Politics

Ekiti 2026: A’Court Rejects Request To Relocate Tribunal Sittings To Abuja

Published

41 seconds ago

September 25, 2026

The Court of Appeal has rejected a request by the legal team of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) requesting the relocation of the sittings of the Election Petition Tribunal hearing the Ekiti State governorship petitions to Abuja.

This was disclosed on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti at the resumed hearing of the petitions filed by both the SDP and the Action Alliance (AA) challenging the re-election of Governor Biodun Oyebanji at the June 20 governorship election.

The Chairman of the Ekiti State Governorship Election Tribunal, Justice Abubakar Idris Kutigi told parties in the petitions that the panel had received a communication from the Court of Appeal headquarters in Abuja that hearing should continue at the tribunal venue in Ado-Ekiti.

Justice Kutigi emphasized that the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, had acted on the request of the SDP lawyers and has consequently directed that hearing should continue on the two governorship petitions before the Tribunal at the Ado Ekiti venue.

The Tribunal chair consequently adjourned sitting till Thursday, September 24 for the SDP to continue the prosecution of its petition before the three-member jury.

The AA had also requested for an adjournment in view of the request of the SDP counsel that proceedings should be shifted to Abuja but the Tribunal held that since event has overtaken the request for relocation with the latest directive of the PCA, its (AA’s) petition would continue in Ado Ekiti and the two cases would resume on Thursday.

In the two separate petitions filed by the SDP and the AA, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is the 1st Respondent while Governor Oyebanji, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was joined as the 2nd Respondent.

According to the governorship results declared by INEC, the SDP scored 179 votes while the AA got 126 votes. The APC won the election by garnering a total of 319,224 votes.

The SDP lawyers were absent at Wednesday’s proceedings. Lead counsel to INEC, Bunmi Ipinlaye and lead counsel to Governor Oyebanji, Ibrahim Olarewaju told the panel that they were just served with a letter from the petitioners asking for an adjournment of sitting pending the determination of the application to the Court of Appeal for the relocation of sitting to Abuja.

When asked if he forwarded the response received from the President of the Court of Appeal (PCA), which was conveyed through an SMS to the Tribunal Secretary, Zubairu Nuhu, directing that sittings should continue in Ado Ekiti to the legal teams of the two Respondents, the Secretary said he forwarded the message to the lead counsel of the Respondents who were not physically present at Wednesday’s sitting.

Prompted by the Chairman, Mr Nuhu read the message to the counsels present in court: “I am directed to inform you that the Tribunal is to continue its sitting in Ado Ekiti pending further directives from the Honourable President of the Court of Appeal.”

Justice Kutigi in a short ruling recalled that when the case last came up for hearing on September 16, the Tribunal adjourned to September 23 and was awaiting the PCA’s directive on the SDP counsel’s application for change of venue.

The Tribunal boss also ruled that another application filed by the SDP legal team for adjournment of the petition pending the determination of the application to the Court of Appeal for change of venue to Abuja could no longer stand with the latest directive of the PCA that hearing should continue in Ado Ekiti.

When the AA case was called, INEC counsel (Ipinlaye) sought an adjournment owing to the absence of the petitioners in court but counsel to Governor Oyebanji (Olarewaju) said he and his client were ready for the continued hearing of the petition.

However, Justice Kutigi stressed that the petitioners (AA) ought to have appeared in court since they have not made any request for change of venue as the request was in respect of the SDP case. He equally adjourned the AA petition till Thursday, September 24 for continuation of hearing and directed that all parties be put on notice to appear on the adjourned date.

The application for change of venue was filed by SDP counsel, Ebenezer Akinbuli of the law firm of Adewole Adebayo, seeking an order to relocate the venue of the tribunal from Ado Ekiti to “a safer and more secure location in Abuja”, citing an alleged hostile atmosphere created around tribunal premises by individuals he referred to as “lawless elements.”

The SDP counsel also wrote a letter described as an urgent request for reinforced security and police presence at every subsequent adjourned date which was addressed to the state Commissioner of Police and served on counsel to Respondents in the petition.

The SDP whose governorship candidate has withdrawn from the petition is expected to bring more witnesses on its list to court to give evidence when hearing resumes.

Politics

LAWYER TASKS UZODINMA OVER COMMENTS ON WIKE, TINUBU

Published

46 seconds ago

September 25, 2026

The Tide

The Governor of Imo State and Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has come under criticism over his alleged uncomplimentary comments against President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

While reacting to a recent media briefing by the APC Governors’ Forum on his Facebook platform, a lawyer and human rights activist, Mr Princewill Dike, said Senator Uzodinma, at the briefing, read a communique in which the Forum resolved that its members would not participate in, support or endorse any political alliance capable of undermining President Tinubu’s re-election, weakening the APC or adversely affecting any candidate of the party at any level.

According to him, the position of the governors further indicated that the Forum would not support any candidate who was not sponsored by the APC, adding that the governors’ campaign commitment was exclusively to APC candidates and that no arrangement capable of creating divided loyalty or conflicting interests within the party would be entertained.

Reacting to the development, Mr Dike asked why Senator Uzodinma was allegedly becoming “jittery” about Chief Wike, whom he described as a politician doing a good job for President Tinubu, particularly through infrastructural development in Abuja and his political influence across the country.

The public affairs commentator identified what he described as “jealousy” as one of the reasons for Senator Uzodinma’s alleged apprehension, quoting William Shakespeare’s Othello to illustrate his argument that jealousy could influence political conduct.

