The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order against the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), prohibiting them from removing Umar Damagum as the Acting National Chairman of the party.

The court’s decision was made on Friday, ensuring that Damagum remains the only recognized national chairman until the party’s national convention scheduled for December next year.

Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment in response to a suit filed by Senator Umar El-Gash Maina, asserting that any changes to the party’s leadership structure must adhere to the provisions outlined in the PDP Constitution.

In his ruling, Justice Lifu emphasized that according to Articles 42, 47, and 67 of the PDP Constitution, national officers can only be elected during the National Convention.

The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/579/2024, highlighted concerns raised by the plaintiff, who claimed that certain stakeholders within the PDP were clandestinely plotting to oust Damagum from his position.

Maina, who identifies himself as the Chairman of the PDP in Yobe State, alleged that there were efforts to install Dr. Phillip Omeiza Salawu, a former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, as Damagum’s replacement.

In his submission, Maina noted that he had previously sent two letters to the national secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, detailing his concerns about these covert meetings.

Despite receiving acknowledgment of the letters, he stated that neither the National Secretary nor BoT members took action on the issues raised.

The court found merit in Maina’s arguments, ruling that the chairmanship of the PDP should rotate between the northern and southern regions, strictly following the constitutional procedures established by the party.

Justice Lifu affirmed that any attempt to remove Damagum without the convening of a national convention or a court order would violate the party’s Constitution.

In his concluding remarks, Justice Lifu cautioned that any efforts to disrupt the remaining tenure of the northern leadership would be viewed as a significant breach of the PDP Constitution.

Earlier, the judge had dismissed the opposition of the defendants to the suit on the grounds that the plaintiff had no locus standi to bring out the case and that the court lacked jurisdiction.

Justice Lifu held that the plaintiff predicated his suit on the protection of the PDP Constitution from being violated and the northern region, where he hailed from, from being short-changed from the four-year tenure.

Justice Lifu said that the plaintiff, having displayed his PDP membership card before the court and having raised the fundamental issue of protection of PDP’s Constitution, had sufficient interest and justiciable cause to institute the case.

The judge, therefore, declared that the party’s Constitution binds PDP NEC and BoT and that Damagum as national chairman can only be replaced through the party’s national convention.

He also held that Damagum, having been appointed from the northern region where the former national chairman, Senator Iyorcha Ayu, hailed from, is entitled to serve out the remaining tenure of the national chairman.

Former Presidential aspirant, Adewole Adebayo, has described theTinubu-led administration as nothing more than a badly run fuel station.

The candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 presidential elections, in a post via his official X handle, decried the pains of Nigerians over the pump price hike.

He also accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of breaching the oath of office, wondering why Nigerians should languish in penury and why the economy should be allowed to collapse when the solution is not far-fetched.

He said, “The Administration of @officialABAT is nothing more than a badly run fuelling station in which virtually everyone is jostling to be a price gouger rather than a government as stipulated in Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to grow the economy.

“Failure of @OfficialAPCNg and @OfficialPDPNig to observe the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy is a breach of the oath of office and an albatross.

“How can the people languish in penury and the economy collapse into doldrums when we have the solutions firmly in our hands? Macroeconomics is neither witchcraft nor rocketry.

“All that is required is data-fed development planning anchored on rational choices in line with broad principles and set targets that lower costs of factors of production and increases capacity for productivity and Naira as a store-of-value currency and a fiscal policy and monetary management that orientate allocative efficiencies to reward delayed gratification by way of multidimensional investments.

“It means full employment of labour and other factors is sacrosanct. We cannot leave our people behind and hope to achieve prosperity. Enough word for the wise.”

The three-count charge of s3xual intercourse, s3xual exploitation and r@pe preferred against Dr Stephen Ukenna, a former lecturer in the Department of Business Administration, Covenant University Ota, Ogun State, was on 5th June 2024, struck out by the High Court of Justice Ota Judicial Division sitting at Ilaro, Ogun State in Charge Number: HCT/78c/2021- The State vs. Stephen Ukenna.

Dr. Stephen Ukenna was alleged to have committed the act against a 17-year-old female student of the Department of Human Resources of the same university on or about the 11th day of March 2021.

The defendant was subsequently charged to court and the case pended for more than three years without the prosecution producing their witnesses to prove the alleged offences.

During these period, the case came up first before Honourable Justice N. O. Durojaiye (later transferred to another Judicial division) and later Honourable Justice A. A. Shobayo.

Premised on this, on 5th June 2024 the prosecutor, O. A. Osunsami, State Counsel,  informed the court that she had been directed by the Director of Public Prosecution to withdraw the charges against the defendant as all efforts to get their witnesses had proved unsuccessful.

The High Court, presided by Honourable Justice A. A. Shobayo, struck out the case and the defendant discharged.

The president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, on Friday insisted that there was an agreement with President Bola Tinubu that there would not be further fuel price increases if they accept a minimum wage of ₦70,000 for Nigerian workers.

Speaking during an appearance on Arise News, Ajaero said the labour leaders were told to choose between accepting ₦70,000 minimum wage with no increase in fuel price or their demand of ₦250,000 and expect fuel price increases.

Ajaero, in his speech, insisted that based on the condition, organized labour settled for ₦70,000 minimum wage.

The NLC president stated this while reacting to the latest hike in the price of petrol in Nigeria.

