Headlines
Ebonyi PDP Lawmakers Refuse to Defect with Umahi to APC
The Ebonyi lawmakers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the National Assembly (NASS) say no member of the caucus is defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The chair of the caucus, Sam Egwu, in the company of three other senators and five House of Representatives members from Ebonyi, said this at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
The PDP lawmakers in NASS were reacting to the recent cross carpeting of the Ebonyi Governor Dave Umahi from the PDP to the APC.
Mr Egwu, who spoke on behalf of the caucus said: “For the sake of clarity, we wish to state that not a single member of the Ebonyi State PDP caucus of the National Assembly is leaving to the APC.
“The three distinguished Senators and five House of Representatives members remain proud card-carrying members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform under which we contested and won elections in 2019.”
He said the major reason given by Umahi for exiting PDP to the APC was now in the public domain, which was that the PDP had not been fair to the people of South East on the issue of zoning the Presidency and Vice Presidency.
He said the caucus supported calls that it was the turn of the South-east to fly the presidential flag of any of the major political parties come 2023.
He, however, said the PDP NASS caucus considered his cross carpeting as “impolitic, indecent and unwise” to give ultimatums and conditionalities in a bid to secure zoning.
“Indeed, if there is any Ebonyi person who should remain eternally grateful to the PDP, that individual ought to be the Governor, David Umahi.
“A man who was appointed the Ebonyi State chairman of the PDP, made deputy governor of a PDP administration, and was elected for two terms under the banner of the PDP.
“As Governor, his two younger brothers were elected to principal offices of the PDP, one, Mr Austine Umahi, as the National Vice Chairman South East and another, Mr Maxwell Umahi as the Deputy State Chairman of the PDP.”
He said as democrats, the caucus acknowledged Mr Umahi’s right to join any political association of his choice.
He, however, noted that as federal lawmakers they were not unaware of the Supreme Court decision that candidates are products of political parties.
“What it means is that political office holders are not at liberty to migrate from one political platform to another, particularly when there is no division in their party,” Egwu explained.
He thanked the leadership of the PDP for its prompt action in dissolving the ward, local government, state and zonal structures of the party in Ebonyi.
He also thanked the PDP for its announcement of a state caretaker team.
“We also wish to thank teeming members and supporters in our various constituencies who have remained undaunted and committed to their membership of the PDP.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that present at the news conference was Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP Abia) who is Senate’s minority leader.
Other lawmakers from Ebonyi are: Obinna Ogba, Mike Nnachi, Sylvester Ogbaga, Igariwey Enwo, Chukwuma Nwazunku, Edwin Anayo and Livinus Makwe.
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.
