The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, has asserted that the party is poised for success at the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja, attributing this confidence to the robust nature of their petition and the qualifications of their witnesses.

Speaking in Benin yesterday, he noted that the PDP’s petition contesting the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on September 21, 2024, is unparalleled and distinct from the typical petitions seen in Nigeria.

Aziegbemi stated, “I am assured that the tribunal will recognize PDP and its governorship candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, as the legitimate winners of the election, due to the substantial evidence we have provided.”

“In the petition, we did not plead financial inducement or ballot box snatching that will be difficult to prove. We focused on over-voting.

“If the law says where the number of votes cast is more than the number of accredited voters, and such is authenticated by the BVAS extract, it means the unit’s result must be cancelled because of over voting. These are things you can place your fingers on and say if it happened and you can prove that it happened, and you have documents to show that it happened, because INEC certified all the documents for us. That is where our confidence stems from. This is why our petition is unique.

“The only witness by Okpebholo at the tribunal’s sitting on Monday admitted that there was over-voting in his Ovia Southwest Local Government of Edo State. We used him to authenticate what we have been saying that there was over-voting in 133 polling units in the local government.’’

Edo PDP chairman urged the teeming members of the party to remain calm and law-abiding, while being confident of victory at the tribunal.

The sitting of the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member tribunal will continue today.

The alleged suspension of the chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, is a reckless and unconstitutional act that cannot be allowed, the National Working Committee(NWC) has declared.

The NWC overruled it, PDP spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, said.

In a statement in Abuja on Tuesday night, Ologunagba stated that the Abia chapter of the party had gone far beyond its constitutional capacity by taking such step against Wabara who is covered from such decisions by PDP constitution.

According to Ologunagba: “The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to the purported suspension of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of our great Party, Distinguished Senator Adolphus Wabara from the Party

“The NWC categorically dismisses the purported suspension as null and void and of no effect whatsoever not being consistent with the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017) and laid down Rules of our great Party.

For emphasis no State Working Committee has the power to suspend or take any disciplinary action against a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party without due recourse to the NWC as clearly provided under Section 57 (7) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017)

Section 57 (7) is unambiguous in providing that; “Notwithstanding any other provision relating to discipline, no Executive Committee at any level, except the National Executive Committee, shall entertain any question of discipline as may relate or concern a member of the National Executive Committee, Deputy Governors or members of the National Assembly…”

The NWC calls on all leaders, critical stakeholders, members and supporters of our Party in Abia State, the South East Zone and indeed across the country to disregard the purported suspension,” he stated.

“If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life, sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.”

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai may have fired a parting shot at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu’s supporters.

El-Rufai has been critical of President Tinubu’s administration and policies, a development many APC supporters attributed to the perceived fallout between him and the presidency.

Some Tinubu’s supporters believe the ex-governor now criticises the APC administration because his ministerial nomination did not scale through.

But El-Rufai has rebuffed the claim, saying his views about Tinubu’s policies would remain unchanged even if he were a member of his cabinet.

The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory also dismissed the narrative that he opposed Tinubu’s emergence during the build-up to the 2023 presidential election.

Countering the narrative that El-Rufai did not support Tinubu’s emergence, an X user, Yusuf Tukur, on Sunday, February 9, 2025, claimed that Tinubu and his allies desperately sought El-Rufai’s support before the election, sang his praises and later accused him of opposing the president.

Tukur tweeted: “When they were desperately seeking @elrufai’s support, @officialABAT and his goons were all over the place singing Malam’s praises. Given their penchant for ingratitude, however, they’ve turned around and claimed that Malam didn’t even support PBAT.”

https://twitter.com/elrufai/status/1888924251173876130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Replying Tukur’s tweet, the ex-governor said his support for Tinubu was for God, Nigeria and the party, adding that the narrative that he opposed the president is part of human nature.

El-Rufai said he has moved on but maintained that the conscience of Tinubu’s allies won’t let them sleep.

“We did what we did for God, Country and Party, expecting nothing in return. What is unfolding is merely another life experience, and part and parcel of human nature. We have got over it and moved on, but their conscience won’t let them sleep well. Thanks anyway,” El-Rufai tweeted.