There was confusion at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, national secretariat on Friday as Samuel Anyanwu returned to office as the National Secretary.

His return to the PDP national secretariat was captured in a viral video sighted by DAILY POST on Friday.

In the video, Anyanwu, flanked by his supporters, was seen thanking God and PDP leaders for the victory at the Supreme Court.

“I thank my leaders and PDP faithful across the country who stood by the truth,” he said.

This comes amid conflicting interpretations of Friday’s Supreme Court judgement regarding the right occupant of the seat.

DAILY POST reported on Friday that the Supreme Court nullified the judgements of the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court, which sacked Senator Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The apex court, in a judgement delivered by Justice Jamilu Tukur, struck out judgements by trial courts in October and December last year.

However, minutes after the ruling by the Supreme Court, a statement from PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba said the apex court rather upheld Samuel1 Udeh-Okoye as its National Secretary.

The confusion has added more fuel to the chaos in the country’s main opposition party.

Impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Modashiru Obasa on Thursday stormed the Assembly complex.

Obasa arrived the Assembly complex in the company of some security officials and entered the Speaker’s Office around 12 noon, Punch reports.

Confirming the development, the Chief Press Secretary to Speaker Mojisola Meranda, Segun Ajiboye said Obasa and his team allegedly broke into the Speaker’s office.

DAILY POST had reported that the police escorts attached to Meranda were withdrawn ahead of Obasa’s return to the Assembly.

Similarly, Obasa’s security details were said to have been reinstated.

In January, lawmakers from the state had impeached Obasa for gross misappropriation while he was in the United States, US.

Upon his return, Obasa described his impeachment as unconstitutional, arguing that it did not follow due process.

Meranda, a former Deputy Speaker, was sworn in to replace Obasa and got the blessing of the Lagos State Governance Advisory Council, GAC.

The Osun State Police Command and the state Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps may not be deploying operatives for today’s local government election, Saturday TheNigerian has learnt.

While the two security organisations did not officially confirm or deny their participation in the poll, top sources said security agencies were not directed to participate in the election.

A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “We have not been directed to participate in the poll. You know the position of the Federal Government through what the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) said.

“The police and other security agents will be in town to ensure security but they are not told to participate in the election. But no one will speak to you about it here. The decision about it was made in Abuja.

“If you listen to IG’s remarks about the Osun local government crises when he spoke in Abuja on Thursday, you will have a better idea about the position of the police regarding the election.”

But the Osun Amotekun Corps said its men had been deployed in obedience to the order of an Osun State High Court sitting in Ilesa, which mandated all security agencies to maintain law and order during the poll.

Speaking exclusively with Saturday TheNigerian, the Osun Amotekun Corps Commander, Isaac Omoyele, said operatives of the corps had been deployed for the exercise.

Omoyele, while responding to enquiry from our correspondent on whether the agency would join the poll, asked, “Have you seen a copy of the court order that said we should participate in the election?

“In obedience to that order, we have deployed men across the state for the election to ensure that we have a peaceful exercise. Amotekun will participate and provide security during the poll. We have been served the court order and we will obey.”

OSSIEC staff abandon office

Checks by our correspondents at the headquarters of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission in Osogbo showed slow pace of activities.

There was heavy security presence at the entrance of the building as those going in were subjected to thorough checks. But the premises were not sealed as speculated.

Party leaders, journalists and ad hoc staff were observed waiting for materials and identification tags to be distributed to them. But no official of the commission was on ground to attend to them.

The mobile phone number of the chairman of the commission, Hashim Abioye, was switched off when called around 5pm on Friday.

There was no distribution of materials on the premises and at the hall of Fakunle Comprehensive High School, Osogbo, where the ad hoc staff recruited by the commission were told to converge.

Some staff members of the commission, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they stayed away from the office to avoid arrest.

One of them said, “We envisaged this and we have moved our materials out of the commission’s office since. Those that do not want the election to hold may arrest us.

