The Supreme Court has nullified the judgements of the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court, which sacked Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.

It was gathered that a five-member panel of the apex court on Friday held that the issue of who is the National Secretary of the PDP borders on the internal affairs of a political party, which is not justiciable.

Justice Jamilu Tukur, who delivered the lead judgment of the Supreme Court, consequently struck out the judgment of the trial court delivered in October last year and also set aside the majority judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had in December affirmed the sack of Anyanwu as PDP’s National Secretary.

Justice Tukur subsequently affirmed the minority judgment of the appellate court delivered by Justice Ekanem, which had nullified the judgment of the trial court on account of lack of jurisdiction.

Besides, the apex court held that the plaintiff, Aniagu Emmanuel, who initiated the suit at the trial court, lacked the necessary legal backing to do so, since he did not show how he was affected by who is the National Secretary of the PDP.

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria has explained that it members will not hesitate to dump Dangote Refinery for alternatives over its latest move to sale petroleum products in Dollar.
The National President of PETROAN, Billy Gillis-Harry disclosed this to DAILY POST on Thursday.

He was reacting to Dangote Refinery’s decision to halt the sales of petroleum products in Naira.

Speaking on the development, Gillis-Harry said Nigeria’s petroleum downstream market is prepared for uncertainty.

He stressed that if Dangote Refinery’s price template is not competitive following its suspension of petroleum products sales in Naira, retailers and marketers will seek alternatives from Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited or imported petroleum products.

“The market is making preparations for any surprises. So, if there are surprises, we’ll have alternatives to go to.”

“One of the alternatives is the NNPC. We have also talked about some of the other refineries that are upgrading to 25,000 metric tonnes per day, like the Azikel refinery in Bayelsa. And then, importation is also going to be in the mix.”

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has strongly condemned the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu.

On Tuesday, President Tinubu announced the state of emergency, suspending Governor Similayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and the state House of Assembly for six months. In their place, he appointed Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas (Rtd.) as Sole Administrator.

In his biweekly newsletter, The Business of Governance (Issue 110), published on Thursday evening, Governor Makinde described the move as unconstitutional and called on all well-meaning Nigerians to oppose it.

“I stand today to say that the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the suspension of the executive and legislative arms of government by the presidency is an illegality that right-thinking members of society must oppose,” Makinde stated.

He emphasized the need to uphold democratic principles, regardless of personal opinions or political affiliations. “Our democratic tenets must never be trifled with, no matter our personal feelings and loyalties. This is the time to take a stand for fairness, equity, and justice,” he added.

Makinde further urged Nigerians to resist any action that threatens the nation’s democratic growth. “As our democracy grows and unfolds, we must be willing to speak up against anything that endangers our progress. We must choose to stand up for what is right, even if it means standing alone,” he asserted.

The governor also commended his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for taking a firm stance on the matter. He revealed that the PDP Governors’ Forum, during an emergency meeting on Wednesday, unanimously resolved to challenge the president’s decision in court.

“We cannot fold our hands and watch the democracy we have built for almost three decades be trampled upon,” he concluded.