General
APC Primary: Court Flings Suits Against Akande-Sadipe
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A suit filed against a House of Representatives member, Mrs Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, by Mr Olugbemi Sunbo, to challenge her emergence as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general elections has been thrown out.
In a ruling on Friday, December 9, 2022, Justice Uche Nma Agomoh of the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan held that the case brought before the court by Mr Sunbo lacked merit.
The plaintiff had said the lawmaker was not the rightful candidate of the party for the Oluyole Federal Constituency.
He claimed that the primary of the APC held in Ibadan on May 27, 2022, was marred with irregularities, urging the court to snatch the APC ticket from her and hand it over to him.
But giving a judgement on the matter with suit no. FHC/IB/CS/109/2022, the court dismissed it on the grounds that there was no evidence that the lawmaker did not win the exercise.
“No evidence of any malpractice in the primary election was established by the plaintiff,” the counsels to Mrs Akande-Sadipe and the APC, Olawole Abiola and Adeola Adedipe said.
The court also inferred that the case was held to be statute barred, having been filed over 14 days after the cause of action occurred, contrary to the provision of the constitution that provides that any action challenging the primary election must be filed within 14 days of the primary.
The court upheld that the plaintiff does not qualify as an aspirant under the electoral act 2022 and has not asserted that he participated in the primary.
Hence, the court ruled that there were no grounds put before it to nullify the ticket of the party in the custody of Mrs Akande-Sadipe, having fulfilled all the provisions of the law and complied with stipulated guidelines.
It was gathered that the plaintiff filed his suit on June 22, 2022, to challenge the outcome of the held almost a month earlier.
The counsels to the lawmaker noted that the presiding judge struck out the case filed by the appellant because it did not have jurisdiction to entertain his action as he “claimed that there was no primary election.”
“The court is only empowered under section 285(14) of the constitution to examine the absence of due process in the conduct of primaries of a political party. However, the plaintiff said there was no primary election. The court rightly declined jurisdiction.
“The federal high court Ibadan is not the proper forum to commence the action because by the FHC Practice Direction on Pre Elections, 2022. An action must be commenced at Federal High Court Abuja where the plaintiff complains against the decision of INEC and APC, whose headquarters are both in Abuja,” they said.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A hotline number, 0800 123 5264, for Nigerians to report any MRS Oil Nigeria Plc filling stations selling Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, above the approved pump price of N739 per litre, has been released by Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The private refiner said the number was now active nationwide, enabling consumers to promptly report violations and help maintain fair pricing across over 2,000 MRS stations.
This measure follows the refinery’s recent commencement of nationwide PMS sales at N739 per litre—a strategic intervention aimed at stabilising fuel prices and easing the financial burden on Nigerians during the festive season.
“We encourage Nigerians to avoid purchasing PMS at inflated prices when locally refined fuel is available at N739 per litre.
“Report any MRS station selling above this price by calling our hotline. Together, we can ensure that the benefits of this price reduction reach every consumer,” the company stated in a statement.
The organisation stressed its mission to deliver affordable, high-quality fuel while safeguarding national economic interests, reaffirming its commitment to steady supply, backed by a guaranteed daily output of 50 million litres, and warned against attempts to create artificial scarcity or manipulate supply.
Regulatory authorities have been urged to remain vigilant and take decisive action against unpatriotic practices.
By refining locally at scale, Dangote Refinery is reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imports, conserving foreign exchange, stabilising the Naira, and strengthening energy security. This initiative represents a significant milestone in the country’s journey toward sustainable energy solutions and economic recovery.
The refinery also issued a stern warning against attempts by unscrupulous operators to create artificial scarcity in response to the price reduction, calling on government agencies to act decisively.
“Any attempt to create artificial scarcity or manipulate supply to frustrate recent price reductions is unpatriotic and unacceptable. We urge regulatory authorities to remain vigilant and take firm action against such practices, especially during this critical festive period,” the statement added.
Consumers were advised to resist purchasing fuel at inflated prices when cheaper, high-quality alternatives are readily available.
By Bon Peters
The Airport Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) at Omagwa Rivers State has praised the Customs Area Controller for Customs Area 1 Command, Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku.
At the end-of-the-year party attended by stakeholders, including the leader of the association’s chapter, Mr Charles Onyema, said the customs officer has done well in stakeholder engagement and trade facilitation.
At the event held last Friday, he said his association has been enjoying a very cordial relationship with other organisation in the ecosystem.
“You can see what is happening today, everybody is working together and our operations here are seamless,” he noted.
He stated that apart from creating a very robust business environment for his members and other stakeholders to operate, he has taken a decision to build and commission a befitting ANLCA Secretariat which would be completed soon and be commissioned by the ANLCA national president, Mr Emenike Nwokeoji.
The ANLCA chapter chief said since “Comptroller Salamatu Atuluku assumed office at Customs Area 1, Port Harcourt Command, it has been a different ball game, facilitating trade and increasing Revenue generation.”
“I remember I told her she was a mother during her maiden visit to the airport.
“You know when you have a woman in charge of an affair, food will not lack, compassion will not lack and motherly love will not lack.
“She is very wonderful in stakeholder engagement, revenue generation and trade facilitation,” Mr Onyema enthused.
Projecting into the future, Mr. Onyema said the year 2026 would be better for his members, adding that he has advised them on financial discipline which he said would help them during the trying period.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has declared Thursday, December 25, and Friday, December 26, 2025, as public holidays to mark Christmas and Boxing Day respectively.
The government also declared Thursday, January 1, 2026, for the New Year celebration.
The declaration was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Mrs Magdalene Ajani, on behalf of the Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
According to the statement, the Minister urged Nigerians to reflect on the values of love, peace, humility and sacrifice associated with the birth of Jesus Christ.
Mr Tunji-Ojo also called on citizens, irrespective of faith or ethnicity, to use the festive season to pray for peace, improved security and national progress.
He further advised Nigerians to remain law-abiding and security-conscious during the celebrations, while wishing them a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Business Post reports that on these public holidays – the foreign exchange market, the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), as well as the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange will not open to trade.
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