Hon. Toby Okechukwu, the former Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, has officially resigned from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

In a resignation letter dated December 6, 2024, addressed to the Chairman of the Owelli/Amoli/Ugbo/Ogugu Ward in Awgu Local Government Area, Enugu State, Okechukwu thanked the PDP for the platform it provided him to serve as a representative of the Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency in the 7th, 8th, and 9th National Assembly.

The letter reads: “I hereby notify you of my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party and extend my sincere appreciation to the Party for affording me the opportunity to serve the people of Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency in three terms.”

Okechukwu reflected on his significant contributions during his time in the legislature, including his leadership roles as Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Chairman of the Committee on Works, and Deputy Minority Leader.

He also highlighted his involvement in key infrastructure projects like the Second Niger Bridge, the Abuja-Kano Road, and the Lagos-Ibadan Road.

Additionally, he mentioned his role in advocating for the COREN Bill, which was signed into law to improve engineering standards in Nigeria.

“I remain hopeful that our collective efforts will continue to advance the welfare of our people,” Okechukwu concluded in the letter.

President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and others have been taken to court over the alleged unlawful removal of Justice Danladi Yakubu Umar as Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

Two civil organizations, the Community Rescue Initiative and Toro Concerned Citizens, along with an Abuja-based law firm, have filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, claiming the removal process violated constitutional procedures.

They are seeking to stop the National Assembly’s resolution, which purportedly removed Umar, from being transmitted to President Tinubu for approval.

The plaintiffs argue that the procedure followed by the National Assembly was illegal, citing various sections of the 1999 Constitution and the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.

They argue the removal was done without proper legal grounds and without substantiating allegations of misconduct against Umar.

The plaintiffs, represented by lawyers Mahmoud M. Maidoki, A.G. Salisu, Jibrin S. Jibrin Baq., and Abubakar S. Idris Bag, are requesting seven declarations, including a ruling that the removal was unconstitutional.

They also seek a court order halting the president from acting on the National Assembly’s decision and preventing the appointment of a new CCT chairman while Umar’s term is still valid.

The case, which is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1796/2024, has been assigned to Justice James Omotosho, who has directed that the legal processes be served through public notices, including postings at the APC Secretariat and the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The court set a hearing date for January 14, 2025.

The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has rejected claims that it provided N325 million in funding to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State.

The denial follows a petition from the APC Women Leader in Adamawa, Patricia Yakubu, who alleged that the funds had been misappropriated.

In a statement issued by Abdulmumin Oniyangi, the Director of Public Affairs, TETFund dismissed the allegations as false and misleading.

The statement, titled “TETFund Not A Political Party Funder,” described the claims as the work of “desperate individuals” and emphasized that no such funding was provided.

The statement clarified that TETFund had been made aware of a letter purportedly written by Yakubu to the National Security Adviser, which included accusations that the APC received N325 million in funding from the Fund between October 2023 and October 2024. TETFund firmly denied these allegations, calling them “preposterous and totally false.”

To further dispel the allegations, TETFund stated that General Murtala Mohammed College (GMMC) in Yola, where the misappropriation was said to have occurred, is not a beneficiary institution of TETFund.

It added that the Federal College of Education (FCE) Yola, which is a beneficiary, is fully responsible for engaging contractors in accordance with TETFund’s policies.

The Fund also noted that such baseless allegations have become increasingly common but reiterated its commitment to its primary mission: funding the development and improvement of tertiary education in Nigeria.

TETFund urged those behind the accusations to verify their facts to avoid misleading the public.

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has issued a stern warning to local government officials, cautioning them against violating the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy.

Speaking at a conference for judiciary correspondents in Abuja on Thursday, Fagbemi stressed that any attempt to interfere with local government funds would not be tolerated.

Fagbemi emphasized that governance at the grassroots level has long been neglected, but with the enforcement of the Supreme Court ruling, local governments are expected to thrive.

He stated, “The suffering at the grassroots has been enough. The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to correcting the past injustices and positioning Nigeria among the top nations globally.”

