The Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, has denied allegations that it sold 69 nomination forms to former Kano Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to “hijack” the party, saying all positions have been filled and Kwankwaso is not even a member.

Abdulkadir Guza had alleged that Kwankwaso procured 69 PRP nomination forms to take over the party’s structure ahead of 2027.

In an interview with Journalists on Monday, PRP Secretary Alhaji Musa Maigari said ”
As it stands, all positions in PRP have been filled. Primary elections are over, and every political party has concluded its primaries,” he said.

He further stated that the person behind the allegation has no link to PRP. “The man who raised these allegations is not even our member. It is laughable at this time when primaries are over, someone is talking about primaries or nomination forms.”

The Secretary insisted there is no record of any form transaction with Kwankwaso or his representatives at the party secretariat.

Maigatari noted that the claim appears ill-timed, coming after PRP concluded its primary elections for the next election cycle.

He urged members of the public to disregard “baseless rumors” and rely only on information from the party’s official channels.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Tuesday opted for a no-case submission in his ongoing trial over alleged beach of national security.

The ex-governor made this known through his lawyer, Paul Erokoro, SAN, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, shortly after State Security Service, SSS, closed it case.

When the case was called, the DSS lawyer, Oluwole Aladedoye, SAN, informed the court that the prosecution would not be calling further witnesses in the matter.

Aladedoye said with the evidence led so far, the prosecution was satisfied that it had been able to establish the offences with which El-Rufai was charged.

Following the development, Erokoro notified the court that the defence planned to file a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish sufficient evidence against the former governor.

He, therefore, sought two weeks to file the application, while the prosecution requested two weeks to respond.

Erokoro also applied for a variation of some of the bail conditions earlier granted to El-Rufai, describing them as stringent and difficult to meet.

He argued that the bail terms were too stringent, particularly the requirements for level 17 civil servants with properties in Maitama or Asokoro, as well as verification and attestation letters from the Kaduna State traditional council.

Aladedoye, however, opposed the request, insisting that qualified public officers who meet the conditions exist and urging the court to refuse the application.

Justice Abdulmalik, in her ruling, declined the application to vary the bail conditions.

The judge held that there are civil servants who own properties at the said location.

She adjourned the matter until Sept. 22 for the filing of the no-case submission and continuation of trial.

The DSS had sued El-Rufai after he claimed, during an Arise Tv interview, that he intercepted a telephone conversation involving the the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr Nuhu Ribadu.

The ex-governor had alleged that the conversation, on the telephone, revealed instructions to security operatives to arrest him.

He linked the alleged directive to an incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Feb. 12 after his return from Cairo, Egypt.

Mr El-Rufai, who was arraigned on April 23 for allegedly intercepting the phone conversations of the telephone line of the NSA, pleaded not guilty to the five-count further amended charge.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Monday ordered the remand of Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of African Action Congress, in Kuje Prison.

Justice Mohammed Umar, in a short ruling, ordered Mr Sowore to be kept in prison pending the hearing and determination of his motion for a stay of the order for revoking bail and bench warrant.

Mr Umar also dismissed Mr Sowore’s earlier application seeking the judge’s recusal from the case on the ground of alleged bias.

The judge then adjourned the matter until June 24 for the hearing of the application for stay.

The motion for stay was filed by the defendant’s new lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika.

Mr Sowore, also the publisher of Sahara Reporters, arrived at the court accompanied by members of his group, who held placards.

Mr Umar had, on June 16, revoked a bail granted to Mr Sowore following his failure to appear in court for his trial.

Mr Umar, in a ruling on an oral application made by the lawyer to the State Security Service, Akinkolu Kehinde, also issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

The SSS is prosecuting Mr Sowore for allegedly making false claims against the person of President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as “a criminal” in a post he made on X and Facebook.