The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has suspended its Lagos State Chairman, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as Mc Oluomo, indefinitely over alleged misconduct, insubordination, and inciting members of the state chapter against the apex body.

The new development may be connected to a protest staged by Mc Oluomo supporters during which they accused the union’s national leadership of unnecessarily interfering in the state affairs.

NURTW has also directed MC Oluomo to immediately hand over the mantle of leadership to his deputy chairman and release all property belonging to the transport body in his possession to the state secretary.

It alleged that the decision to place MC Oluomo on indefinite suspension was to prevent any breakdown of law and order after it came to its notice that he was already inciting members against the union, an act that is completely against NURTW constitution.

MC Oluomo’s suspension was contained in a letter sent to him on decisions taken by the national body as regards his recent conducts which Union described as a total disregard for the constitution governing members’ activities across the country.

In the letter dated March 9, 2022, the national body stressed that it resolved to suspend MC Oluomo after it became obvious that he was not apologetic over his actions even after he was directed to explain reasons for embarking on such.

According to the letter signed by the General Secretary for the national body, Kabiru Yau, the Union promised to often ensure that the NURTW constitution remains sacrosanct and adhered to by members across the country.

The letter reads: “This is to convey to you that in line with Article 42 section 5, subsection I, II, III, IV, V, and VIII of the union’s constitution, you have been placed on indefinite suspension from office as State Chairman of Lagos State Council of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) with effect from March 9, 2022.

“Your suspension is sequel to sustained acts of insubordination and gross misconduct coupled with your clandestine plans to instigate crisis and unleash mayhem on any branch or branches of the union in Lagos state that refuses to obey your order or instructions not to accept directives from the national headquarters of the Union.

“Your orchestrated plan to attack branches that may disobey your orders aforesaid will ultimately endanger public peace and order in Lagos state. It is also very likely to threaten and/or affect the lives and property of the peace-loving people of Lagos state, particularly those doing their legitimate businesses within motor parks, hence the urgent need to take drastic actions against him.

“It is on record that you were earlier issued with queries on 25th of February 2022 and 3rd of March, 2022 respectively in which you were directed to explain the circumstances surrounding your untoward actions and to also show cause why disciplinary actions should not be taken against you for such acts of insubordination. You bluntly neglected/refuse to respond to the second query, while your response to the first query was unsatisfactory.

“In view of your suspension, you are hereby directed to hand over the mantle of leadership of the Lagos State Council to the State Deputy Chairman and also surrender all Union properties in your possession to the State Secretary of the Union forthwith.”

Meanwhile, a leader of the Lagos State chapter of the union who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the chapter will respond to its chairman’s suspension soon.

Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a ban on foreigners and their representatives purchasing agricultural produce at the farm gate.

This implies that only licensed and duly registered local buying agents can now buy farm produce directly from farmers in Nigeria.

According to the federal government, the effort is to ensure that the farmers are no longer cheated in the purchase of farm produce.

Speaking on the development, Niyi Adebayo, minister of industry, trade and investment, said that as part of the FEC approval, the attorney-general would draft a law that would be sent to the national assembly to support the implementation of the new policy.

“We will also use commodity associations, to which the farmers belong, to ensure effective implementation,” the minister said.

Briefing state house correspondents after the FEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the minister said he presented two memos on behalf of his ministry.

According to him, one memo was the promotion of agribusiness in Nigeria through right farm gate pricing and a ban on foreigners and their representatives from purchasing agricultural commodities at the farm gates.

Adebayo said the council approved the establishment of an appropriate mechanism that would protect indigenous farmers in terms of achieving the right prices for their goods and commodities.

He said the mechanism would also ensure that they have the appropriate incentives and the needed encouragement to guarantee their continued participation in the farming business.

According to Adebayo, foreigners have been going to the farm gates to buy produce from the farmers at low prices, thus discouraging the farmers from continuing with their trade.

The minister also disclosed that he presented another memo to FEC for the approval of a trade policy action plan with the theme “Unleashing Nigeria’s Development Potentials through Trade and Investment”.

He said the action plan which was also approved by FEC was formulated to utilise trade as another means of generating revenue asides from oil.

“The whole idea is that because we’re not making as much money as we used to from the sale of oil, and because of reduction in the money that comes from that aspect of Nigeria’s revenue generation, we want to utilize trade as a means of generating revenue for the country,” Adebayo explained.

