Author: Lawal AbdulSalam Olawale

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Eno defected in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State Capital on Friday.

 

This comes a few days after the governor said it was time for him to move to the APC.

 

Speaking at a town hall meeting in Ikot Abasi, Eno had said “it is time to move” and align the state to APC at the federal level.

 

The governor said the decision was taken after extensive consultations.

 

Meanwhile, governors elected on the platform of the APC had stormed Akwa Ibom State to officially welcome Eno into the party.

 

APC governors that witnessed the occasion include the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, Bassey Otu of Cross River State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.

 

Others include Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, and Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State.

Whether with a small p or tiny little p, don’t call me president o. Thank you.”

Dangote then proceeded to apologise to Tinubu, saying: “I’m sorry sir, he called me president. I didn’t allow him to do so, sir.”

Watch the Video:

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The leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State has denied news flying about town that the incumbent governor of the state, Ademola Adeleke is welcome to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Denying the rumour during a press conference in Osogbo on Wednesday, the immediate past Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye maintained that the governorship ticket of the APC is not for sale to the Adeleke family.

 

Owoeye also disclosed that the party does not see Governor Ademola Adeleke as part of the Osun APC family.

He said, “APC ticket is not for sale for the Adeleke family categorically.

 

“As a matter of fact, as of today, we don’t see Governor Ademola Adeleke as part of the APC.”

 

While insisting that the APC is the party to beat in the state, Owoeye hinted that the fear of the unknown hunting Governor Adeleke is the reason for his intention of coming over to the APC.

He said, “The APC in Osun State remains the party to beat I want to tell you that if not because of the fear of unknown disturbing the Adeleke’s and PDP, they won’t show the intention of coming to the APC

 

“APC is fully on ground in Osun. If not for brigandage after the 2022 governorship and 2023 general elections, PDP will not have their way in Osun State.”

 

“The tenure of PDP is already terminated in Osun State. Come August 8, 2026, we will chase them away. There is no space for PDP and Adeleke in the APC.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu receives in Audience, H.E Ademola Adeleke, the Executive Governor of Osun State and Chief Adedeji Adeleke and his son and Afro eat star Davido at his residence in Lagos state.

 

Details later

The Federal Government has declared Friday, June 6, and Monday, June 9, 2025, as public holidays to mark this year’s Eid-ul-Adha celebrations.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made this declaration on behalf of the Federal Government in a statement by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Magdalene Ajani.

 

The minister facilitated with all Muslim Ummah both at home and in the Diaspora on the occasion.

He also charged the Muslim Ummah to imbibe the spirit of sacrifice and faith as exemplified by Prophet Ibrahim and to also use the period to pray for a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.

 

According to him, the people-oriented reforms and initiatives being carried out in furtherance of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s Administration, is to restore Nigeria on the path of progress.

 

“While wishing the Muslim Ummah a happy Eid-ul- Adha celebration, the Minister urged all Nigerians to join hands with the present administration in its efforts to restore the glory of Nigeria as a great nation,” the statement added.

The Federal High Court in Abuja was shut on Monday, leaving lawyers, court staff, and litigants unable to access the premises.

 

This comes despite a statement issued on Sunday in which the courts announced that its workers would not be joining the strike.

 

When our correspondent arrived at the Federal High Court premises on Monday morning, the court was locked and inaccessible.

 

The same scenario played out at the Court of Appeal headquarters in Abuja.

Recall that the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria issued a communiqué dated May 30, directing federal chapters to commence an industrial strike from midnight on Sunday, June 1.

 

In the communiqué signed by Acting General Secretary M.J. Akwashiki, JUSUN attributed the strike action to unproductive meetings with the Minister of Labour and Employment.

 

The demands of the judiciary workers include the payment of a five-month wage award, implementation of the ₦70,000 national minimum wage, and a 25%/35% salary increase

The Federal Government has warned Abuja automobile dealer, popularly known as Alamin Sarkinmota, against taunting civil servants in the country about their inability to acquire most of the cars he put up for sale in his advert videos.

 

This was disclosed by the National Orientation Agency in a letter signed by its Director-General, Lanre Issa-Onilu, on Monday.

 

According to Onilu, the agency is not pleased with the recent advert put up by Sarkin-Mola in a video to promote a Mercedes Benz 2023 C300 with Artificial Intelligence functionalities, where he asked the question “Can civil servants afford you?” and the AI function responded to say “No! may be in 2062.”

 

The statement read, “We write in reference to a video skit that you made ostensibly to promote a Mercedes Benz 2023 C300 with Al functionalities, which you showcased and asked the question ‘Can civil servants afford you?’ and the Artificial intelligence function responded to say ‘No! may be in 2062.’

At a time when Nigerians are passing through so much social pressure and in an environment where get-rich-at-all-cost syndrome is pervasive and material things are being promoted over and above dignity of labour and decent values, it is wrong to be speaking in such condescending terms about Nigerian civil servants.

