By Tambaya Julius, Abuja

Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has described a Federal High Court judgment recognising him as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general election as a victory for the judiciary, democracy and the Nigerian Constitution.

However, the APC in Imo State has maintained that Governor Hope Uzodimma remains its candidate for the senatorial seat, despite the court ruling in favour of Okorocha.

The court, presided over by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, nullified Uzodimma’s recognition as the party’s candidate, declaring Okorocha the lawful winner of the APC senatorial primary held on May 18, 2026.

It also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish Okorocha’s name as the party’s candidate and restrained Uzodimma from parading himself as the APC flag bearer for the January 16, 2027 election.

Okorocha had approached the court to challenge the outcome of the primary after the party declared Uzodimma the winner.

In the suit, the former governor also asked the court to determine whether Uzodimma could constitutionally contest the senatorial election while still serving as governor, considering that his tenure is expected to end in January 2028.

Reacting to the judgment in a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemodo, Okorocha described the ruling as a landmark decision that reaffirmed the importance of the judiciary, democracy and constitutional governance.

“This judgment, to say the least, is a resounding victory for the nation’s judiciary.

It is a victory for the nation’s fast-growing democracy. It is an outstanding victory for the nation’s Constitution, as amended,” he said.

Okorocha added that the judgment was a victory for those who stood for justice and opposed wrongdoing, as well as for posterity and history.

“Finally, it is a victory for Imo people in general, and Imo West Senatorial District people in particular,” he said.

The former governor thanked President Bola Tinubu for providing what he described as an enabling environment for the judiciary and other institutions to function effectively in the interest of national development.

He also commended the APC leadership for allowing party members to pursue their legitimate aspirations and exercise their constitutional rights.

Okorocha expressed appreciation to the people of Imo State, particularly residents of Imo West Senatorial District, for their prayers, moral support and celebrations following the judgment.

He further acknowledged Uzodimma’s involvement in the legal proceedings, describing the case as part of a historic judicial decision, and thanked God for what he called a victory.

Meanwhile, the APC in Imo State has insisted that Uzodimma remains its candidate for the 2027 senatorial election, despite the court’s decision.

The party made its position known in a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Onwuasoanya Jones, on Thursday, in reaction to the judgment.

“The Party wishes to state without any confusion that His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, remains the candidate of our Party for Imo West Senatorial District, having won the primaries of our great Party with the overwhelming support of the majority of our Party members,” the statement read.

The APC said its legal department would study the judgment before deciding on its next course of action.
“The Party’s legal department shall study the outcome of a legal intervention in this matter and act accordingly,” it added.

The party also urged its members and supporters to remain focused and committed to securing victories across the state’s constituencies in the forthcoming elections.

The dispute followed the APC senatorial primary held on May 18, 2026, in which Uzodimma was declared winner with 230,464 votes, while Okorocha reportedly polled 1,098 votes in the results recognised by INEC.

Dissatisfied with the outcome, Okorocha challenged the result in court, disputing Uzodimma’s recognition as the party’s candidate.

In its judgment, the court ruled that Okorocha was the lawful winner of the primary and directed the APC to submit his name to INEC.

It also faulted inconsistencies in documents presented by the party in support of Uzodimma’s nomination.

The conflicting positions of the court and the state APC leadership could trigger further legal and political developments over who will represent the party in the Imo West Senatorial District in the 2027 general election.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday dismissed a N10bn fundamental rights suit filed by Nollywood actor Emeka Ike against Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Justice Salim Ibrahim dismissed the suit after upholding the preliminary objections filed by the respondents, who challenged its competence and proper constitution.

The judge also dismissed the substantive suit for lack of proof.

Ike had accused Olayinka of violating his fundamental right to privacy by publishing his voter registration details on his X handle in May.

The actor alleged that the publication exposed his personal information, including details of the transfer of his voter registration from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory.

Ike subsequently instituted the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026, through his lawyer, L.T. Adeh, seeking N10bn in aggravated and general damages against the respondents.

The actor, who aspired to contest the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives in the 2027 general elections on the platform of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, lost the party’s primary election.

In the suit, Ike asked the court to declare that Olayinka’s publication of his voter registration details without his consent “amounts to gross breach and violation of the applicant’s fundamental right to privacy and the protection of personal data”.

He relied on Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Sections 24 and 39 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to support his claim.

The actor also sought a declaration that INEC owed him and other registered voters a “statutory duty of care” to protect their personal information against unauthorised access.

