The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has upheld the election of Governor Douye Diri, who was elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 2023 governorship election in Bayelsa State. InfoStride News recalls that the court had on Tuesday reserved judgment in the petition filed by the Labour Party (LP) and its governorship candidate, Udengmobofa Eradiri, challenging the verdict of the Bayelsa State governorship election tribunal. In its judgment delivered on Saturday by a three-man panel, the appellate court held that the tribunal was right in dismissing the LP’s petition for lacking merit. The…
Author: Ifeanyi Nwagboso
Former Senate President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, has officially joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Reports had emerged on June 29 that the former lawmaker had left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC. On Saturday, he was formally received into the party alongside other Southeast stakeholders by the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje. The event took place at the Abakaliki Stadium during a party rally, attended by governors and other party stalwarts, including Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma.
The acting rector of Benue Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, Dr. Emmanuel Barki, and three staff members have been kidnapped by gunmen. The abduction occurred on Thursday while they were returning to Ugbokolo from an official assignment in Makurdi, the state capital. Reports indicate that Dr. Barki, two other management staff, and their driver were taken by kidnappers along the Otukpo-Otukpa Road. One of the victims was released due to ill health. A source close to the rector’s family disclosed that the kidnappers have contacted the family and are demanding a N70 million ransom. The spokesman for the state police command, Catherine Anene,…
The Federal High Court in Calabar, Cross River State, on Friday sentenced six individuals to six months in prison for criminal impersonation, love scams, and identity theft. The convicts were prosecuted by the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on two separate charges, to which they pleaded guilty. The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, identified the convicts as Chibo Udoka (alias Zxoya Andric, Kelly Rose, Chimata Harry), John Inimfon Okpokpo (alias Grace Boar), Emediong Ekerete Bassey (alias Thiwe Ploka), Otu Ginikachi Samuel (alias Chris Hemsworth), Goodluck John Bassey (alias Tom Jones), and Asogwa Ifebuche Lukas (alias…
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has issued a warning to South-East governors against allocating land for grazing reserves to the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), cautioning that such actions could ignite conflict in the region. In a statement released on Saturday, IPOB spokesman Emma Powerful cautioned the governors against compromising the safety of the people in the region. “The Noble family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) led by Mazi Nnamdi Okwu Kanu wish to caution the Eastern Governors to shun the recent demand from Miyetti Allah for the governors to allocate grazing…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for the February 3, 2024, by-election in Ebonyi South, Barrister Silas Onu, has closed his case at the ongoing petition tribunal. Onu had contested the declaration of Professor Anthony Ani, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Onu is determined to reclaim what he alleges to be his rightful mandate from the people of the Ebonyi South senatorial zone. Speaking on the tribunal proceedings, he stated, “We finally got our much-desired BVAS and demonstrated it in the open court, and we linked all of…
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has provided insights into the necessity for making significant changes to its logo. Recall that InfoStride News reported that the party, under whose platform the Governor of Kano State was elected in 2023, has revised its constitution, allowing for changes to its slogan, logo, and flag. During the official presentation of the new logo, flag, and slogan in Abuja on Friday, the party’s national chairman, Dr. Ajuji Ahmed, explained the reasons behind these updates. The NNPP showcased its new logo, which will be featured on ballot papers for elections in Nigeria starting in November…
The Federal Government has inaugurated the Presidential Food Systems Coordination Unit (PFSCU) to tackle the persistent hardship and food insecurity in the country. The unit was launched by Vice President Kashim Shettima on Friday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, as part of the Tinubu administration’s efforts to curb hunger. Vice President Shettima emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “The nation is facing a rare food security crisis and the sooner we come to terms with the reality, the better. Food insecurity endangers the very basis of our democratic experiment, and this is why all hands have to be…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State has completed all payments for nomination forms for its chairmanship and councilorship candidates ahead of the upcoming local council elections on September 21. In a statement issued on Thursday in Ilorin, the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, announced that the PDP has paid approximately N25 million to meet the procedures outlined by the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC). The payments cover the nomination forms for all 16 Local Government Area (LGA) chairmanship candidates and 193 councilorship candidates fielded by the party. “The payment of N24,900,000 was made to the…
