The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed Senator Samuel Anyanwu as its National Secretary following a decisive National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on Monday in Abuja.

Speaking to journalists shortly after the 100th NEC session at the party’s national headquarters, Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, explained that the meeting was focused solely on resolving issues surrounding the party’s correspondence with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the national secretary position.

“We just rose from our 100th NEC meeting. It was a one-agenda meeting to discuss the outcome of our interaction with INEC as regards the national secretary,” Damagum said.

“We all agreed that Senator Anyanwu will continue to act as national secretary.”

The decision brings an end to weeks of speculation and internal tensions over the leadership of the PDP secretariat, as the party gears up for key decisions ahead of its forthcoming national convention.

Damagum also disclosed that the next NEC meeting has been scheduled for July 23, when the party is expected to finalize plans for the convention.

He confirmed that both he and Senator Anyanwu will jointly notify INEC of the date, in line with internal protocol.

“The success of today’s meeting has disappointed our detractors who thought it would be rancorous,” Damagum said, responding to speculation of possible division within the party.

“The beauty of the Peoples Democratic Party is that it is the only party in this country that knows the mechanism to solve its own problem, rancour-free.”

He further emphasized the unity witnessed during the session, noting that the turnout and consensus among party leaders were a strong signal of internal cohesion.

“All our governors attended the meeting. All members of NWC were on the same page,” he said.

“You will not be seeing all these press releases and counter-press releases.”

The reaffirmation of Anyanwu’s role comes amid previous legal and political challenges, including court rulings and internal disputes over his return to office.

However, Monday’s NEC resolution appears to have solidified his position, at least for now, as the PDP moves forward.

INEC Chairman, Professor Yakubu

Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Wole Oke, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take urgent steps toward sanitizing the electoral process by removing inactive political parties from ballot papers.

In a position paper released on Monday, titled “Strengthening INEC’s Regulatory Role Over Political Parties to Safeguard Democratic Integrity,” the lawmaker argued that the growing clutter on ballot papers contributes significantly to voter confusion and an increasing number of voided votes.

“Our ballot paper has become one of the longest and most confusing in the world. Voters, both literate and non-literate, have complained about being overwhelmed by the number of logos. Some end up voting wrongly or spoiling their ballots altogether,” Oke said.

Representing the Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State, Oke urged INEC to streamline the ballots by eliminating logos of political parties that have remained inactive, obscure, or non-performing.

He believes this will enhance clarity for voters, especially those with lower literacy levels.

“The proliferation of these unserious parties not only wastes INEC’s time and resources but also robs voters of their ability to make informed and accurate choices,” he added.

He accused many registered parties of existing merely on paper, pointing out that several do not field candidates or engage meaningfully in the democratic process.

According to him, their primary activity during election seasons is filing petitions in court, often with the goal of extorting successful candidates.

Oke further called on INEC to conduct an immediate compliance audit of all registered political parties and enforce Section 225A of the Constitution, which allows the Commission to deregister parties that do not meet essential participation benchmarks.

“Section 225A of the Constitution empowers INEC to deregister parties that fail to meet basic requirements such as winning elections or even participating in them. INEC must act now to clean up the system,” he said.

He also advocated for reforms to the Electoral Act to restrict post-election legal challenges to only parties that actually took part in the polls.

This, he argued, would help decongest the judiciary and discourage voter apathy.

“Ballot clarity is a cornerstone of credible elections. We must not allow our democracy to be distorted by political logos with no real meaning or mandate behind them,” Oke warned.

His comments come amid growing public concern over the complexity of Nigeria’s ballot design and the impact it has on election outcomes.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has set October 6 as the date for the hearing of former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison‑Madueke’s legal challenge against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is attempting to sell her seized properties.

During Monday’s session, Justice Abubakar Umar allowed Mrs. Alison‑Madueke, represented by counsel Mr. Godwin Iyibor, time to respond to legal papers served by the EFCC.

In a lawsuit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/21/2023, filed by a team led by Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, the former minister demanded that the court compel the EFCC “to retrieve from persons (natural or corporate), to whom it had sold off any of the properties.”

She alleges the EFCC violated her fundamental right to fair hearing by launching a public auction of assets they claimed were linked to her, following a 2023 notice.

She further argued that the properties were seized based on final forfeiture orders obtained through “misrepresentations and concealment of facts.” She maintained:“

The several applications upon which the courts made the final order of forfeiture against the Applicant were obtained upon gross misstatements, misrepresentations, non‑disclosure, concealment and suppression of material facts and thus court has the power to set aside same ex‑debito justitiae, as a void order is as good as if it was never made at all.”

Mrs. Alison‑Madueke contended that she was never served with any charge or summons in the proceedings leading to the forfeiture and that no criminal conviction supports the EFCC’s claims. Notably, she pointed out:

“Till date, the Applicant has not been convicted of any unlawful activities to warrant the forfeiture of her properties and assets.”

She also noted that at all relevant times, she was abroad seeking medical treatment, and therefore had no access to Nigerian newspapers or legal notices.

In its counter-affidavit, the EFCC stated that criminal charges had indeed been filed against her since 2017, including cases in Abuja and Adamawa.

