₦airaland Forum

The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, has suspended Rt. Reverend Rufus Victor Ajileye Adepoju as the Diocesan Bishop in charge of Ekiti West diocese with immediate effect.

This was conveyed in a letter dated December 11, 2020, and signed by the Primate of the Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba.

Mr. Adepoju was reproached by the Anglican hierarchy for sexually fraternising with the wife of a priest placed under his employment and care.

The embattled clergyman, who was yanked off his designated role and barred from participating in all activities of the diocese for a period of one year, was said to have owned up to the misconduct when confronted by leaders of the church who investigated the matter on December 10.

The priest whose wife Mr. Adepoju allegedly had affairs with and the woman were not named in the suspension letter, which has been in circulation on social media since Tuesday afternoon.

The excommunicated priest was urged to leverage his period of suspension to “seek the face of God.”

The Anglican Communion is long renowned for its stringent disciplinary policies, especially for erring clergies.

A venerable in charge of an Archdeaconry in Aguata Diocese of the church in Anambra was demoted in September for sitting close to an erstwhile priest, who had earlier been dismissed for homosexuality.

The Deputy Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari has emerged the new Speaker.

Similarly, Zubairu Hamza Masu from Sumaila local government emerged the new Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly.

The changes came on the twilight of the resignation of AbdulAziz Garba Gafasa as Speaker.

Gafasa resigned on a personal ground, but DAILY POST reliably gathered that the Speaker quickly left his seat upon sensing that the House was moving to impeach him.

The House Majority Leader, Kabiru Hassan Dashi also resigned his position without giving any specific reason.

The Assembly was said to have plunged into crisis following accusations against the former Speaker that he was not playing the tune of the members and that he rather pursued his personal desire than that of the House.

Abdul Labaran Madari emerged the House Majority Leader.

Reports reaching DAILY POST from Maiduguri, the Borno state capital in the northeast region have it that insurgents have attacked Tumur Town, a community in Niger Republic, which houses more than 40,000 refugees from Nigeria.

The attack on Sunday according to some refugees, who called their relatives in Maiduguri, was very bloody, leaving over 51 people dead and causing many damages of property, including animals.

Most of the inhabitants of the town (Tumur) are people from Abadam Local Government Area of Borno state in Nigeria.

It could be recalled that a similar incident occurred in mid May this year, which prompted over 2000 households to relocate to Damasak in search of safety and protection.

Government officials and international organisations in Damasak told newsmen that the town of Damasak may experience continuation of movement of people from Niger (mass influx) in the coming days.

The officials called on the government and partners to begin to make preparation for essential items including food to respond to the immediate needs of the new arrivals.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in Daura, Katsina State, received more briefing on children kidnapped from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, with an assurance from Governor Aminu Bello Masari of steady progress to bring them out unharmed.

“We are making progress and the outlook is positive,’’ the governor told newsmen after an hour meeting with the president, which started at 2.00 p.m, according to a statement by Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Mmedia and Publicity.

The governor, who was accompanied by his deputy, Manir Yakubu, said the kidnappers had made contact and discussions were already on pertaining to safety and return to their homes.

Governor Masari also noted that security agencies had located the position of the children.

The governor said the president was fully committed to the rescue of the school children, adding that it was only appropriate to visit the president and give him more details of rescue efforts.

The @OfficialPDPNig condemns, the gruesome attack on Government Science Sec School, Kankara, Katsina state, by suspected terrorists, leading to reported deaths and abduction of no fewer than 600 students.

The @OfficialPDPNig, standing with the entire Katsina people, charges President @MBuhari, as the commander-in-chief, who promised to lead from the front, to account for the abducted students, as the large-scale abduction happened a few hours after the President and his security machinery took over the state.

Our party holds as perplexing that at a time the people of Katsina should have heaved a sigh of relief because of his presence, the abduction happened right under Mr. President’s nose; in his home state, where he had gone holidaying.

This development has further exposed the failure of President @MBuhari to manage high level security intelligence that ought to accompany a presidential visit.

The @OfficialPDPNig notes as distressing that President @MBuhari, who refused to honour an invitation by the House of Representatives for a collective deliberation on security, could abandon his duty post for a holiday, leaving our national flanks open for terrorists, bandits, vandals, and insurgents.

