Though details of his death have not been revealed, it was gathered that he  died in the early hours of Wednesday.

The party’s state Publicity Secretary, Mr Kennedy Peretei, who confirmed the incident, said the party would soon make official communication to the media on the matter.

“Yes it is true but we will soon communicate you properly on the incident,” Peretei said.

The State Working Committee of the PDP in Ondo State had announced the suspension of Adams last month.

The party alleged that he was involved in some anti-party activities.

Their lead counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), mentioned this at the resumed hearing of the petition on Tuesday.

The petitioners, according to a pre-hearing schedule drafted by the court, were given three weeks to prove their case, which elapsed on Tuesday.

However, they were granted two extra days, to make up for the two days they lost in the course of the proceedings for different reasons.

One of the lost days was June 12, which was declared a public holiday in celebration of Democracy Day.

Although the petitioners had, during the preliminary hearing in the case, stated that they would call 100 witnesses in aid of their petition, they have so far called 25.

Addressing newsmen after the Tuesday session, Uche said, “We are closing our case on Thursday. It was supposed to end today but because we lost two days, one of which was the June 12 public holiday, the court graciously extended our time by two days.”

The SAN said some of the documents they will tender in the last two days would take the place of the remaining 75 witnesses.

Earlier at the Tuesday’s proceedings, the PDP’s session before the court was ended prematurely after the court complained that the documents which the petitioners sought to tender were not properly sorted out.

The court disagreed with their move to tender a Form EC8A series, which are polling units results beginning from Abia State.

In his defence, Uche told the PEPC that it was difficult to get electoral materials including Form EC8As from INEC on time.

He asked the court to admit the documents in evidence pending the proper numbering by lawyers to parties and the court registry after the close of the day’s proceedings.

But INEC’s lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), disagreed with Uche’s position.

The Justice Haruna Tsammani-led panel told Uche that it was the duty of his legal team to create a schedule of the documents after INEC had produced them through a subpoena.

The court adjourned the matter till Thursday for the continuation of the hearing.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, called fielded a  cloud engineer and architect, Clarita Ogar, as a witness.

The witness was cross-examined by the respondents’ counsel.

Adamawa State Governor, Umaru Fintiri, announced this at the end of a closed-door meeting of the governors, held at the office of the Bauchi State Governor on Saturday.

the PDP governors, the National Working Committee members, and stakeholders gathered at the Banquet Hall of the Bauchi State Government House for a retreat for elected officials.

Immediately after the opening ceremony of the retreat was held, they went into closed-door meetings of the various caucuses of the party.

Making the announcement, Fintiri said that Mohammed is replacing the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, adding that Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was elected Vice Chairman of the forum.

He said the Bauchi State governor was elected based on his competence and capability to steer the forum to greater heights.

In response, the new chairman of the PDP governor’s forum promised to work hand in hand with colleagues for the development of the party.

Mohammed, who said his emergence was a mark of honour to him and the entire people of Bauchi State, urged his colleagues to support him to move the forum and the PDP forward.

Some of the dignitaries present at the retreat are Governors of Adamawa – Umaru Fintiri; Bayelsa – Duoye Diri; Bauchi – Bala Mohammed; Delta – Sheriff Oborevwori; Osun – Ademola Adeleke; Oyo – Seyi Makinde; Rivers – Siminalayi Fubara; Plateau – Caleb Mutfwang; Taraba – Agbu Kefas; Zamafara – Dauda Dare and Edo – Godwin Obaseki (was represented by his deputy, Philip Shuaibu).

Others are the Presidential Candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar; the National Working Committee of the party led by the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum; the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara; former PDP National Chairman, Ahmed Makarfi; former Board of Trustees Chairman, Walid Jibril; former Niger State, Babangida Aliyu; former Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Aminu Tambuwal; Kogi State Governorship Candidate, Dino Melaye.

Also, serving senators and House of Representatives and Senators and House of Representatives-elect; the Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria who’s also the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman; among others were all in attendance.

This is just as Osadolor, who doubles as the Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, called on the President to immediately apologise to Nigerians over what he called the hardship they suffered in the eight years regime of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement signed by Osadolor on Monday night, the PDP chieftain said, “Monday, May 29, 2023, came, Nigeria as a country was in gloom, notwithstanding the fact that power has been transferred.  Nigerians do not know if to cry, weep, heap a sigh of relief or be happy.

