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Coronavirus: FAAN Suspends Aviation Conference
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria on Tuesday announced that it has suspended its scheduled national conference.
The National Aviation Conference was earlier scheduled to take place between April 1 and 4, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
A statement by the spokesperson of FAAN, Henrietta Yakubu, said that the decision was made in order to adhere to safety precautions in the face of the coronavirus outbreak.
“The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria hereby notifies stakeholders and the general public that the National Aviation Conference earlier scheduled for 1st to 4th April 2020, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja has been suspended,” FAAN said Tuesday morning.
“This is due to the need to adhere to safety precautions in the face of the Corona virus presently spreading across nations globally.”
The World Health Organization recently declared COVID 19 a global pandemic and advised that as much as possible, individuals and organizations should avoid clustered gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus.
“A new date for the conference will be announced as soon as possible,” Mrs Yakubu said.
“The Authority regrets any inconvenience this postponement might have caused you.”
Coronavirus, officially named COVID-19, broke out in Wuhan, Hubei province of Central China in December. About 125,000 cases have now been reported to WHO, from 118 countries and territories.
However, world leaders, sports and show biz stars have also been hit by the virus among the tens of thousands infected across the world.
Following the outbreak, activities across the world are gradually being shut down. Companies are beginning to work remotely, schools are closing, quarterly pilgrimage has been halted, overseas travels are being restricted, sporting events as the English Premier League, Spanish LaLiga, European UEFA Champions League, NBA, CAF African qualifiers, and the Olympics games, risks being suspended as part of efforts to curtail the virus.
Nigeria has only confirmed two cases of the coronavirus. The first was in an Italian who arrived in the country and the second in a Nigerian who had contact with the Italian.
The second person later tested negative and recovered from the disease while the Italian is still on isolation and is recovering.
The Nigerian government on Monday insisted it would not limit or suspend travels from countries with high rates of the coronavirus.
Premium Times
The Supreme Court has vacated the order of the Court of Appeal which barred the recognition of David Mark as the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
The apex court on Thursday held that the preservative order by the Court of Appeal was in bad faith, unnecessary, unwarranted and improper.
In a unanimous judgment of the Supreme Court, Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba held that the Court of Appeal ought not to have made such order because it was not sought by any of the parties in the matter.
The Court of Appeal had issued an order of status quo antem bellum upon which the ADC exco under David Mark was de-recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
With the vacation of the order, David Mark and the other national officers are to be recognized as ADC leaders by the electoral body.
The convention produced the Tanimu Turaki-led factional national executives of the party.
Attention has shifted to the Supreme Court, which has fixed April 30 (today) for judgment in the leadership tussle within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
A five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba will resolve the appeal filed by the David Mark-led faction concerning the authentic leadership of the party.
Also on Thursday, the court is expected to determine the leadership dispute rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Two PDP factions—one led by Kabir Turaki and the other by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike—are laying claim to the leadership of the party.
The Supreme Court had on April 22 reserved judgment in the ADC crisis to a date to be communicated to the parties involved in the tussle.
However, on Tuesday, the ADC formally wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, pleading for the quick delivery of judgment in the leadership tussle at the national level.
The party claimed it would suffer irreparable harm if judgment in the protracted battle was not delivered within the period allowed by the Electoral Act for fielding candidates for the 2027 general elections.
It stated in part: “Without the delivery of judgment within the next three days from the date of this letter, the ADC stands the grave and irreversible risk of being excluded from participating in the 2027 general elections.
“This would disenfranchise millions of Nigerians who have subscribed to the ideals of the ADC and deny them their constitutional right to freely associate and contest elections through a political party of their choice.”
At the April 22 hearing, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, who represented David Mark, urged the Supreme Court to allow the appeal, arguing that the apex court had earlier, on March 21, 2025, held that “no court has jurisdiction to entertain matters bordering on the internal affairs of political parties.”
During the hearing, Okutepa urged the apex court to hold that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
However, Robert Emukperu, SAN, who represented the first respondent, Nafiu Gombe, urged the court to dismiss the appeal and affirm the judgment of the lower court, which held that the suit was premature.
It will be recalled that a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal dismissed Mark’s appeal, ruling that it was premature and filed without leave of the trial court.
In the PDP matter, the first appeal, marked SC/CV/164/2026, stems from a decision of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who restrained the party from proceeding with its planned convention pending the determination of a suit filed by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido.
On November 14, the court issued a final order restraining the PDP from conducting its national convention.
Justice Lifu held that Lamido was “unjustly denied” the opportunity to obtain a nomination form to contest for national chairman, in violation of the PDP constitution and internal regulations.
The Court of Appeal later upheld the decision on March 9, prompting the PDP to appeal.
The second appeal, SC/CV/166/2026, was filed by the PDP, its National Working Committee (NWC), and National Executive Committee (NEC).
It arose from a judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho, which stopped the party from holding its Ibadan national convention.
The Court of Appeal upheld that decision, agreeing that INEC should not validate the outcome of the convention.
After hearing all arguments, the Supreme Court reserved judgment, stating that the date would be communicated to the parties.