The time of the attack buttresses the fact that President @MBuhari, as the commander-in-chief, is totally incapable of securing our nation; the very reason there have been widespread calls by patriotic Nigerians that he should resign.

This insolence of Mr. President towards issues of national security compelled our caucus in the House of Representatives to demand for his impeachment.

Our party believes that if President @MBuhari had listened to wise counsel as proffered by the PDP &other patriotic Nigerians including the two chambers of the @nassnigeria to rejig the nation’s security architecture, our situation would not have deteriorated to this sorry state.

Moreover, this particular abduction in the President’s home state, under his watch, raises further serious questions over this government’s capacity to fight insurgency.

This is more worrisome as the state government had been known to have established contacts with, as well as pampering bandits, which Mr. President had not condemned.

The PDP demands that President @MBuhari should immediately quit his needless holidaying in Daura and go in search of, and rescue the abducted students, particularly having earlier admitted that issue of security is his exclusive responsibility.

Our party sympathizes with the people of Katsina state, particularly the parents of the kidnapped students, who have been subjected to harrowing experience occasioned by the incompetence of the @MBuhari administration.

The PDP, working in concert with other patriotic Nigerians will not rest until President @MBuhari finds and returns each of these students.

The @OfficialPDPNig urges Nigerians to remain alert and prayerful as the nation wades through this nightmare under an insensitive, inept and uncoordinated administration.

Scores of students from the Government Science Secondary School Kankara in Katsina State, North-West Nigeria have been reportedly abducted by bandits during an attack on the school Friday night.

The principal of the school, Usman Abubakar who confirmed the development to ait.live in a phone call said, the bandits arrived at the school at around 10.15 pm Friday night and operated for about 1 hour.

According to Abubakar, the bandits in their numbers burgled the school gate and shot one of the policemen on duty on his leg who is presently receiving treatment in one of the hospitals. The other policeman who was also on duty escaped before the bandits gained complete access to the school.

He further added that the bandits later proceeded to the staff quarters where they abducted the wife of one of the workers but later released her while they went away with their child.

According to him, the situation was however brought under control when soldiers of the Nigerian Army stationed in Kankara came and engaged the bandits in a gun duel, forcing them to abort their operations and flee to the nearby bush with the abducted victims due to the superior firepower of the military.

According to Abubakar, the school management is presently conducting a headcount among the students to ascertain the exact number that was abducted during the attack.

When contacted, the spokesman of the police, SP Gambo Isah said, he will reach out to the Divisional Police Officer of the area for information and revert back as soon as possible.

Kankara is one of the 8 frontline local government areas affected by the activities of bandits. This incident is however the first time bandits are abducting students from a school in Katsina State since banditry started sometime last year.

#HappeningNow
Coalition of Northern Leaders converge on Enugu to discuss the State of the Nation.

President Muhammadu Buhari and the governors of the 36 states of the federation just ended a crucial security meeting at the State House in Abuja.

Although none of the governors would agree to speak to State House Correspondents, it was gathered that the meeting was strictly on security issues.

This indication was further supported by the fact that top security figures in the administration, including the Minister of Defense, Major General Bashir Magashi (Rtd), and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd), were part of the meeting.

It would be recalled that the governors at their last meeting in Abuja last week, following the recent killings of over 43 rice farmers in Borno State, resolved to meet Buhari on the need to address security challenges across the country particularly in the light of the carnage in Borno.

Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, had in a communique made available to press, said they had also resolve to support the necessary reforms that will result in a police force that works for all.

The communique stated: “As immediate to medium-term measure, members agreed to pay close attention to the conduct of police officers across the country in order to get them and other internal security operatives fully back to work as they have not been functioning to full capacity since the #EndSARS protests with the attendant security exposure to the safety of lives and properties of the ordinary citizens.”

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said the caretaker extraordinary convention planning committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Governor Mai Buni had succeeded in bringing a new atmosphere of hope to the party.

He said this in his opening remarks at the ongoing meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said he was delighted that through the efforts of the 13-member committee set up on June 25, many party members who had earlier defected from the APC had returned while others have also declared for the party.

He said what was needed now was for party chiefs to display discipline and sustain the tempo.

The President remarked: ‘I have received periodic briefings from the caretaker extraordinary convention planning committee, as well as other leaders of the party.

