The Ebonyi State Government has dismissed claims that Governor Francis Nwifuru ordered the arrest of five commissioners due to delays in the delivery of state housing projects and alleged breaches of contract.

In a statement issued in Abakaliki, Chief Donatus Ilang, Chairman of the Ebonyi Executive Council (EXCO) Committee on Supervision and Completion of two state housing projects, refuted the reports, labeling them as “false and unfounded.”

“No commissioner was arrested and you can confirm this from the police and other security agencies.

“The people writing such fake news are doing so from their imagination,” Ilang stated.

The housing projects in question include 140 housing units meant for the Izzo and Amaze communities, which were displaced due to the Ezilo/Ezza Ezilo communal crisis in Ishielu Local Government Area.

“We informed them of the state governor’s displeasure over delays in the project and resolved to take drastic actions on the defaulters,” Ilang added.

He further explained that the commissioners involved had pledged to provide the necessary details to the committee to enable them to address issues with the contractors.

“The governor is desirous to give the people of both communities, affected by a fratricidal communal conflict, housing reprieves.

“We gave all persons involved in the projects time to comply with the contractual terms.

“Our mandate is to ensure that the governor’s noble intentions towards people of both communities are actualized, and we would not toy with such,” he emphasized.

Additionally, the Ebonyi Police Command also denied the alleged arrests.

In an interview, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed:

“We did not arrest any commissioner,” he said.

The housing project, initiated by the state government, aims to address the housing needs of those affected by past communal conflicts in the state.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suffered another blow as Hon. Ugochukwu Collins, representing Isiala Ngwa North State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, has defected to the Labour Party (LP).

His defection follows that of Hon. Lucky Johnson, the Isuikwuato State Constituency representative, who also left the PDP for the Labour Party just last week.

In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, and read during Wednesday’s plenary session, Hon. Ugochukwu formally announced his decision to leave the PDP.

Citing internal party crises and other pressing concerns, he stated that his move was in the best interest of his constituents and political future.

The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, has dismissed a petition filed by the Action Alliance (AA) and its member, Adekunle Omoaje, challenging the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The tribunal ruled that the case lacked merit and was frivolous.

Delivering its judgment, the tribunal stated that Omoaje had no locus standi to file the petition, as he did not participate in the governorship election.

It further held that since he was not a candidate in the poll, he had no legal grounds to challenge its validity.

One of Omoaje’s main arguments was that he was not recognized as the National Chairman of the Action Alliance for the purpose of nominating a candidate for the election.

However, the tribunal ruled that his claims had no basis under the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

In the petition, Omoaje had urged the tribunal to nullify the declaration of Okpebholo and the APC as winners, alleging that the election violated the Electoral Act.

He also accused the APC of corruption and claimed that Okpebholo did not secure the majority of lawful votes.

Additionally, he contended that the AA was denied the opportunity to nominate a legitimate candidate for the election, as he was not allowed to sign the nomination form as the party’s National Chairman.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo the winner of the election with 291,667 votes, defeating his closest opponent, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 247,655 votes.

Kogi Government Accuses Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Inciting Violence by Violating Ban on Political Gatherings

The Kogi State government has criticized Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for organizing a political rally in her senatorial district despite an official ban, alleging that her actions were a deliberate attempt to instigate unrest.

Commissioner for Information Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement on Tuesday, condemned the lawmaker’s decision to proceed with the event, which took place in Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area.

“She deliberately violated the state government’s ban on political gatherings, which was put in place to prevent security breaches and maintain peace,” Fanwo said.

“Instead of respecting the law, she chose to incite chaos, disregarding the safety and stability of the state.”

Akpoti-Uduaghan had returned to her constituency on a Sallah visit and addressed a large crowd of supporters, despite the existing restriction on political gatherings.

Prior to the event, she had publicly warned that she and her supporters could be targeted for attacks, holding Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Governor Ahmed Ododo, and former Governor Yahaya Bello responsible for any harm.

She also alleged that Akpabio had enlisted Bello to orchestrate her recall and assassination.

In response, Fanwo dismissed the senator’s claims, calling her a “serial manipulator” who deliberately violated the state’s directive.

“This is yet another desperate and calculated attempt by an incurable liar and serial manipulator to mislead the public, incite unrest, and present herself as a victim after deliberately violating the ban on political gatherings imposed by the state government to maintain law and order,” he stated.

The commissioner further accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of attempting to destabilize Kogi Central Senatorial District and insisted that security agencies should monitor her activities closely.

“The security of every citizen in Kogi State, including Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, remains a priority. However, the government will not tolerate anyone deliberately provoking crises and then crying wolf when confronted with the consequences of their actions,” Fanwo added.

He urged security agencies to take note of the senator’s remarks and actions, emphasizing that they posed a serious threat to the peace and stability of the state.

“She should be held accountable for her blatant attempts to incite violence and cause unnecessary tension,” the statement concluded.

President Bola Tinubu has approved a major shake-up at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, removing the board chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure, and the Group Chief Executive Officer, Mallam Mele Kyari.

The announcement was made in a statement by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in the early hours of Wednesday.

The president also dissolved all other board members appointed alongside Akinyelure and Kyari in November 2023.

In the reconstituted 11-member board, Tinubu appointed Engineer Bashir Ojulari as the new Group CEO, while Ahmadu Kida will serve as the Non-Executive Chairman.

