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Edo APC Secretariat: Party Decides Where It Should Be Located, Court Rules

Published

3 years ago

May 19, 2021

Editor

The Court of Appeal, sitting in Benin City, on Wednesday, set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, delivered on July 13, 2020, which ruled against the relocation of the Edo State All Progressives Congress, APC, Secretariat from No.51, Airport Road, Benin City, to No.18, Ighiwiyisi Street, off Airport road, Benin City.

The Federal High Court in its judgment ruled in his favour.

Dissatisfied with the decision, the factional APC, through its Counsel, Dr. West Idahosa, leading Douglas Ogbankwa, Famous Osawaru and others, appealed the decision to the Court of Appeal and distilled 7 issues in his brief for determination of the Appeal.

The Appeal was however argued by Anderson Asemota, whom the Court praised for his industry and in raising recondite and novel issues of Law.

The Court In resolving the issues for determination in the Appeal, held inter alia: that the issue of location or relocation of a political party secretariat dovetails into the domestic prism of the political party and the court has no jurisdiction whatsoever to interfere or decide for a political party where to locate or relocate its office or party Secretariat to.

Validating the expulsion of Kenneth Asekomhe from the APC, the court held that the 1st Respondent (Kenneth Asekomhe), having been expelled from the party, had no locus standi to institute the action against the party, holding that only valid members of a political party can question its decision governing its internal affairs.

Besides, the Court of Appeal further held that the action was a pre-election matter and was statute barred as it was not filed within the 14 days constitutional threshold, as provided by Section 285 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ,1999 (As Amended ),by the 4th Alteration.

Consequently, the Court of Appeal, in a judgement delivered by Justice Frederick Oziakpono Oho, allowed the appeal and set aside the decision of the Federal High Court.

Recall that at the heat of the crisis of confidence between Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, then of the APC, and his erstwhile benefactor and predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, a faction of the party loyal to Oshiomhole, who then was the National Chairman of the party, had relocated the Secretariat from Airport Road, Benin, to a building off the Airport Road.

In doing that, the Oshiomhole group had informed the National Working Committee, NWC, headed by the former labour leader.

But the state Deputy Chairman, Pastor Kenneth Asekhome, who the Oshiomhole faction had claimed to have been expelled over alleged filing of numerous frivolous actions against the party which is against the Constitution of the APC, challenged the action at the Federal High Court to stop the relocation.

Asekhome‎ who cited then impending Edo State gubernatorial election had claimed amongst others that sensitive information regarding the election might be lost if the relocation was allowed. ‎

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Man, 38 Escapes Assassination Attempt In Benin

Published

10 months ago

July 22, 2023

Editor

Innocent Omoruyi

By Omokha Andrew

A 38-year-old activist, Innocent Omoruyi, narrowly escaped assassination in the early hours of Wednesday, July 19, 2023 as his residence at Obe Community,Sapele Road in Benin city was attacked by yet to be identified gun men.

The attack which eye witnesses say was viciously executed on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 bore the markings of a dreaded cult group terrorizing Benin City, the state capital.

The Obe, Sapale Road incident, it was learnt, happened soon after Omoruyi left the house to attend to matters of interest some few metres away from his home.

The assailants were said to have shot sporadically in their frustration as residents scampered for safety.

However, Omoruyi escaped unharmed.

One of the eye witnesses who craved anonymity said: “The felons apparently went for the kill, weilding guns and other dangerous weapons. “We are shocked that they didn’t see Innocent Omoruyi who was just some few metres away from home when they arrived”.

“How that happened, only God knows and it was obvious that it wasn’t his time to die yet and just before that not long ago his business place on Lagos Street, Benin City was burnt down in the middle of the night by unknown arsonists.

“This sequence of events is not ordinary. We know it’s politically motivated due to the role he played in the last general elections. He has been advised to go into hiding at the moment for his personal safety”, he concluded.

When contacted, the police Public Relations Officer Chidi Nwabuzor said he was yet to get any information as regards the latest incident. He promised to feed our correspondent with relevant details as soon as they become handy.

Our information source however revealed that the matter has already been incidented at the Love World Police station on Sapele Road, Benin city.

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Nigeria To Earn Over $4bn Revenue As FEC Okays Concession Of Abuja, Kano Airports

Published

12 months ago

May 18, 2023

Editor

Nigeria will earn over $4 billion in nominal revenue as the Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday okayed the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, to the Corporacion American Airport Consortium, a Luxembourg-based company.

James Odaudu, the Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the Minister of Aviation, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

According to him, the Council also approved that the Federal Ministry of Aviation would be renamed the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace.

The statement noted that the company would make combined upfront payments of $8.5 million for the concession of NAIA and MAKIA.

He added that the development would spur evidential growth within the Nigerian aviation industry.

“In alignment with the Aviation Roadmap, approved by Mr President on 18th October 2016, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace is delighted to inform all stakeholders, both local and international, and the media, that the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano has been approved by the Federal Executive Council,” the statement said.

In December 2022 and January 2023, Corporacion American Airport Consortium was announced as the preferred bidder for the airport’s concession after scaling through a series of evaluations of technical and financial bids.

Nominal revenues mean income not adjusted for inflation and decreasing purchasing power.

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Russia Expelled From Council Of Europe Amid War With Ukraine

Published

2 years ago

March 16, 2022

Editor

The Council of Europe says it has expelled Russia with immediate effect after 26 years of membership because of the Ukraine war.

The Committee of Ministers took the decision in a special session, the rights body announced in the French city of Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Earlier, Russia had already declared its withdrawal from the Council of Europe after it had taken steps to exclude it.

On Tuesday evening, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted unanimously in favour of Russia’s exclusion.

Russia joined the Council of Europe on Feb. 28, 1996.

Together with the formal notification of the withdrawal, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe also received information from the Russian Federation on Tuesday about its intention to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the leaders of the Council of Europe once again condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

They expressed their solidarity with the Russian people, who continue to belong to the European family and share its values.

The body said it would continue to stand by Ukraine in the fight against the aggressor.

The Council of Europe monitors the observance of human rights in its 46 member states and is not part of the European Union.

The body reacted to the Russian invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago by suspending Russia’s membership, this decision was considered historic.