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Ondo guber: Court dumps suit challenging Aiyedatiwa deputy’s qualifications
The Federal High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital, has trashed the suit challenging the qualifications of Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Olayide Adelami, both candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 16 governorship election in the state.
The suit was filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the election, Agboola Ajayi, through his legal counsel, M Ndoka (SAN).
Delivering his judgement, the Presiding judge, Justice Toyin Bolaji Adegoke declared that the plaintiff lacked locus standi to file the suit
She added that the case filed by Ajayi and his party, the PDP, was statute-barred, being filed outside the 14 days required by the Electoral Act.
Justice Adegoke therefore ruled that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the suit, having filed through originating summons instead of a Writ of Summons.
In his originating summons, the plaintiff said the first defendant, the APC deputy governorship candidate, Adelami, is known by multiple conflicting and irreconcilable names of Adelami Owolabi Jackson and Olaide Owolabi Adelami; arguing that with the conflicting names, the court should disqualify him and the governorship candidate.
He therefore sought a “Declaration that the APC has no validly nominated governorship and deputy governorship candidate for the 2024 election”.
Ajayi asked for an order disqualifying the defendants from participating in the election and order and restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from publishing their names or allowing them to participate in the election.
However, Remi Olatubora (SAN), Counsel to Adelami, argued that the West African Examination Council (WAEC) result has the name Adelami Owolabi Jackson in 1974 and that a degree certificate from Ambrose Alli University issued in 1982 has the name Adelami Olaide Owolabi.
Olatubora said the grievance of the plaintiffs is not about discrepancies in the name but the order or arrangements of the names.
Other defence counsels, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) who represented Governor Aiyedatiwa, the second defendant, Ebun Adegboruwa (SAN) who represented the APC, and Charles Edosan (SAN) who represented INEC, agree with the position of Dr. Olatubora.
According to Olatubora, the plaintiffs have no right to file the suit following section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022 because they are not members of All Progressives Congress and did not participate in the primaries that the governorship primary that produced Adelami and Aiyedatiwa as candidates.
He submitted that “The plaintiffs lack the locus standi to file the suit or seek the reliefs set out in the originating summons; adding that the suit as a matter of law does not qualify as a pre-election matter, and this court lacks jurisdiction.”
The presiding judge ruled that the issue involving certificate forgery and perjury was criminal, which required the calling of evidence from the authorities that issued the certificates in question.
According to her, Section 29 of the Electoral Act made provision for who can challenge the candidate of political parties.
She noted that the fact that PDP and Ajayi are not aspirants in the APC primary that produced Aiyedatiwa and Adelami as candidates rubbed them off any legal right to challenge their qualifications.
Justice Adegoke, therefore declared that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the case, dismissed it and resolved all issues in favour of the defendants.
Ex- Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and rejoined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Shekarau announced his defection on Sunday at his residence on Mundubawa Avenue in Kano, which was decorated with APC posters.
As reported by Daily Trust, he left the party alongside Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo, a chieftain of the PDP.
Addressing party loyalists, Shekarau said the decision followed wide consultations and careful consideration of available political options.
“We have weighed all the options and arrived at this collective resolution. Do you all agree?” he asked, urging anyone opposed to the move to speak up.
The move comes hours after he submitted his resignation letter from the PDP.
In the letter dated April 19, 2026, and addressed to the PDP Chairman of Giginyu Ward in Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State, Shekarau said his exit took immediate effect.
“Accept this letter please as notice of my resignation from my position as member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with effect from today,” he wrote.
He expressed appreciation to party leadership at the ward level.
“I thank you for being a good leader, and pray that Allah will continue to guide you in your stewardship,” he added.
The letter was also copied to the Kano State PDP Chairman and the PDP Chairman of Nassarawa Local Government Area, indicating formal notification across party structures.
Shekarau’s move follows months of speculation fuelled by the PDP’s internal crisis.
In April, during a visit by APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, Shekarau hinted at his impending exit from the PDP, describing the opposition party as afflicted by problems that had rendered it ineffective.
He also held closed-door meetings with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf.
Shekarau, who governed Kano State from 2003 to 2011 under the All Nigeria Peoples Party, has a history of party switches.
