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I’m not Labour Party member under Julius Abure — Kenneth Okonkwo

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Kenneth Okonkwo

A chieftain of the Labour Party, LP, Kenneth Okonkwo, has stated that he is not a member of the party under Julius Abure’s leadership.

He made this statement on Friday on Sunrise Daily, a programme on Channels Television, while admitting that he is still a member of the LP.

“As it is now, I have already left if Abure is the Chairman,” he said.

Ekwutosblog recalls that in July 2024, the Nollywood actor-turned-politician announced his departure from LP.

He also parted ways with the former presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi.

However, during the programme, Okonkwo, a former spokesman for the Labour Party’s presidential campaign council, clarified his resignation, insisting that he is still a member of the LP.

He emphasised that he was against the LP leadership under Abure.

“I am a member of the Labour Party, but not under Julius Abure. If Abure manages to wangle himself in and becomes the National Chairman, it is automatic,” he stated.

Ekwutosblog reports that the Labour Party has been plagued by crisis, as both the party’s Caretaker Committee, led by Esther Nenadi Usman, and Abure have been laying claim to the party’s leadership position.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, earlier invalidated Abure’s leadership, stating that the national convention violated the Constitution and Electoral Act.

The situation compelled the party to appoint Usman, a former senator representing Kaduna South, as the chair of its 29-member caretaker committee on 4 September 2024, after Abia State Governor Alex Otti convened a stakeholders’ meeting of the party in Umuahia.

The party’s presidential candidate in 2023, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, were among the top party members who attended the meeting.

In January, the Court of Appeal in Abuja affirmed Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.

In a judgment delivered on 17 January by Hamma Barka, the court ruled that its earlier decision in November 2024, recognising Abure as the party’s chairman, remains valid and has not been overturned by any court.

The ruling came in response to two separate appeals filed by Nenadi Usman, the party’s caretaker committee, and INEC.

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How Buhari shocked me 6 months into his administration – Oyegun

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Chairman, Policy Manifesto Committee of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, John Odigie-Oyegun, says former president Muhammadu Buhari gave him the shock of his life, six months into his administration as Nigeria’s leader.

Oyegun made this disclosure on Friday when he featured in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’.

He revealed that as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, he went to tell Buhari that he was not delivering his election promises to Nigerians but that the late president told him he would not rule with strictness, but rather wanted to show Nigerians that he is a true civilian president.

The former APC National Chairman lamented that it became business as usual, from there.

“I was national chairman of the APC. Six months or less into our assuming office, fairly alarmed, I went to the late President Buhari for a one-on-one talk. I said Mr President, this is not what the people were expecting. They wanted a bit of the old president Buhari.

“And he explained to me, Mr Chairman, I have learned my lesson. I was shocked. And don’t forget at that time, a lot of prominent Nigerians took their holidays abroad, just to be sure and see what this new sheriff in town will be.

“Buhari told me he wants to now show the people that he’s a true civilian president in Agbada. And by the time we finished the conversation, I said Oh God, we are finished. Because, if he’s not ready to be strict, what’s the point?

“Weeks later, months later, years later, I was proven correct. And of course, it became business as usual, only that they are a new set of tenants in Aso Rock. That was a shocker,” he said.

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Electoral Reform: Dino alleges senate’s plot to rig 2027 election

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Former lawmaker, Dino Melaye Esq, has raised concerns over the Senate’s reported rejection of the electronic transmission of election results.

The move, according to Melaye, is a clear endorsement of election rigging and an indication of a sinister plan to rig the 2027 elections.

In a statement on Friday, the former lawmaker criticized the Senate’s decision, stating that it undermines the credibility of the electoral process.

The African Democratic Congress, ADC chieftain, also stated that the move opens the door for electoral manipulation and fraud.

He further warned that the rejection of electronic transmission of results is a step backwards for democracy in Nigeria.

Melaye called on lawmakers and citizens to stand up against “this blatant attempt to undermine the will of the people and ensure that future elections are free, fair, and transparent”.

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Electoral Act: Nigerians have every reason to be mad at Senate – Ezekwesili

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Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has said Nigerians have every reason to be mad at the Senate over the ongoing debate on e-transmission of election results.

Ezekwesili made this known on Friday when she featured in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Morning Show’ monitored by DAILY POST.

DAILY POST reports that the Senate on Wednesday turned down a proposed change to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Amendment Bill that aimed to compel the electronic transmission of election results.

Reacting to the matter, Ezekwesili said, “The fundamental issue with the review of the Electoral Act is that the Senate retained the INEC 2022 Act, Section 60 Sub 5.

“This section became infamous for the loophole it provided INEC, causing Nigerians to lose trust. Since the law established that it wasn’t mandatory for INEC to transmit electoral results in real-time, there wasn’t much anyone could say.

“Citizens embraced the opportunity to reform the INEC Act, aiming to address ambiguity and discretionary opportunities for INEC. Yet, the Senate handled it with a “let sleeping dogs lie” approach. The citizens have every reason to be as outraged as they currently are.”

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