INEC Chairman, Yakubu, 

The Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT), the foremost sociopolitical body representing the Itsekiri people, has strongly rejected the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) proposed ward delineation for Warri Federal Constituency, describing the exercise as “biased, compromised, and inequitable.”

Speaking with journalists in Asaba over the weekend, Sir Amorighoye Mene, the Secretary of ILoT, stated that the Itsekiri nation would challenge the report legally, asserting that the delineation process was flawed and lacked fairness.

The proposed delineation was presented by INEC during a stakeholders’ meeting in Asaba, Delta State, in compliance with a Supreme Court ruling that mandated the fresh delineation of wards and polling units.

The Warri Federal Constituency comprises Warri North, Warri South, and Warri South-West local government areas.

Mene criticized INEC’s approach for allegedly disregarding the voting strength of different ethnic groups in the constituency, warning that if implemented, the Itsekiri people could be politically marginalized.

He called on INEC to ensure fairness by using the number of registered voters in each area as the basis for the delineation.

He further alleged that the Supreme Court judgment leading to the delineation was “surreptitiously” obtained, noting that INEC and other relevant stakeholders had not defended the case.

Mene accused INEC of selectively applying the Supreme Court ruling to Warri Federal Constituency, hinting at a hidden agenda by the electoral commission.

“We were not given the opportunity to speak or react at the venue of the unveiling because they knew they had done things inimical to our interest. But we have reviewed the report given to us and the entire Itsekiri nation completely condemns and rejects the work done by INEC.”

“We not only condemn it, we reject it in its entirety because the fears we had earlier on at the start of the exercise have been proven correct—that INEC will not be fair and just in the process. The report they unveiled today shows that INEC is very biased and anti-Itsekiri,” he stated.

Mene elaborated on the situation in the Warri North, stating that Itsekiris had historically had six wards while the Ijaws had four since 1999.

However, under the new report, Itsekiris, with 75,912 registered voters and 134 polling units, now have eight wards, while the Ijaws, with 35,480 voters and 58 polling units, now have 10 wards.

Mene emphasized that similar discrepancies existed in Warri South-West and Warri South.

In Warri South-West, Itsekiris, with 94,074 registered voters and 175 polling units, now have only five out of the 19 wards delineated by INEC.

Meanwhile, the Ijaws, with 95,046 registered voters and 147 polling units, now have 14 wards.

In Warri South, the Itsekiris, with 88,309 registered voters and 174 polling units, now have eight wards, while the Urhobos, with 38,000 voters and 72 polling units, now have 10 wards.

The Ijaws, in the mixed demographic area with approximately 51,517 voters and 105 polling units, have been allocated two wards.

Mene urged INEC to focus on ensuring that eligible voters can conveniently exercise their franchise, based on the number of registered voters in various areas.

“We expect INEC to be fair, equitable, and not biased because ward and polling unit delineation is meant to facilitate the administration of elections based on the number of registered voters in the various communities and areas,” he said.

He further emphasized that INEC’s primary responsibility should be to serve the convenience of voters, not to consider religious or land ownership issues, as it is not a court.

“INEC should concentrate on voters and how they can vote conveniently in the areas they are registered,” he added.

Senator Magnus Abe has urged Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, to stop wasting both his energy and the state’s resources on efforts to prevent the scheduled rally by supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Chief Nyesom Wike, on April 12th.

Abe expressed his disbelief on his verified Facebook page that the Bayelsa government had gone to such lengths to stop Wike from attending the event, despite the Minister clarifying that he had no intention of visiting the state.

He pointed out that, despite Wike’s clarification, the controversy had continued to escalate in Bayelsa.

Abe also referred to the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of movement for all citizens, including Wike.

He reminded Diri that he could not stop Wike from visiting Bayelsa whenever he chose, just as the Bayelsa Governor freely visits Rivers State whenever he wishes.

Abe said: “I have been observing the ongoing frenzy concerning the invitation extended to the FCT Minister to visit Bayelsa, and the Wikephobia that seems to have gripped the state.”

“From the Governor to elders, courts, community leaders, and political figures, everyone seems to be holding meetings and press conferences to prevent one Nigerian Minister from visiting the state.”

“Even though Wike has stated that he has no plans to visit Bayelsa, that statement hasn’t been enough to calm things down.”

“Well, my simple advice to the Bayelsa State Government is this: Save the money spent on anti-Wike press conferences, court cases, and use it for the benefit of your people.”