He further pointed out that while state governors are protected by immunity, local government officials do not have such protections.

“Local government chairmen and councilors need to understand that if they misuse local government funds, they face imprisonment,” the AGF warned.

“They have a choice: either to misappropriate funds and risk jail, or contribute positively by improving their communities, such as building or upgrading roads, schools, and hospitals. The future of local governments is in their hands.”

In July, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of local government financial autonomy, prohibiting governors from controlling local government funds and ordering that allocations be paid directly to local government accounts.

This landmark decision aims to enhance local government autonomy across the country.

The immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has been granted bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja in the sum of N500 million.

Justice Emeka Nwite, who presided over the case, ordered that Bello provide two sureties, each also liable for N500 million.

The sureties must be property owners in Abuja and must submit an affidavit of means.

Additionally, the title documents of their properties will be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court.

Bello is also required to deposit his international passport with the court, and both he and his sureties must provide two recent passport photographs.

Pending the fulfillment of these bail conditions, the former governor has been remanded in the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja.

The ex-governor has pleaded not guilty to the charges of alleged money laundering involving an N80 billion fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed a 19-count charge against him.

During the proceedings, EFCC Counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed the court that an earlier application for the abridgment of the arraignment date had been overtaken by events and was therefore withdrawn.

The defendant’s counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, did not object, and Justice Nwite subsequently struck out the application.

Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the UK Conservative Party, has responded to Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s criticism, stating that she is not interested in “doing Nigeria’s PR.”

This follows Shettima’s accusation that Badenoch had denigrated Nigeria after her previous comments about the country.

Badenoch, who was born in the UK to Nigerian Yoruba parents, has spoken about her experiences in Nigeria before moving to the UK at the age of 16.

In earlier statements, she described Nigeria as a socialist nation plagued by corrupt politicians and insecurity.

She explained that her personal experiences in Nigeria, including growing up amid widespread fear and violence, made her determined to seek a better life in the UK.

Shettima, in response to Badenoch’s remarks, compared her to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, noting that Sunak had never criticized his ancestral homeland.

He also suggested that Badenoch might consider changing her first name if she no longer identified with Nigeria.

However, Badenoch’s spokesperson stood by her comments, asserting that she was not trying to serve as Nigeria’s image manager.

“Kemi is the leader of the opposition in the UK and speaks her truth. She doesn’t mince words, and she remains firm in her position,” the spokesperson stated.

Badenoch, who was born Olukemi Adegoke before marrying Hamish Badenoch and adopting his surname, made it clear that her priority is her role in UK politics, rather than managing perceptions of her country of origin.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has unveiled plans to move away from the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) as the primary means of voter accreditation for future elections.

This proposal is part of a broader electoral reform plan to be presented to the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Electoral Matters.

During a meeting in Abuja with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, explained that the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has prompted a reevaluation of PVCs as the sole mode of voter identification.

Yakubu proposed that, moving forward, computer-generated slips, either issued to voters or downloaded from the INEC website, could be used for accreditation, eliminating the need for PVCs in future elections.

“While those with PVCs will still be able to use them to vote, the new method will help reduce costs, eliminate PVC collection issues, and address the problem of PVCs being bought to disenfranchise voters,” Yakubu said.

Yakubu highlighted the successful completion of five off-cycle governorship elections and nine out of 21 bye-elections since the 2023 general elections, deeming it the ideal time to act on the Commission’s post-election review.

He revealed that INEC has compiled 142 recommendations focusing on voter management, electoral operations, election technology, and voter education.

Of these, 86 can be handled administratively by INEC, 48 require collaboration with other stakeholders, and eight necessitate legislative changes.

Among the key reforms proposed are early voting for essential workers such as INEC staff, security forces, and journalists, who are deployed outside their registration areas.

The Commission is also pushing for diaspora voting and the establishment of an electoral offences tribunal, as well as a regulatory body for political parties.

Other planned reforms include improving collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and National Population Commission (NPC) for cleaning the voter register, enhancing logistics partnerships with transport unions, and stepping up voter education to counter misinformation.

