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Police: We saved NLC President from being lynched in Imo by ‘Unknown Workers’

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The Nigeria Police has said that contrary to media reports that its operatives arrested and detained the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) during labour protest in Imo yesterday, that the Police actually took comrade Joe Ajaero into protective custody to stop hoodlums identified as ‘unknown workers’ from lynching him.

The Commissioner of Police, Imo State, Mohammed Barde, stated this in a statement signed by Command Spokesperson, Henry Okoye.

NLC Head of Information and Publicity, Comrade Benson Upah, said Ajaero was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri after he was released and that his right eye was completely shut following beating he received.

Upah said: “Contact was made with Comrade Ajaero around 15:30 hours at the Police Hospital in Owerri from where he was taken to FMC where he is receiving medical attention.

“Thoroughly brutalised, his right eye at the time of contact was completely shut.

“Ajaero was beaten up and blindfolded and taken to an unknown destination where more brutalisation took place, sometimes with bottles.

“His phones, money and other personal effects were taken off him and have not been returned to him.”

But according to the Police Spokesperson, a scuffle broke out at the airport with some workers during picketing, which resulted in a heated argument and an eventual attack on Ajaero.

He said the command deployed operatives and the officer-in-charge exercised his discretion to take the Labour leader into protective custody.

The statement reads: “The Police Command wishes to clarify some sketchy reports alleging the arrest of Comrade Ajaero in Owerri.

“It is pertinent to state that the NLC President was in Owerri as part of arrangements of the Congress to mobilise workers for a mega protest rally in the state.

“In the course of their planning, it was reported that suggestions arose for the lockdown of some essential facilities, particularly the airport, which led to some workers and other individuals resisting the picketing process, leading to scuffles and heated arguments and an eventual attack on the person of the president by a mob.”

“Upon receiving this report, the Imo Police Command swiftly deployed police operatives to the scene where the Officer in Charge exercised his operational discretion by taking the NLC President into protective custody at the State Command Headquarters to ensure the protection of his life and that he was not lynched in the scuffle that followed.

“The Commissioner of Police thereafter directed that he should be taken to the Police Medical Services, Owerri, where he would be accorded medical attention as a result of the attack.

“He has, therefore, been accorded adequate security cover to proceed on his other legitimate engagements for the day.

“It is, however, necessary to emphasise the existence of a court injunction from the National Industrial Court of Nigeria holden in Owerri with Suit No. NICN/OW/41/2023 dated 27th October, 2023, barring the NLC from holding the intended protest rally in Owerri.”

Barde urged all concerned to ensure compliance with the order to avoid jeopardising security arrangements ahead of the November 11 governorship election.

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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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