under incoming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The group, in a statement signed by its National President, Alhaji Yerima Shettima Wednesday evening, insisted that “in this national healing moment, the Southeast should be given the opportunity to take a shot at the Senate Presidency, this time around”.

“Our true position is that the Southeast needs to have a stronger sense of belonging, in the Nigerian project, by being actively involved in democratic governance. We want the mistakes of past government to serve as a lesson in democratic governance for the incoming administration.

“It is on record that Umahi is the most-perforing governor in the history of the Southeast. He has the reputation of being a gentleman per excellence. He has demonstrated these sterling qualities throughout his sojourn as a governor. This makes his candidature for the Senate quite suitable. We have no doubt in his ability to give the 10th Senate a good sense of direction. It is time to show full recognition to the leadership qualities of integrity and accountability, and these are some of the strongest attributes of governor Umahi”, the statement noted.

AYCF urged all the relevant stakeholders in the current dispensation, to rally round the Southeast for Senate Presidency, “in the spirit of forgiveness, national unity, cohesion and ending the culture of rubber stamp legislature”.

The AYCF further advised that the incoming administration should see their electoral victory as a golden opportunity to turn around Nigeria’s fortunes by allowing for the emergence of responsible leadership at all levels “and especially that of the Senate”.

AYCF, in the statement, also called on the President elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to “strive to put a legacy in place of a very suitable leadership, especially for the Senate”.

The group warned that “a very good sense of justice in the emergence of National Assembly leaders is to ensure that a nationalist, accountable Nigerian leads the Senate”.

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum(AYCF) has advised that outgoing Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi should be supported to emerge as Senate President in the spirit of national stability cohesion under incoming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The group, in a statement signed by its National President, Alhaji Yerima Shettima Wednesday evening, insisted that “in this national healing moment, the Southeast should be given the opportunity to take a shot at the Senate Presidency, this time around”.

“Our true position is that the Southeast needs to have a stronger sense of belonging, in the Nigerian project, by being actively involved in democratic governance. We want the mistakes of past government to serve as a lesson in democratic governance for the incoming administration.

“It is on record that Umahi is the most-perforing governor in the history of the Southeast. He has the reputation of being a gentleman per excellence. He has demonstrated these sterling qualities throughout his sojourn as a governor. This makes his candidature for the Senate quite suitable. We have no doubt in his ability to give the 10th Senate a good sense of direction. It is time to show full recognition to the leadership qualities of integrity and accountability, and these are some of the strongest attributes of governor Umahi”, the statement noted.

AYCF urged all the relevant stakeholders in the current dispensation, to rally round the Southeast for Senate Presidency, “in the spirit of forgiveness, national unity, cohesion and ending the culture of rubber stamp legislature”.

The AYCF further advised that the incoming administration should see their electoral victory as a golden opportunity to turn around Nigeria’s fortunes by allowing for the emergence of responsible leadership at all levels “and especially that of the Senate”.

AYCF, in the statement, also called on the President elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to “strive to put a legacy in place of a very suitable leadership, especially for the Senate”.

The group warned that “a very good sense of justice in the emergence of National Assembly leaders is to ensure that a nationalist, accountable Nigerian leads the Senate”.

By Darius Summa

..

Ahead of the next Federal cabinet to be constituted by the President elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, representatives of youth groups from across the federation have called on the President elect to consider the National President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima as one of his cabinet member .

The youth groups said the call has become imperative considering the role Shettima had continued to play in stabilising youth activities, promoting peace and social justice over the years, not only in the North but in all the geopolitical zones of Nigeria .

While congratulating Tinubu for emerging victorious in the Presidential election and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the youth groups who were represented by Samuel Garry, Ahmed Mohammed Rufai and Christiana Nicholas under the umbrella of Nigeria Youth for Peace and Social Justice Forum (NYPSJF), said they found it expedient to bring Alh. Yerima Shettima to the fore and expose his salient but noble attributes to the world, so that it would attract the attention of the President elect who had emphasised on competence and youth inclusiveness in his cabinet and not mediocrity in appointments.

