Home Blog Page 72

Fallout Of Court Ruling On INEC: IPAC Advises Commission To Deepen Engagement With Pol Parties

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0
Independent National Electoral Commission - INEC

By Ayodele Oni

 

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has hailed the Federal High Court Judgment which set aside guidelines for 2027 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing it as victory for democracy and  Rule of Law.

 

IPAC expressed the hope that the ruling will prevent exclusionary conditions capable of disenfranchising aspirants and party members.

 

Publicity Secretary of the council, Comrade Egbeola Wale Martins, in a statement, pointed out that “the judgment of the Federal High Court affirming that while the INEC possesses supervisory powers over elections, it cannot prescribe binding timelines regulating how and when political parties conduct their internal primaries is timely”

 

“This judgment is a clear reaffirmation of constitutional supremacy and the rule of law. It is an aberration for INEC to attempt to rewrite the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through administrative guidelines.

 

“INEC guidelines can never be superior to the Constitution or the provisions of extant laws governing the electoral process.

 

“While no one is questioning the powers of INEC to issue guidelines for the conduct of elections, such guidelines must operate strictly within the confines of the law.

 

“This judgment therefore represents a major victory for democracy, the rule of law, political parties and indeed all citizens of Nigeria.

 

“It restores the constitutional rights of political parties to manage their internal affairs in line with democratic principles and without unlawful administrative interference.

 

“Importantly, this judgment will enable political parties to provide all eligible members equal opportunity to participate in party primaries, while discouraging exclusionary conditions capable of disenfranchising aspirants and party members.

 

“IPAC also calls on the Chairman of INEC to deepen engagement and consultation with political parties, who remain the most important stakeholders in the electoral process.

 

“Greater collaboration and dialogue would have helped prevent this avoidable error and the unnecessary legal disputes arising from it.

 

“This development further validates IPAC’s consistent position that INEC’s attempt to compress and undertake too many electoral activities within a limited timeframe before elections could create confusion, administrative bottlenecks and exclusion within the electoral process.”

 

The judgement is expected to give room for aspirants that lost primary election of their party to decamp to other parties.

APC Primaries: “Disaster Beckons”, Ned Nwoko Warns

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
-
0
Senator Ned Nwoko

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

 

The Senator representing Delta North District, Ned Nwoko, has warned that dire political consequences await the All Progressive Congress, APC, should he be successfully schemed off the party primaries ahead of the 2027 polls.

 

The Source reports that preliminary result from the APC National Assembly primaries conducted on May 18, in the Senatorial Zone, was won by former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, a development which Nwoko has hotly disputed and dismissed as heavily manipulated.

 

In the result declared by the national officers, Okowa was returned as the winner having, polled  113,309 ,as against Senator Nwoko’s 2,612 votes.

 

At a media briefing in Abuja on Friday, May 22, 2026, by Chris Okobah, his legal representative, Senator Nwoko insisted that unless the obvious irregularities that characterized the primaries are urgently addressed ,the APC risks political backlash of monumental proportion ,and internal collapse in Delta state.

 

According to him, the manifestly flawed primaries in Delta state, if not properly managed by the National leadership, and President Bola Tinubu, could have far-reaching consequences on the electoral fortunes of the party in the State.

 

He alleged that the primaries were largely defined by manipulation, open intimidation, and gross procedural violations, a development that produced outcomes clearly in conflict with the will of party members.

 

While describing the primaries as  “a theatre of fraud”, Nwoko maintained that available field reports ward-by-ward documentation, including reports from agents pointed to overwhelming majority support for him across the entire Senatorial District.

 

Further highlighting his high level of acceptability among the people, Nwoko insisted that there was no way  Okowa  would have defeated him in a free and fair contest.

 

He emphasized that the former Governor of Delta State was able to win his re-election in 2019 owing to his intervention and support.

 

“It was even because of Ned Nwoko that he ( Okowa) won re-election as Governor, because he came kneeling down and pleading with Ned to support him during the election.

 

“That was why he won his re-election bid. So, if they think they can now sideline him, I am telling you it would be a recipe for disaster for the APC in the State” Nwoko’s Counsel warned.

 

He, however, informed that he  has decided to first explore all the available internal conflict resolution mechanisms in the party to seek redress, before heading for the courts if necessary.

