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| BREAKING NEWS | 2 APRIL 2025 | BREAKING: Edo Governorship Tribunal dismisses Action Alliance’s petition against Governor Monday Okpebholo. The tribunal ruled that the petition was a pre-election matter, hence outside its jurisdiction. Recall that the tribunal initially received seven petitions in December 2024. So far, five political parties have withdrawn their petitions. The tribunal is now set to deliver its verdict on the two remaining petitions, filed by the PDP and its governorship candidate, as well as the Accord Party. | BREAKING: Edo Governorship Tribunal dismisses Action Alliance’s petition against Governor Monday Okpebholo. The tribunal ruled that the petition was a pre-election matter, hence outside its jurisdiction. Recall that the tribunal initially received seven petitions in December 2024. So far, five political parties have withdrawn their petitions. The tribunal is now set to deliver its verdict on the two remaining petitions, filed by the PDP and its governorship candidate, as well as the Accord Party. | BREAKING NEWS; EDO GOVERNORSHIP TRIBUNAL | |||||
| BREAKING NEWS | 2 APRIL 2025 | BREAKING: The Edo Governorship Tribunal has dismissed the petition of Accord Party against Governor Monday Okpebholo. The Tribunal ruled that the Accord Party failed to provide sufficient evidence to support their claims of non-compliance. We await the tribunal’s verdict on the remaining petition filed by the PDP and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo. | BREAKING: The Edo Governorship Tribunal has dismissed the petition of Accord Party against Governor Monday Okpebholo. The Tribunal ruled that the Accord Party failed to provide sufficient evidence to support their claims of non-compliance. We await the tribunal’s verdict on the remaining petition filed by the PDP and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo. | BREAKING NEWS; EDO GOVERNORSHIP TRIBUNAL | |||||
| BREAKING NEWS | 2 APRIL 2025 | JUST IN: The Edo State Governorship Tribunal has dismissed the petition filed by the PDP and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, thereby affirming Monday Okpebholo as the Governor of Edo State. The Tribunal ruled that the petitioners failed to call competent witnesses to prove the allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act. | "JUST IN: The Edo State Governorship Tribunal has dismissed the petition filed by the PDP and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, thereby affirming Monday Okpebholo as the Governor of Edo State. The Tribunal ruled that the petitioners failed to call competent witnesses to prove the allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act." | BREAKING NEWS; EDO GOVERNORSHIP TRIBUNAL | |||||
| PUNCH | 3 APRIL 2025 | Tinubu set to praise mid-term performance and milestones in 2-week work trip to France | President Bola Tinubu will on Wednesday depart for Paris, France, on a two-week working visit. “During the visit, the President will appraise his administration’s mid-term performance and assess key milestones,” Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed in a statement Wednesday. The statement is titled, ‘President Tinubu to embark on working visit to Paris’. Our correspondent had sighted the President’s convoy departing his official residence at about 11:00 am (local time). The Presidency says Tinubu will also use the retreat to “review the progress of ongoing reforms and engage in strategic planning ahead of his administration’s second anniversary.” “This period of reflection will inform plans to deepen ongoing reforms and accelerate national development priorities in the coming year,” the statement read. It said recent economic strides reinforce the President’s commitment to these efforts, as evidenced by the Central Bank of Nigeria reporting a significant increase in net foreign exchange reserves to $23.11bn—a testament to the administration’s fiscal reforms since 2023 when net reserves were $3.99bn. While away, President Tinubu will remain fully engaged with his team and continue to oversee governance activities. “He will return to Nigeria in about a fortnight,” it concluded. | WORK VISIT; TINUBU; FRANCE; | PUNCH | ||||
| ARISE NEWS | 3 APRIL 2025 | Enugu Defections: "Politics is not a do or die affair," Governor Peter Mbah declares as he welcome Former LP 2023 governorship candidate, Chijioke Edeoga back to PDP. | Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, on Wednesday, welcomed the gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 governorship election, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, back into the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, commending the ex-opposition flagbearer for demonstrating that politics is not a do-or-die affair. Mbah said that Edeoga’s return to the PDP was in line with the party’s principle of reconciliation and making the people, not personal ambition, the focus of governance, urging him and his supporters to feel very much at home. This was even as the former gubernatorial candidate endorsed Mbah as the popular choice of the people of Enugu State, stressing that he had fully aligned with that choice. Receiving Edoega in his office, in the company of party leaders led by the state party chairman, Dr. Martin Chukwunweike, Mbah said, “Welcome back home. The symbolism of your action is a mark of the enduring bond that runs in our party. I am indeed very delighted to have you back to rejoin your family. “What we are witnessing today is a result of fence-mending consistent with the philosophy of our party – the imperatives of reconciliation. “It is also a demonstration on your part that politics is not a do-or-die affair; that what we are currently doing in Enugu State appeals to you and you believe that it is working for the interest of the people and you have taken that decision to say, ‘Look, let us join hands together and serve our people.’ “I commend you greatly for making such a courageous bold step. The lesson for us is quite profound, as it shows that the common denominator, even when we express our aspirations on different political platforms, is all about the people and making them the centerpiece of our ambitions. “So, we will embrace you with our arms wide open. You are going to be treated as a member of PDP, which we know you are indeed. We look forward to working with you in the service of our people.” Edeoga, on his part, commended Governor Mbah for making his return possible, describing it as a paradigm shift from politics of animosity and winner takes all to politics of empathy and people-centred development. | ENUGU STATE; PDP; LABOUR PARTY; POLITICS; DEFECTION | ARISE | ||||
