Politics
PDP Presidential Aspirant To Face Probe Over Alleged Leakage Of National Zoning Committee Report

A Presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, (name withheld) is to be probed by the National Executive Committee NEC of the party for allegedly leaking the report of Governor Samuel Ortom led National Zoning Committee.
The presidential aspirant who is to face a probe alongside others suspected to have aided him in accessing the highly confidential document may be expelled from the PDP as a punishment.
Sources at the Wadata House National Secretariat of PDP said that a 7-man probe panel is to be put in place at any moment to expeditiously deal with the matter considered deliberate sabotage.
National Chairman of the party Dr Iyorchia Ayu was said to have personally felt thoroughly bitter and embarrassed over the speed at which the Zoning Report found its way out of the Wadata House and circulated to some persons considered as destabilising agents working against the 2023 agenda of the party.
READ ALSO: 2023: INEC Clears Air On Extending Deadline For Party Primaries
An on the spot investigation by the National Executive Committee NEC was said to have revealed a shocking step being made to run the party into trouble in its planned May 28 Presidential primary election to nominate the party’s flag bearer in the coming presidential election.
The National Zoning Committee Report was submitted to Dr Iyorchia Ayu led PDP NEC and is slated for debate on May 10 when a final decision on the zoning issue is expected to be adopted.
However, less than 36 hours after the submission of the report, some top officials of the party were said to have been influenced by external forces leading to the leak of the report.
To worsen the situation, the leaked report was used at the Federal High Court in Abuja for a suit seeking to stop the planned Presidential primary on the ground that the zoning was not done in favour of the South-East geo-political zone.
Specifically, the suit was instituted by serving Commissioner for Trade and Investments in Abia State, Cosmos Ndukwe.
The National Zoning Committee Report was one of the key documents attached to Ndukwe’s ex-parte application filed alongside his originating summons in the suit against the presidential primary.
Ndukwe, a former Deputy Speaker in the Abia State House of Assembly had filed an exparte application seeking to stop the presidential primary of the PDP on account of zoning.
In doing so, he attached the communique of the Governor Ortom Committee whose recommendations are yet to be ratified by the PDP NEC but scheduled for May 10.
PDP NEC, it was gathered, concluded that exhibiting the Zoning Committee Report in the open court is a confirmation that an interest higher than Ndukwe is behind the alleged plot to scuttle PDP presidential primary.
A source in the National Working Committee NWC of the PDP informed our Correspondent on the grounds of anonymity that the party is considering probing the presidential aspirant and others who may be implicated in the leakage of the document and sanctioning them appropriately in line with its constitution.
Two of the presidential aspirants were said to have been dropped after a screening exercise last Friday and Ndukwe is suspected to be one of them even though Senator David Mark led Committee did not mention names of the aspirants that were screened out.
A careful look at the leaked document confirmed that the Ortom Committee had actually recommended that the presidential contest of the PDP should be thrown open for all aspirants irrespective of their zones of origin.
Attempts by our correspondent to reach the PDP national Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu for comments were unsuccessful as his security details insisted on written permission before he could be accessed.
The security details hinged cited pressure of work which Ayu is handling on the 2023 election preparation as the reason to block our Reporter.
READ ALSO: 2023: Protesters Storm APC Secretariat, Warns Jonathan Agenda Is Recipe For Disaster
However, apart from Governor Ortom, the 35-member National Zoning Committee consisted of Attahiru Bafarawa, Prof Jerry Gana, Olabode Ibiyinka George, Ahmed Markarfi, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Wale Oladipupo and Boni Haruna.
Others are Jonah David Jang, Adamu Wasiri, Prof ABC Nwosu, Senator Abdul Ningi, Mao Ohuabuwa, Sanusi Daggashi, Tom Ikimi, Ayodele Fayose Ibrahim Dankwambo and Sule Lamido among others.
Politics
Court Declines Kachikwu’s Motion Against INEC, ADC Leaders