“So, the action plan aims to utilise the existing national trade policy to facilitate effective use of international trade and investment as tools for economic growth and poverty reduction in the country.

“So, we’ve got approval from Council today to engage with all the ministries, departments and agencies involved in trade and revenue generation, and also the organized private sector and civil society organisations to ensure a successful implementation of the trade policy action plan.

“One of the next steps that we will be taking now that we have this approval, is to inaugurate a committee which will look into the update of the existing trade policy, which was last updated in 2002.

“And also, we’ll be looking into coming up with an investment policy. And these two policies we believe should be ready before the end of this year”.

The Cable

Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi, and his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, have urged the Court of Appeal in Abuja to nullify the judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which, on Tuesday, ordered their removal from office.

The Federal High Court judge, Inyang Ekwo, had sacked Umahi and Igwe alongside 15 lawmakers of Ebonyi State House of Assembly over their defection from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC).

Umahi and Igwe, in November last year, defected from PDP to the ruling APC.

Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume in a notice of appeal filed on behalf of the appellants, questioned the entire judgment delivered by Ekwo.

Ume, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), also lodged a separate notice of appeal on behalf of the 15 state legislators whose seats were declared vacant by the trial court on Tuesday.

Grounds of appeal

In the notice of appeal seen by this reporter, Umahi and Igwe anchored their displeasure over Ekwo’s judgment on 11 grounds.

The appellants said the judge erred in law in arriving at his decision as “there is no provision of the 1999 Constitution that provides for the removal” of Umahi and Igwe as governor and deputy governor respectively of Ebonyi state on account of ditching the PDP on whose platform they rode to power.

They submitted that the trial judge set aside the Supreme Court decision in AG Federation V Atiku Abubakar & 3 ors (2007) LCN/3799/(SC), to the effect that there is no constitutional provisions prohibiting President or Vice and invariably the Governor and or deputy from defecting to another political party or punishment being meted on them for doing same.

The appellants’ lawyer urged the Court of Appeal to declare that the trial judge erred in law by holding that ” I have not seen any authority which propounds that where a Governor or deputy Governor defects his political party on which platform he was selected into office, he cannot be sued by that political party to reclaim its mandate….section 308 of the 1999 constitution did not envisage such a situation.”

They further contended that the judge erred in law when he assumed jurisdiction on issue of defection when he lacked such powers.

“That the trial court erred and misdirected itself when it relied on sections 68 and 109 of the 1999 constitution in holding that the appellants having defected from the 1strespondendent (PDP) to the 3rd respondent (APC), offended the provisions of the Constitution and must vacate their offices as governor and deputy governor respectively.”

The lawyer explained that there is no specific mention of governor and deputy governor in the provisions of section 68 and 109 respectively of the 1999 Constitution.

Ume further argued that by relying on the above constitutional provisions, “the trial court assumed the role of the legislator and arrogated to itself the powers of amendment of the Constitution.”

The appellants equally argued that the court erred in law and overruled as well as set aside the decisions of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal when it held that ownership of vote cast during the governorship election belongs to the PDP and not the appellants.

“That the trial court relied on Ameachi V INEC and Faleke V INEC when same are no longer the law on the ownership of votes cast in an election,” the appellants’ lawyer said.

He cited Ngige V Akunyile (2012), which he pointed out as the prevailing authority on the matter, showing “that a political party canvases for votes on behalf of the candidate.”

”In other words a political party is nothing more than an agent of the candidate in gathering votes to an election,” he added.

He also argued: “That the trial court erred in law when it restrained the appellants from carrying on the duties in their offices as Governor and deputy governor of Ebonyi state on the basis that the appellants offended the provisions of section 177(c) and 221 of the 1999 Constitution.

“That the trial court erred in law when it ordered appellants to vacate their respective offices as Governor and deputy Governor of Ebonyi state and 1st respondent (PDP) to submit to submit to 2nd respondent (INEC), names of its candidates to replace appellants as Governors and deputy governors of Ebonyi state.

“That section 141 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and section 285(13) of the 1999 Constitution states: “An election tribunal or court shall not under any circumstances declare any person a winner at an election in which such a person has not fully participated in all the stages of the said election.”

