Politics
Apapa Faction Lays Blame On Abure, Others In Alex Otti Dispute
The Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) has held Barr. Julius Abure, the embattled National Chairman of the party, responsible for the recent Federal High Court ruling in Kano.
This ruling resulted in the removal of Alex Otti, the Governor-elect of Enugu State, as well as all the Labour Party candidates in Abia and Kano States during the recently concluded elections.
According to a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, it has been disclosed that the National Chairman of the party, Barr. Julius Abure, failed to submit the names of the party’s registered members in Kano and Abia States to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a timely manner.
The statement, made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, highlighted that the party’s failure to submit its membership register to INEC within 30 days before their primaries resulted in the invalidation of the entire process.
He said, “The truth is that Abure and his gang held onto these names and didn’t submit them to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in accordance with Section 72 of the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended)”.
“While the National Chairmen and Secretaries of other political parties were busy doing all that was necessary to meet the deadline for the submission of names of registered members, Abure and company were busy shopping for candidates to swindle and smuggle their names into the party’s register in exchange for those who won their primaries in some parts of the country”.
“Today, we have been vindicated after a Federal High Court in Kano, presided over by Justice M. N. Yunusa nullified the candidature of the Abia State Governor-elect, Dr Alex Otti and all the candidates of the Labour Party in Abia and Kano States due to Labour Party’s failures to comply with Section 72 of the Electoral Act 2022 ( as Amended)”
Arabambi recalled that, “he has been lamenting in the past few months that Abure’s action was not in compliance with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act”.
“The failure of the Labour Party to submit its membership register to the INEC within 30 days before their primaries renders the process invalid”.
“If we failed to comply with the provisions of the electoral act, we cannot as well say that we had candidates going into the elections in the affected states”.
He therefore challenge Abure to “come out clean and explain to Nigerians and Labour Party faithful all over the world who he was working for as at the time in question. Why would any good thinking leader of a political party that had the strength of a hurricane, go to a war where he deliberately prepared a group for the defeat of his own army?”
“This is no time for politics, but a time to tell ourselves the truth. Who is Abure working for when he forged a Court’s documents and seal? Who was Abure working for when he refused to send the names of these candidates to INEC at the appropriate time?”
“The unsuspecting members of the Obidient family must know that the Court decision was a grand design of Abure to cash in on Labour Party fortunes for the sole benefit of himself and immediate families”.
“Today, we are happy to inform you that the FCT High Court has ordered the maintenance of the restraining order made by the Court on April 5th 2023, pending the Court judgement from the appeal”.
The implication of today’s FCT High Court judgement was that the leadership of Alhaji Lamidi Apapa and Alhaji Saleh Lawan remain as the leadership of the party.
Arabambi cautioned that any actions and choices made by Abure and his associates on behalf of the Labour Party, such as the Asaba National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and the primaries conducted in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa States, hold no validity and carry no weight.
He emphasized that the candidates involved in the primaries of these states should take note of past events and emphasized that the Apapa-led faction of the party would employ all legal measures to combat deliberate noncompliance with court orders.
Politics
Gaetz Withdraws From Trumps Cabinet Nomination
Following his observations that ‘the momentum was strong’ Matt Gaetz whom 47th POTUS elect, Donald Trump nominated for Attorney General has withdrawn.
Biztellers reports that this follows his meeting with Senate and the feedback, which included two women, represented by their attorneys, who accused him of having paid for sex.
Consequently, Gaetz placed on record his full commitment to seeing “that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history.”
His withdrawal according his statement on micro-blogging site, X, was based on his conviction that “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle”.
ALSO READ: Trump Taps 27-Year-Old Karoline Leavitt As New White House Spokesperson
In is view, “Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1”.
Gaetz wrote, “I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many. While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition. There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.
“I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.”
His backers have promptly encouraged to take his seat in the House of Representatives, having been elected to the house under the flag of the Republicans to represent Florida.
Politics
Adeleke Represents SW On Ad Hoc Committee on Nat’l Electrification Plan
The Executive Governors from Nigeria’s South West have unanimously nominated Senator Ademola Adeleke as the chairman of the zone on the National Economic Council (NEC).
