Politics
Court Orders APGA Leader’s Arrest For Allegedly Forging S’ Court Judgment
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Bwari has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a factional leader of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku and one other over their alleged complicity in the forgery of a judgment of the Supreme Court.
Justice Mohammed Magudu issued the arrest order in a ruling on Monday when Njoku and his co-defendant, Chukwuemeka Nwoga failed to attend court for their planned arraignment on a 14-count charge filed by the Inspector General Police (IGP).
Justice Magudu ordered that Njoku and Nwogu be apprehended by the police and produced in court on November 28 for the purpose of their arraignment.
The ruling was on an oral application by the prosecuting lawyer, Rimamsomte Ezekiel, who urged the court to order the production of the defendants, who he claimed were served with the charge and informed about the day’s proceedings but chose to stay away.
Lawyer to Njoku, Panam Ntui challenged the mode of service of the charge on his client and prayed the court to reschedule the arraignment to enable his client, who travelled outside Abuja to return.
Lawyer to the nominal complainant, Stephen Nwoga faulted Ntui’s claim that his client travelled outside Abuja, stating that Njoku addressed a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.
Ruling, Justice Magudu held that it was obvious from evidence before the court that the defendants were duly served, but chose not to attend court.
He consequently ordered their arrest and production on the next day for the purpose of their arraignment.
Njoku and Nwoga are, in the charge marked CR/12/2022, accused among others, of altering a judgment delivered by the Supreme Court on October 14, 2021 in the appeal marked: SC/CV/686/2021 and inserting Njoku’s name as the second defendant when he was never a party in the case.
The defendants were alleged to have written Justices Mary Odili, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Mohammed Garba and Ibrahim Saulawa (who were members of the panel that delivered the judgment) to help insert Njoku’s name as the second respondent.
They were alleged to have procured the services of some officials of the court who helped to insert Njoku’s name on the judgment, which Njoku allegedly presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the IGP, claiming to have been declared APGA’s National Chairman by the Supreme Court.
Part of the charge reads:
*That you Chief Edozue Njoku, Chukwuemeka Nwoga on or about 30th June, 2022 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with others who are now at large, dishonestly and deliberately forged the judgement of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in suit No. SC/CV/686/2021 with the name of Chief Edozie Njoku as the second respondent, knowing that he was not a party to the case, using same as a genuine judgment of the Supreme Court with the intent to mislead members of the public, and ridiculing the Judiciary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, thereby committed an offence under Section 366 Penal Code Law.
*That you Chief Edozie Njoku, on or about 18th July, 2022 at about 12pm in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and others who are now at large dishonestly and with intent to commit criminal offence, fabricated a letter to the Inspector-General of Police under false pretence that, you are the National Chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) an act which you know to be false and criminal, thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 178 of the Penal Code Law.
*That you Chief Edozie Njoku on about 18th July, 2022 at about 10:30am in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with others, who are now at large, dishonestly forged the letter headed paper of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), in that, you wrote to the Inspector General of Police as the National Chairman of the APGA, thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 366 of the Panel Code law.
Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has renamed The Polytechnic, Ibadan as Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan, in honour of a late former governor of the State, Dr Omololu Olunloyo.
Dr Olunloyo, who died on April 6, 2025, was the pioneer Principal of the Polytechnic, Ibadan, while he also served as Governor of Oyo State between October 1 and December 31, 1983.
Governor Makinde made the announcement at the state interdenominational funeral service held yesterday in honour of the late former governor at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Liberty Road, Ibadan.
Governor Makinde said Dr Olunloyo lived an eventful life, adding that his attainment and personality could not be summarised in one sentence.
“He was not a man we could summarise in one sentence. He was a scholar, a statesman, a technocrat, a lover of culture and, above all, a man of deep conviction.
“While giving the exhortation, I was listening to Baba Archbishop Ayo Ladigbolu and he said in 1983, Baba became Governor of Oyo State. Though his time in office was brief, his election victory over a popular incumbent remains a powerful testament to the trust people gave him.
“I talked about preserving and digitising his library yesterday [Wednesday] as a mark of honour to Baba Olunloyo.
“Today, we will be giving Baba another honour to immortalise him. He was the first Principal of The Polytechnic, Ibadan; that institution will now be named Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan.”
Earlier in his sermon, a retired Methodist Archbishop of Ilesa and Ibadan, Ayo Ladigbolu, described the late Olunloyo as a role model with intellectual inspiration and unassailable integrity.
The cleric said the deceased also demonstrated leadership in most superior quality during his lifetime.
In attendance were the state Deputy Governor, Chief Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal; wife of a former Military Governor of the old Oyo State, Chief (Mrs) Dupe Jemibewon; wife of a former Governor of Oyo State, Chief (Mrs) Mutiat Ladoja; former Deputy Governor and PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; and former Deputy Governor, Hazeem Gbolarumi.
