The governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has won nomination as candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the November 8, 2025 governorship election in Anambra State.

The party held its governorship primary election on Saturday at the Alex Ekwueme Square, in Awka, where Soludo stood as a lone contestant.

Announcing the results, the returning officer for the election, Hon Uche Nwegbo said: “Total delegates for this election is 3,260, 3,175 is accredited delegates, 3,172 is the total votes, while

04 votes were invalid.

“The total yes-votes garnered by the governor is 3,168, while there were no, no-votes. So, in line with the INEC guidelines and with the powers conferred on me as the chief returning officer for this election, I, Uche Nwegbo hereby declare the governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo as returned, as the candidate of our party.”

The governor in his speech accepted the nomination, while also assuring that he will continue to work hard to ensure that he does not fail members of the party or the people of Anambra State.

He said: “We as a party have grown from strength to strength. We are the first registered progressive party in Nigeria and our people have taken APGA as their own. Anambra is APGA and APGA is Anambra.

“I want to say that I am humbled by this historic display of solidarity to be able to the flag of our party again, and I want to say that I accept thus nomination whole heartedly.

“Anambra keeps rising with the progressive leadership that we have had through APGA, and I will continue to appreciate the leadership of the party.

“I appreciate the members of our party and the INEC observers. I don not think that we have ever had this kind of peaceful election where everything was orderly and in one hour everyone was able to cast their votes.

“In 2021, Anambra interviews all the candidates and employed me, and all through the journey, three years down the line, you have been able to give us support. That is why we have been able to do what we do, which people say is magical. We are doing this without borrowing one Naira and I know we will continue us to do even more and we continue to ask for your prayers.

“We are only at the introductory stage, Anambra has not seen anything yet. I appreciate citizens, captains of industries who have been supporting us and we will keep growing higher and higher.

I appreciate the support groups, especially all that endorsed us for a second term. They are still coming up with more donations to the campaigns, and I thank those market women who are still eager to donate to our campaign. Many political parties have declared support for us and never in Anambra State have we ever had a consensus like what we have today.

“When I took oath of office, I promised not to let Anambra down, not to let my supporters down, not to let my family down, and not to let APGA down. We are working 247 to ensure that. Many people have said we do not have any opposition, but I say that we will not only win all the 21 local government but the 326 wards. Someone said we should even aim for all the polling units in the state. We want to make a statement.”

Meanwhile, the governor also announced his running mate immediately, choosing his deputy for the race.

He said: “In 2017, I gave a lecture which I titled ‘If it is not broken, why mend it’, and it became popular. Today I want to say that, I am renominating Dr Onyeka Ibezim as my deputy governorship candidate for the election. If it is not broken, why mend it. I want to say that the battle has only began.”

President Donald Trump has announced an extension of the 5 April deadline for the sale of TikTok to an American buyer.

The United States government had previously approved the sale of the short-video social media platform due to concerns over potential hacking and data theft by China.

On Friday, President Trump stated that his administration had been working diligently on securing a deal, noting that “tremendous progress” had been made.

In a post on Truth Social, he explained that the deal “requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed.”

The President revealed that he had signed an Executive Order allowing TikTok to continue operating for an additional 75 days.

“We hope to continue working in good faith with China, who I understand are not very happy about our reciprocal tariffs,” Trump wrote.

“This proves that tariffs are the most powerful economic tool, and very important to our national security. We do not want TikTok to ‘go dark’.”

The President added that his administration looks forward to working with TikTok and the Chinese government to finalise the agreement.

Among the bidders are Jeff Bezos’s Amazon, a consortium led by OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely, mobile technology company AppLovin, and a group that includes Oracle.

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed April 10 to hear the suit that is seeking to sack the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, Rtd.

The suit, which has President Bola Tinubu as the 1st defendant, has been assigned to Justice James Omotosho for hearing.

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Vice Admiral Ibas, rtd, as well as Attorneys-General of the 36 States of the federation, were listed as 2nd to 39th defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/572/2025.

The legal action was instituted by an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Mr. Johnmary Jideobi, who is praying the court to set-aside as void, “all actions and decisions [howsoever described or made] of the 3rd Defendant [Vice Admiral Ibas (Rtd)] in the name of Sole Administrator of Rivers State, same being unconstitutional, null and of no constitutional force throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria for all purposes.”