Adedapo Segun, who took over as Chief Financial Officer from Umaru Ajiya last November, retains his position in the new board. The board also includes six non-executive directors representing Nigeria’s geopolitical zones:

• North West: Bello Rabiu
• North East: Yusuf Usman
• North Central: Babs Omotowa (former Managing Director of NLNG)
• South South: Austin Avuru
• South West: David Ige
• South East: Henry Obih

Additionally, Mrs. Lydia Shehu Jafiya, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, will represent the ministry, while Aminu Ahmed will represent the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

The appointments take effect from April 2.

President Tinubu cited Section 59, subsection 2 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 as the legal basis for the board’s restructuring.

He emphasized that the move aims to improve operational efficiency, restore investor confidence, enhance local content participation, and drive economic growth—particularly in gas commercialization and diversification.

The president also tasked the new board with conducting a strategic review of NNPC-operated and Joint Venture assets to ensure they align with value maximization goals.

Since 2023, the Tinubu administration has implemented key reforms in the oil sector to attract investment.

Last year, NNPC secured $17 billion in new investments, with projections to grow this figure to $30 billion by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030.

The government also aims to boost crude oil production to two million barrels per day by 2027 and three million barrels per day by 2030.

Similarly, gas production is targeted to increase to 8 billion cubic feet per day by 2027 and 10 billion cubic feet per day by 2030.

Additionally, Tinubu expects the new board to enhance NNPC’s crude oil refining capacity, aiming for 200,000 barrels per day by 2027 and 500,000 barrels per day by 2030.

Ahmadu Kida – Non-Executive Chairman

Born in Borno State, Kida holds a civil engineering degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a postgraduate diploma in petroleum engineering from the Institut Francaise du Petrol (IFP) in Paris.

He began his career at Elf Petroleum Nigeria before joining Total Exploration and Production, where he rose to Deputy Managing Director of Deep Water Services in 2015.

Last year, he became an Independent Non-Executive Director at Pan Ocean-Newcross Group.

Beyond the oil sector, Kida is a former professional basketball player and serves as President of the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF).

Bashir Ojulari – Group CEO

Ojulari, from Kwara State, was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company before his appointment.

His company led a consortium of indigenous firms in the $2.4 billion acquisition of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC).

He is also an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, where he studied Mechanical Engineering.

His career began at Elf Aquitaine as Nigeria’s first indigenous process engineer.

He later joined Shell Petroleum Development Company in 1991, working in various roles across Europe and the Middle East as a petroleum process engineer, strategic planner, field developer, and asset manager.

Ojulari previously served as Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) and has been involved with the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

President Tinubu expressed appreciation to the outgoing board members for their service, particularly their efforts in rehabilitating the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, which resumed petroleum production after years of inactivity.

He wished them success in their future endeavors.

Confusion arose as leaked copies of a yet-to-be-delivered judgement of the Edo State Governorship Election Tribunal surfaced online, just hours before the official verdict was expected.

The leaked document, which circulated widely on the internet, suggested that the tribunal’s lead judgement dismissed the petition and upheld the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo.

The Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member tribunal had reserved judgement on March 3 in the case filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, challenging the outcome of the September 21, 2024, governorship election.

On Tuesday morning, the tribunal summoned all parties to appear before it on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, for the official ruling.

However, ahead of the scheduled judgement, copies of the ruling were leaked online, revealing a two-to-one split decision among the judges.

According to the leaked document, Tribunal Chairman Justice Kpochi and Member 1, Justice A. B. Yusuf, dismissed the petition and affirmed Governor Okpebholo’s election.

In contrast, the third member, Justice A. A. Adewole, ruled in favor of Ighodalo and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue him a fresh Certificate of Return.

In his dissenting judgement, Justice Adewole asserted that Governor Okpebholo’s election was invalid due to non-compliance with electoral laws.

He stated, “The 2nd Respondent, Governor Okpebholo, was not duly elected by a majority of lawful votes cast,” before nullifying his victory in the gubernatorial contest.

Justice Adewole further argued that the petitioners provided evidence, unit by unit, showing that the actual vote total should be 243,113 for Ighodalo and 210,326 for Okpebholo—directly contradicting the declared results.

However, the lead and majority judgement delivered by Justice Kpochi acknowledged irregularities but ruled that they did not substantially affect the election outcome.

“While there was credible evidence of non-compliance, particularly concerning section 73(2) (failure to record serial numbers in EC 25B) and section 51(2) (over-voting), the petitioners failed to demonstrate that these breaches substantially affected the outcome of the election as required under section 135(1) of the Electoral Act,” Justice Kpochi stated.

Addressing the issue of lawful votes, the majority decision noted that the petitioners had identified inconsistencies in collation and result exclusions but could not prove that the margin of victory had been overturned.

The ruling referenced past Supreme Court judgements, including Oyetola vs. Adeleke (2023, 10 NWLR Pt 1892) and Atiku vs. INEC (2023, 19 NWLR Pt 1927), affirming that while irregularities occurred, they were not substantial enough to alter the declared winner.

“We find that the petitioners have not discharged the dual burden to the satisfaction of the law.

“Accordingly, the petition lacks merit and is hereby dismissed,” the majority ruling concluded.

Meanwhile, the authenticity of the leaked judgement remains unconfirmed, as DAILY GAZETTE was unable to verify its source at the time of reporting.

INEC had previously announced that Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the election with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo of the PDP, who secured 247,655 votes.

Dissatisfied with the result, Ighodalo and the PDP filed a petition on October 11, 2024, arguing that the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022.