Politics
Confusion as court injunctions disrupt Imo LG polls
The Imo State Local Government elections on Saturday were thrown into chaos when two court summons were issued, leaving voters bewildered.
A Magistrate Court in Owerri in suit number CR/OMC/635/2024, disqualified the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates for the September 21 elections due to non-compliance with the Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) guidelines.
“The All Progressive Congress ought not to be in the Local Government election because it failed to conduct Chairmanship and Councillorship primaries in line with ISIEC guidelines,” ruled the Chief Magistrate, Ifunanya Ekwerike.
The Forum of APC Chairmanship and Councillorship Aspirants in Imo State had previously approached the Chief Magistrate’s Court, citing discrepancies in the APC primaries. The court’s decision was based on reports of irregularities in the conduct of primaries across the 305 wards in Imo State.
“We will do everything possible to ensure that APC does not participate in the LGA Election,” vowed Barr Lucky Ikwubuo, spokesperson for the Forum, citing the party’s refusal to conduct transparent and credible primaries.
Additionally, Action Alliance (AA) Chairmanship Candidate for Ahiazu Mbaise LGA, Nze Greg Anyanwu, filed a suit HOW/1051/2024 seeking a declaration that the 2024 local government council elections, scheduled without a Local Government Election Tribunal, are unlawful and invalid.
The APC in Imo State dismissed the court suits filed against it, claiming that the party did not receive such notices.
APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Duke Cajetan said, “We have not received any court notice or process. As I speak to you, we also don’t have aggrieved aspirants as we all agreed on consensus candidates. More so, you cannot stop a football match in the middle of the competition. So, the court notice or process does not exist.”
Cajetan further stated that the leadership of the party had commenced refunding money to aspirants who were not picked as candidates for the election.
“This move aims to demonstrate the party’s transparency and fairness in the selection process,” he said.
“The APC’s stance on consensus candidates and refunding unused nomination fees suggests an effort to promote unity and inclusivity within the party.”
The elections were however marred by voter apathy, with the late arrival of election materials in some areas. A voter noted, “There was no trust that there would be an election…that’s why a lot of people boycotted it.”
Despite the challenges, the election remained peaceful, thanks to the synergy between security agencies, including the Commissioner of Police, Commander 34 Artillery Brigade, and Commander Federal Road Safety Corps.
Politics
Osun 2026: Accord faction elects Bamigbola as candidate
A faction of the Accord Party has elected Clement Bamigbola as its candidate for the Osun State August 8, 2026 governorship election.
Bamigbola was elected by voice vote by 300 delegates during the party’s primary on Sunday in Osogbo, the Osun State capital..
The Chairman of the Primary Electoral Committee, Olufemi Ogundare, declared Bamigbola the party’s candidate.
Ogundare and other party leaders subsequently presented the party’s flag to Bamigbola.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Governor Ademola Adeleke was elected as the Accord candidate on December 10.
Adeleke, who was the sole aspirant of the party, polled 145 votes out of 150 cast during the primary monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Osogbo.
The National Chairman of the Party, Maxwell Ngbudem, presented the party’s certificate of return to Adeleke as the flag bearer.
In his reaction, the Chairman of the Accord in Osun State, Victor Akande, in a statement, urged security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission to beware of the plot to disturb the public peace.
Akande alleged that the opposition parties were planning to sow the seeds of disunity, confusion, and chaos by organising an illegal, parallel primary election in the name of the party.
According to him: “The parallel primary is wrong, fraudulent and provocative.
“This defiant move is not aimed at Accord but is a clear danger to the peace and stability that is based on politics of deceit and impersonation.
“Accord is still a law‑abiding, democratic and peace‑loving political party recognised by the appropriate national leadership of the party and is valid.
“As such, any primary or aspirant who is outside of this arrangement is invalid, null and void.
“The people of the state have opted for peace, performance and meaningful leadership.”
Akande, however, said that nothing could impede the victory of the people at the altar of politics.