‘I am convinced that in the last five months, since the appointment of the caretaker committee the initiatives are taken have brought a remarkably new atmosphere of hope in the party.

‘Healthy debates are now taking place and the potential for organs of the party to affirm majority positions as the decision of the party is now possible.

‘What is required now is for all of us as leaders of the party to maintain discipline and ensure that this new momentum is protected, sustained and the decisions of party organs are respected by every member.

‘Despite the challenge to restore peace in the party and the series of elections at hand, the fact that we have gained more members and that we are not losing members to the opposition under the present interim leadership indicates an improvement of the party.

‘In fact, we have begun to win back our members who left us and other notable political leaders are being attracted to our party.’

Mr Buhari, who acknowledged the defection of Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, to the party, said the development confirmed that ‘we are indeed making progress as a party of choice for Nigerians, as we move towards the resolution of our leadership challenges.’

The President appealed to party members at all levels to make sacrifices that will move the party forward.

He added; ‘I want to appeal to all our party members and leaders at all levels, to try and make the required sacrifices so that we are able to collectively restore our progressive and democratic political party, which can nurture and give expression to our collective dream of building a strong, united and developed Nigeria.

‘May I use this opportunity to remind all of us of the need to recreate our negotiation secret of 2012, 2013 under our legacy parties. What guided our success to achieve the merger that produced the APC was the respect we were able to have for each other.

‘In those times, decisions reached at both formal and informal consultations were respected with trusted initiatives taken and believed that they were needed to produce the required political platform that could guarantee electoral victory.

‘Everyone of us as leaders ensured that those decisions were respected.

‘I have through consultations of the caretaker committee and other leaders of the party, agree that our challenges in the party require that we take steps to rebuild the party from wards to national levels.

‘The initiative to carry out membership registration revalidation is, therefore, a necessary, membership registration revalidation will lay the foundation for reorganizing our membership from ward to local government m, state and national levels.

‘The responsibility of our party’s NEC at this meeting is to adopt and dispassionately consider all proposals submitted by the caretaker committee and grant all the necessary approvals requested to rebuild the party.’

To this end, the President said he would l be moving some resolutions for consideration and approval at the meeting that has since gone into closed doors session.

‘I believe that as leaders, our shared vision is to ensure that we are able to produce leaders that will not inherit the problems that led to the decision to dissolve our last national working committee.

‘There should be no debate about the fact that we all want to have a United leadership for our party, the APC at all levels.

‘We need such leaders to be able to manage big challenges that always come with elections.

“Once again I welcome you to this meeting with the hope that we will move and defend the overriding interest of the party and our people,’ he concluded.

Buni, who presented to the NEC an abridged report and a few recommendations requiring approvals, said they have been able to reconcile warring factions.

He said: ‘Tempers within our party have substantially come down. Although the works of our various reconciliation committees are yet to be concluded. While progress is being recorded by our respective reconciliation committees, the task of reconciliation should be continuous, the NEC may, therefore, wish to review the development and direct accordingly.’

He also said most if not all court cases inherited from the last working committee have been terminated, which was part of the success of reconciliation efforts going on in the party.

Bauchi State Governor, Sen Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed said that he has accepted the defeat of the PDP in the Dass State Assembly by-election won by the APC in good faith describing the outcome as the will of God.

The Governor in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mukhtar Gidado also enjoined PDP members and supporters to accept the defeat with dignity and sportsmanship.

The governor who described the lost of the PDP as a will of God, encouraged party faithfuls not to be divided by the temporary setback.

Bala Mohammed while observing that, the loss is a lesson for all, noted that, as warriors, both his government and PDP need to plan to regain their lost ground with chivalry, tactics and team work.

The Governor stated that, “All praise and adoration belong to Allah. The loss of our party is a lesson for all of us, but no one is to be blamed.”

He went down memory lane stating that, “Remember we lost 21 House of Assembly seats and 3 Senate seats in 2019 but Allah gave us victory in the gubernatorial election.

Let us not play to the gallery by indulging in blame game, internal rancor, accusations and mistrust.”

The Governor therefore appreciated all the dogged PDP Members for their support and contributions towards ensuring the success of his administration.

It will be recalled that the INEC Returning Officer for the by-election, Prof Ahmed Mohammed late Saturday night declared the APC candidate in the by-election, Bala Ali Lukshi as winner defeating the PDP candidate, Bala Wandi.