The plaintiff is further praying the court to issue a perpetual order of injunction, restraining the 1st defendant (Tinubu, either by himself, his officers, agents, privies, servants or any other person acting under his command howsoever named, “from either removing, suspending or otherwise tampering with the tenure of the Governor and Deputy-Governor of Rivers State [and indeed any other State in Nigeria].”

Likewise, an order of perpetual injunction, barring President Tinubu, “either by himself, his officers, agents, privies, servants or any other person acting under his command howsoever named, from appointing any Sole Administrator into any State Government House in the thirty (36) of the Federation for any purpose whatsoever.”

In the Originating Summons he filed through a consortium of lawyers led by Mr. Chimezie Enuka, the plaintiff urged the court to determine: “Whether in view of the combined provisions of the entirety of Sections 1, 5(2), 180, 188, 189, 305 and 306 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and their conflated interpretation, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [1st Defendant herein] has any constitutional authority [whatsoever] to either remove, suspend or otherwise tamper with the tenure of the duly elected Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State [and indeed of any other State in Nigeria] and appoint a sole Administrator [or any other substitute howsoever called or described] such as the 3rd Defendant for that State?”

Upon the determination of the question, he prayed the court to declare that upon an intimate reading and complete understanding of the entirety of section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, there is NO other circumstance contemplated by the Constitution for the removal OR interruption of the tenure of an elected Governor and Deputy Governor of a State EXCEPT the circumstances contemplated under Sections 180, 188, 189 and 306 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

“A declaration of this Honorable Court that in view of the entirety of Sections 1, 5(2), 180, 188, 189, 305 and 306 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has NO constitutional authority to either remove, suspend or otherwise tamper with the tenure of a duly elected Governor and Deputy Governor of a State and appoint a sole Administrator [or any other substitute howsoever called or described] such as the 3rd Defendant herein for that State.

“A declaration of this Honourable Court that the purported suspension of the Governor and the Deputy-Governor of Rivers State of Nigeria by the 1st Defendant on Tuesday the 18th day of March, 2025 is unconstitutional, null and void and of no legal effect whatsoever.

“A declaration of this Honourable Court that the purported nomination/appointment and swearing in of Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd)by the 1st Defendant as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State of Nigeria is unconstitutional, null and void and of no legal effect whatsoever.

“An order of this Honourable Court setting aside the suspension of the Governor and the Deputy-Governor of Rivers State of Nigeria by the 1st Defendant on Tuesday the 18th day of March, 2025 for being unconstitutional, null and void and of no legal effect whatsoever.

“An order of this Honourable Court setting aside the nomination/appointment and swearing in of Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State of Nigeria by the 1st Defendant.”

As well as: “An order of this Honourable Court directing Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) [the 3rd defendant herein] to vacate, forthwith, the Government House of Rivers State of Nigeria.”

In a 32 paragraphed affidavit he deposed in support of the suit, the plaintiff maintained that though President Tinubu has the constitutional power to declare a state of emergency in deserving circumstances in any part of the federation, he does not have the power to suspend elected officials like a governor who is not his appointee.

“As a Nigerian Lawyer and all through my years of practice, I have never seen the word ‘Sole Administrator’ in the amended 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“I know that neither the 1st Defendant nor the 2nd Defendant appointed the Governor and Deputy-Governor of Rivers State of Nigeria and that no Governor or Deputy Governor in Nigeria is an appointee of the 1st and 2nd Defendants.

“I know that Nigeria practices Federalism hinged on separation of power.

“I have instituted this suit in the public interest, in the defence of the Rule of Law and accentuation of the supremacy of the Constitution and to preserve the integrity of the Nigerian Constitution which is the most sacred document that holds the Nigerian State in balance and in being.

“I am genuinely worried that, in the absence of the intervention of this Court, removal of duly elected Governors and Deputy-Governors, may become the pastime of the President thereby opening the floodgate of anarchy capable of consuming this nation.

“It will be in the interest of justice for this Honourable Court to grant the prayers contained on the face of this Originating Summons,” the plaintiff averred.

Text except headline courtesy of Vanguard