Politics
Rep Drags Ex-Commissioner, INEC To Court Over APC Ticket
Member representing Ado Odo-Ota Federal Constituency in the House Of Representatives, Jimoh Ojugbele, has dragged the immediate past Ogun State Commissioner for Forestry, Tunji Akinosi, before the Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, over the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the constituency.
Also dragged before the Court is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Tide source reports that the last APC primary held last month to produce candidate for the constituency ended in a fiasco on two occasions.
However, Akinosi’s name appeared as the candidate for the Ado Odo-Ota federal constituency in the list sent to the INEC by the leadership of APC.
Miffed by the development, the lawmaker dragged INEC and Akinosi before the court, insisting that he is the APC candidate for the constituency.
In a motion exparte filed before the court, the lawmaker is seeking the order of the court to restrain the APC and its agents from submitting the name of Akinosi as the candidate of the Party in the Federal Constituency pending the hearing and final determination of the claimant’s motion on notice.
Ojugbele is also seeking an interim order of the court restraining INEC and their agents from receiving Akinosi’s name as the candidate of the APC in Ado-Odo Ota, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
He also prayed the court for an interim injunction to abridge the time within which each defendants are to file their responses to the originating process from 30 days to 7 days.
The suit marked FHC/AB/CS/94/22 was filed on June 15, 2022.
In his affidavit in support of the motion, Ojugbele argued that a primary election was conducted on the 27th of May, 2022 in accordance with the electoral timetable and guideline by the National Working Committee of the APC.
He said further that the primaries was conducted in the presence of the INEC officials and other agents of the parties.
According to him, although there was an attempt to disrupt the election by some disgruntled elements and street urchins allegedly sponsored by another aspirant, the election was concluded and winner announced.
He further argued that the election result was declared in his favour by the assigned Returning Officer, Tunji Ibitokun, having scored 41 out of the 43 accredited delegates, adding that Akinosi came distance second with only two votes.
“The score as declared by the returning officer was inputted into the result sheet and same was duly signed by the returning officer, a copy of which was given to aspirants present at the Center and that signified the end of the exercise,” he said.
The lawmaker said a re-run election was conducted 48 hours after he had been declared winner, maintaining that the re-run though a nullity, was also conducted by an unauthorised persons without the presence of the NWC representative(s), INEC and other agents.
“We most humbly submit that our client was not heard neither was he given an opportunity to defend the election of 27th of May, 2022 before the purported re-run was birthed by interlopers who are ordinarily not saddled with the responsibility to do so.”
“We most respectively submit that the election of 29th of May, 2022 which was not monitored by officers of the INEC is a clear violation of the extant and same amounts to a Nullity.
“No Aspirant had challenged the outcome of the Election conducted on the 27th May, 2022 and therefore there was no basis to conduct a fresh election, a re-run election or Amy other election in any guise,” he added.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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