Politics

Court nullifies APC Uba’s participation in Anambra poll

Published

4 years ago

December 20, 2021

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, nullified the participation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Andy Uba, in the Nov. 6 Anambra governorship election.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment, held that the June 26 primary of the party which produced Uba as its standard-bearer was not validly conducted.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Chief George Moghalu, an aspirant in the APC primary election had challenged the process and the outcome of the primary election that produced Uba as the party’s candidate.

Moghalu, who was the plaintiff, had sued the party, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Uba as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Ekwo aligned with the plaintiff’s arguments that the June 26 primary election breached the provisions of the Electoral Act and the APC guidelines for the conduct of the exercise.

He held that the plaintiff had successfully demonstrated that the primary election was not conducted in accordance with the law and the party’s guidelines.

“Therefore, the case of the plaintiff succeeds on its merit,” he said.

Ekwo held that since the election was conducted illegally, the APC (1st defendant) cannot be a beneficiary of the Nov. 6 election which produced the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Prof. Charles Soludo, as the winner of the poll outcome.

The judge, therefore, declared that the APC had no candidate in the Anambra governorship election by non-inclusion of the name of Moghalu in the primary election, and the conduct of the poll in contravention of the Electoral Act and the party’s guidelines.

“The 2nd defendant (INEC) is compelled to delist the name of the 1st defendant and 3rd defendant from the Nov. 6, Anambra governorship election,” he said.

According to the judge, any election conducted contrary to the 1st defendant guideline is in nullity.

“The real issue was not whether accredited members of 1st defendant voted on that day but whether the election was conducted in accordance with the election guidelines of 1st defendant,” he held.

He also said that the evidence of the police report confirmed that the election was conducted outside the time frame.

Ekwo, who described the conduct of the primary by APC as “crude and primitive,” ordered that the N22.5 million paid by Moghalu as expression of interest and nomination forms be refunded since the party failed to complied with the provisions of the law and its guidelines.

NAN reports that Moghalu had, in July, filed the suit at the court, seeking an order removing Uba and the APC from the list of gubernatorial candidates and political parties partaking in the Anambra governorship election on the grounds that the party failed to conduct a valid primary election.

He also demanded N122.5 million as damages, which include a refund for the fee paid for expression of interest and nomination forms and N100 million “for the breach of contract to commence and conclude primary election”.

INEC had picked Uba, winner of the APC primary election, as the party’s candidate.

In the affidavit in support of the suit, the plaintiff said the APC failed to conclude the selection and nomination process for its candidate for the Nov. 6 governorship poll.

He said the APC had chosen to adopt direct primary, which is why the party published the list of designated venues for the exercise.

Moghalu said the party received N22.5 million for the expression of interest form and nomination form, including from him, “to allow him to participate in the primary election exercise”.

He further said he was informed a day before the primaries that the APC electoral committee would address all aspirants and stakeholders in Akwa.

“Shockingly, on June 26, 2021, the said election committee was not seen anywhere in Anambra; no accreditation of voters took place; no voting and collation of votes occurred in all the 326 wards of Anambra state,” he said.

He said the committee “announced election results it did not conduct, and which fakery was credited to the 3rd defendant as the winner of the primary election scheduled for emergence as APC’s candidate in the November 6 governorship election in Anambra”.

Moghalu also argued that the party did not invite the INEC in line with the law requiring the commission to monitor the exercise.

Politics

Atiku Camp Rejects Court-Ordered ADC Deregistration, Alleges Plot to Cripple Opposition

Published

2 days ago

June 15, 2026

Trends Admin

ADC.s David Mark, Atiku Abubakar and Rauf Aregbesola

Atiku Camp Rejects Court-Ordered ADC Deregistration, Alleges Plot to Cripple Opposition

ABUJA — The camp of former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has strongly condemned the judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja ordering the deregistration of the party, describing the ruling as a dangerous attempt to weaken opposition forces and entrench a one-party state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The reaction was conveyed on Monday by Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, who argued that the judgment was delivered in defiance of a subsisting order of the Court of Appeal and amounted to what he termed “judicial rascality.”

