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Lie from Pit of Hell: Nnamdi Kanu Has Not Dissolved Legal Team – Lawyer

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By Eric Elezuo

One of the Senior lawyers representing the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Mr. Maxwell Opara, Esq, has debunked rumours making the rounds that the IPOB leader has sacked one of his senior lawyers for alleged poor representation.

In a statement the senior lawyers signed himself, he insisted that the malicious story emanated from a fifth columnist whose stock in trade is infuriate the legal team, especially the leader, Chief Mike Ozekhome, into abandoning the IPOB leader to his fate.

Opara informed that he met with Nnamdi Kanu only on Thursday, and both held over an hour meeting ,where he was full of praises for the team and Ozekhome, and therefore wandered where a mischief maker got the information that Kanu wanted to sack the team.

He therefore called on the general oublic to ignore the story as figments of the imagination of people who means no good, and should be avoided.

Going down memory lane, Opara itemized how the present Ozekhome-led team has tirelessly worked to see that majority of the charges against the IPOB leader were dropped, to even granting him freedom, which the Federal Government has so far refused. He therefore, dismissed the story as fake, fabrication and a lie from the pit of hell, wondering why the source of the fake news failed to name the senior lawyer Nnamdi Kanu was bent on sacking.

The statement lambasted those who abandoned Nnamdi Kanu in times of need, adding that such persons are out now struggling to reap where they did not sow.

“Let me use this medium to inform the general public to ignore the most senseless post being circulated by mischief makers whose primary aim is get Prof Mike Ozekhome angry and abandon Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to his fate by withdrawing from his case and defence. I know what we went through before Prof Ozekhome accepted this brief to lead us in this matter. It is his involvement that resulted in quashing all the charges against MNK at the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal. Those who ran away and shunned MNK in his hours of travails are suddenly out to hijack the brief towards final success and take credit for a job they never did,” Opara added.

Read Maxwell Opara’s rejoinder in full:

ALLEGED MOVE TO DISSOLVE NNAMDI KANU’S LEGAL TEAM: A LIE FEOM THE PIT OF HELL

I just finished my matter at the FCT High Court, Gwagwalada, Abuja. I opened my WhatsApp only for me to see one stupid trending post captioned “Kanu sacked Senior lawyer over poor representation”.

Unnfortunately, the confused and obviously paid hatchet writer did not mention the name of the particular senior lawyer allegedly sacked, since virtually all the lawyers in the legal team prosecuting Kanu’s release from illegal detention by the Federal Government (who are ably led by our own erudite and renowned Prof. Mike Ozekhome, San, CON, OFR, Ph.D), are senior lawyers.

But to put the record straight, the entire story is a complete fabrication and a lie from the pit of hell. It was concocted and deposited by 5th columnists, who want to reap where they did not sow. For the avoidance of doubt, I personally visited Mazi NNAMDI Kanu only yesterday (Thursday, 9th March, 2023 ) at the DSS headquarters where he is being detained. I spent over an hour with him till past 4pm. I had told him Prof Mike Ozekhome could not come physically because he was a little in the weather after his appearance at the Presidential Election Tribunal at the Court of Appea,Abuja. MNK screamed and told me to go straight from the DSS office to see him on his behalf and to know how he was doing. He said we should advise Prof Mike Ozekhome, SAN, to have more rest because he still needs the learned Chief to accomplish the good work he has already started doing for him since he took over his defence. He made it clear that the learned Silk is a “game changer” who positively changed the entire narrative of his case as soon as he took over his defence, getting all the 15 courts charge quashed both at the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal, Abuja.

Let me use this medium to inform the general public to ignore the most senseless post being circulated by mischief makers whose primary aim is get Prof Mike Ozekhome angry and abandon Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to his fate by withdrawing from his case and defence. I know what we went through before Prof Ozekhome accepted this brief to lead us in this matter. It is his involvement that resulted in quashing all the charges against MNK at the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal. Those who ran away and shunned MNK in his hours of travails are suddenly out to hijack the brief towards final success and take credit for a job they never did.

And they include very senior lawyers known to us, but who are being used by one or two persons close to MNK. We shall soon expose them to the world if they do not retrace their evil steps.