…We’ll be guided by law –

There was confusion among voters and electoral stakeholders in Imo state on Friday following two conflicting court judgments on the fate of the All Progressives Congress APC for Imo North Senatorial bye-election holding today (Saturday).

While the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri sacked Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and declared Sir Frank Ibezim as the authentic candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the rescheduled Imo North senatorial bye-election, the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on its part, disqualified Mr Ibezim based on allegations of forgery.

The developments nonetheless, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC said while the APC logo would be on the ballot, it would be guided by the law at the point of declaration and return.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye told Saturday Vanguard that in obeying the court judgments, the commission would be mindful of the timelines for the nomination of candidates as well as the validity of such nominations.

He said; “The Commission has distributed all the sensitive and non sensitive materials required for the conduct of the Imo North Senatorial bye-election. The Commission deployed two additional Resident Electoral Commissioners to assist the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Imo State.

“In Imo North Senatorial District, 14 Political Parties will contest the election. The APC will be on the ballot for the election. Voters will vote based on the logo of the parties. The issue of candidature will only manifest at the point of Declaration and Return.

“The Commission removed the name of the candidate originally submitted by the APC based on Court Order and replaced him with that of another candidate based on Court Order.

“The Commission is aware of the decision of the Court of Appeal and that of the Federal High Court relating to the candidature of the candidates.

“The Commission will study all the judgements and orders and carry out the decision and orders of the Courts bearing in mind the position of the law and the Constitution relating to timelines for nominations, validity of nominations and constitutional requirements for contesting elections.

“Ultimately, the Commission will take a position based on its understanding of the judgments and orders but the Courts are the final arbiters in matters relating to nominations and disqualifications”.

In the appellate court judgment, read by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, the court roundly faulted the November 6, 2020 judgment which sacked Ibezim and announced Araraume as the candidate of APC, having won the party primary election.

It was the considered opinion of the Judge that the revalidation of Ibezim’s candidacy, was in tandem with the Electoral Act, having won the APC party primary, way back in September 2020.

Justice Onyemenam ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately enlist Sir Ibezim’s name, as the APC candidate for the bye-election.

In Abuja, the Federal High Court in its judgement delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, ordered INEC, to remove Ibezim’s name from the list of candidates for the bye-election, after it found him guilty of submitting falsified documents.

The court said it was satisfied that the Defendant made false statements/declarations in the affidavit and documents he tendered to both the APC and INEC.

He was found to have presented falsified and uncertified photocopies of his West African Examination Council, WAEC, certificate.

The judgment followed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1229/2020, which was filed by Asomugha Elebeke.

The APC and INEC were cited as 2nd and 3rd Defendants in the matter.

Specifically, Justice Ekwo found that the WASC certificate that was submitted by the Defendant bore two different and irreconcilable names, Ibezim Chukwuma Frank and Ibezim Francis Chukwuma.

The court held that held that the 1st Defendant, Ibezim, “is not qualified/ eligible for nomination to contest the Imo North Senatorial By-Election, having made false declarations in the affidavit and certificates he submitted to INEC for the purpose of contesting the IMO North Senatorial by election, and the irreconcilable conflicts in his names”.

It therefore barred INEC from accepting him as candidate of the APC for the senatorial by-election.

In a related development, the court, on Friday, upheld the nomination of Chief Abel Ebifemowei, as candidate of the APC for the Bayelsa Central Senatorial by-election.

The court, in a judgment by Justice Okon Abang, dismissed a suit Oyowei Manfred filed to challenge Ebifemowei’s nomination.

The court held that the plaintiff failed to prove that the 1st Defendant failed to resign from the Nigerian Air Force before he participated in primary election the APC conducted on September 3.

It stressed that the Plaintiff failed to controvert Ebifemowei’s claim that he was dismissed from the Air Force 27 years ago.

Besides, the court held that the suit was statute barred, noting that it was not filed within 14 days after the cause of action arose.

The court also held that the onus was on the plaintiff to prove that the 1st Defendant was not dismissed from Air Force and that he did not resign at least 30 days before the date of the election.

More so, it said there was no proof from the Plaintiff that the 1st Defendant supplied false information, or still in service, contrary to section 66(1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution.

