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Court Fines ADC, Aregbesola N1m Over Application For Judge’s Recusal In Gombe’s Suit

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The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday awarded a fine of one million Naira against the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its embattled National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, over the application seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the suit.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ADC and Aregbesola had, in separate motions, asked Justice Peter Lifu to recuse himself from the suit filed by an aggrieved party member, Nafiu-Bala Gombe, citing alleged bias.

Delivering a ruling on Tuesday, Justice Lifu held that the motions lacked merit and were devoid of credible evidence aimed at frustrating the order of the Supreme Court for an accelerated hearing of the case.

The judge held that the reasons advanced in the affidavits by the applicants were extraneous.

According to him, the court has painstakingly considered all three processes by parties and by affidavit evidence; there is no iota of bias found. “There is no element of bias being painted by the applicants as alleged,” he said. The judge recalled that the motions for recusal were filed even when the court had yet to assume jurisdiction on the case. “Where then is the element of bias in the motions for recusal?’ he asked.

The judge, who described the applications as “an abuse of court process”, said the motions were fundamentally defective. “The law is settled that allegations of bias are grave allegations which are not made lightly. “It becomes apparent that the applicants have failed completely to prove the allegations.

“It is a cheap attempt to blackmail and intimidate the court. “As I said, nobody can intimidate the court,” he said. Justice Lifu held that judges should be careful to “accede to such baseless allegations so that they don’t allow litigants to choose judges that suit them.”

He further described the applications as “forum shopping”.

He said the applicants made the allegations so that the case could be assigned to another judge that would do their bidding.

“Parties cannot choose which court they should be heard in.

“Matters are assigned to judges by the administrative head of the court, and no applicant can choose who to hear and determine their matters.

“A judge must be firm in doing justice and not dance to the whims and caprices of counsel.

“No court worth its salt should allow this,” the judge said.

Justice Lifu, who said the entire application was based on speculation, said if allowed, lawyers could use this as a tool against the court when they know a case would not favour them.

According to him, if this application is granted in the absence of credible evidence, it will set a dangerous precedent.

“On the whole, I found no merit in the application, and it is hereby dismissed with N500,000 cost each against the applicants and in favour of the plaintiff,” the judge ruled.

Earlier when the case was called, a lawyer, Kalu-Kalu Agu, who appeared for Nkemakolam Ukandu, the National Welfare Secretary of ADC, challenged the judge from delivering the ruling, having ordered the deregistration of ADC in his judgement on Monday.

NAN reports that Agu, on behalf of Ukandu, had filed a motion seeking to be joined in Gombe’s suit.

The lawyer reminded the judge of his previous day’s judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister ADC, having failed to meet the constitutional threshold.

“My lord, the clerk of this court did mention the matter is slated for a ruling today. “In view of your lordship’s ruling and the continuous existence of the 1st defendant (ADC) in this matter, and having been declared dead, I don’t see any reason why this ruling should continue. “In your judgment, this court ordered INEC to deregister the 1st defendant. So in the eye of the law, the 1st defendant is not existing,” Agu submitted.

“Are you a party in this suit?” Justice Lifu asked.

“Yes, I am my lord,” Agu responded. “Who joined you, or did you join yourself in your chambers?” the judge asked.

In his reaction, Gombe’s lawyer, Robert Emukpoeruo, SAN, disagreed with Agu’s submission that he was a party in the suit. Emukpoeruo said he was yet to read the judgement mentioned by Agu; hence, it had no relevance in the instance proceedings.

He said by Order 9 Rule 14(4) of the court, until Ukandu is joined by the judge, he is yet to be a party. When Agu attempted to respond to Emukpoeruo’s submission, the judge threatened to invoke the powers of the court on him. Realwan Okpanachi, who appeared for Aregbesola; Suleiman Usman, SAN, lawyer to Sen. David Mark; and Peter Oyewole, who represented Chief Ralph Nwosu, also made their respective submissions.

In his ruling, Justice Lifu said the instant case was distinct from Monday’s matter, where a judgement was delivered against ADC. After the ruling, the case was adjourned until June 23 for hearing of all pending applications.

NAN reports that Gombe, in the suit, is seeking an order restraining Sen. Mark, the embattled National Chairman of ADC; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the National Secretary; and members of their interim National Working Committee (NWC) from parading themselves as the party’s leaders.

He had argued that the emergence of Mark, Aregbesola and other NWC members as the party’s leaders breached the provisions of the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.

Gombe had sued ADC, Mark, Aregbesola, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Ralph Nwosu as the 1st to 5th defendants, respectively, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025. Nwosu was the former ADC National Chairman who stepped down for David Mark’s leadership of the party. (NAN)

 

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BREAKING: Tinubu Gives Three Fresh Appointments

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Nigeria, Benin Sign Integration Pact

President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of three indigenes of Oyo State to the Surveyors Council of Nigeria.

Naija News learnt that the latest development was confirmed in an appointment letter obtained by Punch, which was signed by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Ibrahim Abubakar, on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

Tinubu appointed Moshood Akinwande as President of the Surveyors Council of Nigeria, alongside Olusoji Adeoye and Olaribigbe Shiyanbola as members of the council representing Oyo State.