Meanwhile, I have been able to speak with Prof Mike Ozekhome, SAN and delivered to him the goodwill message of his client, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. MNK told me to inform Ozekhome that he so much cherishes the Prof for his hardwork, trust, honesty, dedication and uncommon legal representation. He greatly appreciates all that Prof Mike Ozekhome has done and is still doing for him so far. He believes that God sent the courageous and cerebral Prof to deliver him from the hands of the Federal Government.

We thank God Chief has since recovered and now taking some well deserved rest in line with the Doctor’s advice. He has promised to visit MNK by Monday, 13th March, 2023, as he has always done. He will do this with Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, another senior Counsel in the unshakeable formidable legal team.

It would be recalled that Nnamdi Kanu was brought in by the Federal Government in June 2022 to face trial on 13 count charges. However, with the help of his legal team led by Ozekhome, charges have been quashed leading to his release by the courts. However, the government is still holding him prisoner in contravention of court judgment.

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Why Nigerians Must Reject INEC’s Revised Timetable – ADC

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By Eric Elezuo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during the week, released a fresh elections timetable, with major amendments to accommodate the just passed and signed Electoral Act 2026 by the National Assembly and President Bola Tinubu respectively.

Following the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026, which introduced adjustments to statutory timelines governing pre-election and electoral activities, the Commission has reviewed and realigned the Schedule to ensure full compliance with the new legal framework.

Accordingly, the Commission has resolved as follows:

  1. Presidential and National Assembly Elections will now hold on Saturday, 16th January 2027 as against the earlier stated February 20, 2027
  2. Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections will now hold on Saturday, 6th February 2027 as against the former date of March 6, 2027

Also in accordance with the approved Schedule of Activities, the electoral bidy noted in the revised timetable that:

Conduct of Party Primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from primaries, will commence on 23rd April 2026 and end on 30th May 2026.

Presidential and National Assembly campaigns will commence on 19th August 2026.

Governorship and State Houses of Assembly campaigns will commence on 9th September 2026.

As provided by law, campaigns shall end 24 hours before Election Day. Political parties are strongly advised to adhere strictly to these timelines. The Commission will enforce compliance with the law.

But in a swift reaction, the opposition coalition, African Democratic Congress (ADC), rejected the revised 2026–2027 general election timetable, describing it as a politically biased schedule designed to favour the re-election agenda of President Bola Tinubu, and calling on all Nigerians to speak up enmasse to reject the revised timetable.

The ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Friday argued that the new deadlines and compliance requirements under the Electoral Act 2026 create near-impossible hurdles for opposition parties seeking to field candidates.

On February 13, INEC initially scheduled the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were fixed for March 6, 2027.

The timetable, however, faced objections from some Muslim stakeholders who noted that the dates coincided with the 2027 Ramadan period.

Following the concerns, the National Assembly amended Clause 28 of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, reducing the required election notice period from 360 to 300 days, allowing INEC to adjust the election dates.

Subsequently, INEC released a revised schedule on Thursday, signed by its Chairman, Joash Amupitan, moving the Presidential and National Assembly elections to January 16, 2027, and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections to February 6, 2027.

Reacting, the ADC said the requirement that political parties submit a comprehensive digital membership register by April 2, 2026, effectively bars opposition parties from participating.

The party stated: “The African Democratic Congress rejects the updated 2026–2027 electoral timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission. What has been presented as a routine administrative schedule of the upcoming general elections is, in fact, a political instrument carefully structured to narrow democratic space and strengthen the incumbent administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“According to the timetable, party primaries are to be conducted between April 23 and May 30, 2026, just 55 to 92 days from today. However, more significant is that, pursuant to Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026, political parties are required to submit their digital membership registers to INEC not later than April 2, 2026.

“That is only about 34 days away. Section 77(7) further provides that any party that fails to submit its membership register within the stipulated time shall not be eligible to field a candidate. These are not routine administrative rules but are deliberately constructed barriers designed to exclude the opposition from participating in the election.”

The party further noted that Section 77(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 requires the digital register of members to contain name, sex, date of birth, address, state, local government, ward, polling unit, National Identification Number (NIN) and photograph in both hard and soft copies, while Section 77(6) prohibits the use of any pre-existing register that does not contain the specified information. It warned that failure to meet these requirements would lead to disqualification.

The ADC questioned the fairness of the digital membership requirement, noting that the ruling All Progressives Congress began its registration process in February 2025, long before the requirement became mandatory.

