Politics
UPDATED: Court sacks 20 Cross River lawmakers
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked two members of the House of Representatives and 18 members of the House of Assembly from Cross River State over their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The PDP had challenged their defection, saying there was no division in the party that warranted such.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Speaker of the House of Representatives, National Assembly, Clerk of the National Assembly, Cross River State House of Assembly, Clerk of the State House of Assembly and the APC were also joined as defendants in the suit.
A similar case challenging the defection of Governor Ben Ayade is due for judgement on Friday.
The federal lawmakers affected by the court judgement are Michael Etaba, who represents Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency and Legor Idagbor, representing Obudu/Obanliku/Bekwarra.
Cross River Speaker Eteng Williams and his deputy, Joseph Bassey were also among those sacked.
The others are Odey Peter Agbe, Okon E. Ephraim, Regina L. Anyogo, Matthew S. Olory, Ekpo Ekpo Bassey, Ogbor Ogbor Udop, Ekpe Charles Okon, Hillary Ekpang Bisong, Francis B. Asuquo, Elvert Ayambem, Davis Etta, Sunday U. Achunekan, Cynthia Nkasi, Edward Ajang, Chris Nja-Mbu Ogar and Maria Akwaji.
The judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, while delivering judgement on a suit instituted by the PDP to challenge the lawmakers’ defection, dismissed all the preliminary objections raised by the sacked lawmakers.
“A day must surely come when elected officials, must ask the people who voted for them before defecting to other political parties,” Justice Taiwo said.
According to the judge: “The lawmakers wined and dined under the umbrella of the PDP,” but jumped ship to the APC even when there was no justification for their action.
“The defendants court documents were contrived and filed with loopholes. The papers are manifestly defective,” the judge said while granting all the reliefs sought by the PDP.
The lawmakers defected alongside Ayade, last year triggering a lawsuit by the PDP on August 27, 2021.
The PDP’s lawyer, Emmanuel Ukala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), sought the court’s interpretation of the provisions of Section 109(1)(g) of the constitution, which prohibits a lawmaker from defecting to another political party without justifiable reasons.
Ukala also drew the court’s attention to the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Abegunde versus Ondo State House of Assembly (2015).
He contended that the lawmakers being persons whose election to the parliament was sponsored by the PDP and having become members of another political party, their seats should be declared vacant.
In the court papers filed before the judge, the PDP prayed for “an order of injunction restraining the lawmakers from acting as members of parliament both in Abuja and Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The plaintiff also sought “an order of injunction restraining INEC, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, clerk of the National Assembly, the House of Assembly for Cross River State and the clerk of the State Assembly from according recognition to the dismissed lawmakers.”
In addition, the party urged the court to make “an order of mandatory injunction compelling INEC to accept from the PDP the list of candidates for the purpose of filling the vacancies created by the exit of the lawmakers from the parliament on account of their defections.”
In its verdict, the court held that despite the fact that the major cause of action arose in Calabar, it has both “territorial and subject matter” jurisdictions to entertain the suit.
The judge agreed with the plaintiff that there was no rancour within the PDP to create the opportunity for the lawmakers to ditch their former party on whose platform they emerged in the 2019 general elections.
“That at the time the lawmakers defected from the PDP to the APC, the PDP did not have division in the party,” the judge said.
The lawyer to the sacked lawmakers, Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said the court’s decision would be challenged at the Court of Appeal.
THE NATION
Politics
Fadahunsi: ‘Kill Accord’ Comment Was Metaphorical, Not Call for Violence
Fadahunsi: ‘Kill Accord’ Comment Was Metaphorical, Not Call for Violence
Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East Senatorial District, has clarified his controversial “Kill Accord” comment, which has gone viral on social media ahead of the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election.
Fadahunsi, in a statement issued by his media office in Osogbo on Tuesday, said the remark was a political and metaphorical call on supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to defeat the Accord Party through the ballot box and not through violence.
The clarification followed the circulation of a video in which the senator was heard speaking in Yoruba and allegedly urging APC supporters in Ilesa to attack members and supporters of the Accord Party.
In the video, Fadahunsi was also heard challenging those present to record his remarks and circulate them on social media.
Reacting to the controversy, the senator’s media office, in a statement titled, “Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence, Senator Fadahunsi Tells APC,” said the statement had been misunderstood and deliberately misinterpreted.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Senator’s statement was purely political and metaphorical,” the statement said.
According to the statement, Fadahunsi did not advocate violence, intimidation or physical attacks against members or supporters of the Accord Party or any other political organisation.
It stressed that the senator’s consistent position was that elections should be determined by the votes of the people rather than force.