According to the letter, the new council members will be inaugurated on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at the SGF’s Hall, Shehu Shagari Complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja.

The letter read, “I write with reference to the above subject to forward herewith a copy of Mr President’s approval for the appointment of the President and members of the Surveyors Council of Nigeria and to convey the Secretary to the Government of the Federation’s approval for the inauguration of the council as follows.

“The new council members will be inaugurated on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at the SGF’s Hall, Shehu Shagari Complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja.

“Members cut across various interest groups, including representatives of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors from the states, academic institutions offering surveying courses, the military, among others.”

Akinwande, a retired director in the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, is a native of Oyo town.

Adeoye is the Surveyor-General of Oyo State, while Shiyanbola, who hails from Ipapo in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of the state, is a former Oyo State Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors and former Secretary of the Board of Fellows of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors.

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Wike Gives Condition to Resign From Tinubu’s Cabinet, Video Surfaces 

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Tinubu and wike

Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has publicly dared critics to disprove road construction claims tied to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, staking his resignation on the figures he presented at a commissioning ceremony in Abuja on Friday, July 17, 2026.

Speaking during the inauguration of the reconstructed Arab/Gbazango road in Kubwa, Wike said 221 kilometres of roads have been completed out of 317 kilometres awarded across satellite towns in the FCT since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023

The minister directed his remarks at those he described as detractors of the administration’s urban renewal programme.

Wike said: “The people of the satellite towns have felt the impact of governance. It has never happened in the history of the administration of this country. “If there is anybody who has a contrary view, let him come out and challenge us that all these you are saying is not correct, I will resign as the minister of the Federal Capital Territory.”

The event was tagged “Day 28” of a running series of FCT project commissionings, reflecting what the minister characterised as an accelerated delivery of infrastructure across the capital territory.

Legit reports that the Arab/Gbazango Road in Kubwa was among the projects cited as evidence of Tinubu’s administration’s ‘commitment to completing long-neglected routes in residential communities surrounding Abuja’s city centre’.

Wike’s remarks come amid ongoing debate between government officials and opposition figures over the pace and scale of federal infrastructure delivery.

While the minister presented the kilometre figures as evidence of tangible progress, critics have continued to question the scope and quality of projects executed under the current FCT administration

Watch Wike’s video below:

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb6MjoWICVfrgvYOI845/694

 

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BREAKING: Mystery Deepens as Fresh Details Emerge in Mary Habila’s Death at Tinubu Minister’s House

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The Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice has recommended that a post-mortem examination be conducted to determine the cause of death of 26-year-old Mary Habila, who was found dead at the Uburu residence of the Minister of Works, David Umahi.

The recommendation was contained in a legal advice dated July 15, 2026, and addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ebonyi State Police Command.Radio

According to the document, reportedly obtained by SaharaReporters, the advice followed a police investigation into Habila’s death at the minister’s residence on June 27.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) stated that the evidence contained in the police case file was insufficient to establish the cause of her death.

The legal advice noted that Habila was found alone and unresponsive in her apartment, adding that investigators were unable to determine what led to her death based on the available evidence.

According to the DPP, there was nothing in the investigation to suggest that Habila had any known illness or underlying health condition before her sudden death.

“There was no evidence that the deceased was indisposed, sick or unstable health-wise prior to her sudden death, as she was full of life at the time she returned to Uburu in company of her team,” the document stated.

The ministry argued that, in the absence of any known medical condition, a scientific examination was necessary to establish the actual cause of death.

“From the foregoing, therefore, the question that would readily come to mind is what exactly caused the deceased’s sudden death?” the DPP queried.

It maintained that a post-mortem examination remained the most appropriate means of providing investigators with a clear direction.

“This curiosity under the law can only be resolved through a post-mortem examination, so as to provide a clue to the police as to the direction of their investigation,” the legal advice added.

The Ministry of Justice further stated that the police could either honour the family’s reported wish to proceed with burial without an autopsy or exercise their statutory powers to order the examination.

“It is therefore the view of this office that the police invoke their discretionary power to either respect the request of the deceased’s family or proceed with the post-mortem examination,” the DPP stated.

The recommendation comes amid growing public interest and conflicting reports over the release of Habila’s body for burial.

Her father, Baba Habila, reportedly visited a morgue in Ebonyi State to receive her remains ahead of a planned burial in Nok, Kaduna State, but declined to comment to journalists.

The family was also reported to have indicated that it did not intend to request an autopsy.

However, Habila’s body had reportedly not been released as investigators continued to consider the Ministry of Justice’s recommendation.

According to reports, Habila arrived at Umahi’s residence on June 26 alongside another woman identified as Anita Baski and was found unresponsive the following morning.

The case was initially reported at the Ohaozara Divisional Police Headquarters before it was transferred to the Ebonyi State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

Minister of Works David Umahi later confirmed that Habila died at his residence, describing her as a physiotherapist seconded from the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences to the Federal Ministry of Works.

Umahi also disclosed that he had encouraged the family to consent to an autopsy to establish the cause of death.

Meanwhile, SaharaReporters, citing unnamed police sources, reported that investigators were examining aspects of Habila’s employment history and her relationship with the university and the Federal Ministry of Works.

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