President Bola Tinubu on Thursday held separate meetings with Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The two governors arrived at the State House at different times, with Mutfwang arriving at about 3:00 pm, while Makinde followed around 3:30 pm.

The meetings are taking place against the backdrop of ongoing political realignments as key political actors begin strategic consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Makinde, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, remains one of the few PDP governors who have not defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress despite a wave of defections that has weakened the opposition.

The Oyo State governor is widely believed to harbour presidential ambitions and is said to be positioning himself for the PDP’s presidential ticket in 2027.

Mutfwang, on the other hand, recently defected from the PDP to the APC, joining a growing number of opposition figures aligning with the ruling party.

Thursday’s meeting marked his first known engagement with President Tinubu since his defection.

President Tinubu has in recent months intensified consultations with governors across party lines as political activities ahead of the next general elections gradually gather momentum.

Details shortly…

The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, has declined a request by the Rivers State House of Assembly to constitute a judicial panel to investigate Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, over allegations of gross misconduct.

Justice Amadi based his decision on existing court orders restraining him from receiving, processing, or acting on any request to set up such a panel.

In a letter dated January 20 and addressed to the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, the chief judge disclosed that two separate court orders served on his office on January 16, 2026 expressly barred him from taking steps toward the constitution of an investigative panel.

He noted that the orders remain valid and binding.

The chief judge stressed that constitutionalism and the rule of law demand strict obedience to subsisting court orders, regardless of personal or institutional views about their propriety.

Justice Amadi also referred to judicial precedents, recalling a 2007 case in which the Chief Judge of Kwara State was criticised for disregarding a restraining order before setting up an investigative panel.

That action, he noted, was later nullified by the Court of Appeal.

He further observed that the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly has already lodged an appeal against the court orders at the Court of Appeal, thereby deepening the legal contest surrounding the matter.

According to him, the doctrine of lis pendens requires that parties and institutions maintain the status quo until the appeal is determined.

“The existence of subsisting injunctions and a pending appeal has effectively tied my hands,” Justice Amadi said, adding that he is legally incapacitated from exercising his constitutional responsibility under Section 188(5) of the 1999 Constitution at this time.

The chief judge appealed to lawmakers to acknowledge the legal limitations imposed by the court orders and urged the Assembly to be magnanimous in appreciating the prevailing legal position.

The leadership crisis within the Labour Party further escalated on Wednesday as the faction led by the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, rejected the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee aligned with Abia State Governor, Alex Otti.

Abure, in a statement issued in Abuja by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, announced plans to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal, arguing that the judgment conflicted with the April 2025 decision of the Supreme Court on the party’s leadership dispute.

The Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, had ruled that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had elapsed and consequently ordered INEC to recognise the caretaker committee headed by Senator Nenadi Usman pending the conduct of the party’s national convention.

Reacting to the ruling, the Abure-led National Working Committee described the decision as a misinterpretation of the Supreme Court’s judgment and an intrusion into the internal affairs of the Labour Party.

Although the party said it was yet to obtain the Certified True Copy of the judgment, it maintained that the decision would be challenged.

“From the information available to us so far, it is clear that the party will appeal the judgment. Our position will become even clearer once we study the Certified True Copy,” the statement said.

The Abure faction alleged that the handling of the case was marred by procedural irregularities, claiming that developments surrounding the assignment of the case raised concerns even before judgment was delivered.

According to the statement, the matter was initially assigned to another judge before it was reassigned under circumstances the party described as questionable, which it said constituted an early warning sign.

The party further alleged that it was denied fair hearing, claiming the court refused to allow it respond to issues raised in a counter-affidavit before adjourning the matter for judgment.

It also accused its opponents of pre-empting the outcome of the case, alleging that celebrations over the ruling began weeks before judgment was delivered.
Questioning the substance of the ruling, the

Abure-led leadership argued that the court’s decision contradicted established judicial precedents and the Supreme Court’s position that courts lack the power to appoint or impose leadership on political parties.

The statement recalled that the Supreme Court had earlier declined jurisdiction in the leadership tussle, holding that such matters were internal affairs of political parties.

“The Supreme Court never declared that our tenure had expired. It simply held that leadership issues within a political party are internal matters beyond the jurisdiction of the courts,” the statement said.

Defending the party’s March 2024 national convention, the leadership insisted that no leadership vacuum existed, noting that the convention was held before the expiration of the executive’s tenure.

It faulted the court’s conclusion that a vacuum had been created, arguing that the validity and legality of the convention were not properly interrogated.

While urging party members to remain calm, the Abure faction said it would exhaust all legal options to reclaim its position, stressing that it would not relinquish leadership under pressure.

On Wednesday, Justice Lifu ordered INEC to recognise the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee pending the conduct of a national convention, holding that Abure’s tenure had elapsed.

The court ruled that the caretaker committee constituted by the party’s National Executive Committee was the only valid authority to act for and represent the Labour Party, relying on what it described as the subsisting position of the Supreme Court.

The dispute followed an expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the Labour Party held in Umuahia, Abia State, hosted by Governor Alex Otti and chaired by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, where the National Executive Committee resolved to remove Abure as national chairman.

Subsequently, a 29-member caretaker committee was constituted, with Senator Nenadi Usman appointed as chairperson.

Abure later approached the Federal High Court seeking judicial affirmation of his continued stay in office.

In April 2025, the Supreme Court set aside an earlier Court of Appeal judgment that recognised Abure as national chairman, ruling that appellate courts lacked jurisdiction to determine the leadership of a political party.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Enugu State has recorded another boost in its ongoing membership e-registration exercise as Akpugo Ward 3 in Nkanu West Local Government Area keyed into the process, reinforcing the party’s push to register two million new members across the state.

The e-registration exercise, which held on Tuesday in Akpugo Ward 3, attracted party leaders, elected officials, professionals, and grassroots supporters who described the initiative as a major step toward strengthening the APC’s structure and expanding its political base in Enugu State.

Stakeholders at the event urged residents, especially youths and women, to take advantage of the digital registration platform to formally identify with the party, noting that the process would enhance internal democracy, credibility, and effective participation ahead of future elections.

Speaking at the event, the member representing Nkanu East and West Federal Constituency, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji, said the growing enthusiasm for the APC across communities in Enugu State was a clear indication that citizens were eager for a new political direction anchored on good governance, accountability, and inclusive development.

Nnaji commended the party leadership for embracing technology in the registration process, describing it as transparent, efficient, and in line with global best practices.

He assured party members of sustained engagement and representation that reflects the interests of the people at the federal level.

Other stakeholders who addressed party members include Sam Ogbu Nwobodo, Barrister Nana Ogbodo, Professor Gozie Ogbodo, Hon. John Tochukwu Ogbodo, and the Rector of the Institute of Management and Technology, IMT, Professor Gozie Ogbodo.

They emphasized the need for unity, discipline, and sustained grassroots mobilisation to position the APC as a formidable force in Enugu State.

The speakers noted that the steady turnout recorded in Akpugo Ward 3 mirrored similar developments in other parts of the state, expressing confidence that the party’s target of registering two million members was achievable.