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Tag: Chairman

  • Accord Party: Court fires chairman, orders immediate convention

    The High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Maitama, Abuja presided over by Hon Justice O. A. Adeniyi has ordered the National Chairman of the Accord Party, Alh Mohammad Lawal Nalado and all members of the party’s National Working Committee to vacate their seats with immediate effect.

    The court in its verdict on Monday barred them from further occupying any position in the party.

    It sacked all the National Executive Members and the National Working Committee, who have completed two terms in office which expired on January 17,2022.

    According to one of the top officials of the party, Chief Innocent Igboekwe who alongside two others members dragged the party chieftains to court, they were also prevented from recontesting for the same post/office or remain in the same office in acting capacity after the expiration of their term(s).

    Igboekwe, Jamilu Abase, and Prince Joseph James had vide an Originating Summons brought against the party’s NWC and NEC which was filed by Chief Wake el Olawale Liady sought the court’s declaration to prevent the national officers from holding holding any office in their hierarchy of the party having been sworn in two times, as enunciated in the constitution of the Accord Party.

    The plaintiffs also sought the Court declaration that the tenure of office of Hon. Mohammad Lawal Nalado as the National Chairman, the National Executive Committee and National Working Committee of the party expired on the 17th of January 2022 having been elected and sworn in on the 18th day of January, 2018.

    The Court in its verdict therefore declared amongst others, ‘… having regard to the clear and unambiguous provision of section 223 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), Section 85 (3) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and Articles 19 and 23 of the Constitution of the Accord Party.

    “By the reason of the expiration of Hon. Mohammad Lawal Nalado’s led National Executive Committee and National Working Committee of the ACCORD on the 17th day of January, 2022 there has been a vacuum in the administration and running of the 1st Defendant’s political party.

    “By the reason of the expiration of Hon. Mohammad Lawal Nalado’s led National Executive Committee and National Working Committee of the Accord Party on the 17th day of January, 2022, the 3rd, 4th and 5th Defendants and/or any member of their committee cannot function, act and perform as subsisting members of the National Executive Committee and National Working Committee of the 1st Defendant as from 18th day of January, 2022.

    “The deliberate refusal, failure and negligence of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Defendants to call and hold National Convention and meetings of the National Executive Committee and National Working Committee as required by the law is a gross violation of provisions of the 1st Defendant’s Constitution.

    “The deliberate refusal, failure and negligence of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Defendants to call for the annual auditing of the finance of the Accord Party is an infraction of the provision of 28 (1) of the Constitution of Accord.

    “By virtue of provision of section 223 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 85 (3) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), the 2nd Defendant should oblige that the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th Defendants to comply with the extant laws on tenure of office and finance of the Accord Party… ”

    Igboekwe who spoke to journalists noted, after a painstaking and diligent process therefore restrained the Accord Party and the National Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) from allowing the Naldo, Michael Lerama, and Barrister Maxwell Ngbudem alongside other executive and the NEC members, who had contested and held party office for two terms from further contesting and holding office after their second term.

    The Court also granted an order in favour of the Plaintiff restraining Accord Party and INEC from according or continuing to accord any recognition to the officers or any other member of the party, who has served during Hon. Mohammad Lawal Nalado’s led National Executive Members and National Working Committee because their tenure of office had expired on the 17th day of January, 2022.

    Hon Justice Adeniyi equally directed the Party to hold its National Convention/State Congresses with a view to electing the National and State Executive Committees within ninety (90) days from the date judgment was delivered in the suit.

  • Primaries: Gunmen kill PDP chairman in Edo

    Primaries: Gunmen kill PDP chairman in Edo

    The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ward 5 in Oredo local government area of Edo state, Tunde Igbinoba, has been shot dead by unknown gunmen.

    The PDP chieftain was reportedly killed on Monday by unknown gunmen at the venue of the party’s primaries.

    It was learnt that the PDP conducted both State House of Assembly and Federal House of Representatives on Monday across the 36 states and FCT.

    Details of the incident were sketchy as of press time, but sources said that violence broke out following a heated argument over the validity of the delegates’ list to be used for voting in the constituency, which resulted in sporadic shootings.

  • [BREAKING] Misconduct: Court orders chairman CCT to appear before Senate panel

    [BREAKING] Misconduct: Court orders chairman CCT to appear before Senate panel

    A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed a suit by the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Yakubu Umar seeking to stop the Senate from probing him on alleged misconduct.

    The Court held that as a public officer administering law, he is answerable to the Senate on moral standards.

    Justice Inyang Eden Ekwo, in a judgment in the suit, ordered the CCT boss to go and appear before the Senate and answer questions on a public petition brought against him by an aggrieved citizen.

    The judge held that his case seeking to stop the probe by the Senate lacked merit and was dismissed.

