By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday asked the federal government to urgently approve emergency palliatives and wage awards to workers nationwide.

The Congress called on the government to introduce measures to cushion the impact of the rising price of petrol and ensure immediate sale of crude oil to local refineries in naira.

Commuters have started trekking long distances following the sudden increase in price of fuel in order to cut the cost of transportation.

Checks showed that petrol now sells for about N1,430 per litre in major cities, with prices reportedly higher in less accessible locations.

President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, in a statement on Wednesday, warned that the rising cost of petrol would further worsen the economic hardship facing Nigerians.

The labour leader noted that increases in transportation costs typically trigger higher prices of food, rent, school fees and other essential goods and services across the country.

Ajaero maintained that the latest increase came at a time when government pressure on oil marketers to reduce pump prices in response to lower international crude prices was beginning to produce results.

“As a nation, and as a people endowed with enormous fossil resources, we are deserving of a certain level of protection or buffer against the gales from the Gulf, and indeed, other gales,” he said.

Ajaero argued that Nigeria’s status as an oil-producing country means it should be able to provide some protection against international oil market shocks regarding the latest surge that has been linked to the resurgence of conflict in the Gulf.

The NLC President urged the federal government to immediately introduce measures to shield households and businesses from the impact of the higher fuel prices.

“There is nothing wrong with the government subsidising the needs of citizens, especially in emergencies like this,” Ajaero argued.

He added that oil-producing countries were introducing different forms of intervention or palliatives to protect their citizens from the effects of the current global energy crisis.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Mohammed Abacha, son of ex-military ruler Sani Abacha, has been named as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano.

According to NAN, Bello Gambo-Bichi, chairman of the Kano PDP faction loyal to Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), made the announcement on Wednesday during the party’s replacement governorship primary election in Kano.

Gambo-Bichi also announced Alhaji Yusuf Ado-Kibiya, a former PDP state chairman and commissioner, as Abacha’s running mate.

He said the exercise followed the withdrawal of the party’s earlier candidate, Muhammad Dalha, after consultations among stakeholders in Kano and Abuja.

Gambo-Bichi said the replacement process was conducted in line with the Electoral Act and relevant party guidelines.

“Kibiya’s nomination followed reconciliation between the two factions of the PDP in Kano,” he said.

The chairman said the development had strengthened unity within the party, with the reconciliation process also resulting in the replacement of some candidates for the national and state assembly seats.

Gambo-Bichi urged party leaders, stakeholders, members and supporters to unite behind the candidates and work collectively to strengthen the party.

He said representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were present during the exercise.

The chairman described the development as a new phase for the party, adding that the PDP “is waxing stronger in Kano”.

Also speaking, Abba Abdullahi, chairman of the gubernatorial replacement primary election panel, said the exercise was conducted in accordance with the party’s constitution, guidelines, relevant regulations and applicable electoral laws.

He added that Abacha’s nomination remains subject to statutory processes and scrutiny by relevant electoral authorities.

The panel chairman congratulated Abacha and called on PDP members, leaders and stakeholders to accord him their support and cooperation as the party’s candidate.

In March, INEC recognised the PDP faction backed by Wike and published the party’s leadership on its website, with Abdulrahman Mohammed listed as the party’s national chairman.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

A federal high court in Abuja has permitted Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to serve President Bola Tinubu with court documents in his suit challenging the president’s eligibility for the 2027 elections.

Inyang Ekwo, presiding judge, granted the application for substituted service on Wednesday after hearing an ex parte motion filed by Olanrewaju Omotayo-Ojo, Atiku’s counsel.

The judge ordered that the processes be served on Tinubu through the All Progressives Congress (APC) within seven days.

The order followed the plaintiffs’ inability to personally serve Tinubu with the originating processes in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1888/2026.

Atiku and the ADC are the plaintiffs in the suit, while Tinubu, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are the first to third defendants respectively.

At the hearing, Omotayo-Ojo, who held the brief of Silas Onu, told the court that the application for substituted service was filed because efforts to serve Tinubu personally had been unsuccessful.

Following the lawyer’s indication that the plaintiffs could effect service within seven days, Ekwo ordered that the processes be served within the period.

The judge adjourned the case until September 28 for mention.

Atiku and the ADC are challenging Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election over an NYSC discharge certificate which they allege was forged.

In the suit, Atiku alleged that Tinubu submitted a certificate bearing the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle” to INEC, thereby presenting false information to the electoral body.

The plaintiffs are relying on section 137(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which deals with disqualification arising from the presentation of a forged certificate to INEC.

They are asking the court to declare that Tinubu presented a forged certificate and disqualify him and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election.

Tinubu and APC have denied submitting any forged certificate to INEC for either the 2023 or 2027 presidential elections.

In their joint counter-affidavit filed on September 9, the president and APC asked the court to dismiss the suit, arguing that it is incompetent and that the plaintiffs lacked the legal right to institute it.

They also denied submitting Form CF001 to INEC for the 2023 or 2027 election as alleged by Atiku and ADC.

INEC has separately challenged the competence of the suit, citing, among other grounds, statute bar, lack of locus standi, absence of a reasonable cause of action and abuse of court process.

Two senior advocates of Nigeria — Akin Olujinmi and Wole Olanipekun — have separately filed processes indicating that they are representing Tinubu in the suit.

Olujinmi filed a counter-affidavit and written address on behalf of Tinubu and APC, challenging the competence of the case and Atiku’s legal standing to challenge Tinubu’s candidacy.

He argued that Atiku’s allegation of forgery, being a criminal allegation, must be proved beyond reasonable doubt under the Evidence Act.

Olujinmi also argued that Atiku and ADC had not produced evidence from the NYSC disclaiming the issuance of the discharge certificate to Tinubu.

He urged the court to uphold the preliminary objection and dismiss the suit.

Separately, Olanipekun filed a preliminary objection and counter-affidavit on behalf of Tinubu, also seeking the dismissal of the case.

In a letter dated September 10 and addressed to the deputy chief registrar of the court, Olanipekun said he had been briefed by Tinubu to lead a team of lawyers to represent and defend his interests in the matter.

Olanipekun said Tinubu had not been served with the originating processes and that the president instructed his legal team to appear when the matter came up on September 1.

He said Omosanya Popoola, a senior advocate, appeared in court on that date on Tinubu’s behalf and sought to collect copies of the processes filed by the plaintiffs.

Olanipekun subsequently asked the court to provide his team with either the service copy or a certified true copy of the originating processes to enable Tinubu to respond to the suit.

The plaintiffs have also applied to amend the suit, including a request to correct the description of the INEC form allegedly attached to the certificate from Form CF001 to Form EC9.