Justice Amina Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Awka Judicial Division has fixed March 4, 2025 for ruling on a motion to enable Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo and six others properly file their defence in a suit brought against them for running the affairs of the 21 local government areas in the state without democratically elected officials, contrary to the law.

The second to eight defendants respectively, in suit no. FHC/AWK/CS/90/2024, initiated by an activist, Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Okonkwo, include the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Governor of Anambra State, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Anambra State and Anambra State House of Assembly.

Others are former governors, Senator Chris Ngige, Peter Obi, Willie Obiano, for themselves and on behalf of their transition chairmen and councilors, and Mr. Livinus Onyenwe for himself and on behalf of transition chairmen who served under the Soludo administration.

Notable among several reliefs sought by the plaintiff is that the court should ban Soludo and his affected predecessors from contesting election, seeking for re-election or occupying public office, having acted contrary to the 1999 constitution (as amended), which they swore to uphold.

Also, the plaintiff wants an order of the court to compel the 2nd to 8th defendants to render public account before the court, of all funds, expended by them or agents and privies, during their respective administrations, while executing their illegal and unconstitutional usurpation of offices at the local government council areas in Anambra State.

In addition, he is demanding for exemplary damages of N100 billion in his favour, against the 2nd to 8th defendants.

When the matter came up before Justice Mohammed Wednesday, a Senior State Counsel from the Anambra State Ministry of Justice, Peter Odili, told the court that the second to eight defendants filed a preliminary objection to the originating summons filed by the plaintiff, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter.

Odili said they also filed a motion on notice for extension of time, within which the second to eight defendants will be expected to file their counter affidavit, written addresses and other processes in opposition to the plaintiff’s originating summons and deeming the processes as properly filed and served, the appropriate fees having been paid.

According to Odili, the motion for extension of time was dated May 28, 2024 and filed on June 13, 2024.

He prayed the court to grant the motion for extension of time in their favour, relying on all the documents they filed, including their preliminary objection to the suit and
reply to the plaintiff’s written address in opposition to their application for extension of time on point of law.

Responding, Okonkwo who appeared for himself, told the court that he opposed the preliminary objection on point of law.

The plaintiff said he would adopt the written address that he filed in opposition to the motion for extension of time on point of law.

The plaintiff argued that a court cannot take an application for extension of time in a case where its jurisdiction is being challenged.

He, however, asked for the leave of the court to add authorities, which tie the hands of the court on the matter, once jurisdiction is in contention, particularly Nwankwo versus Ononeze Madu (2005) and Britania versus Seplat.

He maintained that a court has no power to make an order in respect of a case, in which its jurisdiction to try the case has been challenged.
Justice Mohammed after hearing the submissions of the parties in the suit, fixed March 4, 2025 for ruling and hearing of the substantive suit.

A member of the Peoples Democratic Party’s reconciliation committee, Eddy Olafeso, has told the party to speak with Labour Party Presidential candidate in 2023, Peter Obi and other opposition political party leaders for an alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He believes that it is the only guarantee to defeat the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2027.

Obi, who was contesting the 2023 presidential election under the PDP, dumped the party and joined the Labour Party.

Under the Labour Party, the former Anambra State Governor contested and garnered a total of 6,101,533 votes, according to the Independent National Electoral, INEC, to come third.

Many of his supporters still harbour the belief that he actually won the election but was rigged out, however, that remains unconfirmed.

Olafeso was on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, where he was asked if the crisis-hit main opposition party need to court Obi to have a chance against the APC in 2027.

According to him, “Not only Peter Obi, every person that is somebody in this country that can actually garner one or two votes must be spoken with.”

The PDP chieftain said it would be difficult for any single political party to defeat the APC without a strong alliance.

“It is not only here that you have alliances; you have people working together to be able to win an election.

“It happened in Ghana not quite a long time ago and that is exactly what we all should do at this moment, no single party can defeat the APC alone, don’t let us delude ourselves. We must all come together to fight,” Olafeso added.

He blamed PDP leadership for the balkanisation of the party ahead of the 2023 election which contributed to its loss at the polls.

Olafeso noted that the combination of Atiku and Obi’s votes would have sent Tinubu to a distant second, regretting the inability of the PDP leadership to keep its house together ahead of the 2023 election.

The Director of Finance at the Hadeja-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso, has expressed his support for reconciliation among former Kano State governors—Kwankwaso, Ganduje, Shekarau, and Kabiru Gaya.

“Indeed, bringing these individuals together in reconciliation will contribute to Kano State’s progress, something the people of the state will be proud of. Therefore, fostering peace among them is a positive step,” he stated.

He made this remark during an interview with Kadaura24 on Wednesday.

He lamented the setbacks Kano has experienced due to the reversal of beneficial projects initiated by one administration, despite their positive impact on the people.

“We want former governors to unite in making decisions that will improve the lives of the people and acknowledge that any project undertaken for public benefit should not be canceled due to political differences,” he said.

He emphasized that all the former governors are now over 65 years old, making it the right time for them to come together and work towards the advancement of Kano State.