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JUST IN: Labour Party Factions Clash At Presidential Election Petition Court
The Presidential Election Petition Court on Wednesday in Abuja refused to recognize the two factions laying claims to the national leadership of the Labour Party (LP).
In the presence of the presidential candidate of the party in the last general elections, Mr Peter Gregory Obi, two factions of the party had engaged themselves for recognition and to be recorded as the official representatives of the party in the pre-hearing of Obi’s petition.
The battle for recognition was ignited by Mrs Dudu Maluga, who sat by Obi’s right-hand side and introduced herself as National Women Leader of the Labour Party and representative of the party in the petition.
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Drama erupted when another faction sitting opposite Obi murmured loudly and sought to be recognised as the authentic leaders of the party.
One of them, who introduced himself as Alhaji Bashiru Lamidi Apapa, got up and announced himself as the party’s acting national chairman.
Following the confusion that ensued, the Chairman of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, ruled against the two factions that the court would not recognize or record their respective presence as representatives of the party.
The two factions were, however, allowed to remain in the courtroom but without being recognized.
Obi, who was in the court to witness proceedings, kept mute while the drama lasted.
READ ALSO: BREAKING: Labour Party Crisis Deepens, Kenneth Okonkwo, 11 Others Suspended
Similarly, the suspended National Chairman of the party, Mr Julius Abure, who sat closest to Peter Obi, did not intervene throughout the drama.
Indications that the two factions would clash first emerged during the struggle to enter the courtroom, with both factions claiming and counter-claiming to be authentic leaders of the party.
It took efforts of the security operatives in the court before security breaches could be averted.
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Nigerians languish In Prisons As Ethiopia Stalls Repatriation MoU
Dozens of Nigerians remain behind bars in Ethiopia as efforts to repatriate them stall, following delays in finalising a crucial Memorandum of Understanding between both countries.
The agreement, which would allow convicted Nigerians to serve the remainder of their sentences at home, has yet to be ratified by the Ethiopian government despite repeated diplomatic engagements and mounting pressure from civil society groups.
Speaking on the matter on Wednesday, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the delay was not from the Nigerian side.
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“The ministry has fulfilled its own side of the formalities for the Transfer of Sentenced Persons MoU.
It is the Ethiopian side that is stalling,” she said through her media aide, Magnus Eze.
The ministry disclosed in 2023 that more than 270 Nigerians were serving various prison terms in Ethiopia, mostly for drug-related offences.
Families and advocacy groups have continued to raise alarm over the poor conditions in detention centres.
President-General of the My Dreamalive Development Foundation, Ambassador Onwuka Collins, condemned the situation last week, describing conditions in the prisons as “deplorable.”
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“It is sad that some Nigerians in Ethiopian prisons have already died due to these harsh conditions, while others are suffering from illnesses, including kidney stones and stroke. We cannot continue to watch helplessly as our brothers languish in prison without a fair trial. We, therefore, need urgent help,” Collins said.
He further alleged reports of abuse, citing “inadequate food which is often self-made, inadequate medical care and negligence, brutal treatment, as well as extortion by prison officials.”
Despite a Federal High Court ruling in November 2024 ordering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to facilitate the return of Nigerians imprisoned in Ethiopia, progress remains stalled.
The court had also noted Ethiopia’s admission that it lacked the budget to care for foreign inmates.
READ ALSO:Two Nigerians Face Jail Terms In Liberia’s Piracy Trial
Renewed pressure was mounted on April 17, 2025, when Odumegwu-Ojukwu led a delegation to meet the Ethiopian Ambassador to Nigeria, Legesse Geremew Haile, urging Ethiopia to expedite the MoU.
“Our people don’t want to hear that another Nigerian inmate died in Ethiopian prison,” the minister said, expressing frustration over what she called a lack of political will from Ethiopia despite earlier assurances.
Ambassador Haile, while reaffirming Ethiopia’s ties with Nigeria, admitted the MoU was still awaiting ratification by the country’s House of Representatives.
The prolonged delay has already claimed lives. On March 12, 2023, Favour Eze, held at Kaliti Prison in Addis Ababa, reportedly died after being brutalised by prison officials.
Another inmate, Uchenna Nwanneneme, died on September 21, 2023, from tuberculosis after allegedly receiving little to no medical attention.
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South African Court Finds Radical Politician Malema Guilty On Gun Charges
A South African court on Wednesday found firebrand opposition leader Julius Malema guilty of violating gun laws for firing an assault rifle at a 2018 rally.
Malema, leader of the radical anti-capitalist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, is known for fiery speeches and courting political tensions both at home and abroad.
The 44-year-old and his former bodyguard were charged with firing the gun in the air during the EFF’s fifth birthday celebration in Eastern Cape province.
The court found him guilty of unlawful possession, reckless endangerment, among other charges, the National Prosecuting Authority said.
Malema could face up to 15 years in prison. The case will be heard on January 23 next year for pre-sentencing.
Malema, who was present in court for the verdict, said he will appeal the decision.
Speaking to supporters outside, he struck a defiant tone: “As a revolutionary, going to prison or death is a badge of honour. We cannot be scared of prison or dying for the revolution.”
In August, Malema was found guilty of hate speech for telling his supporters at a 2022 rally that they should “never be scared to kill.”
He has long been criticised by South Africa’s white minority for his radical rhetoric and his singing of the anti-apartheid song “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer”, which some say incites anti-white violence.
Headline
Church Scaffold Collapse Kills 36
Makeshift scaffolding set up at a church in Ethiopia collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least 36 people and injuring more than 200, state media said.
The incident occurred at around 7:45 am in the town of Arerti, roughly 70 kilometres (40 miles) east of the capital Addis Ababa, when a group was visiting for an annual Virgin Mary festival.
District police chief Ahmed Gebeyehu told state media Fana: “The number of dead has reached 36 and could increase more”, adding “more than 200 people have suffered injuries” and were receiving treatment at a local hospital.
READ ALSO:18 Dead, Dozens Missing In Zamfara Mine Collapse
Some people remained under the rubble, local official Atnafu Abate told the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), without giving further details about those trapped or possible rescue efforts.
He said some of the more seriously hurt were taken to hospitals in the capital.
Images shared on the EBC’s official Facebook page showed a mess of collapsed wooden poles, with crowds gathering amid the dense debris.
Other pictures appeared to show the outside of the church where scaffolding had been precariously constructed.
READ ALSO:Four Miners Feared Dead, Others Trapped As Illegal Mining Site Collapses In Plateau
A government statement shared by EBC expressed condolences and added that “safety must be given priority”.
Health and safety regulations are virtually non-existent in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous nation, and construction accidents are common.
The sprawling country is a mosaic of 80 ethnic groups and has one of the world’s oldest Christian communities.
Its predecessor, the Axumite Empire, declared Christianity the state religion in the fourth century.
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