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Road To 2023: CBN’s Emefiele Retreats, Withdraws Suit Against INEC, AGF

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The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, on Monday, discontinued a suit he filed against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) over his presidential ambition.

Mr. Emefiele had, in his suit, sought an order restraining INEC and the AGF from disqualifying him from contesting for the presidential ticket of any political party ahead of the 2023 general elections.

But the judge, Ahmed Mohammed, on May 9, rejected Mr. Emefiele’s application for an interim order against the plaintiffs.

Instead, Mr. Mohammed ordered the defendants – INEC and AGF – to show cause why Mr. Emefiele’s request should not be granted.

At the last proceedings on May 12, the judge joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and two lawyers in the case as interested parties, despite an objection from the attorney-general.

Monday’s proceedings
At the sitting on Monday, the CBN governor’s lawyer, S.T. Maliki, told the judge that a notice of discontinuance had been filed and served on the five defendants in the suit.

“Under the instruction of the plaintiff (Emefiele), we filed a notice of discontinuance dated and filed May 16, 2022,” Mr. Maliki, who held the brief for Mike Ozekhome, Mr. Emefiele’s lead counsel, told the court while withdrawing the suit.

“And the said notice of discontinuance was served on all the defendants on that said date of May 16, 2022, which proof of service is before your lordship,” Mr. Maliki said.

Citing the rules of the Federal High Court, Mr. Maliki urged the court to discontinue the case and make an order striking it out.

However, the lawyer of the 4th defendant, John Aikpokpo-Martins, opposed Mr. Emefiele’s application to withdraw the suit and demanded N1.5 million cost against the CBN governor.

In a ruling, the judge said the CBN governor had the right to file the notice of discontinuance.

Subsequently, Mr. Mohammed struck out the suit.

Emefiele’s Ambition
It was earlier reported that Mr. Emefiele, who filed the main suit on May 5, argued that no law exempts him from contesting the primary election of a political party while holding office as a sitting CBN governor.

“The plaintiff is legally competent to contest the primaries of any political parties while still serving as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, in so far as he gives 30 days’ notice of his resignation, withdrawal from the services of the CBN as its governor by the provisions of section 167 and 318 of the constitution,” the plaintiff’s lawyer said.

The CBN governor has been under pressure to relinquish his office since the information about his presidential ambition leaked to the public earlier this year.

After months of speculation, Mr. Emefiele finally spoke publicly about his ambition after a group purchased the N100 million presidential form of the ruling party, APC, for him.

He said although he had yet to decide to contest the presidential election, should he heed the call to run for the presidency, he would use his “own hard-earned savings from over 35 years of banking leadership to buy my Nomination Forms”.

In his suit confirming his political ambition, Mr. Emefiele sued INEC and the AGF and asked the court to restrain them from compelling him to resign as the CBN governor to run for office in 2023.

His lawyer, Mr. Ozekhome, expressed fears that INEC and the AGF are making “frantic efforts to disqualify” Mr. Emefiele “from participating in the presidential primaries scheduled for June 3, 2022, for not resigning from his office before the parties’ primaries.”

President Muhammadu Buhari later directed his appointees including Mr. Emefiele, seeking to contest for elective office, to resign from their positions.

Following the president’s directive, public condemnation of Mr. Emefiele’s actions, and the court’s refusal to grant his request Mr. Emefiele announced that he was dropping his ambition and would remain in office as CBN governor.

Many Nigerians have, however, called for his sack, saying he had become political and was no longer fit to head Nigeria’s central bank.

Credit: Premium Times

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COALITION: Peter Obi Will Be Expelled From Labour Party — Arabambi

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The Labour Party has announced its intention to expel former presidential candidate Peter Obi over his participation in an opposition coalition seeking to remove President Bola Tinubu.

During a live appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, a party chieftain, Abayomi Arabambi, said Obi’s involvement with the coalition while remaining a Labour Party member was “unconstitutional” and “unacceptable.”

“Let me make it very clear: we are convening a NEC [National Executive Council] meeting where he [Obi] will be expelled. It is unconstitutional for you to belong to two political parties at a time. They have deceived him to their side, and there he shall remain,” Arabambi said.

He explained that the NEC would recommend Obi’s expulsion, which would then be formally approved at the party’s convention in line with its constitution.

“Obi will be expelled from our party. He is no longer a member. It is not within his right to claim, ‘I am still a member of the Labour Party,’ and at the same time be hobnobbing with what we call the ‘yahoo yahoo’ coalition. We are not going to accept that,” he said.

In a critical statement, Arabambi rejected claims that Obi was responsible for the Labour Party’s rise, saying, “I want to correct a very wrong notion—Obi did not make the Labour Party; the Labour Party made Peter Obi. It was just a chance of circumstance because of the #EndSARS protests and the failings of past administrations. Nigerians were simply tired.”

He insisted that it was the party’s credibility that gave Obi the platform that elevated his political image in 2023.

“It’s because of our own integrity. That was what gave Obi what he is today. He should be banking on our goodwill, not the other way around. He started the crisis in the Labour Party,” he said.

Arabambi also accused Obi of having an authoritarian approach, saying, “If he can fight party members to do his will, then he is not fit to run the party.”

