News

Rivers Guber: ALDRAP writes INEC, seeks Chinda’s disqualification after Supreme Court judgment

Published

1 month ago

September 27, 2026

The Association of Legislative Drafting Practitioners, ALDRAP, has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, seeking the disqualification of Kingsley Chinda as the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in Rivers State for the 2027 election.

The request, conveyed in a letter dated September 26, 2027, and signed by Executive Secretary, Dr Tonye Clinton Jaja, flows from a suit pending before an Abuja Federal High Court in which ALDRAP is the plaintiff while INEC, Abdul Mahmud, APC, APC National Chairman, Chinda and Mariana Ajibola are listed as respondents.

In the suit numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/972/2026, ALDRAP asked the Abuja Federal High Court to disqualify Chinda and the APC candidates for the Rivers State House of Assembly election on the grounds that the APC Rivers State Governorship and House of Assembly Appeal Committee was populated by Chinda’s friends and colleagues, who are members of the House of Representatives in the National Assembly.

Reliefs sought by the plaintiff include a declaration that the appointment of Mahmud and Ajibola as chairmen of the APC Rivers State House of Assembly screening and appeal committees, respectively, despite their longstanding political and personal relationship with Chinda and persons aligned with Federal Capital Territory, FCT, minister, Nyesom Wike, constitutes bias and violation of the constitutional right to fair hearing as guaranteed under Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

ALDRAP in the suit also asked the court for an order compelling the 5th respondent, Chinda, to appear before the court to testify on oath about his political and personal relationship with Mahmud and Ajibola, as well as an order nullifying and setting aside the entire screening exercise conducted by the respondents.

However, in its letter to INEC, ALDRAP asked the electoral commission to convene an out-of-court settlement meeting between parties in the suit towards the resolution of the issues in line with the implications of a recent Supreme Court judgment.

The Supreme Court of Nigeria had in a judgment on September 24, 2026, upheld INEC’s authority regarding provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice Adamu Jauro set aside an earlier Court of Appeal decision and affirmed that sections 77(5) and 84 of the Electoral Act 2026 are constitutional and do not conflict with the 1999 Constitution. The case arose from a challenge by the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, concerning INEC’s enforcement powers over political party membership registers and the conduct of primaries.

The Supreme Court, in its verdict, restored the position of the Federal High Court which affirmed INEC’s authority, while dismissing related appeals by the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and the Youth Party, YP.

The letter addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, read, “The Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) respectfully writes concerning the consequential electoral issues arising from the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered on 24 September 2026, particularly in relation to the nomination of Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.

“ALDRAP considers this matter especially important having regard to the fact that the Association had previously instituted proceedings before the Federal High Court, Abuja, in which INEC is the 1st Respondent, Hon. Abdul Mahmud is the 2nd Respondent and Hon.Kingsley Ogundu Chinda is the 5th Respondent, alongside the APC and other respondents.

“In that pending action, ALDRAP challenged, amongst other matters, the participation of Hon.Abdul Mahmud and Hon. Kingsley Chinda in the APC Rivers State screening process on the ground that their alleged political, professional and personal relationships created a reasonable apprehension of bias and compromised the independence and impartiality of the screening exercise.

“The action was brought pursuant to the constitutional right to fair hearing guaranteed under Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). The subsequent judgment of the Supreme Court delivered on 24 September 2026, restoring the statutory provisions governing political party membership registers and the nomination of candidates, has further brought into sharp focus the legal and electoral consequences surrounding the APC Rivers State governorship candidature.

“In the circumstances, ALDRAP respectfully requests the Chairman of INEC to convene an urgent meeting with the Association and the relevant representatives of the APC and Hon. Kingsley Chinda, with a view to achieving an out-of-court settlement and lawful administrative resolution of the issues arising from the pending proceedings and the Supreme Court judgment.

“The proposed engagement is not intended to invite INEC to disregard or undermine the judgment of the Supreme Court. Rather, ALDRAP seeks to facilitate a lawful resolution of the consequential issues, including the status of the APC governorship nomination, the applicable membership-register requirements, the records submitted to INEC by the APC, and the appropriate steps required to give effect to the Supreme Court’s decision.

“ALDRAP believes that an early resolution through constructive engagement, where legally permissible, would avoid unnecessary multiplicity of proceedings and assist INEC in maintaining certainty, transparency and compliance with the Constitution and applicable electoral legislation.

“We therefore respectfully request that the Commission urgently convene a consultative meeting with ALDRAP and the affected stakeholders for the purpose of exploring an appropriate out-of-court resolution and determining the consequential administrative steps arising from the Supreme Court judgment.”

Business

Access Holdings mulls exit from foreign subsidiary to meet CBN rule – Report

Published

15 minutes ago

November 9, 2026

PlateauReports

Access Holdings is considering exiting at least one market outside its base in Nigeria to comply with a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rule requiring lenders to limit investment in foreign subsidiaries to no more than one-tenth of shareholders’ funds.

The banking group mentioned one business in which it plans to offload its stake to meet the requirement, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing Chairman Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede.

