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The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday adjourned the scheduled judgment in a suit filed by Rep Leke Abejide until April 14.

Abejide is seeking an order restraining Sen. David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from parading themselves as the African Democratic Congress’s (ADC) national chairman and national secretary, respectively.

The suit fixed for judgment before Justice Musa Liman today could not be delivered since the judge was said to be in another official engagement.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Liman had, on Friday, fixed today for the judgment.

The judge fixed the date after Abejide’s counsel, Ibrahim Idris, SAN, and lawyers to the defence adopted their processes and presented their arguments for and against the suit.

Abejide, a member of the House of Representatives on the platform of ADC, had instituted the suit.

In the originating summons, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025 and filed on Feb. 15, 2026, by Idris, the lawmaker sued ADC, Ralph Nwosu, Mark, Aregbesola and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the 1st to 5th defendants, respectively.

NAN reports that Nwosu was the former national chairman of ADC who stepped down for Mark, the ex-Senate president.

Abejide, among the eight reliefs, sought an order nullifying Nwosu’s handover or transfer of ADC’s leadership to Mark and Aregbesola as interim national chairman and interim national secretary, respectively, on July 2, 2025, at Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre, Abuja, for being illegal, unlawful, null and void.

He sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining Mark and Aregbesola from parading themselves as leaders of the party “as their purported appointment, selection or election was unlawful, illegal, null and void.”

He also sought a perpetual injunction restraining INEC from recognising Mark and Aregbesola as ADC’s interim national chairman and interim national secretary “as their appointment, selection or election did not meet the requirements of Section 82 of the Electoral Act, 2022″, among other prayers.

The ADC, represented by Shaibu Aruwa, SAN; Nwosu, represented by P. I. Oyewole; Rilwan Okpanachi, who appeared for Mark; Aregbesola’s lawyer, I. R. Abdullahi; and counsel who appeared for INEC, Anthony Onyeri, all prayed the court to dismiss the suit for lacking merit.

ADC, Nwosu, Mark and Aregbesola, in their arguments, submitted that Abejide lacked the legal right to institute the suit.

In their separate preliminary objections, they argued that the subject matter of the suit bordered on the internal affairs of a political party which are non-justiciable.

They added that the court lacked the jurisdiction to delve into such matters.

The defendants also stated that contrary to Abejide’s submission, the Mark-led leadership was elected on July 29, 2025, at the National Executive Committee meeting of the party and not July 2, 2025.

They stated that Abejide had not demonstrated any reasonable cause why the suit should be filed.

The defendants, who urged the court to dismiss the suit with substantial cost in line with Section 83(5) of the Electoral Act, 2026, argued that the matter is academic.

Also in his argument, Onyeri, who appeared for INEC, prayed the court to dismiss the suit.

He said the commission, in its argument, filed an eight-paragraph counteraffidavit with an exhibit marked ‘Exhibit INEC-1’. (NAN)

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The Indigenous People of Biafra has dismissed the Nigerian government’s recently released “terrorism sponsors list,” describing it as misleading and politically motivated.

In a press statement issued on 13 April 2026 by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, the group said the publication was an attempt to “deceive the public” and undermine its agitation for self-determination.

IPOB, which operates under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu, said the list lacked credibility and accused the Nigerian state of hypocrisy in defining terrorism while allegedly failing to address violence against civilians.

The group argued that historical grievances, including past conflicts and alleged rights violations in the South-East, demonstrate what it described as long-standing injustices against the Igbo people.

It further maintained that peaceful advocacy for self-determination should not be equated with terrorism, insisting that it remains a lawful movement in jurisdictions where it operates.

“The struggle for justice, dignity, and self-determination is not a crime,” the statement read in part, adding that attempts to label the movement as terror-related would not deter its activities.

IPOB also alleged that its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, continues to face unlawful detention and treatment, describing it as part of a broader effort to suppress dissent.

The group said it would not be intimidated by what it called propaganda or political labelling, insisting that its campaign for Biafra remains “non-negotiable.”

It added that international audiences should disregard what it termed misinformation, arguing that its activities are peaceful and rooted in rights advocacy.

The statement concluded that no amount of official designation or public naming would weaken its resolve, stressing that its agitation would continue “until justice is achieved.”

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The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has teamed up with the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) to

Israel “cannot live without an enemy” and its government is now trying to portray Turkey as one, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday.

Tensions between Turkey and Isrel have steadily escalated since the Gaza war erupted following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, cross‑border attack in Israel.

The dispute entered a new phase over the weekend after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned his US counterpart Donald Trump of “possible provocations and sabotage” that could jeopardise an initial ceasefire arrangement in the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Saturday that Israel would continue to confront Tehran and its regional allies.

“After Iran, Israel cannot live without an enemy,” Fidan said in a televised interview with the state‑run Anadolu news agency.

“We see that not only Netanyahu’s administration but also some figures in the opposition — though not all — are seeking to declare Turkey the new enemy,” he said.

“This is a new development in Israel… turning into a state strategy,” he added.

