₦airaland Forum

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has said that President Bola Tinubu and First Lady, Remi Tinubu are allegedly preoccupied with politics amid worsening security challenges confronting the country.

Atiku, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, noted while the country is still awaiting the safe return of schoolchildren and their teachers abducted in Oyo State, three weeks ago, the Federal Government appears more preoccupied with political activities than with the anguish of desperate families whose loved ones remain in captivity.

According to him, while parents of the abducted children have endured sleepless nights since May 15, worrying about the fate of their sons and daughters, Nigerians have been confronted with images of political gatherings, partisan celebrations, campaign-style events, and the distribution of vehicles to political allies. According to him, the contrast is both painful and deeply disturbing.

The former Vice President stated that it is disappointing that many of the activities that have drawn public outrage were personally anchored by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

He stated that the First Lady is often serenaded by supporters with the popular Niger Delta refrain, “Na our mama be this o,” and frequently presented as the mother of the nation and noted that no true mother feasts when her children are missing.

“ Nigerians are entitled to ask a painful question: what kind of mother can comfortably sleep, dance, celebrate political victories, receive campaign groups, and distribute luxury vehicles while toddlers, schoolchildren, and their teachers remain in captivity?”

“A true mother does not celebrate while her children are missing. A true mother does not preside over political festivities while families are trapped in agony, praying daily for the safe return of their loved ones. A true mother would use every platform available to keep the plight of those children at the forefront of national consciousness until they are safely reunited with their families,” the former Vice President stated.

Atiku, who is also the African Democratic Congress ( ADC) 2027 presidential candidate, stated that “ it is difficult to understand how a government that claims to care for its citizens could continue to project an atmosphere of celebration while innocent children and their teachers remain at the mercy of kidnappers. “

Kdon2:
Peter obi is not smart at all as far as politics is concern

The reinstated leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has declared all the nominations in the just concluded primaries of the party in the state as null and void.

The primaries had produced Kingsley Chinda, an ally of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as governorship candidate, following the withdrawal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Other allies of the Minister also emerged candidates of the APC for the 2027 National Assembly and State Assembly elections.

Daily Trust had reported how Justice Elfreida Oluwayemisi Williams-Dawodu of the Court of Appeal Port Harcourt Division, had on Friday upheld the decision of the Rivers State High Court nullifying the Congresses that produced Chief Tony Okocha as chairman of the APC in the state.

In a statement on Monday, Darlington Nwauju, spokesman of the reinstated faction led by Emeka Beke, Nwauju said based on the judgement, all nominations, representations, communications, documentations including decisions reached on behalf of the Rivers State Chapter of the APC between December 20, 2024 and May 29, 2026, have no effect on the party.

He also urged the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to withdraw the certificate of returns issued to candidates from Okocha’s faction after the last year local government election in the state and present to the candidates of his faction, in line with the Appeal Court judgement.

Daily Trust gathered that candidates produced by Okocha faction are currently running the affairs of the local government councils in the state.

He said: “Recall that Justice Obomanu courageously acted in defense of the dignity of court and the sanctity of the rule of law by stamping disciplinary authority of the court in annulling all Congresses purportedly conducted in Rivers State by Alhaji Ganduje in flagrant disobedience of a valid order of court.

“As it stands today, only a higher court can set aside Justice Obomanu’s order which the Court of Appeal ruling delivered by Justice Elfreda Williams-Dawodu has rightfully sustained.

“For posterity sake, there are only two possible scenarios that can play out – (i) the Courts order fresh congresses in Rivers State to mitigate injuries suffered by the plaintiffs to Suit No. PHC/3859/CS/2024; (ii) court sees no injuries in what the APC have done and rejects prayers of plaintiffs.

“Whether the courts choose option A or B above, one thing is constant and that is the fact that the Congresses of Nov 23 2024 and November 30 2024 have been buried!! What then are the consequences of the ruling of May 29 2026 to the APC in Rivers State?

“Our friends laying claim to the leadership of the party were neither elected executives of the party based on Justice Obomanu’s December 20 2024 ruling, nor Caretaker Committee members of the APC based on Justice Aprioku’s August 12 2024 judgement annulling that arrangement and restoring Chief Emeka Beke’s leadership, therefore, they had no right to represent the party in whatever capacity.