“We have our offices in different places in the town. Our people are afraid. We have not been going to the office since Wednesday evening.”

Low awareness among residents

There was apparent low awareness about the poll among residents as some of them that spoke on the election were indifferent about it.

A trader around Olaiya area of Osogbo, Yusuf Olutope, who said he was unaware of the poll, said he was unsure he would vote.

“Election is being held tomorrow? (Saturday)”, he asked. “I am not sure I will vote. You can observe there’s no enthusiasm about it among residents.”

Another resident, who identified herself only as Kudrat, said, “I know the election is scheduled for tomorrow but you can see people don’t feel it. There’s nothing to suggest people are preparing for it.”

Osun court mandates OSSIEC to conduct election

Meanwhile, an Osun State High Court sitting in Ilesa on Friday held that vacancies existed in all the 30 LGAs in the state and mandated the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission to fill the offices.

Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe, while ruling on a motion on notice filed by the Peoples Democratic Party in a suit number HIL/M/.192025, against the Osun State Electoral Commission and Hashim Abioye, the OSSIEC chairman, also directed law enforcement agencies to provide security during and after the local government election.

Aderibigbe held that vacancies exist in Osun LGA, after the election conducted by OSSIEC on 15th October, 2022, was invalidated by the Federal High Court in a judgement delivered on November 30, 2022.

He also said the judgement of the Federal High Court was confirmed by the decision of the Court of Appeal delivered on January 13, 2025.

APC kicks

Reacting to the ruling, the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress berated the PDP over the  injunction calling on security agents to supervise the council election.

A press release by the Osun APC chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, said the interim order was a ‘joke taken too far.’

He contended that Nigerian statutes did not prescribe that a lower court should override an Appeal Court judgement.

He called for firmness with the way security agents had been enforcing the February 10, 2025, Court of Appeal judgement that reinstated the “cruelly sacked local government political functionaries by Governor Adeleke in 2022.”

“I can’t imagine a state in very civilized South Western Nigeria to be drifting into abyss and brigandage and perverting the rule of law which the ineptitude of its leadership is breeding,” Lawal added.

Labour Party seeks postponement

Also, the Forum of Labour Party candidates in the Osun council election, has called for a shift in the poll, lamenting that OSSIEC had not made available needed identification for party agents and others that would work during the poll.

Addressing journalists in Osogbo, the leader of the Forum, Mr. Bode Babalola, who is the chairmanship candidate of the party for Osogbo LGA, also said security situation was not encouraging and feared asking agents of the party to go out for the election might be a risk.

Speaking in a similar vein, the Labour Party Chairman in Osun, Adebayo Bello, who said the party spent over N5m to obtain nomination form for the election, said the decision of the candidates should be respected.

Police ask Adeleke to suspend poll 

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has called on the Osun State Government to suspend the LG election.

The police stated that joint intelligence assessments revealed that various groups, including political elements and other interested parties, were mobilising to instigate unrest, disrupt public peace, and undermine the democratic process.

In a statement on Friday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the intelligence reports at the disposal of the police showed a high possibility of violence in the state should the election be held.

“The Nigeria Police Force has received credible intelligence indicating a high likelihood of violence and significant security threats should the planned Local Government elections proceed in Osun State.

“Given this imminent threat to security, the NPF strongly advises the Osun State Government to suspend the planned elections forthwith in the interest of public safety and national stability.”

Residents of Nottinghamshire, England have been left puzzled by the mysterious appearance of plates filled with peeled bananas left by the side of a road every month for over a year.

The phenomenon occurs on the second day of each month in 2024, when a plate of bananas is found on a street corner in Beeston, across from a local church.

The mystery began over a year ago at the intersection of Abbey Road and Wensor Avenue, and its purpose remains unclear. A local resident, Clare Short, discovered the pattern and noticed the bananas were consistently placed on the second day of each month.

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