The Court of Appeal Abuja has set aside the decision of the Osun State Governorship tribunal, and has upheld the Governorship of senator Ademola Adeleke.

Recall that the Osun tribunal held that Adeleke did not score the majority of lawful votes during the July 16 governorship election, but that verdict has now been set aside by the Court of Appeal.

More to come…

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, has kicked against the suspension of Ayo Fayose, former governor of Ekiti, and other suspended members of the party.

It was earlier reported that the national working committee of the PDP suspended Fayose, Anyim Pius Anyim, former secretary to the government of the federation, Ibrahim Shema, former governor of Katsina, Dennis Ityavyar (Benue), and Aslam Aliyu (Zamfara) over alleged anti-party activities.

The PDP also asked Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, to appear before a disciplinary committee over the same allegation.

Speaking on Thursday night in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers, Wike said the PDP NWC led by Iyorchia Ayu cannot suspend members because he (Ayu) is guilty of the same allegation when the party abandoned zoning under his leadership.

Wike said Ortom would not appear before the party’s national disciplinary committee.

Wike said referring a governor to a national disciplinary committee is the “height of all insults and we will not take it”.

“Ayu and Sam Anyanwu, the national secretary, and other members of the NWC cannot suspend Ayo Fayose not to talk about referring governor Ortom to a national disciplinary committee,” he said.

“Governor Ortom who has stood firm for the unity of this country, governor Ortom who has come out openly to say that Nigeria must be one is not the type you will say you’ll refer to that your kangaroo committee.

“If there is any person deserving suspension it should be you (Ayu), who played anti-party by refusing to obey the constitution of the party on the zoning of political offices as is required. So, whoever tells you can suspend people, please tell the person that he is not serious.

“If you are talking of anti-party, it is you who could not even deliver your unit, deliver your ward that is involved. Because of the fraudulent activities you are involved in, people have lost hope in you. That is why you cannot win your unit, win your ward.

“You cannot cage any of us (G5). Ortom will not appear before any of your so-called disciplinary committees. Ayodele Fayose will also never appear before any disciplinary committee.”

Ortom is a member of the G5, a group of five governors in the PDP.

Festus Keyamo, spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council, has accused the Labour Party (LP) of “riling up” Nigerians against the judiciary.

Speaking on Thursday in an interview with Channels Television, Keyamo claimed that the utterances of LP chieftains are “setting up a scene for rebellion” against the judiciary.

On Wednesday, Datti Baba-Ahmed, vice-presidential candidate of the LP, claimed that Bola Tinubu, the president-elect, did not meet the constitutional requirements to win the February 25 election.

Earlier on Thursday, Keyamo submitted a petition to the Department of State Services (DSS) over inciting comments capable of disrupting law and order in the country.

He filed the petition against Peter Obi, candidate of the LP, and Datti Baba-Ahmed, his running mate.

Reacting to Datti Baba-Ahmed’s comment, Keyamo accused the LP vice-presidential candidate of attempting to “blackmail” the judiciary with his interpretation of section 134 (2) 1999 constitution (as amended).

“If I don’t say go court, what will I say? Will I say come let’s fight? If I say go to court, what it means is that, avail yourself of the machinery for addressing grievances as provided by the law,” Keyamo said.

“If I don’t say go to court, the next thing I will say is that come let’s fight. Why are they using such sentences in a derogatory manner?

“It is what is provided by law and people have actually retrieved their mandate by going to court. It is only when it does not favour you.

“That is what the LP is doing. That is why I have to petition them to the DSS. There is a build-up to what they are doing. The build-up is to rile the people up, pump them up and turned them against the judiciary if the judgement doesn’t go in a particular way.

“That is why he came here yesterday to say the constitution comes interpreted. What does that mean? He is telling the judiciary that I have interpreted it, the people of Nigeria have interpreted it and if you say anything different they will come after you.

“That is where they are going. They are setting up a scene for rebellion and blackmail the judiciary.”