“At no point did Senator Fadahunsi advocate violence, intimidation or any form of physical attack against members or supporters of the Accord Party or any other political party,” the statement added.
The senator consequently urged APC supporters and other political actors to maintain peace and order before, during and after the election.
He also called on security agencies to remain professional and ensure that eligible voters were able to exercise their constitutional rights without fear or intimidation.
“Senator Fadahunsi remains committed to democratic values, issue-based campaigns and a credible electoral process. He believes that the will of the people, freely expressed through the ballot, must always prevail,” the statement said.
The media office appealed to members of the public not to distort the senator’s remarks, insisting that his intention was to encourage APC supporters to secure electoral victory through the power of their votes.
Meanwhile, the campaign council of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to investigate Fadahunsi’s comments and take appropriate action over what it described as remarks directed against members of the Accord Party.
The controversy comes days before the August 15 governorship election, with political parties and security agencies expected to intensify efforts to ensure a peaceful and credible electoral process in the state.
Fadahunsi: ‘Kill Accord’ Comment Was Metaphorical, Not Call for Violence
Politics
Sowore Vows to Restore Petrol Subsidy If Elected President in 2027
Sowore Vows to Restore Petrol Subsidy If Elected President in 2027
The African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate argues that subsidy removal has failed Nigerians, asserting that the government continues to subsidise both petrol and the naira despite official denials.
Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has declared that he would restore petrol subsidy if elected president in the 2027 general elections. Speaking during an appearance on Arise Television on Tuesday, the Sahara Reporters publisher also alleged that the federal government is still subsidising petrol and the naira despite its claim that subsidy has been removed. President Bola Tinubu famously ended the petrol subsidy regime on his first day in office in 2023, a declaration that immediately led to a spike in petrol prices and galloping inflation that has yet to abate. The president subsequently unified the exchange rates and floated the naira as economic hardship intensified for millions of Nigerians.
Asked whether he would bring back petrol subsidy, Sowore responded, “absolutely”. He argued that the government merely changed the name of the subsidy rather than eliminating it entirely. “In the first place, they’re still paying subsidies. They’re just changing the name of what they call it,” he said. According to Sowore, the government is subsidising not only petrol—because Nigeria does not produce enough locally—but also the naira through interventions in the foreign exchange market. “The reason the Naira is at a certain rate to a dollar is because it’s been quietly and secretly subsidised,” he stated.
The AAC candidate defended the principle of subsidies, arguing that the problem in Nigeria is not the concept of subsidy itself but rather how public resources are distributed. “You see what everybody has agreed happened to subsidy—it’s not that subsidy is bad because there’s no country that doesn’t subsidise the poor,” he said. He contended that wealthy Nigerians and businesses benefit more from government incentives than ordinary citizens, citing customs waivers granted to importers as a form of subsidy that is significantly more valuable than the relief previously enjoyed by consumers through cheaper petrol. “In fact, the people that get the most subsidy in Nigeria are not the poor; it’s the rich,” Sowore argued.
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Sowore linked the removal of fuel subsidy to the decline in the naira and broader economic challenges facing Nigerians. “And you saw what happened immediately you remove subsidy. Your economy tanked, your naira also went down the toilet,” he said. He argued that Nigeria needs to abandon what he described as an outdated economic mentality that has normalised poverty. “What we have to do differently, first and foremost, is to get rid of this old mentality and the ideas that brought poverty to become a standard and household name in Nigeria,” he said. Sowore also criticised the government’s emphasis on economic indicators, arguing that improved statistics would mean little if Nigerians continue to struggle to afford basic necessities. “It’s all about the optics. But optics don’t feed people,” he said.
The AAC candidate expressed concern over Nigeria’s food security situation, citing the latest Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report. According to FAO projections, 34.8 million Nigerians are expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity in 2026, with approximately 1.8 million in Emergency and some 15,000 in Catastrophe in Borno State. Sowore said it was particularly troubling that Nigeria, despite being a major oil-producing country, is among nations facing food shortages. “The Food and Agricultural Organisation regards Nigeria as one of the places where you need food in 2026. That is to say we are so bad and we are about the only country producing oil that’s on FAO’s list of countries that have food shortages,” he said. The FAO has launched a three-year Emergency and Resilience Plan requiring USD 347 million to support 12.6 million vulnerable people across Nigeria’s northeast, northwest, and north-central regions.
