Mr Ekpenyong Iso, Cross River state Commissioner for Culture and Tourism has been suspended by the All Progressives Congress (APC) executive in Ward 8, Calabar Municipality, Cross River, for alleged anti-party activities and misappropriation of funds.

His suspension was announced on Wednesday, April 26, by the Chairman of Ward 8, Mr Kingsley Ekpe, and the Secretary, Mr Gilbert Bassey.

The statement read;

“We write to notify you of your 12 months suspension from Ward 8, Calabar Municipality, of the APC.

“Your suspension is predicated on the recommendations of the disciplinary and fact-finding committee set up to investigate the petition of misappropriation of party funds and anti-party activities leveled against you.

“Consequently, during the pendency of this suspension, which takes immediate effect, you are to stay away from all party activities.

“We wish you all the best in your political sojourn.” Mr Iso has however denied engaging in anti-party activities or misappropriating funds. He also said a statement on his purported suspension was written by some “unscrupulous persons”.

He said;

“The allegations are completely false; there were nothing like anti-party activities or misappropriation of funds during the last elections.

“The ward executive of the party is meeting soon to refute the statement because there is no substance to their claims.”

Secretary of the Ebonyi State Election Petition Tribunal, Nyior Henry Sekulla, on Wednesday, April 26, announced that the Tribunal has been directed to relocate to Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with immediate effect.

Chief Judge of the Court of Appeal, Monica Mensem gave the directive. Sekulla said the Ebonyi State Judiciary Headquarters in Abakaliki has been shut down following the directive.

All processes relating to matters before the Tribunal will continue at Abuja.

Sekulla said;

“The Honourable Justice Monica Dongban Mensem, President Court of Appeal – HPCA has through the Deputy Chief Registrar, Election Petition Tribunal (EPT) Headquarters Abuja, directed the relocation of EPT sitting here to FCT Abuja.

“Therefore, in compliance with the HPCA directives, the petitioners, counsel to parties and general public is hereby informed via this medium that, the EPT sitting here in Abakaliki thereby cease to operate in Abakaliki as at 26-04-23; filings of processes, taking of proceedings etc. shall henceforth continue at Abuja”.

No reason was given for the relocation. Rivers State Election Petition Tribunal and that of one other state are also affected by the development.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, April 26, threw out the lawsuit filed before it by Senator Aisha Dahiru Ahmed (Binani), the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the last governorship election in Adamawa State.

Binani had approached the court to seek a judicial review of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to reverse her initial announcement as the winner of the election by the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).

Recall that the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Yunusa Ari, had declared Binani as the winner of the supplementary poll held on April 15 even while the collation of results was ongoing.

Binani went on to give an acceptance speech.

The electoral body immediately released a statement nullifying Ari’s declaration and has written to the police to investigate him.

INEC has since declared the incumbent governor, winner.

During the court hearing on Wednesday morning April 26, Binani’s lawyers informed the court of the notice of discontinuance filed by the senator and asked the court to strike out the suit.

However, Justice Inyang Ekwo decided to dismiss the case in his ruling.

A ward chairman of the Labour Party in Benue state, Mr. Nathaniel Ochoche, has been killed by gunmen.

The Edikwu Ward 2 Chairman of the party in Apa Local Government Area of the state, was murdered alongside four others last weekend.

The party’s Publicity Secretary in the state, Mr. Tersoo Orbunde who confirmed his murder said in a statement;

“It is with rude shock that the Benue State Secretariat of the Labour party received the news of the gruesome murder of its Chairman in Edikwu Ward 2 in Apa LGA, Nathaniel Ochoche, who was ambushed and killed by armed Fulani militia.

“Until his death, Mr. Ochoche was a consummate party man who worked assiduously hard for the growth of his community, constituency and country both in words and works.”

Governor Umar Ganduje of Kano has appealed to residents of the state who he may have offended in any way during his tenure as their governor, to forgive him.

Governor Ganduje made the appeal in a statement released by Muhammad Garba, the state’s commissioner for information and internal affairs.

According to the statement, Governor Ganduje whose two-term tenure of eight years will end on May 29, spoke in his Eid-el-Fitri message on Friday, April 21.

The governor said he is not holding grudges against anyone, and that he has forgiven people “who at one time disparaged my person and my character for whatever reasons.”

“I’ve forgiven anyone who at one time disparaged my person and my character for whatever reasons, and on my part, I equally beg or seek for your forgiveness for all that I’ve done wrong to you. For those who we have wronged, forgive us, on my part, I’ve forgiven those who wronged me no matter the weight of the offence.”

The statement quoted him as saying Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) defeated Yusuf Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who had the backing of Givernor Ganduje.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied allegation of colluding with Adamawa state government to rig the governorship election in favour of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri.

