Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has lifted the social media block on human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, on X (formerly Twitter), following a brief meeting between the two at Lagos House, Marina, on Friday.

Ogun, who had previously filed a lawsuit against the governor for what he described as a violation of his fundamental rights, confirmed the development via a post on his Instagram account on Saturday.

“Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has unblocked me on X (Twitter). I met briefly with him yesterday at Lagos House Marina, on his invitation, to amicably resolve my complaint of human rights violations. We will continue to hold authorities accountable, regardless. Aluta continua!” Ogun wrote.

Ogun had earlier filed a fundamental rights suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos, challenging Sanwo-Olu’s decision to block him on X.

In suit FHC/L/CS/1739/25, the lawyer alleged that the governor’s action was prompted by his constructive criticism of the administration, particularly relating to the #EndSARS protests of October 2020.

He argued that the block denied him access to crucial updates and information from the governor’s verified public account thereby violating his constitutional right to receive information without interference.

According to court filings shared by Ogun on his Facebook page, he contended that the governor’s action was unconstitutional, arbitrary and discriminatory, that It amounted to an attack on free speech and public accountability and the matter went beyond personal grievance and raised serious democratic concerns.

He also cited a 2019 U.S. court ruling in support of his claim, arguing that blocking critics on public accounts undermines democratic engagement.

Ogun, who described himself as “haunted, traumatised, and emotionally disturbed,” asked the court to compel the governor to unblock him on X, issue a public apology and be barred from targeting online critics going forward.

Sanwo-Olu’s invitation to Ogun for a private meeting appears to have resolved the dispute without the need for prolonged litigation.

While no public statement has been made by the governor’s office, Ogun’s confirmation suggests that the unblocking and dialogue were part of a mutual resolution effort.

The crisis surrounding local government administration in Osun State has deepened as reinstated council chairmen from the All Progressives Congress (APC) have dragged the Federal Government, Governor Ademola Adeleke, and several others to court, seeking a judicial extension of their tenure.

The embattled chairmen, previously removed from office after a court ruling declared their 2022 election illegal, are now asking the Federal High Court in Osogbo to affirm that their tenure should run until February 2028, instead of ending in October 2025.

The APC officials were initially elected in October 2022, but were sacked after a federal court declared the elections unlawful.

However, the Court of Appeal in February 2025 reversed that decision and reinstated them to office.

Meanwhile, following local government elections held on February 22, 2025, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) swore in a new set of council executives.

This has led to both APC and PDP claiming control of the councils, prompting the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to abandon work. Consequently, local government allocations have been withheld.

In suit number FHC/OS/CS/147/2025, filed by Barrister Muhideen Adeoye on behalf of Saheed Onibonokuta and seven other APC chairmen, the claimants are asking the court to rule on several constitutional and legal matters relating to their tenure and the actions of the state government.

The suit lists six defendants to include the Attorney General of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, Osun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) as well as Osun State House of Assembly.

The chairmen argue that, according to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and relevant state laws, their tenure should begin from the date of their inauguration, which occurred only after the appellate court reinstated them in February 2025.

“Upon a combined interpretation of Section 91, the Claimants, who were not given the opportunity to take their first sitting as democratically elected members of the various Local Government Councils in Osun State prior to 9th February, 2025 cannot be compelled to vacate office on the 17th day of October, 2025 or on any other date in October 2025,” they argued.

They insist that OSIEC’s actions including conducting new elections and swearing in another set of council members during their subsisting tenure are illegal.

“In view of Sections 24 and 91 of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2022; Sections 9, 10 and 28 of the Local Government (Administration) Law, Cap. 72A, Laws of Osun State, the 6th Defendant could have validly issued a notice of polls, conducted elections into the various local government councils in Osun State on the 22nd day of February, 2025 and sworn in another set of Council members during the subsistence of the tenure of office of the Claimants thereby attempting to deprive the Claimants of their rights to complete their tenure.”

The claimants are seeking eight reliefs, including:

A declaration that OSIEC acted unlawfully by conducting new elections and swearing in PDP officials during their valid tenure.

