The Federal High Court in Abuja has reaffirmed Mr. Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fully recognize his leadership.

The judgement, delivered by Justice Emeka Nwite on Tuesday, instructed INEC to grant the Labour Party under Abure’s leadership all the rights and privileges associated with a duly registered political party in Nigeria.

Advertorial

In addition, the court ordered INEC to carry out its legal duty by providing refresher training for the upload of Labour Party agents onto the INEC portal and to issue Abure the necessary Access Code for the Ondo Governorship Election scheduled for November 16, 2024.

This ruling was the result of a suit filed by Abure, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1271/2024, in which INEC was the sole defendant.

Advertorial

Abure, in an affidavit supporting his case, explained that after the passing of the previous National Chairman of the Labour Party, he was elected Acting National Chairman at a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on March 29, 2021, in Benin City, Edo State.

He further told the court that at another NEC meeting on April 18, 2023, in Asaba, Delta State, which was monitored by INEC, the party resolved to renew the tenures of State Chairmen whose terms had expired.

Advertorial

During that same meeting, members involved in anti-party activities were expelled, and replacements for vacant positions were made.

Abure stated that following a consensus at the meeting, the party held a National Convention on March 27, 2024, in Nnewi, Anambra State, where he was formally elected as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

Under his leadership, the party fielded candidates for governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.

Advertorial

On June 28, 2024, INEC issued a notice to Abure and 18 other party chairmen regarding the inspection of sensitive election materials for the Ondo and Edo state governorship elections.

However, Abure complained that he was excluded from a later INEC notice instructing political parties to nominate two IT personnel for training on uploading data to the INEC portal for the Ondo gubernatorial election.

He only became aware of the notice on August 21, 2024, through his involvement with the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC).

Advertorial

As a result, Abure asked the court to compel INEC to recognize him as the National Chairman of the Labour Party. In his ruling, Justice Nwite agreed with Abure, stating:

“I am of the view that and so hold that the basis of these cogent verifiable documents, the defendant’s attempt to impeach the validity of the leadership of the plaintiff fails. The plaintiff has proved his case.”

Justice Nwite continued:

“I hereby make an order compelling the defendant to accord the plaintiff’s political party under the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure all the rights and privileges accorded a political party duly registered in Nigeria.”

This judgement comes in the wake of a leadership crisis within the Labour Party. Last month, the party’s NEC removed Abure as National Chairman during a stakeholders’ meeting hosted by Governor Alex Otti of Abia State in Umuahia.

The meeting, chaired by former Labour Party presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi, resulted in the formation of a 29-member caretaker committee, with former finance minister Senator Esther Nenadi Usman as Chairperson and Hon. Darlington Nwokocha as Secretary.

Despite this internal dispute, the court has now affirmed Abure’s leadership as legitimate.

The University of Benin (UNIBEN) has appointed Dr. Victor Chukwuemeka Nnam, a former Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development in Enugu State, as an Associate Professor.

The announcement was contained in a letter signed by the Deputy Registrar of the university, Omage-Umeh T. M. (Mrs.).

Dr. Nnam was recognized for his extensive contributions to academia and public service.

Advertorial

After his service as commissioner, the senior lecturer, who holds a Ph.D in Geo-informatics and Surveying, dedicated his career to teaching and mentoring students at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, often doing so, free of charge.

Responding to the appointment, Dr. Nnam who could not hide his joy, expressed gratitude to the university management for the recognition.

Advertorial

He stated, “I am deeply honored by this appointment and grateful for the opportunity to contribute my expertise to UNIBEN. Education is my passion, and I look forward to inspiring the next generation of geo-informatics professionals.”

Dr. Nnam emphasized his commitment to advancing the field of geo-informatics and fostering collaboration between academic institutions and public service sectors.

Advertorial

He noted that he aims to leverage his experience in governance to enhance the academic curriculum and provide students with practical insights into the application of geo-informatics in urban planning and development.

His appointment is expected to further strengthen the department of Geo-informatics, enriching the learning environment for students.

Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) has dismissed claims circulating on social media about the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) winning the October 5 Local Government Election in Essien Udim LGA.

