A Federal High Court sitting in Enugu has dismissed a suit challenging the candidacy of Hon. Barr. Sir OAU Onyema as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for Enugu West Senatorial District in the 2027 National Assembly election.

The suit, marked No. FHC/SKC/EN/CS/218/2026, was instituted by Evangelist Mrs Juliet Ani against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the ADC and Onyema, with the plaintiff laying claim to the party’s senatorial ticket.

However, the court, presided over by Justice Ogubanjo, reportedly dismissed the suit on Thursday, October 30, 2026, bringing to an end the legal challenge to Onyema’s emergence as the party’s candidate.

Sources familiar with the dispute said the plaintiff had indicated an intention to discontinue the case after the ADC national secretariat reaffirmed Onyema’s candidacy. However, proceedings reportedly continued before the court eventually dismissed the suit.

Speaking with journalists shortly after the court proceedings at his chambers, Akpagu Chambers, Presidential Road, Enugu, Onyema described the legal challenge as a temporary distraction that had slowed down his campaign activities but insisted that it would not derail his senatorial ambition.

Advertisement

He expressed confidence that his political experience, longstanding relationships and record of service across Enugu West would give him the needed advantage in the election.

“We are moving into the field for campaigns. Sir OAU Onyema has networked his person into families across Enugu West Senatorial District.

“The network I have built will sell. I have served as Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu State, Deputy Chairman and Vice President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. I have also served under three successive administrations in Enugu State.

“I will rely on my records of service, relationships and what I have done for the people to win this election,” he said.

Onyema further declared that, with the legal distraction now over, he would intensify his participation in the ADC’s statewide campaigns, working to promote not only his senatorial ambition but also other candidates of the party.

Advertisement

He said his immediate priority was to reconnect with the grassroots, consolidate existing political structures and take the ADC’s message to communities across the district.

Also speaking, the Enugu State Chairman of ADC, Major General Chris Ezeh (retd.), reaffirmed that Onyema emerged as the party’s candidate through a substituted primary election.

Ezeh alleged that external forces had attempted to frustrate the party’s decision but expressed satisfaction that the legal challenge had finally been resolved.

He described Onyema as a major political asset to the ADC in Enugu State, noting that his longstanding involvement in the party and experience in public service would strengthen its electoral fortunes.

The party chairman also identified Onyema as one of the founding members of ADC in Enugu State and said his emergence as the Enugu West senatorial candidate was a significant development for the party.

Advertisement

Checks by TCM further indicated that Onyema’s political ambition has consistently centred on representing Enugu West in the Senate, having reportedly never sought election to any other political office since venturing into partisan politics.

With the legal challenge dismissed, Onyema is expected to intensify his grassroots mobilisation and join other ADC leaders in building support for the party ahead of the 2027 general election.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the promotion of thousands of senior police officers, including two Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs), 10 Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) and 17 Commissioners of Police (CPs).

The promotions followed the successful completion of promotion examinations and oral interviews conducted by the commission.

According to a statement issued on Thursday, the approvals were granted during the commission’s plenary meeting in Abuja, presided over by its Chairman, retired DIG Hashimu Salihu Argungu.

The two officers elevated to the rank of Deputy Inspector-General of Police are Olaolu Adegbite, Head of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau, Abuja, and Dankombo F. Morris, who heads Zone 4 Headquarters, Makurdi.

Adegbite holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Russian Language from the University of Lagos and a Master’s degree in Philology from the Pushkin Institute, Moscow.

Advertisement

A recipient of the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), he is also a member of the FBI National Academy Associates and an alumnus of Harvard Kennedy School. He previously served as Director of Operations at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Morris, an indigene of Gombe State, holds a degree in History from the University of Maiduguri and a Diploma in Police Science. He previously served as Commissioner of Police in Adamawa State.

The 10 officers promoted from Commissioner of Police to Assistant Inspector-General are Omosanyin Olusegun, Ogbodo Ugobueze, Ohagwu Felix Ndukwe, Taylor Lennox Olanrewaju, Regina Cosmas Udoette, Afolabi Wilfred Olutokunbo, Nwogoh Martin, Shetima Jauro Mohammed, Ibrahim D. Gotan and Danjuma I. Yahaya.

The commission also approved the elevation of 17 Deputy Commissioners of Police to the rank of Commissioner of Police.

