Politics

Court Nullifies Kogi APC’s Delegates List

Published

3 years ago

April 12, 2023

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday nullified the ward and local government congresses purportedly conducted on February 7 by the All Progressives Congress in Kogi State for the nomination of a governorship candidate for the November governorship poll.

The court set aside the congress on the ground that they were not conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 and the APC Constitution.

The suit was instituted by a group of aggrieved APC members led by Realwan Okpanachi.

Plaintiffs in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/329/2023 are Rilwan Okpanachi, Yahaya Saidu Nuhu, Omaonu Clement Arome, Mustapha Ibrahim Idoko, Aku Umar Goodman and Abu Steven Okpanachi Onechiojo, while APC and INEC are 1st and 2nd defendants respectfully.

Counsel to the plaintiffs, Ogwu Onoja, SAN, argued that the APC breached section 84 of the Electoral Act and section 13 of its constitution by concocting a purported list of delegates and submitting the same to the Independent National Electoral Commission without the knowledge of registered members of the party in the state.

Delivering Judgement, Justice James Omotosho barred the INEC from recognising or using the delegates list that emerged from the congresses to select its governorship standard bearer.

He agreed with the plaintiffs that the APC in Kogi State failed to conduct ward and local government congresses as stipulated by relevant provisions of the law.

He dismissed the preliminary objections raised by APC that the court has no jurisdiction to entertain the suit and warned that the APC must conduct its affairs by the laws, adding that impunity as exhibited in the instant case will lead to anarchy.

The Justice ordered the APC leadership to conduct fresh nominations that would comply with section 84 of the Electoral Act, 2022, and section 13 of the party’s constitution.

The judge held that during the trial of the case, the APC failed to disclose the venues and times where the purported ward and local government congresses were held and also failed to report to the INEC officials that purportedly monitored the elections.

Similarly, Justice Omotosho held that the APC failed to produce the result sheet to show the scores recorded by the participants in the purported Ward and Local Government congresses.

Furthermore, he noted that the major document put at the disposal of the court to justify the conduct of the purported February 7 congresses, did not contain a single name of any human being but signatures of imaginary participants at the purported congresses.

Thus, the judge held that the exhibit was worthless and that no probate value can be attached to it because it runs afoul of section 133 of the Evidence Act.

The court ordered APC to conduct special Ward and Local Government congresses in line with the provisions of the relevant laws, especially section 84 of the Electoral Act and section 13 of the APC’s Constitution.

Earlier the justice also dismissed the claims of the APC that the plaintiffs are not Its members but parading old membership cards, adding that the party ought to have made its membership register available to the court to dispute the membership claim of the plaintiffs.

Politics

Tinubu Sends Ex-INEC Chair, Former Oyo First Lady, 30 Additional Ambassadorial Nominees To Senate

Published

11 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has forwarded 32 additional ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, just days after submitting an initial batch of three names.

In two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President urged the upper chamber to consider and swiftly confirm 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees.

The list includes four women among the career nominees and six women among the non-career nominees.

Prominent names on the non-career list include Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia State; former presidential aide, Reno Omokri (Delta); former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo; and former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Others are former Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Tasiu Musa Maigari; former Plateau State Commissioner, Yakubu N. Gambo; and former Deputy Executive Secretary of UBEC, Yakubu K. Musa.

Also nominated are former Plateau senator, Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut; former Lagos Deputy Governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State.

Additional nominees include former Oyo First Lady, Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande; former Adamawa senator, Grace Bent; former Abia governor, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim of Ondo State; and former envoy to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue).

The career ambassadorial nominees are Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa), Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa), Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Ebonyi), and Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun).

Others include Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara), and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).

The new nominees are expected to be deployed to countries with which Nigeria maintains strong and strategic diplomatic relations, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as to Permanent Missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.

Their specific postings will be determined after Senate confirmation.

Recall that President Tinubu, last week, forwarded three ambassadorial nominees, Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun), who are being considered for postings to the UK, USA, or France.

President Tinubu said additional ambassadorial nominations will be announced in due course.

Politics

Soludo Visits Tinubu, Goes Into Closed Door Session With President

Published

2 days ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, on Thursday, paid a courtesy visit to the President, Bola Tinubu, GCFR at the State House.

Report by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Soludo, Mr Chris Aburime stated that President Tinubu received the Anambra State Governor with excitement, describing him as his long standing friend of over 22 years.

Aburime said, “The President used the occasion to further congratulate Governor Soludo on his landslide victory in the just concluded Anambra gubernatorial election.

“Recall that President Tinubu had earlier issued a congratulatory message to Governor Soludo immediately the governorship election was concluded.”

Governor Soludo was declared winner with 73% of the votes cast by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Other details of the meeting were, however, not disclosed as the press Secretary told DAILY POST that both men went into a closed door meeting after the reception.

Politics

2027: I Will Resign If Tinubu Loses In Edo – Governor Okpebholo

Published

2 days ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholor has vowed that President Bola Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election in Edo State.

Okpebholor in an interview captured in a viral video vowed to resign if the outcome of the 2027 election does not favour the president in Edo State.

According to him, the entire people in Edo State are ready to vote for the president, citing projects that his (Okpebholor) administration executed since the All Progressives Congress, APC took over the state.

He claimed that there is no opposition in the state, stressing that everyone is supporting the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said, “There is no opposition here in Edo everybody is for Asiwaju in this state.

“Tinubu is more popular than me in Edo state. If he doesn’t win the presidential election in Edo in 2027, I will resign.”