He emphasized that the Labour Party had only one recognized leadership, stating, “Let me also make it clear: we do not have groups in the Labour Party. We have only one leadership under Julius Abure, our national chairman.”

Arabambi’s comments came after the Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party gave Obi a 48-hour deadline to formally resign from the party over his alleged “bromance” with the coalition.

In a statement dated 3 July, LP’s Obiora Ifoh said, “Labour Party is not part of the coalition. Therefore, any of our members who are part of the coalition are given within 48 hours to formally resign his membership of the party.

Labour Party is not available for people with dual agendas or deceptive personas. We will not allow individuals to have one leg in our party and the other elsewhere.”

Ifoh accused coalition members of being opportunistic politicians “interested in relaunching themselves into the circle of power.”

This situation arose after the opposition coalition met on Wednesday, 2 July, in Abuja, where the ADC was adopted as its platform for the 2027 elections.

The coalition appointed former Senate President David Mark as interim national chairman and former Osun governor Rauf Aregbesola as secretary.

The meeting was attended by many prominent politicians, including Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, Dino Melaye, Dele Momodu, Gabriel Suswam, Ireti Kingibe, Emeka Ihedioha, and Sadique Abubakar—along with Obi.

 

Credit: Channels TV

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BIG STORY

JUST IN: JAMB Sets 150 As Cut-Off Mark For Universities

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has approved 150 as the cut-off score for university admissions in the country.

The decision was reached on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.

It also announced that the cut-off score for colleges of nursing is 140, while both colleges of agriculture and colleges of education have a cut-off score of 100.

“The minimum admissible scores for admissions for the next academic session have been fixed at 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics, 100 for colleges of education, and 140 for colleges of nursing sciences by the stakeholders (Heads of Tertiary Institutions),” JAMB wrote on its X handle.

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Over 100 Killed In Texas Flood, Bodies Recovered As Search And Rescue Operations Continue

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The number of deaths from severe flooding in Texas climbed to more than 100 on Monday, as rescue teams continued their difficult search for individuals swept away by the rushing waters.

Among those who died were at least 27 girls and counsellors who were at a youth summer camp located by a river when the disaster struck during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Weather experts have cautioned about further flooding risks as rain continues to fall on already saturated ground, making recovery operations harder for the roughly 1,750 personnel involved, using helicopters, boats, and dogs.

“There is still a threat of heavy rain with the potential to cause flooding,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated on Monday, warning that the death toll could still increase.

President Donald Trump confirmed plans to visit Texas on Friday, as the White House pushed back against accusations that his administration’s cuts to weather agencies weakened the flood warnings.

“Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning,” said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday.

She noted that the National Weather Service, which The New York Times reported had several vacancies in Texas prior to the floods, issued “timely and precise forecasts and warnings.”

Trump described the floods that hit early Friday as a “100-year catastrophe” that “nobody expected.”

Although the president has previously argued that disaster relief should be handled by state governments, he signed a major disaster declaration to release federal funds and provide additional resources.

At least 104 deaths linked to the flooding have been reported throughout central Texas.

Kerr County, where the Guadalupe River flows, suffered the greatest losses, with at least 84 deaths reported, including 28 children, according to the local sheriff’s office.

Among the dead were 27 people who had been staying at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp hosting around 750 individuals when the floodwaters struck.

Camps are a cherished part of summer in the United States, with children often spending time in rural areas such as parks and woods.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz described the camps as opportunities to make “lifetime friends — and then suddenly it turns to tragedy.”

However, some locals have raised concerns about the lack of stronger flood-warning systems in this region of south and central Texas, often referred to as “Flash Flood Alley” due to its frequent and severe flooding.

Experts have emphasized that the NWS provided timely forecasts, while climate scientist Daniel Swain pointed to failures in “warning dissemination.”

San Antonio resident Nicole Wilson, who almost sent her daughters to Camp Mystic, launched a petition on Change.org urging Governor Greg Abbott to approve a modern warning system.

“Five minutes of that siren going off could have saved every single one of those children,” she told AFP.

During a candlelight vigil in San Antonio on Monday night, people gathered to pray for the victims and express ongoing concerns.

“I was pretty shocked on the gravity of the situation and how big it was, and I wouldn’t necessarily expect that our rivers would rise so quickly,” said Rebeca Gutierrez, 29.

“Hopefully there’s preventative efforts happening in similar areas to make sure nothing to this degree happens.”

In a devastating demonstration of nature’s force, the swollen Guadalupe River rose to the level of treetops and cabin roofs while girls were sleeping inside the camp.

Blankets, teddy bears, and other personal items were left coated in mud.

Cabin windows were smashed, likely from the powerful water currents.

Volunteers assisted in sifting through debris along the river, with some being driven by personal connections to the victims.

“We’re helping the parents of two of the missing children.

The last message they got was ‘We’re being washed away,’ and the phone went dead,” said Louis Deppe, 62, to AFP.

Several months’ worth of rainfall poured down in just a few hours from Thursday night into Friday, with additional rainfall since then.

The Guadalupe River surged by about 26 feet, roughly equivalent to a two-story building, within just 45 minutes.

Flash floods happen when the ground cannot absorb sudden heavy rainfall.

Human-induced climate change has intensified the frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves in recent years.

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