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Just In: Bayelsa Guber Election: Court Annuls APC’s Participation
The Federal High Court, Yenagoa, on Thursday declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) does not have a governorship candidate in the forthcoming election in Bayelsa State.
This development is coming two days to the election.
The court was presided over by Justice Jane Inyang.
The court declaration, on Thursday, was part of its judgement in a case filed by Heineken Lokpobiri, one of the APC governorship aspirants.
Mr Lokpobiri, a former minister of state for agriculture, had approached the court, asking it to declare him, and not David Lyon, the authentic candidate of the APC.
“The court pronounced that the governorship primary conducted by the APC in Bayelsa state was not done in compliance with the guidelines and the constitution of the party, and, therefore, the party has no candidate,” Mr Lokpobiri’s lawyer, Fitzgerald Olorogun, told reporters immediately after the court ruling.
A shocked Mr Olorogun said the court declaration was not part of their prayers. “It’s strange,” he said.
Asked what was the next option for his client, Mr Olorogun said “We’ll do the needful. But for now, the pronouncement of the court is that APC has no candidate.”
There was heavy police presence within and outside the court premises. The main highway way leading to the court was barricaded by the police. Visitors, including journalists, were frisked before they were allowed to enter the court building.
Mr Lokpobiri, before now, has been urging the people of Bayelsa to vote for the APC in the November 16 election, despite his court case against Mr Lyon and the party.
“I’m a very strong member of APC and I came today to formally tell our chairman and to speak to Nigerians, in particular, the electorate in Bayelsa that all of them should vote for APC regardless of what happens in the court case in which judgment is slated for Nov. 14, 2019,” the former minister said in Abuja after a courtesy visit on the national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole.
“I told my supporters even before I came here that no matter what happened, I will remain in APC having served as a minister under this administration.
“There is no way the outcome of the governorship primaries will make me leave APC. We are working and campaigning at different levels.
“I always advise that anybody that is grieved, the only place to go is the court.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats and ordered the immediate release of N10 billion as emergency intervention funding.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this on Tuesday.
According to Onanuga, the fund will strengthen the operational preparedness of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical national public health emergency response activities.
The Presidential Task Force on Ebola will be chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, with membership drawn from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and state representatives.
Onanuga noted that the President’s approval followed a stakeholder meeting convened under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff to review Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies against the possible importation of Ebola into the country.
Ebola recently resurfaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda – both neighbouring countries.
Other key stakeholders at the meeting included representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Lagos State Government and others.
Onanuga also disclosed that Tinubu directed all states hosting international airports and international border corridors, as well as relevant MDAs, to submit their plans, funding requirements and intervention needs for consideration and coordinated implementation.
Additional measures to be implemented by the Task Force include the intensification of passenger screening at all international airports through enhanced temperature checks and crowd-control protocols; enhanced monitoring of passengers arriving through high-risk airline routes, including Air Uganda, Rwanda Air, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines; and the immediate activation of referral and isolation centres at the Lagos and Abuja international airports, with other airports to follow.
Other measures include the mandatory activation of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers originating from or transiting through designated high-risk countries, as well as the disinfection of departure halls, cargoes, baggage areas and airport facilities as precautionary environmental measures.
The President also directed the advisory group to consult with security, diplomatic and aviation bodies on regulating flights from affected and designated high-risk countries.
The Task Force was further mandated to designate specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights to enable controlled screening and isolation procedures, and to consider adjusting flight schedules to minimise interaction between high-risk passengers and other travelers.
Disturbed by the increasing level of terrorism and banditry in the country, the Senate has declared that it will consider the amendments to the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of State Police in the country this week.
In a statement on Monday, the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central, said that after it is considered by the Senate, it would then be transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for further legislation.
In the statement issued by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, the Leader of the Senate explained that all stakeholders across the federation “are on the same page with the National Assembly on the establishment of State Police.”
Bamidele, who explained that the National Assembly would isolate the aspect from the ongoing constitution amendment and pass it into law due to its national exigency, also revealed that President Bola Tinubu and all the state governors were on the same page with the National Assembly on the State Police.
He added that the legislative week, which begins on Tuesday, would be a crucial one for the Senate as the issue of state police would top their agenda.
Section 214 (1) of the 1999 Constitution says: “There shall be a Police Force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force.”
Bamidele said: “Our position is very clear on state police. We are standing with Nigerians on the issue of state police. All strata of the federation have made it clear that there cannot be a better time to establish a state police than now.
“That is where we stand. Where we are coming in is to now help translate this popular desire of the people into reality as elected representatives of the Nigerian people.
“We came to the conclusion that we are going to pass the constitutional amendment in this respect to make a provision for the State Police. If I can tell you as of today, that will come to fruition this very week because there is no need to allow any further delay
“There have been a series of meetings between the National Assembly. When I say the national assembly, I mean Chairman, Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Barau I. Jibrin and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, both of whom are representing the National Assembly.
“They had been in a series of meetings with the office of Attorney-General, Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tunji Disu and other stakeholders in the last one week and that is why I can sit here to tell you that we’re pursuing that this week.
“It is going to be the subject we will be dealing with this week. What we have resolved to do is to isolate it with the rest of the bills that we have proposed under constitutional amendment so that we can vote on this as soon as possible.
“The bill can as well be on its way to the 36 States’ Houses of Assembly as soon as possible because you know we will need two-thirds of the state assemblies to approve it before the president can assent to it.
“The president is also with us on this proposal. I am sure he cannot wait for the bill to come to him for assent. I am sure the majority of our governors, as we know, are in support of this bill. The state assemblies are also waiting for this bill to come. We will initiate the proposal for the creation of state police within the week.”
Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, had disclosed that President Tinubu would receive a comprehensive report on the proposed creation of state police as consultations on the constitutional framework for its establishment approached completion.
Abia State governor, Alex Otti, has announced plans to construct a FIFA-standard stadium in Aba with a seating capacity of approximately 35,000, in what is being described as one of the most significant sports infrastructure projects in the State’s development agenda.
The proposed stadium is designed to meet international football standards, making it suitable for hosting top-tier domestic league matches, continental competitions, and other global sporting events.
The facility is expected to feature modern pitch technology, upgraded spectator stands, advanced lighting systems for night games, VIP lounges, media centres, locker rooms, and safety and security installations that align with FIFA requirements.
The project is also expected to include auxiliary facilities such as training pitches, parking spaces, and support buildings that will enhance its overall functionality as a multi-use sports complex.
According to the governor’s vision, the stadium is not just a sports project but part of a broader economic revitalisation plan for Aba.
The city, already known as a major commercial hub in South-eastern Nigeria, is expected to benefit significantly from increased sporting activities, which will drive business for hotels, transport operators, food vendors, and local entrepreneurs.
The initiative is also positioned to strengthen grassroots football development and provide a modern home ground for local teams, especially Enyimba FC, one of Nigeria’s most successful football clubs.
The project is expected to be executed through a structured development approach that may involve partnerships aimed at ensuring timely delivery and high construction standards.
When completed, the stadium is projected to elevate Abia State’s profile in national and African football circles while creating new opportunities for youth engagement, talent development, and sports tourism.
Overall, the Aba stadium plan reflects a strategic push by the state government to combine sports, infrastructure, and economic development into a single long-term growth vision for Abia State.