The EFCC cited final forfeiture orders issued by Justice C.A. Obiozor (July 9, 2019) and Justice I.N. Oweibo (September 10, 2019), and asserted that the seized assets were sold “in accordance with the due process of law.”

The EFCC emphasized that “the final forfeiture orders pursuant to which the sale of the properties was conducted, are still in force and have not been set aside.”

They also confirmed they adhered to newspaper publication requirements to alert interested parties.

Earlier, Mrs. Alison‑Madueke had filed a N100 billion defamation lawsuit against the EFCC, accusing the agency of spreading damaging and false reports that had harmed her reputation (File No. CV/6273/2023).

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has reaffirmed that he would only serve a single term if elected president in 2027, in keeping with Nigeria’s zoning agreement between the North and South.

Speaking during a Twitter Space session hosted by Parallel Facts on Sunday, Obi reiterated his commitment to equity in power rotation, a principle he said he has long upheld.

“If you take the arrangement which is, understandably, what you can call an unwritten agreement that power would go south and north, and if that arrangement is to be followed strictly, you would see that anybody, not just me, who happens to come from the south as president in 2027 must be ready to leave on the 28th of May (not 29th), 2031.”

Obi emphasized his consistent stance on zoning, referencing his political record in Anambra State.

“I campaigned for zoning. I championed zoning in Anambra State. That is one of the reasons today some people feel we must deal with this man. I insisted on it, I maintained it and I followed it to the last letter, and till today, I still follow it religiously.”

He also vowed to protect the democratic process by discouraging political defections and ensuring vibrant opposition.

“My presidency will ensure there is a strong opposition in party politics. There will be no defection of elected officials to other parties when I am in charge.”

Obi expressed concern over the state of leadership in the country, criticizing what he described as misplaced priorities in the face of national crises.

“Imagine in this country, people are dying in Benue, Borno, [and other parts of the country], and our leaders are commissioning bus stops and holidaying.”

Clarifying his position on political coalitions, Obi distanced himself from alliances focused solely on gaining power.

“If the coalition is about sharing tickets and power for its sake, count me out. I’m not interested. I want a coalition that stops the killings in Borno, puts food on people’s tables, and gets our industries working.”

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly denounced the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, slamming the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the State House of Assembly as unconstitutional.

In a scathing statement, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, criticized Governor Fubara for opting for a political truce with President Tinubu and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike rather than pursuing legal action against what the group described as “illegal uprooting” from office.

Describing the decision as “cowardly and misguided,” HURIWA maintained that Fubara should have challenged his suspension in court instead of submitting to a political settlement.

The group also took aim at the Supreme Court, alleging it deliberately delayed hearings involving a number of opposition PDP governors and the emergency declaration, supposedly in collusion with President Tinubu to facilitate a political resolution ahead of the 2027 elections.

“We have credible intelligence indicating that the Supreme Court deliberately delayed the matter, allegedly in agreement with President Tinubu, to allow time for a political solution aimed at bolstering his 2027 re‑election agenda,” the statement read.

HURIWA condemned the state of emergency declared on March 18, 2025, calling the removal of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the State Assembly “absolutely illegal”, as no provision in the constitution permits such action.

While acknowledging that Section 305 grants the President the authority to declare emergencies, HURIWA emphasized this power “does not extend to the removal of elected officials”, which should instead follow constitutional procedures like death, resignation, impeachment, or incapacity.

The group further clarified that even if the governor and deputy governor are removed, the Speaker of the House must assume office temporarily, pending an election within three months, as stipulated by law.

It also noted that if the legislature is incapacitated, the National Assembly should temporarily assume its legislative role under Section 11(4), not dissolve it.

HURIWA described the June 27 “peace meeting” involving President Tinubu, Minister Wike, Governor Fubara, and Assembly Speaker Martin Amaewhule as a “charade”, asserting it aimed to mask the prior constitutional breaches.

“This so‑called reconciliation cannot override constitutional violations. It is a smokescreen to legitimize the President’s unconstitutional actions, including the imposition of a Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok Etteh Ibas (retd), for six months,” the association declared.

The group also pointed to a double standard in how emergency powers are applied, citing Benue State’s prolonged violence without similar measures taken, labeling it discriminatory and an infringement of Section 42(1), which guarantees equality before the law.

Finally, HURIWA warned that history will judge the Supreme Court, President Tinubu, and Governor Fubara for this “gross illegality disguised as political settlement.”

“We remain committed to defending constitutional democracy in Nigeria and reject any attempt to normalize unlawful usurpation of power under the guise of reconciliation,” the statement concluded.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has fixed July 24 for its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, where members are expected to nominate a new national chairman.

This development comes in the wake of the resignation of the former party chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who stepped down last Friday.

In the meantime, the party’s Deputy National Chairman (North), Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori, has assumed duties as Acting National Chairman.

His appointment was confirmed during an emergency meeting of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

Addressing journalists after the NWC session, Deputy National Secretary, Barrister Festus Fuanter, announced the NEC meeting date.

He added that a formal notice regarding the meeting had already been sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in line with procedural requirements.