A counsel representing the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has told a court that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed the election of Senator David Mark and Ogbene Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary at a meeting held on July 29, 2025.

In a viral video on X, The counsel, while addressing newsmen after a court session said INEC’s position supports the party’s claim that the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting took place on that date and produced the current leadership.

“INEC’s position agrees with us that the party did hold a NEC meeting on the 29th of July 2025, during which Distinguished Senator David Mark and His Excellency, Ogbene Rauf Aregbesola were elected as National Chairman and National Secretary of ADC, respectively,” he said.

He added that INEC not only acknowledged the meeting but also confirmed its participation.

“They also confirmed in their report that they attended the NEC meeting and that the meeting produced Senator David Mark and Aregbesola as National Chairman and National Secretary,” the lawyer stated.

According to him, INEC documented the meeting and attached a report as evidence before the court.

“They produced a report, which is the report they attached. So INEC is on the same page with us as far as this matter is concerned,” he said.

The lawyer dismissed the claims by the plaintiff, describing the case as unfounded and lacking evidence.

“The plaintiff’s case is speculative, it is premised on gossip; an activity that never existed,” he argued.

He explained that the plaintiff claimed the party leaders emerged on July 22, 2025, but failed to provide proof.

“Their argument is that Senator David Mark and Aregbesola emerged on the 22nd of July 2025, and we are saying no, you don’t have any document to prove that,” he said.

In contrast, he said the party has documents to support its position.

“We have documents to show that on the 4th of July 2025, the party sent INEC a notice of the NEC meeting to be held on the 29th of July 2025. And on that date, the meeting held. INEC attended and produced a report,” he said.

The lawyer maintained that the evidence before the court clearly supports the party’s position.

“While we have evidence before the court to back up our claim that the meeting held on the 29th, they don’t have any document to support their assertion,” he said.

He also questioned the legal standing of the plaintiff to file the case.

“What is the locus of the person who filed this matter? He is not an official of the party, he is just a member,” he said.

The counself, citing the Supreme Court rulings argued that individuals cannot take legal action on internal party matters.

“The Supreme Court is very clear that on issues that bother on the internal affairs of a political party, no individual has any right to institute such action, and no court has jurisdiction to entertain it,” he added.

There will be no zoning arrangement for the Nasarawa State governorship seat ahead of the 2027 election, a former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, has said.

Adamu, who is a governorship aspirant under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), also declared that he remains the candidate to beat in the state.

The former IGP hails from Nasarawa South, but the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Sule, is said to be inclined towards having his successor emerge from Nasarawa West.

According to Adamu, there would be no consensus arrangement in the selection of the governorship candidate in the state. He said the direct primaries option affords aspirants a level playing field.

He explained, “The electorate will be allowed to pick their candidate, unlike in the indirect primaries system where delegates could be influenced against a candidate.”

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Adamu reiterated that there is nothing like zoning in Nasarawa, stressing that since 1999, when democratic rule returned, the state has never zoned the governorship seat.

He further explained that under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), and the incumbent APC, zoning of the governorship seat has never worked.

Adamu said that while the governor in his wisdom wants to support somebody from Nasarawa West, his zone, Nasarawa South, is also saying it should be left open.

He added that although he does not expect any patronage from the governor, the electorate will determine who emerges come 2027. He pointed out that he has gone to the 147 wards in the state and has seen their problems, and told them to work together and focus on Nasarawa State.

He further said that they always manipulate through indirect primaries, expressing delight that the threat has been removed and nobody can take his delegates and keep them somewhere and tell them to vote a certain way.

Adamu explained that consensus would never take place in Nasarawa State when more than one person have said they do not want it, assuring that they will be vigilant in order to make sure that the primaries are free and fair.

Speaking further, Adamu lamented the state of the capital, Lafia, noting that for a long time, it has not been given the priority it deserves, lamenting that it still looks like a glorified local government headquarters, as previous administrations did not prioritise the city as a capital.

A member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Muhammad Danjuma Hassan, who represented Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency of Kano State, has died at the age of 66 following a prolonged illness.
His death, which reportedly occurred on Friday evening was confirmed by House spokesman, Akin Rotimi.

Rotimi described the late lawmaker’s passing as a significant loss to the National Assembly and the country, noting his decades-long contribution to legislative development.

“His passing is a profound loss to the House of Representatives, his constituents, and the nation at large,” Rotimi said.»

Hassan, who was elected into the House in 2023 under the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, served as the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary.

According to Rotimi, the deceased was widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s foremost legislative counsels and legal draftsmen, with many laws enacted over the years bearing his imprint.

“With his demise, Nigeria has lost one of its foremost Legislative Counsel and Legal Draftsmen, whose contributions significantly advanced legislative development and constitutional processes,” he added.

Before venturing into partisan politics, Hassan had a long career within the National Assembly bureaucracy, rising to the rank of Permanent Secretary. His institutional knowledge and administrative experience, lawmakers said, enriched parliamentary deliberations and policy oversight.

During his tenure in the House, he also served on several committees, including Public Petitions, Aviation, Solid Minerals, Constitution Review, and Treaties, Protocols and Agreements.

The Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, extended condolences to Hassan’s family, constituents, and the government and people of Kano State.

Hassan is scheduled to be buried on Saturday in accordance with Islamic rites.

“May his soul rest well, and may his legacy endure,” Rotimi said.

A member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Muhammad Danjuma Hassan, who represented Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency of Kano State, has died at the age of 66 following a prolonged illness.
His death, which reportedly occurred on Friday evening was confirmed by House spokesman, Akin Rotimi.

Rotimi described the late lawmaker’s passing as a significant loss to the National Assembly and the country, noting his decades-long contribution to legislative development.

“His passing is a profound loss to the House of Representatives, his constituents, and the nation at large,” Rotimi said.»

Hassan, who was elected into the House in 2023 under the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, served as the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary.

According to Rotimi, the deceased was widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s foremost legislative counsels and legal draftsmen, with many laws enacted over the years bearing his imprint.

“With his demise, Nigeria has lost one of its foremost Legislative Counsel and Legal Draftsmen, whose contributions significantly advanced legislative development and constitutional processes,” he added.

Before venturing into partisan politics, Hassan had a long career within the National Assembly bureaucracy, rising to the rank of Permanent Secretary. His institutional knowledge and administrative experience, lawmakers said, enriched parliamentary deliberations and policy oversight.

During his tenure in the House, he also served on several committees, including Public Petitions, Aviation, Solid Minerals, Constitution Review, and Treaties, Protocols and Agreements.

The Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, extended condolences to Hassan’s family, constituents, and the government and people of Kano State.

Hassan is scheduled to be buried on Saturday in accordance with Islamic rites.

“May his soul rest well, and may his legacy endure,” Rotimi said.

Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has strongly condemned the gruesome attack on Nuku village in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State by armed bandits, which led to the killing of five forest guards.

In a statement issued on Friday by his Press Officer on Local Matters, Abdulganiyu Abdulqadir, Saraki described the incident as “barbaric, senseless, and a painful loss not only to the affected families but to the entire state.”

He expressed deep sorrow over the tragic deaths of the gallant forest guards who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty, noting that their sacrifice in defending their community would never be forgotten.

Saraki prayed Almighty Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest in Aljannah Firdaus, forgive their shortcomings, and reward their bravery with the highest place in Paradise.

He also extended his heartfelt condolences to the Emir of Kaiama, the families of the slain guards, and the entire people of the area, urging them to remain steadfast and united in the face of the tragedy.

While commending the efforts of security operatives and local forest guards for their bravery in repelling the attack, Saraki stressed the need for sustained vigilance and stronger collaboration among all security stakeholders to prevent a recurrence.

The former Senate President, further called on relevant authorities to intensify efforts in exposing and bringing the perpetrators of the heinous act to justice.

Saraki also prayed for continued peace, protection, and security across Kwara state and the nation at large.

Plateau State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, has reacted to allegations by the Berom Youth-Moulders Association, BYM, that it had uncovered a plot by the Fulani organization to shield a suspect who was arrested during an attack.

The BYM in a statement on Thursday by its National President, Barr. Dalyop Solomon Mwantiri, had alleged that it had discovered a plan by MACBAN to shield the suspect by obtaining a forged medical report that would claim the suspect is mentally unstable.

In the statement, Mwantiri said the BYM had received credible intelligence from a very reliable source indicating that MACBAN had allegedly perfected the plan and was making desperate efforts to procure a forged medical certificate claiming that the suspect arrested in connection with the attack was mentally retarded and his confessions to security personnel should not be relied on.

But in a counter statement on Friday, the Fulani umbrella body refuted the allegations, saying they were not only misleading but baseless and a “deliberate attempt to incite tension and misinform the public.”

In a statement signed by its State Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, MACBAN expressed surprise at the allegations from the BYM and questioned how they could have been made, given the organization’s reputation for promoting peace and stability.

“The attention of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Plateau State chapter, has been drawn to the recent allegations circulated by the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM) concerning an alleged plan to shield a suspect linked to the unfortunate incident in Heipang.

“We wish to categorically state that these allegations are baseless, misleading, and a deliberate attempt to incite tension and misinform the public. MACBAN remains a law-abiding organization committed to peace, justice, and the rule of law in Plateau State and beyond.

“At no time has MACBAN engaged in, nor does it support, any act aimed at obstructing justice or shielding individuals involved in criminal activities. We strongly believe that anyone found culpable in any act of violence or criminality should face the full weight of the law, irrespective of ethnic, religious, or organizational affiliation.

“It is important to emphasize that Plateau State has suffered greatly from cycles of misinformation and mutual suspicion. Statements such as those issued by BYM only serve to heighten tensions and undermine ongoing peacebuilding efforts among communities.

“We therefore call on the Berom Youth Moulders Association to refrain from spreading unverified claims and instead collaborate with all relevant stakeholders in promoting dialogue, peaceful coexistence, and unity in Plateau State.

“MACBAN reiterates its commitment to working with security agencies, government authorities, and community leaders to ensure lasting peace and stability.

“We urge the general public to disregard these unfounded allegations and remain calm, as security agencies are fully capable of handling any investigations professionally. Together, we must prioritize peace over provocation and truth over speculation,” the statement reads.