Recall that while denying allegation of giving out a N2 billion bribe to an INEC official for her to be announced as winner of election, Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) alleged that some INEC officials paid a “nocturnal visit” to the government house before Ahmadu Fintiri, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was declared the winner of the poll on Tuesday, April 18.

Reacting to the allegation made by Binani, INEC stated that such meeting didn’t hold and that it appointed and retained only one returning officer for the governorship election who also doubled as the state collation officer for the presidential election.

The statement from the electoral umpire read;

“Like all Returning Officers nationwide, he was issued with a letter of appointment by the Commission and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State was duly informed. The list of Collation Officers was also forwarded to the State with every page of the list personally endorsed by the Chairman of the Commission well ahead of the arrival of the National Commissioners.

“Similarly, the same Press Statement created the impression that the national headquarters of the Commission specifically targetted Adamawa State in its deployment of National Commissioners and other officials with the sole intention of influencing the outcome of the supplementary election held on Saturday 25th April 2023 and sidelining the REC. Nothing can be further from the truth.

“For the record, it has been the standard policy and practice of the Commission to deploy National Commissioners, RECs and other staff from the headquarters or neighbouring States for supplementary or off-cycle elections where doing so is considered necessary.

“In the case of Adamawa State where supplementary governorship election was held in 69 polling units, two National Commissioners were deployed while for Kebbi State involving 142 polling units, three National Commissioners were deployed. Similarly, one National Commissioner each was deployed to Sokoto, Zamfara, Imo, Rivers, Ekiti and Ogun States.

“This has been the standard practice of the Commission of which all RECs are informed in advance. Therefore, Adamawa State was not specifically targeted. In all other States, the RECs worked cooperatively with the National Commissioners except in Adamawa State for reasons that are now obvious to all.

“The public is advised to discountenance these insinuations as nothing more than a claptrap. We also advise those behind the mischief to desist forthwith as such fabrications have endangered the lives of our officials (both ad hoc and regular) engaged in legitimate election duties. We expect well-meaning citizens to act within the bounds of propriety and decency.”

Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has said that he contested the Adamawa governorship election against “enemies of democracy” in Abuja and not Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking on Tuesday, April 18, in an interview with Channels Television after his victory, Fintiri said those against his re-election wanted a woman to become governor without considering his performance.

Commenting on the drama-filled election, Fintiri said;

“I don’t think I have run against any woman in Adamawa State, I ran against enemies of democracy outside Adamawa State.

“I contested against the whole system, I contested against those who feel they own Nigeria from Abuja and they feel they can make Adamawa a scapegoat.

“Even in the election, I didn’t go into the election against the woman, I went into the election against INEC. The whole presiding officers that were conducting the election, all of them were APC members.

“Our people love us. They voted for continuity of excellent, rural and urban development. They voted for human and capital development that we had laid a very good foundation for.”

Fintiri also vowed to ensure the prosecution of all those involved in the election fiasco.

He added;

“Time will tell if these people will be properly prosecuted.

“But if they don’t prosecute these criminalities that took place in Adamawa state, I’m going to prosecute them.”

Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa, has denied offering a N2bn bribe to an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be declared winner of the election.

Recall that the collation of the election result was suspended for some days after Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the resident electoral commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Commission (INEC) declared Binani as the winner when the results from the remaining LGAs had not been announced.

Governor Ahmadu Fintiri was announced as winner of the election after collation resumed on Tuesday, April 18.

Reacting to allegation of offering the sum of N2 billion to “procure a favourable declaration as governor-elect to some unnamed INEC staff”, Binani stated that the report is “very bizarre, unfounded and wild allegations”.

She said;

“I never did, I would never do such. I wish to reiterate that I am a democrat. I have always been a committed democrat and will never do anything to subvert the democratic process. I am not a do-or-die politician. In the past, I have won elections into the house of representatives and the senate in a free and fair manner.

“What happened in Adamawa was an unsuccessful attempt to subvert the will of the people. The REC was illegally told to stand down by two INEC national commissioners from Abuja who were supposed to be in Adamawa in a supervisory capacity.

Even more curious is the nocturnal visit of some INEC national officers to the Adamawa state government house and the bizarre declaration the same day after the visit that they have taken over the collation through the backdoor with the collation and returning officers selected by the governor of Adamawa.

“The roles of these INEC officers from Abuja and the real mission of the two to the government house should be of interest to all democrats. I urge all lovers of democracy to take a deeper interest in our electoral process and democracy not only in Adamawa but in the whole country.”

She also thanked her supporters for their “unflinching support in the midst of half-truths and opposition smear propaganda”.