Politics
PDP minority caucus asks Buhari to sign electoral act without delay
***Mocks APC over lack of BOT, trying to win FCT council polls by all means
*decries excessive loans, says APC has sold Nigeria to China
The minority caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the National Assembly has demanded that President Muhammadu signed the reworked electoral bill into law without further delay
The Caucus also berated the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) for setting up 133- member campaign committee inclusive of 16 serving governors for the forthcoming Area Councils Election in FCT.
The leader of the caucus who is also the senate minority leader senator Enyinaya Abaribe and his counterpart in the House of representatives Honorable Ndidi Elumelu gave the indication on Tuesday during the caucus meeting with the PDP Board of Trustees.
According to Abaribe, “We are asking President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the electoral act which we have passed. We made sure that everything he complained about we have given it to him.”
“The President in rejecting the earlier one transmitted to him in November last year, said indirect and consensus mode of primary elections were added to the new one as requested by President Buhari .
“Now that we have bent backwards, no any excuse or reason should be given again. Provisions of the bill are very critical for expected credibility of the 2023 general elections ” , he said.
Honorable Elumelu during a vote of thanks alleged that some APC Governors are again plotting to stop President Muhammadu Buhari from assenting to the reworked electoral act.
“They said they wanted direct primaries, we said if it would mean giving Nigeriand a very sound electoral reform we accept, they came back again they said oh we have rejected it. They are the ones rejecting.
“They say okay, they want Indirect we say we agree but give Nigerians electoral reform. They came back again and said they want consensus, we have given them consensus, we have given them consensus again I am hearing that among them, those APC Governors are still plotting for the President not to sign the act
The Clerk to the National Assembly Mr. Olatunde Amos Ojo had on Monday, transmitted the authenticated copies of the Electoral Bill 2022 to President Muhammadu Buhari .
This was done in accordance with the provisions of Section 58 (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Acts Authentication Act Cap. A2 LFN 2004.
Mr. President had withheld assent to the Electoral Bill 2021 transmitted to him on 19th November 2021. The Electoral Bill was thereafter reworked by the National Assembly and both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed same on 25th January 2022.
For constituting 133- member campaign committee inclusive of 16 serving governors for the forthcoming Area Councils Election in FCT Elumelu berated the ruling APC.
“Let me say that, It is disheartening that APC, for just a small council election they have turned it to a battle ground
“Even those who could not win their polling units are finding themselves in FCT instead of administering their States, they have abandoned their states for just FCT council election.”
He reminded the ruling APC that in the last election the president lost his unit in the villa. “So I wonder why all of them are battling to come and take what they know they can never get, the FCT area Council election.”
“Let me also state that we are not like APC. Let me thank the BOT for finding it worthy to come and interact with us. We can never be like them. “They have promised
Nigerians so many things: N1 to $1 today it is N596 to a Dollar. They have Promised Nigeria that farmers would be able to go to farm and produce good food for us.
“Today no farmer to go to the various farms because of insecurity. They have promised Nigerians that they will give us good roads but today go to the Airport you see crowds because we don’t have good roads.
“The legacy left by PDP government is still what we are enjoying today because of failed promises by APC. “They are trying to mugage the future of our children by trying to get China to colonise us. Loan, Loan, Loan. APC is known for loan taking and that is very bad.
“The PDP BOT coming here to interact with us is something that a focused party can do. APC can’t do it, they set out to elect State officers they succeeded in electing 92 chairmen.
“They have not reconciled them in 36 States plus FCT and they said they are going to do convention. Let me take Kano for example, Ganduje is leading some, Shelarau is
leading some so I wonder which people are coming for the convention.
“It is going to be another promise like N$ to N1 and we can go on and on, we are not like them who will go to United Nation and lie that they have built specialists hospitals in 36 States, you know that it is a lie. “But for the President of Nigeria to get there and say such a thing, it is a big shame. We can also go on and on and we will not leave here.