“Although we do not sought for Yerima Shettima’s consent before clamouring for him to be appointed as Minister in his forthcoming cabinet to represent the youths, we felt it behoves on us to search for a youth leader with impeccable credentials and who enjoys a lot of goodwill from across the divides, to be part of the in coming administration ,” they said.

The youth groups representatives, in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday, recalled that for over a decade, Yerima Shettima was not only a galvanising factor for youth activism with direct impact on youth development and education; protection of human rights and from abuse, but had continously supported hundreds of youths, religion and tribe not withstanding in their quest for self development through education and trade.

” Yerima Shettima as the Minister would bring the desired unity in an important segment of the Nigerian population. He is well known in the promotion of political activities that encourages talents of youths in their path ways to professionalism in different endeavours .

” His offices and residences in Lagos, Kaduna and Abuja were always behives of activities where the youths and even the elderly,irrespective of religion, tribe or creed gathered to be counselled and assisted to be responsible, productive and respectable members of the larger society.

” Before, during and after the general elections ; Alhaji Yerima Shettima and his organisation had not relented in his youth crusades for peace; a fact that even the youth wings of other sociocultural organisations from the Southeast,Southwest and South South could attest to, haven hosted them on different peace and youth development missions in the North.

“Although not known to be aligned with any major political camp,Yerima Shettima as the Minister would undoubtedly ,further rally support for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of future elections, because he had proven to be a commanding voice in the region; who the youths earnestly listen to for guidance and subsequent action as was exemplified in different occasions in the recent past,

” Yerima Shettima’s activism dated back to days of military dictatorship where he and many others joined the struggle for liberation to the point of being arrested yet he never gave up the struggle, it is for these and many more we belief very strongly that he would be veritable tool that will stabilize the youths in this country” they said.

ENDS

A non governmental organisation, Youth For Change Enlightenment and Empowerment Foundation has forwarded reasons, why Senator God’s will Akpabio should be adopted as consensus candidate as the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly.

They expressed this at a press conference, after an emergency meeting held in Kaduna on Monday May 1, 2023.

Speaking on behalf of the group, it’s chairman, Ahmad Muhammad said that for the sake of unity and national cohesion, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and Senators-elect were urged to look no further in search of the next Senate President, but should rally support for Senator Akpabio.

“We are all aware of the track records of Senator Godswill Akpabio. He was a two-term governor of Akwa Ibom State where his landmark achievements remain visible for all to see.

“Nigerians must also be reminded that when he served as Minister of Niger Delta, the country recorded the lowest rate of pipeline vandalism and disruption of oil exploration, as a result of respect he commands in the South South.

“He was also a minority whip of the Senate, where his experience was further boosted as a lawmaker,” he said.

Also speaking, Secretary of the group, A.E. Adole (Esq.) described Senator Akpabio as a detribalised Nigerian, who does not discriminate between Christians or Muslims, nor regional or ethnic divides.

“In the best interest of our country and the urgent need to carry all from different demographic, social and religious strata to further unite our diverse people, we should all support Akpabio for the Senate Presidency,” he declared.

They also implored President Muhammadu Buhari and President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider endorsing Akpabio for the Senate Presidency.

A coalition of civil society organisations Nigeria Civil Society Advocacy Group (NiCAG) have called on the President- Elect, Bola Tinubu to give his total and unalloyed support for Senator Godswill Akpabio to emerge as the Senate President in the 10th National Assembly .

The group through its Spokesman Pastor Shedrach Oka explained that the incoming President would definitely need the support of the Senate for him to implement his policies .

“Oka noted that
“Only Senator Akpabio has that charisma, zeal and zest to galvanise the rest of Senators to support the incoming President .

“Do not forget, that the 10th National Assembly is very diversed and in the upper House, the APC do not have an absolute majority to push through with the policies of the incoming administration, as such,a strong willed, tactical and dolomitic Senator is needed to Marshall the progressives and others at the upper House to give the needed impetus

The group further stressed that in the interest of unity, equity and inclusiveness, Godswill Akpabio who is from the South South geopolitical zone should become the next Senate President .

