₦airaland Forum

dominique:
They did not take our position they earned the position. If only our players had player seriously at the beginning of the group stages

With INEC's overtly partisan, intentionally illegal, and possibly remote-controlled withdrawal of recognition for the David Mark-led ADC, Nigeria has officially reverted to full-on Abacha-era suffocation of even the wispiest pretense to competitive electoral politics.

Lawyers have said that the judgment of the appeal court, which INEC invoked as a convenient crutch to carry out a predetermined action, said the status quo should be maintained. In other words, the judgment says David Mark should remain the chairman of the ADC until the merit of the appeal has been determined.

However, it appears that INEC is in the know of what the final judgment will be and decided to jump the gun. Yet the INEC chairman is a professor of law and a SAN! He can't even pretend to be neutral.

It seems obvious that the ADC faction INEC will ultimately recognize, as I predicted in my column of two weeks ago, will be the faction that will merely be an extension of the APC, much like the PDP now is. They will either present dummy candidates or adopt Tinubu as their candidate, which is a distinction without a difference.

[u It is obvious that Tinubu wants a coronation, not a competitive election, in 2027. He is scared to death about a real electoral contest. We all know why. [/u]

Well, according to public records, it cost around ₦300–₦355 billion to conduct the 2023 presidential election. It is projected that it will cost almost ₦870 billion to conduct the 2027 election.

Why should Nigeria spend close to a trillion naira on a preset, make-believe, Abachaian coronation exercise? Let’s kuku cancel democracy and make Tinubu the supreme leader. At least we would save a trillion naira.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will henceforth cease to accept correspondences from either the David Mark-led African Democratic Congress (ADC) faction or that of Rafiu Bala, following a review of the Court of Appeal judgment on March 12 this year.

A statement signed by the Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Kudu, also noted that the commission will no longer engage with either faction, nor monitor any meetings, congresses, or conventions of the two groups until the matter at the Federal High Court is decided.

The commission further announced that it would remove the names of David Mark from the INEC portal.

Rafiu Bala, who was the vice chairman of the ADC before the David Mark-led caretaker committee assumed control of the party, approached the courts to challenge the emergence of David Mark and his colleagues at the National Working Committee.

PRESS RELEASE

INEC’S POSITION ON THE COURT OF APPEAL’S DECISION IN APPEAL NO. CA/ABJ/145/2026: SENATOR DAVID MARK V HON. NAFIU BALA GOMBE & ORS

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received:

A letter from the law firm of Suleiman Usman SAN & Co. dated 16th March, 2026, titled:
“RE: NOTICE OF PENDING PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT AND CAUTION AGAINST ANY PURPORTED RECOGNITION OF MR NAFIU BALA GOMBE AS ACTING NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF THE AFRICAN DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (ADC)” written on behalf of concerned stakeholders within the African Democratic Congress (ADC)

A letter from the law firm of Summit Law Chambers also dated 16th March 2026 titled:
“DEMAND FOR ENFORCEMENT OF THE ORDERS MADE BY THE COURT OF APPEAL, ABUJA DIVISION IN APPEAL NO: CA/ABJ/145/2026: SENATOR DAVID MARK V HON. NAFIU BALA GOMBE & 4 ORS” written on behalf of Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe.

While the letter from Suleiman Usman SAN & Co urged the Commission not to recognise Mr Nafiu Bala Gombe as acting National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on account of the pending Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025: Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe v. ADC & 4 Ors. before the Federal High Court, Abuja, where the question of the leadership of the Party (ADC) is presently being contested, the letter from Summit Law Chambers, on the other hand, attached the certified True Copy of the Judgment of the Court of Appeal in Suit No. CA/ABJ/145/2026: Senator David Mark v Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe & Ors and requested the Commission to enforce the judgement of the Court of Appeal, including:
Ceasing recognition of Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Chairman and National Secretary respectively of ADC;
Removing their names from the Commission’s portal; and
Refraining from dealing with or recognising any actions taken by them in respect of the party in line with the preservation orders made by the Court of Appeal.