The viral video, which showed a man identified as Professor Atting declaring a PDP victory, has been debunked by the commission.

Advertorial

In an interaction with the media, AKISIEC Chairman, Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak, clarified that the returning officer for Essien Udim was not Professor Atting, but Professor Uduak Okon from the University of Uyo’s Department of Medical Sciences.

According to the official results, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr. Ntiedo Usoro Effiong, secured 51,751 votes, while the PDP candidate, Engr. Enobong Patrick Friday, garnered 22,799 votes, resulting in the APC’s victory in the area.

Advertorial

Ikoiwak explained that the confusion arose after the Electoral Officer (EO) in charge of the council area disappeared with the ballot materials, leading to the Assistant Electoral Officer (AEO) being dispatched to conduct the election.

This led to delays in delivering the official results.

He further mentioned that the video showing the alleged results was staged, with the individuals involved creating a false narrative to mislead the public.

The AKISIEC chairman also addressed logistical challenges during the election, attributing late arrivals of materials to network issues at Zenith Bank, which delayed the disbursement of funds.

Despite these hurdles, he emphasized that the election was conducted fairly, with results recorded on the official forms and submitted accordingly.

Ikoiwak also praised the state governor, Pastor Umo Eno, for providing AKISIEC the autonomy necessary to ensure a free and fair election process, noting that the exercise reflected the will of the people.

Advertorial

Governor Siminalayi Fubara has voiced concern over President Bola Tinubu’s direct mention of his name in a statement addressing the recent destruction of local government secretariats in Rivers State.

Fubara, speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, emphasized that he was not responsible for the violence that erupted following the local government elections in the state.

Advertorial

Fubara remarked, “Everyone in Nigeria knows I have no hand in what is happening… My meekness should not be mistaken for weakness.”

The unrest occurred in several local government areas, with council premises in Eleme, Ikwerre, and Emohua set ablaze by political hoodlums, while sporadic gunfire was reported in Ahoada East as resistance to newly elected council officials intensified.

The violence followed the withdrawal of police officers from 23 local government secretariats earlier on Monday.

Advertorial

Despite the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and the police opting out of the election, Governor Fubara insisted on going forward with the vote on Saturday.

The Action People’s Party (APP) emerged victorious in 22 of the 23 chairmanship positions, with the Action Alliance (AA) winning one seat.

Fubara swore in the newly elected local government chairmen on Sunday, but violence erupted as some officials were attacked upon assuming office, and secretariats were torched.

Advertorial

In response to the escalating crisis, President Tinubu ordered the police to restore security at the local government secretariats.

A statement by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga urged Governor Fubara, political leaders, and their supporters to maintain peace and respect the rule of law.

However, Fubara expressed unease over being singled out in the President’s statement.

“I don’t have an issue with the President’s intervention, but I am a bit concerned that my name was the only one mentioned,” he said.

He stressed that the source of the problem is widely known and does not lie with him.

“The issue is not Fubara, and everyone in Rivers State knows what’s going on,” he added.

Fubara welcomed the intervention of the Inspector General of Police, speculating that the withdrawal of police officers from the secretariats may have emboldened hoodlums to attack.

He urged the police to restore security at the secretariats to allow the newly elected officials to perform their duties.

“I never agreed with the idea of the police pulling out completely. Their absence allowed miscreants to take advantage of the situation and wreak havoc,” Fubara concluded.

On Monday, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State officially swore in 31 newly elected local government chairmen following the polls held on October 5.

Of the new chairmen, 30 were elected under the banner of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), while one is from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The newly elected officials received their Certificates of Return from the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) a day earlier.

Advertorial

During the swearing-in ceremony at the Government House in Uyo, Governor Eno emphasized his administration’s commitment to working closely with the chairmen to ensure the delivery of effective governance to the citizens.

He specifically urged the new chairman of Essien Udim Local Government Area, Ntiedo Usoro, to unite the community and be seen as the chairman for all, not just for the APC.

Eno stated, “Your election and subsequent swearing-in today affirm that our electoral process was fair. No one can claim otherwise. It was free and credible, which is why you are here today.”