“If you take a look at the Presidency, Asiwaju Ahmad Bola Tinubu is from the South West, he is the President, Shettima is from the North East, he is the Vice President, apart from region, religion is also a factor that can not be overlooked .

“The emergence of Akpabio from the South South would go along way to assuage the feelings of the Christians and the South South and it would therefore bring about the much needed unity and inclusivity that the administration so needs.

Pastor Oka also harped on the fact that Senator Akpabio has been a very loyal member of the All Progressive Congress even as he had continued to support the outgoing President in the senate .
He added that , for the incoming President to have a hitch free and loyal members at the National Assembly, it behooves on the APC and Tinubu to support Chief Akpabio, he added

Timi Frank Condemns $15bn Illegal Railway MoU by NDDC’s MD

*Urges EFCC, ICPC to wade in

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Sunday, strongly condemned a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a $15billion Trans-Niger Delta Railway Project entered into by the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, with Atlantic Global Resources Inc.

Frank in a statement in Abuja described the action of the NDDC’s MD as illegal and a Yahoo Yahoo abracadabra, that is fraudulently laced with deceitful intentions aimed at siphoning the resources of the commission.

He called on any of the anti-graft agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, to urgently wade in, arrest, investigate and prosecute Ogbuku and his co-conspirators for attempted fraud and misappropriation.

He noted that only the Chairman of the Governing Board of the NDDC is vested with powers to enter into contracts with other firms by the act establishing the agency.

He said, “It is worthy to note, that as part of the responsibility of the Governing Board of the NDDC, as empowered by its establishment Act No 6, 2000, only the Chairman is vested with the sole power to sign contracts or MoUs with any firm or organization.

“It is curious therefore, as to how only the Managing Director and a selected few in conievance with the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs would proceed to sign an MoU without the prior knowledge of the Chairman, but rather justifying an ultra vires action.

“The position of the NDDC management in its reaction affirming that the $15billion Railway MoU was signed for the preliminary process for a railway network and not an award of contract, suggests that ongoing talks with this company is another calculated attempt to defraud the Niger Delta people in the guise of ‘Preliminary Studies’ for a Trans-Niger Delta Railway.

“This shady MoU without due consultation with the board, carried out by the MD of NDDC, Samuel Ogbuku, with Atlantic Global Resources Inc, to build a railway network connecting the nine Niger Delta states can only be described as crass carelessness and outrightly insensitive at this time.

“Mr Ogbuku must be reminded that the struggle for the attainment of a better Niger Delta was a battle fought by many and thus as stakeholders in this struggle, we’re mandated to serve the people relentlessly rather than engaging in the same setbacks of the past.”

He added: “In the light of the above therefore, it is clear that the MD and his partners are clearly toeing the same path as the pre-forensic audit of the commission.

“Besides, in pursuit of a better Niger Delta, we’re poised to applaud laudable projects and disapprove of white elephant projects in this regard.

“It is sad that whilst we continue to hope for overall growth and development of the region, we’re still confronted with weighty and dubious setbacks detrimental to the positive advancement of the zone.

“It will be foolhardy to jump on a Trans-Niger Delta Railway network’s feasibility, when the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had only recently in 2021 awarded a $11.7 Railway contract that would connect states in the entire region from Lagos.

“It is therefore shocking that an agency of government will seek to overide the prior approval of FEC and initiate another MoU on behalf of the NDDC and the Federal Government for the same project in 2023 without due process nor approval by FEC in the twilight of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

“The FEC must make its position clear as regards this recent MoU duplicating the project even as the completion of the East/West Road has since become a mirage with little or nothing done all these years.”

He called on the National Assembly, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the nine Niger Delta States’ Governors (Advisory Board of NDDC), and all other stakeholders to outrightly reject the flawed MoU as it is of no immediate significance save for personal aggrandizement.

He said: “Any form of support in aiding the commission to secure loans for the purpose of this purported ‘Preliminary Studies’ for the railway construction must be rejected and resisted.

