News
Umahi’s Sack: INEC Gives Reason For Continued Inaction Again
The Independent National Electoral Commission has suspended action on court orders and motions regarding the defection of Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and his Deputy, Chief Kelechi Igwe.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has suspended action on court orders and motions regarding the defection of Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and his Deputy, Chief Kelechi Igwe.
INEC in a statement by Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education.
Okoye, who spoke in Abuja on Thursday, said the commission met on Thursday and deliberated on a wide range of issues.
The issues, according to him, includes preparations for the Osun State governorship election and cases on the defection of the Governor and Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State and 16 members of the State House of Assembly from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
Okoye said that the commission decided to stay action at the meeting of the commission held on Thursday in Abuja, in the light of the conflicting judgements and orders served on it from Courts of coordinate jurisdiction.
He said: “It will be recalled that the Commission met on Thursday, March 17 on the matter, decided to defer its deliberation on the Ebonyi cases.
“The commission stepped down the listed Memorandum to enable its Legal Services and Clearance Committee to study the new processes served on it in the light of the previously served ones and advise the Commission comprehensively.
“Since then, the Commission has been served yet more Court Processes on the same matter, bringing the total to 12.
“The Commission also considers it prudent to stay action on the conflicting judgements and orders being aware of the pendency of Appeals and Motions for Stay of Execution of some of the judgements before various divisions of the Court of Appeal.”
On Osun State governorship election, Okoye said the commission would not be publishing the nominations of the Action Alliance, African Democratic Congress and All Progressives Grand Alliance.
He said that the Commission would on Friday publish in its State and Local Government Offices in Osun State the list and personal particulars of the candidates that political parties propose to sponsor at the election.
Okoye said those who would make this list must be candidates who emerged from valid primaries in line with Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022.
He said: “The Commission will publish the list and personal particulars of the candidates of 15 out of the 18 political parties that conducted primaries.
“The nominations of AA; ADC and APGA will not be published for their failure to comply with the Commission’s Guidelines on Political Party Operations (2018) or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“The AA did not submit a nomination jointly signed by the National Chairman and Secretary of the party while the ADC and APGA nominated candidates that do not meet the age requirements for the office of Deputy Governor as enshrined in the Constitution.
“The Commission has already communicated this position officially to the affected Political Parties.”
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has revealed one of the reasons he can’t make peace with Governor Similayi Fubara of Rivers State.
Wike accused Fubara of removing a chief in his family and went ahead to make another person a chief.
The FCT Minister stated this on Wednesday while fielding questions from journalists at a media parley in Abuja.
According to reports, the statement comes amid the ongoing political crisis in the State, with Wike and Governor Similayi Fubara at the center of the feud.
“Sometimes when you people talk about this peace, you don’t take everything. You don’t just sit outside to talk.
“Look at me, a former governor, Minister of of the FCT, Governor (Fubara) had the temerity, the audacity, because he has money from federation account, because he has more Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), will enter my own family to remove a chief and make another person a chief,” Wike said.
Akwa Ibom state Police Command has said that some locally made firearms have been recovered during stop and search operations along Ikot road in the state .
A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer in the state DSP Timfon John and made available to Journalists in Uyo on Thursday stated that the recovered firearms was in a determined effort to rid the state of illegal firearms and criminal elements .
The statement reads in parts:” Operatives of the Command intercepted a Mercedes Benz C300 with customized plate number FORBES JR, leading to the recovery of a locally fabricated firearm and two live cartridges.
“The operation, which took place at the Control Post in Ikot Ekpene, was part of the Command’s intensified stop-and-search strategy aimed at curbing crime and enhancing public safety.”
He said the vehicle had three male occupants who were identified themselves as: Nsisong Paul Okon, 27, native of Itak Village in Ikono local government area ,Francis Forbes, 62 from Ikot Akpa Edok Ndiya Village and Prince Forbes, 27, of Ikot Akpa Edok Ndiya Village from Ikono local government area respectively.
However, John disclosed that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Baba M. Azare has ordered a full-scale investigation into the matter.
“The Akwa Ibom State Police Command reaffirms its zero tolerance for unlawful possession of firearms and remains resolute in ensuring the safety of lives and property across the state”.
President Bola Tinubu has instructed lawmakers of the Lagos State House of Assembly to allow the impeached and reinstated Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, to continue leading the house.
The President made this position known when he met with the lawmakers at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday.
As reported earlier, this is the first time President Tinubu is meeting the lawmakers since the crisis began in the house January 13, 2025.
One of the lawmakers told newsmen that ” Obasa is staying. We will obey the president. What we had was a family meeting. The President condenmed Obasa’s actions but blamed us for not carring him (Tinubu) along during the impeachement execrise”.
However, the lawmaker said President Tinubu warned Obasa to carry everyone along.
” He also warned him (Obasa) that if there were any future complaints from any quarters, he would be gone. “The President said he should let peace reign; and so based on that, we have accepted.”
On the pending matter in court, the source said: “The President has instructed him to withdraw it.”
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