Headlines

Israeli strikes on Monday killed more than 270 Lebanese in the deadliest barrage since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war as the Israeli military warned residents in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate their homes ahead of a widening air campaign against Hezbollah.

Thousands of Lebanese fled the south, and the main highway out of the southern port city of Sidon was jammed with cars heading toward Beirut in the biggest exodus since the 2006 fighting. 

More than 1,000 other people were wounded in the strikes — a staggering one-day toll for a country still reeling from a deadly attack on communication devices last week.

The death toll surpassed that of Beirut’s devastating port explosion in 2020, when hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse detonated, killing at least 218 people and wounding more than 6,000.

In a recorded message to Lebanese civilians, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged them to heed Israeli calls to evacuate, saying “take this warning seriously.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the Edo State Governorship election results announced by INEC. 

Acting national Chairman of the PDP Umar Damagum called for support from well meaning Nigerians, insisting Asue Ighodalo won.

“The PDP rejects INEC’s result,” Damagum stated, paving the way for a court challenge.

He asserted that the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, was the rightful winner of the election, emphasising that “the PDP unequivocally rejects the result as announced by INEC.

Details shortly….

Four Boko Haram terrorists met their demise in Yobe state, North East region, after troops from Sector 2, Operation Hadin Kai, laid a successful ambush.

This breakthrough was shared by renowned counter-insurgency expert and security analyst, Zagazola Makama, on his X handle, accompanied by photos of the fallen insurgents.

Zagazola revealed that during the operation, the troops intercepted logistics and motorcycle spare parts belonging to the terrorists.

This accomplishment showcases the effectiveness of Operation Hadin Kai in disrupting Boko Haram’s supply chain and operational capabilities.

As a credible source of security news in the region, Zagazola has consistently provided timely updates on the military’s efforts to combat insurgency.

Notably, he was the first to break the news of notorious bandit commander Kachallah Buzu’s neutralization by Nigerian Troops.

Zagazola’s expertise and access to real-time information have made him a trusted voice in the counter-insurgency community.

His reports offer valuable insights into the ongoing military operations in the North East region, shedding light on the progress made against Boko Haram and other extremist groups.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a lawsuit seeking the removal of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Ekwo has ruled in favor of the 2nd and 3rd defendants, upholding their preliminary objections regarding the claimant’s lack of standing to bring the case.

The core issue was the claimant’s locus standi, or legal standing, to file the suit. The 2nd defendant argued that the claimant didn’t meet this requirement, and Justice Ekwo agreed, ultimately dismissing the case on these grounds.

In essence, the claimant failed to demonstrate a sufficient legal interest or show how their interest arose in the subject matter of the action, which is a critical aspect of locus standi.

This ruling highlights the importance of establishing legal standing before pursuing a case, ensuring that only those with a genuine stake in the matter can seek judicial relief.

Additionally, the 3rd defendant pointed out that the entity named in the lawsuit, the “Northern Central APC Forum,” was not a registered body.

Justice Ekwo concurred, noting that the claimant failed to provide a certificate of registration from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to prove its legal status.

Based on this, Justice Ekwo ruled that the APC group lacked the legal authority, or juristic personality, to file the suit since it was not a registered entity.

He also emphasized that the claimant had not exhausted internal party mechanisms for resolving disputes before resorting to legal action, which further invalidated the case.

Additionally, he held that there was no cause of action against the defendants since the plaintiff has no power under any known law to institute any case in any Nigerian court, while he added that the appointment of officers for APC by its National Executive Committee is an internal affair of the party, which no court can dabble into.

He hence proceeded to dismiss the suit.

He said, “I hereby dismiss this suit for lack of juristic personality of the claimant.

“The claimant has no locus standi to institute the suit and I make an order striking out the suit for lack of locus standi.

“The subject matter is an internal affair of the political party, I hereby strike out the suit for lack of locus standi.”

The North Central APC Forum, led by Saleh Zazzaga, who is the plaintiff in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024, is challenging the propriety of Ganduje’s appointment as the APC National Chairman when he is not from the North Central geopolitical zone.

The plaintiff had sued Ganduje, the APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, before the court, praying for nullification of Ganduje’s appointment by the APC on the ground of gross violations of the party’s Constitution.

The plaintiff, in the suit, contended that the APC National Executive Committee breached the party’s constitution when it appointed Ganduje, from Kano State in the North West geopolitical zone to replace Senator Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa State in the North Central geopolitical zone.

They further argued that Ganduje’s appointment to replace Abdullahi was contrary to Article 31.5(1) of the APC Constitution and ultra vires the powers of the NEC of the party.

The plaintiff, therefore, approached the court to, among others, bar Ganduje from further parading himself as the APC National Chairman.

The plaintiff also asked the court to issue an order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission not to accord recognition to all actions taken by the APC, including congresses, primaries and nominations, since Ganduje became APC Chairman on August 3, 2023.

The Forum of All Progressives Congress State Chairmen passed a vote of confidence on Ganduje.

The delegation of 37 state APC chairmen gave the endorsement during a solidarity visit to the party secretariat in Abuja.

Socio-political activist Aisha Yesuf has criticized Governor Godwin Obaseki for disputing the Edo State governorship election results.

Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the election, securing 11 local government areas.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Okpebholo’s victory on Sunday, with 291,667 votes. Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) garnered 247,274 votes, while Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) secured 18,737 votes.

Governor Obaseki reportedly visted INEC’s collation center at 2 am, claiming he sought firsthand information of election result.

However, he was escorted out by policemen led by Deputy Inspector General Frank Mbah at 4:10 am.

Aisha Yesuf questioned Obaseki’s grievances, urging him to accept the democratic process. On X, she wrote, “I’m looking for a video of Obaseki speaking about democracy’s principles. Share if you have it.”

Yesuf highlighted Obaseki’s past actions, including refusing to swear in 14 Edo House of Assembly members, judges, and getting his deputy governor impeached.

She criticized his sudden concern for democracy, saying, “Obaseki that refused for 4 years to swear in 14 Edo House of Assembly members… is talking about democracy under attack.”