“True to type, the leader of the party that brought Nigerians and Nigeria to her knees did not disappoint in his first public speech as the pronounced President of the Federal Republic when he recklessly dismissed fuel subsidies without a framework. As we speak, queues are gathering in filling stations and many dealers have closed shops while trying to understand what Sen Tinubu’s statement means for their business.

“As if the eight grilling and nauseating years of the Buhari presidency is not enough; Tinubu on day one continued from where his predecessor stopped. It is an open secret that most Nigerians that survived the regime are asking for certificates of survival.”

While calling on the President to be mindful of his policies, Osadolor added that Nigerians are already at the limit of their endurance and would not take further knocks from the ruling party.

“Now that he has been made President, he should do well to re-write the image Nigerians have of him and his party the APC. He should start by apologising to the country for leading a party that presided over the misfortune that Nigeria became in the last 8 years and more recently, the circumstances that led to his declaration as president.

“This would be a good start, rather than making reckless statements that trigger panic and restlessness among the Nigerian people.

“The show of brute partisanship shown by his handlers who did not have the finesse or grace to be nice to Gov Chukwuma Soludo at the inauguration ceremony at Eagle Square earlier Monday must never be encouraged or tolerated.  Tinubu must publicly apologise and address this anomaly,” the statement further read.

National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, announced this at a press conference on Tuesday, at the party’s secretariat.

Damagun will replace Iyorchia Ayu as the national chairman of the party.

Justice Hassan Dikko convicted the duo on March 2, while ruling on the two counts brought against the defendants by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, revealed these in a statement obtained by our correspondent on Saturday.

Uwujaren noted that the defendants were first arraigned on June 4, 2018 and re-arraigned on October 16, 2018 on two charges for allegedly receiving over N142m to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential elections in Bauchi State.

One of the two charges read, “That you, Saleh Gamawa and Aminu Gadiya, all members of the Finance and Funds Disbursement Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party 2015 General Elections, and in such capacities sometimes in March 2015 in Bauchi State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court did agree amongst yourselves to commit  an offence, to wit; Conspiracy to accept cash payment exceeding the threshold provided by law, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) and punishable under Section 16(2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2012( as amended) now No.1, 2012”.

The spokesperson for the anti-graft agency further noted that the defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges, setting the stage for the case to proceed to full trial.

In the course of trial, the prosecution presented one witness and tendered documents marked as Exhibits A1, A2 and A3. Both defendants testified in their respective defence.

At the close of evidence, the final written addresses were filed, exchanged and adopted on January 17, 2023, with the prosecution asking the court to convict the defendants as charged.

The defence, on the other hand, submitted that the evidence presented against the defendant by the prosecution was not credible and urged the court to discharge and acquit the defendants. Justice Dikko then reserved judgment for March 2, 2023.

Uwujaren said, “In the well-considered judgment that lasted more than three hours, Justice Dikko reviewed the facts of the case and the submissions of counsel and arrived at the conclusion that the prosecution proved the cases against the defendants beyond reasonable doubt on count one and convicted them as charged.

He however discharged and acquitted the second defendant on count two.

According to justice Dikko, “The fact that the defendants in this instant case endorsed exhibit A1, A2 and A3 to receive cash to the tune of N142,460,000 well in excess of the legal threshold designated by law, there can be no other conclusion but that the defendants conspired to so commit the offence and I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt.

“It is rather astonishing that in the defence of the count, the defendants completely disregarded the damaging evidence of exhibits A1, A2, and A3, lying right before the court. I therefore find the first and second defendants guilty of conspiracy as charged in court one and are accordingly convicted”.

The Chairman, PDP PCC in Rivers State, Senator Lee Maeba, gave the explanation during a media briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday.

Maeba recalled that there had been several attacks against PDP members and Atiku’s supporters in the last three months in the state.

He also claimed that the Rivers State Government had sealed the businesses of prominent members of the party who supported the presidential candidate’s election bid.

He said, “On December 14, 2022, one Rhino Owhohaire, the Youth Director, Atiku/Okowa Campaign Council, was shot in his village of Alu in the Ikwerre Local Government Area, and the incident was reported to the police high command, but nothing happened.

“Even when a suspect was arrested, the government of Rivers State, as an interested accomplice, went and took him on bail.