A declaration that any steps taken by the Osun State Government or its agencies to install other council members between February and August 2025 are illegal, invalid, and unconstitutional.

A ruling that any attempt by the Attorney General of the Federation to curtail their tenure ending in October 2025 is ultra vires, null and void.

They are also asking the court to issue an injunction restraining Governor Adeleke, the Osun State Attorney General, OSIEC and the House of Assembly from taking any action to remove or replace them before February 19, 2028.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed that Nigerians will not be allowed to vote without presenting their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in the upcoming 2027 general elections, in line with existing electoral laws.

This comes amidst ongoing conversations following INEC’s post-2023 general election review meetings, where stakeholders had suggested that advancements in the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) could allow voters to use alternative means of identification during elections.

However, INEC’s position remains unchanged.

Speaking to DAILY GAZETTE on Saturday, Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, clarified that while discussions had taken place, the Electoral Act mandates the use of PVCs and this cannot be bypassed without legal amendments.

“INEC is not mulling the idea of voting without the Permanent voter cards,” Oyekanmi stated.

“The idea emanated as a recommendation from our post-2023 review meetings with stakeholders, where it was suggested that with the advent of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, which contains details of registered voters per polling unit, Nigerians should be able to vote with any ID including the PVC on Election Day.”

While BVAS has revolutionized the voting process by verifying voter identity through both facial and fingerprint recognition, Oyekanmi emphasized that its deployment doesn’t override the requirements set by law.

“The commission is not opposed to this idea but some aspects of the law, like Section 47 of the Electoral Act 2022, which makes it mandatory for a voter to present a voter card at the polling unit, would need an amendment.”

Despite technological improvements, a major concern for INEC remains the large number of uncollected PVCs.

As of August 24, 2025, a total of 5,965,451 voter cards were yet to be picked up by their owners.

According to data from INEC, Lagos State leads with a staggering 845,225 unclaimed PVCs, followed by Oyo (515,254), Ogun (410,281), Osun (360,794), and Ondo (295,856).

Other significant figures include:

• Rivers – 251,418
• Delta – 232,183
• Kano – 327,177
• Kaduna – 170,735
• Benue – 170,586
• Abia – 171,626
• Akwa Ibom – 158,795
• Kwara – 158,653

Smaller numbers were recorded in states like Ekiti (29,595), Anambra (31,690), Bauchi (37,169), and Gombe (40,840).

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had 93,868 uncollected PVCs, while Taraba and Zamfara reported 197,049 and 76,815, respectively.

In a bid to tackle voter apathy and reduce the backlog of uncollected PVCs, INEC resumed the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise last month.

The online phase commenced on August 18 while physical registration began on August 25.

As the six-month emergency rule in Rivers State nears its end, some prominent elders in the state say the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara has effectively weakened his political standing and handed control of the state to Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Fubara’s predecessor.

President Bola Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state on March 16, 2025, citing escalating political tension and attacks on vital oil infrastructure by suspected militants.

As part of the emergency measures, Tinubu suspended Fubara, his deputy Prof. Ngozi Odu, and the Rivers State House of Assembly. He then appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas, a former Chief of Naval Staff, as interim administrator for six months.

With the emergency rule set to expire in a few days, reports suggest that Fubara has remained largely incommunicado, though an aide disclosed that he is likely to return to the state over the weekend.

“As I speak with you the governor is not back. All those pictures you see on social media are old. But he may come in today (Saturday) or tomorrow (Sunday),” said the aide, who requested anonymity.

In preparation for the handover, the state government announced plans to hold an inter-denominational thanksgiving service at the Ecumenical Centre on Abonnima Wharf Road, Port Harcourt, as part of the transition back to democratic governance.

This was confirmed in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Ibibia Worika.

Speaking, members of the Rivers State Elders Council expressed concern over what they described as the political subjugation of Fubara and a return to Wike-dominated politics.

