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Oyetola Congratulates Adeleke on Supreme Court Victory

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The former Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, has accepted Tuesday’s ruling of the Supreme Court which upheld the election of Senator Ademola Adeleke as governor of the State.

Oyetola, through a statement he personally signed, said although the verdict of the Apex Court was against the wish of his party members and supporters, he accepted it in the interest of peace and development of the state.

The former governor urged members of his political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), his supporters and those who voted him during the July 16, 2022 governorship election, to accept the judgment as the will of God and move on.

“We strongly believe we presented a good case before the Supreme Court, but the Court thought otherwise and has given its verdict. While the outcome is against our wish and that of our party members and supporters, we are all bound to accept it as law-abiding citizens.

“To our members and supporters across the State, I urge you all to accept the verdict of the Court and move on. The present situation is a win-win for us. It’s both a loss and victory rolled into one. While we lost Osun technically, we gained Nigeria,” he said.

Oyetola, who asked the APC members and supporters not to feel sad and depressed over the decision of the Court, encouraged them to brace up for the tasks ahead of the party. He also appreciated the leadership of the party in the state and at the national level for their commitment and support throughout the period of the legal tussle.

“I remain committed to the growth and development of Osun. I will therefore continue to work with well-meaning citizens of Osun, associations and institutions to facilitate development to our dear State. Similarly, I urge all citizens of Osun to continue to exhibit the Omoluabi ethos and uphold the dreams of our forebears for the State, irrespective of party affiliations.

“To the Osun Governor, Senator Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your victory at the Supreme Court. While I pray for your tenure to be prosperous for our people and the State, I urge you to focus on delivery of good governance.

“Politics aside, time has come to let you know that the interest of the masses must be most paramount without any restriction or discrimination whether based on political persuasion, creed or religion. Whatever personal differences we have must give way to the advancement of our great State. The security of Osun people must be guaranteed regardless of their religious and political affiliations. I pray for peace and progress in your tenure,” Oyetola added.

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PDP Can Suspend, Expel Wike According to Law, Court Rules

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The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Wednesday, told the former governor of Rivers, Nyesom Wike, that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has the right to suspend or expel him if the action is done under the law.

Justice James Omotosho stated this in a judgment on a suit filed by Mr Wike before the 2023 general elections to seek a court order to stop PDP from taking action against him without a fair hearing.

Mr Omotosho said the court had considered the processes filed by parties and arguments of counsel.

He held that suspending or expelling the applicant without affording him the right to defend himself would breach his fundamental rights as enshrined in the party’s and Nigeria’s constitutions.

He said though the party had the right to suspend or expel its members, it must comply with its law.

The judge said that though section 46(1) of the law vested jurisdiction on the court if one’s rights had been breached, he said the court would not dabble into the internal affairs of any political party, except where the party had violated the right of a member without recourse to its laws.

“Where this right ought to be enforced, the court will do everything within its reach to ensure this.

“However, as fundamental and sacrosanct these rights are, they are not absolute,” he said.

The judge, therefore, agreed that any member of a political party who appeared before a disciplinary committee should be allowed to defend himself.

“And if not, any decision taken shall be null and void,” he said.

He said, “This court is convinced that the applicant is entitled to a fair hearing and that the respondent also has the right to discipline its members in accordance with the law.”

The judge further said Mr Wike had the right to associate and that the threat to dismiss him without inviting him to defend himself contravened Article 57 (1)(2) of the party.

He said the party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, and his agents were bound to promote constitutional democracy.

The ex-governor had sued the PDP, its National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) as first to third respondents.

Mr Wike, in the suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/139/2023, dated and filed February 2 by his lawyer, Joshua Musa, SAN, also joined Mr Ayu; national secretary of PDP, Samuel Anyanwu, and the Independent National Electoral Commission as fourth to sixth respondents respectively.

He had prayed for an order directing all parties to maintain the status quo and stay all actions relating to the threat to suspend or expel him by the first to fifth respondents, pending the hearing and determination of the originating motion.

He asked the court to enforce his fundamental right to freedom of association which was allegedly about to be breached by the respondents.

But the PDP, through its lawyer, Johnson Usman, SAN, disagreed with Mr Wike’s submission.

He argued that the case was only based on speculation as Mr Wike had failed to provide evidence to substantiate that the respondents intended to suspend or expel him from the party.

He said the party had not contemplated suspending or expelling members of the G5 governors or the Integrity Group, despite engaging in anti-party activities.

