Ayade to know fate Friday, police take over C'River assembly – Newstrends
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Ayade to know fate Friday, police take over C’River assembly

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A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja will on Friday deliver judgment in a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party against Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River.

The PDP, through its counsel Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, had filed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/975/2021 before Justice Taiwo Taiwo seeking an order to sack the governor and his deputy over their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The News Agency of Nigeria, on Tuesday, gathered from Court 7, where Justice Taiwo presides that the judgment in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/975/2021 filed by the PDP against Cross River governor and his deputy will come up on Friday, March 25.

NAN reports that Taiwo had, on Monday, ordered two House of Representatives members representing Cross River and 18 lawmakers from the state’s House of Assembly to vacate their seats over their defection to the APC.

The judge gave the order following a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/971/2021 filed on August 27, 2021, by the PDP to challenge the 20 lawmakers’ defection to APC, alongside the governor on May 20, 2021.

Justice Taiwo, in the judgment, dismissed the defence argument that the PDP (plaintiff) had no locus standi (legal rights) to institute the case.

He also dismissed other preliminary objections raised by the sacked lawmakers.

Taiwo ruled that the argument of the lawmakers that there was rancour in the PDP which necessitated their defection to APC was a ploy to mislead the court.

The judge, who granted all the reliefs sought by the PDP, held that it was disheartening that politicians in the country treat citizens as if they do not matter once they get into office.

“A day must surely come when elected officials, must either resign from their office or ask the people who voted for them before defecting to other political parties, instead of defecting to another party without recourse to the law and the citizens,” he said.

According to him, people cannot continue in sin and expect grace.

The affected two members of the House of Representatives from the state are Michael Etaba and Legor Idagbor.

The 18 state lawmakers include the Speaker, House of Assembly, Eteng Williams; Mich Etaba, Legor Idagbor, Joseph Bassey, Odey Agbe and Okon Ephraim.

Others are Regina Anyogo, Matthew Olory, Ekpo Bassey, Ogbor Udop, Ekpe Okon, Hillary Bisong, Francis Asuquo, Elvert Ayambem, Davis Etta, Sunday Achunekan, Cynthia Nkasi, Edward Ajang, Chris Ogar and Maria Akwaji.

While Mr Etaba represents Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency of Cross River, Mr Idagbor represents Obudu/Obaliku/Bekwarra Federal Constituency of the state.

Meanwhile, the police have taken over the Cross River Assembly after the lawmakers’ sacking.

They reportedly took positions on all routes leading to the assembly as early as 6am on Tuesday.

The police units on the ground include the Anti-Kidnapping, Cultism Squad and regular policemen – all armed.

They were also seen on the premises of the assembly.

Some of the policemen were also seen standing close to Governor Ben Ayade’s office, which is close by.

Opposite the route to the Assembly is the UJ Esuene Stadium Calabar. Men suspected to be political party supporters could also be seen smoking and sipping hot drinks.

Motorists and passersby are having difficulty meandering through the crowd of security men and their vans.

It was learnt that the security buildup is as a result of the judgment delivered at Abuja High Court by Justice Taiwo Taiwo which sacked 18 law makers from the state and two from the House of Representatives for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

The ruling APC has claimed to have applied to the court for stay of execution of the judgment, while the party proceeded to the Appeal Court.

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BREAKING: LP Re-elects Julius Abure As National Chairman

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Julius Abure, the national chairman of the Labour Party

BREAKING: LP Re-elects Julius Abure As National Chairman

The Labour Party (LP) has re-elected Julius Abure as its National Chairman for a second term in office.

Abure was re-elected by a unanimous affirmation of delegates at the party’s National Convention in Nnewi, Anambra State.

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The Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetu declared him the winner during the event attended by party leaders and members.

More to come…

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El-Rufai set to dump APC, visits Gowon after meeting SDP leaders

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El-Rufai set to dump APC, visits Gowon after meeting SDP leaders

There are talks that a former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, may quit the All Progressives Congress (APC) and move to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the second time.

The rumour is coming after the APC chieftain had held meetings with SDP leaders.

El-Rufai also visited ex-military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, at his residence in Abuja on Tuesday.

His second visit to SDP stalwarts on Tuesday has further fueled speculations that the former governor is planning to dump the APC.

El-Rufai lost his bid to become a minister in the President Bola Tinubu as he was screened out by the Senate over a damaging petition written against him.

He was however pictured at the Abuja residence of Senator Abubakar Gada, along with SDP chairman Shehu Musa Gabam and other party leaders.

Also reported to be present at the meeting were Senator Teslim Folarin, APC governorship candidate for Oyo State in the 2023 general elections, and Senator Nazif Suleiman, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party from Bauchi State.

The meeting at Gada’s home in Abuja on Sunday night came after El-Rufai hosted a Ramadan iftar at his Abuja residence.

Those at the Ramadan iftar include the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam and Shehu Musa Gabam.

El-Rufai also visited Gabam at the SDP secretariat.

Last Friday, a former spokesperson for the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Organisation, Daniel Bwala, said the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 Presidential Election, Peter Obi, was planning to leave the Labour Party and join El-Rufai in the SDP.

Bwala, in a post on his X handle, said Obi was planning to leave the Labour Party following the current crisis in the party with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) threatening to take over the party.

Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, joined the Labour Party in May 2023 in the buildup to the 2023 general elections following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

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Happening now: Senator Idiat Adebule distributes massive palliatives to Lagos West residents (photos)

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Happening now: Senator Idiat Adebule distributes massive palliatives to Lagos West residents (photos)

Hundreds of people mostly the poor and members of the All Progressives Congress in the Lagos West Senatorial District are currently gathered at the Ikeja Police College where the senator representing the area, Idiat Adebule, is dolling out palliatives to the downtrodden, among others.

Adebule said 10,000 packs were given out to the vulnerable in the senatorial district.

She listed the items as rice, semovita, beans, pasta garri, vegetable oil and cloths.

Even as she said the package was a tip of the iceberg, stressing that people should expect bigger and better packages, not necessarily food items.

Newstrends captured the event in photos

… Detailed report later

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