Politics
Akwa Ibom: APC Gov Candidate Emerge After 10 months
After a controversial primary held 10 months ago, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has now officially recognized Akanimo Udofia as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State.
This is the first time Mr. Udofia has been accorded this recognition, as the primary was not monitored by INEC as mandated by the law.
INEC cited a court order as the reason for recognizing Mr. Udofia’s candidacy, which was announced in amendment number six posted on its website on Friday.
After a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered INEC to list Akanimo Udofia’s name as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2023 governorship election in Akwa Ibom, INEC has now officially recognized him as the candidate.
The court judgment came after Mr. Udofia instituted a suit against INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu.
“That an order of mandamus is hereby made compelling the respondent to list the applicant as the governorship candidate of the APC in Akwa Ibom State in view of the extant judgments and judgment orders of the Court of Appeal,” Justice J.K. Omotosho said in his judgment.
The Supreme Court had on Tuesday struck out the same application (a cross appeal) filed by Mr Udofia, describing it as an academic exercise, having dismissed the main appeal filed by a former presidential aide, Ita Enang.
Mr Enang, a former senator from Akwa Ibom, was one of the APC governorship aspirants in the 26 May, 2022 primary election of the party in Akwa Ibom.
He appeared before the Supreme Court to contest the ruling of the Abuja Court of Appeal, which declared Mr. Udofia as a legitimate member of the APC and thus qualified to participate in the party’s primary elections in Akwa Ibom.
In response to the decision of the Federal High Court, the former senator wrote a letter to INEC on March 10, stating that there was no court order instructing the commission to include the gubernatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom State on the ballot.
Mr Enang, in the letter addressed to the INEC chairman, said “the judgment order was obtained in suppression of correct facts while concealing the fact that an appeal was pending on the Supreme Court on the same subject matter and the Court of Appeal in its original judgment of 19 January did not make any positive or consequential order whatsoever directing INEC to enlist Mr Udofia or Mr Enang (himself) as the Akwa Ibom APC governorship candidate for the 2023 election.”
Mr. Enang stated in the letter that, based on all the available court judgments, the APC does not have a candidate for the governorship race in Akwa Ibom State.
He urged INEC “to be properly guided as there was no consequential order from either the Appeal Court or the Supreme Court on the matter to enable it to act by accepting and publishing the name of any person as the candidate”.
The APC had conducted its governorship primary on May 26, 2022, around midnight, which was not overseen by INEC as required by law. Mr. Udofia emerged as the victor of the primary.
According to a report sent by the INEC office in Akwa Ibom to its headquarters in Abuja, the APC did not hold its governorship primary in the state.
INEC has relied on this report and has refused to acknowledge Mr. Udofia as the APC’s gubernatorial candidate in the state until March 10th.
Shortly after the primary last year, Mr. Enang filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Uyo, seeking to be declared as the APC’s gubernatorial candidate in the state. He argued that Mr. Udofia was not a member of the APC at the time of the primary.
Mr. Enang claimed that Mr. Udofia could not have been a member of the APC and thus ineligible to participate in the party’s primary, as he had also been on the ballot for the Peoples Democratic Party’s gubernatorial primary in Akwa Ibom during the same period.
On November 14, 2022, Judge Agatha Okeke nullified the primary election that produced Mr. Udofia and ordered a fresh primary to be conducted within two weeks.
However, the judge also ruled that Mr. Udofia was not eligible to participate in the new primary. On January 19, the Appeal Court overturned the ruling but did not direct INEC to include Mr. Udofia’s name as the APC gubernatorial candidate in Akwa Ibom.
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has assured that his administration would do everything within its powers to take care of Edo State civil servants and make them happy.
He made the pledge on Friday when he received Executives of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Edo State Chapter, led by its Acting State Chairman, Comrade Bernard Egwekhide.
Egwekhide said they were in Government House to congratulate the Governor on his recent victory at the governorship election tribunal that affirmed his victory in the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
On his part, the Governor said whatever Edo State workers are enjoying in the state is the responsibility of his administration to do because it is worker friendly.
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Okpebholo said, “Whatever we are doing, which is favouring Edo workers, is done because it is our responsibility as a government. Edo people voted for us to work for them, and that is what we are doing to ensure life is made better for our people, including the workers.