Backstory

In two separate judgements handed by Ekwo on Tuesday, the court voided the continued occupation of offices by Messrs Umahi and Igwe and the 15 lawmakers on account of their defection to APC.

The judge based his decision on the grounds that a defecting elected official ought to have resigned his position before dumping the political party that gave them the platform for election.

The court ordered PDP to submit fresh names of candidates to Messrs Umahi and his deputy as well as the 15 state legislators.

PT

Two days after bandits killed 63 vigilantes, the outlaws on Tuesday again killed 19 security agents in the entourage of the Kebbi State deputy governor, Samaila Yombe, in Kanya in Dangu Wasagu Local Government Area of the state.

The latest incident occured during a visit by the deputy governor to areas in the state affected by banditry.

Danko Wasagu LGA shares boundaries with Sakaba, both under Zuru Emirate in Kebbi State.

The zone shares boundaries with Niger State, which is now one of the worst-hit states by bandits’ attacks.

Danko Wasagu attack

Multiple sources spoken with on the phone said the bandits had targetted the deputy governor, Yombe, who is from Dabai in Zuru Local Government Area.

Gombe confirmed to BBC Hausa Wednesday evening that he was at the village when the bandits struck.

Labaran Magaji, a native of Danko Wasagu, said that the bandits stormed Kanya around 5 p.m.

“They (bandits) overpowered the security agents present because they fought from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The deputy governor was miraculously saved while his security details were trying to repel the attack. If not because of the soldiers that came, the bandits would have overrun the village and killed the deputy governor,” he said.

He said after the bandits left, more soldiers arrived to chase them while others evacuated the dead security agents.

According to Magaji, 13 soldiers and six police officers attached to the deputy governor’s convoy were killed.

“I know Inspector Idris Libata. He was attached to the deputy governor’s convoy and I saw his dead body yesterday,” he added.

Another local source, Ahmed Umar, told this reporter that Yombe, who is from the zone, was at Kanya to sympathise with people of the area over recent bandits’ attacks.

“Some youth protested on Monday over the incessant bandits’ attacks that are recently becoming too much. All the youth in the four areas under Zuru emirate were angry, so Samaila (Yombe) was asked by the governor to reach out to the locals. It is obvious that the bandits heard he was coming and decided to attack him while he was in the village,” he said.

Shehu said he heard that the deputy governor intended to spend the night and visit areas under Sakaba Local Government before the bandits struck.

Kebbi police command spokesperson, Nafiu Abubakar, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the attack.

PT

The first person to receive a heart transplant from a pig has died, two months after the groundbreaking experiment, the Maryland hospital that performed the surgery announced Wednesday.

David Bennett, 57, died Tuesday at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Doctors didn’t give an exact cause of death, saying only that his condition had begun deteriorating several days earlier.

Bennett’s son praised the hospital for offering the last-ditch experiment, saying the family hoped it would help further efforts to end the organ shortage.

“We are grateful for every innovative moment, every crazy dream, every sleepless night that went into this historic effort,” David Bennett Jr. said in a statement released by the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “We hope this story can be the beginning of hope and not the end.”

Doctors for decades have sought to one day use animal organs for life-saving transplants. Bennett, a handyman from Hagerstown, Maryland, was a candidate for this newest attempt only because he otherwise faced certain death — ineligible for a human heart transplant, bedridden and on life support, and out of other options.

After the Jan. 7 operation, Bennett’s son told The Associated Press his father knew there was no guarantee it would work.

Prior attempts at such transplants -- or xenotransplantation -- have failed largely because patients’ bodies rapidly rejected the animal organ. This time, the Maryland surgeons used a heart from a gene-edited pig: Scientists had modified the animal to remove pig genes that trigger the hyper-fast rejection and add human genes to help the body accept the organ.

At first the pig heart was functioning, and the Maryland hospital issued periodic updates that Bennett seemed to be slowly recovering. Last month, the hospital released video of him watching the Super Bowl from his hospital bed while working with his physical therapist.

Bennett survived significantly longer with the gene-edited pig heart than one of the last milestones in xenotransplantation -- when Baby Fae, a dying California infant, lived 21 days with a baboon’s heart in 1984.

“We are devastated by the loss of Mr. Bennett. He proved to be a brave and noble patient who fought all the way to the end,” Dr. Bartley Griffith, who performed the surgery at the Baltimore hospital, said in a statement.

