Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday extended the order that restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Rivers State House of Assembly from declaring 27 seats vacant.

The order was based on an application by the lawyer to the lawmakers, Steve Adehi (SAN).

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Recall that the court had barred the commission from conducting an election to fill the seats of the 27 members, who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The judge rejected the objection raised by the lawyer to the PDP, Adeyemi Ajibade (SAN), and upheld the argument by Adehi.

He agreed that the court, under Order 26, Rule 10 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, had the discretionary power to grant such extension in the interest of justice.

Justice Okorowo held:
“Application for the extension of the lifespan of the ex-parte order pending the hearing and determination of motion on notice is hereby granted.”

He adjourned until January 24 for a hearing of pending applications.

The judge had granted the earlier orders while ruling on December 15 on an ex-parte motion filed by the 27 lawmakers along with a substantive suit numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/1681/2023.

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They are challenging the propriety of the threat by five members of the Rivers Assembly to declare their seats vacant and invite INEC to conduct a fresh election.

INEC, the PDP, Rivers State House of Assembly, the Clerk of the House, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Department of State Services (DSS) are the defendants.

Adehi told the court that he had a motion on notice which is for hearing.

He noted that given the withdrawal of Lukman Fagbemi (SAN) (for the House of Assembly) and a new lawyer replacing him, it may be impossible for the court to proceed.

He sought an adjournment to also allow him to reply to what the PDP and other defendants filed and served on him.

Adehi said: “In any case, I ask that the matter be further adjourned to enable us to serve the third and fourth defendants (the Assembly and its Clerk) and to also enable us to reply on points of law to the process served on us by the counsel to the second defendant.”

Njemanze, who replaced Fagbemi, said had the instruction of the third defendant to handle the case on its behalf and that he had filed a memorandum of appearance.

He said he was not yet served with what the PDP filed to enable him, adding that he also planned to respond to what the plaintiffs filed.

Njemanze said: “Without prejudice to the political solution brokered by Mr President, I need to get my client’s reaction to this and then report back to this honourable court.“
In the circumstance, we pray for an adjournment to enable me to file my processes.”

Maine’s top elections official has removed Donald Trump from 2024 primary election ballots, marking the second state to disqualify the former president in his bid for the White House for his involvement in the January 6 Capitol riots.

Shenna Bellows, the Maine Secretary of State, said in a filing on Thursday that the former president contributed to riots at the Capitol by using false claims of election fraud and then directing supporters there when Congress was set to certify the 2020 election results.

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Hours later, California’s Secretary of State, Dr. Shirley Weber declined to block Mr Trump from the state’s ballot, including his name on a list of certified 2024 candidates to county election officials.

This comes as Colorado Republicans are asking the US Supreme Court to reverse a historic state Supreme Court ruling that removed him from that state’s 2024 ballots.

That request from the state GOP to the nation’s highest court followed the unprecedented ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court that found the former president is constitutionally ineligible from holding office for his role engaging with the Capitol riot in 2021.

Trump’s campaign and allies in Congress and in media are furious with a decision from Maine’s top elections official to disqualify him from 2024 ballots, a decision based on challenges to his eligibility under Section 3 of the 14th Amendemnt, which bars candidates who engaged in insurrection from running for office.

Third-ranking House Republican, Elise Stefanik called the decision “illegal” and “corrupt”.

Ifitedunu Town Union in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State on Thursday elected Prof. Stephen Ufoaroh, former president of ASUU-UNIZIK chapter as their new president general.

Youths and adults from the community turned out in large numbers for the exercise that took place at the community’s civil centre.

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Option A4 voting system was used by the electoral committee for all the contested positions, as indigenes queued behind their preferred candidates and were counted, while the election was supervised by the State Government through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs.

Prof. Ufoaroh who garnered a total of three hundred and fifty six (356) votes to defeat other two rivals was returned elected.

Comrade chinedu ofozor Ofodile won the Vice President-General post with four hundred and twenty four votes and Hon Ike Paul Chijoike won the office of the Secretary with six hundred and thirty one votes respectively.