Adeleke is the Executive Governor of Osun State, southwest, Nigeria.
This, according to the Spokesperson to Governor Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed, transpired on Thursday, at a meeting of the NEC.
ALSO READ: Adeleke Flaunts Local Content Records, Industrialisation Progress
He noted that the meeting reviewed the state of Nigeria’s electricity sector and resolved to engage subnational structures to address current challenges in the sector.
“The meeting particularly sought to build on the devolution of the electricity sector and its movement into the concurrent legislative list which empowers state governments to regulate the sector in their respective areas,” he stated.
Consequently, the NEC, therefore set up an ad hoc committee to review actions in the sector by state governments and explore ways to ramp up activities through coordination, Rasheed highlighted.
The full list of members of NEC’s Ad-hoc Committee on National Electrification:
- Governor of Cross Rivers State, Bassey Out – Chairman, South-South
- Governor of Katsina State, Mallam Dikko Umaru Radda – Chairman, North-West
- Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya – Chairman, North-East
- Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke – Chairman, South-West
- Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma – Chairman, South-East
- Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang – Chairman, North-Central
- Hon. Minister of Finance, Wale Edun
- Hon. Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu
- Special Adviser, NEC and Climate Change, Rukaiya El-Rufai
- Special Adviser, Power Minister, Hon. Bolaji Tunji
- MD/CEO Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu
- MD/CEO Niger Delta Power Holding Company, Jennifer Adighije
- Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazak
- NEC Secretariat
Politics
ACF Pledges Support For Northern Presidential Candidates Ahead Of 2027 Elections
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has announced its decision to back Northern candidates in the 2027 general elections, citing the urgent need to address the worsening socio-economic and security challenges facing the region.
In a communique issued after its National Executive Council meeting in Kaduna on Wednesday, the forum expressed deep concern over the economic state of Northern Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, attributing the region’s struggles to flawed governance and poor policy decisions.
READ MORE: JUST IN: FG Dissolves Nnamdi Azikiwe University Governing Council, Removes VC
The ACF criticized the Federal Government’s economic policies, describing them as detrimental to the livelihoods of Northern citizens.
According to the communique, signed by the forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba, the policies have compounded the already dire economic conditions in the region.
The statement reads, “Arewa people remain at a great disadvantage, being already worse off economically compared to other parts of Nigeria. While economic reforms are indeed desirable, they should not impoverish the same people they are meant to serve. Policies must have a human face.”
The forum noted that the North faces chronic food insecurity, limited educational and vocational opportunities for youth, and a heavy reliance on small-scale economic activities.
“Livelihoods are currently dependent on micro activities. The region faces acute and chronic food insecurity; its youths lack education and skills training. Daunting as these may be, they can be reversed. The time to think big is now,” the communique emphasized.
The ACF also addressed the pervasive insecurity in the North, warning that the situation has begun to erode public confidence in the government.
“Security is an irreducible minimum of human existence. In this regard, insecurity in its various manifestations remains the most worrisome challenge of Arewa people, that has even started to corrosively undermine the authority of government,” the forum stated.
It condemned the government’s response to the crisis, arguing that the Federal Government has failed to meet its primary duty of safeguarding lives and property.
“That those whose responsibility it is to provide security will be saying they are doing their best is unacceptable,” the communique said. “The minimum duty of government is to safeguard life and property, and doing anything less is a failure.”
The ACF faulted what it described as the “flawed leadership selection process” under the Tinubu administration, claiming it has elevated individuals without the requisite competence or experience to key positions.
It urged the Federal Government to “review, reassess, reevaluate, and re-order the direction of its economic policies with a view to giving it the needed human face.”
Looking ahead to the next general elections, the ACF pledged its support for Northern politicians who demonstrate a clear commitment to addressing the region’s challenges and fostering national development.
“Notwithstanding the parlous state of Arewa’s glaring economic conditions, the policies of the current Federal Government have continued to make matters much worse,” the communique stated.