Politics
Sylva, APC Close Petition Against Diri After Calling 52 Witnesses
The All Progressives Congress (APC), and its candidate in the November 2023 Governorship Election in Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, have formally closed their petition challenging the declaration of Governor Douye Diri as winner of the election.
Sylva, who was present at Tuesday’s proceedings and the APC, closed their case after calling 52 witnesses to testify to substantiate their allegations against the conduct and the declaration of results in the November 11 governorship election.
During the day’s proceedings, one of the witnesses, a former Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa State, Akeem Alausa, testified in favour of the petitioners and tendered several exhibits to support his testimony.
During cross-examination, the witness admitted that his role during the election was seen as controversial and that several protests were held for and against his further stay as police commissioner in the state.
He also denied ever working for Sylva and he tendered a list of policemen that were stationed at polling units on election day.
He also admitted that although 16 political parties participated in the governorship election, he did not make any witness statement on oath for 15 other parties except the APC and that his evidence was based on Nembe, Ogbia and Southern-Ijaw local government areas where election results are being challenged.
The Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Adekunle Adeleye subsequently adjourned the case to March 4, 2024 for the defendants to open their defence.
Politics
Drama At Taraba PDP Congress As Committee Announces Two Chairmen
Confusion erupted on Saturday (today) during the Taraba State congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after members of the congress committee reportedly announced two different individuals as the party’s consensus chairman.
The development sparked outrage among delegates and party faithful, triggering heated arguments and protests at the congress venue.
The drama reportedly began when a member of the congress committee announced Victor Samuel Falack as the consensus chairman of the party in the state.
Party members present at the venue were said to have applauded the announcement and affirmed Falack’s nomination, believing the process had been concluded.
Observers at the congress said the declaration was initially received with excitement, as many delegates appeared satisfied that the party had reached a consensus.
However, the situation took a dramatic turn moments later when another member of the committee, reportedly arriving from Abuja, interrupted the proceedings and announced a different individual as the party’s chairman.
The sudden reversal created confusion among delegates, many of whom began questioning the development and demanding clarification from the congress committee.
The conflicting declarations immediately sparked heated exchanges among party members and supporters at the venue.
The disagreement soon degenerated into chaos as some aggrieved delegates and party faithful stormed out of the congress venue in protest.
Witnesses said the protesters chanted slogans and insisted that the earlier declaration of Falack as the consensus candidate be respected.
Some party members also described the newly announced chairman as “unknown” within the party’s structure in the state.
They accused members of the congress committee of attempting to impose a candidate on the party against the wishes of delegates.
Efforts by some party officials to calm the tense situation reportedly failed as tensions among supporters continued to rise.
As of the time of filing this report, the final outcome of the Congress remained uncertain.
Concerned party members have since called on the national leadership of the PDP to urgently intervene and clarify the conflicting announcements in order to prevent further crisis within the party in Taraba State.
Politics
ADC release 2026 nationwide congress, national convention timetable
The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has announced the official schedule of activities for the conduct of its 2026 nationwide congresses and national convention.
In a statement released by the party, the ADC said the exercise forms part of its constitutional responsibility to renew leadership structures across all levels of the organisation.
According to the party, the process will begin at the grassroots level and progress through the various tiers of the party structure, starting from polling units and wards, through local government and state levels, before culminating in the National Convention.
The party explained that the congresses are aimed at strengthening its internal democratic processes and repositioning the party ahead of future political activities.
The timetable approved by the party leadership is as follows:
Polling Unit and Ward Congresses: Tuesday, 7 April 2026
Local Government Area Congresses: Thursday, 9 April 2026
State Congresses: Saturday, 11 April 2026
National Convention: Tuesday, 14 April 2026
The ADC urged members across the country to participate actively in the process to ensure a smooth and transparent exercise.
Politics
Omisore drops court case challenging APC gov primary in Osun
The campaign organisation of former senator Iyiola Omisore says he has already withdrawn the lawsuit he filed over the disqualification of several governorship aspirants ahead of the All Progressives Congress governorship primary in Osun State.
In a statement released on Thursday in Osogbo, the organisation’s Director-General, Ajibola Famurewa, said the case had been discontinued.
According to the statement, the suit, marked FHC/OS/CS/261/2025 – Senator Iyiola Omisore v. APC & ANR, was initiated after the party’s screening panel reportedly disqualified seven out of the eight aspirants seeking the APC ticket.
The campaign organisation explained that the legal action was intended to test the legality of the screening panel’s decision, which it believed contravened provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.
The clarification comes amid renewed attention to the case after details of Omisore’s suit against the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission resurfaced, sparking concerns within the party as political activities intensify ahead of the August 15 governorship election in the state.
In the originating summons dated December 9, 2025, Omisore had asked a Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo to determine whether the APC had the authority to introduce qualification or disqualification conditions for aspirants beyond those stipulated in the 1999 Constitution.
Among the reliefs sought was a declaration that the party lacked the power to disqualify him from participating in the governorship primary, since he had met the constitutional requirements outlined in Sections 177 and 182 of the Constitution.
Part of the originating summons read, “AN ORDER voiding and/or setting aside the purported disqualification of the plaintiff as an aspirant at the 1st defendant governorship primary election for the election of a governorship candidate to represent the 1st Defendant at the Osun State forthcoming Governorship Election, having failed to comply with the requirement for the nomination of candidate for election under Section 84 (2) & (3) of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended).”
Omisore also asked the court to invalidate the alleged disqualification and compel the APC to recognise him as an aspirant in its governorship primary.
He further sought an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising any primary election conducted by the party to nominate its governorship candidate for the Osun election.
The suit, filed through his lawyer Kolawole Salami before Justice Adefunmilola Demi-Ajayi, became widely known after a court log showing cases scheduled for March 2 circulated on social media, where the matter appeared as the 11th on the list.
However, the campaign organisation said the legal action was later discontinued following interventions by senior party leaders, including President Bola Tinubu and Bisi Akande.
“Upon the intervention of the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande and other well-meaning leaders that led to Senator Omisore’s engagement of the media on a national television to follow the party’s decision and to honour Mr President,” the statement said.
The organisation also accused some individuals of distorting the situation in a way that could trigger unnecessary anxiety within the party.
It urged members of the APC and the public to ignore reports suggesting the case remains before the court and called for unity within the party as preparations continue for the forthcoming governorship election.
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