“Let me tell the BOT that the two chambers PDP caucuses are doing very well
“Nigerians are tired of APC, so for coming here we are proud of you people. Your coming has further energized us to know that we are doing the right thing and we will never let you people down
He however sent a strong message to the PDP not to impose candidates
“Please tell our party, that this is the time that we should imbibe true democracy and there must be transparency in all the primaries that we are going to organise, let the popular people be chosen.
“The issue of imposition should be shunned by our party. This is what my colleagues asked me to tell you.”
As the PDP caucus were holding a meeting with it’s BOT, the APC caucus also met but in closed door.
When their meeting ended they failed to address the media
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has explained that the persistent crisis and legal disputes within the Peoples Democratic Party compelled him to defect to the All Progressives Congress.
The governor’s defection was formally announced on Monday by his deputy, Mani Mummuni, after a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Gusau.
In a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the move was described as a necessary step taken in the interest of the state and supported by political stakeholders across Zamfara.
SEE ALSO: JUST IN: PDP Crisis Deepens as Appeal Court Upholds Ban on Ibadan Convention
According to the statement, Governor Lawal had remained committed to the PDP despite the ongoing leadership crisis and had made several efforts to reconcile factions within the party.
However, attempts to achieve peace and unity reportedly failed, leading to prolonged legal battles.
The development followed a judgment by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which dismissed an appeal filed by the PDP challenging an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court.
The earlier judgment had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the outcome of the party’s national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The governor was said to have informed political stakeholders during a series of meetings that he would make a final decision about his political future after the appellate court delivered its ruling.
Following the judgment, Lawal concluded that joining the APC would better position him to continue what he described as the “Zamfara Rescue and Rebuild Mission.”
His defection marks a significant shift in the political landscape of Zamfara State and could influence political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has handed a significant setback to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, dismissing his appeal challenging a Federal High Court ruling that questioned his eligibility to contest the upcoming governorship election.
A three-member panel delivered a unanimous judgment on Monday, affirming that the trial court acted correctly when it allowed Dr Akindele Egbuwalo, the plaintiff, to amend his originating summons.
ALSO READ: No Shake-Up in Ondo: Aiyedatiwa Denies Plot To Remove Deputy Gov
Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, who read the lead judgment, said the governor failed to show that the High Court’s decision caused any miscarriage of justice or denied him a fair hearing.
The appeal was therefore dismissed for lacking merit, and the court awarded ₦2 million in costs against Aiyedatiwa.
The ruling reinforces the November 24, 2025, Federal High Court decision in Akure, which granted Egbuwalo permission to challenge Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility for re-election.
Earlier, the Court of Appeal also rejected an application by Aiyedatiwa to set aside a January 27, 2026, order staying proceedings in the case before the Federal High Court.
The appellate court clarified that the stay was a lawful exercise of its jurisdiction aimed at protecting the integrity of the proceedings.
The panel further emphasized that attempting to overturn its own order would be akin to sitting on appeal over its own decision.
The governor’s remaining option, the court noted, is to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court. Another ₦2 million in costs was awarded against Aiyedatiwa.
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party has deepened following a ruling by the Court of Appeal in Abuja which upheld a ban on the party’s proposed national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.
A three-man panel of the appellate court on Monday dismissed an appeal filed by a faction of the party led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear a suit concerning the controversial convention.
The Turaki-led faction had approached the Court of Appeal after a Federal High Court barred the party from holding its planned national convention scheduled for November 14 and 15, 2025.
SEE MORE: Fubara Moves to Rebuild Cabinet as R/Assembly Screens Nine Commissioner Nominees
The lower court also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising or validating the proposed convention.
However, delivering judgment, the appellate court ruled that the Federal High Court had the authority to entertain the case, rejecting the argument that the matter was purely an internal affair of the party.
According to the court, the appellants could not present what it described as a clear violation of the party’s constitution and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as merely an internal party issue.
The panel subsequently dismissed the appeal and awarded a cost of N2 million against the appellants.
The ruling is part of judgments delivered in nine harmonised appeals filed by the Turaki-led faction over the dispute surrounding the convention.
The latest court decision is expected to further intensify the internal wrangling within the opposition party as it continues to grapple with leadership disputes and preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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