 

“We are not going to rush to court for now. We want the party, through its internal conflict resolution mechanisms to address the issues raised.

 

“We will only consider the court option if the party fails to resolve the situation”, he added.

 

Nwoko, therefore, urged the President, as well as the national leadership of the party to act quickly, with a view to ensuring justice .

Assembly Speaker, Salihu Wins Kwara APC Gov. Primary Election, As Fmr Minister Faults Result Of Oyo

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0
Engr Yakubu Danladi Salihu

By Ayodele Oni

 

The Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Engr Yakubu Danladi Salihu, has been declared winner of the gubernatorial primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC)

 

The primary election, held on Friday,  took place across 193 wards of the state.

 

The Chairman of the State Primary Election Committee, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, made the declaration at the final collation held at Banquet Hall, opposite Government House, Ilorin.

 

According to him, Danladi Salihu secured 94,990 votes to defeat other aspirants in the shadow poll.

 

Obanikoro disclosed that other aspirants such as Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki garnered 41,700 votes while Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa polled 22,118 votes based on the official tally.

 

Meanwhile, a former Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu has faulted result of the primary election in the state, declaring that the total number of registered members of All Progressives Congress, (APC), in Oyo State is not up to 500,000.

 

Adelabu made the assertion on Friday via a statement signed by his media aide, Femi Awogboro.

 

Adelabu resigned as Minister of Power to contest the Oyo APC gubernatorial primary, but lost to Senator Sharafadeen Alli.

 

However, Adelabu, who had alleged that the primary election was manipulated, in the statement by his media aide, dismissed claims that Senator Alli polled over 500,000 votes to emerge as the party’s candidate. The statement described the figure as inaccurate.

 

Adelabu noted that the total number of registered APC members in Oyo State stands at 153,640 and not 500,000.

 

Adelabu in the statement enjoined members of the party to wait for the official declaration.

 

The statement noted that it was evident from the turnout that Adelabu enjoys overwhelming grassroots support across the state.

 

“Those in charge of the results need to be careful and not to be used by anyone to truncate or alter the results because it is already clear to us from what we are collating from each ward,” the statement said.

State Of The Nation: ADC Chieftain Slams Tinubu’s 3yrs Of ‘Catastrophe’

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
-
0
Kenneth Okonkwo
Kenneth Okonkwo

Fierce lawyer and African Democratic Congress, ADC chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo, has describe President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government as a catastrophe. Since Tinubu came to office three  years ago, his tenure has brought misfortunes on the country, he said.

The ADC chieftain launched a blistering attack on the president, while speaking on Inside Source, on Channels Television saying the accumulation of debt for the country is the only achievement recorded by the government.

Okonkwo spoke after President Tinubu accused some cabals in the country of coming after him because of the  various economic reforms embarked upon by his administration, particularly the removal of the fuel subsidy.

The president accused the cabal of trying to kill him because of his boldness to embark on the reforms.

But Okonkwo who took an overview of the Tinubu’s administration scored him low, saying, under him the country is not producing anything, and the security situation has worsened, adding that nothing is working in the country.  

“This is the government of catastrophe. The only viable business is politics,” Okonkwo said.

On the issue of national security, Okonkwo said “Nigeria has become a killing field,” under the watch of President Tinubu saying Nigeria’s global security rating has falling abysmally.

“You have 195 countries on earth, and Nigeria is the fourth most terrorised nation,” Okonkwo stated.

President Tinubu, had two days ago, in a message delivered on his behalf, by a former Governor of Ogun state, Olusegun Osoba  at the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO book launch in Lagos claimed that some unknown persons were after him because he ended the corrupt fuel subsidy regime.

“Those cabals who are doing round-tripping will wish him dead any time, but he is determined that if that is the only thing he would do, he would make sure he rearranges the economy. No matter what, he is determined to face it. So that’s the message from Mr. President,” Osoba said.

NDC Constitutes National Selection Committee For Governorship, National Assembly Primaries

By
The Source
-
0
NDC - Nigeria Democratic Congress

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), in furtherance of its commitment to transparency, internal democracy, and credible candidate selection, has approved the constitution of a National Selection Committee.

 

This decision was taken by the National Leader of the Party, acting on the recommendation of the National Working Committee (NWC), as part of ongoing preparations for the screening and selection process ahead of the forthcoming Governorship and National Assembly primaries.