According to him, he doesn’t know if betrayed or deceived would be the right word to use in describing the agreement with President Tinubu during negotiations and the subsequent increase in fuel price.

Ajaero said: “I have to narrate the scenario to you, and then we now choose the appropriate word, whether betrayed, deceived or whatever. While we were discussing because we stalemated at 62,000 Naira, even the states were saying they won’t pay, so there was a stalemate that took us to Mr. President.

“And we insisted on 250 (Thousand Naira) and Mr President at the meeting, turned to me and said, Ajaero, you are the person holding my hand from increasing further.

“I said increase what? He said, since I said subsidy is gone, we should have gotten the appropriate price. We should have increased. I want to sponsor you people, labour, to travel to these West African countries and know how much they are paying.

“Some are paying 2,000 (Naira), 1,800 (Naira), 1700 (Naira). As he announced it, we declined immediately that we are not going to take that sponsorship.

“He said, okay, I will go to my office for one hour. You guys decide if you agree for me to increase, I will pay you 250 (Thousand Naira), if not, you take this 62 (Thousand Naira). He stood up and we said, Mr. President, no, we can’t sit down here to decide in your office, we will take about one week to go back and discuss and get back to you, which was exactly what happened, ask anybody, and we adjourned for one week.

“He said, oh, I’m supposed to travel, but because of you, I will cancel my trip until after one week, and when we, reconvened, we were clear to Mr. President that we didn’t have any mandate to come here to discuss a price of a petroleum product or increase, we’re only here to discuss minimum wage and minimum wage alone we’re going to discuss. And we agreed on the basis of that we accepted 70,000 (Naira).”

On what would be the next line of action with the increase in fuel price, Ajaero said that the organs of the NLC will meet next week to discuss the development, stressing that no single person can decide if a strike would be the response or not as the decision must be taken by the all the organs of the labour movement.

“No NLC President will come out and say, we are going to start strike tomorrow or next tomorrow without the organs meeting. In instances, either the CWC (Central Working Committee) or the NEC (National Executive Council), so we are following that process,” Ajaero said.

Asked whether the Congress has started consultations in-house on that, he said, “By latest next week we should be able to meet and have a conversation around this so that the personal view of the leader (NLC President), does not becloud the position of the of the members.”

Veteran Nollywood actor, Sunday Omobolanle popularly known as Pa Aluwe turned 70 on Thursday, October 10.

To celebrate his special day, he expressed gratitude to his maker writing;

”Thank God for life ??? Happy 70th Birthday to me ??? I wish myself long life and prosperity in good health in Jesus name ??? pappyluwe omo iya alaro ??? @70”

Nigerian TikToker, Ojesanmi Afeez, popularly known as Salo, has reportedly been shot in the Lekki area of Lagos State.

Salo was shot in the leg at a filling station in Lekki by assailants who robbed him of his gold chain.

An eyewitness who spoke with Punch on anonymity said the content creator is currently fighting for his life at Perez Medcare Hospital, Lekki Phase 2.

The source said,  “When I got to the hospital, I was not allowed to enter, the nurse just said we should keep praying for him because his condition is critical.

“We don’t know who he offended. Just like he might not know too. You cannot be wiser and tricky than the person watching you. I just advise him to be careful if he eventually survives this.”

Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, said,“Salo was truly shot yesterday at Admiralty Way, Lekki. We have begun investigation into the incident and I will give you further updates.”

Before the incident, Salo reportedly had an altercation with his fellow TikToker, Tobi Nation, over the purchase of a new apartment.

Salo claimed to have connected Tobi Nation with the agent that sold his Lekki house to him, but Tobi Nation disagreed, saying that he didn’t subscribe to the payment option he suggested.

However, reacting to the attack, Tobi Nation said it was sad to hear the news, stressing that he had visited the hospital where Salo was admitted but was not allowed in.

339 students of the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, have bagged First-Class degrees at the institution.

Naija News learnt that the Registrar, Regina Tobi-David, disclosed this during the 19th convocation ceremony, conferment of First and Higher Degrees, and presentation of prizes in Ota.

This year’s convocation, themed “Release of Eagles for 2024,” celebrated the graduation of 1,607 students, including 1,456 undergraduates and 151 postgraduates.

While congratulating the students, Regina stated that the first class record was the first in the institution’s history.

This comes a few days after the private institution was named Nigeria’s top university in the 2024 Times Higher Education Rankings.

Covenant University, UNIBEN, UNILAG Make THE 2024 Rankings

Meanwhile, Covenant University (CU), a prominent private institution, has been named Nigeria’s top university in the 2024 Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings.

Published annually, THE Rankings evaluate universities on a global scale, with the 2024 edition covering 1,907 institutions from 108 countries and regions.

Rankings are based on 18 criteria that assess teaching, research environment, research quality, industry collaboration, and international outlook.

The 2024 ranking analyzed data from over 134 million citations on 16.5 million research publications and included responses from 68,402 academics worldwide. THE collected 411,789 data points from over 2,673 universities for this analysis.

On the global stage, the UK’s University of Oxford maintained its top spot for the ninth consecutive year, making it the longest-standing leader in THE’s history, surpassing Harvard University’s eight-year record, which ended in 2011.

Stanford University moved up to second place, while Harvard dropped to fourth. The University of Cambridge also shifted to fifth after holding a joint third position in 2023.