By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

In a counter-affidavit filed by INEC,
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it no longer recognises Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), declaring his continued claim to the position as “illegal and unconstitutional.”

According to INEC, Abure’s tenure, along with that of the party’s national working committee, expired in June 2024.

In a counter-affidavit filed by INEC, the electoral body responded to a lawsuit by the Labour Party, which challenged its exclusion from the commission’s refresher training for uploading party agents ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

INEC argued that the party’s leadership, including Abure, is invalid and that the March 2024 National Convention that re-elected Abure as chairman violated both the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act.
INEC emphasised, “It only deals with parties that have legitimate leadership in place.”

The electoral body, through its legal team led by Tanko Inuwa, SAN, also stated that the Labour Party’s suit sought declaratory reliefs that could not be granted based on admissions alone, asserting that the party needed to prove its case.

Due to the failure of the Labour Party to meet legal requirements for holding its national convention, INEC argued, the party no longer has valid leadership.

The commission urged the court to dismiss the Labour Party’s suit, maintaining, “The Labour Party is not entitled to the reliefs it is seeking.”
SaharaReporters had reported that during a press conference in Abuja, Abure had refuted allegations of embezzlement, asserting that he had no direct access to or involvement with the campaign funds.

“The party and I have been accused of being responsible for Peter Obi’s failure in the 2023 general election. They stated that the campaign, election donations and funds for the payment of agents were mismanaged by the party hence Peter Obi failed in the election,” Abure had stated.

He had alleged, “The election funding was done by Obi himself. As per the donations, the party was not involved. The signatories to these accounts were Aisha Yesufu and Pastor Itua Ighodalo. They were equally responsible for the payment of Polling Unit Agents.”

While reacting to Abure’s comment in a viral video posted on her official YouTube account, Yesufu, who is also the chairman of the campaign fundraising team, called Abure “very shameless” for claiming that polling unit agents were not paid.

She questioned, “What happened to all the millions that people used to buy tickets? You couldn’t use any of it to pay agents.”

She accused Abure of engaging in outdated practices, saying, “Abure thinks it is in those days when they were doing unionism when nobody had access to the internet, and nobody kept records. They would say anything and get away with it.”

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Barr Nyesom Wike has moved to ensure that the cost of construction is reduced in the Territory.

He took this position during an inspection tour to Zeberced Limited Quarry Saturday in Abuja which is the largest in the whole of West Africa.

Wike, who was amazed at the scale of operations, described it as a game-changer for the construction industry in the region.

He said: “It’s a factory right here in the FCT, and the Managing Director has always invited me to see the facility, which is the biggest quarry in West Africa. I had never been here before, but today, I’ve taken the opportunity to assess the environment and see firsthand the incredible work being done,” Wike remarked during his tour of the factory.

The minister’s visit comes amidst rising construction costs in the capital city.

Wike stressed that the abundant availability of raw materials within the FCT should, in fact, lower construction expenses, particularly when it comes to aggregates used in building roads and infrastructure

He stated, “That shows that ordinarily, the cost of construction ought not to be very expensive, particularly in the FCT. Apart from the equipment that is imported, the raw material is available here. I wonder why contractors should be talking about the high cost of aggregates as if these materials are imported they’re made right here.”

With over 800 workers directly employed at the quarry, Wike commended the company’s contribution to job creation and local economic growth.
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He further revealed that the same company is spearheading the development of an industrial park at Idu, a project the FCT Administration is fully supporting.

“I sent out a letter to the Ministry of Finance just yesterday to facilitate some tax credits, which will enable them to carry out the expansion of a single-carriage road to a double-carriage way, a project currently being handled by Salini Construction Company. We’re giving them all the necessary support to make this a reality,” Wike added.
The minister, visibly impressed by the quarry’s operations, expressed some concerns about the environmental impact but was reassured that all assessments were up to standard. “My only concern was the environmental impact assessments, but I’ve been assured that everything is in compliance. I’m very impressed with what I’ve seen here.”

Wike’s visit underscores the FCT Administration’s focus on driving industrial growth while encouraging local manufacturing to support infrastructure development.

With local resources available, he emphasized the need for contractors to re-evaluate pricing structures, particularly in the FCT, to reflect the advantages of sourcing materials locally.

Wike’s endorsement of the quarry and the upcoming industrial park at Idu marks a step towards a more sustainable and cost-efficient approach to construction in the capital, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s vision for economic growth and infrastructural development.