“The state is captured. That is my position. We will only get back to where we were before the liberation; and now it is back to Egypt. Rivers State has been successfully captured. The future of the state would be determined by the people of the state going forward,” said High Chief Sunny Chukumele, convener of the Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thought.

He further claimed that the so-called political peace in the state is superficial:

“The governor has been cowed for the so-called peace to reign. But that peace is in the graveyard and it is unfortunate. Rivers people look helpless, desolate and abandoned to their fate.”

Chukumele also accused President Tinubu of using the state as a pawn in his political strategy ahead of 2027.

“The new political class has taken over. The President has sacrificed Rivers people for his interest in 2027. So it is for Rivers people to determine who to follow.”

Another elder, Asukewe Iko-Awaji, a member of the Rivers Elders Forum, argued that the prolonged suspension has eroded whatever political capital Fubara had before leaving office.

“The truth is that damage has been made. That spirit of brotherhood is no longer there. The bad seed has been sown.”

He also pointed out that the long absence may have lasting effects on political relationships and economic development.

“If Fubara returns, the cordial relationship amongst them won’t be there again. They will be suspicious of each other because the bad egg has been laid. This is what the Rivers people will face. It will take them months to blend again.”

Economically, he said, the impact has been significant.

“The man has been away from office for six months. Some of the companies working in the state have pulled out and it will take another six months to put himself together to bring back these companies.”

“Before the declaration of this emergency, a lot of projects were going on. When Ibas came, he abandoned those projects and some companies pulled out. Now he is going to appoint people.”

In contrast to the criticism, former Rivers Senator Olaka Wogu, a known ally of Nyesom Wike, said Fubara’s return might not change much politically and insisted that Wike had simply been forthright in his actions.

“Sometimes people over-speculate on Wike. The man puts things in plain sight, but people don’t listen. Wike will tell you, ‘I wasn’t for a state of emergency, I was going to impeach him. We have resolved, we are moving on, and I will be honest and I will be frank. I will say it as I want.’ That’s how Wike does things, it is pure honesty.”

Wogu also emphasized that the crisis was never about money, but about power and political structure.

“The fact is that the man fought for his structure and kept it. The governor is part of the structure.”

He argued that despite Tinubu’s intervention, Rivers people would ultimately decide the political direction of the state.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has declared Adamu Aliyu, a sitting member of the Plateau State House of Assembly, wanted over allegations that he defrauded a businessman of ₦73.6 million in a fake Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) contract deal, according to PREMIUM TIMES.

The declaration followed a request from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) after the lawmaker reportedly failed to respond to multiple invitations concerning the allegations.

The controversy began when businessman Mohammed Jidda petitioned the ICPC, accusing Mr. Aliyu of promising to secure an ₦850 million TETFund contract at the University of Jos.

Based on this promise, Aliyu and Jidda reportedly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which Jidda agreed to pay ₦73.6 million in advance once the contract award letter was issued.

The MoU also specified an additional payment of ₦52 million to Imanal Concept Ltd, a company owned by one Saad Abubakar, identified by Aliyu as the “facilitator of the deal.”

Jidda claimed that Aliyu later presented him with a contract award letter supposedly from the University of Jos for the construction of an indoor sports hall, valued at ₦500 million.

Believing it to be authentic, Jidda transferred funds into two accounts provided by Aliyu: his GTBank personal account and Imanal Concept Ltd’s Zenith Bank account, totaling ₦73.6 million.

However, when Jidda approached the university to commence the project documentation, officials informed him that no such contract existed.

The University of Jos later confirmed in writing to the ICPC that the contract letter was indeed forged.

Investigations revealed that ₦47.8 million was deposited into Aliyu’s GTBank account, ₦22.4 million went to Imanal Concept Ltd, and an additional ₦3.2 million was paid directly to the lawmaker.

The ICPC, citing intelligence that Mr. Aliyu was planning to abandon his duties and flee the country, applied to the court for authorization to declare him wanted.

Justice Emeka Nwite granted the request on Friday, issuing a warrant for Aliyu’s arrest and authorizing the publication of a “wanted person” notice in national newspapers and on social media.