“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees all Nigerians, including Nyesom Wike, the freedom to move freely within the country.”

“The day Wike chooses to visit Yenagoa, he will, just like Governor Diri visits Port-Harcourt and Abuja whenever he desires.

“As leaders in the South-South, let us learn to use our phones. A simple phone call from Governor Diri to Minister Wike could have spared the state all of this unnecessary turmoil and expenses.

“It’s time for us in the South-South to rethink our approach. We could achieve so much more if we focused on cooperation and collaboration.”

The Senate has revealed that 74 lawmakers, out of the 109 members in the upper chamber, voted in favor of imposing a state of emergency in Rivers State.

Senator Yemi Adaramodu, the Senate Spokesman representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, made this disclosure over the weekend during a press briefing at his residence in Ilawe-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

He explained that 74 members voted for the emergency rule, out of the 106 lawmakers present at the session.

He stated: “When the question was put to those in support of the emergency rule in Rivers State, all of them said ‘Yes,’ and nobody said ‘nay’ after the discussions were held.”

“It is very unfortunate that everybody in Nigeria wants to interpret the rules and the constitution of Nigeria the way they like. Over 200 million Nigerians, and over 200 million Nigerians interpret the constitution of Nigeria, as a lawmaker, a lawyer, and a Judge.”

Adaramodu condemned the way some Nigerians interpret the rules and standing orders of the National Assembly, accusing them of claiming that these rules were tailored to favor their specific positions.

“The rules say it must be through a closed session when issues related to security are discussed; you cannot be debating it openly,” he added. “We did not bend the rules; we did what we needed to do!”

He further noted: “Personal feelings are not Law or status. We debated it, and we all agreed in the closed-door session that we were all supporting the emergency rule in Rivers State. After the debate, we included three more clauses beyond what the Presidency brought to the National Assembly. It may not last six months if the atmosphere improves.”

He clarified that the administrator appointed in Rivers State would report not only to the Presidency but also to the National Assembly, which would continue to oversee the administration.

Additionally, a committee consisting of eminent Nigerians would be formed to mediate between the warring factions in the state and submit a report to both the Presidency and the National Assembly.

Adaramodu pointed out that the problem in Rivers State arose from the actions of the Governor and the State House of Assembly, resulting in a situation where governance was paralyzed, with only three lawmakers loyal to the Governor out of 32.

The Senator also addressed accusations that the National Assembly is merely a rubber-stamp body, asserting: “We are not in the Senate with gloves on, to simply go and fight with the executive or other arms of government.”

“That is not our calling. Our calling is to be partners in progress. While we are partners in progress, we make laws; the execution is the responsibility of the executive, and the interpretation lies with the judiciary. We make laws, but we do not execute them.” he said.

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has called on the sacked National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, and his faction to embrace peace following the Supreme Court’s ruling that dismissed Abure and affirmed Senator Nenadi Usman as the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party.

Speaking at the weekend, Governor Otti addressed the “misleading interpretations” being circulated about the Supreme Court’s decision, which ousted the Abure-led faction of the Labour Party.

He emphasized that the party’s unity should be prioritized over individual interests.

Otti remarked, “The party (LP) is bigger and more important than any of us put together. The triumph of evil over good is for a moment. So, we thank God for yesterday. We somehow believed that justice would be done to the Labour Party.”

He also pointed out, “I was watching and saw some people making some claims about them not being removed by the Supreme Court. We can as well ignore them, but I will not ignore them.”

“want to appeal to them to give peace a chance, except if what they wanted in the first place is to destroy the party, and if they want to destroy the party, they will destroy themselves and the party will become even stronger.”

Governor Otti was speaking during the inauguration of the new leadership of the Abia Arise Organisation, his political structure in preparation for the 2027 elections.

The new leadership included Mazi Nkem Okoro as State Chairman, Mrs. Sophia Chidinma Ikpeama as Vice Chairman, and Dr. Sylvester Ibeneme as Secretary, among others.

The Governor congratulated the newly appointed officials, expressing confidence in their abilities to lead the grassroots support structure of his administration.

“The decision to appoint new leaders was to inject new blood into the organisation to continually engage the people and get feedback to promote good governance in the state,” Otti explained.

He urged the new leaders to focus on strengthening the grassroots support base and emphasized their crucial role in engaging communities, stating, “Every community matters to us. So, we have appointed you to become our eyes and ears in your various localities, working closely with other stakeholders to enable us to serve our people better.”

Governor Otti also reflected on the successes of his administration over the last 22 months, highlighting the progress made in governance.