To be a civil servant in Nigeria as is the case in most countries of the world is a very important role. Civil servants across sectors are the ones who work hard to provide enabling environment for businesses like yours to thrive and prosper. It is therefore indecent to speak condescendingly about Nigerian civil servants who spend many years of their lives dedicated to driving the machinery of

government so that businesses like yours can thrive for the benefit of

national development.”

 

The agency therefore warned the auto dealer to mind his choice of words whenever he is trying to promote his vehicles for sale so as not to hurt what it described as “sensibilities of any segment of Nigerians.

We have taken the trouble to respond based on the feedback we are getting from many people who have watched your video skit on the 2023 C300 Mercedes-Benz. Kindly please take note.

 

“Please accept the assurance of my best wishes as we work together to build a resilient country where every cadre of citizen can thrive and be respected, a Nigeria where dignity of labour is valued over and above material things,” the statement added.

 

Sarkinmota is known for trolling civil servants for their inability to buy many of the luxury vehicles he sells in the country’s Federal Capital Territory.

The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, has directed its members across the country to suspend for two weeks their planned nationwide industrial action scheduled to begin June 2.

The strike action was put on hold due to the intervention of the Minister of Labour and critical stakeholders who have held series of meetings with the union leaders in the past 48 hours.

 

A statement on Sunday by Mr. Joel Ebiloma, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), JUSUN National Judicial Council Chapter, hinted that the two weeks’ grace was granted the authorities concerned to enable them put their house in order.

The meetings were between JUSUN of various Federal Judicial Bodies, the Minister of Labour, and other stakeholders from the Judiciary as mandated by the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to avert closure of courts on June 2.

 

Specifically, it was resolved at the meetings that the Minister of Labour and other critical stakeholders be granted two weeks to solve the pending problems with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

 

During the two weeks’ period, the Accountant General of the Federation is expected to release the statutory allocations to the Judiciary based on the 2025 Appropriation in which the arrears of the Wage Award, minimum wage, and the 25%/35% salary increase have been captured.

The statement partly read: “Sequel to the circular of industrial action from the National Headquarters of JUSUN for its members at the Federal Judiciary level, to proceed on a strike action on Monday, the 2nd day of June, 2025, series of meetings were held.

 

“These meetings were between JUSUN of various Federal Judicial Bodies, the Minister of Labour, and other stakeholders from the Judiciary as mandated by the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria.

 

“Having had several deliberations with the various stakeholders, NJC JUSUN is working round the clock to resolve all pending issues.

In the aforesaid meetings that were held in the last 24 to 48 hours, it was resolved that we give the Minister of Labour and other critical stakeholders two weeks to solve the pending problems with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

 

“In the light of the above, we wish to state clearly that the NJC JUSUN hereby directs all staff to come to the office on Monday.

 

“This is to allow the relevant stakeholders engage the necessary authorities to ensure that the Accountant General of the Federation releases the statutory allocations to the Judiciary based on the 2025 Appropriation in which the arrears of the Wage Award, minimum wage, and the 25%/35% salary increase have been captured.

We salute the patience, courage, and understanding of all our respected members in this struggle.

 

“We believe that with the concerted effort and zeal shown by our able Secretary of the Council, Malam Ahmed Gambo Saleh, the required funds will be released within the stated time frame and all of us shall have cause to smile following our collective victory,” the statement said.

 

The crisis over the control of local government councils in Osun State between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken another twist, with the state government dragging the Federal Government to the Supreme Court for allegedly seizing the monthly allocations accruing to the councils.

 

Osun State local government allocations for the months of February, March and April 2025 are reportedly withheld, while that of May has not yet been determined.

 

The suit dated 23 April 2025 marked SC/CV/379/2025 filed by Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, counsel for the Attorney General of Osun State (plaintiff), has the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as the sole defendant.

 

According to Nigerian Tribune, the state government approached the Supreme Court for an order directing the federal government to release the seized funds and for further orders restraining it from further withholding, suspending and for seizing fund allocations to the local government councils in the state.

 

In an originating summons filed on April 24, 2025, the state government is asking the Supreme Court to determine the following questions:

 

Whether upon a proper construction of the provisions of Section 162 (3), (5), (6) and (8) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) via-a-vis the decisions of this Honourable Court in A.G. Lagos State V. A.G. Federation (2004) 18 NWLR (PART 904) 1 and A.G. Federation V. A.G. Abia State (2024) 17 NWLR (PART 1966) 1; the defendant can withhold, seize and/or suspend payment of the monthly allocations, revenues and other funds due to the constituent local government councils of the plaintiff state without any justification whatsoever, notwithstanding the fact that the plaintiff state has in place, at all-time material to this suit, democratically elected local government councils?

 

Upon a proper construction of Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which guarantees the existence and subsistence of democratically elected local government councils in all the states of the federation, including the plaintiff state, whether the act of the defendant in withholding, suspending and/or seizing the statutory allocations due to the constituent local government councils of the plaintiff state without any justification whatsoever, does not pose a threat to the existence, governance and/or subsistence of the democratically elected local government councils in place in the plaintiff state and, by extension, the state generally, and thereby contravening the clear provisions of the constitution?