They include Nache Bashir Liman, Sirajo Lawal Salihu, Ayeleye Adegboyega, Isiaka O. Salau, Usman Shaik Adamu, Aminu Maiwada Garba, Abdulkarim Musa Waziri, Muhammad Yusuf Adamu, Sani Adamu Nufawa, Bello M. Adamu, Okezie Chikezie, Aminu Usman Gusau, Abiodun Onuoha, Salisu Bello Fago, Adegoke A. Alani, Wuwa Auwal Muhammad and Benedict U. Agbo.

Advertisement

In another round of promotions, 85 Assistant Commissioners of Police were elevated to Deputy Commissioners of Police.

Among the beneficiaries are Dr Ruth Oyinmearelu Okunbo, Medical Director of MD Abubakar Police Hospital, Deidei, and ASR Police Reference Hospital, Utako, Abuja; Isah Adejoh of the Police Staff College, Jos; and Mannir Yusuf Gafai of the Kano State Command.

Similarly, 49 Chief Superintendents of Police were promoted to Assistant Commissioners of Police, while 245 Superintendents of Police advanced to Chief Superintendents.

Notable among those elevated to CSP are Josephine Adeh, Police Public Relations Officer of the Federal Capital Territory Command, and Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, spokesperson of the Adamawa State Police Command.

Other beneficiaries include Abah James of Rivers State Command, Okere Romanus of Isiowulu Division in Anambra State, Ugochukwu Ozoude Alex of Zone 9, Umuahia, Vincent Elekwa of Rivers State Command, Umar Sani of FCT Command and Mustapha Mohammed.

Advertisement

The PSC further approved the promotion of 498 Deputy Superintendents of Police to Superintendents of Police, including Isa Osu of the Border Patrol Force Headquarters, Abuja; Samaila Amadu Bangajiya of the 12 Police Mobile Force Squadron, Minna; and Akadu Godwin of the Tactical Intelligence Unit, Force Headquarters.

Another 3,218 Assistant Superintendents of Police were elevated to Deputy Superintendents.

Among them are Frank Okafor, former Chief Security Officer of Jaiz Bank and Intelligence Coordinator at Government House, Uyo; Samson Sule, Chief Security Officer to the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund; Ibrahim Abuh of Force Headquarters; Dauda Yusuf Olatunji; Sarauta Mohammed Mohammed; and Yusuf Mukarram Ado of the Airport Police Command, Ikeja.

Congratulating the newly promoted officers, Argungu charged them to see their elevation as a call to greater responsibility, professionalism and dedication to duty.

He urged them to redouble their commitment to protecting lives and property, maintaining public order and enforcing the law.

Advertisement

The PSC chairman stressed that Nigerians expected improved performance, discipline and accountability from officers entrusted with higher responsibilities.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has suspended Deputy Superintendent of Corps (DSC) Onoja Babayo Samuel over his alleged involvement in a shooting incident at Kubwa Market, Abuja, on October 25, 2026.
The Corps has also ordered an Orderly Room Trial and referred the officer to its disciplinary committee to determine his level of culpability.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, the NSCDC disclosed that Samuel was arrested by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command after allegedly firing gunshots into the air during a confrontation with traders at the market.
The Corps described the alleged conduct as a gross violation of its rules of engagement and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), particularly those regulating the use of firearms.
Consequently, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, directed the officer’s immediate suspension pending the conclusion of investigations and disciplinary proceedings.
Following the directive, Samuel has been relieved of all official duties and stripped of his responsibilities until the disciplinary process is concluded.
According to the statement, the disciplinary committee at the Corps’ National Headquarters in Abuja will examine the circumstances surrounding the incident alongside the Orderly Room Trial.
The NSCDC assured the public that the outcome of the proceedings would be made known upon conclusion.
Reaffirming his administration’s zero tolerance for professional misconduct and the misuse of firearms, Audi warned that no officer found culpable of violating operational guidelines would be shielded from appropriate sanctions.
He reiterated the Corps’ commitment to protecting lives, maintaining professionalism and ensuring public safety, stressing that personnel must conduct themselves within established operational procedures at all times.

The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, has opened the 2027 Budget Retreat in Obudu, pledging a thorough legislative review of the proposed budget to ensure prudent resource allocation and effective service delivery.

The retreat, themed “Consolidation and Renewed Hope,” is being held at Centurion Hotel, Obudu.