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Immediate past governor of Delta, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has formally declared his interest in contesting the Delta North senatorial election. This comes after he bowed to pressure from various groups, including over 50 high-profile political leaders from the nine local government areas in the zone. They gathered at his residence in Asaba over the weekend […]

Iran has resumed rail services on key routes after repairing sections of track damaged during the war with Israel and the United States, state media said on Monday.

Authorities have in recent days begun reconstruction work on bridges, railway lines and other infrastructure hit during nearly 40 days of fighting.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place since Wednesday.

In Iran’s northwestern Azerbaijan region, the director general of the railways said trains had resumed from the city of Tabriz, bound for the capital Tehran and Mashhad in the northeast.

“These trains have resumed service after an interruption of four to five days,” said Alireza Soleimani, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.

“The Tehran–Tabriz–Van train also left Tehran for Van, Turkey, last night, using rebuilt tracks.”

A railway bridge near the city of Qom, south of Tehran, also reopened on Saturday after reconstruction work which lasted “less than 40 hours”, said Khosrow Samari, deputy governor in Qom province, according to the Tasnim news agency.

On Friday, Tasnim published video showing a train crossing the Yahya Abad bridge in the city of Kashan, in Iran’s central Isfahan province.

“After rapid reconstruction, the first train passed over the Yahya Abad Bridge today,” the news agency said, claiming the bridge had been targeted in a US-Israeli attack on Tuesday.

In the capital Tehran, residents have reported that authorities have moved quickly to clear debris from sites hit.

Where buildings have been too heavily damaged, they have sometimes been covered or cordoned off, including with Iranian flags.

Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Sunday that reconstruction of damaged buildings would take between three months and two years.

She added that more than 125,000 buildings had been damaged since the war began, the majority of them residential but also schools, hospitals and other civilian facilities.

AFP

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After a long evening in Lagos traffic, the last thing you probably want to do is scroll through an app, type anything, or think deeply about anything.

US pop superstar Britney Spears has checked herself into rehab following her arrest last month on suspicion of driving while intoxicated near Los Angeles, US media reported on Sunday.

The 44-year-old singer was arrested in early March and booked into custody by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department on suspicion of DUI.

She was released soon after, and a representative for Spears at the time described the incident as “completely inexcusable” and said Spears would “take the right steps and comply with the law,” according to the entertainment outlet Deadline.

On Sunday, multiple US news outlets reported that Spears had voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility.

It was not immediately clear when Spears entered the facility. She is scheduled to appear in court for her DUI arrest on May 4, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Spears had phenomenal early music success in the late 1990s with hits like “…Baby One More Time” but has largely stepped back from music in recent years.

In her 2023 memoir “The Woman in Me,” Spears insisted she never did hard drugs and that she did not have a drinking problem, but she admitted that she was taking Adderall, the ADHD medication.

Following a public breakdown in 2007, Spears was placed under the conservatorship of her father Jamie Spears, who controlled her money and her personal life, even as she continued to perform high-profile concerts.

The conservatorship was dissolved by a Los Angeles court in 2021, after a groundswell of public support to “Free Britney.”

AFP

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The Ochotukpo Odu, His Royal Highness Chief Dr. John Eimonye (OON, JP), has condemned the spate of vandalism affecting public primary schools in Otukpo, particularly at St. Mary’s Primary School, where government-funded construction of dual desks is ongoing to enhance learning conditions in Zone C.

His reaction follows a report by the Zonal Education Officer, Mr. Basil Ejiga, which detailed incidents of damage and interference with materials and infrastructure at the project site.

The monarch described the development as regrettable and harmful to the community’s advancement, stressing that such actions undermine efforts to improve educational facilities.

During an inspection of the school on Sunday, April 12, 2026, the traditional ruler, accompanied by members of his council, expressed concern that the problem extends beyond St. Mary’s Primary School.

He noted that other institutions, including St. Peter’s Primary School and UBE Junior Secondary School, have also been affected.

He stated that the initiative is designed to benefit schoolchildren and urged residents to take responsibility for protecting public assets.

According to him, it is disheartening to witness the destruction of projects intended for future generations.

The royal father appealed to community members to stay alert and report suspicious activities, emphasizing that sustainable development depends on collective ownership of government initiatives.

He also warned youths against engaging in acts of vandalism, urging them to support community growth instead.

He further cautioned that offenders would be prosecuted, noting that security agencies have been deployed to apprehend those responsible, including individuals involved in improper waste disposal and defecation within school premises.

Community leaders present at the visit, including Chiefs Adah Ella, Onah Edeh, and Comrade Inalegwu Brooks, supported the monarch’s position and pledged collaboration with authorities to safeguard the facilities.

As part of immediate measures, the Ochotukpo Odu ordered the suspension of sporting activities in public schools pending proper documentation and coordination with education authorities and the local government to regulate usage.

Benue monarch condemns vandalism of public school facilities

United States President Donald Trump has claimed that Pope Leo XIV would not have emerged as pope without his presidency, as he intensified his criticism of the Vatican leader.