Subsequently, by another letter on the same subject matter dated 27th March, 2026, Summit Law Chambers alleged that the Commission had acted in disobedience of the Court of Appeal’s Orders by:
i. Inviting Senator David Mark’s group to a political parties’ meeting held on Tuesday, 24th March, 2026; and
ii. Monitoring a purported National Executive Committee meeting of that group.
The solicitors (Summit Law Chambers) further drew the attention of the Commission to the Motion Ex-Parte and Motion on Notice filed by their client on 15th December, 2025, seeking to prevent the 1st Defendant (ADC) from holding any convention, congress, conference, or meeting and to stop INEC from attending, monitoring, observing or recognising any activities of the ADC. They accordingly requested INEC to invalidate the NEC meeting held by Senator David Mark's group on 25th March, 2026, remove the name of Senator David Mark's group from the INEC portal, stop recognising or acknowledging correspondence from them until the determination of the pending suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja and allow Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe to take over the affairs of ADC pending the determination of the case, and that INEC should respect the orders of the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/145/2026.

ORDERS OF THE COURT OF APPEAL

In its judgement delivered on 12th March, 2026, the Court of Appeal dismissed the interlocutory appeal by Senator David Mark and made amongst others, the following Orders:

“Finally, it is necessary to make preservatory orders to ensure that the subject matter of the dispute pending before the trial court is not prejudiced as Courts have inherent powers to control and regulate proceedings to ensure justice...

Accordingly, in order to protect the integrity of the proceedings and the eventual determination of the substantive suit pending before the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AS FOLLOWS:
That Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, be and is hereby granted accelerated hearing in view of the Electoral Time Table released by the 4th Respondent.

That the parties are hereby directed to maintain the status quo ante bellum and shall refrain from taking any step or doing any act capable of foisting a fait accompli on the court or otherwise rendering nugatory the proceedings before the trial court.

Cost of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million Naira) is awarded in favour of the 1st respondent.”

INEC’S OBSERVATIONS

The Commission, after a careful consideration of the Judgment of the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/145/2026 and the processes filed by the parties in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 pending before the Federal High Court in Abuja wishes to observe as follows:

That the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Party (ADC) came into being following the National Executive Council Meeting of 29th July, 2025 after all the Mr. Ralph Okey Nwosu Exco Members resigned and ratified the appointment of the present members of the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Senator David Mark.
That Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, who was the Vice-National Chairman, denied he ever resigned from the party and claimed that following the resignation of the Chairman of the party, Mr. Ralph Okey Nwosu, he Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, automatically ought to take over as the Chairman of the Party, being the only Vice-National Chairman left behind in accordance with the constitution of the Party.

That Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, through an Originating Summons, instituted Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 before the Federal High Court in Abuja on 2nd September, 2025 for an order of injunction restraining Senator David Mark's group (2nd & 3rd Defendants) from parading themselves, dealing or continuing to deal with INEC as National Chairman and Secretary of the 1st Defendant (ADC), an order restraining INEC from recognising, dealing with or continuing to deal with the 2nd and 3rd Defendants as the National Chairman and Secretary of the 1st Defendant (ADC), an order directing INEC to recognise the Plaintiff (Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe) as the acting National Chairman of the 1st Defendant (the ADC), an order of the Honourable Court restraining INEC from parading the 2nd and 3rd Defendants (Senator David Mark's group) as officials of the1st Defendant (ADC), etc.

Along with the Originating Summons were Motion Ex Parte and Motion on Notice restraining INEC from recognising Senator David Mark's group.
The motion ex parte was heard on 4th September, 2025 and the trial Judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, directed that the Respondents, including INEC, be put on Notice to show cause why the Motion Ex Parte should not be granted.
The 2nd Defendant (Senator David Mark) decided to appeal against the order of Nwite, J. on 18th December, 2025 to the Court of Appeal, Abuja, challenging the jurisdiction of the trial court.
On 12th March, 2026, the Court of Appeal in Abuja ( 6 months after the appeal was filed) dismissed the appeal of the 2nd Defendant and, in addition, made the above-quoted presevatory orders.

The Plaintiff also filed another Motion Ex Parte and Motion on Notice on 15th September, 2025 before the trial court seeking to prevent the 1st Defendant (ADC) from holding, convening or summoning any Convention, Congress, Conference or meeting and to stop the 4th Defendant (INEC) from attending, monitoring, observing, or recognising any activities organised by the 1st Defendant pending the determination of the suit.