Ayambem said the retreat would enable lawmakers to critically examine the 2027 Appropriation Bill, assess government spending priorities and ensure that proposed expenditures reflect the needs and aspirations of the people.

He identified agriculture, healthcare, education, infrastructure and human capital development as key sectors requiring adequate attention in the budget.

The Speaker reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to a comprehensive and timely review of the budget estimates, emphasising the need for fiscal responsibility, transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.

Advertisement

He commended Governor Bassey Otu for maintaining a constructive relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government, noting that cooperation between both institutions was essential for effective governance.

Ayambem described the annual budget retreat, sustained by the 10th Assembly for four consecutive years, as evidence of the legislature’s commitment to strengthening budgetary oversight and improving its engagement with the state’s fiscal plans.

He expressed optimism that the deliberations would produce a responsive and people-centred budget that advances the gains of Governor Otu’s People First Administration, promotes sustainable development and translates government policies into tangible improvements in the lives of Cross River residents.

Matthew Okache
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker
October 28, 2026

Advertisement

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has rejected the Federal Government’s proposed N70,000 transport allowance for workers, demanding an immediate upward review of salaries to N300,000 for the lowest-paid federal employee.
The labour union insisted that temporary financial interventions could no longer address the worsening economic hardship confronting Nigerian workers, particularly amid rising inflation and the increasing cost of essential goods and services.
In a statement jointly signed by its President-General, Comrade Festus Osifo, and Secretary-General, Comrade N. A. Toro, the TUC maintained that the Federal Government must prioritise a substantial salary increase rather than rely on transport allowances as a short-term relief measure.
The congress disclosed that it had formally communicated its position to the government in a letter dated October 8, 2026, following deliberations at its National Administrative Council meeting in Abuja.
It explained that subsequent discussions with government representatives, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, had failed to produce a satisfactory resolution.
According to the TUC, there is no legal restriction preventing the government from increasing workers’ salaries ahead of negotiations for a new national minimum wage.
It consequently proposed raising the earnings of the lowest-paid federal worker from N70,000 to N300,000, with corresponding adjustments across other salary grades.
The union cited several state governments that had already increased their minimum wages beyond N100,000, arguing that the Federal Government had no justification for delaying an upward salary review.
“Negotiations of a new national minimum wage must not become an excuse for postponing urgent pay increment,” the congress declared.
The TUC also expressed dissatisfaction over what it described as the government’s failure to fully implement the N40,000 wage award agreed upon with organised labour on October 2, 2023.
It alleged that while some workers had experienced payment delays of between one and two months, others had yet to receive the award.
The congress further claimed that more than 80 per cent of states, as well as the informal sector, had not implemented any form of wage award.
Beyond salary adjustments, the labour organisation urged governments at all levels to introduce sustainable measures aimed at reducing living costs, guaranteeing prompt payment of salaries and pensions, protecting jobs and eliminating exploitative labour practices.
It equally called for renewed investment in the productive sector to stimulate employment and improve the economic conditions of Nigerian workers.
TUC Demands Implementation of JOHESU Agreement
Meanwhile, the congress has accused the Federal Government of reneging on its agreement with the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), seven months after the unions suspended their industrial action.
The TUC recalled that the agreement was reached during a conciliation meeting convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, alongside other senior government officials.
It explained that the agreement provided for the resolution of outstanding issues concerning adjustments to the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).
However, the congress lamented that the government had failed to implement the agreement despite JOHESU suspending its strike in good faith.
Describing the development as a breach of trust and a threat to collective bargaining, the TUC demanded immediate implementation of the agreement, adequate budgetary provisions, a definite implementation timetable and meaningful engagement with the affected unions.
“While the workers have kept their side of the bargain, the government hasn’t kept its side of the agreement,” the statement noted.
The congress warned that health workers could not be expected to continue delivering essential services indefinitely while the government failed to honour its commitments.
It pledged solidarity with JOHESU and vowed to explore all lawful and legitimate options to compel compliance.
The TUC, however, disclosed that it would await the outcome of a scheduled meeting with government representatives before deciding on further action.
It reiterated that the welfare of Nigerian workers must remain a priority, stressing that agreements freely entered into between the government and organised labour must be respected and implemented.
Clarify N70,000 allowance versus salary
Tighten the repeated TUC attribution
Strengthen the transition to JOHESU