Consequently, Justice Abang awarded a cost of N100, 000 against the Plaintiff, and in favour of the 1st and 2nd Defendants.

It further awarded a cost of N30, 000 in favour of INEC, noting that it did not file any process in the matter.

A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar on Thursday affirmed Dr Stephen Odey as candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the Cross River North Senatorial bye election.

Ruling in the suit with number FHC/CA/CS/87/2020, presiding judge, Justice S.A. Amobeda held Odey was the validly nominated candidate of the PDP for the said bye election.

Relying on relevant provisions of the the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), provisions of the Electoral Act 2020 and Articles of the PDP guidelines for conduct of its primaries, Justice Amobeda ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the name of Odey as the duly nominated candidate of the People’s Democratic Party to contest the election.

Citing the relevant provisions of the constitution, the electoral act and articles of PDP guidelines for conduct of primaries, the court held that INEC “is compelled and bound by law to publish the name of the 1st defendant (Dr Stephen Odey), who was validly nominated by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and whose name was submitted by the PDP to INEC list of nominated candidates to contest the Cross River North Senatorial District bye election now scheduled to hold on the 5th day of December 2020.”

The court further directed INEC to “publish the name of the plaintiff (Dr Stephen Odey) as the duly nominated candidate of the People’s Democratic Party to contest the Cross River North Senatorial District bye election now scheduled to hold on the 5th of December 2020.”

It also granted a perpetual restraining order on INEC, restraining it “either by themselves, agents, privies or surrogates from doing anything whatsoever and however, that will adversely affect the candidature of the plaintiff (Dr Stephen Odey) to contest the Cross River North Senatorial District bye election now scheduled to hold on the 5th day of December 2020 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).”

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has declared Hon Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe as the duly elected candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the rescheduled Cross River North senatorial bye election holding on Saturday, December 5, 2020.

The court in the judgment by Justice Binta Mohammed held that contrary to the claim of the claimant, John Alaga, the defendant (Jarigbe) did not supply any false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in his INEC Form CF001 by purporting to have sat for / and or obtained educational qualification making him eligible to contest for the Cross River North Senatorial Bye election.

In his suit No. CV/77/2020, the claimant, John Alaga had urged the court to disqualify the candidature of Jarigbe on strength of the alleged false information and other allegations.

But in his judgment, Justice Mohammed sitting in court 27, Apo division of the FCT High Court held that the claimant has failed to prove his case.

The court also held that the Cross River North Senatorial primary election of the PDP wherein Jarigbe (1st defendant) was nominated as the Senatorial candidate was conducted with the authentic list of the Ward and Local Government Area Executives of the party.

Justice Mohammed further held that “the first defendant having won the highest number of valid votes at the said primary election is validly nominated as the candidate of the PDP for the Cross River North Senatorial Bye election scheduled to hold on October 31, 2020 or any other date.

That the primary election of the PDP for the Cross River North Senatorial held on September 5, 2020, was duly nominated by INEC (2nd defendant) and therefore valid and in accordance with the law.

The Court therefore directed INEC, sued as the second Defendant, to include and publish the name of Hon. Jarigbe on the list of candidates for the bye election scheduled for 5th December, 2020. The INEC was also further ordered to give Hon. Jarigbe every other rights and privileges pertaining to his lawful qualification and nomination as the PDP candidate.

The primary election of the PDP has been the enmeshed in legal tussle since the 5th of September when it was conducted.

Justice A. M. Liman of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of N235,451,969 traced to the account of a convicted fraudster, Obinwanne Okeke, to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Wilson Uwujaren, announced this in a statement on Thursday.

Okeke, the Chief Executive Officer of Invictus Group, pleaded guilty to two charges: computer fraud and wire fraud.

DAILY POST reported his arrest in August 2019 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Okeke, who made it into Forbes Africa’s Under 30 List in 2016, was nabbed for $11 million fraud after an official account belonging to a steel company’s CEO was hacked.

The FBI was contacted about the scam by the representatives of Unatrac Holding Limited, the export sales office for Caterpillar heavy industrial and firm equipment.

On March 23, 2020, Justice Liman ordered the interim forfeiture of the money domiciled in First City Monument Bank (FCMB).

This was sequel to an ex parte application dated December 18, 2019, by the Lagos Zonal Office of the EFCC.