“On February 5, 2023, 31 members of the Atiku Support Group were arrested at their meeting venue at the GRA, Port Harcourt, arraigned and remanded at the correctional centre in Port Harcourt on trumped-up charges of unlawful assembly, conspiracy, and cultism.

On February 9, 2023, Abiye Sekibo was informed that the venue earmarked for the PDP presidential campaign rally was on fire at Rainbow Town in Port Harcourt.

“He (Sekibo) was attacked when he went to verify the accuracy of the information. The attack was carried out by the police attached to the Government House in Port Harcourt.

“Fortunately, he escaped unhurt by the divine providence of God, but his vehicle was fatally damaged by a rain of bullets.”

He said despite previously giving the PDP an approval to use Adokiye Amesiamaka Stadium for its presidential rally, Governor Nyesom Wike “cancelled the approval on the flimsy excuse that we wanted to hold a joint rally with APC in Rivers State on the approved date of February 11, 2023, to foment trouble.”

Maeba added, “The governor, using Government House police and other hoodlums, has unleashed unrelenting violence, making the peaceful use of the facility impossible, among other things.

“In light of the above submission, we, the state Campaign Council, in total constructive engagement with the National Presidential Campaign Council, the candidate, and the party, believe that no loss of human life can be tolerated or accepted before, during, or after the rally and have agreed with our principals on the need to shelve and/or cancel the rally to avoid any deaths.”

CAN had commenced interaction with presidential candidates where they presented their proposals.

Atiku arrived the CAN Headquarters with the his vice presidential candidate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, and PDP national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.

Others in the entourage included Governor of Taraba State, Dairus Ishaku; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; former Vice President, Alhaji Namadi Sambo; Chief Tom Ikimi; Chairman Emeritus of Daar Communications Plc, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi;

A former governor of Cross River, Liyel Imoke; Senator Philip Aduda, Senator Dino Melaye, Timi Alaibe, Kenneth Imasuagbon, Dele Momodu, Boni Haruna, and and other party Chieftains were also among the team.

The Apex Court consequently ordered that the suit instituted by a governorship aspirant, Jimi Lawal, be remitted to the Federal High Court for a fresh trial.

Justice Ibrahim Saulawa in a judgment in the appeal of the PDP held that the Federal High Court was wrong in declining jurisdiction in the matter of Jimi Lawal.

The Apex Court agreed with the Court of Appeal in Abuja that the FHC had jurisdiction under Section 285 of the 1999 constitution and Section 84 (14) of the Electoral Act 2022 to hear the matter of Lawal on its merit.

The Supreme Court therefore ordered the case be remitted to the Chief Judge of the FHC, Justice John Tsoho, in Abuja for determination by another Judge other than Justice Taiwo Taiwo who refused to entertain the suit.

Justice Saulawa in a unanimous judgment of a five-man panel of the Apex Court ordered that the FHC must speedily hear the case of Lawal against Oladipupo Adebutu and the PDP within time allowed by law.

Jimi Lawal who contested the May 25 governorship primary election of the PDP had challenged the emergence of Adebutu alleging that the unlawful delegates list was used by the party to conduct the election.

Among others, Lawal had prayed that the purported primary election of may 25 be cancelled and another be conducted with the authentic ad hoc delegates.

However, Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the FHC in his judgment delivered on July 29 declined to hear the suit of Jimi Lawal on merit on the grounds that the primary election was a domestic affair of any political party and dismissed the suit.

But not satisfied, Lawal approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja with a prayer that the decision of the FHC be voided and set aside on the ground of miscarriage of justice.

A three-man panel of justices of the Appeal Court in their judgment delivered on September 30 agreed with Jimi Lawal, set aside the judgment of the FHC and ordered the suit be heard on its merit..

The PDP, not satisfied with the decision of the Appeal Court, approached the Supreme Court, praying that the judgment of the FHC be upheld to the effect that the conduct of the primary election was its domestic affair.

But Justice Saulawa disagreed with the PDP holding that by virtue of Section 285 of the 1999 constitution and Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022, the Federal High Court had power to hear the case of Jimi Lawal.

The Apex Court proceeded with an order to the Chief Judge of the FHC to reassign the case to another judge for retrial on its merit.

The duo spoke while presenting his action plan before the business community and the organised private sector in Lagos on Tuesday.

The business community was fully represented by the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; Chairman of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia; the Chairman of UBA, Tony Elumelu; former Chief Executive of Access Bank, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede; Group Chief Executive of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe, and other business leaders representing sectoral groups such as agriculture, oil and gas, trade, manufacturing, creative sector, among others.