That after the Judgment of the Court of Appeal, the Commission received letters from the solicitors to Senator David Mark's group and Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe, making claims and counter-claims to the leadership of the party and making several demands on INEC

That the Commission also received on 31st March, 2026, a letter dated 28th March, 2026 from Senator David Mark's group notifying the Commission of the schedule of ADC Congresses and National Convention as well as the revised schedule of activities earlier contained in their letter of 27th February, 2026.

The request, through a letter dated 29th July, 2025, for the submission of the names of the New Principal Officers of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for upload on the Commission’s portal was received by INEC on 4th September, 2025 and it was approved by INEC on 9th September, 2025.

RESOLUTON OF THE COMMISSION

Given the above scenario, at the meeting of the Commission on Tuesday, 31st March, 2026, the Commission resolved as follows:

To maintain the status quo ante bellum as directed by the Court of Appeal based on the facts and position of the parties existing before 2nd September 2025, when the case was filed by the plaintiff.

That the Commission would, in accordance with the Order of the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/145/2026 refrain from taking any step or doing any act capable of foisting a fait accompli on the court or otherwise rendering nugatory the proceedings before the trial court, having regard to all the processes filed before the trial Court.
The Commission refused to accede to the request of the Plaintiff’s Solicitors to allow Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe to take over the affairs of ADC pending the determination of the case.

The Commission shall not, given the reliefs claimed in the Originating Summons and the pending motions, receive any further communication or deal with any of the parties or groups pertaining the affairs of the party and will not monitor any Meeting, Congress or Convention convened on behalf of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by any group until the matter is decided by the Federal High Court, Abuja so as not to do any act capable of foisting a fait accompli on the court or otherwise rendering nugatory the proceedings before the trial court.
Since the names of the current National Working Committee members led by Senator David Mark were uploaded on 9th September, 2025 by INEC (7 days after the suit was instituted), the names would be removed from the INEC portal pursuant to the order of the Court of Appeal to maintain the status quo ante bellum until the matter is decided by the trial court.

CONCLUSION

The Commission reiterates its unwavering commitment to neutrality, impartiality and strict compliance with judicial orders. Political parties and stakeholders are urged to conduct themselves in a manner that does not jeopardise the Electoral Time Table for the 2027 General Election.

Mohammed Kudu Haruna
National Commissioner,
Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee
1st April 2026

Bandits have killed 13 people and abducted an unspecified number of guests after attacking a wedding ceremony in Kahir village, Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

A resident of the area, Shehu Bala, told our correspondent in a telephone interview on Monday that the attack occurred at about 11:47pm on Sunday.

He said the attackers, armed with AK-47 rifles, stormed the wedding venue in large numbers and opened fire inside the hall, killing 13 persons on the spot.


According to him, several other guests sustained varying degrees of gunshot injuries and were rushed to Kagarko General Hospital, while two victims with serious injuries were referred to Kaduna for further treatment.

“There are two of my friends who were inside the hall during the attack and they were also hit by bullets,” he said.

Bala added that it was difficult to determine the number of persons abducted due to the chaos that followed the attack.

A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, also confirmed the incident and listed the names of those killed.

He said the attackers operated for nearly an hour without resistance and also looted shops in the community, carting away food items, provisions and drugs from a chemist.

He added that the victims had already been buried, while no contact had been established with the abductors.

“The entire community was thrown into confusion as residents fled into the bush due to the sporadic shooting,” he said.

The spokesperson of the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Hassan Mansur, also confirmed the attack, saying the number of abducted persons was still being verified.

He said a comprehensive report would be issued once full details were obtained.

“The command is yet to get details of the incident that happened in Kahir community, but a comprehensive report on the incident will made available after getting details of the incident,” he said.

Security operatives have since launched a search operation to track the fleeing attackers and rescue the abducted victims.

It was also gathered that the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, and Senator Sani Musa visited injured victims receiving treatment at the Kagarko General Hospital.

Daily Trust reports that several communities, including Janjala, have remained under sustained attacks by bandits.

In one of the incidents, 14 people, including a vigilante and his wife, were abducted about three weeks ago and are still in captivity.

The abductors are reportedly demanding N14 million as ransom for their release.

Late Nigerian banker, Herbert Wigwe, has been linked to the ownership of 106 properties in London, placing him seventh among billionaire real‑estate holders in the British capital, according to a report by The Londoner.

The investigation — titled Revealed: The billionaires who really own London — uncovered some 32,611 overseas‑owned properties across the city after a recent change in UK law required foreign entities to disclose their beneficial owners.

