Politics

Contempt: APC Threatens To Sue Bayelsa Speaker, Lawmaker

Published

3 years ago

September 8, 2022

The All Progressives Congress on Thursday threatened legal action against the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, and the sacked lawmaker representing Brass Constituency 1, Daniel Charles, over alleged contempt of court.

Also in trouble for the same alleged offence is the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, following non-compliance with the sacking of Charles by the Court of Appeal.

Ingobere and Charles risk jail term for not abiding by the order of the court, which sacked the latter with immediate effect.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, had on July 14, 2022, in a unanimous decision by Justices Joseph Shagbaor Ikeyegh, Gabriel Omoniyi Kolawole and Olabode Adegbehingbe, in suit number CA/PH/79/2022, ruled that there was merit in the appeal filed by the APC, which sought the removal of Charles as a member of the House for defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party from APC on whose platform he won the election to the Assembly.

The court, which hinged its decision on Section 109 (1) (g) and (2) of the Constitution, ordered the speaker under constitutional duties to declare Charles’s seat vacant and directed Charles to return all monies and allowances he had collected since April 14, 2021.

Counsel to APC, Mr Tuduru Ede, who expressed dismay that Charles was still being allowed to participate in the legislature’s deliberation, said that INEC, the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Ingobere and Charles were all in contempt of the court’s ruling.

He insisted that the appeal court made a declaratory judgment, saying the implication of allowing Charles to remain in the House is that all motions and decisions made by the House are null and void.

Ede said, “The Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, INEC, and the House of Assembly as an institution, and Hon. Dr Charles Daniel, are in contempt of Court by their actions for allowing Hon. Charles to be part of the House.

“The Court of Appeal has sacked him and INEC should have conducted an election into the vacant seat.

“Hon. Charles is no longer a member of the House and he should have returned all the monies he collected since April 2021. He risks going to jail for showing contempt to the order of the Court. This is part of the impunity we are talking about.

“The implication of what the House of Assembly has done is that by allowing Dr Daniel who has been sacked in the eyes of the law since April 2021 to be part of its deliberation means all their actions, motions are null and void. By allowing him to be part of any deliberation means all what they are doing is nullity.”

When contacted, Charles said he would need to speak with his lawyer before responding.

Politics

PDP Issues Certificate Of Expulsion To Wike, Fayose, Anyanwu, Others

Published

1 day ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it has issued certificate of expulsion from the party to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other 10 members earlier expelled from the party.

The party National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen after the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

The other members, according to him, include the embattled National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, the Legal Adviser, Kamarudeen Ajibade, former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.

They also included Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah Nnanna, George Turna and Chief Dan Orbih, expelled during the party National convention in Lagos.

Turaki said that the original copies of the certificate had been dispatched to the owners through a courier service to serve as proof that they were expelled from the PDP.

“We have taken note of the fact that Nigerian law frowns on dual membership of political parties, and so we have sought to make it easy for them.

“Now that they are no longer members of our party, and now that the National Convention, which is the highest decision-making organ of our party, has expelled them, we have decided to issue them certificates of expulsion.

“So, when they go to register with other political parties in Nigeria, they will show these certificates as proof that they are no longer members of the PDP.

“By that, those parties will not accuse them of trying to belong to more than one political party,” he said.

He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services, and other government agencies, to take note.

“Very soon, members of the society will be informed via proper disclaimers that any person henceforth who decides to do business with them, any or all of them, does so at his or her own risk.

“They are no longer members of the PDP. They have been expelled,” he added.

He added that the NWC also reviewed some of the cases filed against the party and lawsuits instituted by the party, particularly the one that related to the “unlawful and illegal” closure of the party’s national Secretariat, the Legacy House, and the Wadata Plaza.

“The brief we received from our lawyers is that we are on sound ground, and that very soon, the law will take its course,” he said.

Turaki said the NWC was prepared to be saddled with the responsibility of performing its functions as the leading opposition party in Nigeria.

“We are going to provide a credible alternative to Nigerians. We are going to provide credible leadership to Nigerians by the special grace of God from 2027,” he said.

Politics

Adebayo Adedamola Wins Osun PDP Governorship Primary

Published

2 days ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, popularly known as FRYO, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the August 8, 2026 governorship election in Osun State.

The primary election took place in Osogbo on Tuesday amid heavy security presence.

Announcing the result, chairman of the primary election committee, Humphrey Abba, stated that Adebayo secured 919 votes out of 957 accredited ballots, giving him a clear victory in the contest.

Explaining that there were 20 void votes following the withdrawal of one of the candidates, believed to be Governor Ademola Adeleke, Abba added, “The candidate that got the remaining votes is Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes and he stands elected and returned.”

DAILY POST reports that despite announcing his resignation from the party, Adeleke’s name appeared on the ballot paper for the PDP governorship primary.

Party officials said the exercise was conducted in accordance with established guidelines, with accredited delegates participating in the voting process.

Adeleke announced his resignation in a letter dated November 4, 2025, and addressed to the PDP leadership at his ward.

On Monday, Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, had announced that the governorship primary slated for Tuesday, December 2, 2025, has been postponed due to leadership crisis at the national level.

But a faction of the party went ahead with the exercise in Osogbo on Tuesday.

Politics

Gov Adeleke Resigns From PDP

Published

3 days ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial primaries of the party.

Adeleke’s resignation letter, dated November 4, 2025, sighted by Tribune Online was addressed to the PDP ward chairman for Ward 2, Sagba Abogunde, Ede, Osun State.

According to the letter, the governor’s resignation was based on “the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).”

According to the letter, titled: “Resignation of my membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’ read, “Due to the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my Membership of the People’s Democratic Party with immediate effect.

“I thank the People’s Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as a Senator (Represented Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State under the People’s Democratic Party.”