Others were the member representing Ibadan North-East/South-East Federal Constituency, Hon Abass Adigun Agboworin; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi; Oyo State Exco members; Chairman of Oyo State Elders’ Council, Dr Saka Balogun; Chairman of All Local Government Chairmen in Oyo State, Hon Sikiru Sanda; President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Adeniyi Ajewole; religious leaders and family members, among other dignitaries.
Ten members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC) have countered the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, on the reinstatement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary.
The dissenting members, led by the Deputy National Chairman ( South), Taofeek Arapaja, in a joint statement, said no organ of the opposition party could overturn the decision of the 99th meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The dissenting NWC members include Arapaja; Setonji Koshoedo, Deputy National Secretary; Okechukwu Obiechina-Daniel, National Auditor; Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary; Ologunagba; Woyengikuro Daniel, National Financial Secretary and Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, National Treasurer.
Others are Chief Ali Odefa, National Vice Chairman (South East); Emmanuel Ogidi, Caretaker Committee Chairman (South South); Mrs. Amina Darasimi D. Bryhm, National Woman Leader and Ajisafe Kamoru Toyese, National Vice Chairman (South West).
The group also insisted that contrary to the position of the acting National Chairman, the 100th NEC meeting of the party would be held on June 30 as earlier scheduled.
The statement read: “The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to a press briefing by the acting National Chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, today Wednesday, June 25, wherein he attempted to overturn the resolution of the 99th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which scheduled the 100th NEC meeting for Monday, June 30.
“The acting National Chairman in the said press briefing also reportedly announced that Senator Samuel Anyanwu has been asked to resume as National Secretary of the party contrary to the resolution of the 99th NEC meeting, which referred all matters relating to the office of the National Secretary to the 100th NEC meeting.
“The pronouncements by the acting National Chairman have no foundation as no organ of the party (including the NWC), individual or group has the power to cancel, overrule, veto or vary the resolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC) under the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).
“For the avoidance of doubt, the NEC is the highest decision-making organ of the party, second only to the National Convention. By virtue of Section 31 (3) of the PDP Constitution, the resolution of the NEC to hold its 100th meeting on Monday June 30, is binding on all organs, officers, chapters and members of the party and no organ, group or individual can vary or veto this resolution of NEC.
“Furthermore, the claim by Damagum that Sen Anyanwu has been asked to resume office as the National Secretary of the party is, therefore, misleading being contrary to the resolution of NEC.
“In the light of the foregoing, the 100th NEC meeting as scheduled for Monday, June 30, has not been canceled or postponed.”
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has fired back at former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, following the latter’s scathing criticism of President Tinubu’s administration and his 2027 re-election prospects.
In an interview on live television, Mallam El-Rufai said it would take a “miracle” for President Tinubu to be re-elected in 2027, citing an internal poll that purportedly shows a 91 percent disapproval rating for the president across key regions in the country, including the South-East and the North. He also claimed that President Tinubu’s disapproval rating in Lagos stood at 78 percent.
Reacting on Wednesday via a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Onanuga took a swipe at the ex-governor, quoting a harsh assessment of Mallam El-Rufai’s character from former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s memoir, My Watch.
“Nasir’s penchant for reputation savaging is almost pathological,” Mr Onanuga wrote, citing Chief Obasanjo’s words. “Why does he do it? Very early in my interaction with him, I appreciated his talent. At the same time, I recognised his weaknesses; the worst being his inability to be loyal to anybody or any issue consistently for long, but only to Nasir El-Rufai.”
The presidential adviser emphasised Chief Obasanjo’s remarks that Mallam El-Rufai often tries to elevate himself by diminishing others. “He lied brazenly, which he did to me, against his colleagues and so-called friends,” Mr Onanuga continued, quoting the former President. “I have heard of how he ruthlessly savaged the reputation of his uncle, a man who, in an African setting, was like a foster father to him.”
Chief Obasanjo, who appointed Mallam El-Rufai as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory between 2003 and 2007, did not mince words in the memoir, describing Mallam El-Rufai as suffering from “small man syndrome.”
Mr Onanuga’s post is seen as a direct rebuttal to Mallam El-Rufai’s recent criticism and growing opposition role. The former governor is reportedly playing a central role in forming a new coalition to challenge President Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
In March 2025, El-Rufai officially dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), intensifying speculations about his 2027 political ambitions.
As the political rift deepens, Mallam El-Rufai remains one of the most vocal critics of the Tinubu administration, while Mr Onanuga and other presidential allies continue to push back against what they describe as “reckless” opposition rhetoric.