The need for another source of organs is huge. More than 41,000 transplants were performed in the U.S. last year, a record -- including about 3,800 heart transplants. But more than 106,000 people remain on the national waiting list, thousands die every year before getting an organ and thousands more never even get added to the list, considered too much of a long shot.

The Food and Drug Administration had allowed the dramatic Maryland experiment under “compassionate use” rules for emergency situations. Bennett’s doctors said he had heart failure and an irregular heartbeat, plus a history of not complying with medical instructions. He was deemed ineligible for a human heart transplant that requires strict use of immune-suppressing medicines, or the remaining alternative, an implanted heart pump.

Doctors didn’t reveal the exact cause of Bennett’s death. Rejection, infection and other complications are risks for transplant recipients.

But from Bennett’s experience, “we have gained invaluable insights learning that the genetically modified pig heart can function well within the human body while the immune system is adequately suppressed,” said Dr. Muhammad Mohiuddin, scientific director of the Maryland university’s animal-to-human transplant program.

One next question is whether scientists have learned enough from Bennett’s experience and some other recent experiments with gene-edited pig organs to persuade the FDA to allow a clinical trial — possibly with an organ such as a kidney that isn’t immediately fatal if it fails.

Twice last fall, surgeons at New York University got permission from the families of deceased individuals to temporarily attach a gene-edited pig kidney to blood vessels outside the body and watch them work before ending life support. And surgeons at the University of Alabama at Birmingham went a step further, transplanting a pair of gene-edited pig kidneys into a brain-dead man in a step-by-step rehearsal for an operation they hope to try in living patients possibly later this year.

Pigs have long been used in human medicine, including pig skin grafts and implantation of pig heart valves. But transplanting entire organs is much more complex than using highly processed tissue. The gene-edited pigs used in these experiments were provided by Revivicor, a subsidiary of United Therapeutics, one of several biotech companies in the running to develop suitable pig organs for potential human transplant.

AP

The closer you get to someone—romantically or platonically—the bigger the role trust tends to play in your relationship: As you naturally divulge more of yourself to the other person, you increasingly trust them to handle your vulnerability with care. But it’s also in these closest of partnerships that our vision can get clouded by any number of emotions, like lust or love, or even a mental image of how we expect a friendship or relationship to look. As a result, it’s helpful to really internalize the key signs of an untrustworthy person, so you can identify one in your midst, no matter how close the two of you have become.

While certain signs of an untrustworthy person are more likely to pop up in the beginning of a partnership—say, someone who can’t stick to their word—and others tend to unfold over time, it’s worth keeping an eye out for these red flags at any stage because of how essential trust really is within a partnership. “Having trust in a partner allows you to feel safe, accepted, and validated, which fosters the opportunity for you to show up as the most authentic version of yourself,” says therapist Eliza Davis, LMSW.

To understand how, try picturing your relationship with a friend or partner as a home; in this metaphor, trust is what forms the foundation. When things get a little shaky at one point or another, or a partner lets you down (as they’re bound to occasionally do), the relationship is only able to withstand and overcome the blow if the foundational trust is solid, says Davis. If the trust is broken, just as with the foundation of a house, it often requires a lengthy process to rebuild—and surface-level fixes typically won't do the job.

That’s all to say, being aware of signs of an untrustworthy person can spare you from the trouble of building (or continuing to build) a partnership “house” on unsteady ground. Below, experts call out the red flags that should give you pause about a person’s trustworthiness, whether they’re a friend or a romantic partner.

The 5 clearest signs of an untrustworthy person, according to psychotherapists

1. They tend to change the details of a single story, depending on the circumstances

A changing description of a single situation smells of dishonesty—and honesty is one of the key components of trust. “If you notice that someone is offering you conflicting information or seemingly bending the truth of a story, those are signals that point to untrustworthiness,” says therapist Rachel Holzberg, LMSW.

But because these behaviors could hint at an isolated fib (or even a white lie that’s supported by a valid reason), it’s always worth addressing any honesty concerns before jumping to conclusions. “Having a conversation creates a space of awareness and allows an opportunity for the person to clarify anything that may be unsettling,” says Holzberg.

