Justice Adedapo Adeniji of Osun State High Court, Ile-Ife on Thursday adjourned for hearing of pending applications or an update on out-of-court settlement in the lawsuit filed by the APC and its 19 disqualified candidates seeking to stop Osun State Independent Electoral Commission from going ahead with the local government elections scheduled to hold on February 22.

The suit has the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, Governor Ademola Adeleke, and the State Attorney General as defendants.

The plaintiffs are seeking to halt the elections having alleged irregularities and exclusion from the upcoming polls.

The claimants are through their counsel, Mr Muhydeen Adeoye seeking the invalidation of the amended election notice published by OSSIEC on July 18, 2024, and the inclusion of the disqualified candidates if the local government elections will be held as planned.

[email protected] learned that during Thursday’s court session that was presided over by Justice Adedapo Adeniji, counsel for the All Peoples Party, Monruf Adediran, sought to join the suit while counsel for the State Attorney General, Mr Deji Atoyebi, however requested more time to respond to the application.

OSSIEC’s counsel, Mr Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), however proposed an out-of-court settlement but this was not without a quid pro quo.

Adeoye acknowledged the time-sensitive nature of the matter and promised to consult his clients on the proposed out-of- court settlement, showing readiness to present their decision at the next court date.

Justice Adeniji later adjourned the case until January 17, 2025, for the hearing of the pending applications or an update on out-of-court settlement .

In what could be described as massive waste of scarce resources, the Chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Chijioke Ihunwo, has appointed 130 special assistants.

Ihunwo, who announced the appointments in a post on X on Wednesday, saying the appointment takes immediate effect.

Some of the appointees are Helen Nyekwere, Josephine Wogu, Daisy Worgu, Wagwu Hilda, Ogbonna Stella, Goodness Ogbonna, and Grace Amadi.

He said the new appointees “must serve diligently”.

“I have appointed the following persons as my Special Assistants,” he said. “I congratulate them, and call on them to serve diligently, in the interest of Obio/Akpor local government. Their appointments takes immediate effect.”

This is the second time he would appoint over 100 aides.

I expressed my gratitude to the esteemed leadership of ward six in Obio/Akpor local government for their unwavering support. Their solidarity visit to me at the Council Secretariat was a testament to their commitment to standing by me. It was a moment of deep appreciation as I… pic.twitter.com/H6Heu4VaSE

— Chijioke Ihunwo (@AmbChijioke) January 4, 2025

In July 2024, when he was caretaker committee chairman of the LGA, Ihunwo appointed 100 special assistants.

Ihunwo, an ally of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, yanked the name of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, off the administrative block of the council secretariat.

Wike and Fubara are political foes who have been locked in a supremacy battle in the state.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership crisis escalting as Sunday Ude-Okoye and Senator Sam Anyanwu continue to lay claim to the position of National Secretary.

Naijablitznews learnt that the situation has created divisions within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and Board of Trustees (BoT), threatening to destabilize the opposition party as its national secretariat reopens after the Yuletide break.

Sunday Ude-Okoye, recently declared the National Secretary by the Court of Appeal in Enugu, has gained the backing of several NWC members and BoT leaders. However, Senator Anyanwu insists he remains the legitimate officeholder, citing his pending appeal at the Supreme Court to uphold the status quo.

“I remain the National Secretary. The status quo is intact because my appeal is ongoing,” Anyanwu told Nigerian Tribune on Wednesday, dismissing Ude-Okoye’s authority to assume the position.

The Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Ude-Okoye, affirming his nomination by the PDP’s South East Zone as Anyanwu’s replacement following the latter’s resignation to contest the Imo State governorship election.

After his electoral defeat, Anyanwu returned to reclaim the position, arguing that the office was never vacant.

Ude-Okoye, however, asserts that his nomination and the court’s ruling confirm his legitimacy. His presence at the party’s Wadata Plaza secretariat during the holidays signals his intent to assume full office control.

The conflict has raised concerns about the PDP’s adherence to its constitution and internal governance. Senator Anyanwu argues that the Court of Appeal overstepped by intervening in what he views as internal party matters. He also accuses Ude-Okoye of bypassing the party’s internal dispute resolution mechanisms, a violation of PDP rules.

Additionally, Anyanwu questioned the jurisdiction of the judiciary in resolving leadership disputes within political parties, maintaining that such matters are not justiciable.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, confirmed the party’s receipt of the Appeal Court ruling on December 24, 2024, and reiterated the party’s commitment to the rule of law.

“As a law-abiding party, we respect judicial pronouncements and will uphold this culture,” Ologunagba stated.

As the PDP secretariat reopens, both factions are expected to take steps to strengthen their claims. While Ude-Okoye’s supporters are preparing for his formal assumption of office, Anyanwu’s camp remains resolute in defending his position.