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday declined to hear an application filed by the African Democratic Congress’ 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, against the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Senator David Mark-led leadership of the party.
Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling, refused to entertain the motion.
Kachikwu, through his counsel, Dayo Akinlaja (SAN), had sought an order compelling INEC to withdraw the publication of Mark and Rauf Aregbesola’s names as national chairman and secretary of the ADC, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
INEC had recently recognised Mark, a former Senate President, and Aregbesola, a former Governor of Osun State, as the party’s national chairman and national secretary.
READ ALSO:Court Dismisses Suit Seeking Refund Of Rivers’ Monies Expended By Ibas
On July 7, Kachikwu and four others – Adikwu Elias, Etimbuk Umoh, Muhammed Khala, and Alaku Godwin William – filed an originating summons challenging the recognition of the duo.
The suit lists INEC, ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Mark, and Aregbesola as the first to fifth defendants.
When the matter was called on Friday, Akinlaja told the court that a motion dated September 19 had been filed. He argued that despite the pendency of the suit, INEC went ahead to recognise Mark and Aregbesola as party leaders.
The plaintiffs asked the court to set aside the recognition and publication of their names, describing it as a breach of the doctrine of lis pendens. They also sought an injunction restraining Nwosu, Mark, and Aregbesola from further relating with INEC as ADC’s national officers.
However, counsel for the ADC, Shaibu Aruwa (SAN), along with other defence lawyers, opposed the application.
READ ALSO:South African Court Finds Radical Politician Malema Guilty On Gun Charges
After hearing arguments, Justice Omotosho declined to entertain the motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1331/2025.
He said, “This court is not inclined to nullify anything at this stage, whether done before or now. This is a political case. I am not taking any interlocutory matter.”
The judge held that all processes filed by the parties, including preliminary objections, would be taken together with the substantive case.
Despite repeated pleas by Akinlaja for the motion to be heard, the court stood its ground.
Justice Omotosho also granted an application for joinder filed by Nkemakolam Ukandu, the ADC deputy national secretary, and ordered that his name be added as a defendant.
He directed the plaintiffs to file the amended processes within 48 working hours and gave the defence seven days to respond. The case was adjourned till October 23 for hearing.
Politics
Fubara Sacks Commissioners, Others

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has sacked all commissioners and other public office holders serving in his administration.
The decision, according to a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday evening by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, takes immediate effect and followed the recent Supreme Court judgment.
The governor, during a valedictory session with his cabinet to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary at Government House, Port Harcourt, thanked the outgoing officials for their services and contributions to the state’s development over the past two years.
The statement read in part, “Rivers State Governor, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has thanked members of his cabinet for their services and contributions to the development of the state in the last two years.
READ ALSO:BREAKING: Gov Fubara Dissolves Rivers Pension Board
“The governor highlighted the significance of Nigeria’s Independence, and called on all Nigerians to work together with Mr President to build a peaceful, secure and prosperous country and a brighter future for all.
“Furthermore, the Governor has relieved all Commissioners and other public officers affected by the recent Supreme Court judgment of their appointments with immediate effect.”
Fubara also reiterated his commitment to serve the state “with renewed vigour,” while expressing gratitude to Rivers people for their support and wishing Nigerians a happy Independence anniversary.
READ ALSO:Why I Refused To Challenge Emergency Rule – Fubara
Recall that the immediate past administrator of the state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), upon assumption of office during the emergency rule imposed by President Bola Tinubu, suspended all commissioners, special advisers, and assistants appointed by Fubara. Ibas also dissolved boards and suspended heads of parastatals he met in office.
Since Ibas exited the state on September 18, the fate of Fubara’s appointees had remained uncertain. The Rivers State House of Assembly, at its first sitting after the lifting of the emergency rule, had called on the governor to submit a fresh list of commissioner-nominees for screening, alongside the 2025 budget for passage.
Politics
2027: Crisis Rocks Kaduna ADC Over Power Tussle

The Kaduna State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is enmeshed in crisis as a fierce power struggle among leading figures threatens the party’s chances in the 2027 general elections.
ADC stalwart, Malam Salihu Lukman, raised the alarm on Wednesday, warning that the party may not make a meaningful impact at the polls if the internal rift persists.
In a statement, Lukman alleged that some party leaders have aligned with certain aspiring candidates for the 2027 elections to the exclusion of others.
He called on former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Malam Jaafaru Sani, Alhaji Bashir Saidu, and other opposition leaders in the state to halt what he described as “the madness” of candidates bent on hijacking party structures.
READ ALSO:Ex-Tinubu Campaign Coordinator Resigns From APC
According to him, “anybody who is not ready to work as part of a united opposition in Kaduna State is consciously or unconsciously working for the APC.”
Expressing concern over the infighting, Lukman said his efforts to mediate had largely failed.
“The fact that Senator Musa Bello is aggressively seeking to control structures of ADC in Zone 2 is a reflection of my failure, largely because I am associated with him.
“Senator Lawal Adamu (Mr. La) has avoided all my requests to meet him. I have met Malam Jaafaru Sani on this matter and had discussions with Malam Nasir. Sadly, we are not united, and the perception is that I am part of the problem.”
READ ALSO:Why APC Candidates Contested 2023 LG Election Despite Intimidation — State Chairman
Lukman stressed that he has no political ambition but remains committed to building a united front. “As a citizen from Kaduna State, I am willing to make every necessary sacrifice to move our state forward. Without sounding immodest, I made every sacrifice to contribute to forming the coalition and negotiating the agreement with ADC.
“May I therefore appeal to Malam Nasir and all our leaders to please seek to unite us. It is only if we are united in ADC that we can unite our people in the state to defeat the APC in 2027. We must bear in mind that it is not just about defeating APC but about producing a government controlled by our party based on collective leadership.
“We need to put an end to the era when we produce emperors as governors. Anything short of a government managed by collective leadership under ADC will be unacceptable.”
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