2. They don’t acknowledge their missteps or wrongdoings

If a person doesn't show remorse or take responsibility for having done something wrong, it’ll be hard to trust them to do what’s right in the future. Generally, this might look like the person always needing to be right or always acting as the victim. “Even if they’ve hurt you, they might be creating their own narrative and not listening to you or disregarding what you’re saying,” says psychotherapist and certified trauma specialist Susan Zinn, LPCC, LMHC, NCC, founder of Westside Counseling Center.

At the extreme, that kind of behavior could lead to you questioning yourself or your worth, says therapist Elizabeth Marks, LMSW. (And if that becomes a recurrent situation, it’s a slippery slope to gaslighting.) “In any case, a person telling you how to think, feel, or act based on how it best serves their needs is a strong red flag of untrustworthiness,” says Zinn.

3. They seem to be hiding a lot of ‘big’ things

While personal boundaries can certainly be positive, if a friend or partner seems to be shielding so much of their life that it fosters room for reasonable doubt about their character or motives, there’s a chance they’re concealing a secret (and not just upholding a sense of privacy). Because transparency is another cornerstone of trust, when someone categorically hides their space, their phone, or the important people in their life, it can be a sign that they’re not trustworthy, says Marks: “It just begs the question of what really is being hidden.”

The same goes for hiding explanations or plans behind a “why are you asking?” shield. For example, if you ask a partner what they’re doing later, and the answer is, “Why do you want to know?” you might question their desire to withhold information and to put a roadblock in an otherwise open dialogue, says Marks.

4. You can’t count on them to do what they said they would

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who has stuck to every agreement or promise they’ve made. We’re all humans, and sometimes life happens, and you have to cancel on an important plan, even last-minute. But if a friend or partner is repeatedly flaky, you have to ask, Can lightning really strike twice…or three or four times? Inconsistent behaviors and a lack of accountability create an unnecessary state of confusion, which may signal that a person’s intentions are questionable, says Holzberg.

5. They give you a strange sense of anxiousness or unease

Often, one of the surest signs of an untrustworthy person is a gut feeling—sometimes, literally. “For instance, that feeling of having butterflies in your stomach when you’re around someone may actually be your body cueing you into something that feels unsafe or off,” says Zinn.

If a person’s presence seems to make you uncomfortable or uneasy, even if you can’t quite explain why, it’s worth tuning into that feeling. “We have to spend more time concentrating on how we really want to feel, and asking ourselves, Does this person feel emotionally safe? Do they make me feel good? Do they renew me?” Zinn says. And if you’re spending time trying to assess why things feel off when you’re around them or whether they might be untrustworthy, the answer to the above introspective questions is very likely, ‘no.’ “We only have so much energy every day,” Zinn says, “and when people or our emotions about them are depleting us rather than renewing us, it doesn’t allow for balance in our lives or a healthy relationship.”

Well + Good

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun state, have started trading words over the emergence of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the governorship candidate of the PDP in the state.

While the APC described the emergence of Adeleke as an opportunity to enable Governor Adegboyega Oyetola emerged victorious in the July 16 governorship election, the PDP said the ruling party is jittery and afraid of defeat in the coming election.

A statement by the Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of APC, Kunle Oyatomi, said the opposition PDP should expect a smashing defeat in the July 16 gubernatorial election in the state, saying the opposition has made APC job easier by electing the duo of Senator Ademola Adeleke and Prince Dotun Babayemi as its gubernatorial candidates.

Noting that neither of the two can withstand the status of Governor Oyetola, the APC said, “with what we have seen so far, PDP is not an alternative to APC; that party is in a big mess. It’s is dogged with crises and won’t be free from it even after July gubernatorial election.

“It is as certain as daybreak that the PDP controversial primaries that produced two factional candidates have no doubt marked the beginning of the end of the opposition party, and today, we are serving notice to the PDP as the main opposition party in the state and to expect another round of disheartening defeat in the July 16 gubernatorial election.”

The publicity secretary of PDP, Ayodeji Areola, said the emergence of Adeleke has caused panic for the ruling party, saying “APC is jittery and scared of political death with the emergence of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the governorship candidate of the PDP for July poll.”

It described the APC statement as “a jaundiced and outburst from a sinking ship that is dead within and that is awaiting final burial at the next elections.