The town hall session was attended by the APC vice presidential candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima; Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos); Simon Lalong (Plateau); Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi); Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq (Kwara), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa); Dapo Abiodun (Ogun); Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun); Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna); and Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) as well as other APC leaders and chieftains.

Speaking at the meeting, the former governor of Lagos said if elected president in 2023, his administration will hit a double-figure gross domestic product.

According to a statement by the Tinubu Media Office, signed by Tunde Rahman, the presidential candidate said attaining the feat was possible having achieved similar economic success when he governed Lagos State.

He called for the support of the Lagos business community, stating that such was needed for a viable economy.

He said, “Nigeria stands at the threshold between indifference and greatness, prosperity and poverty, the future and the past. The door is ajar. Together, let us open it so that we may cross over to the better side and secure for this beloved nation its finer destiny.

“The productive and beneficial things we seek do not lie in the sole domain of one sector. They reside in the cooperation between the government and the private sector. I see no conflict between the business community and the government. Yet, with equal conviction, I believe the private sector and government should constantly be at war.

“But they wage this battle, not as enemies. They must stand as inseparable allies combating the mutual enemies of scarcity, underdevelopment, joblessness and the fear these bad things breed.

“The pragmatic problem solving and teamwork that improved Lagos, I want to bring to this nation. I ask your help as the task ahead is doable but also difficult.”

Also, Tinubu and Shettima took a swipe at the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party, Peter Obi, whom they said lacked the antecedent and experience to lead the country.

He said, “Democracy doesn’t mean that everything is going to be perfect but on the higher percentage, perfection is achieved at the right at which we work for the highest population of the country or the environment, local governments would continue to see what constitutionally can be done to strengthen the local governments.

“Then we will look at the qualifications and achievements of an individual during the processes, but don’t forget, we are in a multi-party democracy so we will have those mistakes once the wrong party gets in and you have one of the candidates who wants to be a president who is fond of saying ‘when you do the right thing.’ How to solve his problem is by when we do the right. What is the right thing? They fool you with foolish statistics and lies. Don’t get me into the mood of campaign.

In his remarks, Shettima said, “This man seated here is one of the most demonised Nigerians but take it from me, the true hallmark of leadership is not the ability to carry a bag of cement. We are not preparing for the Olympics, but an institution that relies on a field of ideas and tracks records and shows me, I dare to challenge you, show me among the people vying for the presidency of this country who has the experience, track record and of course, who has the intellect to catapult this nation to a higher pedestal.

“Leadership goes beyond glamourising poverty. We won’t glamourise poverty, we tackle poverty. I won’t tell you I have two pairs of shoes or I have a single wristwatch. Leadership goes beyond spewing dubious statistics or showcasing a mediocre performance as the governor of Anambra State. I respect Atiku Abubakar, but leadership goes beyond high-scale antics. A man who can’t unite his party, I wonder how he can unite a country.

“We are talking about artificial intelligence or big data or nanotechnology, but the training that an elder statesman got from Kano School of Hygiene was that of wole wole. The ability to sell bottled water doesn’t make one an expert on the economy. My parting shot is that Atiku Abubakar is not Abraham Lincoln; he is Ralia Odinga and come May next year, we are going to permanently retire the political tourists to Dubai.”

Tinubu also noted that there is a need for the government to cooperate with the organised private sector to revive the industry sector and tackle other forms of underdevelopment.

He added, “There is a need to revive our industries, create minor and major industrial zones to make it grow from top to bottom, foster productive excellence in light manufacturing and digital economy.

“There is no industrialisation that is possible without a constant supply of power and power is the most important discovery of humanity in the last 1,000 years. If you have an answer contrary to that, show me. We have wind, water, and all sorts of energy sources that we can explore and you will discover that we need long-term funding.”

However, the Chief Spokesperson of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Yunusa Tanko, expressed disappointment at the statements credited to both Tinubu and his running mate.

He said, “As far as the Labour Party is concerned, we cannot have a repetition of another eight years of an incapacitated president. We cannot afford to have somebody that will be going out of the country for a medical check-up every fortnight. It cannot be possible.

“We cannot afford to have someone full of lies and criminal records in power. Nigerians cannot afford to have the same Old Order again. They (APC) are just afraid that we have a capable, consistent, and hardworking individual on our side.”