Two members of the opposition parties in the House of Representatives on Tuesday joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The two members are Peter Akpanke representing Obanliku/Obudu/ Beware federal constituency of Cross River State, who is leaving the PDP and Prof Paul Nnamchi representing Enugu East/Isi Uzo federal constituency of Enugu, who is leaving the Labour Party.
While Akpanke said he was dumping the PDP because of protracted crisis, which has defied solution, Nnamchi also hinged his decision on the leadership crisis in the Labour Party.
The letter of defection of the two lawmakers was read at plenary on Tuesday by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.
Akpanke however expressed appreciation to the PDP for giving him the opportunity to fly its flag, adding the absence of peace in the party has necessitated his decision to move to another party. (Nation)
The political storm cloud hanging over Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, was swept away yesterday as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gave him a public endorsement, dispelling lingering speculations of a rift between them.
At a high-stakes reconciliation meeting held at the President’s private residence in Ikoyi, Lagos, Tinubu, long regarded as Sanwo-Olu’s political mentor and benefactor, reportedly declared: “All is over. There is no need to beat around the bush or go into unnecessary talk. Continue with your work.”
The remarks were made before key members of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council (GAC), the apex decision-making body of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, led by its chairman, Tajudeen Olusi. The council had accompanied Sanwo-Olu to plead for forgiveness and reaffirm political loyalty.
This dramatic intervention followed days of swirling rumours and public tension. Since Tinubu’s arrival in Lagos last week, Sanwo-Olu had been visibly sidelined from major public engagements. The situation reached a climax when Tinubu appeared to snub the governor by refusing a handshake during a public event, an act that set off a firestorm of speculations over a fallout ahead of the 2027 elections.
Sources told The Guardian that the reconciliation meeting was facilitated after behind-the-scenes efforts by influential GAC members, who were alarmed by the escalating political drama. Olusi, in particular, was said to have appealed to Tinubu to forgive the governor, acknowledging that the President had been visibly unhappy with certain developments in Lagos.
Chairman of the GAC, Alhaji Olusi, reportedly told the President: “We know you are not pleased with some of us, especially the governor. We ask for mercy.”
In response, Tinubu, according to multiple sources present at the meeting, said: “It’s all over now. All is forgiven.”
The President also told Sanwo-Olu and the GAC members to go ahead with the planned local government elections scheduled to be held on July 12, saying, “I am too busy for council matters. Go ahead and ensure the right thing is done. Give fair opportunities to everyone.”
At that moment, Sanwo-Olu and members of the council were said to have prostrated before the President in a symbolic gesture of reconciliation and loyalty.
Though neither Sanwo-Olu nor Tinubu publicly confirmed a dispute, APC insiders at national, zonal, and state levels had hinted at growing friction. Sources cited Sanwo-Olu’s alleged attempts to assert greater independence by marginalising Tinubu loyalists within the state’s political structure. (Guardian)
The Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Dennis Guwor, and 21 other Peoples Democratic Party, on Tuesday, defected to the All Progressives Congress.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that the defection of the 22 lawmakers was a sequel to the significant shift in the state’s political landscape.
The defection means that the assembly has been turned into a one-party legislature, as the remaining seven members are from the APC.
Guwor, while announcing the defection on Tuesday during the resumption of plenary after the Easter break, noted that the decision was the result of extensive consultations with their constituents and political leaders across the state.
The move, he said, aligned with Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
According to him, the political shift toward APC was in response to the realignment of stakeholders and the desire to align with the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
“The mass defection of members of the Peoples Democratic Party, led by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, to the APC, was made in the overall interest of the people of the state,” he said.
Guwor explained that the decision followed extensive consultations held on April 23 which culminated in the April 28 official reception at the Government House and the Cenotaph, respectively.
“We are fully committed to partnering with the federal government to deliver greater development to the people of Delta.
“On behalf of the house, I commend the courage and visionary leadership of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori in making this strategic and timely decision.
“As a legislative body, we stand with His Excellency in this endeavour.
”This renewed partnership between the state and the federal government must be supported and allowed to flourish so that we can begin to enjoy its benefits in the shortest possible time,” he stated.Related News
Guwor also announced that he had received 22 letters, including his own, notifying him of the change of party affiliation from PDP to APC.
He said the defection was driven by instability within the PDP national leadership and divisions within the South-South Zonal Executive Committee, leading to internal conflicts and disunity.
The speaker affirmed the constitutional basis for the defection, citing Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“With this action, the Delta House of Assembly is now composed entirely of members from the All Progressives Congress. We thank our constituents for endorsing this progressive course of action,” he said.
The speaker, who appreciated members for their contributions so far, urged them to ensure the completion of all pending bills as the second legislative session nears its end.
After the development, the Majority Leader, Mr Emeka Nwaobi, moved a motion for the adoption of the letters of change in the political party.
