The leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Southwest at the weekend made clarification on the new membership of the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) , Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and others who recently joined the party.

According to the party,  new members are expected to play the game by the rules , and not to hijack the party from those who are there before them.

Speaking at a meeting of the party during an Iftar organized by the Oyo State chapter of the party for stakeholders in the 11 local governments in Ibadanland, the leader of SDP in the South West,  Hon. Mulikat Adeola Akande declared that the party will take careful measure to ensure that only candidates that are tested and trusted are presented in the 2027 general elections.

On the defection of former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to the SDP, Hon Mulikat Akande said “politics is a game of numbers and anybody who wants to come into SDP is welcome as long as they are ready to play by the rules of the party and not with the mind of taking the party from those who are there before.”

She said she was not aware that the motive of  the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, to join the SDP is to become the presidential candidate of the party in 2027.

Hon Akande , while commenting on the chances of the party, said the SDP would ensure that only credible candidates are allowed to fly the party’s flag in the next general elections.

“ You don’t just sit down and say you want to win election and then go and bring out anybody. We must have the right candidates, somebody tested and trusted,who has integrity that when people hears his name they can rely on him. Someone who is dependable and reliable who will work for the people and not for himself. Those are the qualities we are looking for,” she said

Hon Akande further charged party faithful to remain loyal to the party so as to ensure its success at the polls urging intending members to register at their various wards.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has outlined the complexities and costs involved in the recall process, likening it to organising a full election.

These were communicated on Saturday via X Spaces as the commission discussed “INEC Regulations and Guidelines for recall 2024. BVAS and IREV: Facts and Myths.”

The Special Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mohammed Kuna, explained that a recall election involves significant resources, including staff mobilisation, technology, and recall material deployments, and transportation.

He noted that the process is more expensive than a senatorial election, requiring efforts equivalent to conducting three such elections.

“A recall process is like conducting an election itself. It has to do with mobilisation of staff, deployments of recall materials, technologies, transportation, among others.

“A recall process is like conducting three senatorial district elections because we will go back to the field three times. It is more expensive than conducting a senatorial election.”

Also, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to following legal guidelines in the event of a recall.

“If constituents express the desire for a recall and fulfill the necessary requirements, we will proceed accordingly,” Oyekanmi said.

He added that if a seat in the National Assembly becomes vacant and INEC is informed by the Presiding Officers, a by-election would be conducted.

Regarding the financial aspects, Oyekanmi assured that INEC has provisions in place for all potential scenarios.

“We prepare for all situations, as we are aware of the unpredictability of electoral events,” he stated, ensuring that the Commission is ready for any developments.

INEC received a petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District.

The petition, presented on behalf of the constituents by Charity Ijese, was received and stamped by INEC’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, on Monday at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

The recall petition followed a series of contentious events involving Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended from the Senate on March 6 for alleged “gross misconduct” after a dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

She had previously accused Akpabio of sexual harassment.
The constituents, who claim to have met the constitutional requirements for the recall process, stated that over 200,000 registered voters, more than half of the district’s electorate, signed the petition.

The commission further confirmed that a letter containing the telephone numbers, email addresses, and other contact information of the petitioners’ representatives was submitted on Wednesday to the Commission’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

The commission noted that the next phase in the process would involve INEC verifying whether the petition has been endorsed by more than 50 percent of the registered voters in Kogi Central.

The National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of the Labour Party has asked the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) to charge the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure and three others to court over allegations of perjury, forgery and criminal conspiracy.

The committee also wants Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Ojukwu clement and Edward Nkwegu Okereke charged for the same offence by the AGF.

Addressing reporters on Monday in Abuja, Acting chairman of the Labour Party (LP) National Caretaker Committee (NCC), Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku urged the AGF to bring the “suspects to Court within seven (7) days, as directed by the Inspector General of Police, IGP.”

He said: “The Labour Party LP wishes to commend the Commissioner of Police, Legal Prosecution Section, Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Force Headquarters Abuja, FCT in the Office of the Inspector General of Police, IGP who wrote to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice on the 25th October 2023, forwarding the duplicate case diary after establishing a culpable PRIMA FACIE case for which the Inspector General of Police, IGP authorised the prosecution of Julius Abure, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Ojukwu clement and Edward Nkwegu in the referenced case of perjury, forgery and criminal conspiracy CR: 3100/ X/LEG/FHQ /ABJ/VOL.II/1 dated 25th October, 2023.

“This demand to ensure that Julius Abure and others are prosecuted without further delays is additionally a public consensus in collaboration with the over 500 civil society organisation (CSO), and all the conveners of anti-corruption initiatives that shall mobilise not less 1000 persons per group to demand for the immediate prosecution of Julius Abure, Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Ojukwu clement and others in line with this press briefing.

“That the The Labour Party National Caretake Committee, NCC has noted with great bewilderment how the suspects Julius Abure goes about bragging and boasting that as far as his sister remains the permanent secretary of Ministry of Justice in Abuja, that nobody can prosecute him nor his criminal accomplices.

“That these criminal elements violated with impunity the FCT High Court Restraining Order of 4th April 2023 that restrained Julius Abure, Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim, Ojukwu clement for perjury, forgery and criminal conspiracy from parading themselves as National officials of the Labour Party LP and how they proceeded to conduct illegal and unlawful NEC meeting in Asaba Delta State on 17th April 2023 while on subsisting FCT High Court Restraining Order and yet paraded themselves as officials of the Labour Party in Nigeria is still a mystery and their unlawful action rendered illegal null and void.

“That the The Labour Party National Caretake Committee, NCC hereby call on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (HAGF-MJ) to without further delay bring the suspects to Court within seven (7) days, as directed by the Inspector General of Police, IGP.”

But the National Publicity Secretary of the Abure – led faction, Obiora Ifoh in a statement said the statement in “entirety is fallacious, misleading and a calculated attempt to malign the image of Barrister Julius Abure, the National Chairman of the Labour Party.”

Ifoh said: “First the forensic report and the investigative Police report from the Police have stated clearly that there was no forgery. The file that was forwarded to the Attorney General has since been returned to the Police on the ground that the forensic report exonerated the four persons clearly. Meaning that they have no case to answer and this is to the knowledge of Prof Ndubaku and his Co jesters. It is therefore laughable that someone will be giving ultimatum to the Attorney General of the Federation in a case that is not in existence. It is therefore clear that Mr. Ndubaku and his gang are acting in bad fate, using every available opportunity to tarnish the image of the party. Members of the Public has since known them for their rascality.

“Secondly, it is in the public domain that some of these people assiduously and violently working to take over the leadership of the party are not even members of the party, including Ndubaku. The NLC according to the laws that established it has no power to even set up the Political Commission in the first instance. Letters from INEC, Ministry of Labour and other quarters have pointed to this fact. Also, the last time I checked, the leadership of the NLC in their last NEC meeting set up a committee to work out an alliance between it and other political parties ahead of 2027 general election. So Ndubaku and his cohorts are even not aware that the cabal that set his Transition Committee has since left the bus stop. So who are they working for?

“Let me sincerely advise Mr. Ndubaku and his co-travellers to go and look for another job to do. In this political business, Labour Party is different from other political parties. We have shown that we are a great and purposeful organisation working for the greater interest of Nigeria. These men must be dreaming if they think that they can hijack the Labour Party and use it for their selfish goal. Labour Party is not available for that, and I advice them to go and find a decent job to do. No amount of pressure, blackmail or false information can force the leadership to handover the party to them.”