| THE CABLE | 3 APRIL 2025 | Edo State Governorship Tribunal: PDP's Asue Ighodalo rejects Tribunal's verdict, vows to appeal judgment | Asue Ighodalo, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2024 Edo governorship election, has rejected the ruling of the election petition tribunal. The tribunal on Wednesday upheld the election of Monday Okpebholo as governor of the state while dismissing Ighodalo’s petition. In a statement, Ighodalo said while he respects the judiciary, he remains steadfast in his belief that the right of the Edo people to elect their leaders through a credible process must not be compromised. “Our pursuit of justice in this regard is an affirmation of our firm belief that the right of the good people of Edo State to freely choose their leaders through a credible, free and fair electoral process must never be compromised,” the statement reads. “As an avowed democrat, I respect the judiciary as the last hope of the common man, and I urge all of you, our dear good people of Edo State, to remain peaceful, calm and law-abiding in the aftermath of this Judgement. “However, let it be clear: this is not the end of our journey, but the beginning of a greater struggle for justice, democracy, and the sanctity of the people’s mandate freely conferred on my running mate, Barr. Osarodion Ogie and I on the platform of our great Party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).” Ighodalo said his legal team has been instructed to challenge the judgment at the court of appeal. “I have, therefore, instructed my legal team to proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge this decision which we consider a huge travesty of justice,” he added. “This is not about me or any single individual; it is about the very essence of democracy, the preservation of our collective right to freely determine our future, and the legacy we leave for generations unborn. “We remain resolute. We remain committed. And we shall not waver in our pursuit of truth and justice.” | PDP; ASUE IGHODALO; MONDAY OKPEBHOLO; EDO STATE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION | CABLE | ||||
| GUARDIAN | 3 APRIL 2025 | Abia Defections: Labour Party expands reach as 2 PDP House of Assembly members defect to LP | The depletion in the number of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the Abia State House of Assembly continued today as the member representing the Isiala Ngwa North Constituency, Collins Ugochukwu, defected to the Labour Party (LP). Ugochukwu’s movement to the LP was officially made known in a letter he addressed to the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Emmanuel Emeruwa, yesterday. The letter, which was read out by the Speaker during plenary, said the legislator is now a member of the LP. This is coming just one week after the member representing Isuikwuato Constituency, Lucky Nweke Johnson, quit the PDP to join LP, after citing the crises in his former party, as well as the performances of Governor Alex Otti, as reasons. Also, the member representing Isiala Ngwa South Constituency, Rowland Dennis, in February, quit PDP and joined the LP. But today’s defection of Ugochukwu could be a blow to the PDP in the 2027 calculations, as the Isiala Ngwa North he represents is one of the populous councils that determine the winner of Abia guber polls. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on South East Development Commission (SEDC), Chris Nkwonta, has tasked the people of Abia South Senatorial District to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) and work hard to ensure the party wins all the seats in the 2027 general elections. The lawmaker, who urged party leaders in the zone to embark on an aggressive membership drive, insisted that the APC must improve from what he described as a third-rate performance in the 2023 polls to emerge as the leading political party in the zone in 2027. Addressing party faithful from the six council areas of Aba South at Akwete, Nkwonta, who represents Ukwa West/Ukwa East Federal Constituency, assured that the people of the area would enjoy more dividends of democracy when they vote massively for APC. APC came third in the 2023 election. The party has not been as strong as it should be in the Abia South zone. In 2027, we must return President Bola Tinubu and win the Abia Government House. | PDP; LP; DEFECTIONS; ABIA STATE POLITICS | GUARDIAN | ||||
| BREAKING NEWS | 3 APRIL 2025 | BREAKING: INEC says petition for the recall of Senator representing Kogi Central senatorial district, Senator Natasha Akpoti, has not met the requirement of section 69(A) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. | BREAKING: INEC says petition for the recall of Senator representing Kogi Central senatorial district, Senator Natasha Akpoti, has not met the requirement of section 69(A) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Section 69(A) provides thus: A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives may be recalled as such a member if - (a) there is presented to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission a petition in that behalf signed by more than one-half of the persons registered to vote in that member’s constituency alleging their loss of confidence in that member AND WHICH SIGNATURES ARE DULY VERIFIED BY THE INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION; | INEC; KOGI CENTRAL; 1999 CONSTITUTION; SENATOR NATASHA; | |||||