Sowore’s comments come amid ongoing debate over the impact of subsidy removal. The reform has delivered significant fiscal benefits, with Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) distributions surging to N28.78 trillion in 2024, a 79 percent jump from the N16.28 trillion shared in 2023. However, critics argue that the fiscal windfall has not translated into visible improvements in public services, with independent monitoring groups documenting a troubling disconnect between what states are receiving and what is being delivered in terms of roads, hospitals, and schools. The Allied People’s Movement has also called on the government to provide a comprehensive account of the trillions of naira realised from subsidy removal, noting that despite over N20 trillion saved since 2023, there has been increased poverty, high cost of living, and infrastructure deficit across the country. Sowore maintained that addressing poverty and food insecurity should be prioritised over the presentation of favourable economic statistics, arguing that the government cannot claim economic success while millions of Nigerians continue to struggle to meet their basic needs.
Sowore Vows to Restore Petrol Subsidy If Elected President in 2027
Politics
2027 Elections: Atiku Raises Alarm Over Outdated BVAS Software, Warns of Manipulation Risks
2027 Elections: Atiku Raises Alarm Over Outdated BVAS Software, Warns of Manipulation Risks
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has raised serious concerns over the continued use of an outdated operating system on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), warning that the technology could expose Nigeria’s 2027 electoral process to cybersecurity threats and manipulation. Atiku’s concerns follow the recent mock accreditation exercise conducted in Osun State on August 1, 2026, and comments by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Director of ICT, Dr Lawrence Bayode. During an interview on Arise TV, Bayode disclosed that the BVAS devices, first introduced into Nigeria’s electoral process in 2021, currently operate on Android version 10.
In a statement issued by his Media Office in Abuja on Tuesday, Atiku pointed out that Android 10 reached its end-of-life status in 2023 and no longer receives regular security updates or patches. He argued that running critical electoral infrastructure on an end-of-life operating system creates a broad attack surface that could be exploited by cybercriminals. The ADC presidential candidate questioned why INEC, despite what he described as its substantial budget, had failed to upgrade the BVAS software ahead of the 2027 general elections. He also asked why upcoming off-cycle elections, including the Osun governorship election, could not be used as an opportunity to test an upgraded system.
Describing INEC’s handling of the matter as “suspicious,” Atiku alleged that continued reliance on outdated technology could undermine public confidence in the electoral process. He warned that vulnerabilities in the legacy operating system could potentially be exploited to gain unauthorised access to BVAS devices and tamper with stored voter accreditation information or polling unit result data before transmission. The former Vice President also expressed concern over the transmission of polling unit results through public telecommunications networks to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). He argued that outdated security and cryptographic components could expose the transmission process to cyber threats, including attempts to intercept, block, or manipulate electoral data. He specifically warned of the risk of Man-in-the-Middle attacks, through which sophisticated actors could intercept, block, or manipulate data packets over the air.
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Atiku further raised questions about the biometric functions of BVAS, which rely on fingerprint and facial recognition technologies for voter accreditation. He argued that an outdated biometric framework could affect the accuracy and reliability of the accreditation process and potentially make the system more vulnerable to attempts to bypass its verification mechanisms. He also warned that software defects associated with legacy systems could result in application crashes, particularly during periods of heavy usage, leading to delays in voter accreditation at polling units. Against this backdrop, Atiku backed calls by cybersecurity experts for an independent and comprehensive audit of the BVAS hardware and software before the 2027 elections. He maintained that deploying critical national infrastructure on an end-of-life operating system could widen the system’s attack surface and expose Nigeria’s electoral process to avoidable risks.
In a related development, a coalition of civil society organisations under the aegis of the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room has raised concerns over INEC’s introduction of an electronic EC8A on the BVAS and a new backend validation process before results are published on IReV. The groups warned that the validation process is not visible to the public, polling agents, or election observers, while INEC has yet to explain what is being validated, who conducts the review, or how long the process should take. The CSOs argued that the introduction of the electronic EC8A could create multiple versions of the same polling-unit result, potentially generating confusion in the event of discrepancies. They urged INEC to abolish the backend validation of transmitted results before publication on IReV or, at the very least, subject the process to public and independent scrutiny.
However, INEC has previously stated that upgrades have been introduced to the BVAS system to curb manipulation of results transmitted to IReV. INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan disclosed that the BVAS system now performs internal validation checks to ensure that the total votes entered do not exceed the number of accredited voters, with over-voting automatically flagged. Amupitan noted that these upgrades were tested during the FCT Area Council election and found to work correctly, with an average of 97 per cent of results uploaded to IReV. The commission has also indicated it is considering conducting a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems and staging a mock presidential election as part of efforts to strengthen preparations for the 2027 general elections.
2027 Elections: Atiku Raises Alarm Over Outdated BVAS Software, Warns of Manipulation Risks
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