“It is not a product of foresight but insider advantage. They knew what was coming. They therefore had one full year to carry out an exercise that other political parties are expected to complete in one month, during which they must collect, process, collate and transmit large volumes of digital data to INEC under the threat of exclusion. This is practically impossible.

“Democratic competition is based on a level playing field that does not give any contestant an undue advantage. A system where one party exploits incumbency to gain a one-year head start on a requirement that other parties only became aware of when it was nearly too late is a rigged system.”

The ADC said it has joined other opposition parties in rejecting the Electoral Act 2026, adding that the INEC timetable is equally rejected as it appears designed to serve what it described as a self-succession agenda.

“Let it be clear that ADC will not take any action that appears to confer legitimacy on a fraudulent system. We are reviewing our options and will make our position known in the coming days,” the party said.

The party also called on civil society organisations, democratic stakeholders and Nigerians to scrutinise the timetable and demand fairness, stressing that democracy cannot survive when electoral rules are structured to produce predetermined outcomes.

The party has consistently accused the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) of scheming to silence the opposition as the 2027 General Elections draw closer, citing his manipulation of state governors and Assembly members from jumping ship, and settling with the ruling party.

Presently, the president’s party has a total of 31 out of 36 states governors, more than majority of the national and states Houses of Assembly.

A frontline publisher and chieftain of the ADC, Chief Dele Momodu, has warned that Tinubu is gradually transforming into full-blown dictatorship, stressing that his second term in office would turn state governors into ‘total slaves’.

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Second Term for Tinubu Will Turn Governors into Total Slaves, Dele Momodu Warns

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Chairman, Ovation Media Group, and former presidential aspirant, Aare Dele Momodu, has expressed strong concern over what he described as growing political support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu among state governors across the country.

Speaking during an interview on News Central TV, Momodu said he was shocked by the level of backing the president is reportedly receiving, warning that Nigeria’s democracy could face serious risks if the current political trend continues.

The media entrepreneur cautioned that allowing Tinubu to secure a second term in 2027 could, in his view, lead to excessive concentration of power. He particularly criticized what he described as a growing wave of opposition figures aligning with the ruling All Progressives Congress> (APC).

Momodu referenced reports of opposition governors, including Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, allegedly moving closer to the ruling party, describing the development as politically troubling.

According to him, some governors are allegedly competing to demonstrate loyalty to the president ahead of future elections.

“The governors are fighting to ensure Tinubu wins a second term, fighting to be the biggest thug for him. If a man in his first term can capture the bodies and souls of Nigerians this way, imagine what he would do with a second term. It will be a full-blown dictatorship, and the governors will regret it as they become total slaves to him,” Momodu said.

He concluded by urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and actively protect democratic institutions, warning that unchecked consolidation of political power could threaten the nation’s democracy and future stability.

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Court Validates PDP 2025 Convention in Ibadan, Affirms Turaki-led NWC

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The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has affirmed the validity of the 2025 Elective Convention of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), which produced Dr. Kabiru Turaki as the substantive National Chairman of the party.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Ladiran Akintola upheld the convention in its entirety, ruling that it was conducted in full compliance with the relevant constitutional and statutory provisions governing party elections in Nigeria.

The decision marked a significant legal victory for the party’s leadership and brought clarity to the dispute surrounding the convention’s legitimacy.

The ruling followed an amended originating summons filed by Misibau Adetunmbi (SAN) on behalf of the claimant, Folahan Malomo Adelabi, in Suit No. I/1336/2025.

In a comprehensive judgment, the court granted all 13 reliefs sought by the claimant, effectively endorsing the processes and outcomes of the Ibadan convention.

Justice Akintola held that the convention, organised by the recognised leadership of the party, satisfied all laid-down legal requirements as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), and the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The court found no breach of due process or statutory non-compliance in the conduct of the exercise.

In the same proceedings, the court dismissed the Motion on Notice seeking a stay of proceedings and suspension of the ruling, filed by Sunday Ibrahim (SAN) on behalf of Austin Nwachukwu and two others. The applications were described as lacking merit.

Earlier in the proceedings, the court had also rejected a bid by Ibrahim to have his clients joined in the suit.

Justice Akintola ruled at the time that the joinder application was unsubstantiated and consequently dismissed it.

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