    The alleged incident happened at the Banex Plaza in Abuja on March 29, 2021.

    The court dismissed Umar’s suit on the grounds that it lacked merit as Umar had no cogent reason to stop the Senate from carrying out its constitutional functions.

    Justice Ekwo held that Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 constitution under which the CCT boss sought to be protected by the court did not confer any protection or refuge on him.

    The judge said that as a public officer administering a law relating to the conduct of public officers, Umar had no reason to institute the suit to stop the senate from probing a public petition seeking justice.

    Justice Ekwo also held that the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal Act 2010 were established by the Act of the National Assembly and as such, Umar was subject to investigation by the National Assembly.

    The judge further said that Section 2 of the Code of Conduct Bureau Act exposed Umar to an investigation by the National Assembly more than any other Nigerian.

    “As such, it will be illogical for him (Umar) to seek to stop the senate probe as doing so will give an impression that he is above the law”.

    Justice Ekwo held that the declaratory reliefs sought by Umar for an injunction against the senate could not be granted because the case lacked merit.

    The CCT Chairman had in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/ 671/2021, challenged the powers of the senate and three others to investigate him in an alleged assault he perpetrated against a security guard at Banex Plaza in Abuja.

    The four defendants in the matter were the senate, the senate president, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

    In the suit filed by his lawyer, Mr. Sunday Edward, Umar asked the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the senate from conducting investigations into allegations of assault levelled against him by a petition submitted to the senate.

    He specifically asked the court to determine whether the alleged case of assault formed part of the matters the senate was constitutionally empowered to investigate.

    He had also asked the court to determine whether the Senate and its committee were competent to investigate or invite him in relation to the investigation of the allegation of assault.

    He asked the court to declare that the purported case of assault that took place on March 29, 2021, did not form part of the matters the senate was constitutionally empowered to investigate.

    He further asked the court to declare that the senate’s moves to conduct an investigation in the matter were unconstitutional and amounted to the unwarranted usurpation of the functions of the police and of the court.

    However, counsel to the Senate, Kafayat Suleyman had urged the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that the senate had powers under Section 88 of the Constitution to investigate alleged misconduct by any public officer.

    On May 4, 2021, Umar, appeared before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petition.

    This was in response to a petition submitted against him by Clement Sagwak, a security guard he allegedly assaulted.

    Sagwak had, through his counsel, Timzing Ramnap, petitioned the Senate where he accused Umar of assaulting him.

    The senator representing Plateau North, Istifanus Gyang, laid the petition before the Senate on April 29, 2021.

    Umar was summoned by the panel and asked to come to defend himself.

    When he appeared before the committee, the CCT chairman said he had not been served the petition.

    He asked the panel to give him one week to study the detailed petition which was served on him at the session to “enable him to respond appropriately.”

    He was, however, given two weeks to defend the petition against him.

  • Federal High Court sacks PDP Chairman

    Federal High Court sacks PDP Chairman

    Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi, Mr Tochukwu Okorie, was not validly nominated to contest election into the position, the Federal High Court, Abuja, ruled on Wednesday.

    Delivering ruling in the suit filed by Mr Silas Onu, challenging the election of Okorie, Justice Ahmed Mohammed held that Okorie was indolent in submitting his nomination form and could not benefit from his wrongdoing.

    He declared that Okorie submitted his nomination form on Oct. 4, 2021; days after the Oct. 1, 2021 deadline stipulated in the guidelines on the conduct of congresses.

    Justice Mohammed stressed that Okorie could, therefore, not have been validly nominated and was not qualified to contest in the election held on Oct. 16, 2021.

    “It is the opinion of this court that the 2nd defendant (Okorie), was indolent in submitting his nomination form as provided in the guidelines issued by the PDP.

    “In spite of this failure, he was still returned and declared elected. He cannot be allowed to benefit from his wrong doing,’’ the judge declared,

    He consequently directed the PDP to hold that only Onu was lawfully nominated to participate in the election of Oct. 16, 2021.

    He also directed the party and to issue a Certificate of Return to Onu declaring him as the duly elected Chairman of PDP, Ebonyi chapter.

    The judge granted the prayer for a declaration that Okorie was not qualified to participate in the election for failing and refusing to submit his nomination form on or before the deadline of Oct. 1, 2021.

    He also granted the prayer for a declaration that the Okorie’s participation in the said election was contrary to the clear and unambiguous schedule for the conduct of state congresses, therefore rendering such participation null and void.

    The judge had earlier dismissed the preliminary objection filed by the PDP where it alleged that Onu did not exhaust internal mechanisms available for resolving party matters before heading to court.

    He ruled that PDP’s objection failed because the party was silent about the date Okorie submitted his nomination form.

    He declared that he found PDP’s failure to deny the allegation by Onu that Okorie submitted his nomination form on Oct. 4 instead of Oct. 1, 2021 as admission of wrongdoing.

