The standoff between the chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, and the legislative council has intensified just days after Governor Hyacinth Alia lifted the one-month suspension earlier imposed on the chairman by the Benue State House of Assembly.

Ogiri reportedly issued a directive ordering the council to suspend all legislative sittings, a move councillors say is driven by personal motives rather than genuine security concerns.

Council leader Philip Anya, in a petition submitted to the Benue Assembly, alleged that Ogiri halted legislative activities under the guise of insecurity.

A letter dated September 8, 2025, and signed by the council’s secretary, Simon Idenyi, instructed councillors to conduct their deliberations via social-media platforms “for the time being.”

The letter partly stated, “While the chairman is very much mindful of the fact that the postponement will affect the smooth running of the legislative arm for the time being, he therefore can not take the security advice for granted… chairman wishes to advice legislatures to explore other platforms such as, Whatsapp, Facebook etc to enhance legislative business for the time being.”

Anya and fellow members accused Ogiri of defying instructions from both the governor and the deputy governor to maintain the council’s former leadership structure. They urged the state assembly to probe alleged financial irregularities and to condemn what they described as the unlawful shutdown of the Otukpo legislative arm.

The National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Kamaldeen Ajibade, has issued a stern warning to the party to unite and solve its internal crisis or kiss the 2027 presidential election goodbye.

Ajibade gave this warning at the PDP National Restoration Movement National Summit in Abuja, where he and other party leaders addressed members on the need for reconciliation and unity.

“A fractured PDP cannot heal a fractured nation. It is only when we restore internal harmony and democracy that we can credibly present ourselves as the alternative Nigeria desperately seeks,” Ajibade said.

According to him, party insiders are concerned that if disputes in the party are not resolved, they could resurface before 2027 and further weaken the PDP’s ability to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

He recalled the PDP’s achievements during its time in government, which include stabilising democracy, attracting foreign investment, and introducing reforms in telecommunications, banking, and pensions under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“A house divided against itself cannot stand. A divided PDP cannot win elections. A divided PDP cannot save Nigeria.

“Unity requires sacrifice. We must place Nigeria above personal ambition. Ambition is not a sin, but when ambition threatens the core values and existence of the party we have all built, it becomes destructive,” he added.

Lawyer and politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, has criticized President Bola Tinubu for vacationing in Paris while Nigerians face worsening hardship, insecurity, and failing public services.

Speaking on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, Okonkwo described Nigeria as “a country in distress,” citing widespread instability across critical sectors.

“People are dying in Zamfara, people are dying in Katsina, yet the President says he is going on work leave,” Okonkwo said.

“There is no part of Nigeria today where you can confidently promote tourism or create an enabling environment for work.”

He noted that the education and healthcare systems are on the brink of collapse, with unions threatening fresh strikes, while oil industry contractors remain unpaid since 2024.

“Look at what is happening with NEPA, look at our educational system where ASUU is threatening another strike, clear evidence of instability in education. Doctors and nurses are also threatening to strike, exposing the instability in healthcare,” he stated.

The lawyer further warned that the level of suffering in the country has reached alarming levels.

“Today, Nigeria has more malnourished children than Sudan. Just recently, a woman lost her child to malaria because she could not afford transport to the hospital.

“This is the level of suffering Nigerians are enduring,” he lamented.