Following the crisis in the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, the Legacy Group has challenged the reconciliation talks said to be ongoing in the state, saying it was not involved.

The Legacy Group is being led by the PDP National Vice Chairman, South-South, Dan Orbih.

Leading up to the PDP governorship primary election on February 22 and following the victory of Asue Ighodalo as the party’s candidate, supported by the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, internal conflict had plagued the state chapter of the party.

In response, the PDP appointed the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Emmanuel Enoidem, to head an 11-member committee tasked to reconcile the disgruntled members.

The committee was unable to foster reconciliation, with the latest development being the ouster of the former Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, who contested against Ighodalo, as he was impeached by the lawmakers.

The Edo PDP, thereafter, split into factions, a group led by Orbih and another by Obaseki, with members opposing and campaigning against Ighodalo ahead of the governorship election slated for September 21, 2024.

In the past two weeks, certain PDP members had switched allegiance to the All Progressives Congress in the state, while others expressed intentions to oppose the party’s candidate in the forthcoming election.

Additionally, the Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, Timothy Osadolor, has urged the National Working Committee to suspend Orbih, citing alleged anti-party activities.

Responding to the development, the PDP released a statement through its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, last week, urging the people of Edo State to continue showing support and solidarity for the party and its governorship candidate, Ighodalo.

Following the statement, supporters of the Obaseki faction claimed to have engaged in discussions with the Orbih-led Legacy Group in a bid to resolve internal conflicts among PDP members in Edo State.

Responding to the claim, Orbih refuted the alleged meeting, labelling it as misinformation.

The PDP National Vice Chairman, South-South, in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, questioned whether reconciliation could occur without the involvement of his group, the Legacy Group.

He stated, “Watching as the PDP council celebrated the falsehood of a non-existent settlement, can one person settle in the absence of the second person?

“I was not consulted. Legacy Group is not a party to this. This is a big lie from the pit of hell. Whoever orchestrated this propaganda is from the woods. So, Dan Orbih is important like this and they have been insulting me daily?”

When reached for comment, the PDP Deputy National Youth Leader and a staunch supporter of Governor Obaseki, Timothy Osadolor, remarked that Orbih found himself at a crossroads and encouraged him to step down from his position.

In an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, Osadolor stated that Orbih could not undermine Ighodalo’s chances in the election.

He stated, “Dan Orbih finds himself at a crossroads, having garnered considerable attention from members of the Legacy Group. He has led some into politically damaging conflicts, not only with the governor but also with the state.

“During the last NWC meeting, Orbih appealed against sanctions, citing past grievances and pledging future support for the party’s governorship candidate. While he’s entitled to his decisions, he must remember that holding a party leadership position entails loyalty to the party. I urge him to consider resigning honourably.

“Orbih cannot undermine the PDP’s candidate in Edo. He has never successfully fielded a councillor in his ward through fair elections, let alone jeopardise the PDP’s chances in Edo. Ighodalo, the PDP candidate, will emerge victorious.”

Attempts to obtain a response from the PDP NWC regarding the development were unsuccessful, as Ologunagba did not answer calls or respond to messages sent to him.

The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, has said that the country cannot survive on 4,000 megawatts of electricity.

Ajaero stated this at the Headquarters of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, where the organised labour is currently picketing the office in protest of the planned electricity tariff hike.

The NLC President also issued a challenge to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, to tell Nigerians which power plant it planned to construct before the end of the year, noting that the Mambilla plant could generate over 3,600 MW of electricity if it was functional.

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He further said that the NERC could not continue to charge tariffs without availability and accessibility to what they were paying for, adding that the Commission was creating inflation, for which it would continue to charge Nigerians.

Ajaero, therefore, called on the Federal Government not only to reverse the planned hike but to abolish all forms of tax that could further impoverish Nigerians.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: Workers Stranded As Labour Pickets Jos DisCo, NERC

Recall that the NERC announced the hike in the electricity tariff for Band A customers at a press briefing in Abuja on April 3.

The NERC also stated that those affected would pay N225 per kilowatt-hour, up from the previous rate of N68/kWh.

The hike represented a 240 per cent increase.

More details later…

Namitra Bwala, the student at the centre of a recently viral video depicting her being bullied by fellow students, on Monday, has initiated legal proceedings against Lead British International School, Gwarimpa, Abuja.

On April 22, an X user, #mooyeeeeeee, posted videos of a female student of Lead British International School, who was seen being bullied by her classmates.

In one of the videos, the victim was seen being slapped repeatedly by another female student while asking “Who broke my heart?”

In another video, the victim was seen sitting next to a male classmate who was heard saying “I spoilt her relationship”.

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However, the lawsuit, filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory under case number FCT/HC/CV/2341/24: MISS NAMTIRA BWALA v LEAD BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL LTD, seeks damages from the educational institution for its alleged failure to provide a safe and conducive learning environment for the plaintiff.

According to a public statement on Monday issued by Marvin Omorogbe., the founding partner of the law firm representing Bwala, the legal action is aimed at holding the school accountable for its negligent conduct regarding the highly publicized incident.

The lawsuit further requested, “the Defendant to issue a public apology to the Clamant in two national daily newspapers.

“An order directing the Defendant to pay the Claimant the sum of N500,000,000.00 (Five Hundred Million Naira) as general damages for the Defendant’s breach of the duty of care it owes to the Claimant, and its negligent conduct in failing to prevent the assault, torment, emotional distress, pain, trauma and breach of privacy suffered by the Claimant while under the Defendant’s custody and supervision.”

READ ALSO: Video Of Girl Being Bullied, Slapped At Lead British School Sparks Outrage Online [PHOTOS/VIDEO]

The law firm emphasised its client’s hopes that the lawsuit would catalyse meaningful changes and prompt the implementation of adequate measures to prevent similar occurrences within the school premises.

“Our client hopes that this lawsuit will bring about drastic changes and adequate measures to prevent a reoccurrence of similar issues in the school,” the statement added.

The viral video, which sparked widespread outrage and condemnation, depicted Ms Bwala being subjected to bullying by her peers, raising concerns about the school’s ability to ensure the safety and well-being of its students.