The Judge ordered the EFCC to advertise the same in any national newspaper for anyone to show cause why the said money should not be finally forfeited to Nigeria.

After the publication of the order, the EFCC on June 2, 2020, filed a Motion on Notice seeking seizure.

In court on November 12, 2020, EFCC counsel, I. Sulaiman, prayed for the confiscation.

Justice Liman granted and ordered the final forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government.

There was tension around Acme Road, Ogba, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Tuesday as Boulos Enterprises, sacks over 70 workers and some union members.

Boulos is a company assembling Suzuki motorcycles and other products.

It is learnt that the company embarked on the sacking spree as a result of biting Coronavirus effect.

Family members of some of the sacked workers expressed shock over the sack of their bread winners.

According to one of the affected staff, “I am yet to come to terms with the reason why they sacked most of us, including some union members.

“This is a very disturbing situation. How do I feed my family during this end of the year? I sincerely do not know what came over them on this mass sack.”

But expressing anger on the sudden dismissal, another staff affected by the sacked said “Which pandemic are they talking about? Look, in the next two weeks, Boulos will still employ new staff, that has been their way but what is now disturbing is why this time?”

At as press time, affected workers were still hanging around the gate as other members of staff promised to effect a total shutdown of the company, especially their sister company Bel Impex, makers of tissue papers.

When the Caretaker Committee and Extra-Ordinary Convention Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was set up and inaugurated in June, 2020, one of its core mandate was to orgnise an extra-ordinary national convention that will produce a new National Working Committee for the party. Barely one month to the end of the tenure of that Mai Mala Buni led Committee, questions are being asked whether the party will be able to hold the convention as schedule. Tony Akowe and Jide Orintunsin examines the possibility of holding the convention and other issues affecting the party.

Will the Mai Mala Buni led Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress conduct a national convention for the party come December 2020 when its mandate would have expired? This is the question that is agitating the minds of many Nigerians. At the extra ordinary NEC meeting of the party held at the Presidential villa where the National Working Committee of the party was dissolved, the Caretaker committee was mandated to carry out comprehensive reconciliation across the country and conduct a special national convention to elect members of the National Working Committee. Five months down the line, there appear to be no sign of when the national convention would hold and the formula to be adopted for the selection or election of members of the National Working Committee that heads the administrative arm of the party.

Article 25 A(i) of the party constitution which provide for the national convention every two years. It states that “the national convention of the party shall hold once in two years at a date, venue and time to be recommended by the National Working Committee and approved by the National Executive Committee subject to the giving of the statutory notices to the Independent National Electoral Commission and at least 14-day notice given to members eligible to attend”. Similarly, article 25 b(i) mandates a quarterly meeting of the National Executive Committee to approve certain decisions of the party which in this case, include the holding of a national convention. Except for an emergency meeting which requires a notice of seven days, a meeting of the NEC of the party is expected to hold after a notice of 14 days has been served. At the moment, there are no signs that the party leadership under Buni has called a NEC meeting to approve the date for a national convention. Rather, the party has ordered a national wide registration of members, a process that is expected to last for at least one month. But it is not certain to what extent the registration is expected to impact on the processes leading to the National Convention.

With a 14-day notice expected to be issued before the party NEC would meet to approve a date for convention which will be communicated to the Independent National Electoral Commission and the mandatory 21 day notice to INEC as provided for in the Electoral Act and the 14 day notice to members to attend the convention, it is evident that the Buni-led caretaker committee may not be able to hold the national convention in December as contained in their mandate. The question then is, what option is open to the party?

Many have argued that the Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Committee have been busy plotting an extension of time beyond the December date they were given. This position tends to be buttressed by the new membership registration and validation exercise ordered by the party across the country. Many have argued that the assignment should have been left for the new leadership of the party to handle in view of the complexities associated with it and the yet to be resolved crisis in many state chapters of the party. At the moment, there is a pending case at the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to stop the caretaker committee from going ahead with the membership registration. Although there has been insinuations that the court has halted the process, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena dismissed the claim, but indirectly admitted the existence of such a suit. He said in a widely reported statement that “In respect of the suit: KALU KALU AGU V. APC & ORS, FHC/ABJ/CS/736/2020, a Legal Officer was sent to Court on the 17th of November, 2020 to investigate the purported Court Order restraining the All Progressives Congress (APC) from conducting membership registration. Upon our findings, we discovered that such Court Order was never granted by the Court, as no application was made to the Court to warrant the granting of such Order. The Evidence from the records of proceedings of Monday 16th November, 2020 shows that No Order Restraining the Party from Conducting the Membership Registration was granted in respect of the above suit or any suit relating to the APC. The APC make bold to assert that the purported court order was erroneously reported and urge the general public to disregard. We equally call on our teeming party supporters, members and leaders to ignore the fake news and go about with their good work of repositioning the Party”.

