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PDP Reaps Another Fruit of APC Crisis as Court Sacks House of Reps Member-Elect in Imo

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6 years ago

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A Federal High Court in Owerri on Monday sacked the member-elect for Nkwerre/Nwangele/Njaba/Isu federal constituency of Imo State, Ugonna Ozurigbo.

Ozurigbo had, last Wednesday, resigned his position as the Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly.

Justice P.A. Rigime, who delivered the judgment, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue a Certificate of Return to Kingsley Echendu of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Neither PDP nor its candidate was a party to the suit.

The court said that Harrison Nwadike, who is the plaintiff, was the “rightful winner” of the All Progressives Congress primary election in the federal constituency.

Nwadike had taken his party, APC, and INEC to court over the submission of Ozurigbo’s name as the candidate of the party.

Nwadike, who prayed the court to declare him as the APC’s rightful candidate, contended that automatic tickets were unknown to the Constitution.

The court, in its judgment, agreed with the petitioner that automatic tickets were unknown to law.

The justice, who said that the candidacy of Ozurigbo was illegitimate, ordered INEC to issue the PDP candidate, Echendu, who came second in the general election, with a Certificate of Return as the rightful winner of the election.

The petitioner, who spoke to The Punch after the judgment was delivered, said that while he agreed with the court that he was the rightful winner of the APC primary election in the federal constituency, it was wrong for the court to have declared the PDP candidate the lawful winner of the general election.

He said he would go to court to challenge the aspect of the judgment which ordered INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to the PDP candidate.

But Stanley Imo, counsel to the PDP candidate who is the beneficiary of the court judgment, told our correspondent that the court was right to have declared his client the rightful winner of the election.

The Punch

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Headlines

Tinubu Confers CON Honours on Yakubu for Job Well Done

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8 hours ago

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October 8, 2025

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President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, accepted Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s departure as chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the expiration of his second term in office.

Yakubu was first appointed in November 2015 as the 14th chairman of the commission for an initial term of five years.

The appointment, which was renewed in 2020, has now expired due to the passage of time.

President Tinubu thanked Professor Yakubu for his services to the nation and his efforts to sustain Nigeria’s democracy, particularly through the organisation of free and fair elections throughout his two-term tenure.

In recognition of Yakubu’s dedicated service to the nation, President Tinubu has bestowed on him the honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

President Tinubu also directed that Professor Yakubu should hand over to the most senior national commissioner, May Agbamuche-Mbu, who will direct the affairs of the Commission until the completion of the process to appoint a successor.

In the letter dated October 3, 2025, Professor Yakubu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve the nation as chairman of the commission since 2015.

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Alleged Certificate Forgery: Science and Technology Minister Resigns, Tinubu Accepts

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20 hours ago

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October 7, 2025

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The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, has resigned his position following allegations of certificate forgery levelled against him.

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the resignation in a statement on Tuesday, saying the President has accepted the Minister’s decision to step down.

According to Onanuga, President Tinubu “accepted the resignation of Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, following some allegations against him.”

He added that “President Tinubu appointed Nnaji in August 2023. He resigned today in a letter thanking the President for allowing him to serve Nigeria.”

Onanuga further quoted the former Minister as saying he had “been a target of blackmail by political opponents.”

“President Tinubu thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavours,” the statement added.

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ASUU Begins Mobilisation of Members for Nationwide Strike

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24 hours ago

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October 7, 2025

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has begun mobilising its members nationwide for a possible warning strike, following the Federal government’s alleged failure to address long-standing issues affecting the university system.

The mobilisation comes one week to the expiration of the union’s 14-day ultimatum issued on September 28, to the government.

In a circular dated October 5, 2025, and signed by ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, the union expressed disappointment over what it described as the government’s “continued silence and lack of commitment” toward resolving the lingering crises in the education sector.

According to the circular, the National Executive Council (NEC), during an emergency meeting held on September 29, 2025, reviewed the outcome of a referendum conducted across its branches and resolved to issue the ultimatum to compel the government to sign and implement the renegotiated agreement submitted in February 2025.

Prof. Piwuna lamented that despite communicating ASUU’s resolutions to the Ministers of Labour and Employment and Education, as well as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), there hasn’t been any meaningful response from the government.

“I regret to inform you that there is no meaningful development deserving of any consideration to be reported,” he stated.

He explained that the current mobilisation is aimed at compelling the government to fulfil its promises, particularly regarding the signing and implementation of the renegotiated agreement and other outstanding issues.

As the ultimatum enters its final week, the ASUU president commended members for their patience and resilience throughout what he described as a “tortuous and unjustifiably prolonged” negotiation process spanning over eight years.

He called on all branches to intensify mobilisation efforts on their campuses to ensure unity and preparedness for any industrial action, stressing that collective strength remained the union’s most potent weapon.

“The days ahead call for mobilisation of every member of our union to ensure unity of purpose.

“No one should be left out of the struggle to defend our welfare, stem the Japa syndrome, and reposition the Nigerian university system for global competitiveness,” the statement partly read.

ASUU further advised its members to take directives only from their branch chairpersons and zonal coordinators, and to attend congress meetings regularly for updates on the next steps.

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