 

The Committee is mandated to review, scrutinize, and consider the reports and recommendations of the National Screening Committee, and to take appropriate decisions on the screening outcomes of all aspirants.

 

 

MEMBERSHIP OF THE NATIONAL SELECTION COMMITTEE

  1. Sen. Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe – Chairman
  2. Comrade Babatunde Ali – Member
  3. Alhaji Sidi Abdul Bomi – Member
  4. Alhaji Mohammed Bakin Zuwo – Member
  5. Dr. Danlami Arabs – Member
  6. Barr. Fredrick E. Owotorufa – Member
  7. Chief Teddy Obey – Member
  8. Chief Barnabas J. Ejisi – Member
  9. Pastor Dr. (Mrs.) Adedayo Ekong – Member
  10. Yenusa Tanko – Member
  11. Dr. Moses Paul – Member
  12. Buba Galadima – Member
  13. H.E. Aminu Abdulsalam – Member
  14. Danladi Abdulhamid – Member
  15. Prof. Udenta Udenta – Member
  16. Barr. Reuben Egwuaba – Member
  17. Dudu Mamman Manuga – Member
  18. Dr. Grace N. Onyekusiobi – Member
  19. Alhaji Shittu Mohammed – Member
  20. Barr. Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu – Secretary

 

The Party calls for the understanding, cooperation, and patience of all aspirants, stakeholders, leaders, and members, noting the tight timelines within which these critical tasks must be concluded. This process is designed to promote consensus-building and ensure the emergence of widely acceptable candidates through a free, fair, and credible mechanism.

 

In line with the Party’s reform-driven approach to internal democracy, only aspirants who have been duly screened by the National Screening Committee and cleared by the National Selection Committee shall be authorized to purchase nomination forms.

 

Where consensus is not achieved among aspirants, the Party will proceed to conduct direct primaries scheduled to hold from 28th to 30th May, 2026, in accordance with established guidelines.

 

The National Selection Committee will be formally inaugurated on Monday, 25th May, 2026, and is expected to hold its inaugural meeting immediately thereafter.

 

The Nigeria Democratic Congress reaffirms its commitment to a transparent, credible, and inclusive selection process that strengthens party unity and positions the Party for electoral success.

 

 

Signed:

Hon. (Barr.) Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu

National Secretary

Gowon: “Murtala Muhammed Insulted Me In A Signal, Asked Me To Get My Fat Butt Off The Chair”

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0
Gen Yakubu Gowon and Murtala Muhammed

By Ayodele Oni

 

General Yakubu Gowon has accused the late former Head of State, Major General  Murtala  Muhammed,  of disobeying command orders during Nigeria’s Civil war. That disobedience, he said, led to the invasion of Asaba by federal troops and subsequent massacre.

 

What is now termed ‘Asaba Massacre,’ has been described as “deadly onslaught perpetrated by the Nigerian Army, specifically the Second Infantry Division under the command of Murtala Muhammed targeted the people of Asaba, mostly Igbo people. Not a few people call it genocide.

 

These were contained in Gowon’s autobiography, ‘My Life of Duty & Allegiance’,  a rare personal insights into the rivalries, battlefield mistakes and political tensions that shaped the 1967–1970 civil war.

 

General Gowon also reopened some of the deepest controversies of Nigeria’s Civil War, revealing how the late sage, Chief Olusegun Awolowo, stepped in to save late military ruler, Gen. Murtala Mohammed.

 

Gowon revealed one of the sharpest revelations in the memoir which concerns the failed federal attempt to cross the River Niger from Asaba into Onitsha, an operation long regarded as one of the war’s most controversial military decisions.

 

Gowon said Murtala ignored repeated warnings against the operation because of rivalry with another Commander and his determination to claim battlefield glory.

 

“As the C-in-C, I considered his plan quite suicidal,” Gowon wrote.

According to him, Army Headquarters warned that rebel forces could destroy the Onitsha Bridge and trap federal troops during the crossing.

 

Gowon stated that he advised Murtala to approach Onitsha through alternative land routes already secured by federal forces, but the commander refused.

 

“His pride did not allow him to wish to pass through 1 Division area owing to his rivalry with Colonel Shuwa,” he stated.