Political observers also noted that the mid-term report of the Caretaker Committee recently presented by Nabena further foreclosed the possibility of the party holding the national convention in December as directed by the June 25 emergency NEC meeting. According to him, the priority attention of the Committee now is reconcilation. In the statement he maintained CECPC “is focused on achieving and sustaining true and lasting unity, peace and reconciliation across party ranks and ahead of the planned national convention of the Party.”

Instead of reeling out plans for the national convention, the caretaker Committe solicited support of party members, insisting that the party is committed to taking “one step at a time to ensure that the ongoing national reconciliation process being undertaken by the CECPC is sustained, successful and continue to yield results”.

Though the caretaker committee claimed to have substantially reconciled various factions in some affected states, viz: Bauchi, Bayelsa, Cross River, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Zamfara, Ondo, Oyo States. A claim some aggrieved stakeholders in Ekiti, Oyo and Zamfara States have faulted. Party watchers also said the last week dissolution of Ebonyi State Working Committee by CECPC has further inflicted new wound on the fractured peace in the party, thereby making a mirage of the proposed national convention in December.

One of the anomalies in the party that has not been mentioned in the quest to reposition the party is the non-existence of a Board of Trustees which is supposed to be one of the highest organs of the party. Infighting about who should head the body in 2014/2015 put an end to the composition and inauguration of the body. The John Oyegun led leadership of the party made attempts at changing the nomenclature of the body from Board of Trustees to Elders council. However, this could only be possible for an amendment to the party constitution. But, the constitution review report of the committee headed by the former National Legal Adviser, Muiz Banire which would have been adopted at the National Convention that produced the Adams Oshiomhole led leadership was never tabled for adoption. Yet, the board of trustees was never constituted to carry out its assigned responsibility. Section 13.2 (a)(i) of the party constitution empowers the board of trustees to “be the embodiment of the conscience, the soul and the sanctity of the party and shall be the mirror of the highest standard of morality in the party and shall intervene in all disputes and crisis in the party to ensure stability at all times”.

It is also empowered by the law to “advise on, and when considered necessary initiate policies for the guidance of the party; act as arbitrators and mediators in disputes and ensure the enforcement of discipline in accordance with the constitution of the party; promote reconciliation, encourage and facilitate the settlement of disputes in an amicable manner among members of the party and ensure that peace and tranquility prevails in the party and when necessary intervene to restore absolute peace” among other functions.

With the possibility of not holding the national convention in December as earlier planned when the six months mandate was given to the party Caretaker Committee in June, there are fears that the party may once again sink into another round of litigations, thereby eroding whatever gains the leadership may have achieved in the last few months.

Mr. Bamidele Oleyeloogu, speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly, and three other members of the Assembly may be sent to jail as they have been summoned by the State High Court for disobeying order of the court.

Other personalities summoned are the Clerk of the Assembly, Parliamentary Secretary, Prince Abayomi Akinruntan, and the Deputy Majority Leader, Oladiji Olamide Adesanmi.

Justice Ademola Bola in a judgement has ordered the reinstatement of four members of the Assembly who were suspended over their refusal to sign the impeachment notice written by the Assembly and to be served on the state Deputy Governor, Mr. Agboola Ajayi.

Following their suspension, the four lawmakers, Iroju Ogundeji, Favour Tomomowo, Tomide Akinribido and Wale William-Adewinle approached the court of law to challenged their suspension.

In the ruling, Justice Ademola Bola ordered the immediate reinstatement of the four lawmakers and that they should be paid N5 million each for the unlawful suspension from the Assembly.

Consequently, the Assembly approached the appellate court to put on hold the implementation of the orders of the lower court and vitiate the judgement.

