The Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sly Ezeokenwa, says Bianca Ojukwu remains a member of the party despite her appointment as a minister by President Bola Tinubu.

Bianca Ojukwu is one of the new ministers appointed by President Bola Tinubu when he reshuffled his cabinet in October.

Though she was not a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s widow was appointed as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Ezeokenwa, whose leadership of APGA got affirmation from the Supreme Court same day, confirmed that Bianca Ojukwu has not left APGA.

“I called on the president and I commend him on that appointment. She (Bianca) is a member of APGA, she is a BoT member of the party till date, she has not resigned her membership of the party. She had that appointment as a member of the party,” Ezeokenwa said.

The APGA chairman noted that the party granted Ojukwu permission to take up the ministerial assignment.

He stated that what the president did was what he has always advocated which is for members of opposition parties to be given opportunity to serve in Tinubu’s government.

“The earliest call I did to the president is to ensure now that you have won the election and the Supreme Court has affirmed your election as the president of Nigeria, it is now time to close ranks because the people that can help you achieve your manifesto are not domiciled within your party, you have technocrats that are in other political parties,” he said.

Ezeokenwa said that even though he is a leader of an opposition party, he still wishes that President Tinubu succeeds for the interest of Nigerians which is paramount.

The APGA leader maintained that Ojukwu’s appointment as a minister is a plus for the opposition party which according to him is ready to be part of an inclusive government.

In the judgment declaring Ezeokenwa as the authentic chairman of APGA on Wednesday, the apex court also awarded a N20 million fine against Edozie Njoku for filing a frivolous suit at FCT High Court, Bwari.

By Francesca Hangeior

The Supreme Court has affirmed Sly Ezeokenwa as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, putting to an end the party’s leadership dispute.

In two unanimous judgments on Wednesday, a five-member panel of the apex court held that Edozie Njoku wrongly laid claims to the APGA chairmanship.

In the judgment read by Justice Stephen Adah, the panel held that in its 2021 judgment, only declaratory reliefs were granted and the reliefs are not executory.

He added that there was no order or orders in the 2021 judgment to be executed.

The apex court noted that in its earlier judgment, it held that the issue of party leadership or who becomes the chairman of a political party is an internal affair to the party.

Justice Adah held that it was wrong for Njoku to have gone before the lower court to seek enforcement in a judgment that had nothing to be enforced as no executory reliefs were granted.

Justice Adah, then advised judges of the lower courts to be cautious, noting that the judges of the trial court and the Court of Appeal, who declared Njoku as the APGA chairman were wrong to have heard his (Njoku’s) suit.

He proceeded to set aside the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on June 28, 2024, which affirmed the judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in Abuja, declaring Njoku as the APGA chairman.

25 state governments will be beneficiaries of the newly approved $500m World Bank loan to improve water resource management for hydropower and irrigation.

This was as the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Ministry of Power, on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Bank for the implementation of the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria project.

The signing ceremony was attended by the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, and the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu.

The latest development was disclosed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Minister of Power on Strategic Communication and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, in Abuja.

The states include Benue, Katsina, Akwa Ibom, Niger, Gombe, Sokoto, Enugu, Bauchi, Cross River, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Kebbi, Plateau, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Abia, Kwara, Imo, Taraba, Kano, Delta, Osun, Jigawa, Edo, and Kogi.

The statement noted that the initiative aims to enhance dam safety, improve water resource management, and boost hydropower and irrigation systems nationwide.

“The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Ministry of Power have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria project.

“The 500 million dollar World Bank SPIN project aims to enhance dam safety and improve water resource management for hydropower and irrigation across 25 states.

In his address, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, emphasised the partnership’s importance in advancing sustainable hydropower development and enhancing Nigeria’s energy security.

He disclosed that despite abundant water resources, only 2 per cent of the country’s 14-gigawatt hydropower potential has been utilized, leaving vast opportunities untapped.

He said, “Hydropower currently contributes about 20 per cent of Nigeria’s grid supply, with a potential estimated at 14GW (14000 megawatts) of which only 15 per cent has been tapped.

“This collaboration underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to leveraging our natural resources for sustainable development.

“Through SPIN, we aim to optimize water resources to provide clean and reliable energy while supporting irrigation and agriculture for enhanced food security.”

Adelabu highlighted the MoU as a key step toward harnessing renewable energy, optimizing natural resources, and diversifying the energy mix in line with the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan.

He noted the initiative’s potential to transform the energy landscape and provide sustainable power for millions.

He further stated that under the current federal government administration, measures such as the Electricity Act 2023 are decentralizing the electricity market and enabling subnational governments’ participation.

Adelabu stressed the role of decentralized power systems in enhancing reliability and reducing risks to the national grid.

He also pointed out northern Nigeria’s solar potential, with 8 to 12 hours of daily sunshine, and reaffirmed the commitment to leveraging hydropower and fostering partnerships for a sustainable energy future.

Utsev described the SPIN project as pivotal to boosting food production, creating jobs, and strengthening Nigeria’s economy.

He commended the World Bank as a trusted partner in the country’s development, highlighting the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria project, which concludes in January 2025, as a foundation for innovative solutions in water and agriculture.

As Chairman of the SPIN Preparatory Team, Utsev reaffirmed the ministries’ and partners’ full commitment to the project’s success, expressing confidence in its potential to address Nigeria’s irrigation needs and deliver significant benefits to citizens.

“We are confident that the SPIN project will build on this legacy by boosting food production and meeting the irrigation needs of our growing population,” he added.

“Our collective efforts have brought us to this significant moment, and I am confident that SPIN will deliver the tangible benefits Nigerians are eagerly anticipating,” he said.