From Idris Salma (Gombe)

Former minister of communications,  Mohamed Isa Pantami has lost his candidacy as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship flag bearer in Gombe state as court has nullified his emergence

This is as a Federal High Court sitting in Gombe has ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh primary election for its governorship ticket in the state.

The court, presided over by Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed, gave the order in a ruling on a suit filed by Usman Aliyu Garry to challenge the emergence of Prof. Isa Ali Pantami as the PDP governorship candidate.

The plaintiff had challenged Pantami’s emergence following his adoption by the party as its consensus candidate on June 26, 2026, without the conduct of a primary election

It would be recalled that Pantami, had earlier lost out in his bag d to secure that ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), before he defected to the PDP, where he was adopted as the sole candidate

Justice Amina Aliyu Mohammed in her ruling, on Thursday, declared Pantami’s emergence as null and void, and subsequently ordered the PDP to conduct a fresh primary election in accordance with the party’s guidelines and relevant electoral laws.

FG has deepened economic ties with Saudi Arabia, says Idris

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohamed Idris has described economic ties between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia as deep especially in the areas of agriculture, energy, investment, aviation, financial technology and trade.

The Minister made the disclosure during a reception marking the 96th National Day of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday in Abuja 

Idris, according  to a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Rabiu Ibrahim said while Nigeria’s longstanding religious and cultural ties with Saudi Arabia remained important, both countries were increasingly exploring broader economic and strategic partnerships.

The minister noted, “Today, our relationship is also taking on a broader economic and strategic dimension. Nigeria and Saudi Arabia have opportunities to deepen cooperation in areas such as agriculture, energy, investment, aviation, financial technology, and trade.

“These are areas that can create practical benefits for both countries and strengthen our economic ties.”

Idris noted further that generations of Nigerians had travelled to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage, business and education, describing the people-to-people ties as a strong foundation for expanded cooperation.

He emphasised that Nigeria was also interested in learning from Saudi Arabia’s development experience as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu implements structural reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“The administration has been implementing reforms aimed at strengthening the economy, improving the investment environment, expanding infrastructure, and creating greater opportunities for Nigerians,” he said.

The expressed Nigeria’s openness to welcome Saudi investors and businesses to explore opportunities in the country, particularly in agriculture, food production, energy, infrastructure, mining, technology and other productive sectors, while listing the government investments in road and rail infrastructure, as  well as efforts to improve power supply and reforms in the oil and gas sector as part of measures aimed at attracting foreign investment.

“We welcome Saudi investors and businesses that are interested in Nigeria. There is considerable room for cooperation in agriculture and food production, energy, infrastructure, mining, technology, and other productive sectors,” he said.

The minister also highlighted deep offshore reforms designed to attract foreign capital while promoting local participation in the sector.

The Information minister, who commended the Saudi Embassy for its efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and congratulated the Saudi leadership and citizens on the Kingdom’s National Day,  expressed optimism that Nigeria-Saudi relations would generate increased trade, investment and strategic cooperation in the years ahead.

As Nigerians go to the polls early 2027 to elect their next leaders, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and politicians have been charged to allow the people’s votes to count, rather than relying on court pronouncements to decide the winners

The immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe (SAN), who gave  the charge on Thursday in Enugu, said the courts have taken over the role of electorates I. Deciding the outcome of election in the country

Osigwe, who spoke at the 22nd Nigeria Guild of Editors conference,  accused Nigerian courts of relying  majorly on controversial legal technicalities to rob voter of their electoral powers to determine their elected representatives 

He added that politicians were increasingly relying on election tribunals and courts to determine electoral victories rather than winning the support of voters

The former NBA president, who blamed the usually recorded low voter turnout during elections in Nigeria to lack of the people’s confidence on the electoral system, as they believe that their votes would not count to determine election outcome, said Nigeria had one of the highest numbers of election petitions globally, arguing that delays in the judicial process had further complicated electoral disputes.

He said, “A judge once presented a paper called ‘The Judicialisation of the Electoral Process.’ He argued that because of the difficulty of proving non-compliance with the Electoral Act, the courts have gradually and increasingly usurped the role of the voters. I couldn’t agree more

“They believe that between polling units and collation centres—especially at night—miracles happen before daybreak. So why vote?” he asked.

He also criticised the conduct of state electoral commissions, alleging that ruling parties routinely secured victories.

“Sometimes you’ll be waiting for ballot papers, and results are already announced,” he said.

Osigwe further criticised the legal treatment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal, saying court decisions had undermined the innovations.

He added, “The court held that the BVAS machine itself is the primary evidence, not the printout. So you must physically carry the BVAS from every polling unit to court within strict time limits.

“We gained independence 64 years ago. We keep making excuses, and we only end up making many lawyers wealthy and corrupt judges richer,” he said.

The former NBA president warned that unless Nigeria reforms its electoral and legal systems, voters could lose further confidence in democracy and increasingly leave the determination of elections to the courts.

In it’s determination to field a consensus candidate that would defeat the incumbent in the January 16, general election, the Tinubu Must Go (TMG), nationwide community citizen-led movement has fixed Thursday, September 24 to commence internal consultation over a single opposition candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

The TMG, therefore, pleads with the presidential candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar; National Democratic Congress (NDC) Peter Obi; the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) Seyi Makinde and the African Action Congress (AAC) to set aside their differences and offer a single, viable candidate for next year’s election.

The convener of the group, Abba Hikima Esq, said they were ready to lead a delegation to meet with the candidates to formally present this appeal and discuss practical steps for advancing the dialogue.

“We respectfully urge Your Excellency to initiate and engage in high-level discussions with other leading opposition candidates to identify a mutually acceptable common ground,” he said in the copies of the letters individually addressed to the candidates.

“Political dynamics evolve rapidly as elections approach; consequently, the door to dialogue, compromise, and strategic alliance must remain open to the very end.”

While enumerating the data of the worsening conditions in the country, the TMG said the situation requires broader consideration of the national interest to arrest the widespread insecurity and human cost, economic strain and inflation, poverty and unemployment in the North and South. 

“Our primary appeal is simple: that the leading opposition candidates meet, engage in good faith, and explore every reasonable compromise capable of producing a single, consensus presidential candidate.

“We do not presume to dictate who should lead, who should concede, or what specific power-sharing arrangement should emerge. We firmly believe those decisions are best resolved through direct, high-level dialogue among the leaders themselves,” he added.