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LG Polls: Oyo APC drags governor, OYSIEC to court
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to court over its exclusion from the forthcoming local government elections in the state.
Also joined in the suit was the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission(OYSIEC).
Oyo State Caretaker Chairman of APC, Chief Akin Oke, confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday in Ibadan.
Oke said the APC, through its lawyers, had prepared the originating processes and forwarded same to the state’s Chief Judge.
He expressed the hope that the case would be attended to timeously by accepting it for filing and assigning it to a judge for hearing.
Our correspondent reports that Makinde had on assumption of office in 2019 sacked the elected local government chairmen and councillors on the platform of APC, a year into their tenure.
The sacked chairmen and councillors had approached the court to challenge the dissolution, which the Supreme Court ruled in their favour on May 7, 2021
Our correspondent recalled that the OYSIEC had before the judgment commenced electoral processes for the conduct of local government elections for May 22, in which APC did not participate on account of the pending judgment.
Oke said that the courts were imbued with extensive powers under the High Court Laws of Oyo State, Nigerian Constitution and High Court Civil Procedure Rules of Oyo State.
“Gov. Makinde and OYSIEC are planning to go ahead with the conduct of the local government elections slated for this Saturday (May 22) without the APC and other registered political parties.
“This action of the governor and OYSIEC is a waste of the state’s resources. The action is aimed at making mockery of democracy and the rule of law,” he said.
Oke described APC’s exclusion from the elections by OYSIEC as deliberate and unconstitutional, adding that OYSIEC goofed by commencing the process while there was pending litigation.
He also noted that OYSIEC had in its guidelines imposed a nomination form fee of N250,000 and N100,000 to be paid by the chairmanship and councillorship aspirants, respectively.
“These fees are illegal because election processes cannot be monetised. The OYSIEC having realised this illegal imposition of fees have now decided to refund the candidates.
“But not after OYSIEC had closed every avenue for participation in the electoral processes,” he said.
The caretaker chairman said that the APC said was aware that some Magistrate Courts in Oyo State are sitting over criminal matters considered urgent, in spite of the ongoing JUSUN strike.
“If the Oyo State judiciary could permit criminal matters to be heard in a strike, we trust his lordship, the chief judge would mandate the necessary units and personnel to effect filing, as well as assigning timeously before election day,” Oke said.
By: Fabian Apechihin
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, has resigned from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet amid a growing controversy surrounding his academic credentials.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed Nnaji’s resignation in a statement issued late Tuesday.
Nnaji’s exit follows mounting allegations that his academic certificates were forged. Investigations revealed that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), disowned the Bachelor of Science degree he claimed to possess, stating that he never completed his studies at the institution and was therefore not issued any certificate.
According to UNN Vice-Chancellor Prof. Simon U. Ortuanya, Nnaji was admitted in 1981 but failed to meet the requirements for graduation.
In a related development, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) reportedly disowned the certificate of national service presented by Nnaji, describing it as fake.
His resignation marks the latest in a series of controversies to hit the Tinubu administration over questions of integrity and accountability among public officials.
INEC chairman, prof. Mahmood Yakubu has concluded his second tenure as INEC chairman today.
After ten years in office, prof. Mahmood yakubu handed over to inec national commissioner, May Agbamuche Mbu, as acting INEC chairman, pending the appointment of a new INEC chairman by the president.
The handing over was made during a meeting with resident electoral commissioners
Israel Launches Heavy Airstrikes in Gaza as Ceasefire Talks Collapse
Tensions in the Middle East have surged once again as Israel carried out a series of heavy airstrikes on Gaza late Sunday night, following the collapse of ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
According to international reports, the strikes targeted areas suspected of housing Hamas infrastructure, including tunnels, weapons storage sites, and command centers. Witnesses described powerful explosions that lit up the night sky, with plumes of smoke and debris rising across Gaza City. Emergency responders have been racing to rescue civilians trapped under the rubble, while hospitals struggle to cope with a growing number of casualties.
The Palestinian health ministry reported several deaths and dozens of injuries, though the exact figures remain unclear amid the chaos.
The renewed violence follows weeks of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas aimed at achieving a durable ceasefire and improving humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Sources close to the negotiations said discussions collapsed over disputes concerning prisoner swaps, border access, and security assurances.
Israeli officials said the airstrikes were a “necessary response” to continued rocket attacks from Gaza, while Hamas vowed swift retaliation.
The United Nations, the European Union, and several world leaders have called for restraint and a resumption of dialogue to prevent the situation from spiraling into a wider conflict. Meanwhile, civilians on both sides continue to bear the brunt of the violence—facing blackouts, food shortages, and growing fear as hopes for peace once again fade.
BREAKING: Tinubu’s Minister, Uche Nnaji, Resigns Amid Certificate Forgery Scandal
INEC Chairman, Yakubu Hands Over
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