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court had earlier ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC alongside four other political parties — the Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The judgment, delivered in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, followed a legal action instituted by the National Forum of Former Legislators. The plaintiffs argued that the affected parties failed to satisfy constitutional and statutory requirements for continued registration, including winning elective positions or securing at least 25 per cent of votes in any state during the 2023 general elections and subsequent by-elections.

In addition to ordering their deregistration, the court restrained the affected parties from participating in future political activities and directed INEC not to recognize them as registered political parties.

Atiku Camp Rejects Court-Ordered ADC Deregistration, Alleges Plot to Cripple Opposition

Politics

BREAKING: Kenneth Okonkwo Withdraws Support for Atiku

Published

2 days ago

June 15, 2026

Trends Admin

Kenneth Okonkwo and Peter Obi

BREAKING: Kenneth Okonkwo Withdraws Support for Atiku

Former presidential spokesperson of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council and Nollywood actor-turned-politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, has withdrawn his support for the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, over what he described as the continued marginalisation of the South-East geopolitical zone.

Okonkwo announced his decision following reports that the ADC had selected former Rivers State Governor and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as Atiku’s running mate for the 2027 presidential election.

The development was reportedly confirmed by ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi.

Reacting in a statement shared on his official X handle, Okonkwo expressed disappointment over the reported choice, arguing that excluding the South-East from both the presidential and vice-presidential positions would amount to perpetuating injustice against the region.

According to him, the South-East remains the only geopolitical zone that has neither produced a President nor Vice President since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

“I heard from social media that ADC has picked its vice-presidential candidate from the South-South. If this is true, it is unfortunate, as this will continue the crude marginalisation of the South-East,” Okonkwo stated.

BREAKING: Kenneth Okonkwo Withdraws Support for Atiku

Politics

Kwara APC Elders Reject Guber Candidate, Urge Tinubu, Party Leaders to Intervene

Published

2 days ago

June 15, 2026

Trends Admin

Kwara APC Elders Reject Guber Candidate, Urge Tinubu, Party Leaders to Intervene

A group of influential elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State has openly challenged the emergence of the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election, warning that the decision could jeopardise the ruling party’s chances of retaining power in the state.

The Kwara State APC Elders Caucus on Monday expressed strong reservations over the emergence of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Engr. Salihu Yakubu Danladi, as the party’s governorship candidate, describing the process that produced him as deeply flawed and politically risky.

Addressing a world press conference in Ilorin, the caucus said the governorship primary election purportedly held by the party on May 22, 2026, failed to reflect the wishes of party members and stakeholders across the state.

The elders claimed that the primary, initially scheduled for May 21, was postponed under unclear circumstances and that Danladi was eventually declared winner of an election they alleged never took place.

According to the caucus, they had initially accepted the outcome of the primary process and reviewed it from the perspective of what would be best for the APC and Kwara State. However, after consultations with party members and stakeholders across the three senatorial districts, they concluded that Danladi was not the strongest candidate available to the party.

“We do not believe that the purported emergence of Hon. Engr. Yakubu Salihu Danladi represents the strongest political option available to the party at this critical moment,” the elders stated.

They stressed that their opposition was not driven by personal grievances against the Speaker but by concerns over his perceived lack of statewide appeal and ability to unite the party ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The caucus further argued that the political landscape in Kwara had changed significantly and warned against assumptions that the APC could secure victory regardless of the candidate it presented.

The elders also faulted Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, whom they described as the leader of the APC in the state, for allegedly presenting Danladi to the national leadership of the party without adequate consultation with critical stakeholders.

According to them, many party elders, aspirants and political office holders were sidelined in decisions that would ultimately shape the future of the party in the state.

The group urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, APC National Chairman Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda and members of the National Working Committee to re-examine the situation in Kwara State and engage more broadly with stakeholders before final decisions are made.

They also alleged that some influential presidential aides were working to impose what they described as an unpopular candidate on the party in exchange for political patronage and other benefits.

Despite their criticisms, the elders reaffirmed their loyalty to President Tinubu and pledged continued support for his Renewed Hope Agenda and re-election bid in 2027.

The press conference was contained in a statement titled “Text of a World Press Conference by the Kwara State APC Elders Caucus” and was signed by Sir (Dr.) Chief James Bamisaiye Ayenioye, JP, Chairman, on behalf of members of the Kwara State APC Elders Caucus.