 

Whether the defendant, without any lawful justification and/or any valid or subsisting judgment/order of court whatsoever, can single out the plaintiff state herein and decide to withhold, suspend, seize and/or refuse to pay the monthly allocations and revenues standing to the credit of the constituent local government councils of the plaintiff state, notwithstanding the fact that the plaintiff state has in place democratically elected local government councils in the state at all-time material to this suit?

 

The state government is praying the apex court to make the following declarations:

 

A declaration that the defendant has no right to withhold, suspend and/or seize the monthly allocations, revenues and/or other funds standing to the credit of the constituent local government councils of the plaintiff state without any justification whatsoever, particularly in view of the fact that the plaintiff state has democratically elected local government councils in place at all-time material to this suit.

 

A declaration that the acts of the defendant withholding the monthly allocation and revenues due to the constituent local government councils of the plaintiff state for the months of March 2025, without any justification whatsoever, despite the fact that the plaintiff has in place democratically elected local government councils at all-time material to this suit, as unconstitutional, unlawful and ultra vires the powers of the defendant.

 

A declaration that the seizure, suspension, withholding and/or refusal to pay the allocations and revenues due to the plaintiff state by the defendant is a threat to the existence and subsistence of the democratically elected local government councils which is in place in the plaintiff state at all-time material to this suit.

 

A declaration that insofar as the defendant is yet to commence implementation of the Judgment of this Honourable Court in Suit No.: SC/CV/343/2024 between A.G. Federation V. A.G. Abia State & Ors. by putting in place necessary logistics to ensure direct payment of the allocations and revenues due to each local government council of the states, the plaintiff cannot be singled out by the defendant for non-payment of its local government allocation while other states in the federation continue to receive payment of the local government allocation for and on behalf of their local government councils.

 

An order directing the defendant to release forthwith to the plaintiff, the monthly allocations and revenues due to its constituent local government councils for the months of March 2025 which have been unlawfully and unjustifiably withheld by the defendant into its state joint local government accounts.

 

An order directing the defendant to continue paying the allocation, revenues and other funds due to the local government councils of the plaintiff state through the plaintiff’s state joint local government accounts opened for that purpose pending the necessary logistics.

 

In an affidavit of extreme urgency deposed to by the Commissioner for Finance, Ogungbile Adeola Olusola, the state government, through the state Attorney General, said the suit was filed against the backdrop of the unjustifiable and unlawful withholding and seizure of the funds, allowances and revenues due to the local government councils from the federation account.

 

The plaintiff told the apex court that “the continuous seizure of this fund by the federation would paralyse the education and health sectors of the plaintiff state if not urgently restrained by this honourable court, hence the plaintiff had contemporaneously filed an application for both interim and interlocutory injunctions alongside the originating summons in this suit”.

 

The Finance Commissioner said in the affidavit of urgency, sworn to on April 24, 2025 that the various local government councils in the plaintiff state need the allocations and revenue to function.

 

He said: “I know that if the defendant is not urgently restrained from further withholding, suspending and seizing this fund, the local government councils would not be able to function and perform their constitutional obligations.

 

“I equally know as fact that the continuous seizure of this fund by the defendant would cripple the governance and subsistence of the local government councils in Osun State and, by extension, cripple the governance of the state itself.”

 

He said, “The defendant, having withheld the allocation and revenue of the local government councils of Osun State of March, 2025 has caused hardship on the people of the state, and if the defendant is not urgently restrained, the monthly allocation for April, 2025 would also be withheld, suspended and seized and this will cause more and serious hardship on the people of the state.”

 

The deponent averred: “It will satisfy the interest of justice and fairness if the motion ex parte for Interim Injunction is urgently heard and determined by the apex court so as to mitigate the hardship already being faced by the people of Osun State, due to the withholding, seizure and suspension of their local government councils’ allocation and revenue.

 

“I depose to this affidavit in good faith, conscientiously believing same to be true, correct and in accordance with the Oaths Act.”

 

No date has been fixed for hearing of the case.

 

It will be recalled that the APC had, in February called on the Federal Government to withhold allocations to local government councils in the state, alleging illegal constitution of council heads by Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration.

 

According to the APC, Governor Adeleke conducted a “purported” local government election on February 22, 2025, “in disregard of a valid and subsisting judgment of the Court of Appeal.”

 

The party’s spokesman, Felix Morka, said, “In keeping with the rule of law, it is our expectation that the Federal Government will make federal allocation for local governments available only to democratically elected and judicially certified local government officials in Osun state.”

The state government and the PDP, however, countered the APC argument, pointing at a case the APC lost at the same Federal High Court, the appeal on which was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on 13 January 2025 for lack of diligent prosecution.

 

The Court of Appeal recently heard an application filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) praying the court to relist the appeal against the Federal High Court judgement which sacked its chairmen and councilors on 30 November, 2022.

 

Ruling on the application and on a preliminary objection filed by the respondents, Action Peoples Party and OSSIEC, has been adjourned till a date yet to be announced by the court.

 

Meanwhile, the state chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) appealed to the Federal Government not to withhold allocations to the state’s local governments over the controversy surrounding the council elections