    “The consequence is that Okorie’s nomination form submitted on Oct. 4, 2021 instead of Oct. 1, 2021 was submitted out of time,’’ Justice Mohammed insisted.

    Ebonyi chapter of the PDP elected Okorie as chairman on Oct. 16, 2021.

    Okorie polled 1,240 votes to defeat Onu, the former Publicity Secretary, who scored 260 votes.

    Dissatisfied with the outcome, Onu filed a suit challenging the process and listed the PDP Ebonyi chapter and Okorie as first and second defendants, respectively.

    Onu prayed the court to rule whether or not Okorie qualified to contest in the Oct. 16, 2021 election even after he did not submit his nomination form within the stipulated deadline of Oct. 1, 2021.

  • Adamu’s first move falters as group condemns his inauguration of Akwa Ibom chairman

    Adamu’s first move falters as group condemns his inauguration of Akwa Ibom chairman

    A group under the aegis of Defenders of Akwa Ibom APC, DAIA has condemned the inauguration on Tuesday of a new chairman for the Akwa Ibom chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC by the new national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

    The group in a statement expressed shock over what it claimed as the deliberate overlook of a court injunction restraining the party from recognizing and inaugurating Obong Stephen Ntukekpo as the chairman of the party.

    “What has happened is that the leadership of the party has started on the path of illegality and against the desire of the mainstream of the party,” DIAA coordinator, Ibok Essein said in a statement.

    “So long as there existed an injunction against the inauguration of Ntukekpo, it behooved the party’s leadership to have waited for the judicial process to run its course in order not to infringe on the right of everyone concerned and that is why we are especially pained by this development.”

    Expressing concern that elements from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP were dictating the situation in the party, DAIA added.

    “We are concerned that the godfather of the Ntukekpo is the minister of Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio, a man who as governor so much destroyed the progressives in Akwa Ibom.

    “It is unfortunate that he has manourvered himself into our party and is now destroying our party from inside,” the group said.

  • Adamu receives Certificate of Return as APC Chairman

    Adamu receives Certificate of Return as APC Chairman

    Sen. Abudullahi Adamu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) newly-elected national chairman says there is no room for failure in the party under his chairmanship.

    Adamu made the declaration on Friday in Abuja after receiving his Certificate of Return from Jigawa’s Gov. Muhammad Abubakar, Chairman, Election and Planning Sub-Committee of the party’s March, 26 national convention.

    “We have zero tolerance for failure in this new dispensation of our great party because we have an enormous responsibility ahead.

    “On the 2023 general elections, we cannot move the way we are to election.

    “We have a marching order by the leader of this party, President Muhammadu Buhari, we will have to deliver.

    “There will be no excuses whatsoever, and we need every hand on deck for this to happen,’’ Adamu who emerged as APC national chairman through consensus said.

    He commended Gov. Abubakar’s committee for conducting the election in an efficient, honest and equitable manner.

    “We would be explicit and we will be talking to you particularly to talk to the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) and through you to the forum’s chairman,’’ he said.

    Membership of the PGF is exclusively that of APC governors.

    “We will need your services from time to time and it is my hope that when we get to that point, whoever amongst you we call, will please come and join us to get us over certain situations.

    “We will find you as ready partners,’’ Adamu said, adding that he was a team player and was ready to work with the newly-elected National Working Committee (NWC) members.

    “I am a team player; as much as is possible I want to carry everybody along with me.

    “But to work with me, not because I’m the best and everything, you have to be loyal, not just to me, but to the party. You have to recognise the authority of the party.

    “In all that we do, the interest of the party is paramount,’’ the national chairman stressed.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adamu until his emergence was the senator representing Nasarawa West at the Senate.

    Presenting Certificates of Return to the NWC members earlier, Gov. Abubakar commended those who contested the party’s executive offices.

    He congratulated Adamu for his emergence as the party’s new national chairman and thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his guidance and kind words.

    Gov. Abubakar particularly thanked Buhari for his appeal to party members to embrace consensus which according to him, helped the election committee to do its job smoothly and easily.

    He said out of the 78 positions contested for in the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), consensus was achieved in 66 positions.

    This, he said, meant that 12 positions were contested.

    “This demonstrates that the APC is indeed one family with members that will always listen to President Buhari and his call for peace and unity of the party,’’ he stressed.

    Abubakar also thanked the contestants for comporting themselves in the most decent manner in the interest and progress of the party, adding that they were its heroes.

    “Despite their personal interests, they chose to withdraw to allow for consensus so that our party will come out stronger and indeed this was what happened.

    “I thank them and I believe they deserve all our commendations and the party will never forget them,’’ Abubakar said.