 

The former Head of State pointed out that the operation ended in disaster after Murtala pressed ahead with the river crossing.

 

“Murtala did not accept my advice and did exactly as he had proposed, to cross the River Niger by boats and barges, but with catastrophic consequences of the loss of men and equipment during the failed river crossing,” he wrote.

 

“The war also exposed deep fractures inside the federal command.”

 

Gowon recounted how Murtala once sent him what he described as an insulting signal from the battlefield during intense fighting.

 

“In a fit of anger, he went beyond the bounds of reason or military decorum to send me, his Commander-in-Chief, an impertinent signal that I should get my fat butt off my chair to sort out things in the battlefield, instead of giving orders from the comfort of my office in Dodan Barracks,” Gowon wrote.

 

The former wartime leader said the message angered him so much that he considered removing Murtala from command immediately.

 

“His unconscionably rude signal to me from the war front made me angry enough to consider removing him from command with immediate effect,” he stated.

 

But Gowon said Awolowo stepped in before he acted. “Chief Awolowo noticed the depth of my anger with Murtala after I received the signal.

 

“He promptly intervened on his behalf and pleaded that I should not respond the way I had intended,” he recalled.

FCT Minister Wike Behaves As If He Owns Rivers State – Donu Kogbara

By
Ayodele Oni
-
0
Nyesom Wike and Donu Kogbara

By Ayodele Oni

 

An international multimedia Journalist and a former BBC correspondent, Donu Kogbara, has observed that there is nothing new in the political rift between Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers state and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

 

Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) was Fubara’s political godfather until both disagreed on the governance of the state.

 

The FCT Minister had twice used his influence on the members of the State House of Assembly to impeach Fubara, but for intervention of President Bola Tinubu.

 

Kogbara, strongly criticized the FCT Minister over the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State.

 

Speaking during an interview from 4:10 on Arise News, Kogbara compared the situation between Wike and the current governor of Rivers State, Fubara, with the relationship between the current Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and his successor, Udom Emmanuel, in Akwa Ibom State.

 

According to her, although Akpabio was unhappy about some of the treatment he allegedly received after leaving office, he never attempted to destabilize the state or turn lawmakers against the sitting governor.

 

In her words: “I remember the current Senate President, Akpabio, telling me some years ago what he went through after he installed Udom Emmanuel.

 

“He never told me the whole story, but I know he was not happy about some of the treatment that was dished out to him in the immediate aftermath of his departure.

 

“But Akpabio has not gone back to Akwa Ibom to destabilize it viciously, mess everybody up, or turn all the State House of Assembly people against the governor. He has not allowed his ego to rise.”

 

Speaking further, Kogbara stated that what Wike may have experienced from Fubara is not unusual in Nigerian politics.

 

However, she stressed that she has never seen this level of refusal by a politician to accept that a state does not belong to him or his family.

 

In her words:

“Look, there are so many governors who have been through what Nyesom Wike has been through.

 

“It’s kind of normal in this country, but never before have I seen this level of megalomania and this refusal to accept that a state does not belong to you, your family, and your colonies.”

NIMASA Investigates MV Maersk Valparaiso Accident

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
-
0
NIMASA Accident

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) wishes to inform the public that on May 20, 2026, at about 1130 hours, a collision occurred between a container vessel, MV MAERSK VALPARAISO, and an oil tanker, MT LADY MARTINA, at the Bonny Inner Anchorage. The incident occurred around Latitude 4.512375 and Longitude 7.189429, resulting in an oil spill in the affected area.

The Deep Blue Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Bonny received a distress call at approximately 1130 hours regarding the collision involving MV Valparaiso, a Singapore-flagged container vessel with IMO No. 9433054, and MT Lady Martina, a Nigerian-flagged oil products tanker with IMO No. 5104033. In response, the Base immediately deployed 10 armed personnel onboard DB 214, one of the interceptor boats under the Deep Blue Project, to the scene of the incident.

Five crew members onboard MT Lady Martina sustained varying degrees of injuries and were promptly evacuated to the FOB Bonny sickbay for medical attention.

Following the collision, MT Lady Martina drifted ashore and is currently aground along the Bonny Channel, while MV Valparaiso remains grounded at the Bonny Inner Anchorage pending damage assessment and further investigation.

