Protesters under the aegis of the Nigeria Society for Democracy and Good Governance (NSDGG) and the Coalition of Civil Society for Justice and Equity (CCSJE) took to the streets of Abuja on Wednesday, demanding that the Federal Government enforce court judgments declaring the occupation of Local Government Council Secretariats in Osun State by All Progressives Congress (APC) officials as illegal.

The protest, which began at the Unity Fountain and proceeded to the offices of the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Finance, highlighted the escalating tension over the alleged disregard for judicial authority and its threat to democratic governance.

The civil society organisations urged the Attorney General, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and the Minister of Finance to intervene by recognising and funding only the duly elected officials of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to the protesters, the PDP Chairmen and Councillors were validly elected on 22 February 2025, in an election conducted by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), in line with the Electoral Act 2022.

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However, despite court rulings voiding the appointments of APC officials, the party’s functionaries allegedly continue to occupy council offices across the state.

Speaking to journalists during the protest, Chairman of the CCSJE, Comrade Collins Idowu, described the situation as a ‘profound threat’ to the rule of law and democratic governance.

He emphasised the financial and constitutional dangers of the ongoing crisis, calling on the Minister of Finance to withhold further allocations to illegally occupying APC officials and instead channel funds to the duly elected PDP Chairmen and Councillors.

“The current situation in Osun State is not merely a political issue; it is a profound threat to the rule of law and democratic governance.

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“Despite clear court judgments that have invalidated the APC officials’ claims to their positions, they continue to occupy Local Government Council Secretariats, undermining the very foundation of our democracy. This blatant disregard for judicial authority and electoral integrity is alarming and poses significant financial implications for the state and its citizens,” Idowu said.

On his part, the spokesperson for the NSDGG, Ambassador Usman Saidu Calculus, also described the situation as a threat to democracy.

He warned that continued financial support to those without a legal mandate sets a dangerous precedent and may trigger instability and chaos at the grassroots level of governance.

READ ALSO:Osun LG Crisis: Council Boss, PDP Trade Accusations

“The NSDGG stands firm in its commitment to promoting democracy and good governance in Nigeria, and we believe that your actions in this matter will reflect the government’s dedication to upholding the rule of law and the principles of democracy.

“We demand that the government act decisively to rectify this situation by recognising the rightful representatives of the people and ensuring that public funds are allocated accordingly. The citizens of Osun State deserve to have their voices heard and their choices respected,” he said.

The protesters submitted letters to the offices of the Attorney General and the Minister of Finance, demanding strict adherence to the rule of law and the full implementation of valid court rulings.

The Protem State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Benue State, Chief Terngu Tsegba, has said Governor Hyacinth Alia is welcome to join the party if he so desires.

Speaking to newsmen Wednesday in Makurdi shortly after the unveiling of the party and his emergence as the Protem State Chairman, Chief Tsegba stated that members of other political parties were already collapsing their structures into the ADC and more were being expected.

He said: “Members of other parties are collapsing into the ADC, and anybody from any party that wants to join the ADC is welcome,e including the Governor of Benue state. If he wants to join the ADC, he is welcome provided he satisfies the requirements of the party.”

The former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Speaker Pro tempore of the House of Representatives explained that they had already resigned their membership of the PDP and were in the ADC to change the fortunes of the people of the state and Nigerians at large.

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While expressing optimism that the ADC would take Benue State, Chief Tsegba said an ADC-led government in the state would frontally address the issues of insecurity in the state.

“For us in Benue state, if there is security,y the farmers can go to their farms, small businesses will thrive, and of course, everything will go as planned. So the first issue we are going to confront as a party and as a government is to arrest the insecurity in the state, return our people to their ancestral homes and then grant autonomy to local governments.

“If the Local Government are receiving their allocation directly from the Federal Government I believe most of the things the state cannot do at the local government level, the Local governments would be able to handle them.

“And to do that we will scrap the Bureau for Local Governments and return the allocation to the local governments.”

READ ALSO: Coalition Illogical, Driven By Personal Ambition – Bode George

Unveiling the party earlier, former Governor of the State, Senator Gabriel Suswam stated that the coalition was born out of necessity, as the PDP, APC, Labour Party, LP, and other parties had been plagued by perpetual internal crises prompting the coming together of like minds in the ADC.

Meanwhile the PDP has described its members who joined the ADC as nomadic politicians seeking to destabilise the PDP for personal gains.

The party in a communique at the end of its Benue North West Senatorial District or Zone ‘B’ Stakeholders meeting held in Makurdi cautioned its members against joining any coalition.

Part of the communique read: “On the excitement over the new political platform, the PDP leaders describe former members of the party who have joined the coalition as an assemblage of nomadic politicians who are only seeking to destabilize the party for their personal and political gains.

READ ALSO: ADC, A Coalition Of Failed Politicians – Wike

“They are aggrieved because they were out manoeuvred when they attempted to seize the structures of the PDP for merchandise. They have no capacity to rescue anyone from anywhere. It is a truism that the PDP remains the only party committed to protecting our heritage, land, and people.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP in Zone B remains one and indivisible and rooted in the ideals of our founding fathers. We have no dealing with any coalition or the purported new political party in the name of ADC.

“We are not in any coalition with any political party or parties. We therefore encourage our members to disregard any speculations of any coalition at any level. Those championing the coalition are the disgruntled and self-serving elements amongst us who have long enjoyed the support of PDP but now seek to undermine the party’s unity and progress.”
(VANGUARD)

Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr Dennis Otuaro, has urged the people of the Niger Delta to support the declaration by the South South leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on President Bola Tinubu reelection for second term.

Recall that Leaders and members of the APC in Edo, Delta, Cross River and Akwa Ibom states met in Benin on July 5, 2025 where they unanimously endorsed President Tinubu for a second term in office.

Otuaro spoke while reacting to the position of the South South APC leaders and governors on President Tinubu as their sole candidate in the 2027 presidential election in an interview with a select number of journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to Otuaro, what the South South APC leaders and the governors did was the right way to reward a sincere and committed leader who has shown in practical terms his love for the region and the people.

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Otuaro noted that the President has proved beyond doubt his love and dedication to the affairs and development of the Niger Delta through strategic appointments, initiation of big-ticket projects, establishment of agencies and adequate funding of existing ones.

He said that the Niger Delta and indeed the South South has faired well under the well-implemented Renewed Hope Agenda of the President.

The PAP boss argued that a President who signed into law the bills establishing the Maritime University, Okerenkoko; the Federal University of Environment and Technology in Ogoniland, the South South Development Commission, and intensified support for the NDDC and the PAP, means well for the region and deserved the peoples support in return.

Otuaro further said, “His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has not hidden his intention to develop the South South and the Niger Delta, which explains why he has given this level of attention to the Lagos-Calabar Expressway.

READ ALSO: PAP Conducts Verification For 3,171 Scholarship Beneficiaries, Presents 663 Laptops To Final Year Students

“I urge the South South and the Niger Delta people to embrace the informed position of the APC leaders to sustain the region in the position to attract more development through a listening leader.

“I also advise the youths of the region and delegates of the Presidential Amnesty Programme not to allow themselves to be used by politicians with intentions inimical to the interest of the Niger Delta.

“I know that many will soon besiege our streets with their deceptive antics out of desperation for votes.

“We all can attest to what the President has done, and we are informed enough to know who is sincere with the desired development of our region.

“What this President deserves is our continued support and contribution to his reelection in 2027.”