“The Rivers State chapter of our party has increasingly become an exclusive political association where founding members such as a former State party Chairman, a former Presidential aspirant and financier of the party, a serving female Senator and serving House of Representatives members including the only APC candidate that won election for us in 2023, can be controversially disqualified from participating in party primaries based on ridiculously frivolous reasons.

“Those bent on destroying the foundation of APC in Rivers State and wearing it a strange baptismal name, are doing so on a daily basis recklessly and lawlessly with a malicious intent to engineer the party into an irredeemable path to ancient Golgotha and avoidable political Hormuz Strait.

“If all of us agree that we should return this matter to the High Court to start afresh, the Congresses have already been dismantled and buried and like APC was told on 12th February 2019 by the Supreme Court of Nigeria for disobeying the order issued by Justice Chiwendu Nworgu of the Rivers State High Court, “you cannot benefit from your stupidity”.

“All nominations, representations, communications, documentations including decisions reached onbehalf of the Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress between December 20 2024 to Friday 29th May 2026, with the seal or imprimatur of members of the illegal executives, their agents, assigns or privies, is to the extent of the subsistence of the orders of Court, illegal, null, void and of no effect.

"The nominations of candidates made to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for the August 2025 Local Government Elections onbehalf of Rivers APC were made by persons unknown to law and to that extent illegal and all declarations and Certificates of Return (CoR) issued in favour of the All Progressives Congress must be retrieved and deservedly go to the duly nominated chairmen and vice chairmen communicated to RSIEC on August 14 2025 by the Chief Emeka Beke led executives.

“That all primaries conducted for selection of candidates/flagbearers in the name of the APC in Rivers State be immediately reviewed by the National Working Committee to avert a repeat of the Zamfara State APC experience; that all records of activities including primaries/conventions wherein the illegal executives /impersonators participated directly or indirectly in and/or contributed to declarations /returns on behalf of the All Progressives Congress, are to the extent of the illegality of their activities, null and void and must therefore be immediately expunged from the records of the All Progressives Congress in Nigeria.”

The media office of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, of allowing “post-primary bitterness” to cloud his judgement following his criticism of the presidential primaries of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), insisting that “no amount of post-primary bitterness can alter reality.”

The position was contained in a statement signed and released by Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to the Presidential Candidate of the ADC, Atiku Abubakar, in response to comments made by Babachir over the outcome of the party’s recent presidential election process.

“The 2027 election will not be decided by tantrums, ethnic dog whistles, recycled grievances, or revisionist history. It will be decided by the Nigerian people. And no amount of post-primary bitterness can alter that reality,”

The Atiku media office said Babachir’s remarks amounted to “a lengthy and emotionally charged outburst” and described his allegations against the primary election as unfounded.

“Ordinarily, Mr. Lawal’s latest excursion into political fiction would not merit a response. However, having chosen to malign a democratic process, insult thousands of ADC members nationwide, and make grave allegations without presenting a shred of evidence, it has become necessary to set the record straight,” the statement said.

The statement argued that it was ironic for Babachir to present himself as an advocate of transparency and democratic values, given the circumstances surrounding his exit from public office.

“It is perhaps the greatest irony of this entire episode that Mr. Babachir Lawal now seeks to reinvent himself as Nigeria’s newest apostle of integrity, transparency, and democratic virtue. Nigerians may forgive many things, but they seldom forget history.

“Mr. Lawal is not remembered for any celebrated crusade for accountability. Rather, he remains one of the most prominent public officials ever removed from office under the cloud of the infamous grass-cutting contract scandal.”

According to the statement, Babachir’s public service record makes his criticism of the ADC primary process difficult to reconcile.

“It is therefore remarkable that a man whose public service career became synonymous with questions of conflict of interest and abuse of office now wishes to lecture Nigerians on electoral integrity.

“That one of the most recognizable faces from that era now seeks to occupy the moral high ground is not merely ironic; it is political satire writing itself.”

The Atiku camp insisted that the ADC presidential primaries were conducted across thousands of wards and produced what it described as a clear and decisive outcome.