“The Niger Delta people are desirous of more sustainable programmes that positively

affect daily living rather than any phantom project.

“The NDDC must focus on the implementation of its original masterplan, which no board has achieved since inception and concentrate more on Human Resource Development programmes, including training of youths, provision of better healthcare, education, etc., and cease from being used as a conduit in impovershing the people.”

*Ask Tinubu To Retain Isa Jere as CG

The Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Isa Jere has been commended for the good instituting reforms that are yielding positive results through out the country .

The National Coordinator of Concern Civil Society  Organisations and the National Secretary, Comrade Mada Ibrahim and Okpani Mike Odeh James made the commendation in a chat with media men in Kaduna .

According to Comrade Mada Ibrahim, NIS under Isa Jere has been able to curb the influx of foreigners into Nigeria during election season and this have greatly reduced to the cases of illegal aliens participating in the country’s election .

“If you recall before the election,Isa Jere gave his commandants marching orders to weed out illegal aliens and prevent them from participating in the polls .

“That order resulted in the  arrest of foreigners in Zaria, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom and Ogun  with huge number of PVCs. We also are aware of how many others with the country’s PVCs were apprehended by The Service  

“The result is what we saw during the election, zero reports of foreigners participating in our electoral process in 2023 . 

Mada went on to commend the men and women of Nigerian Immigration Service for civil and orderly conduct during the elections proper .

During the Presidential and Gubernatorial elections, reports we got showed that men and women of the Nigerian Immigration Service were very civil, diplomatic and were at the best  

These of humanity have endeared them to the hearts and minds of many Nigerians and we are saying thank you to them and their boss 

Apart from helping to conduct an election that is free from the intervention of illegal aliens, Isa Jere was also commended by the group for initiating several other reforms such the  establishment of a  Digital electronic passport portal which prevents time wasting and extortion of Nigerians seeking to obtain or renew the passport .

According to the group’s National Secretary, Okpani Mike Odeh James, 

“Jere has been able to restore discipline and hard work within the Service as men and women of NCIS are more dedicated to the jobs

staff of the Service have been retrained or maximum efficiency under Isa Jere .

Okpani Mike further added that for the good of the Service and the country, 

“we are calling on the incoming administration to allow Isa Jere continue with the reforms that he has initiated .

We asking  Bola Tinubu to add at least four more years to Jere’s tenure

*Ask Tinubu To Retain Isa Jere as CG

The Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Isa Jere has been commended for the good instituting reforms that are yielding positive results through out the country .

The National Coordinator of Concern Civil Society  Organisations and the National Secretary, Comrade Mada Ibrahim and Okpani Mike Odeh James made the commendation in a chat with media men in Kaduna .

According to Comrade Mada Ibrahim, NIS under Isa Jere has been able to curb the influx of foreigners into Nigeria during election season and this have greatly reduced to the cases of illegal aliens participating in the country’s election .

“If you recall before the election,Isa Jere gave his commandants marching orders to weed out illegal aliens and prevent them from participating in the polls .

“That order resulted in the  arrest of foreigners in Zaria, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom and Ogun  with huge number of PVCs. We also are aware of how many others with the country’s PVCs were apprehended by The Service  

“The result is what we saw during the election, zero reports of foreigners participating in our electoral process in 2023 . 

Mada went on to commend the men and women of Nigerian Immigration Service for civil and orderly conduct during the elections proper .

During the Presidential and Gubernatorial elections, reports we got showed that men and women of the Nigerian Immigration Service were very civil, diplomatic and were at the best  

These of humanity have endeared them to the hearts and minds of many Nigerians and we are saying thank you to them and their boss 

Apart from helping to conduct an election that is free from the intervention of illegal aliens, Isa Jere was also commended by the group for initiating several other reforms such the  establishment of a  Digital electronic passport portal which prevents time wasting and extortion of Nigerians seeking to obtain or renew the passport .