He further asked the court to declare that INEC’s June 2 press statement, issued in response to the circulation of his voter information on social media, amounted to a tacit admission of guilt and liability.

File: The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Lere Olayinka.

Ike sought an order directing Olayinka to remove the disputed publication from his X account, #OlayinkaLere, and tender a written apology for the alleged infringement of his rights.

However, INEC and Olayinka urged the court to dismiss the suit, insisting that the publication did not amount to a breach of Ike’s fundamental rights.

In its counter-affidavit, INEC maintained that the information complained about was neither classified, sensitive nor confidential, arguing that the electoral body was legally empowered to make certain voter information available to the public.

The commission’s response was deposed to by Anthonia Makwe, an assistant director and data protection officer in its Legal Drafting and Clearance Department.

INEC argued that it had the “statutory and constitutional power to make available information of its voters to the general public without the consent of any registered voter”.

The commission said its statutory responsibilities included the compilation, maintenance, display, publication, certification and management of the voters’ register in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act, 2026, and the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.

It also denied that the information allegedly published by Olayinka originated from its database.

INEC stated that it had not breached its statutory duty to protect voters’ personal information within its secured portal and restricted database.

Olayinka, in his counter-affidavit, also denied wrongdoing, maintaining that the document he published contained only Ike’s name and passport photograph, which he claimed were already in the public domain.

He argued that the information was not obtained through any unlawful means and that he owed the actor no duty of confidentiality requiring his consent before publishing the material.

The FCT minister’s aide further contended that Ike, having presented himself as a public figure and expressed an intention to contest an election, could not claim to have suffered trauma from the circulation of his name and photograph.

Olayinka also argued that the publication was made after Ike allegedly led a group of hoodlums to INEC’s office to disrupt its activities following his declaration of interest in the election.

According to him, the publication was intended to remind the actor that he had recently transferred his voter registration area and draw public attention to the relevant electoral provisions.

He further cited Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, arguing that INEC was required to publish the voters’ register within the period prescribed by law ahead of a general election.

Olayinka also relied on INEC’s June 2 statement, which he said confirmed that there had been no external breach of its continuous voter registration database, hacking incident or unauthorised access to its information technology infrastructure.

The statement, as quoted in his counter-affidavit, said, “There was no external breach of its CVR database, no hacking incident and no unauthorised external access to the commission’s ICT infrastructure.”

He argued that he was not a data controller under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, and therefore had no statutory obligation to safeguard the actor’s information in the manner alleged.

Rejecting Ike’s demand for damages, Olayinka described the N10bn claim as being made in bad faith, calling it “an indication that the applicant is a gold digger who wants to reap where he did not sow”.

He insisted that he should not be held liable for publishing information he claimed was already publicly accessible and urged the court to dismiss the suit in the interest of justice.

By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja

The House of Representatives on Wednesday threatened to issue warrants of arrest against chief executives of telecommunications companies if they fail to appear before its committee investigating persistent poor network services across the country.

The warning was issued by the House Ad Hoc Committee investigating the quality of telecommunications services after lawmakers rejected an attempt by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) to represent the affected companies through its chairman, Engr.

Gbenga Adebayo.

The committee, chaired by Rep.

Olumide Osoba (APC, Ogun State), directed that the chief executives and other top management officials of the affected telecommunications operators appear before it on November 4, 2026, warning that failure to honour the invitation could attract warrants of arrest.

The committee had, on October 21, invited MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, Mafab Communications and other licensed operators to explain persistent complaints about dropped calls, slow internet connectivity, failed transactions and inadequate network coverage.

However, the operators reportedly delegated Adebayo to represent them at the hearing, a move that drew the committee’s disapproval, with lawmakers insisting that each company must personally account for its service delivery and address complaints relating to its operations.

Moving a motion on the matter, Rep. Sunday Umeha argued that the telecommunications companies were individually licensed by the Federal Government and could not rely on their membership of an industry association to avoid appearing before the legislature.

Umeha also faulted a letter reportedly written by ALTON questioning the committee’s authority to compel the operators to attend the hearing, describing the position as inconsistent with the constitutional responsibilities of the National Assembly.

“I was shocked with what I saw in the letter. I saw a situation where ALTON is saying that they are not bound to appear before this committee. They see their appearance as a privilege to this committee and not as a statutory obligation,” he said.

Citing Section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, Umeha maintained that the National Assembly had the authority to investigate matters within its legislative competence, including the implementation of government policies affecting telecommunications services.

He argued that the committee was not bound by ALTON’s internal arrangements and that the operators should appear individually unless the committee expressly accepted an authorised representative.