The Labour Party National Transition Committee (LPNTC), established by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has distanced itself from the planned state congresses announced by the Labour Party (LP) National Chairman, Julius Abure. In a statement released on Friday in Abuja, Tony Akani, Chairman of the Media and Publicity Subcommittee, conveyed the LPNTC’s stance. In response, Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, dismissed the LPNTC as an unrecognized entity within the party. Ifoh urged the public to disregard any statements from the LPNTC regarding the Labour Party. Akani’s public notice aimed to inform the public and Labour…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has praised the Supreme Court’s decision affirming the right of local government councils to receive their monthly allocations directly from the federation account. A seven-man panel led by Justice Emmanuel Agim also upheld the federal government’s stance that state governors lack the legal authority to arbitrarily dissolve democratically elected local government councils and replace them with caretaker committees. In its Thursday ruling, the apex court condemned the practice of paying local government allocations through state governments as gross misconduct. Felix Morka, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, stated on Friday that this judgment is…
The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the fatal shooting of Prince, a member of the local vigilante group, Onelga Security Peace and Advisory Committee (OSPAC), in Igwuruta community. Grace Iringe-Koko, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, announced that a thorough investigation is underway to identify and apprehend those responsible for the killing and ensure they face justice. According to reports, OSPAC members were responding to a kidnapping distress call when they were ambushed by unidentified gunmen, leading to Prince’s death. The incident has sparked panic throughout the community. The victim’s body has been transported to an undisclosed mortuary as the…
An Area Court in Jos on Friday dissolved a 16-year-old marriage between Hussaina Abdullahi and her husband, Saidu Ali, citing a lack of love and peace. Presiding Judge Lawal Suleiman granted Abdullahi’s petition for divorce, awarding her custody of the couple’s two children. The court ordered Ali to pay N30,000 monthly through the court for their upkeep and to cover their school fees. Abdullahi, who married Ali in 2008, told the court that the marriage had been devoid of peace and love. She expressed her readiness to refund the N40,000 dowry Ali had paid for her hand in marriage. “I…
A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, has ordered the remand of 30-year-old teacher Josiah Alkali in a correctional facility on charges of sexually assaulting four boys. Alkali faces charges from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for unnatural offense, in violation of Section 259 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law. The victims, aged between 13 and 15 years, reported the assaults. NSCDC prosecutor Marcus Audu stated that the case was reported by the Salama Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Kafanchan on July 3. According to Audu, Alkali lured each of the boys into his room…
Alhaji Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the November 11, 2023, Kogi State election, has pledged to reclaim what he terms his “stolen mandate” at the Supreme Court. Ajaka made this declaration on Thursday following the Court of Appeal’s decision in Abuja, which upheld the victory of Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo as the duly elected Governor of Kogi State. In his statement, Ajaka expressed respect for the Court of Appeal’s decision but emphasized his belief that irregularities and manipulations had influenced the petition’s outcome. “We have tirelessly fought for the rights and interests…
The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for the immediate resignation of Osarodio Ogie, the deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the upcoming September 21, 2024, governorship election. Emperor Jarret Tenebe, the acting chairman of Edo State APC, made this demand in a statement released to journalists in Benin City, just 72 days before the election. “By remaining in office while posing as a running mate in the gubernatorial election, Mr. Ogie is in violation of public service rules, which prohibit a public servant from using public resources to fund their…
Hon. Barr. Chijioke Edeoga, the Labour Party governorship candidate in the 2023 Enugu State election, has lauded the Supreme Court’s decision granting full autonomy to local government areas. The apex court’s ruling on Thursday ends the governors’ control over local government finances, a development that has been widely celebrated across the nation. In a statement personally signed by Edeoga, he described the landmark judgment as a significant step towards ending the long-standing constitutional violations by state governors. “During my campaign, I pledged that local government funds would be sacrosanct,” Edeoga recalled. He urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)…
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Ondo State has elected Olapade Ademola as their new chairman. Ademola was elected by members of the State Executive Council (SEC) of the NLC at a special meeting held at the state NLC secretariat in Akure. He replaces Comrade Victor Oladele Amoko, who retired. During the meeting, the 41 SEC members present unanimously decided that Ademola will serve as the new chairman of the NLC in the state. In his acceptance speech, Comrade Ademola vowed to enhance welfare packages for workers in Ondo State. “I want to thank the SEC members of Ondo State…
Following the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Lagos State has declared that local government chairmen have no more excuses for non-performance. The State IPAC Chairperson, Mrs. Temilola Akinade, made this statement during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of full financial autonomy for the 774 local government councils in the country, ordering the Federal Government to start direct payment of local governments’ funds to the councils’ exclusive accounts immediately. Akinade praised President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to local government autonomy…
The internal crisis within the Ebonyi State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened as former governorship aspirant Christian Usulor resigned from the party. Usulor, who served in the Ebonyi State Assembly representing Ezza South State Constituency from 2011 to 2023, announced his resignation in a letter dated June 8, 2024, addressed to his Ward chairman. The Ebonyi State PDP has faced significant turmoil, impacting its performance in the 2023 general election. Following the election, several party chieftains defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). As the party was on the brink of reconciliation, the National Working Committee…