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Benue State High Court Upholds Ayu’s PDP Suspension
A Benue State High Court in Makurdi, Friday, ruled that Iyorchia Ayu can no longer hold office as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) having lost membership of the party in his Igyorov Council Ward of Gboko Local Government Area of the state.
A member of the PDP in Benue State, Conrad Terhide Utaan, dragged Ayu to court following his suspension by his Igyorov ward executive committee after passing a vote of no confidence on him.
In suit No: MHC/85/2023, Utaan sought among other reliefs a declaration that, Ayu is no longer fit and qualified to hold office as the national chairman of the PDP, having lost membership of the party in his Igyorov council ward of Gboko, where he first registered as a member of the party.
He also sought a declaration of court that Ayu cannot hold himself out, function and preside over the affairs of the PDP as its national chairman having seized to enjoy all the rights and privileges of membership by virtue of his suspension by the ward executive committee of the party in his Igyorov council ward.
The plaintiff further sought an order restraining Ayu from parading himself as the National Chairman of the PDP having lost membership of the party in his Igyorov Council Ward, among other reliefs.
Ayu through his counsel J.J Usman, SAN, filed preliminary objections to the suit bothering on the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit, saying it was an internal affair of a political party.
He also challenged the locus standi of the plaintiff, Utaan to institute the action, adding that the plaintiff had not exhausted the internal dispute resolution mechanism of the party, among other objections.
Utaan through his counsel, Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, argued against the preliminary objections and urged the court to discountenance the preliminary objections and grant the reliefs sought by the plaintiff.
Delivering his judgement that lasted for 2-hours, the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, resolved all the issues raised in the preliminary objections in favour of the plaintiff and accordingly dismissed same.
Justice Ikpambese held that By virtue of Article 8(9)of the constitution of the PDP, Ayu seized to be a member of the PDP with his failure to pay his subscription and membership fee.
He ruled that Ayu’s membership of the PDP elapsed with his failure to pay his membership subscription fee.
On the claim that the ward executive committee of the party cannot discipline a member of the National Executive Committee, Justice Ikpambese held that going by the provisions of Article 46(1)of the PDP Constitution, the ward executive of the PDP have the powers to discipline a member of the NEC of the party.
The Judge pointed out that Ayu did not show proof that he has paid his membership subscription fee, neither did he challenge his suspension before any organ of the party or before any court, thereby leaving the court with the impression that he has consented to his suspension by his ward executive committee.
He said Ayu had lost his membership of the party even before he was suspended by his ward executive committee.
Justice Ikpambese accordingly resolved all the issues in favour of the plaintiff.
“The plaintiff has proven his case, all the questions for determination have been resolved in favour of the plaintiff, he is entitled to all the reliefs sought. I so order”
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to Utaan, Mike Assoh described the judgement as sound, adding that the court has validated the action of the Igyorov ward executive committee of the party against Ayu, for his (Ayu) failure to pay his membership subscription fee.
The ward exco had also accused Ayu of anti-party activities after which they passed a vote of no confidence on him.
While reading their resolution at the time, the secretary of the party in Igyorov ward, Vanger Dooyum, said Ayu’s anti-party activities – alongside his allies – contributed to PDP’s loss in his ward and local government in the governorship election.
They also alleged that the PDP chieftain did not vote during the governorship and state assembly elections held on the 18th of March, 2023.
According to them, most of Ayu’s closest allies worked for the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) which resulted in the abysmal performance of the PDP in Igyorov Ward.
Twelve out of the seventeen exco members signed the documents endorsing his suspension.
News
Sharia: Indonesian couple caned 140 times for sex and alcohol offences
Under Aceh’s Islamic criminal code, sex outside marriage is punishable by 100 strokes of the cane, while consuming alcohol carries 40 strokes.
•Getty Images : A woman was crying during the public caning in Aceh
A couple in Indonesia has been caned 140 times for having sex outside marriage and drinking alcohol because it violates Sharia, or Islamic religious law.
