Category: Politics

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused former Vice President and 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, of being the architect of his party’s current disintegration, dismissing his claims of interference by the ruling party.   In a press statement signed by APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the party described Atiku’s allegations of APC paying opposition leaders ₦50 million each to destabilize their parties as “bogus and laughable.” The APC also criticized Atiku’s remarks during the National Conference on Strengthening Democracy in Nigeria, held in…

A Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has ordered the suspended former National Vice-Chairman (South East) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ali Odefa, to pay ₦100 million in general damages and an additional ₦2 million as costs to the Ogwudokwor Ward Executives of the PDP in Onicha Local Government Area.   The court’s decision followed Odefa’s suspension over alleged anti-party activities and subsequent attempts to intimidate and harass the ward executives using the Nigerian Police Force.   In a consolidated ruling on two fundamental rights suits…

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) suffered a significant setback at the Edo State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Benin City on Thursday, as critical discrepancies in the evidence submitted by one of its witnesses, Mr. Igberase Mathias, were exposed during cross-examination.   Counsel to the 1st respondents discovered that documents presented by Mr. Igberase were not in existence at the time the case was filed, raising concerns over the credibility of the petitioner’s evidence. When questioned about the documents he endorsed, Mr. Igberase was unable to confirm their validity, prompting…

The Edo State Governorship Election Tribunal resumed its sitting today with the petitioners calling their fourth witness, Destiny Enabulele, in case EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, involving Ighodalo Asuerinme & Anor vs INEC and two other respondents. Enabulele, a 48-year-old development worker, admitted that his statement contained errors.   Enabulele, whose 2023 election to the Edo State House of Assembly (Ovia South-West constituency) was annulled by a tribunal over allegations of electoral malpractices and irregularities, acknowledged the mistakes in his testimony under cross-examination.   Despite the admission, the tribunal provisionally accepted the statement as…

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has officially sworn in six new Commissioners, assigning them portfolios aimed at enhancing governance and service delivery in the state. The swearing-in ceremony took place on January 21, 2025, with key appointments made across various sectors.   The new Commissioners and their assigned ministries are:   1. Hon. Paul Nosayaba Ohonbamu – Ministry of Information and Communications 2. Hon. Dr. Washington Osa Osifo – Ministry of Water Resources and Energy 3. Dr. Emmanuel Paddy Iyamu – Ministry of Education 4. Sir (Dr.) Lucky Eseigbe…

The Edo State Governorship Election Tribunal was marked by a significant moment this week as one of the petitioners submitted a bulk of documents, which they claimed to be evidence supporting their case. However, what followed was an unexpected wave of jubilation from their supporters, who misunderstood the legal implications of this move.   Legal experts and seasoned observers were quick to caution that the submission of documents in bulk, often referred to as “dumping evidence,” is a common practice meant to expedite proceedings, but does not automatically translate into…

The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal will resume.today, with Governor Monday Okpebholo poised to reinforce his position in the ongoing legal contest. As the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gear up for the resumption of hearings, their optimism over the tribunal’s acceptance of their documents may prove premature, legal experts warned.   The PDP has submitted key election documents, including Form EC8EL, Form EC8D, and CTCs of polling unit forms, as part of their petition. However, while these documents have been accepted for procedural purposes, they do not automatically guarantee…

The Presidency has announced that, starting from the end of January 2025, local government areas in Nigeria will begin receiving their allocations directly from the Federal Allocation Account Committee (FAAC). This groundbreaking move followed the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in July 2024, which declared the state control over local government funds unconstitutional.   In an interview with Arise News on Thursday night, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, affirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to upholding the Supreme Court’s judgment, ensuring local government autonomy…