Posts of Financial Secretary, Welfare officer, Public Relations Officer among others, were voicely announced unopposed during the process.

The returning Officer of the election, Dr. Rich Egenti, while speaking to Journalists shortly after announcing the results, affirmed that the election was peaceful, free and fair.

“The election was conducted free and fair in the presence of all concerned citizens of Ifitedunu community. I am delighted and fully satisfied with the way and manner that the youth conducted themselves before, during and after the election.”

“This is the most fair election in the history of the Ifitedunu community.

“My greatest happiness is that those that lost during the election have congratulated the winners.

“And I strongly believe that with the emergence of Prof Ufoaroh as the new PG of this great community, the long awaited peace will be fully restored.”

The newly sworn in governor of Ondo state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has started shopping for his deputy.

According to Daily Gazette source, stakeholders are currently lobbying the new Governor through notable personalities in the state for possible consideration.

Since after his swearing in, politicians in the state have been making moves to be favoured.

However, Aiyedatiwa may announce his deputy next week after consulting with President Bola Tinubu on his final choice.

Sources said the governor is looking towards the Central Senatorial District of the state to pick his deputy.

Aiyedatiwa’s choice, according to sources, is the Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Razaq Obe, but party leaders prefer former Secretary to the State Government and a former member of the National Assembly, Sunday Abegunde.

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Obe was made a commissioner following the recommendation of Betty Akeredolu, wife of the late governor, Betty Akeredolu.

Abegunde, who is an ally of President Tinubu, was recently appointed as the Executive Director, Corporate Services of the Niger Delta Development Commission Commission, NDDC.

Obe and Abegunde both hail from the central senatorial district.

Recall that Obe, an ally of Aiyedatiwa, was the commissioner that raised the alarm that the signature of the late governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, had been forged by some cabals.

Former managing director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Chief George Moghalu has said that imposition of candidate will ruin the chances of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in producing the next Governor of Anambra state come 2025.

Chief Moghalu who was former national auditor of the party in a chat with newsmen on Thursday noted that the issue of integration does not arise “because you can only talk about integration for someone outside.”

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He said “My advice has always been that for whatever decision whether personal or family, try and see to it that you will get the majority of the people with you. We must present our first foot forward. Imposition will not do us any good in the election. Let me put some issues in the right perspective. The issue of integration does not arise because you can only talk about integration for someone outside.

“I am a bonafide founding member of APC. So, it is an irony for a tenant to sack the landlord in his house. I am one of those who insisted that things must be done properly. Due process must be followed, and an enabling environment created for things to work. And that is what I have always demanded”

“I went to court after the 2022 primaries because things were not properly done. You cannot ask us to contest for primary, you sit back in the bedroom, write results, come out and announce it, and expect me, George Moghalu, to accept that as a result. I will be honourable enough to congratulate the winner if I lose in an election. But when you manipulate the process, I will tell you that it will not work. That was exactly what I did last time, and I will do it again if the need arises. However, if things are done properly, I don’t have any problem.”

Attahiru Jega

Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega has been nominated alongside nine other experts from Commonwealth nations to monitor Bangladesh general elections scheduled for January 7th, 2024.

Commonwealth Secretary General, Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC announcing the constitution of expert team observers, said it followed an invitation from the Bangladesh Election Commission and appointed the cross-functional team of experts.

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She said former Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Hon Bruce Golding, will lead the 10-man Commonwealth Expert Team.

Accepting the invitation, Golding said it’s an honour to lead the CET’s mission to observe Bangladesh’s elections.

Statement of the Commonwealth Secretary General reads;

“The team’s deployment demonstrates the Commonwealth’s continued commitment to supporting electoral democracy in our 56 member countries and safeguarding the rights of the people of Bangladesh as they take part in these pivotal elections.”

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She added that the CET will also be supported by staff members from the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Other members that constituted the team include Dr Samuel Azu’u Fonkam, former Chairman, Elections Cameroon, Mr Sabyasachi Banerjee, Advocate and Special Public Prosecutor, Calcutta High Court, India, Ms Pauline Njoroge, digital media specialist, Kenya, Mr Jeffrey Salim Waheed, former Deputy Foreign Minister, Maldives.

