Politics
Suits Challenging Ighodalo’s Candidacy: Court To Deliver Judgment April 30

A Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday, fixed April 30 for judgment in two separate suits challenging the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s primaries that produced Dr. Asue Ighodalo as the party’s governorship candidate for the September 21 Edo poll.
Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date, after counsel for the parties adopted their processes and presented their arguments for and against the suits.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reported that while the first suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/195/2024, was filed by Adizetu Umoru, the second suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/196/2024, was filed by Moses Alabi and Christopher Oboarer.
The plaintiffs had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, PDP, Umar Damagun (acting national chairman), Setonji Koshoedo, PDP’s National Working Committee, NWC, and its National Executive Committee, NEC, as 1st to 6th defendants respectively.
READ ALSO: How I Was Drafted Into The Pro-democracy Struggle – Edo PDP Guber Candidate, Ighodalo
The three plaintiffs, in their separate ex-parte motions dated and filed February 19, specifically sought an interim order of the court restraining the defendants from using the list of ward congresses held on February 4, for the purpose of conducting the PDP’s primaries in Edo State, slated for February 22 or any other date pending the hearing and determination of the main suit.
Mr Magaji Ibrahim, SAN, who moved the two separate motions, said that the primaries would amount to a nullity if allowed to hold on the grounds that the process which produced the delegates is defective.
According to Ibrahim, the PDP trampled upon the judgment of the court delivered on January 9 when the acting national secretary of the party announced the information of the ward congresses.
He recalled that the court, presided over by Justice Ekwo, had, in the January 9 judgment, declared Sen. Samuel Anyanwu as the substantive National Secretary of the PDP.
READ ALSO: Edo Guber: PDP Names Ighodalo’s Running Mate
He argued that rather than comply with the judgment, the party went ahead to appoint an acting national secretary in flagrant disobedience of the court.
It was the claims of the applicants that the action of the acting national secretary amounted to an illegality, and by extension, the product of the ward congresses held on February 4.
They, therefore, prayed the court to restrain the party and INEC from making use of the list of delegates from the alleged defective congresses.
Although Justice Ekwo declined to grant the application to stop the poll conduct, the judge ordered the applicants to put the defendants on notice to enable them to appear before the court and show cause why the request against them should not be granted.
READ ALSO: Court Dismisses Suit Seeking To Stop Elections, Examinations On Saturday
Upon resumed hearing of the matter, yesterday, Mathew Burkaa, SAN, who appeared for Umoru, adopted all their processes, including the originating summons dated February 14.
Burkaa urged the court to dismiss the notice of preliminary objection filed by the defendants and grant their prayers.
INEC’s lawyer, I.S. Mohammed, PDP’s counsel, Adeyemi Ajibade, SAN; and lawyer who appeared for Damagun and Koshoedo, Kehibde Ofunwumiju, SAN, and Robert Emukpoeruo, who represented the NWC and NEC, urged the court to dismiss the suit, saying that a notice of preliminary objection was filed by the commission. He prayed the court to strike out the suit on merit and award substantial cost.
Also the second suit was equally argued in the same vein.
Meanwhile, the judge fixed the third suit filed on behalf of the 378 ad hoc delegates in Edo primary poll against INEC, PDP, national secretary of PDP and the vice chairman, PDP South South (1st to 4th defendants) until May 2 for ruling on motion seeking for a change of counsel for the 4th defendant.
Politics
Agege LG Chairman Resigns

Agege Local Government
Mr. Tunde Azeez Disco has stepped down as the Executive Chairman of Agege Local Government, citing persistent health challenges as the reason for his resignation.
The former chairman submitted his resignation letter to the Agege Local Government Legislative Arm.
He noted that his health status had significantly impacted his ability to effectively discharge his official duties.
The legislative house, while acknowledging Azeez Disco’s dedication to public service, quickly accepted the decision. Following a thorough deliberation, a unanimous resolution was passed, accepting the resignation with immediate effect.
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The council wished the outgoing chairman well in his future endeavours, with the event underlining the necessity for public officials to prioritise personal health and well-being.
Ganiyu Obasa, son of the Speaker, Lagos State Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, is the Vice chairman of Agege Local Government.
In May, residents of Agege, under the banner of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the local government election in Agege.
They claimed that Obasa allegedly plans to foist his surrogates as candidates in the local government and councillorship elections.
READ ALSO:APC Disowns Members Calling For State Secretary’s Resignation
In a meeting held in response to the announcement of candidates for the chairmanship and vice-chairmanship of the Agege Local Government and Orile-Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA), the aggrieved residents alleged that those shortlisted as candidates to represent the area were handpicked by Obasa.
They said the process was void of internal democracy and collective participation.
Addressing the media, Kamardeen Sabitu, chairman of the PCC for Agege and Orile-Agege, alleged that Obasa did everything possible to manipulate the political structure in the area for personal gain.
During the protest, demonstrators carried placards reading “Red Card, Obasa O to ge, (it is enough). They also chanted songs such as “Enough is Enough, this suffering is enough, Tinubu, rescue us.”
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Sabitu added that the people have endured years of political marginalisation under Obasa’s influence. He recalled that the movement against imposed candidates began in 2018, during which one of the protesters died and 11 others were jailed.
“There is no true democracy in Agege. Since 2018, we’ve been resisting Obasa’s control. We salute everyone standing up to this political imposition. One person cannot dominate Agege politics,” Sabitu said.
He emphasised that while the group remains loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and is also appreciative of the party’s leadership, they will not accept candidates imposed on them without proper consultation.
Politics
JUST IN: Reps In Rowdy Session, Reject Key Motions