However, he emphasized the importance of consolidating these gains, stressing the need for teamwork and unity.

He warned against infighting and internal divisions within the party to ensure the continued development of Abia State.

He further acknowledged the significant role Abia Arise played in his political journey, especially its contributions to his migration to the Labour Party and the success of the 2023 election campaign.

In response, Mazi Nkem Okoro, the newly appointed Chairman of Abia Arise, expressed deep gratitude to Governor Otti for his leadership and the positive impact it has had on the people.

He commended the Governor for selecting competent individuals to drive his vision and promised to work tirelessly to ensure the Governor’s success in the state.

Julius Abure, 

Senator Neda Imasuen, representing Edo South, has expressed his approval of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to remove Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).

Speaking to journalists in Benin on Saturday night, Imasuen, an LP senator, described the ongoing turmoil within the party after the 2023 general election as unfortunate.

He stated that the party had become a personal matter for Abure, which led to unnecessary conflict.

Imasuen emphasized that Abure’s legal battles had only caused more division, and with the Supreme Court’s ruling, the party could now find peace.

“I sincerely welcome the Supreme Court judgment that sacked Barrister Julius Abure as the national chairman of the Labour Party,” Imasuen said.

“A lot has gone on in the Labour Party after the 2023 general election, and it is very unfortunate. Abure, who was the chairman at the time, in my opinion, really didn’t have the party at heart because it had become a personal thing.”

Imasuen continued, “Abure’s actions had torn the party apart instead of preserving it. “It became something that didn’t really matter to them, and it was like, let’s fight and tear the party into pieces instead of preserving it. That sort of thing was not what I expected from someone who led the party at a time. He has been dragging the party in and out of court, and now that the Supreme Court has finally sealed it, so be it. It’s a welcome development.”

The senator acknowledged that, despite the ruling, the party’s future remains uncertain.

“But the question for me and for all of us now is, where do we go from here? Someone spoke with me on the matter, and I said, I just hope that it’s not a little too late of what has just come up because the Labour Party is almost decimated. Most of the members have gone. Will this judgment bring them back? I don’t know. Will it energize those who are there now? Again, I don’t know. So, when it’s time, we’ll talk.”

When asked whether he would defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) or remain in the Labour Party to seek re-election, Imasuen responded, “Why do you say APC? It’s a good question, but whatever decision or direction I take, you’ll be the first one.”

DAILY GAZETTE recall that the Supreme Court had, on Friday, removed Abure as the LP National Chairman, setting aside a decision from the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which had previously recognized him as the party’s leader.

The five-member panel of the Supreme Court ruled that the appellate court lacked jurisdiction to make such a declaration, as matters related to party leadership are considered internal affairs outside the judiciary’s domain.

Chief Dr. George Muoghalu, the immediate past Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), has secured the Labour Party (LP) nomination for the Anambra State governorship election set for November 8, 2025.

Muoghalu won the party’s primary election held on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Finotel Hotel in Awka, by receiving 573 votes.

His sole opponent, Mr. John Nwosu, received 19 votes.

The result was announced by Hon. Barr Benedict Etanabene, the Chairman of the LP Governorship Primary Election for Anambra.

According to Etanabene, out of a total of 597 votes cast, 592 were valid, while 5 votes were invalid.

Describing the election process as peaceful, Etanabene urged delegates to begin grassroots mobilisation across the 21 local government areas of Anambra.

He also commended the security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the media for ensuring the success of the primary.

In his acceptance speech, Chief Muoghalu expressed gratitude to the delegates for their trust in him.

He promised not to disappoint Anambra or the nation if given the opportunity to govern the state.

He concluded by stating that his victory in the November 2025 election would mark the confirmation of Anambra as a Labour Party state.

Mr. Nicholas Ukachukwu has secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the upcoming Anambra State governorship election.

He emerged victorious in the primary held on Saturday, defeating his closest rival, Valentine Ozigbo.

Ukachukwu received 1,455 votes, while Ozigbo garnered 67 votes.

The Anambra governorship election, scheduled for November 2025, will be the next major off-cycle election in Nigeria.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo has already secured the nomination for the state’s ruling party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

After being declared the winner of the APC primary, Ukachukwu promised to deliver the state to the APC. He said, “We shall deliver Anambra to the APC. One thing I want to say here, nobody has won the governorship of Anambra without my support; it has never happened before.”

He continued, “I have been playing godfatherism, but now I want to be the father of the father, no more godfather.”