| BREAKING NEWS | 4 APRIL 2025 | BREAKING: The Supreme Court has set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal that recognised Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party. | BREAKING: The Supreme Court has set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal that recognised Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party. The Supreme Court held that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to have pronounced him National Chairman since the issue of leadership upon which the matter was decided was an internal affair of the party. Note that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act allow party members to seek redress in court, especially in matters like candidate nomination, party primaries, or fundamental rights violations. However, in several Supreme Court cases, the judiciary has reiterated that internal democracy must be respected and that courts should not interfere unnecessarily in internal affairs unless rights are violated or internal procedures are ignored. | SUPREME COURT; LABOUR PARTY; JULIUS ABURE; PETER OBI | |||||
| PREMIUM TIMES | 7 APRIL 2025 | Anambra 2025: Governorship candidates emerge in APC, APGA, LP. PDP schedules 8 April for primaries | Ahead of the Anambra State governorship elections coming up later this year, major political parties have elected their flag-bearers. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Labour Party (LP) picked their candidates during primary elections held on Saturday at various venues in Awka, the state capital. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is set to elect its flag-bearer on Tuesday, 8 April. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had set a 10 April deadline for political parties to complete their primary elections. The electoral body scheduled the governorship election itself for 8 November. APGA candidate The incumbent governor, Chukwuma Soludo, emerged the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) at the primary election held on Saturday. The primary was held at the Dr Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, amidst tight security and under the watch of the officials of INEC. Mr Soludo being the sole aspirant standing for the primary election, delegates expressed their choices through a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote. In the end, the governor, who is seeking a second term, polled 3,171 votes from the 3,175 accredited delegates across the 326 political wards in the state. While presenting the party’s nomination certificate to the governor, the chairperson of APGA Primary Election Electoral Committee, Uchenna Nwegbo, said the process was in compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022. Mr Nwegbo said Mr Soludo’s unanimous adoption as the sole candidate of the party for the governorship election also adhered to the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022. Reacting, the governor praised APGA officials for organising what he called a well-structured exercise. Labour Party’s pick The Labour Party (LP) elected George Moghalu as the flag-bearer for elections coming up later this year. During the party’s primary election held on Saturday in Awka, Mr Moghalu, a former managing director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), secured 573 votes to defeat his only opponent, John Nwosu, who garnered 19 votes. In his acceptance speech,Mr Moghalu extended a hand of fellowship to his opponent, saying that unity among party stakeholders would be crucial to securing victory at the polls. “I am ready for the challenge ahead. With my experience in public service and politics, I am confident in my capacity to defeat the incumbent, Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA),” he said. He thanked the LP for conducting a transparent and credible primary and expressed appreciation to the delegates for their support. “We must now get to work to sell the LP agenda to the people of Anambra. Our goal is to reach every nook and cranny of the state with our message,” he said. “Anambra is a blessed state with abundant human and natural resources. ”All that is required is visionary leadership to harness these potentials for the benefit of our people. “I will restore confidence in the party as we move forward in this race. “The LP remains a formidable force, and we are moving like a train with a clear destination: a better Anambra,” he said. Bennett Etanabena, the returning officer for the primary, praised the peaceful conduct of the election and urged all party members to unite and work toward success at the polls. “Anambra is a Labour Party stronghold,” Mr Etanabena said. APC’s candidate emerges too Meanwhile, Nicholas Ukachukwu, on Saturday, clinched the APC’s ticket for the governorship elections. Mr Ukachukwu, a former member of the House of Representatives, defeated his closest rival, Valentine Ozigbo, and other contenders by a landslide in the primary election held on Saturday. Mr Ukachukwu polled 1,455 votes while Mr Ozigbo secured 67 votes. In his victory specch, Mr Ukachukwu pledged to deliver the state to the APC. “We shall deliver Anambra to the APC. One thing I want to say here — nobody has won the governorship of Anambra without my support; it has never happened before,” he said. PDP postpones primaries The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which had earlier scheduled its primaries for Saturday, 5 April has postponed it till Tuesday, 8 April. The Anambra State chairperson of the party, Chidi Chidebe, said the National Secretariat approved the shift to complete necessary administrative processes and ensure a smooth exercise. | ANAMBRA GOVERNORSHIP ELECTIONS; PRIMARIES; | PREMIUMTIMES | ||||
