Headline

Court Orders Kwara Govt to Halt Demolition of Saraki’s Property

Published

6 years ago

January 7, 2020

Eric

The Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, on Monday, granted an ex-parte injunction restraining the Kwara State Government from further demolition of late Olusola Saraki’s property.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the controversial demolition of the building, also known as Ile Arugbo, last Thursday.

Ile Arugbo served as the political home of the late Kwara politician during his lifetime and after his demise.

This newspaper reported that the demolition was done in the morning amid protests by residents of the area.

The judgement was delivered on Monday in Ilorin, the state capital.

The court also said the state government should not go near the land, “either to construct or do anything on the land pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.”

However, according to TheNation newspaper, one of the family’s lawyers, Abdulazeez Ibrahim, said that the order is yet to be served on the parties concerned “because the injunction was secured almost at the close of work on Monday”.

“It was true that we secured a court injunction against the state government, but it took place at the closing hours, so no enroll order was available for the concerned parties,” he was was quoted to have said.

Also, in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES, the Kwara State Government said it has not been served any court order.

The Communication Commissioner, Murtala Olanrewaju, stated this when making some clarifications on Monday night.

He said the property demolished was a ‘shed’ occasionally used for political gathering and “not any home belonging to old people”.
“Contrary to the claims by the opposition, the physical reclamation of the property by the government on 2 January 2020 was without any incident. Nobody was met on the property. It was never a place where people lived in, so the question of ejecting, maltreating or deploying violence against anyone did not arise. No court process has been served on the government.”

Mr Olanrewaju alleged that the whole narrative about government demolishing old people’s home was a fabrication by the opposition “to cover up for their lack of any document confirming their ownership of the property bordering the civil service clinic in Ilorin, the state capital.”

“The property is one of the over 100 government assets in GRA, Ilorin Kwara State, Victoria Island Lagos, Kaduna, and Abuja investigated by the Asset Recovery Committee led by Senator Suleiman Ajadi, which were unlawfully converted to private use. Until its physical reclamation, the property comprised only of sheds,” Mr Olanrewaju said.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the state governor, had last month, announced the decision to revoke the late Olusola Saraki’s property owing to an alleged illegality in its acquisition.

He said the land was originally designated for the construction of a secretariat and parking lot of the civil service clinic, “but that it was unlawfully allocated to a private firm — Asa Investments Limited — without any record of payment to the state government.”

Nevertheless, the son of the late Saraki, Bukola Saraki (ex-Senate President) had earlier countered the statement, saying his late father lawfully acquired the land from the state government.

Mr Saraki, in his reaction, vowed that justice would prevail in no distant time.

Also, Gbemisola Saraki, the transportation minister and daughter of the late Saraki, also chided the action of Mr AbdulRazaq.

Premium Times

Headline

Supreme Court Fixes April 22 for Hearing in ADC Leadership Crisis

Published

15 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Eric

The Supreme Court has scheduled hearing for April 22 in the appeal filed by the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, in relation to the leadership dispute in the party.

Mark’s appeal is against the March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which dismissed his appeal against the September 4, 2025 ruling by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja refusing to grant some injunctive reliefs contained in an ex-parte application filed by a chieftain of the party, Nafiu Bala Gombe.

A five-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Mohammed Garba chose the date on Tuesday after granting accelerated hearing in the appeal marked: SC/CV/180/2026.

The court ordered Mark’s lawyer, Jibril Okutepa (SAN) to file the appellant’s brief and serve on Wednesday.

It ordered the respondents to each file and serve on the appellant, a respondent’s brief within three days of being served with the appellant’s brief.

The appellant, according to the court, is to file a reply brief, if needs be, within one day of being served with the respondents’ briefs.

Headline

Amid Denials, ADC Reportedly Secures Rainbow Event Centre As Venue for National Convention

Published

2 days ago

April 13, 2026

Eric

Baring any last minute change, the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as National chairman and National Secretary respectively will hold the party’s National convention at the National Rainbow Event Centre in Garki on Tuesday, 14 April 2026.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has being denied two venues without any cogent reasons despite early arrangements, according to sources.

First, it was alleged that the Abuja Transcorp Hilton Hotels, which was initially approached, turned down the ADC request to use it’s facility.

The ADC, having sensed sabotage, has kept the Rainbow Event Center under rap as it’s definite venue.

The last National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party was held at the same venue.

Located adjacent the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters, the event centre will host the second NEC meeting of the ADC and it’s forthcoming national convention.

According to The Guardian’ report, the ADC leadership has communicated the venue to state chapters with the caveat not to escalate it.

The ADC is in a battle of survival against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and has approached the Supreme Court for intervention.

The INEC national chairman Prof Joash Amupitan has suspended recognition of the David Mark-led ADC rendering a leadership vacuum in the party.

INEC said it’s decision was on the basis of an Appeal Court pronouncement that ordered statusquo ante-bellum be maintained.

Reports say that why the venue is being quietly decorated moderately for the event, the ADC intends to fully move in the early hours of Tuesday.

The Guardian

Headline

Shettima Lacks Respect, I Won’t Engage Him, Atiku Responds to VP’s Challenge

Published

2 days ago

April 13, 2026

Eric

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has hit back at incumbent Vice President Kashim Shettima over the latter’s poser over achievements in office, saying he won’t take the challenge because Shettima was disrespectful.

Shettima had reportedly challenged Atiku to provide details of eight projects he executed for the development of Northern Nigeria during his tenure as vice president for eight years, as well as name eight individuals he empowered while in office.

But, speaking in an interview with GTA Hausa podcast, Atiku said he would not engage the vice president on the matter.

“I will not respond to Kashim Shettima because he is disrespectful. I am older than him and I have more experience in governance than he does, so I will not respond to him,” he said.

The former vice president further argued that cultural values in Northern Nigeria discourage younger individuals from publicly challenging their elders in such a manner.

“It is not part of our tradition in the North to disrespect elders. You cannot look at someone who is above you in both age and accomplishments and start taunting him. That is not our tradition, so I won’t engage with him,” Atiku emphasised.