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.

The Supreme Court has reserved its judgment on a legal suit involving 16 state governments challenging the constitutionality of the laws that established the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other related agencies.

The decision was made by a seven-member panel of justices, led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, after hearing arguments from the parties involved on Tuesday.

The case, initially filed by the Kogi State Government through its Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, saw multiple states joining as co-plaintiffs.

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The states involved in the suit, which is listed as SC/CV/178/2023, include Ondo, Edo, Oyo, Ogun, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, Jigawa, Enugu, Benue, Anambra, Plateau, Cross River, and Niger.

However, the Attorneys General of Anambra, Adamawa, and Ebonyi announced their withdrawal from the case, a request that was approved by the panel.

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The Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has petitioned the local government election tribunal, calling for the annulment of the recently concluded local government elections held on September 21.

APGA is demanding a fresh election and disqualification of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from participating, to ensure a fair and transparent process.

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Speaking to DAILY GAZETTE after submitting the petitions, the Chairman of APGA in Enugu State, Ekene Uzodinma, said that the election failed short of all indicies of a fair, transparent, and credible election.

He told the court that the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) did not adhere to its own guidelines, alleging that the process was marred by rigging and other irregularities.

The party is requesting the tribunal to cancel the chairmanship elections in Enugu South, Udi, Awgu, and Aninri Local Government Areas, as well as various Councillorship positions.

In addition to concerns about the election’s conduct, APGA is challenging the educational qualifications of the PDP candidates declared winners by ENSIEC.

The party alleges that some of these candidates do not meet the minimum educational standards required to contest the election.

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DAILY GAZETTE recalls that APGA had previously rejected the endorsement by the Enugu State chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), which had affirmed the election’s credibility.

Counsel to the petitioners, Ozo Alex Amujiogu urged the Tribunal to consider the merits of the petitions to ensure that justice prevails.

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APGA told the court that certain sworn-in PDP candidates face criminal indictments, which should disqualify them from holding public office.

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum is set to meet in Abuja on Tuesday for a crucial gathering ahead of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for Thursday.

The meeting will address key issues within the party and determine the agenda for the upcoming NEC meeting.

In preparation for the NEC meeting, the Olagunsoye Oyinlola-led PDP Reconciliation Committee met at the NEC Hall of the PDP National Secretariat on Monday to finalize its report.

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The committee is expected to brief the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on its findings and potential recommendations.

Following this, the NWC will review the report and present it to the NEC for approval.

Speaking after a lengthy meeting with the PDP National Assembly Caucus, Oyinlola shared insights into the committee’s work, emphasizing the need to understand the causes behind the party’s dwindling political fortunes.

“We’ve had useful discussions, and I believe we have gathered suggestions that will help unite our party and make it formidable,” he said.

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Oyinlola also highlighted the importance of unity within the party to succeed in future political contests.

“For any party to enter a political battle and win, it must be united. That’s what we’re aiming for,” he added.

On the upcoming Ondo governorship election, Oyinlola noted that the South-West had been a focal point during the committee’s work.

“The National Reconciliation Committee has toured the South-West, and the Ondo election came up prominently. We are putting our strategies in place,” he said.

When asked about the committee’s role in reconciling party members, Oyinlola clarified, “Anyone within the party who has a disagreement with someone else, those are the individuals we’re reconciling.”

He also addressed rumors of possible suspensions within the party, dismissing them as speculation for now.

“As far as we’re concerned, I would take that as a rumor for now. We’re meeting with the National Working Committee tomorrow, so after that, you can ask me again,” he said.

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The PDP Governors Forum meeting on Tuesday is expected to deliberate on whether the NEC meeting will proceed as planned or if a new date will be set.

The forum will also discuss potential agenda items for the NEC meeting.