The report found that these disclosures allowed researchers to connect previously hidden owners to prime real estate in London, including several high‑profile streets and commercial locations.

“But now, The Londoner can reveal that some 32,611 properties in London are owned by overseas entities. We can do this because a recent change in the law is forcing these foreign companies to register their real owners.

“We’ve spent the last week, using data compiled and shared with us by Dan Neidle of Tax Policy Associates, to go through thousands of those overseas entities to see who has bought up properties in the capital,” the report stated.

The Londoner report identifies 32,611 London properties owned by overseas entities. These include famous streets like Oxford Street, Canary Wharf and Greenwich Peninsula.

Wigwe, who died in a helicopter crash in the United States in February 2024 along with his wife, son and former NGX Group chairman Abimbola Ogunbanjo, was ranked seventh on the list of billionaires with the most London properties.

Prior to his death, Wigwe served as Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, one of Nigeria’s largest financial institutions.

Since his passing, his family has been involved in litigation over his estate.

The Londoner’s findings show that a significant number of London’s most expensive buildings are owned through companies based in jurisdictions such as Jersey, where ownership details were previously opaque.

The database used by the publication was compiled from newly released disclosures by overseas owners.

The report also identified other wealthy individuals and entities whose property portfolios in London are held through overseas companies, highlighting the scale of foreign investment in the city’s real‑estate market.

Details in the investigation included ownership structures that were not previously publicly available.

Some Nigerian airlines are in imminent danger of going under if the hike in the prices of aviation fuel persists, THISDAY checks has revealed.

As at Wednesday evening, aviation fuel price ranged from about N2, 690 per litre in Lagos, N2,750 in Asaba, N2,759 in Port Harcourt, N2, 990 in Kano with indications that it may rise to N3, 000 by today.

The Managing Director and CEO of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi, told THISDAY in a telephone interview on Wednesday that if nothing is done to check the price of aviation fuel, known as Jet A1, some airlines would inevitably stop flight operations.

He said that airlines have not reflected the increase in the cost of ticket because it would become unbearable for travellers who are already grappling with the high cost of airfares occasioned by the devaluation of the naira and inflation.

It was learnt that the airlines may not have any choice but inexorably increase fares because they cannot continue to bear the cost of the increase, which they described as arbitrary.

THISDAY gathered that some airlines operating wet leased aircraft increased fares but passengers shunned their services; so, they had to lower their fares to ensure patronage and probably operating at a loss.

Captain Sanusi admitted that increasing fares would be fraught with challenges, “because this is low season; so, airlines should push for government intervention to reduce the cost of aviation fuel instead of passing the high cost to the beleaguered passengers.”

He argued that global crude price has increased by 30 per cent but aviation fuel price in Nigeria increased by 50 per cent.

Before the recent increase, the cost of aviation fuel used to be cheaper than what obtained in the United States, but now Nigerian airlines pay more for fuel than the US.

Sanusi lamented that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has not stepped in to check the outrageous spike in the price of the product, insisting that the aviation industry is not having transparent pricing of Jet A1.

He alleged that the agency given the responsibility of monitoring and regulating these prices is not doing its work.

“We cannot operate outside the aviation ecosystem. The price of aviation fuel in Nigeria has recorded the highest increase since the Iran war started. Government ought to intervene; not that it will fix the price but ensure it operates at a certain range. If there is 30 per cent increase in the cost of crude and you increase your price by 40 per cent, adding taxes, cost of transport, levies, then you put your profit, it will get to the range of about 40 per cent. The price should not differ from what is obtained from the international market. That will mean that the pricing is not fair.

“Now, they are pushing some airlines to go out of business, but some marketers will also go out of business. The regulatory agency should step in. There must be transparent pricing. We now have refinery in the country. What we are dealing with now is the price of crude oil, not the logistics of freighting, demurrage charges and other logistics cost of importation, so we should expect legitimate pricing of the product. Airlines are being forced out of business and everyone is keeping quiet, including the regulatory agency. It is unfortunate,” Sanusi said.

Inside source in Air Peace who confirmed what Sanusi said, disclosed that the airline, which is the biggest operator in the country, has been purchasing aviation fuel from prices ranging from N2500 to N3000 and expressed worry that the price may increase in the coming days.

Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) sources said the body cannot continue to take the losses anymore and has concluded plans to announce increase in the cost of airfares.

