Politics

Labour Party sacks Edo excos, inaugurates caretaker committee

Published

8 months ago

May 28, 2024

The crisis rocking the Edo State chapter of the Labour Party ahead of the September 21, 2024, governorship election remains unabated as the Julius Abure-led national leadership of the party sacked the state executive led by Kelly Ogbaloi.

The national leadership then appointed Elizabeth Ativie, the former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, as the head of a 17-man caretaker committee.

The deputy national chairman of the party, Dr Ayo Olorunfemi, inaugurated the committee on Monday in a hotel in Benin City.

Olorunfemi, also named Ken Omusi, the suspended state youth leader of the party, who had earlier in the month purportedly sacked the state executives and appointed himself the acting chairman, a member of the committee.

While inaugurating the committee, Olorunfemi said the new leadership of the party in the state came on board due to the expiration of the tenure of the Ogbaloi-led executive council, which ended in April 2024.

He said the caretaker committee is expected to take charge of the affairs of the party until a fresh congress is conducted to elect a new executive.

He said Mrs Elizabeth Ativie was appointed as chairman of the committee due to her positive and result-oriented track records so far in all her political positions.

He called for unity in the party and assured that the party would be more united in Edo State with the Ativie-led committee.

In her acceptance remarks, the acting chairman of the party, Mrs Elizabeth Ativie, who commended the national leadership of the party for finding her worthy of the position, promised to move the party to a higher level in the state.

Ativie, who also promised to reconcile all aggrieved members of the party, added that a reconciliation team would be set up to resolve all pending issues.

When contacted, the embattled Kelly Ogbaloi, the sacked chairman of the party, said his executives are not aware of any changes in leadership in the state.

According to him: “We are not aware that the Edo State Labour Party executive has been dissolved because there is a process to all of these. No one man can just wake up one day and remove a structure that has been in existence.

“The National Working Committee of the party, led then by Julius Abure, reached an agreement that there would be no congress in Edo State until after the governorship election slated for September 21, 2024.

“It was agreed that the exco should be allowed to prosecute the state election, after which Congress can follow.”

Last Friday, the Kelly Ogbaloi-led state executive suspended Julius Abure as the national chairman of the party.

Meanwhile, a letter signed by Julius Abure said the new executives of the party are expected to work in conjunction with the party’s governorship candidate, Olumide Akapata, towards ensuring victory at the governorship election.

Politics

Just in: Senator Nwoko reportedly dumps PDP for APC

Published

14 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Austin Ojomah

Senator Ned Nwoko has announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The move, confirmed through reliable sources, has sparked discussions within political circles about its potential implications for the 2027 elections.

According to reports, Senator Nwoko’s decision to join the APC is influenced by speculation that former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is eyeing a Senate seat in the next electoral cycle.

This development is said to have prompted the senator to reconsider his political alliances, aligning with a party that may better support his future ambitions.

Senator Nwoko, who has been a prominent figure in Delta State politics and a key member of the PDP, is known for his strong advocacy for developmental projects and his stance on national unity.

Politics

Ighodalo’ V Okpebolo: PDP tenders 1000 documents at Edo Tribunal

Published

1 day ago

January 18, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21, 2024 Edo State governorship election, Dr Asue Ighodalo on Friday, opened his case challenging the victory of Sen. Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by tendering over 1000 documents used in the election, in support of his petition.

Ighodalo and th PDP in a petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024 are contesting Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) declaration of Okpebholo, winner of the election alleging that there were irregularities during the exercise.

Ighodalo claimed that he scored the highest valid votes and not Okpebholo and wondered why the INEC would declare him the winner.

When hearing resumes on Friday, the Lead counsel to the Petitioners, Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, tendered from the bar Certified True Copy (CTC) of Form EC8E which is the INEC’s final declaration result sheet of the poll in support of the petitioners’ cases.

Kenneth Mozia, who conducted the presentations at the instance of Oyeyipo also tendered CTC of Form EC8D; the summary of results from Local Government Areas Collation at the State Level.

Other documents tenders were Certified True Copies of Form EC8Cs, covering the 18 Local Government Areas in the state, CTC of Forms EC8B (Wards Results Sheets) used for the conduct of the election in the 192 Wards in the state were also tendered by Mozia, all in support of the petitioner’s cases.

The petitioners further tendered in evidence 320 Certified True Copies of Form EC8A documents (polling Units results sheets),

While presenting before the court 318 CTCs of INEC’s Polling Units Booklets, each containing Form EC25D, Mozia, again, tendered in court 58 CTCs of Form EC8A (IREV).

Reacting, counsel to INEC, Governor Monday Okpebholo and APC (1st to 3rd respondents), Kanu Agabi, SAN, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, and D.C. Denwigwe, SAN, who held the brief of Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, objected to the admissibility of the documents

The respondent’s counsel told the court that they would be abducing reasons for their objections to the petitioners’ CTC documents at the final address stage of the petition.

Justice Wilfred Kpochi led the tribunal in response provisionally admitted all the documents tendered in evidence and marked the same as exhibits.

“Learned counsel to the respondents shall state their reasons for their objections at the address stage”, Justice Kpochi held.

Hearing on the petition continues tomorrow, Saturday, December 18, 2024 as the petitioners are expected to tender more documents in support of their petitions.

Politics

Confusion at Edo Election Tribunal as APC supporters chase private security away

Published

2 days ago

January 17, 2025

Naijablitznews

There was confusion at the entrance of the courtroom where the Edo state Governorship election petition Tribunal were sitting as youth leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC chased out private security men believed to have been contracted by the Governorship aspirant of the PDP in the just concluded Edo Governorship election.

The drama started at the corridor leading to the courtroom when the APC youth leaders and their supporters were prevented from gaining access, before they mobilized their supporters to chase the security men who were dressed in black away.

Speaking to newsmen, two of the APC youth leaders identified as Comrade Kelly and Tony Kabaka, said they have to chase them away as only the DSS and policemen were permitted to provide security at the court.

Meanwhile, former deputy governor of Edo state Comrade Philip Shaibu and Asue Ighodalo of the PDP were present inside the courtroom while the drama lasted.