Mr Dike argued that Chief Wike had demonstrated considerable electoral value and political capacity, pointing to the 2023 presidential election results in Rivers and Imo states, where he said President Tinubu recorded 231,591 votes in Rivers State, compared to 1,647 votes in Imo State.

He attributed the Rivers result to what he described as Chief Wike’s “Rainbow Coalition”, arguing that any suggestion that such a political structure could undermine President Tinubu’s re-election was difficult to reconcile with the electoral figures recorded in the state.

Mr Dike also questioned Senator Uzodinma’s electoral strength, recalling that the Imo State governor placed fourth in the 2019 governorship election before subsequently emerging victorious through the Supreme Court, and argued that Chief Wike’s political influence should not be viewed as a threat to the APC or the President.

The lawyer further identified “threat” as another factor allegedly responsible for Senator Uzodinma’s concerns, claiming that the FCT Minister’s demonstrated political capacity had enhanced his influence around the Presidency and created the perception that the President could rely on Chief Wike beyond the APC Governors’ Forum.

He, however, advised Senator Uzodinma to concentrate on increasing his own political capacity rather than expending energy on Chief Wike, whom he described as a “political wonder boy” of Rivers State, stressing that political influence should be built through performance and electoral value.

Mr Dike maintained that the APC and its leaders should focus on governance, development and strategies capable of securing the confidence of Nigerians, rather than allowing internal political calculations and rivalry to distract them from the administration’s responsibilities to the people.

By: King Onunwor

Politics

2027: IGP Warns Against Partisan Policing, Demands Election Readiness

Published

1 minute ago

September 25, 2026

The Tide

Ahead of the 2027 General Elections, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Tunde Disu, has urged police formations across the country to strengthen operational planning, intelligence gathering, personnel training and community engagement, while reiterating that the loyalty of the Police remains to the Constitution, the law and the Nigerian people, and not to any political party, candidate or interest group.

He further charged senior officers to lead by example and ensure that professionalism, impartiality, discipline, integrity, respect for citizens’ rights and accountability guide the conduct of personnel.

The IGP gave the charge at the closing ceremony of the sixth Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers (CARSPO 2026) that took place in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Wednesday.

The nation’s top cop also highlighted the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence, digital intelligence and data-driven policing, alongside professional media engagement, timely and accurate communication and sustained partnership with communities in strengthening public confidence and effective policing.

The conference resolutions, presented at the closing ceremony, provided for a comprehensive Nigeria Police Election Security Roadmap anchored on intelligence, political neutrality, professionalism, technology, community partnership, accountability and inter-agency collaboration, with emphasis on early warning, operational coordination, personnel preparedness and response to election-related threats.

Mr Disu directed participating officers to adopt a train-the-trainers approach by cascading lessons from the conference to Deputy Commissioners of Police, Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, tactical commanders and other personnel under their supervision.

The occasion was attended by the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma; the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya; the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan; members of the Imo State Executive Council; senior Police officers and other invited stakeholders.

It is hoped that the Nigeria Police Force would be committed to translating the outcomes of CARSPO 2026 into improved election preparedness, stronger supervision, intelligence-led and technology-enabled policing, enhanced community engagement and professional conduct across Commands and formations nationwide.

Politics

2027 Rivers Gov’ship: Group Vows To Mobilise Support For Lulu-Briggs

Published

1 minute ago

September 25, 2026

The Tide

A coalition of young professionals, community organisers and opinion leaders in Rivers State has endorsed the governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, pledging to mobilise support for him ahead of the 2027 election.

The group, Grassroots Stakeholders Mobilization Forum Worldwide (GSM), formerly known as Sim-Fubara Stakeholders Forum Worldwide (SSF), formally adopted Chief Lulu-Briggs as its preferred governorship candidate during a stakeholders meeting in Port Harcourt.

Director-General of the organisation, Dr Tonye Jeminimiema, said the decision followed consultations among members and what he described as an assessment of public opinion across the state.

According to him, the endorsement was “unanimous and overwhelming,” with members concluding that Chief Lulu-Briggs was the candidate they wanted to support in the coming governorship contest.

Chief Lulu-Briggs was represented at the meeting by the Rivers State Chairman of the NDC, Comrade Success Jack, who attended alongside other party officials.

The governorship candidate was also presented with a certificate recognising him as Deputy Grand Patron of the Rivers State Youth Leaders Assembly, while the Grassroots Stakeholders Mobilization Forum named him its Grand Patron and National Leader.

Dr Jeminimiema said the group’s decision was influenced by what it considered Chief Lulu-Briggs’ appeal across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State, as well as his philanthropic and charitable activities.

A major highlight of the meeting was the donation of the Rivers State Youth Leaders Assembly secretariat for use in political mobilisation and campaign activities supporting the NDC governorship candidate.

The secretariat is expected to be coordinated by the Grassroots Stakeholders Mobilization Forum Worldwide as part of its campaign structure ahead of the election.

The endorsement gives Chief Lulu-Briggs another organised support platform as political groups begin repositioning for the 2027 governorship race in Rivers State. It also marks a significant change in direction for a group that previously operated under the Sim-Fubara Stakeholders Forum identity.

The group said it would now focus on grassroots mobilisation across the state in support of the NDC candidate, particularly among young voters, community leaders and professional networks.

For Chief Lulu-Briggs, the development adds another layer to his effort to build a broad coalition ahead of the governorship election.

However, how much electoral weight the endorsement ultimately carries will depend on the group’s ability to translate organisational presence into sustained mobilisation across Rivers State.