  • Convention: As chairman North Central Govs Forum I’ll ensure APC picks candidate from my zone – Sani Bello

    Convention: As chairman North Central Govs Forum I’ll ensure APC picks candidate from my zone – Sani Bello

    Governor of Niger State and Chairman North Central Governors Forum, Sani Bello has said he would ensure a candidate from his geo-political emerges APC Chairman.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports Bello made this disclosure in a chat with a national television saying:

    “It’s incumbent upon me as chairman of the North Central Governors Forum to ensure the chairman of our party comes from my zone.

    On the possibility of adopting the consensus approach in also picking a presidential candidate during the party’s primaries, he said:

    “For now we are trying to make sure the party is united praying that there’s no court restraining us not to do the convention.

    “The unity of the party is paramount for us now to get everything right.

  • Senate caucus denies endorsing Abdullahi Adamu as APC Chairman

    Senate caucus denies endorsing Abdullahi Adamu as APC Chairman

    The Chairman, Senate Committtee on Media and Public Affairs, Sen. Ajibola Basiru has faulted media report alleging that the APC caucus at the Senate has endorsed Abdullahi Adamu as its preferred aspirant for the party’s chairmanship.

    Basiru said this when he spoke with newsmen in Abuja on Monday.

    Three senators; Abdullahi Adamu, Sani Musa and Tanko Al-Makura were contesting for the APC national chairman in the March 26 national convention.

    “I am not aware that the APC senate caucus has adopted any senator for the position of the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress.

    “I know that three senators are contesting and there was no where or occasion when we took any decision to adopt any particular candidate.

    “I will be very happy if any of them emerges as the APC national chairman on Saturday.The emergence of any of the three senators would be a good omen to our institution.

    “Senators Abdullahi Adamu, Sani Musa and Tanko Al-Makura are in the race,” he said.

  • Pandemonium in Osogbo as Aregbesola security officers shoot sporadically

    Pandemonium in Osogbo as Aregbesola security officers shoot sporadically

    Residents and passersby around Fagbewesa, Orisumbare, Oke Fia and MDS areas of Osogbo, on Monday, ran in different directions as heavy shooting from security men attached to the Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, rented the air.

    It was gathered that Aregbesola’s convoy was coming from Station Road end of Osogbo and headed to Oke Fia area, around 6:40pm when the incident, which lasted about 10 minutes, happened.

    An aide to Aregbesola, Bola Ilori, in a Facebook post shortly after the incident, said miscreants working for the incumbent Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, had attacked the former governor but were repelled by security details attached to him.

    The post read, “Only a lazy man starts a wrestling match with cutlass and guns – Aregbe. Oyetola thugs fired several gunshots at Aregbesola’s convoy after declaring his preferred choice for Governorship. The attackers were repelled by combined efforts of Police, DSS, NSCDC, etc and luckily no casually was recorded.”

    But the Chairman, World Institute for Peace, a non-governmental organisation, Lamina Kamildeen, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, in a Facebook post accused security men attached to Aregbesola of shooting sporadically while passing through Old Garage.

    Kamildeen, who claimed to be inside Orisumbare market, when the incident happened wrote, “Shooting sporadically by the security men who were in the company of the former Governor Aregbesola of the State of Osun in Osogbo today is but a misplacement of priority! No matter what, this is a state you have once governed for a two-term tenure.

    “Ogbeni needs to know that nothing is sweeter than peace in any given society. Mr. Minister of Interior, you have to apologize to the Osun people for many citizens were injured while running for their lives today. I am not giving any judgment though, but the shooting was huge and caused a lot of panics.”

    Meanwhile, the Osun State Government and an aide to the Interior Minister, Bola Ilori, had traded blame over the incident.

    The government in a Public Service Announcement signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Funke Egbemode, explained that, “misguided cowards have invaded Osogbo, the Osun State capital with armed thugs to foment trouble”.

    “These miscreants and their kingpin started shooting as they raced through the town. Their interest is simply to attempt to thwart the peace of the state and create fear in the minds of the good people of Osun counting on a long-lost influence.

    “The Government of Osun hereby warns that there are no sacred cows in the state. No one is above the law here regardless of their past glories or future aspirations.

    “Security agencies have been well briefed about the activities of these mischief-makers, who have set themselves on a collision course with the law.”

  • Gunmen invade ASUU chairman’s house, abduct six

    Gunmen invade ASUU chairman’s house, abduct six

    Gunmen have invaded the residence of Mr Abdurrahman Adamu, Chairman of the Federal University of Gusau chapter, Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

    According to information gathered, six persons were kidnapped during the attack on the ASUU chairman’s home in Damba Quarters, an outskirt of Gusau, the Zamfara State capital.

    The Chairman’s younger brother, a niece, a nephew, and younger sisters of his two wives were all abducted during the incident, Channels Television reports.

    The kidnappers also abducted a neighbor, who is also a staff in the bursary department of the university.

    Details to follow…