“The truth is straightforward. The ADC presidential primaries were conducted across thousands of wards and produced a clear and decisive outcome.

“What Mr. Lawal has offered Nigerians is not evidence. He has produced no documents, no verifiable facts, no credible witnesses, and no proof whatsoever to support his sensational allegations.”

The statement further accused Lawal of relying on conspiracy theories and personal attacks instead of presenting facts.

“Instead, he has served up a familiar cocktail of disappointment, bitterness, conspiracy theories, and personal attacks against a political leader whose national appeal continues to transcend the narrow confines of factional politics.”

The Atiku media office also highlighted what it described as contradictions in Lawal’s position on electoral malpractice.

“Even more revealing is the contradiction at the heart of his statement. In one breath, he condemns what he calls electoral manipulation. In the next, he openly admires and celebrates what he describes as President Tinubu’s ‘superior rigging machine.’

“Nigerians are therefore entitled to ask a simple question: if rigging is indeed an unforgivable crime, why does Mr. Lawal appear almost fascinated by it when he imagines it might serve his preferred political outcome?”

The statement further accused Lawal of resorting to ethnic and religious sentiments after failing to secure support for his preferred candidate.

“Perhaps the most troubling aspect of his outburst is his resort to ethnic and religious prejudice. Having failed to persuade ADC members to embrace his preferred candidate, he now seeks refuge in the divisive politics of identity.”

According to the statement, such rhetoric does nothing to address the pressing challenges confronting Nigerians.

“Such rhetoric neither unites Nigeria nor addresses the hardship confronting ordinary citizens. It creates no jobs, lowers no food prices, secures no communities, and offers no pathway out of the national crisis.”

The Atiku camp also questioned Lawal’s acceptance of the ADC governorship primary outcome in Adamawa State, where his cousin, Omar Suleiman, reportedly emerged as the party’s governorship candidate.

“Mr. Lawal has also failed to explain how the very same primary process he now dismisses as fraudulent somehow produced a result he appears perfectly willing to accept in Adamawa State, where his cousin, Omar Suleiman, emerged as the ADC governorship candidate.

“Nigerians are entitled to ask whether the process was only credible when it favoured his family and only rigged when it produced a presidential candidate he did not support.”

The statement described Lawal’s position as “selective outrage,” arguing that he embraced outcomes that favoured his interests while rejecting those that did not.

On Lawal’s criticism of Atiku’s family, the media office dismissed the issue as irrelevant to the concerns of ordinary Nigerians.

“His attack on Atiku Abubakar’s family is equally unfortunate and entirely irrelevant. Nigerians understand the difference between family and public office.

“What concerns ordinary citizens today is not how many children a politician has, but how many children are going to bed hungry.”

The statement maintained that Nigerians were more concerned about economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment and the rising cost of living than personal attacks on political figures.

Defending Atiku, the statement said Nigerians were familiar with his public service record, business achievements and commitment to national unity.

"The Nigerian people know Atiku Abubakar. They know his record in public service. They know his achievements in business. They know his commitment to national unity and economic reform.

“They know he remains one of the few political leaders whose appeal cuts across ethnicity, religion, geography, and social class.”

The Atiku camp argued that Lawal’s dissatisfaction stemmed not from the conduct of the primary election but from its outcome.

“What appears to have truly unsettled Mr. Lawal is not the conduct of the primaries but the outcome. Democracy guarantees participation, not victory.

“One cannot celebrate democracy when it produces a preferred result and suddenly condemn it as rigged when it does not.”

In one of the statement’s most pointed remarks, the Atiku media office suggested that Lawal’s return to his village farm was fitting given his association with the grass-cutting scandal.

“As for Mr. Lawal’s decision to retreat to his village farm, we sincerely wish him well. Given his enduring association with the grass-cutting scandal that defined his exit from public office, the farm may indeed be a fitting destination.

“There, surrounded by fields in need of trimming, he may finally find the grass-cutting assignment that has become inseparable from his political legacy.”

The statement concluded by insisting that the 2027 election would be decided by Nigerians and not by “tantrums, ethnic dog whistles, recycled grievances, or revisionist history.”