| CHANNELS TV | 7 APRIL 2025 | Take it Back Movement defies Police warning, stage protests across states face tear gas | Young demonstrators under the aegis of the Take-It-Back Movement on Monday defied police warning and staged protests in Abuja, Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, among other states. Clad in their signature orange berets, the protesters began their rally in Lagos at the Ikeja Under Bridge, marching through major roads in the state capital while chanting solidarity songs, under the watchful eyes of police officers. The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) had earlier urged the movement to cancel its planned nationwide protest, describing the timing as “ill-conceived and mischievous.” However, in a swift response, activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore dismissed the police’s concerns, rejecting claims that the protest, scheduled for Monday, was intended to undermine the National Police Day celebration. The Take-It-Back movement protests are usually without any specific demands. The “Take It Back” movement has been active in organizing protests and making demands on various issues: The state of the Nigerian economy, the president’s declaration of state of emergency in Rivers State, among other issues. In Oyo, members of the Take-It-Back Movement protest held their peaceful demonstration in Ibadan, the state capital with security operatives on standby to ensure no breach of peace. Police Fire Teargas At Protesters The situation, however, turned awry in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, where police fired teargas at protesters at the Isaac Boro Park. “Nobody can tell us where not to gather, we are Rivers people,” the young demonstrators told the policemen who warned them not to hold the protest. Policemen gave the protesters a hot chase and beat up some of them including journalists reporting the event. The protesters had earlier told the policemen that they had informed the police command of their intention to stage the demonstration in a letter dated April 3, 2025. One of the protesters had told reporters that the “peaceful protest” was to express their grievances to the government. “We are not here for violence,” he had said. The demonstrator listed some of their grievances to include the repeal of the Cybercrime Act and the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. “As it is, we have no government. This government in Rivers State is alien to our people; it is unconstitutional. We are here to demand that our governor comes back to office and lead us appropriately. We have a social contract with the governor and not the sole administrator. This is democracy,” he said. Like Rivers State, policemen dispersed protesters with tear gas in Abuja. The protesters, who gathered at the Maitama area of the nation’s capital to express their grievances on Monday morning, were dispersed with tear gas canisters which sent many scampering for safety. The protest, which is part of a nationwide demonstration spearheaded by the Take-It-Back Movement and other civil society organisations, began earlier in the day to draw attention to several national issues. According to the organisers, key among their concerns is the alleged misuse of the Cybercrime Act, the worsening economic hardship in the country, and the state of emergency imposed by President Bola Tinubu on Rivers State. | TAKE IT BACK MOVEMENT; PROTEST; POLICE; TEAR GAS | CHANNELSTV | ||||
| CHANNELS TV | 10 APRIL 2025 | Labour Party Members meet with INEC, present Supreme Court judgment and ask to recognise Usman Nenadi as Chairman | Leaders of the opposition Labour Party on Wednesday marched to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, the nation’s capital. Led by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, the members were received by INEC National Commissioner, Sam Olumekun. They asked the electoral body to recognise Nenadi Usman as the LP chairman, days after the Supreme Court set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja recognising Abure as the National Chairman of the LP. In a unanimous judgment last week, a five-member panel of the apex court held that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to have pronounced Abure National Chairman of the LP, having earlier found that the substance of the case was about the party’s leadership. The court allowed the appeal filed by Senator Ester Usman, and one other and held that it was meritorious before subsequently proceeding to dismiss the cross-appeal filed by the Abure faction of the LP for being unmeritorious. Otti read out the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgement as delivered by Justice Inyang Okoro. “Consequent upon the foregoing, the decisions of both higher court and the court below recognize Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the first respondent and hereby set aside and suit number FXC is hereby struck out for want of jurisdiction,” Otti said. Advertisement “In the same vein, the first respondent, that is labour party under Abure, being an offshoot of the same judgement of the court is hereby dismissed. Before I am done, may I admonish political parties and their members to endeavour to always abide by their constitutions, rules, regulations and guidelines to guide them in choosing their officers as well as candidates? “That way, incessant internal risks which always find their way to court should be reduced. If the constitution of a political party has prescribed duration for tenure of office of an officer such as this one, such officer should be humble enough to leave at the expiration of the tenure. “In the final analysis, I find this appeal to be meritorious and is hereby allowed. The party shall bear their respective cost, appeal allowed. This is signed by Honorable Justice John Inyang Okoro, Justice of the Supreme Court.” | LABOUR PARTY; INEC; SUPREME COURT | CHANNELSTV | ||||
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