In its verdict, the appellate court upheld the decision of the lower court, ordering the reinstatement of the lawmakers to their offices and the payment of their entitlements from the day of their unlawful suspension.

Also the Appeal Court judgement, which was read by Justice Oyebisi Omoleye ordered the appellants to pay the sum of N250.000.00 jointly and severally to the four lawmakers as damages.

The Assembly leadership refused to reinstate and pay the four lawmakers in disregard for the judgements of both the lower and appellate courts, an action regard as contempt of court.

Having been refused to resume their legislative duties, the four legislators pressed contempt charges against the Speaker and three others through their attorney, Mr. Olabanjo Ayenakin

In the notice of consequence of disobedience to order of the court filed at the weekend, the four lawmakers emphasised that unless the Assembly obeyed the direction contained in the judgment of the court, the leadership of the Assembly would be guilty of contempt of court and liable to be committed to prison.

The notice read inter alia: “A declaration that by the provision of section 36(1) and 2(a) and b of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended and rules and standing orders of the Ondo State House of Assembly and the Code of conduct of the House, the indefinite suspension of the claimants from the House of Assembly was unlawful, null and void.

“An order setting aside the indefinite suspension of the claimants from House of Assembly being unlawful and ultra vires of the power of the defendants, an order reinstating the claimants to their positions as members of House, restoring entitlements to them and the payment of N5million as damages for the wrongful and unconstitutional indefinite suspension.”

I blame arewa for tolerating this level of insecurity. By the time each and every household, in each and every state is engulfed in it, perhaps then we will wake up and defend ourselves against this barbaric attacks & kidnappings. Clearly, no end in sight. #ZabarmariMassacre

Before you blame the people of Arewa for level of insecurity, the first line of blame is to the Commander in Chief President @MBuhari and his Service Chiefs and then all Leaders @ every levels of govt elected to secure the people, then you can blame the community for culpability.

Because when @GEJonathan was @NGRPresident we said the The buck stops with the President. With @MBuhari now being @NGRPresident The buck stops with him.

Why he still keeps the service chiefs and refuses to bring in fresh hands or re calibrate his security strategy is shocking.

You know what is even more infuriating? Elected officials from President, Governors, Ministers, Lawmakers, State and Local government officials, those who were elected for the purpose of resolving problems complain about the same problem.
They will then seek reelection.�

THE Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU has denied a news report that it agreed to call off the ongoing strike after meeting with the Government negotiation team led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige on Friday.

The Federal Government at the meeting at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Labour and Employment reportedly increased its offer for Earned Allowances EA to university based unions and funding for the revitalization of public universities from N65 billion to N70 billion.

There was news report that ASUU has given an indication that the meeting, the strike which started since March would soon be called off after a meeting with the leadership of union and its organs.

According to the report, the university teachers agreed to call off the strike after the government pledged to pay N40 billion for Earned Allowances and N30 billion for the revitalization of the university system bringing the total payment to N70 billion.

It was further reported that the Government agreed to settle the arrears of salaries of the lecturers before December 31.

The report also noted that ASUU was expected to report the agreement to its organs and then communicate their decision to the government after which a date for the calling off of the strike would be announced.

It quoted a source within the university union, that ASUU insisted that the agreement to call off the strike should not be announced until it has been approved by its members.

But ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, has denied knowledge of any agreement to call off the strike, stressing that at the meeting, it was only agreed that union should convey Government message to their organs and get back to Government.

Prof. Ogunyemi, said: ”I am not aware of that. All I know is that we had a meeting and we are going to report to our members. But I don’t know about suspension of strike.”

However, a source in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, said that after the meeting, the Minister, Senator Ngige, who described the meeting as “fruitful,” added that the government made a proposal to ASUU which it would take back to its members.

Ngige told reporters after the meeting that, “Many issues were discussed at the meeting including salary shortfall, the payment system and revitalization of the university system. I am positive that all the issues would be resolved at our next meeting.”

Friday’s meeting was about the seventh time both sides have met to resolve the issues in contention since the university union embarked on strike on March 23.

After the meeting of last Friday November 20, Government agreed to exempt ASUU members who had not enrolled in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and put them on the Government Integrated Financial and Management Information System (GIFMIS) pending when ASUU’S preferred payment platform- the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) will be approved.

ASUU had consistently rejected IPPIS, stressing that it will erode the autonomy of the university system.