The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has explained the absence of its chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, from the recent unveiling of candidates endorsed by the Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The party disclosed that Okocha travelled abroad for medical treatment after his health condition deteriorated, stressing that his absence was not connected to any disagreement with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

The clarification was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the APC Publicity Secretary in Rivers State, Chibike Ikenga.

According to the party, Okocha secured Wike’s approval before embarking on the medical trip, describing the FCT minister as the National Leader of the Rainbow Coalition.

The APC dismissed reports of a fallout between the two political figures, insisting that there was no disagreement between them.

The statement read, “There is NO DISAGREEMENT whatsoever and the Chairman will reunite with the party executive and the Rainbow Coalition upon his return from his medical trip.”

The party accused political opponents of circulating false reports about the relationship between Okocha and Wike in an attempt to create division within the coalition.

It urged party members and supporters to disregard the claims, maintaining that its relationship with other parties in the Rainbow Coalition remained cordial.

The APC also reaffirmed its commitment to working with other coalition members to secure victory for President Bola Tinubu, its governorship candidate, Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, and other candidates endorsed by the coalition in the 2027 elections.

The party further described the unveiling of the coalition’s candidates as a successful event, despite Okocha’s absence.

It reiterated its readiness to collaborate with all parties under the Rainbow Coalition to achieve their political objectives in the forthcoming elections.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has warned that the commission will not tolerate attacks on corps members or electoral officials during the 2027 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Amupitan issued the warning on Saturday at INEC’s South-South zonal interactive meeting with staff members and readiness assessment in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

He stressed that anyone found attacking or threatening election workers would face the full weight of the law.

The INEC chairman specifically cautioned against attacks on National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members deployed for electoral duties, insisting that offenders would be prosecuted.

“Anyone who threatens or harms INEC officials, including National Youth Service Corps members deployed for election duties, would face the full weight of the law,” he warned.

Amupitan also warned electoral officers against partisanship, negligence, absenteeism and financial misconduct, noting that such violations would attract disciplinary measures.

He disclosed that the South-South geopolitical zone has 15,823,550 registered voters, with Rivers State accounting for 3,736,434.

He emphasised that INEC would not allow any eligible voter to be disenfranchised because of administrative negligence or logistical failures.

Speaking on preparations for the 2027 elections, Amupitan said the commission was making arrangements for its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), including the deployment of 57,000 newly procured devices.

He added that INEC was auditing its electronic result management systems to strengthen transparency in the transmission of election results.

The chairman also disclosed that the commission was investigating concerns surrounding suspicious photographs found on the preliminary voters’ register published online, promising that corrective measures would be taken based on verified findings.

Furthermore, he announced that INEC had concluded an agreement with the Maritime Transporters Union to facilitate the movement of electoral personnel and materials across creeks, coastal settlements and riverine communities in the South-South region.

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia has rejected a request by Aaron Greenspan seeking permission to obtain limited discovery from Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and DCI Group in an ongoing lawsuit filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed the development in a statement on Saturday.

In its ruling delivered on October 30, the court held that Greenspan’s proposed discovery concerning alleged cyberattacks on his website was not sufficiently relevant to the FOIA dispute involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Reacting to the decision, attorney Christopher W. Carmichael said the ruling reinforced the need to keep the case focused on the legal issues before the court.

“The Court’s decision makes clear that this Freedom of Information Act proceeding cannot be used to pursue discovery unrelated to the legal questions before it,” Carmichael said.

“By denying the request for discovery against President Tinubu and DCI Group, the Court reinforced the importance of keeping this litigation focused on the issues properly before it.”

The court also rejected a separate application by non-party Karl Von Batten seeking permission to submit an amicus curiae, or friend-of-the-court, brief. It equally declined Greenspan’s related request for judicial notice.

In addition, the judge denied Greenspan’s motion for summary judgment.

Attorney Oluwole Afolabi also commented on the outcome, saying the court had rejected both the plaintiff’s request for summary judgment and the separate application to introduce an amicus brief.

“The Court also denied the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment and rejected a separate request to introduce an amicus brief,” Afolabi said.

“While the underlying FOIA issues remain before the Court, these rulings establish important procedural boundaries and clarify which matters are appropriate for consideration in this litigation.”