“AON will make the announcement soon, domestic airlines cannot continue to bear these losses; otherwise some airlines may go under,” an insider told THISDAY.

On whether the increase will not further deplete the existing passenger traffic, the source said it would not because the segment of the population that travel by air can absorb such increase.

THISDAY also spoke to an executive of one of the major aviation fuel marketing companies in Nigeria who wished to remain anonymous. He said that the price of aviation fuel may still go up again before it would come down.

He explained that the price of the product is high because marketers estimate that the price may increase when they want to purchase another stock; “so, they sell the product at the price that will guarantee their replacement cost. This will enable them to have the money to buy more when their stock is exhausted.”

The senior official also said that the price Dangote Refinery offers the product is high; “so, some of the marketers decided not to buy from Dangote but to buy from an importer who may have imported the product sometime in the past. But now, the marketers did not have any choice but to patronize Dangote when the current stock is sold out.”

He also said that airlines may not have any choice than to increase prices because they cannot continue to bear the cost of aviation fuel.

“If they spread the cost it will be just an increase of N7000 on each ticket. It will not add much to the fare but it will be enough to safe the airlines. The people who suffer in Nigeria are the people of lower class, such increase will not affect those who travel by air,” he said.

The marketer also projected that the price of Jet A1 will still increase before it will finally come down and estimated that by the end of the next two months, the prices will come back to what it was before the Iran war. The price of aviation fuel was N900 per litre before the increases occasioned by the war.

“The war is not ending soon as originally contemplated. Price of aviation fuel will eventually come down, but it may go up a bit before it will come down; may be, in the next two months. Dangote was selling N2, 500 per litre; then N2, 600, but some say it has gone up to N2, 700. You have to note that people are not bothered about the cost of aviation fuel. If it is premium motor spirit (petrol), you have to consider possible massive protest, the labour unions, but nobody bothers about the increase in the price of aviation fuel,” he said.

As at March 25, 2926, the average cost of one-hour, one-way flight ticket in Nigeria ranges from N195, 000 to over N250, 000.

The Director-General of the All Progressives Congress, APC, States Assembly Forum, Dagogo Fubara, has accused the party of denying them aspirant nomination forms despite meeting the requirements.


Fubara made this allegation on Tuesday during a live interview programme on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’.

He said it was not his first time running for a national convention, stating that the organizers claimed that they printed limited copies of the forms.

“After paying for the forms and fulfilling all the necessary requirements, we were denied the opportunity to get the aspirant nomination forms.

“We all paid that money. They received the money and we went for clearance. We were cleared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the convention.

“We were asked to go to the organizing department for the forms to be issued. We got there, they told me that they’ve exhausted forms.

“We started this system right from 2012. So I was happy that this convention will usher a lot of youngsters to come in and serve this party since President Bola Tinubu has nurtured us.

“We, more especially from the ACN extraction all these years see ourselves to be viable to go into elective positions.

“So we’re surprised when some microscopic few in the system said the forms have been exhausted,” he lamented.

The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has warned President Bola Tinubu to work hard to get the acceptance of the North.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele made it known that the northern part of the country is yet to support Tinubu’s second term ambition because capable hands are not handling the region for him.

The prophet stated that a lot of people are deceiving Tinubu on the choice of the north ahead of the 2027 presidential election. He advised him to ignore the deceit and face the realities on the ground, which is the fact that they are against his second-term ambition.

The prophet made it known that Tinubu must work with leaders in the north for him to be accepted; otherwise, they will all rise against his ambition, which will lead to more crises towards the election.

He said: “Concentrate more on the North. Don’t let them deceive you. They have not captured the North yet for you. The northerners will instigate a lot of sensitive things, and of course, they will come in one voice to support one person. However, Tinubu’s election will divide the north. He has a lot to do in the north and has to work with the northern leaders.”

Furthermore, Primate Ayodele explained that Seyi Tinubu cannot do so much for the president in the north and that the popular city boy movement will also fail to do much for the president, while calling on the president to take things into his own hands because it won’t be business as usual.

“Seyi Tinubu cannot do so much for Tinubu in the north; he needs capable hands. City boy movement will not do so much in the north for Tinubu. They have started training those who will cause trouble in the north, so he needs to work with the Emirs, political leaders, and religious leaders in the north,” he added.