Politics
Drama as INEC declares APC winner of Imo North bye-election
Despite not fielding any candidate for Saturday bye-election in Imo North, the Independent National Electoral Commissioner has declared the All Progressives Congress winner of the election.
INEC’s Returning Officer for the poll, Hakeem Adikum, on Sunday morning announced the APC as the winner of the election without returning any candidate.
Adikum said, “I hereby return the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the bye-election held in Imo North on Saturday, December 5.”
The returning officer announced that the APC scored 36,811 votes, while Emmanuel Okewulonu of the People Democratic Party came second with 31,903 votes.
This caused disquiet in the hall, as the supporters Ifeanyi Araraume and Frank Ibezim, the two candidates laying claims to the APC ticket, who were waiting to jubilate outside, felt disappointed.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Imo, Prof Francis Ezeonu, told journalists that the commission was unable to return a particular candidate from the APC as the winner of the election because of what he called several court orders for and against Araraume and Ibezim of the APC.
Recall that an Abuja Federal High court had on Friday barred Ibezim from contesting elections, having found him guilty of perjury based on the credentials he submitted to INEC and his party.
The same day, a Court of Appeal in Owerri sacked Araraume as the candidate of the APC and declared Ibezim as the authentic candidate of the party.
Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenem ordered INEC to immediately enlist Ibezim’s name as the candidate of the party for the bye-election.
Meanwhile, the details of the election results show the APC won in five out of the six local government areas in the senatorial district while PDP won in one LGA.
While PDP won in Obowo LGA where its candidate hails from; the returning officer said that APC won in Okigwe, Onuimo, Isiala Mbano, Ehime Mbano and Ihitte/Uboma LGAs.
Politics
BREAKING: LP Re-elects Julius Abure As National Chairman
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.
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…
Politics
El-Rufai set to dump APC, visits Gowon after meeting SDP leaders
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).
metro
Happening now: Senator Idiat Adebule distributes massive palliatives to Lagos West residents (photos)
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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