The 21-year-old woman fainted after three female officers took turns striking her with a rattan cane, while she cried. After she collapsed, she was carried off the stage by female officers to an ambulance.
The couple were caned on Thursday along with four others, including an officer from the Islamic police force, who were all found guilty of violating Sharia.
Caning is a common punishment for breaking Islamic law in religiously conservative Aceh, although the practice has long drawn criticism from rights groups who say it’s cruel.
Under Aceh’s Islamic criminal code, sex outside marriage is punishable by 100 strokes of the cane, while consuming alcohol carries 40 strokes.
News
Edo Gov Okpebholo Reshuffles Cabinet
The Governor said that he is confident the adjustments will enhance coordination, policy implementation, and governance in the State.
The Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has announced the reshuffling of his cabinet aimed at strengthening governance and efficiency in the state administration.
The changes were confirmed on Friday by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Umar Ikhilor.
The statement reads:
” Vincent Osas Uwadiae has been redeployed from the Ministry of Oil and Gas Resources to the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development as Commissioner.
Yakubu Oshiorenua Musa, previously Commissioner for Lands and Housing, is now Chief of Staff to the Governor.
Also, Gani Audu, former Chief of Staff, has been nominated as Commissioner for Oil and Gas Resources, pending confirmation by the Edo State House of Assembly.”
The changes take effect from January 30, 2026.
According to the statement, the Governor said he is confident that the adjustments will enhance coordination, policy implementation, and governance in the State.
News
Senate makes a caricature of Abuja-Kaduna train, revives probe panel headed by Adams Oshiomole
Displeased by the “sorry state” of the entire train facilities; AKPABIO took a swipe at the sluggish nature of the Chinese trains when he said “bicycle-even keke is faster than Abuja-Kaduna train.
The Senate on Thursday called for a thorough investigation into the entire contract and execution agreements of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano railway line, 10 years after it began full commercial operations.
Worried about the deplorable condition of both the railway line and the attendant poor service delivery by the Nigerian Railway Corporation, the Senate resuscitated its Ad-hoc Committee set up last November but was hampered by a lack of funds to commence the probe of the national asset.
One train ride from Abuja to Kaduna last week by Senator Abdul Ningi -who represents Bauchi Central was all it took to reveal -the deplorable state of Nigeria’s rail transport network-especially the tracks linking the Northern corridors.
Coming on Order 42-, NINGI laments how a journey that should have taken an hour at most took over three hours on a worn-out, second-hand train.
“A Nigerian tragedy”-that’s how the PDP Bauchi Senator refers to the situation as he recounts how the Abuja -Kaduna train service has diminished in quality -from transporting 10,000 passengers daily when it first started to running a single shuttle of less than a thousand passengers a day.
Ningi’s further laments how the revenue from the train service has dwindled over time and called on the Senate to treat the issue as “a national emergency”.
The Abuja-Kaduna railway line was completed in 2015 as the first phase of the Nigerian railway modernization project.
Constructed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the Abuja-Kaduna railway was largely funded by project-tied loans obtained from China.
But over the years -, the Abuja-Kaduna rail route has been at the receiving end of poor maintenance, vandalism, bandit attacks and derailments-with the most recent incident in last August in ASHAM.
Chairman Senate Committee on Transport, Senator Adamu Aliero backs the motion ; calling for a concerted effort to fix the “eyesore ‘ the Abuja -Kaduna rail line has become.
In his contribution, President of the Senate, Godswill AKPABIO questions the entire contract agreement and execution of the rail project and calls for a thorough investigation into every single KOBO spent.
Displeased by the “sorry state” of the entire train facilities; AKPABIO took a swipe at the sluggish nature of the Chinese trains when he said “bicycle-even keke is faster than Abuja-Kaduna train.
The Senate subsequently revived its ad hoc committee set up since last November to investigate the matter but was hampered by a paucity of funds.
The probe panel headed by Senator Adams Oshiomhole was formally inaugurated at plenary on Thursday and given six weeks to complete the assignment.
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