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Final Report: Catholic Church says 2023 election “worst in Nigeria’s history”

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The Catholic Church has released its final report on the 2023 general elections, saying that the election is the worst in the history of Nigeria.

This was contained in the final report released by the Church and Society Department of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) signed by its Director and the executive secretary of Caritas Nigeria, Rev. Fr. Uchechukwu Obodoechina and presented to the public on Friday, July 28, in Abuja.

In its report, the church regretted that despite an improved electoral act, financial support from local and international partners, as well as heightened anticipation of citizens, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies failed woefully to deliver.

Speaking, Rev. Fr. Obodoechina said that there ought to be punishment for those who compromised and manipulated the results of the elections.

Obodoechina said that the position of the Catholic Church on the election was premised on the report of its Church and Society Department team, as well as the Caritas Nigeria, dispatched across the country to monitor the elections.

He further noted that the 2023 general election was marred with several irregularities including violence, intimidation, disenfranchisement, vote-buying, logistics challenges, et al.

He also regretted that Nigerians are disappointed in the outcome of the elections, feeling as they do that the results, as declared by INEC did not reflect the wishes of the majority of the electorates.

The executive secretary of Caritas Nigeria pointed out that ten political parties instituted 1, 341 cases, which constitutes about 90 per cent of the 1, 490 contested seats.

He also noted that 346 judges have been engaged in different tribunals, making the 2023 elections the most litigated, contentious, disputed elections in the history of Nigeria’s electoral democracy.

Obodoechina said: “[The election] witnessed violence, intimidation, disenfranchisement, vote-buying, logistics challenges that affected the credibility of the election including the perceived compromise from security agencies that aided the activities of hoodlums.

“Obviously, majority of Nigerians are disappointed with the performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies despite the huge financial and logistics support it received.

“However, the 2023 general elections have come and gone, and had unfortunately left mixed feelings in the minds of most Nigerians. Most electorates are feeling disappointed in the outcome of the elections.

“This was because they did not feel the results, as declared by INEC, reflected the wishes of the majority of Nigerians.

“One of the greatest flaws of the 2023 elections was the inability, unwillingness, and outright refusal of INEC to upload results from Form EC8A to the IReV portal in real-time from the Polling Units as was severally promised before the conduct of the election.

“Presently, 10 political parties have instituted 1, 341 cases, representing about 90 per cent of the 1, 490 contested seats; and 346 judges have been engaged in different tribunals, making the 2023 elections the most litigated, contentious, disputed elections in the history of Nigeria’s electoral democracy.

“There are chances that the 1, 341 petitions may not be the last since some other cases have not come to the fore.”

Obodoechina lamented that despite the humongous sum dumped into the election, more than N3 billion is estimated to be spent by INEC in defending cases brought against it due to the outcome of the elections.

 

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Turaki-led PDP wins as Court of Appeal affirms Wole Oluyede as duly nominated candidate for Ekiti

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Dr. Wole Oluyede has been affirmed as the duly nominated candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the Ekiti State governorship election.

The Court of Appeal, Akure Division, made the affirmation in a landmark judgment, thereby giving validity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election for the same.

In a unanimous decision, the three-man appellate panel led by Hon. Justice Peter Chudi Obiorah, alongside Hon. Justice Jane Esienanwan Inyang and Hon. Justice Peter O. Affen, set aside the earlier judgment of the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti.

The justices held that the primary election conducted by the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) was valid, transparent, and complied with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.

On the 13th of January, 2026, the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti nullified the Ekiti State Governorship primary election conducted on the 8th and 9th November, 2025.

Dissatisfied with the judgment, the Party appealed to the Court of Appeal and today, the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court..

The Court further held that the primary election was duly conducted.

This judgment effectively puts to rest the leadership and candidacy disputes that have shadowed the party’s preparations for the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election. By upholding the Turaki-led process, the Court has provided the necessary legal finality to ensure the PDP enters the general election as a unified front.

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India slaps Nigeria, rejects Tinubu’s ambassador-designate

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India and some other countries have reportedly  declined to accept some of President Bola Tinubu’s recently posted ambassadors-designate due to diplomatic policies that discourage receiving envoys from administrations with less than two years remaining in office.

According to reports in the media, India, where career diplomat Ambassador Muhammad Dahiru has been designated to serve, maintains a standing policy against accepting ambassadors from governments with tenures of less than two years remaining.

India is exercising its discretionary powers to turn down the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ request to accept Dahiru’s posting.

According to sources quoted by the report, the Federal Government was already receiving signals from New Delhi and possibly other capitals about their reluctance to grant agrément.

Agrément is the formal approval given by a receiving country to accept a diplomat designated by the sending country, and it is a prerequisite before an ambassador can assume duty.

“They don’t accept an ambassador from an administration that has less than two years in office. So they are giving us that body language already,” a Presidency official was quoted to have said

The source continued, “Some countries are reluctant to accept some people, not because of the individuals but because of time. They are already seeing the Tinubu government as an outgoing government.

“So their concern is that he has just one year left, so what if he doesn’t win the election? Another government may come and remove them. We also understand that some countries have this policy. Any ambassador from an administration that has less than a year or two in office will not get accepted. And one of such countries is India.”

 

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Belonging to two political parties to attract imprisonment

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The House of Representatives on Wednesday amended Section 77 of the recently assented Electoral Act 2026 to prescribe two-year jail term or N10 million fines or both, for anyone who knowingly maintains membership of two political parties at the same time.

Lawmakers during the committee of the whole presided by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu, made amendment to section 77 of the 2026 Act by inserting three new clauses 8, 9 and 10 which were considered and approved by lawmakers after a heated session of back and forth debates.

According to the new clauses approved by lawmakers, any party member found to be registered as member of more than one political party at the same time will have his or membership of the said parties voided.

Clause (8) of the approved amendment stipulates that “A person shall not be registered as a member of more than one political party at the same time.”

Clause (9) stipulates that “Where it is established that a person is registered as a member of more than one political at the same time, such dual membership shall be void, and the person shall cease to be recognised as a valid member of any political party pending regularisation in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the constitution of the political party concerned.

Clause (10) stipulates that “A person who knowingly registers or maintains membership in more than one political party at the same time commits an offence is liable on conviction to a fine of N10,000,000 or to imprisonment for a term of two years, or both.”

 

 

 

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