Justice Adedapo Adeniji of Osun State High Court, Ile-Ife on Thursday adjourned for hearing of pending applications or an update on out-of-court settlement in the lawsuit filed by the APC and its 19 disqualified candidates seeking to stop Osun State Independent Electoral Commission from going ahead with the local government elections scheduled to hold on February 22.

The suit has the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, Governor Ademola Adeleke, and the State Attorney General as defendants.

The plaintiffs are seeking to halt the elections having alleged irregularities and exclusion from the upcoming polls.

The claimants are through their counsel, Mr Muhydeen Adeoye seeking the invalidation of the amended election notice published by OSSIEC on July 18, 2024, and the inclusion of the disqualified candidates if the local government elections will be held as planned.

[email protected] learned that during Thursday’s court session that was presided over by Justice Adedapo Adeniji, counsel for the All Peoples Party, Monruf Adediran, sought to join the suit while counsel for the State Attorney General, Mr Deji Atoyebi, however requested more time to respond to the application.

OSSIEC’s counsel, Mr Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), however proposed an out-of-court settlement but this was not without a quid pro quo.

Adeoye acknowledged the time-sensitive nature of the matter and promised to consult his clients on the proposed out-of- court settlement, showing readiness to present their decision at the next court date.

Justice Adeniji later adjourned the case until January 17, 2025, for the hearing of the pending applications or an update on out-of-court settlement .

In what could be described as massive waste of scarce resources, the Chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Chijioke Ihunwo, has appointed 130 special assistants.

Ihunwo, who announced the appointments in a post on X on Wednesday, saying the appointment takes immediate effect.

Some of the appointees are Helen Nyekwere, Josephine Wogu, Daisy Worgu, Wagwu Hilda, Ogbonna Stella, Goodness Ogbonna, and Grace Amadi.

He said the new appointees “must serve diligently”.

“I have appointed the following persons as my Special Assistants,” he said. “I congratulate them, and call on them to serve diligently, in the interest of Obio/Akpor local government. Their appointments takes immediate effect.”

This is the second time he would appoint over 100 aides.

I expressed my gratitude to the esteemed leadership of ward six in Obio/Akpor local government for their unwavering support. Their solidarity visit to me at the Council Secretariat was a testament to their commitment to standing by me. It was a moment of deep appreciation as I… pic.twitter.com/H6Heu4VaSE

— Chijioke Ihunwo (@AmbChijioke) January 4, 2025

In July 2024, when he was caretaker committee chairman of the LGA, Ihunwo appointed 100 special assistants.

Ihunwo, an ally of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, yanked the name of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, off the administrative block of the council secretariat.

Wike and Fubara are political foes who have been locked in a supremacy battle in the state.

…ask them from talking from both sides of their mouths

The Rivers State Elders Council has called on individuals igniting the ongoing tensions between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili, to stop immediately.

This cautions came in response to recent remarks by a group of ‘Concerned Elders,’ led by former Governor Sir Celestine Omehia, who demanded that Wike apologise to Odili over political disagreements.

In a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, signed by Ferdinand Alabraba, Emmanuel Anyanwu, Senator Magnus Abe, and 42 other prominent elders, the council described the remarks by the Concerned Elders as “immature” and lacking in substance.

They accused the group of previously supporting Wike but now aligning themselves with Governor Siminalayi Fubara for personal interests.

The council also noted that despite Dr. Odili’s involvement in the ongoing crisis in Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has refrained from making any negative statements about him out of respect. “Despite Dr. Odili’s active role in the current Rivers State crisis, Chief Nyesom Wike has never made any negative remarks against him, because of the respect he has for Odili,” the statement emphasized.

However, the elders condemned Dr. Odili’s remarks at a Christmas service, where he reportedly accused Wike of trying to dominate Rivers State for personal control. They described such statements as unbecoming of a senior statesman and inappropriate.

“We consider it unfortunate that the comments came from elders who lacked the courage to let the public know what prompted the remarks by Nyesom Wike,” the council stated. “Did Dr. Odili deserve respect in return for being deliberately disrespectful to the Minister of the FCT? The answer is no.”

The elders advised Dr. Odili to show more restraint in his public comments, accusing him of seeking personal advantages by aligning with Governor Fubara. “We advise Dr. Peter Odili and his cohorts to kindly leave Chief Nyesom Wike alone, while they continue with their exploitative manipulations of the Governor of Rivers State, their new benefactor,” the statement concluded.