The management of MAERSK has officially reported the incident to the Agency. Consequently, the Director General of NIMASA, Dayo Mobereola, has ordered a full investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the collision.

In addition, NIMASA has established a Situation Monitoring Room to coordinate response efforts and monitor developments arising from the incident.

Dr. Mobereola who was personally on ground in Rivers State to inaugurate the situation room also directed the Agency’s Marine Environment Management Department to immediately commence an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the affected area, while taking necessary steps to mitigate the impact of the Tier 1 oil sheen and protect the marine environment.

Further updates and the outcome of the investigations will be communicated to the public as developments unfold.

Fubara Appointed  By APC  As Member, Presidential Primary Election Committee

By
Adesina Soyooye
-
0
Siminalayi Fubara
Governor Siminalayi Fubara

By Adesina Soyooye

 

Fresh from the humiliation of being the only serving Governor of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, who was not given a return ticket for a second term in office, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has been given a token appointment by the Party.

 

He has just been appointed as a member of APC’s Presidential Primary Election Committee.

 

The Committee will be headed by a former Senate President. Anyim,  a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, under the President Goodluck Jonathan Government, was Senate president between 2000 and 2003.

 

Appointed as Security to the Committee is Sanusi Musa, a party chieftain.

 

Other appointees are another former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, and Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State.

 

APC had, earlier, scheduled its Presidential Primary against Saturday, May 23. This is in line with the schedule of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

 

Spokesperson for the Party, Felix Morka, made public the development on Thursday, May 21, in a statement, and added that the “decisions were approved by the Party’s National Working Committee (NWC) in accordance with the Constitution of the Party, the Electoral Act, and APC’s commitment to a transparent and credible primary election process.”

 

Recall that Governor Fubara suddenly withdrew from the Governorship Primary citing his desire for peace and progress in the State. He remains the only APC Governor who was not given the first choice of refusal, just as he remains the only Governor who, till date, has not been welcomed into the Party by the National Working  Committee after he defected to it from the PDP.

Others, even those who defected after him, were given rousing receptions by the APC’s who-is-who, usually led by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

NDC Caucus To INEC: Comply With Court Judgment On Election Timetable

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
-
0
Victor Ogene

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Caucus in the House of Representatives has hailed the Federal High Court judgement in Abuja that nullified key aspects of the timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 general elections, describing the development as a victory for inclusive democracy and the imperatives of  freedom of association.

The NDC Caucus emphasized that INEC, as an impartial arbiter, should consistently take actions that uphold democracy and the rule of law rather than enable impunity, lawlessness, and injustice in the polity.

It commended the judiciary for its recent firm stances in restraining INEC from decisions that appear to reinforce undue influence over the nation’s democracy.

The judgment, delivered by Justice M. G. Umar, voided INEC’s recent guidelines and timetable for key pre-election activities – including the submission of membership registers by political parties and the conduct of primary elections ahead of the 2027 general elections. The court asserted that the electoral body  acted outside its statutory powers under the Electoral Act 2026.

The Caucus, in a statement issued on Friday by its Leader, Afam Victor Ogene, urged INEC to comply with the court judgment and revise its timetable for the elections. This, it said, would help ease the palpable tension in the polity and free Nigeria’s democracy from the chokehold of manipulative and vindictive interests within the political environment.

The lawmaker further stated that adherence to the court’s decision would strengthen democratic practice and create room for broader, more inclusive participation in the forthcoming elections, in line with the principles of pluralism and the accommodation of diverse interests and aspirations.

The NDC lawmakers statement affirms further, “We therefore agree with the declarations of the court that having regards to Section 32 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the INEC does not possess the statutory power to publish the final list of candidates for the 2027 general election before the 60 days minimum period prescribed by Law.

“The declaration that upon a proper interpretation of Section 98 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the INEC does not possess the statutory authority to fix in its timetable for the 2027 general elections provision for campaigns to end two days before the elections.

“The Declaration that upon a proper interpretation of Section 33 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the time frame prescribed by the Defendant for submission of membership registers for the conduct of primary elections is NOT applicable to primary elections conducted for the purpose of replacing withdrawn candidates.”

Ogene emphasized that complying with the recent court judgment would give the 2027 elections a fresh breath of life and reinforce hope in true participatory democracy.

1...717273...2,976Page 72 of 2,976