Headlines
Lagos, Ogun, Abuja on Lockdown As COVID-19 Cases Reach 111
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday ordered lockdown of the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states to check the spread of COVID-19.
Buhari, in a nationwide broadcast, said the lockdown, which would begin at 11pm on Monday, would be for an initial period of 14 days.
He said during the lockdown residents of the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states should stay at home.
The President said this just as COVID-19 cases in the country increased to 111 on Sunday and more prominent Nigerians tested positive for the disease.
Among those who tested positive were the Chief Medical Director, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo; the Provost of the College of Medicine, Ibadan, Ezekiel Olapade-Olaopa and the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede.
Also tested positive was the Deputy Provost of the College of Medicine, Ibadan, Obafunke Denloye.
Since Nigeria recorded its first coronavirus case on February 27, the number of people infected by the disease has been on the increase.
Prominent Nigerians that have been diagnosed with COVID-19 include the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari; the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and his Kaduna State counterpart, Nasir El-Rufai.
As of Sunday night, no fewer than 111 people have been infected with the virus with 68 in Lagos State; the FCT, 21; Oyo State; seven, and Ogun State; three. Enugu, Edo, Bauchi, and Osun states have two cases each, while Ekiti, Rivers, Benue and Kaduna states have one case each.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control at 9:30pm Sunday confirmed 14 new infections, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 111.
The NCDC via its Twitter handle said, “Fourteen new cases of #COVID19 have been reported in Nigeria; nine in Lagos and five in FCT. As at 09:30 pm 29th March, there are 111 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria with 1 death.”
Buhari, a month after the country recorded the first COVID-19 case, spoke on the pandemic on Sunday.
The President said the majority of the cases in the country were concentrated in Lagos and the FCT or came from persons who passed through the two cities.
In the case of Ogun, he said its proximity to Lagos, necessitated that it should also be locked down to control movements.
He explained that the decision was taken based on the advice of the Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, to enable the government to effectively contain further spread of the infection.
The President stated, “Based on the advice of the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC, I am directing the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days with effect from 11pm on Monday, 30th March 2020. This restriction will also apply to Ogun State due to its close proximity to Lagos and the high traffic between the two states.
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.
