By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Federal High Court in Abuja has been asked to declare the Delta North Senatorial seat vacant, following the defection of Senator Ned Nwoko to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The court was urged to direct the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a bye-election in the Delta North Senatorial District within 60 days of delivering judgement in the matter.

The legal action was instituted by Senator Nwoko’s constituent and member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Marvis Ossai.

Aside from Senator Nwoko, the INEC, PDP, and the Senate were cited as defendants in the matter.

Upon the determination of the question by the court, he prayed among other reliefs, for “an order of this Honourable Court, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC– the 2nd Defendant – to conduct a bye-election into the Delta North Senatorial District of the Nigerian Senate within sixty (60) days from the date of the delivery of Judgement herein.

“An order of this Honourable Court declaring vacant the seat of Ned Munir Nwoko and cancelling his Certificate of Return issued to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“An order of this Honourable Court mandating the 1st Defendant, Nwoko, to refund into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, forthwith, all the salaries, emoluments and allowances received by him since January 2025 until the date of the final judgement in this matter.

“An order disqualifying the 1st Defendant from standing election into any elective post under the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria until and unless he complies with every term of the judgement in this suit.”

As well as, “An order mandating the 4th Defendant (Senate) to immediately give effect to the judgement of this Honourable Court.”

In a five-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Ibrahim Isa, the plaintiff told the court that Senator Nwoko had on January 30, resigned from the PDP which was the political party on whose platform he was elected to occupy the Delta North Senatorial seat till 2027.

According to the plaintiff who told the court that he is from Oshimili North Local Government Area in Delta North Senatorial District, Nwoko’s continued stay in office after his defection would amount to a gross violation of the constitution.

“That since when the 1st Defendant decamped from the PDP up to the present moment of initiating the instant suit, there is never any division in the National Leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

“That the ideology of the 1st Defendant’s new party, All Progressives Congress (APC), to which the 1st Defendant now fully subscribes, does not bear any similarity or represent the political philosophy of the People’s Democratic Party [which is the basis upon which the Plaintiff resolved to cast his vote for and elected the Defendant in 2023.

“That the conduct of the Defendant in defecting from the People’s Democratic Party to All Progressives Congress has dealt a major blow to the fortunes of the Plaintiff’s Party, the People’s Democratic Party

“That the conduct of the 1st Defendant being challenged herein if not condemned and upturned by this Honourable Court will continue to encourage political harlotry, legislative rascality and destroys the reasons for the laws made to regulate the defection of National Assembly Members by the Constitution of Nigeria itself.

“That the continuous stay of the 1st Defendant at the Federal Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does no longer represent the Plaintiff’s interest or that of thousands of other members of our constituency who voted him in on the basis of our faith in our Party’s manifesto which they believed the 1st Defendant was capable of representing in the Federal Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“That the Defendant is now representing adverse interests of the people who fought the Plaintiff’s party tooth and nail [in the year 2023] to forestall the emergence of the 1st Defendant as the Member Representing DELTA NORTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT Federal Constituency on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP).

“That time is of the greatest essence in the instant application.
“It will be in the interest of justice for this Honourable Court to grant the prayers contained on the face of this Originating Summons.”

Meanwhile, the suit is yet to be assigned to any judge for a hearing.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has vowed to begin nationwide strike next week Monday if N100billion claims remain unpaid.

The association issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to fulfil the payment of bridging claims amounting to N100bn.

The association threatened to withdraw services if the amount was not paid to them before the deadline.

This move follows the NMDPRA’s failure to clear the debt, despite promises made 40 days ago in the presence of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. If unresolved, the situation could lead to a nationwide scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit nationwide.

The Chairman of the IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum, Yahaya Alhasan, disclosed this during a press conference in Abuja on Monday.

Reading a communique, Alhasan expressed frustration over the NMDPRA’s failure to settle the bridging claims, despite repeated assurances.

The claims, which date back to 2024, were deducted from marketers’ payments for products to settle bridging allowances.

Alhasan said, “If NMDPRA doesn’t pay our money within seven days, we are going to withdraw our services across the nation.”

….Case Adjourned To March 6, 7

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, adjourned the money laundering case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to March 6 and 7, 2025, for continuation of trial.

The court adjourned after the prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, called his two witnesses, one on subpoena.

When Pinheiro, SAN, called the first witness, Segun Joseph Adeleke, the Defendant’s Counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, objected, saying that the witness’ name was not included in the initial list of witnesses provided by the prosecution.

This, he said, could affect his cross-examination.

The trial, however, proceeded and the witness, who identified himself as the General Manager of Efab Properties Limited, was asked to tell the court what he knows about a property on 1, Ikogosi Road, Maitama and another one in Gwarinpa.

Adeleke told the court that the name of the former governor did not reflect on any of the two properties being examined on Monday and that he did not sight him throughout the transactions.

Giving an account of what transpired, he said sometime in 2020, his chairman, Chief Fabian Nwora, introduced him to a young man called Shehu Bello and that they had a discussion concerning the purchase of the property.

“We had a discussion concerning the purchase of the property in question. And he told me that the young man would be coming back to make payment for the property at an agreed price of N550 million,” he said.

When asked if he had seen Shehu Bello since that day, he said, “I saw him three times. The first time was for introduction, the second time for payment and the third time was when he brought a legal document for the execution of the EFAB property.”

The EFCC lawyer then mentioned another property at 5th Avenue in Gwarinpa and told the witness to tell the court what he knows about it.

Responding, the witness said the property was purchased by one Nuhu Mohammed for N70 million and was paid for through a bank transfer.

He was asked if he remembered which bank the money came from, but he said no.

On cross-examination, the defendant’s counsel, Daudu, SAN, asked if the witness’ actions were purely based on the instructions of his chairman. He responded, “Yes.”

The counsel further asked whether it was correct to say that he did not initiate any discussion with Shehu Bello on his own, to which he also answered, “Yes.”

On the documents signed for the transactions, the Defendant’s Counsel asked the witness if he could confirm that Shehu Bello signed his own part in his presence.

“He did not my Lord,” he answered.

Daudu, SAN, also asked: “Throughout this transaction, did you set eye on the defendant?”

“Not at anytime in the course of this transaction,” the witness responded.

He was also asked if the name of the defendant appeared anywhere on the documents he said were with the EFCC.He, again, answered, “no!”

The Prosecution then told the court that they had another witness to call, on subpoena.

The Defendant’s Counsel objected that they were being taken by surprise but added that he had no intention of stalling the trial.

The second witness identified herself as Williams Abimbola, a compliance officer with the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA).

She had the subpoena with her, which the lawyer sought to tender as evidence.

The Defendant’s counsel had no objection and it was marked “Exhibit 1”.

The witness read out the documents the subpoena asked for to include the statement of account of Kogi State Government House, from January 1, 2016 to January 31, 2024.

The statements of account of Maselina Njoku, from January 1 to December 31, 2022, were also admitted in evidence, including the account opening packages of American International School and statements of accounts, from September 1 to September 30, 2020.

Justice Emeka Nwite then adjourned to March 6 and 7, 2025 for continuation of trial.