The position was reinforced when a representative of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) confirmed that the commission had communicated the invitations to the chief executives individually.

The confirmation further angered lawmakers, who maintained that the operators had received sufficient notice and had been given adequate opportunities to honour the invitation.

Umeha recalled that the committee had considered a motion to summon the executives for arrest at its previous sitting but agreed to give them another opportunity to appear.

He said the operators had again failed to honour the invitation despite additional communication facilitated through the NCC.

Seconding the motion, the House spokesperson, Rep. Akin Rotimi Jr., also faulted ALTON’s attempt to speak on behalf of the operators, arguing that telecommunications subscribers deal directly with individual service providers and expect each company to be accountable for its network performance.

Rotimi expressed concern over poor network coverage in parts of his constituency in Ekiti State, warning that the absence of mobile signals in some communities and along major routes could have serious security implications.

He alleged that two traditional rulers in his constituency had been killed in an ambush along a stretch of road where mobile network signals were unavailable for approximately 20 minutes.

The lawmaker said such connectivity gaps could leave residents and travellers unable to contact security agencies or seek emergency assistance when confronted with danger.

He further criticised telecommunications operators for concentrating infrastructure in commercially attractive locations while leaving some rural communities and underserved areas with inadequate coverage.

The committee also questioned Adebayo over a reported ₦8.46 billion fine imposed on Globacom, asking whether the ALTON chairman could adequately address regulatory and operational issues concerning an individual company while appearing in a representative capacity.

Following deliberations, Osoba put Umeha’s motion to a voice vote, and the ayes prevailed. The committee subsequently adjourned its sitting until November 4, 2026, when the affected operators are expected to appear.

NCC figures highlight scale of consumer complaints

The investigation comes amid sustained public complaints about deteriorating telecommunications services, including dropped calls, slow internet speeds, failed airtime and data transactions, and persistent gaps in network coverage.

The NCC reportedly disclosed on October 20 that telecommunications operators had compensated 75 million subscribers for poor service in 2026, while nearly three million other subscribers received refunds for failed airtime and data transactions.

The commission also reported that more than 6,500 network interventions had been undertaken during the year to address service-related challenges.

Despite these interventions and compensation measures, consumer complaints have remained significant.

Data for the first half of 2026 showed that the four major operators recorded a combined 413,587 consumer complaints. Airtel Nigeria accounted for 228,992 complaints, followed by MTN Nigeria with 124,405, Globacom with 56,810 and T2mobile with 3,885.

Although the operators reportedly resolved 406,938 complaints, concerns over the consistency and reliability of telecommunications services have persisted, raising questions about the effectiveness of existing measures to protect subscribers.

The House committee is seeking direct explanations from the operators’ leadership on the causes of persistent service failures and the concrete steps being taken to improve network quality.

The November 4 hearing is expected to provide an opportunity for the lawmakers to examine the operators’ infrastructure investments, compliance with regulatory requirements and efforts to extend reliable services to underserved communities.

Cross River Moves to Resettle Community Displaced by 16-year Conflict

The Cross River government has renewed efforts to resettle indigenes of Ebijakara community, Abi Local Government Area, displaced by a protracted communal conflict for about 16 years.

Deputy Governor, Peter Odey, gave the assurance on Wednesday during a meeting with community leaders and security stakeholders at Government House, Calabar.

Odey reaffirmed the government’s commitment to resolving outstanding issues arising from the conflict between Ebom and Ebijakara communities.

The conflict, involving Ebom and Ebijakara, as well as Ediba and Usumutong communities, began around 2005.

Although hostilities officially ended on June 20, 2020, Ebijakara remains largely deserted, with many displaced indigenes yet to return to their ancestral homes.

The renewed intervention seeks to address unresolved issues, facilitate the safe return of displaced residents and restore normal life in the affected community.

The situation has persisted despite recommendations by the 2019 Ndoma-Egba Peace Committee, which sought to establish a framework for resolving the crisis.

The recommendations were also expected to promote peaceful coexistence among the affected communities and provide a lasting solution to their disputes.

The meeting brought together community leaders and security stakeholders to deliberate on advancing the peace process and addressing the lingering consequences of the conflict.

For displaced Ebijakara indigenes, successful resettlement would mark a significant step towards rebuilding their lives, restoring livelihoods and reclaiming homes abandoned for years.

The government’s renewed commitment comes six years after the official end of hostilities, with the community still awaiting the full restoration of normalcy. (NAN)