The plenary session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday turned rowdy after members voted against some motions of urgent public importance, which bordered on the protection of lives and key government assets.
With the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, presiding, the session became rowdy, as members dissolved into a closed-door session to restore order.
It all started when the member representing Somolu Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Ademorin Kuye, drew the attention of his colleagues to what he called the illegal allocation of lands within the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex and prayed the House to refer the matter to the Committee on Public Assets for investigation.
Kuye, a member of the All Progressives Congress is the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Assets.
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Proposing an amendment to the prayers, Delta lawmaker and Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, argued that though the matter brought before the Green Chamber is urgent enough, the Committee on Commerce, not Public Assets, should be in charge of the investigation.
Waive was supported by Akwa Ibom lawmaker, Mark Esset, who argued that “It is the Committee on Commerce that should take responsibility on this matter.”
On the other hand, Yusuf Gagdi representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, Plateau State, supported Kuye, stating that the Public Assets Committee should be allowed to take charge of investigating the allegation of illegal land sale and submit a report to the House.
With no end to the back-and-forth argument in sight, Gbefwi Gaza (SDP, Nasarawa) on the advice of Kalu, proposed the constitution of an Ad-hoc Committee comprising members of both Committees (Public Assets and Commerce) to conduct the probe.
READ ALSO:Reps Move To Regulate Cryptocurrency, POS Operations
When subjected to a voice vote, almost an equal number of lawmakers voted in support and against the motion.
Not sure whose voices were louder, Kalu gave it to the nays, sparking unrest in the chamber.
Next on the order of urgent motions was Mohammed Bio representing Baruten/Kaima Federal Constituency, Kwara State.
Bio who lamented the worsening security situation in his constituency, prayed the House to urge the military to establish a base in the crisis-prone areas to stem the tides of attacks.
READ ALSO:List Of 46 Proposed New States Submitted To House Of Reps
This time, more lawmakers voted against the motion, to the surprise of Kalu and the Kwara lawmaker.
It became clear to Kalu that members had resolved to frustrate the day’s session owing to the rejection of Kuye’s motion.
So, when again voices thundered against Ayodeji Alao-Akala’s motion which drew members’ attention to the need to address Nigeria’s description as a “Country of Particular Concern” by the United States President, Mr Donald Trump; Kalu allowed the motion to pass, forcing members to openly oppose the decision.
Voices of dissent rent the chambers and the plenary was suspended for a closed-door session.
…Details later
Politics
Obaseki’s Media Aide Tackles Edo Information Commissioner Over Alleged ₦600bn Debt

A former Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has denied leaving a debt of N600bn, urging the Monday Okpehbolo-led administration to crosscheck from the Debt Management Office (DMO) before “spewing lies.”
The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, had on Monday in Benin claimed that the immediate past administration in the state left a whooping ₦600bn debt.
Reacting to Afegbua’s claim via video call on Tuesday, Obaseki’s Media Adviser, Crusoe Osagie, challenged the current administration in the state to visit the DMO to see whether Edo drew such debt.
Crusoe, who said no government at whatever level has capacity to draw loans or enter into any debt arrangement without the knowledge and approval of the DMO, said lies being spewed by the Okpebholo’s administration is giving the country a bad image.
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He said information of such gives the impression that the state is being governed by people who don’t understand what it means to run a government.
Crusoe described the claim as false and outrightly out of place.
On the planned probe of Mosium of West Africa Arts (MOWA), Crusoe noted that MOWA remained an international brand that entered into a business agreement with Edo State with all T’s crossed and all I’s dotted.
He insisted that every record about the transaction between Radisson Hotel and the Edo State government was contained in the transition report.
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He said: “MOWA is an international investment drawing funds from the German government, the United Kingdom’s government, and the French government for its development. You think such an investment will be put on a land that was not ceded to that organization by the state.
“These people just come out there and toss all kinds of irresponsible information out there. At the end of the day what happens is that all of these turn around to form the intelligence that gathered out of Nigeria by the international community.
“It makes these countries think that the country is a failed state and the place is not being governed.”
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