“We embrace transparency in all what we do as a government to enable the people to trust us as we are not afraid of criticism. Positive criticism will put us on our toes to work harder for Edo people.
“The renewed hope agenda of the president has given us room and platform to perform and serve Edo people better as we embark on practical governance.
“We are doing everything in the State to ensure peace, unity, growth, and development. That is why we ensure smooth collaboration amongst the three tires of government. In all we do in the State, we ensure the three Senatorial zones are carried along.”
The NLC acting chairman, Egwekhide, commended the Governor for his developmental strides and the friendly environment created for Edo State workers to operate.
He said the visit was necessary as the body had come to congratulate the Governor for his deserved victory at the election petition tribunal in Abuja.
According to him, “Workers in Edo State are proud of you for the developmental strides in the State. You have created a friendly relationship between your administration and Edo workers as you have always taken steps to favour Edo State workers.
“Without asking, workers received their 13th month. You raised the subvention of Ambrose Ali University (AAU) from N41 to N500 million. You regularized casual workers in Edo State. You increased what is due pensioners monthly from N50 million to N1 billion naira for both local and State pensioners.”
He noted that a committee has been set up to look into the compulsory pension scheme, which has become a burden on retired civil servants, adding that the report will be submitted to him for his action.
“We thank the governor for several employments given to our people in the very short time in office,” he added.
In a related development, Gov Monday Okpebholo also received the new branch controller, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Edo State, Apanke Utande who was on a courtesy visit to Government House, where the Governor urged him to collaborate with his administration to improve the lives of Edo people.
Sir Jude Idimogu, a former two-term member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, has strongly stated that there will be “no vacancy” in Aso Rock come 2027, reaffirming his commitment to the re-election of President Bola Tinubu.
Idimogu, who served as the representative of Oshodi-Isolo Constituency II from 2015 to 2023, shared his views during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
His comments followed the recent declaration from an opposition group promising to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.
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A steadfast member of the APC and deputy leader of the Ndigbo socio-cultural group in Lagos, Idimogu dismissed the opposition’s chances of defeating President Tinubu in 2027, asserting that no coalition of opposition leaders could pose a significant challenge to the president’s second-term aspirations.
“The ruling party has strong leadership and unwavering grassroots support that will carry us through to victory in 2027,” Idimogu stated, branding the opposition’s efforts as “futile.”
He further noted that power rotation between the North and South made it clear that it was the South’s turn to complete its eight years in office.
“There is no vacancy in Aso Rock come 2027, and I am appealing to all Northerners in the APC to support the president in completing his eight years,” he added.
In his assessment of the current administration’s progress, Idimogu lauded President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, citing positive developments such as better power supply, the strengthening of the naira against the dollar, and the implementation of policies that have helped reduce food prices and boost agricultural output.
“With the restoration of the naira-for-crude deal and the export drive, we are seeing tangible results. I don’t see any opposition candidate who can present a policy better than what Tinubu’s administration is already doing,” he explained.
Looking ahead to 2027, Idimogu expressed his firm belief that he would be among those advocating for President Tinubu’s re-election, given the progress already made under his leadership.
Idimogu concluded by urging the opposition coalition to reconsider its stance, suggesting that they join forces with the president for the greater good of the nation.
The leadership of the Labour Party (LP) under Julius Abure has been vindicated by the content of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgement between Nenadi Usman and the party.
This was contained in a statement on its verified handle on micro-blogging site, X on Wednesday night.
According to the National Publicity Secretary
Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh
As promised earlier, we warned that Senator Nenadi Usman and her cohorts have been in the voyage of misleading Nigerians with wrong interpretation of the judgement of the apex court.
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There is no where it stated that the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure led executive has elapsed or that Nenadi Usman and her National Caretaker Committee has been directed to take over the leadership of the Labour Party.
The Supreme Court emphatically stated that issues within the political party are internal affairs of the party and that party supremacy must be observed.
It is pertinent for us to state clearly that there is no vacuum in the leadership of the Labour Party. The highest organ of the party, the national convention has in March 2024 elected its leaders in line with the constitution of the party and electoral act and their tenure is subsisting.
Consequent upon that, any meeting convened in disregard to the constitution of the party is illegal and the outcome null and void. We are therefore warning all those involved in the illegal meeting holding in Abuja to refrain from further factionalising the party and respect the constitution of the party as we will not fail to activate the provision of the party on disciplinary actions.
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