Politics
Osun 2026: Gov. Adeleke will deliver best governance – Accord Party Chairman
The Chairman, Accord Party in Lagos State, Mr Dele Oladeji, says the party’s candidate, Gov. Ademola Adeleke, will deliver the best governance if elected in the Aug. 8, 2026 Osun Governorship Election.
Thenews reports that Adeleke emerged as the candidate of the party during its congress on Thursday in Osogbo.
Adeleke, who announced his defection to Accord Party on Tuesday, resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Dec. 2.
Oladeji, in a statement on Saturday in Osogbo, described Adeleke’s candidacy within the party as the “refining stage that forms the fine cut of a diamond.”
According to him, the fusion of Adeleke and Accord Party is the answer to the people’s prayer for a good leader.
“Gov. Ademola Adeleke, a confirmed socio‑economic welfarist on a pro‑people platform, will deliver the best governance that is unprecedented in the last two decades in Osun State.
“He will also set an enviable governance template for the country,” he said.
Also in the statement, Adeleke said he was challenging his opposition candidates to a campaign based on governance records.
Adeleke said his campaign would not be about promises, as is the norm in Nigeria’s political space, but about his three years of governance and a new level of social infrastructural development.
The governor also said he would leave a trail of major, monumental project inaugurations throughout his campaign.
“My governance in the past three years has earned me commendable monikers from the people of the state, such as “Mr Project”, “talk‑and‑do”, “the new Awo”, and “the man of the people”,” he said.
Adeleke reiterated his choice of Accord as his new party, which he described as a perfect alignment and synchronisation of his people‑centered policies with the party’s people‑focused ideology.
“It is the fission of two pro‑people entities, and the people of Osun State, as well as the democratic history of Osun State, will be the better for it,” the governor said.
Politics
PDP Vows To Reclaim Osun, Ekiti In 2026
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, led by Chairman Taminu Turaki, has revealed that its recent meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo was aimed at seeking guidance and support ahead of the 2026 governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti states, declaring that the party is “back and ready to take its rightful place” in the nation’s political landscape.
The visit follows tensions within the party, with the Wike-led National Executive Committee (NEC) accusing Turaki’s faction of violating court judgments by conducting what it termed an “illegal convention” in Ibadan that elected Turaki as factional chairman.
Turaki, accompanied by former governors arrived at Obasanjo’s residence in the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, on Saturday.
Speaking with newsmen after the meeting, Turaki said the objective was to formally introduce the newly elected leadership to Obasanjo and draw on his experience.
“During our recent Congress in Ibadan, we came to introduce ourselves to our father, former President under the PDP administration, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. I did not come alone.
“The former Senate President and BOT Chairman of our great party, Sen. Adolphus Wabara, is here. Likewise, our National Secretary, Alhaji Taofeek Arapaja, and two former governors of Niger and Plateau States, Alhaji Muazu Babangida Aliyu and Sen. Jonah Jang, are also part of the entourage,” he said.
He added, “We came to thank the former president for his vision and contributions to strengthening our democracy and good governance while he was in power.
“We also came to appreciate his role in building strong institutions that the country continues to benefit from today. Furthermore, we sought his guidance and inspiration as an oracle to help us in the gargantuan task that lies ahead.”
Turaki used a proverb to highlight the importance of learning from experience, saying, “A woman who started cooking before you must definitely have more broken pots. We have come to see our father here in Abeokuta, and we have spoken to Baba, and Baba too has spoken to us. We are enriched.”
He emphasised the party’s readiness for upcoming elections: “PDP is battle-ready for 2027. As a mark of readiness, we shall first reclaim Ekiti State, followed by Osun State.
“By the time we win these two states, no one will doubt that PDP is on the rise and ready to challenge the APC government’s incompetence and maladministration.”
Turaki also called for unity within the party, saying, “The advice I give PDP members globally is that PDP is back and is ready to take its rightful place in the democratic process of the country.
“Since our convention in Ibadan, the APC is more worried than ever. The equation has changed, and PDP is prepared to send them packing in 2027.”
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