“The deceit that APC and usurper, Gboyega Oyetola represent is set to be unmasked so that the electorates will see through the house of falsehood, mismanagement and bad  governance that his status quo represents. Our Congress has produced an official winner, Senator Adeleke validly elected in line with PDP constitution, relevant laws and party tradition.

“We sense the APC was pained by its gross failure to achieve its devilish plot of permanently gridlocking PDP to prevent us from producing an official challenger who will eventually take over the state. After sponsoring several failed conflicts in PDP, the APC is disturbed that the man it feared most has finally received official endorsement of party delegates and is ready to retake the stolen mandate.

“We hereby issue quit notice to APC. On behalf of the good people of Osun state, we are prepared to salvage the state and our candidate is fully resourced to lead the rescue mission to victory.

“It is on records that our party defeated APC in 2018. We are now even better placed to defeat Gboyega Oyetola at this first ballot and with a landslide,” PDP added.

The Sun 

The only surviving daughter of the former Iyalode of Ibadanland, the late Alhaja Aminat Abiodun, Fatimah, is reported to have been assassinated by gunmen in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday.

The ex-Iyalode, who died in 2018 at the age of 93, represented the women in the Olubadan-in-Council, from 2007 to 2018.

The 13-member council comprises 11 ‘High Chiefs’ of Ibadanland, the Iyalode and the Olubadan as the head. The former Iyalode was preceded by Wuraola Akintola, and was succeed by the incumbent Iyalode, Chief (Mrs) Theresa Oyekanmi.

As gathered, Fatimah was said to have been shot several times, especially on the head, by the assassins that stormed her residence at Bashorun in Bodija area of the city.

They reportedly left after ensuring that she was dead and did not take away anything from the house.

A family source, who preferred anonymity, told journalists: ‘Our sister, the daughter of the late Iyalode Abiodun, was assassinated in Basorun, Bodija area of Ibadan. It was an unprovoked attack in her house, given that Fatimah was a peace loving person. Information I have revealed that she was shot several times by the gunmen.

‘Her influence had grown over the years and she used everything she had to promote humanity. This is a big loss to the family.’

The Police Public Relations Officer,(PPRO) for Oyo State Police Command, Adewale Osifeso, was contacted to confirm the assassination.

He simply responded through a text message by saying: ‘Updates would be provided in due course, please.’

The Sun

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA has slammed Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi for refusing to obey a court order which has asked him to vacate office as governor of the state.

NBA President, Olumide Akpata, in a statement on Wednesday, described Umahi’s response as “impunity of the highest order and executive rascality taken too far.”

Mr Akpata said the NBA has absolutely no interest in the outcome of the case in question and will continue to stay away from partisan politics.

He added that the NBA “condemns without equivocation, Umahi’s unfortunate diatribe which, if it had emanated from an average litigant, would still have been regarded as shocking but coming from one who occupies the exalted office of a State Governor, is nothing short of a national embarrassment.”

Akpata said Umahi is expected to have called for calm from his supporters and assured them that all legal and constitutional avenues would be explored to challenge the judgment instead of giving such a response to attack and denigrate the judiciary which is unacceptable .

The NBA, therefore, demand an immediate apology from the governor and a retraction of the comments he made against the person and Judgment of the Hon. Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court.

SEE  THE FULL STATEMENT BY THE NBA PRESIDENT BELOW…

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has noted with utter dismay, the unfortunate and totally unacceptable reaction of His Excellency, Dave Umahi to the Judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja delivered on 8th March 2022, coram Honourable Justice Inyang Ekwo which inter-alia ordered him and H.E. Mr. Eric Kelechi Igwe to vacate the offices of Governor and Deputy Governor, respectively, of Ebonyi State on grounds of their defection from the Peoples’ Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Following the Judgment, Umahi, in the course of a Press Conference – video evidence of which is currently making the rounds on both new and mainstream media – threw caution to the wind and deployed very uncomplimentary adjectives and intemperate language in characterising both the Judgment and Hon. Justice Ekwo, including but not limited to describing the Judgment as “jungle justice” and His Lordship as “a hatchet man”.

As if these were not enough, Engr. Umahi accused the Court of “murdering justice” and also arrogated to himself the judicial powers and magisterial authority to declare the judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction as null and void while unashamedly declaring his intention to disregard the Judgment in favour of another.

To put it plainly, this is impunity of the highest order and executive rascality taken too far.