The motion, which was unanimously adopted by the assembly when put to a voice vote by the speaker, was seconded by Mr Ferguson Onwo (APC-Isoko South II).
Addressing newsmen shortly after the plenary, the majority leader said that the defection was prompted by the crisis within PDP.
“Our decision was based on the instability at the national level and the factionalisation at the South-South level.
”Consequently, we chose to move to the ruling All Progressives Congress, in accordance with Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended,” he said. (Punch)
Lawmakers and staff of the Lagos State House of Assembly wept in the full glare of those present on Monday when the former Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda, tendered her resignation letter to allow the previously impeached speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, to return to his position.
LEADERSHIP reports that the House had been engulfed in crisis since January 13 when Hon Mudashiru Obasa was removed as Speaker.
Most of the lawmakers and Assembly staff who spoke without inhibition applauded Meranda over how she led the House within the 49 days she was the speaker of the House, saying reversing the situation was a return to a reign of tyranny in the Assembly.
Before her resignation, Meranda who was the first female speaker of the state, and Obasa had earlier held a meeting with lawmakers, with Lawal Pedro, the Lagos State attorney general, and Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, in their midst.
Meranda was reappointed as the Deputy Speaker, while Mudashiru Obasa took the oath of Office as the Speaker. Also, Hon Sanni Okanlawon resigned as the Deputy Chief Whip, while Hon Setonji David resigned as the Chief Whip.
In the meantime, Hon. David was reelected as the Deputy Chief after being nominated by Hon. Kehinde Joseph. Hon. Richard Kasunmu returned as the Deputy Majority Leader, while Hon. Adewale Temitope retained the position.
Similarly, Deputy Speaker Mojeed Fatai resigned and was elected as the Chief Whip. Meranda returned as the new deputy speaker.
With this development, Meranda served as the Speaker for 49 days before bowing to the All Progressives Congress (APC) party supremacy principle.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the development was decided at the strategic meeting of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) with members of the House on Sunday. (Leadership)
The Supreme Court, yesterday, reserved judgment in the appeal the All Progressives Congress, APC, filed to nullify the outcome of the Local Government elections that held in Rivers State on October 5, 2024.
A five-member panel of the apex court, headed by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, okayed the matter for judgment, after parties adopted their final briefs of argument.
The court had earlier in the day dismissed an appeal Governor Siminialayi Fubara filed to challenge another judgment that sought to compel him to re-present the 2024 budget of the state before the Martin Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State Assembly, which he argued had been overtaken by event.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Coalition has clarified that no Supreme Court judgment was issued against Fubara, despite speculations to the contrary, adding that Oko Jumbo remains the legitimate Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
While the APC, through its team of lawyers, led by Mr. J. Daudu, urged the Supreme Court to set-aside the November 21, 2024, judgment of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, which declined to invalidate the election, Mr. Yusuf Ali, who announced appearance for Fubara, as well as Chris Uche, who represented the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, sought the dismissal of the appeal.
Recall that the appellate court vacated the judgment that barred the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from releasing voters register to the RSIEC for the conduct of the LG polls.
The Justice Onyekachi Otisi-led panel, in a unanimous decision, held that the high court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain suit against the Rivers State LG elections.
According to the appellate court, section 28 of the Electoral Act does not cover elections conducted by states but only Federal elections, governorship and Area Council Elections in the Federal Capital Territory.
Meantime, the Supreme Court adjourned the case for judgment on a day it dismissed an appeal Fubara filed to challenge another judgment that sought to compel him to re-present the 2024 budget of the state before Martin Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State Assembly.
When the appeal was called up for hearing, yesterday, Fubara’s lawyer applied to withdraw it, saying it had been overtaken by events.
Neither Wole Olanipekun, who stood for the Amaewhule-led Rivers State lawmakers, nor Mr. Daudu, who represented the 3rd to 12th defendants, challenged the withdrawal, though they persuaded the apex court to award N2million cost to each of them.
The respondents further convinced the Justice Abba-Aji-led panel to dismiss the matter instead of striking it out, noting that they have already exchanged processes with the Appellant.
Maintaining that Fubara’s loss was “self-inflicted,” the appelate court held that since his counter-affidavit was withdrawn, “the appellant is deemed to have admitted the rather weighty facts that were presented by the respondents.”
The Supreme Court, yesterday, also reserved its verdict on seven consolidated appeals that are trailing the Appeal Court judgment that vacated the order that initially stopped the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, from releasing monthly statutory allocations to Rivers State.
Factional members of the Rivers State Assembly loyal to the immediate past governor of the state and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr. Nyesom Wike, had insisted that all federal monthly allocations meant for Rivers state, should be withheld.
On his part, governor Fubara argued that the Amaewhule-led group had since ceased to be lawmakers in the state, having decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which sponsored their election, to the All Progressives Congress, APC. (Vanguard)
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