Yakubu reassured Nigerians of INEC’s ongoing commitment to enhancing access to polling units and ensuring the inclusion of underrepresented groups in the electoral process.

These proposed reforms will soon be submitted to the National Assembly for legislative action, marking a significant step in the ongoing electoral reform efforts.

The Initiative for Transparent Strategy and Good Leadership has called on Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, to revoke properties previously gifted to High Court judges by the administration of former Governor Nyesom Wike.

The group specifically requested that Governor Fubara revoke the properties given to Justice James Omotosho and other judges, arguing that it is inappropriate for a governor to gift public land to individuals in this manner.

During a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Thursday, the group presented documents it claimed to have obtained from the State Ministry of Land and Survey, which listed the properties allocated to various individuals.

Among them were Justice James Omotosho, who was given Plot 104 in GRA Phase 8, Justice Osho Oshomah, with Plot 287, GRA Phase 8, and Justice Muhammed Sam, along with other security personnel and influential figures in the country.

Barrister Chizy Enyi, the group’s leader, explained that while Wike had revoked the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for these properties in 2016, he had reallocated them in 2019 to several High Court judges and other individuals.

Enyi pointed out that the Land Use Act mandates that properties revoked from individuals must be used for public purposes, not allocated as personal gifts.

Enyi expressed concern over the violations of judicial conduct, particularly Rule 10 of the Professional Conduct for Judicial Officers, which prohibits judges from accepting gifts, favors, or loans that could influence their judicial duties.

He emphasized that the allocation of such properties to judges is a breach of this rule.

The group’s leader further raised questions about the legitimacy of the gift to Justice Omotosho. He noted that the land initially belonged to Hon. Odien Ajumogobia, SAN, whose C of O was revoked by Wike.

Enyi questioned whether Justice Omotosho had properly conducted a search to confirm the original ownership of the property and whether, as a judge, he should have accepted land that was meant for public use.

The activist group also expressed concerns that the property allocation could potentially influence Justice Omotosho’s recent rulings, which have been perceived as favorable to Wike.

Enyi called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to intervene by instructing the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to ensure that judges who received such gifts do not hear cases involving Rivers politics.

“As a non-governmental organization, we are deeply concerned about the perception that some judicial decisions may be swayed by personal relationships or gifts,” Enyi stated.

“The judiciary, which should be the final recourse for the common man, should not be seen as favoring those who can offer such gifts.”

The group is now urging the Rivers State Government to take immediate action and revoke the properties, asserting that the allocations were made without following the proper legal procedures.

“We urge Governor Fubara to take swift action to revoke these properties and ensure that all land allocations are made according to the law,” Enyi concluded.

A dramatic incident unfolded in the Senate on Thursday when Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), stormed out in anger after being stopped from presenting a motion regarding demolitions in the nation’s capital.

The plenary session was progressing without incident until Kingibe was prevented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio from raising her motion.

This decision sparked a heated exchange, culminating in Kingibe leaving the chamber in frustration.

The situation quickly escalated, but several senators, including Asuquo Ekpenyong and Oyelola Ashiru, intervened, urging Akpabio to reconsider and allow Kingibe to present her motion.

After some time, the tension was diffused, and Kingibe was persuaded to return to the chamber.

Once she re-entered, Akpabio instructed her to apologize for her earlier exit.

Initially, Kingibe resisted, but eventually, after further insistence from the Senate President, she agreed to apologize.

Kingibe explained that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), under the direction of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, had initiated large-scale demolitions in the capital.

These demolitions targeted structures deemed illegal or built on undeveloped plots of land.

She criticized the actions, claiming they lacked proper court orders and had caused significant hardship, with properties worth billions of naira being destroyed.

In response to Kingibe’s concerns, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator for Kogi Central, voiced her support for the motion. She echoed Kingibe’s call for an immediate halt to the demolitions.

The Senate, after deliberation, approved the motion and established an eight-member committee to engage with the FCTA on the issue.

The committee was tasked with addressing the concerns raised about the demolitions and ensuring that due process was followed.