According to the group’s National Secretary, Okpani Mike Odeh James, 

“Jere has been able to restore discipline and hard work within the Service as men and women of NCIS are more dedicated to the jobs

staff of the Service have been retrained or maximum efficiency under Isa Jere .

Okpani Mike further added that for the good of the Service and the country, 

“we are calling on the incoming administration to allow Isa Jere continue with the reforms that he has initiated .

We asking  Bola Tinubu to add at least four more years to Jere’s tenure

*Says Tinubu unfit to rule Nigeria

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said that he has been able to run for the office of the President of Nigeria since 1993 without any controversy because unlike his main rival and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, he is unencumbered by drugs and identity scandals.

These revelations are contained in Atiku’s response to Tinubu’s and APC’s reply to his petition challenging the process and the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.

Besides, Atiku said that his own identity, comprising age, state of origin, and educational qualifications, have never been in dispute like those of Tinubu.

In his response to Tinubu’s reply to his petition, Atiku insisted that Tinubu is constitutionally disabled from contesting for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Amongst others, Atiku alleged that Tinubu is unfit to lead Nigeria having been indicted for drug related offences in the United States of America (USA) and made to forfeit a sum of $460,000 as a compromise agreement.

In the response filed by his lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, the PDP presidential candidate justified why the declaration of Tinubu as President-elect cannot stand, adding that against the law, “Tinubu holds dual citizenship of Nigeria and Guinea, having voluntarily acquired the citizenship of the Republic of Guinea”.

Similarly, Atiku accused Tinubu of not disclosing facts of his constitutional qualifications in his Form EC9 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), contrary to the provisions of the law.

The petitioner while admitting that Tinubu may be a “Titan and a Maestro”, he however said that the “President-elect is certainly not a titan and maestro in national stature but in controversies such as age, state of origin, identity, educational qualifications represented by certificates obtained from universities and colleges”.

Apparently reacting to Tinubu’s response in which he described Atiku as a serial election loser, the former Vice President said that Tinubu is a giant in forfeiture, drug related offences and failure to disclose dual nationality to INEC.

“The comparison of the second respondent (Tinubu) with the first petitioner ( Atiku) who had attained the eminent position of Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for eight years is totally unfounded”, he said.

Justifying his request for the annulment of the declaration of Tinubu as President-elect, Atiku said that Tinubu and APC never won the majority of the lawful votes cast in the February 25 presidential election.

Amongst others, the PDP presidential candidate maintained that Tinubu failed part of the constitutional requirements, having failed to secure 25% of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as constitutionally required.

He insisted that the return of Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election is undue, unlawful, and invalid because Tinubu did not meet the constitutional requirements as to qualification.

Rather than addressing the issues raised against him and the disputed election, Atiku said that Tinubu deliberately chose not to answer points of substance in the petition and opted for extraneous facts, contradictory, evasive, speculative and vague assertions.

In reaction to another issue raised against Atiku’s petition, the former Vice President claimed that his petition did not in any way constitute a gross abuse of any court process, adding that the originating summons of February 28, 2023, filed at the Supreme Court by Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta , Edo, and Sokoto states have since been discontinued.

At any rate, Atiku said that parties in the suit of the six PDP controlled states are not the same in his own petition and therefore prayed the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to discountenance the objections and the averments raised against the petition by Tinubu and grant him all the reliefs sought in the petition.

Media Adviser to Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Paul Ibe said that the only thing common between Atiku and Tinubu is the year 1993.

He said while it was the year that Atiku started his presidential campaign run, it was also the same year that Tinubu fell to the US justice system over his indictment and conviction for drug trafficking and money laundering for which he forfeited a whopping sum of $460,000.

Meanwhile, J K Gadzama, SAN, has ceded the headship of the Atiku legal team of the PEPT to Chief Chris Uche, SAN.

Filings by the Atiku legal team responding to Tinubu’s and APC’s reply to Atiku’s petition were signed by Chris Uche, SAN.

Additionally, Atiku’s legal team has filed an application for pre-trial hearing notice pursuant to paragraph 18(1) and (2) of the First Schedule of the Electoral Act 2022.