Advertorial

The governor encouraged collaboration among the chairmen, stressing that governance transcends party lines: “There’s no APC or PDP local government in governance. I want to remind all our chairmen that losing one local government area in an election doesn’t signify failure. It shows we have allowed democracy to flourish. You can lose the battle but still win the war.”

Eno reassured his party members that the loss of a single chairmanship seat does not indicate a decline in PDP’s influence in Akwa Ibom State.

Advertorial

He expressed determination to support party members in Essien Udim LGA to ensure they access state-level benefits.

“We will continue to work collaboratively with all of you to deliver good governance to our people,” he concluded, highlighting the expectations of the citizens from their leaders.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has officially released the timetable for the upcoming 2025 zonal congresses.

These congresses will facilitate the election of new Zonal Working Committees and National Ex-Officio members.

Advertorial

In a statement made on Monday in Abuja, party spokesman Debo Ologunagba indicated that the party’s National Executive Committee had approved the conduct of the zonal congresses.

The NWC finalized the timetable during its 592nd meeting, which comes ahead of the expiration of the current Zonal Executives’ tenures across the South-South, South-East, South-West, North-Central, and North-East zones.

Advertorial

The timetable outlines the schedule of activities as follows:

Sale of Forms for ZWC Positions and National Ex-Officio Roles: November 18, 2024 – December 18, 2024.

Deadline for Submission of Completed Forms: January 17, 2025.

Screening of Aspirants: January 25, 2025, at the Zonal Headquarters.

Screening Appeal: February 1, 2025, at the Zonal Headquarters.

Publication of Cleared Aspirants: February 12, 2025.

Publication of Delegate Lists: February 13, 2025.

Advertorial

The congresses are scheduled as follows:

Zonal Congresses for North-East, South-East, and South-South: February 22, 2025.

Appeal on Zonal Congresses: February 25, 2025.

Zonal Congresses for North-Central and South-West: March 22, 2025.

Appeal on Zonal Congresses: March 26, 2025.

Advertorial

The party has encouraged all interested aspirants to reach out to the Directorate of Organization and Mobilization or the Directorate of Finance at the National Secretariat for information regarding fees and other inquiries.

Ologunagba also called on all PDP leaders, stakeholders, and members to stay united and work collaboratively for the party’s advancement.

A hearing in the asset forfeiture suit filed by former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke was postponed on Monday due to the absence of the presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The case is now scheduled to be heard on November 21, as the judge is attending a seminar at the National Judicial Institute.

Advertorial

Diezani, represented by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), filed her suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to challenge the final forfeiture order of her assets, a decision granted by the anti-graft agency.

The case with the suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/21/2023 was filed on January 6, 2023.

In her motion, Diezani is seeking several orders from the court, including an extension of time to apply for a court order to set aside the EFCC’s public notice for the sale of her property.

She argues that the various forfeiture orders were issued without jurisdiction and should be annulled “ex debito justitiae.”

Diezani contends that she was never served with the charge sheet, proof of evidence, or any summons related to the criminal charges against her.

She alleges that the courts were misled into issuing the forfeiture orders through the suppression of crucial information.

“The multiple applications that led to the final forfeiture orders were obtained through significant misstatements and concealment of material facts,” she argued, asserting that the orders violated her constitutional rights to fair hearing and property.

Advertorial

On the other hand, the EFCC, represented by investigator Mr. Rufai Zaki, filed a counter-affidavit requesting the dismissal of Diezani’s application.

Zaki stated that the investigations conducted by his team revealed evidence of Diezani’s involvement in criminal activities, including conspiracy, official corruption, and money laundering.

The EFCC highlighted past statements from its former chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, indicating that $153 million and over 80 properties were recovered from Diezani.

Advertorial

She is believed to have fled to the United Kingdom following her tenure as minister from 2010 to 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

In addition to her asset forfeiture suit, Diezani has filed another case seeking N100 billion in compensation from the EFCC, claiming damages from what she describes as defamatory publications related to the multiple suits against her.