In a letter dated December 22, 2025, and signed by its Secretary, Dr Rose Oriaran-Anthony, INEC said it could not act on demands to acknowledge or upload on its website the list of national officers said to have been elected at the National Convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan.

The commission explained that its position was guided by subsisting court decisions and pending litigation relating to the leadership crisis within the PDP.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday swore in Abdul-Ganiyu Obasa as the Chairman of Agege Local Government, urging him to prioritise grassroots development and align his administration with the state’s development agenda.

The swearing-in ceremony, which also featured the inauguration of Toyin Adejimiwa as a Permanent Secretary, was held at Lagos House, Ikeja.

Abdul-Ganiyu Obasa, son of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa, had been acting as council chairman before his confirmation and formal inauguration.

Addressing the newly sworn-in officials, Sanwo-Olu described local government as the tier of government closest to the people, stressing that it required visible, responsive and compassionate leadership

He urged the Agege council chairman to govern inclusively, avoid divisive tendencies and focus on delivering measurable outcomes to residents, noting that discipline and performance remained the benchmarks for leadership and advancement in Lagos State.

The governor also acknowledged the presence of retired permanent secretaries at the event, describing them as exemplary public servants whose legacies continued to inspire the state’s civil service.

Sanwo-Olu congratulated Adejimiwa and Obasa on behalf of the government and people of Lagos State, expressing confidence that they would justify the trust reposed in them and contribute meaningfully to the state’s progress.

In their responses, Adejimiwa and Obasa thanked the governor for the confidence placed in them and pledged to uphold the core values and standards associated with public service in Lagos State.

In November, PUNCH Online had reported Abdul-Ganiyu Obasa’s confirmation as substantive chairman, which followed the resignation of the former council chairman, Tunde Azeez, who stepped down due to persistent health challenges. Azeez’s resignation letter was read during plenary at the Agege Council Chamber, after which councillors unanimously confirmed Obasa, who had been acting in the role.

Obasa had earlier indicated interest in contesting the chairmanship ahead of the 2025 local government elections but was initially dropped amid opposition to his candidacy.

Details later…

The Nigeria Police Force has released Nollywood actress Doris Ogala in Lagos after rearresting her in Abuja shortly following her bail, SaharaReporters has learned.

Ogala was brought to Lagos by a police team from the Zone 2 Command.

The incident reportedly escalated when Ogala’s lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, attempted to document the police’s actions.

Sources said officers violently attacked Abubakar, seized his phones, and accompanied him and Ogala on a flight to Lagos.

SaharaReporters learnt that a Take It Back Movement Coordinator, Jamiu Towolawi, aka Jharmo, secured te actress’ release by getting ger bailed.

Following her release, Pastor Chris Okafor of the Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministries (also known as Grace Nation Liberation City) met with the actress and urged her to allow peace to prevail. SaharaReporters learned that Okafor appealed for reconciliation and pleaded for an end to further hostilities.

“Today, a Take It Back leader, Jamiu Towolawi, aka Jharmo, arrived at the Zone 2 command to demand Ogala’s immediate release,” a source privy to the information told SaharaReporters.

“Dramatically, Pastor Chris Okafor who was at the centre of her arrest and controversy arrived at Onikan and pleaded with her to allow peace to reign. It was obvious her arrest was instigated to bully her and upon seeing she is refusing to back down, the pastor fell flat on his knees and begged.

“The pastor spent close to an hour in a closed-door meeting with Ms. Ogala in private. They met in a secluded space devoid of third parties. After their peace meeting, the police released her to go on ‘health grounds’, with Jharmo serving as surety.”

“The police also released the two phones they had seized to Marshal Abubakar and the actress, asking that the arrest video should be deleted as they couldn’t access the phones. But the TIB coordinator rejected the condition. And police later let Ogala leave,” the source added.