“While others manufacture conspiracies, Atiku Abubakar remains focused on solutions. While others traffic in bitterness, he remains committed to national unity,” the statement added.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has urged former President Goodluck Jonathan to say “no thank you” to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, factional presidential ticket.

Keyamo explained that the PDP faction that gave Jonathan the presidential ticket is not recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Recall that the Tanimu Turaki-led PDP had announced Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

However, Keyamo urged Jonathan to reject the gesture for the sake of his global image.

Posting on X, Keyamo wrote: “This is some kind of bizarre comedy taken too far by supposedly grown adults and some names that were actually in the corridors of power at some point in this country.

“Giving a whole Presidential ticket to an ex-President and statesman by proxy and by a bunch of people not even registered on INEC’s website.

“And they don’t give a hoot, dragging such a revered figure into their charade that is certainly a journey to nowhere. Quite sad.

“For the sake of his global image, President Goodluck Jonathan must immediately issue a strong ‘no, thank you’ statement, lest Nigerians begin to recall the ‘clueless’ campaign that got him out of power – first sitting President to be so ousted.”

Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has appealed to the national leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, to support ongoing efforts aimed at restoring peace, unity and development in the state.

Yusuf made the appeal yesterday during the annual Hawan Nassarawa celebration hosted by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, stressing the need for political leaders to put the interest of Kano above personal considerations.

“I am calling on him to look at Kano first, not personal interests, and join the movement for peace and a better Kano,” the governor said.

The governor noted that recent reconciliation efforts among political actors across the country should serve as a lesson to politicians in Kano, saying many leaders had embraced peace and dialogue.

According to him, Kano requires cooperation and understanding among its political class to consolidate peace and stability.

On security, Yusuf defended the suspension of Hawan Daushe activities, insisting that the decision was taken to avert possible violence and protect lives and property.

“We chose peace over bloodshed. Our priority is stability in Kano,” he stated.

The governor said his administration remained committed to safeguarding the traditional institution and commended the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, for his continued support and guidance.

He assured residents that Kano would soon witness a grand Durbar celebration capable of attracting global attention once peace efforts are fully consolidated.

Yusuf also disclosed that the state government was investing heavily in water supply projects, including the rehabilitation of Tamburawa and Challawa water treatment facilities, to improve access to potable water across the state.

He, however, warned members of his administration against acts capable of creating division within government circles, stressing that any official found undermining the government’s peace efforts would be sanctioned.

Earlier, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, urged the state government to deal decisively with individuals allegedly fomenting unrest and undermining constituted authority in the state.

The emir said government must not appear weak in the face of actions capable of threatening peace and stability in Kano.

“If anybody dares your government, show him the power of authority,” Sanusi said, maintaining that Islamic teachings support the protection of constituted authority and maintenance of peace.

Leadership of the Turaki faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to weigh in on the tense political atmosphere in the country, following the disruption of its convention, initially slated to be held on Saturday at the A-Class event centre in Abuja, by officers of the Nigeria Police Force.

The disruption had forced the party to change the venue for the event, where former president, Goodluck Jonathan, was billed to be ratified as its 2027 presidential candidate in the general elections.

In a brief ceremony, Jonathan, represented by an ally, Fred Agbedi, was layter cleared to run for the 2027 presidential seat. The certificate was later presented to Agbedi on behalf of the former president.

Other dignitaries present at the event included Prof Jerry Gana, Tanimu Turaki, Adolphus Wabara, and several others who are loyal to Turaki

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has emerged as the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) for the upcoming general election, following a unanimous endorsement by the party’s leadership.

With his emergence, Makinde is set to challenge incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who also hails from the South-West region, as well as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Speaking at the event, the National Chairman of the APM, Alhaji Yusuf Dantali, praised the selection process, describing it as one of the most peaceful, transparent, and orderly exercises in Nigeria’s political history. Following the official endorsement, Dantali presented Makinde with the party’s Certificate of Return and the APM flag, officially confirming him as the party’s standard-bearer.