While the NBA has absolutely no interest in the outcome of the case in question and will continue to stay away from partisan politics, it is inconceivable that this Association that is charged with upholding the rule of law and defending the Judiciary would sit idly by in the face of this unprovoked and totally unwarranted attack on the Judiciary.

Indeed, the leadership of the NBA has been inundated with calls from a cross-section of well meaning Nigerians who are understandably outraged by the utterances of Engr. Dave Umahi and who have rightly demanded that appropriate action be taken to protect the sanctity of the Judiciary.

It is for this reason that we condemn without equivocation, Engr. Umahi’s unfortunate diatribe which, if it had emanated from an average litigant, would still have been regarded as shocking but coming from one who occupies the exalted office of a State Governor, is nothing short of a national embarrassment.

In the wake of the Judgment, one would have expected Engr. Umahi to sue for calm from his supporters and to assure them that all legal and constitutional avenues would be explored to challenge the judgment. For H.E. Engr. Umahi to instead resort to attacking and denigrating the high office of a Judge in this unprecedented manner is disgraceful, undemocratic and completely unacceptable.

As Kayode Eso, JSC of blessed memory famously noted, “[t]he essence of the rule of law is that it should never operate under the rule of force or fear.”

We view Engr. Umahi’s reaction to this Judgment as being consistent with the current penchant, on the part of those in the executive arm of government, for intimidating the Judiciary whilst taking advantage of the historical reluctance of that arm of government to rise to its own defence.

In light of the foregoing, the NBA hereby demands an immediate apology from H.E. Engr. Dave Umahi and a retraction of the comments he made against the person and Judgment of the Hon. Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court. It is also our demand that this apology and retraction be given as much media coverage as the Press Conference where the unfortunate comments were made.

OLUMIDE AKPATA

President

9th March 2022

Channels

Ademola Adeleke and Dotun Babayemi emerged Osun State governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party in two parallel primary elections conducted on Tuesday.

A faction of the party led by Sunday Bisi held its governorship primary at Osogbo City Stadium, while Wale Ojo-led faction held another primary at WOCDIF Centre, Osogbo.

Announcing result of the primary held at Osogbo City Stadium, Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewurujakpo, who was the chairman of the governorship primary, said Adeleke garnered 1,887 votes to emerge victorious, while Fatai Akinbade, Akin Ogunbiyi and Babayemi recorded no vote. Sanya Ominrin got four votes.

At another primary held at WOCDIF Centre, Osogbo, the retuning officer, Adelani Ajanaku, said accredited voters were 1,907, while 27 votes were voided.

Ajanaku further said Omirin got 16 votes; Ogunbiyi scored 23; Akinbade -28, Dele Adeleke -32, while Babayemi got 1,781 to emerge the winner.

The two factions had initially disagreed on the list of delegates that would be used for the exercise.

Speaking after the exercise, Babayemi, described his emergence as a challenge to turn around the state for the betterment of its people.

He said, “I see my emergence today as a great challenge, a clarion call to a divine assignment to bring to bear, the vision of our founding fathers.

“This, I promise, shall be pursued with every fibre of our being. This is because Osun, which is our common heritage, has suffered enough degradation in the hands of interlopers.”

Adeleke, in his acceptance speech, called on the party to unite ahead of the governorship poll, adding that with cooperation, the PDP would defeat the ruling party at the poll.

He said, “No victor, no vanquished. We are all winners. Let us work together to rescue people of Osun State from the current APC government.

“The good people of Osun State have suffered enough under the current APC government.”

Commenting on the parallel primary held by a faction in the party, Bayelsa Deputy Governor said the exercise held outside the one he supervised would not be recognised.

“Any other primary held outside this place is invalid and will not be recognised. The crown is here, the palace is here and the authority is here. Any exercise not done here cannot be recognised,” he said.

Dignitaries present at the primary where Babayemi emerged winner include; ex-Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, Shuaib Oyedokun; Olu Alabi; and ex-PDP National Vice Chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo, among others.

At the primary where Adeleke was elected were dignitaries that include ex-PDP National Secretary, Wale Oladipo; Lere Oyewumi, Diran Odeyemi;  members of the House of Representatives, Wole Oke and Bamidele Salam, as well as, ex-Osun PDP chairman, Ganiyu Olaoluwa, amongst others.

Punch