He said Mr Wike and four other governors engaged in anti-party activities by forming the Integrity Group and campaigning for another presidential candidate in the February 25 election.

(NAN)

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Oyo PMS Crisis: Auxiliary Escapes As Police Kill One, Parade 78 Suspects, Recover 20 Guns

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The police on Tuesday in Ibadan paraded 78 suspects arrested for allegedly planning to wreak havoc in the city over the sack of the leaders of a roads transport group.

The state government had earlier on Monday evening announced the suspension of the Disciplinary Committee of the state’s Parks Management System, which the state government had set up to manage motor parks in the state.

The committee is led by a political enforcer, Mukaila Lamidi, also known as Auxiliary.

The suspension of the committee had caused anxiety in Ibadan where disputes among road transport unions usually led to mayhem.

A member of the disbanded group was reportedly killed during a shootout with the police on Tuesday.

The police made this known while parading 78 persons believed to be members of the dissolved PMS for unlawful possession of firearms, ammunition and other criminal instruments.

Trouble started in the state after the announcement of Auxiliary’s sack through a statement by the governor’s Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi.

On Tuesday, the police besieged Auxiliary’s hotel where they said they recovered arms and ammunition.

The suspended transport union leader was reported to have escaped with some of his boys during the encounter.

While speaking during the parade, the state commissioner of police, Adebowale Williams, told journalists that his men went to Auxiliary’s hostel acting on intelligence of his plans to unleash mayhem.

“Sequel to the above, on Tuesday 30/05/2023 in a strategic intelligence coordinated raid around his location at Diamond Hotel, Alakia-Isebo, under Egbeda LGA, (78) Seventy-Eight suspected hoodlums who had perfected plans to unleash mayhem at the early hours of today at major parts of the Metropolis were arrested in possession of sophisticated firearms, (724) Seven Hundred and Twenty-four Cartridges assorted charms, (33) Thirty-three Mobile Phones, and a cash sum of about (N3,450,000) Three Million Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira Only.”

The police boss said sophisticated firearms were recovered from the hotel rooms and in the trunk compartment of parked vehicles within the hotel.

“Exhibits recovered from the suspects are one AK-47 Riffle, four (4) AK-47 magazines, Eighty four (84) live AK-47 Ammunitions, Nineteen (19) pump action riffles, one Barreta Pistol, Seven Cut-to-size Gun, one English made Barrel Gun, Seven Hundred and twenty four (724) live cartridges, 25 cutlasses, Seven Jack knives, thirty three(33) mobile phones, one Samsung Laptop, Charms, One Mazda Bus, One Toyota Sienna, Cash sum of Three Million, Four Hundred and fifty thousand naira, (N3,450,000.00).

“Worthy of note is that, though the PMS Chieftain was able to escape with some of his boys during the gun duel with the Police, However a member of the group was neutralized in a gun duel with the Police.

“Recall that the same group was alleged to be responsible for the attack on (14) Fourteen members of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) along Agodi axis under Ibadan North-East LGA enroute the venue of yesterday’s Inaugural celebrations.

“Furthermore, in line with Standard Operational Procedure, all recovered items were properly Documented, packaged and recorded for onward forensics analysis and for evidence purposes in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and all other relevant laws.”

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Building Dispute: DSS Invades EFCC Lagos Office, Denies Officers Entry

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Operatives of the Department of State Security have stormed the Lagos office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), preventing officials of the anti-graft agency from gaining access to their office in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Impeccable sources in both agencies told The PUNCH that there has been an ongoing rivalry between the DSS and the EFCC over the ownership of the building.

The Punch gathered that the DSS operatives stormed the office around 7:00 am on Tuesday, and refused to leave despite dialogue between operatives of both agencies, an impeccable source confirmed the development in a telephone interview.

An official of the EFCC who spoke with The Punch on the condition of anonymity, said, “There’s been a running battle between us and the DSS over who owns the office because the office was used by them before the EFCC came on board and it was handed over to us.

“But it’s been an administrative issue, and the matter is not in court and hasn’t caused any fracas before now. But we don’t understand why they have to block our office and deny our officials access when a new government just came in.”

“The office used to be ours, and we have been fighting over it for years now, and the EFCC knows,” a DSS source said.

Meanwhile, spokespersons for both agencies, Wilson Uwujaren of the EFCC, and Dr Peter Afunanya of the DSS did not respond to inquiries by The Punch over the development.

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