Makinde’s selection as the consensus candidate received unanimous backing from all 36 state chairmen of the party.Presidential

Speaker asked to produce evidence of Chinda’s defection to APC, resignation as Minority Leader

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbass, has been asked to produce records of proceedings in the Green Chamber to show that a letter announcing Kingsley Chinda’s defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC, and resignation as Minority Leader, was read on the floor of the House.

The request was made by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, who recently filed a lawsuit asking an Abuja Federal High Court to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from recognising Chinda as a governorship candidate of the APC.

Chinda, an ally of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, minister, Nyesom Wike, emerged the governorship candidate of the APC in the May 21, 2026, primary election, following the last-minute withdrawal of other contestants – incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Tonye Cole and Alabo Dakorinama George-Kelly.

However, the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, whose members include indigenes of Chinda’s Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency of Rivers State, approached an Abuja Federal High Court seeking to stop him from taking part in the 2027 poll.

The plaintiff argued that the lawmaker’s defection was inconsistent with the provisions of Section 68 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and pronouncements of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the defection of legislators.

To back up the claim that Chinda’s defection did not follow due process, the plaintiff has requested the Speaker of the House of Representatives to produce evidence that a letter notifying the House of the development was read on the floor during plenary.

The request was made via a letter, dated May 26, 2027, signed by Jesse Williams Amuga, Esq., Administrative Secretary,

Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners.

The letter read: “Request brought pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011: Request for the Hansard and Votes of Proceedings and Order Paper of each day of plenary sessions of the House of Representatives, National Assembly, during the month of March and April, 2026, or any other date to ascertain whether the records can confirm the date on which the Rt. Hon. Speaker or any other presiding officer of the House of Representatives read the official letter of resignation of Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda to confirm cessation of his membership of the PDP and also to confirm his resignation as the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, National Assembly.

“We write on behalf of some of the 500,000 registered constituents of Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, currently represented by Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda.

“We write to request a formal letter of response to the above-named subject-matter.

“This letter that we are requesting is a condition precedent under Section 68 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 which we seek to tender as Exhibit in a lawsuit.

“We, as lawyers representing the constituents, previously wrote a letter expressing the intentions of the said constituents. A copy of the said letter dated October 2025, to the said legislator, is enclosed/attached.”

The letter was copied to the Deputy Speaker, as well as the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Following the lawsuit filed against Chinda’s candidacy in the 2027 election, a group, the Centre for Constitutional Governance and Electoral Integrity, CCGEI, had, in a statement, declared that the Rivers lawmaker had already resigned as Minority Leader of the House of Representatives before participating in the APC governorship process and had not taken part in any PDP-related activities since then

kedeojo:
since the amended electoral act recognizes consensus, then another candidate name will be submitted if the deadline of submission as not end. he will appeal and win. Wike don't trust any other person than him right now and so he will do everything possible for him to win. most of the judges are corrupt and the odilii family made it so easy for Wike to exploit the judiciary. I don't blame Wike for now insulting peter odilii and wife cos they deserves everything been throw to them. Jonathan and them fought Ameachi and reduce him as governor to be onlooker in PDP and have no choice to join opposition led by Tinubu and buhari majorly to form APC. I like how the evil rain is beating all of them. Ameachi remains the best governor of rivers since 1999. he worked in all sector unlike Wike who just focus on roads and flyover. Ameachi totally built more than 200 schools and over 100 hospitals in various villages. he didn't focus only on portharcourt. he started the monorail but Wike didn't continue because of hatred. he also constructed roads and even bridges. he didn't wasted money on media like Wike to do show up. obidients who are mostly igbos who supported his mad behaviour then are also getting beaten by the evil rain.

“Court To Rule On Bid To Stop Jonathan From 2027 Race” — Ex-President Seeks Dismissal, ₦50m Cost Against Lawyer

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja will tomorrow, May 26, deliver judgment in a suit filed by an Abuja-based lawyer seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.

The trial judge, Justice Peter Lifu, had on May 18 fixed tomorrow for composite judgment in the suit, which will include a ruling on the application by the plaintiff, Johnmary Jideobi, asking him to recuse himself.