Others are Ms Hennah Joku, media specialist, Papua New Guinea, Prof Dinesha Samararatne, Professor, Department of Public & International Law, Faculty of Law, University of Colombo and Member of Constitutional Council of Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka, Ms Terry Dale Ince, gender and human rights advocate, organisational development consultant and Founder of the CEDAW Committee of Trinidad and Tobago and Mr Mark Stephens, Partner, Howard Kennedy LLP and Member of Commonwealth Lawyers Association, United Kingdom.

Throughout their time in Bangladesh, the CET will meet various stakeholders, including political parties, police, civil society groups, citizen observers and monitor groups, as well as representatives from the media.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara

Coalition for Truth and Justice (CTJ) has demanded the reversal of a restraining order by a Federal High Court in Abuja against the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara from performing some of his responsibilities in the state.

Recall that a Federal High Court in Abuja recently restrained Fubara, and others from obstructing the State House of Assembly from performing its statutory duties, removing or transferring the clerk and the deputy clerk of the House.

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Reacting to the order at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, the group said the order reveals the level of interference in the governance of Rivers State.

The executive director of CTJ, Dr Joyce Ogwu, said it was sad that the “Judiciary has elected to be blind to the reality in the country, hence some court orders that defeat common sense. There is a place of jurisdiction on matters; One of such is what happened in a Federal High Court restraining order in Rivers State.”

Ogwu said, “As a Coalition for Truth and Justice, we find it hard to believe that a Federal High Court would elect to play to the gallery by issuing such an unwarranted court order that depicts a mockery of the judicial process in Nigeria.

“A suit was filed against the Governor of Rivers State in Abuja. A restraining order was granted that is akin to putting the Governor of Rivers State out in the open for his crucifixion by some vested interest in the state.

“It is instructive to state that the restraining order by the Federal High Court was done in poor taste. It was to serve a purpose which is not in the interest of the generality of the people of Rivers State.

“This has been the norm since the inauguration of Governor Sim Fubura’s administration. This has been further confirmed through the instrumentality of the Court, which is meant to be the common man’s hope in seeking justice. But this case is injustice.

“The Coalition for Truth and Justice is afraid that the Judiciary is now for sale to the highest bidder, and the implication is that the commoner has to look elsewhere for elusive justice.

“We believe the Federal High Court overreached itself in abdicating in a matter entirely outside its jurisdiction. The matter in question is within the jurisdiction of the National Industrial Court.

“The Federal High Court does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate in a matter of allocation of resources in a state. If that is the case, why would a Federal High Court give a restraining order preventing the Rivers State government from its statutory responsibilities?

“This is the reality and our position is that Nigeria is gradually heading for the abyss. If urgent steps are not taken, we might wake up one day, and there would be a court order on eating or sleeping at night.

“The Coalition for Truth and Justice frowns at the recent court order in Rivers State. It is misplaced, malicious, and counterproductive. It is a total abuse and disregard for the rule of law.

“It is our view that such illegality should not be allowed to stand. It is a gross insult to our sensibilities as a people. We are tempted to ask where the country is heading with the manner of judgment and restraining orders from our courts.

“For example, the Court also restrained Governor Sim Fubara from removing or transferring the Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly. What is the business of a Federal High Court in the appointment and otherwise of the clerk of a State House of Assembly?

“The gang up against the people of Rivers State has assumed a new dimension with the active involvement of the Judiciary. This portends grave danger for our nascent democracy.

“The Coalition for Truth and Justice calls on the relevant authorities to look into the anomalies perpetuated by the courts in Nigeria. It is becoming a banana republic where anything goes to the highest bidder.

“The presiding judge erred substantially by adjudicating a matter outside its jurisdiction. In the eyes of the law, the action stands invalid. The High Court arrogated to itself the powers of the National Industrial Court.

“We are calling for a reverse of the court order by the Federal High Court on Rivers state in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023 before Justice JK Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja.

“We desire that the matter be looked into again in the interest of justice before we sink into the abyss.”