The ruling also empowers law enforcement agencies and even private citizens to arrest Mr. Aliyu and hand him over to the ICPC.

Reacting to the development in a conversation with PREMIUM TIMES on Friday evening, Aliyu denied any wrongdoing.

He stated that he was unaware of the ICPC’s summons until he was informed by the Clerk of the Plateau Assembly while he was in Saudi Arabia.

“I was unaware of the ICPC’s invitation,” he said, adding that he had already refunded ₦45 million that was paid into his account through Jidda’s company, Mohiba Investment Ltd.

He provided evidence of refunds made in four separate tranches: ₦5 million, ₦10 million, ₦10 million, and ₦20 million — all paid into Mohiba’s Zenith Bank account.

Aliyu also distanced himself from the alleged forgery.

“My role was limited to only delivering the letter to Mr. Jidda,” he stated, insisting that Saad Abubakar was responsible for producing the forged contract document.

Edward Onoja, former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, has opened up about a political betrayal he experienced during the 2023 governorship race, revealing that ex-Governor Yahaya Bello had assured him for years that he would succeed him, only to shift support to Usman Ododo at the eleventh hour.

Onoja, who now serves as a board member of the South-East Development Commission, made the revelation during an interview on the MIC ON Podcast, released on Saturday.

According to him, Bello had privately endorsed him as his successor for four years, encouraging him to prepare for leadership and build capacity.

“For four years before 2023, he (Yahaya Bello) called me and said, ‘You will succeed me, get prepared.’ And of course, I planned and worked towards it,” Onoja recounted.

He further explained that when the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries approached, Bello asked about seven cabinet members, including himself, to pick up nomination forms, suggesting an open contest.

However, it later became clear that the former governor had already made up his mind.

“At the end of the day, his heart and his choice were with the current governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo,” he said.

Onoja added that he only learned of Bello’s final decision one day before the primaries, and though disappointed, he accepted the outcome with grace.

“When he broke the news to me a day before the primaries, I told him, ‘You are the boss. What you see is what I see. Let’s go get the job done. But I hope you are not making a mistake.’”

Despite the last-minute switch and personal setback, Onoja maintained that there were no hard feelings and that he remained loyal to the APC.

“There were no issues. We went to the field and did our best for our candidate,” he said, adding that he fully supported Ododo’s eventual victory in the November 2023 governorship election.

The Lagos State Police Command has launched an investigation into the death of Otunba Bamidele Akingboye, a former governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ondo State, following emerging suspicions that his passing may not have been natural.

A team of detectives reportedly visited Akingboye’s residence at Victoria Garden City (VGC) in Lagos after a disturbing photo of his corpse, showing visible bruises on his head, surfaced on social media.

The image sparked widespread concern and renewed scrutiny into the circumstances surrounding his death, initially reported as having occurred peacefully at home on the morning of Wednesday, September 10, 2025.

Adding fuel to the controversy, an overseas-based investigator, Olujimi Lijoka, claimed in a viral video that N210 million was withdrawn from the deceased’s bank account just hours after his passing.

According to him, N205 million was traced to three different accounts, raising red flags about potential foul play.

“I am not a court, but this is deeply suspicious. We cannot fold our arms. I call on all sons and daughters of Ikale to rise and demand justice for Otunba,” Lijoka said in the video.

Family sources disclosed that Akingboye, fondly known as OBA, may have sustained the head injuries during a heated argument at home, which allegedly turned violent.

Unconfirmed reports suggest he was pushed during the altercation, hit his head on a tiled floor, and was later rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

While some arrests have reportedly been made, the Lagos State Police Command had yet to release an official statement on its findings at the time of filing this report.

Until his death, Akingboye was a prominent figure in Ondo State politics, a successful businessman, and a known philanthropist from Okitipupa.

He contested the November 2024 gubernatorial election but lost to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He and the SDP had rejected the election outcome, citing widespread irregularities.