In the originating summons, which has Jonathan, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as 1st to 3rd defendants, Jideobi requested, among others, that the court determine “whether, in view of the combined provisions of sections 1(1), (2) and (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, the 1st defendant is eligible, under any circumstances whatsoever, to contest for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Jideobi argued that Jonathan had exhausted the constitutional limit allowed for a president, having completed the tenure of the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua before serving another full term after the 2011 election.

In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, Emmanuel Agida, who deposed on behalf of Jideobi, averred that Jonathan was sworn in as President on May 6, 2010, following Yar’Adua’s death, and took another oath on May 29, 2011, after winning the election.

When the matter came up on May 18, Jideobi brought an application asking the judge to recuse himself over alleged bias, because the court shortened the plaintiff’s 14-day requirement to reply to Jonathan’s counter-affidavit and preliminary objection.

Earlier, counsel to the former President, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), in arguing both his counter-affidavit and preliminary objection, asked the court to dismiss the suit with a cost of N50 million.

He cited two previous judgments, including the Federal High Court case between Andy Solomon and Jonathan, and that of the Court of Appeal between Cyracus Njoku and Jonathan, which he said were dismissed.

The senior lawyer further submitted that the amendment to Section 137(3) of the Constitution, which bars officials who have previously sworn to an oath more than twice from seeking the same office, cannot be applied retrospectively against Jonathan, who contested in 2015.

He argued that Jideobi was trying to weaponise litigation as a means of political exclusion when the Nigerian Constitution grants every qualified citizen the right to seek the highest office in the land.

“He has no locus standi to bring this action, and no cause of action has crystallised,” he told the court, adding that for Jideobi to have locus, he must demonstrate how it affects him directly and show that he is a registered voter to establish his interest in who governs him.

Similarly, the Director of Civil Litigation and Public Law at the Ministry of Justice, Dr Maimuna Lamin Shiru, asked the court to dismiss Jideobi’s claim in its entirety.

In his objection, the plaintiff’s counsel, Ndubuisi Ukpai, submitted that being a registered voter is not a condition for bringing the suit before the court, while urging the court to dismiss the objections and counter-affidavits of Jonathan and the Ministry of Justice.

It would be recalled that the trial judge had, on May 15, rebuked the plaintiff and his lawyer, Ndubuisi Ukpai, over lack of diligence in pursuing the suit.

The judge, who described the attitude of the plaintiff and his lawyer as “unacceptable” due to continued delays, awarded a N1 million fine against the plaintiff in favour of the former President.

Justice Lifu ordered the plaintiff, who filed the suit on October 6, 2025, and had not deemed it fit to serve, to be granted a grace of two hours from then, that is 10:30 a.m., to serve all processes on INEC and the AGF.

The 2nd and 3rd defendants were ordered to file and serve their responses, if any, before 11 a.m. on Monday, May 18, 2026.

By consent of counsel, the suit was adjourned to May 18, 2026, at 12 noon for definite hearing of the originating summons and all pending applications.

The judge, who observed that Jideobi filed the suit since October 6, 2025, expressed surprise that he had yet to serve INEC and the AGF six months later.

He also noted that counsel for the former President (1st defendant), Chief Chris Uche, SAN, told the court on May 8 that they only became aware of the suit through the media and proceeded to file and serve their processess

The judge further observed that on May 11, neither Jideobi nor his lawyer was in court despite the hearing being fixed for 2 p.m. at the instance of the plaintiff’s counsel.

He further noted that although Uche requested a N5 million cost, the request was not granted in the interest of fair hearing.

“On May 11, this court refused to grant the 1st defendant’s application for a cost of N5 million. Today, it is crystal clear that the plaintiff did not serve the originating summons on the 2nd and 3rd defendants since October 6, 2025.

“This case is for hearing today, and the hearing has been frustrated or aborted due to the tardiness of the plaintiff, who is a lawyer by training and calling. Hearing cannot go on now. Consequently, I hold that punishment should lie where the fault is.

“I hereby award the cost of N1 million against the plaintiff but in favour of the 1st defendant only. I so ruled,” Justice Lifu held.

Akpakomiza2:
The guidelines is in tandem with the electoral act sire

Lithiumite:
The end to his political carreer,he cant move to any other party to get ticket its too late,he think say politics nah police work