He was a founding member of the APC but later defected.
He left the PDP in 2018 and returned to the APC before he later crossed carpet.
Punch
By Gloria Ikibah
A member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Leke Abejide, has cautioned Nigerians against allowing economic strain to fracture their marriages, urging couples to remain grounded in shared values despite mounting pressures.
Speaking in Abuja during a thanksgiving service marking his wife’s 50th birthday alongside their 20th wedding anniversary, the Kogi lawmaker stressed that difficult times should not erode family stability.
He emphasised that enduring relationships are sustained through love, patience and mutual respect, noting that strong homes are built on understanding and a shared commitment to faith.
Abejide underscored the importance of staying united through hardship, warning that financial challenges, though real, should not outweigh the deeper foundations that hold families together.
“You sustain marriage with love as it is written in the book of Ephesians Chapter 5 — husbands should love their wives and wives should submit to their husbands. This principle has been working for us,” he said.
Abejide observed that despite widespread complaints about economic challenges, many Nigerians continue to make significant investments.
He said: “My message to Nigerians is: don’t allow hunger and hardship to take away your marriage. Let God be your foundation. When you have God, things will fall into place.
“You see people building houses, they say there is no money. You see estates springing up, people buying vehicles and travelling abroad. So we must not allow temporary hardship to destroy our homes,” he said.
In her remark, Deaconess Esther Abejide credited the strength of her two-decade marriage to a foundation built on patience, mutual understanding and genuine affection.
Reflecting on the journey, she highlighted the central role of faith and sacrifice in sustaining a lasting union.
“The secret is love and understanding. Couples must understand each other, know what their partner likes and dislikes. With that, the marriage will last.
“With God in the marriage, through prayer and even fasting, it will stand,” she said.
Speaking on balancing life as the spouse of a public office holder with her religious commitments, she described the experience as smooth and fulfilling, noting that her natural disposition has made the transition easier.
“It is easy for me because I love people and I am always happy to be around them, so it has not been difficult to cope,” she said.
Also at the event, Senator Sunday Karimi shared a hopeful outlook on the country’s economic trajectory, urging Nigerians to remain patient as reforms under President Bola Tinubu continue to unfold.
“There is hope. There is a renewed hope. Let me tell you what is happening, we are graduating from an economy that has no direction. When the country starts printing money, it’s a fake country. That was what was happening.
“But Tinubu came and said no. Let’s run a perfect economy. It’s not been easy. But I can promise you, we are moving to the promised land. Our economy is getting better. Don’t mind the borrowing they are talking about. Check the US and their debt. It’s in trillions of dollars but the economy is running well.
“Look at Lagos. Lagos is a shining example of a state that we ought to look up to in Nigeria. That is what Tinubu is doing for us. We need to be patient. Nigeria is getting better. By God’s grace, he is coming back to continue the work he is doing”, he said.
Karimi dismissed opposition coalition efforts, describing the actors as “the same old politicians” with nothing new to offer the country.
The celebration drew a mix of political allies, relatives and close friends, all turning out to mark the couple’s milestone. The occasion was further highlighted by the presentation of an 18-seater bus to the church as part of the festivities.
All 13 passengers abducted along the Makurdi–Otukpo road in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State have been successfully rescued.
The victims were reportedly freed in the early hours of Sunday, following what sources described as a coordinated effort.
Meanwhile, official confirmation and operational details are still being awaited at the time of filing this report.
The abduction had earlier raised concerns among residents and commuters along the busy Makurdi–Otukpo axis, a route that has witnessed sporadic security challenges in recent times.
Security agencies are yet to issue a formal statement on the circumstances surrounding both the abduction and the subsequent rescue.
It also remains unclear whether any arrests were made or if ransom was involved.
Local sources, however, expressed relief over the safe return of the victims, describing the development as a significant breakthrough amid ongoing security concerns in the area.
The spokesperson of the Benue state Police command, DSP Udeme Edet could not be reached to confirm the story as at the time of filing this report.
BREAKING: Ex-Kano gov, Ibrahim Shekarau goes back to APC
Hardship Not a Licence for Broken Homes – Abejide Tells Couples
All 13 kidnapped Otukpo passengers, successfully rescued
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