Former House of Representatives member Faruk Lawan has been released from prison after completing a five-year sentence for accepting a $500,000 bribe.

Lawan’s conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court.

He was found guilty of soliciting a $3 million bribe from Nigerian billionaire oil magnate Femi Otedola while serving as chairman of the House ad-hoc committee investigating fuel subsidy fraud in 2012.

Justice Simon Ameboda of the Federal High Court in Kano has issued an order restraining the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) from proceeding with the local government elections scheduled for Saturday.

The judge ruled that the appointment of the chairman and members of KANSIEC, who are reportedly card-carrying members of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), violates sections 197(1) and 200(1) of the amended 1999 Constitution, as well as section 4(b) of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission Law of 2001.

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Justice Ameboda declared that KANSIEC, in its current composition, is not legally authorized to oversee the local government elections. He further instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withhold the release of election materials to KANSIEC until the commission is properly reconstituted.

The local government elections, initially set for Saturday, are now in limbo following the court’s decision.

A Federal High Court in Zamfara State’s Gusau Division has been petitioned to prevent former National Vice Chairman (South East Zone) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Ali Odefa, from presenting himself as a national officer of the party.

The plaintiff, Imam Auwal, a member of the PDP, is seeking a court order to enforce strict adherence to the party’s constitution.

He has urged the court to compel the party, which is named as the first defendant, to avoid actions that could violate its own constitutional guidelines.

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Auwal is requesting the court to issue an order directing all party organs to refrain from recognizing Mr. Odefa as an officer of the PDP.

Additionally, he seeks an order to prevent Mr. Odefa from claiming any official status or membership in the party, citing his lawful suspension by his Ward Executive.

A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, has approached a court to prevent the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from cancelling the scheduled National Executive Council (NEC) meeting set for Thursday.

The legal action, initiated by a member of the faction, Imam Auwal, was filed at the Zamfara High Court in the Gusau Judicial Division.

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The faction is requesting the court to overturn a previous injunction from the Abuja Federal High Court, which had barred the PDP from removing its acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum.

As of the time of this report, it remains unclear how the rival faction, led by allies of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, will respond to this latest move.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has turned down a request from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to redeploy the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, ahead of the November 16 governorship election.

Speaking on Monday, Rotimi Lawrence Oyekanmi, the spokesperson for INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, explained that there is no basis for removing Mrs. Babalola, as no evidence of unethical conduct has been presented against her.

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The PDP had formally expressed concerns about Mrs. Babalola’s ability to maintain impartiality, citing her over 30 years of residency in Ondo State despite not being a native.

The party argued that her familiarity with the state and her residence in a family home in Akure could affect her neutrality in the election.

In its letter to INEC, PDP emphasized that under the Nigerian Constitution, anyone who has lived in a state for a decade qualifies as an indigene.

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The party questioned INEC’s vetting process, suggesting that the commission’s deployment decision lacked thoroughness, thereby casting doubt on its commitment to a controversy-free election.

In response, INEC stood by its decision, reiterating that its guidelines prohibit posting a REC to their state of origin.

Oyekanmi highlighted that there are clear legal criteria for the removal of a REC, none of which have been met in Mrs. Babalola’s case.

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He further assured that INEC’s deployment policies are well-established and transparent, emphasizing the commission’s intention to conduct a fair election in Ondo State.

“The commission deploys RECs based on a strict policy, and Mrs. Babalola’s posting aligns with that policy. To date, there has been no valid evidence of misconduct that would justify her redeployment,” Oyekanmi stated.

Despite INEC’s position, the PDP remains determined to pursue Mrs. Babalola’s removal.

Kennedy Peretei, the party’s spokesperson in Ondo State, expressed disappointment with INEC’s defense of the REC, accusing the electoral body of shielding staff from scrutiny.

Peretei asserted that the PDP will closely monitor Mrs. Babalola’s actions in the lead-up to the election, insisting that the party will not relent in demanding her redeployment.

He raised concerns about the impartiality of the upcoming election, suggesting that INEC’s decision calls into question its readiness to ensure a transparent electoral process in Ondo State.

“With less than a month until the election, we will continue to scrutinize Mrs. Babalola’s role, and we are not backing down from our demand for her removal,” Peretei said.