“If a subsidiary cannot meet its cost of capital and the strategic objectives for which it is set up, you should be ready to take a decision to exit,” Mr Aig-Imoukhuede was quoted as saying at an African Financial Industry Summit in Luanda, Angola, last week.

“Do we have one or two troublesome subsidiaries? I can think of one.”

Investment in subsidiaries for Nigeria’s biggest bank by assets stood at N446.6 billion at the end of September, equivalent to 19.3 per cent of its equity, according to Access Holdings’ 9M 2026 Investor Presentation.

That was roughly double the 10 per cent ceiling permitted by the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020.

Only in cases of regulatory approval for a higher threshold from the CBN are lenders allowed to exceed that limit, the Act says.

The banking industry watchdog has given Access Holdings 12 months to address the issue.

The potential exit is part of the financial institution’s move to review its international operations to comply with the directive.

In June, Access Bank’s chief executive, Roosevelt Ogbonna, said the lender would reduce its shareholding in some of its foreign subsidiaries to achieve compliance.

According to Innocent Ike, CEO of Access Holdings, the lender will explore three strategies towards that end.

The options include recalling surplus capital from overseas subsidiaries, offloading minority stakes and restructuring some businesses, he said.

He added that the group has already completed one capital repatriation exercise involving its six targeted subsidiaries, and is engaging regulators in five countries to facilitate the return of excess capital to Nigeria.

Access Holdings plans to meet the regulatory requirement ahead of the March 2027 deadline, Mr Ike stated.

READ ALSO: Access Holdings’ nine-month profit jumps 6% to N474.2 billion

“We gave ourselves up till January next year, and I think we’re completing this ahead of schedule,” said Mr Aig-Imoukhuede.

The Access Holdings’ chairman said the group’s international portfolio remains fundamentally strong despite plans to sell interests in some international subsidiaries.

He noted that the group would continue to review the performance of its subsidiaries to ensure they generate sustainable returns and remain aligned with the strategic objectives for which they were established.

“You have to do dynamic portfolio management. Every year, you’re looking for ways to improve,” he said.

Access Bank sold its 97 per cent stake in its loss-making Ivorian subsidiary to Cameroon’s Afriland First Group SA for $1 million in January 2014, after the CBN restricted parent-bank capital for foreign subsidiaries.

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News

Nigeria’s ntel wins international MVNO pitch competition in Spain – Technology Times

Published

20 minutes ago

November 9, 2026

PlateauReports

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ntel emerged winner of The Hunt: Searching for the Next Great MVNO, a Shark Tank-style competition held on November 4, 2026, during the November 3–5 telecoms industry event.

The competition featured aspiring and recently launched MVNO businesses, each given five minutes to present their products and business propositions to a panel of industry judges.

Representing ntel, Kingsley Uwazie, the company’s Chief Technology Officer, presented its Next Frontier relaunch, outlining its approach to connectivity, digital innovation and opportunities in the evolving global telecommunications market.

The company’s victory was announced at the MVNO Nation Awards, marking an international recognition milestone for the Nigerian telecommunications operator as it pursues a new phase of business development.

A central element of ntel’s presentation was WakaGo, its global travel eSIM offering, which reflects the company’s ambition to expand beyond conventional mobile services into digital connectivity solutions for international travellers.

An embedded SIM (eSIM) enables compatible devices to connect to mobile networks without requiring users to insert a physical SIM card. The technology is increasingly relevant to international travellers seeking mobile connectivity across different countries without relying exclusively on conventional roaming arrangements.

Through WakaGo, ntel is positioning itself to participate in the expanding market for travel connectivity services, where eSIM-enabled products offer customers access to mobile networks across international destinations.

The offering forms part of the company’s broader Next Frontier strategy, which seeks to redefine its approach to connectivity and digital services.

The recognition comes as the mobile virtual network operator market attracts growing attention from telecommunications companies and businesses seeking alternative ways to deliver mobile services.

Unlike traditional mobile network operators, MVNOs provide mobile connectivity under their own brands, typically relying on network infrastructure and wholesale capacity supplied by licensed network operators. The model allows businesses to develop differentiated services, target specific customer segments and explore digital-first approaches without necessarily owning the underlying radio access infrastructure.

Uwazie’s presentation at the European event provided ntel with an opportunity to showcase its technology direction to telecommunications executives, industry professionals and other participants in the international MVNO ecosystem.

The competition victory also gives the company’s Next Frontier proposition exposure to a wider international audience, as ntel explores opportunities in digital connectivity and emerging mobile service models.

For Nigeria’s telecommunications industry, the recognition places an indigenous operator among participants attracting attention within the international MVNO ecosystem, highlighting opportunities for Nigerian telecommunications businesses to develop services for markets extending beyond conventional domestic mobile connectivity.

ntel said its participation at MVNO Nation Europe reflects its commitment to engaging with the global telecommunications industry and exploring opportunities to strengthen its position in an increasingly competitive connectivity market.

The company is seeking to build on the international recognition as it advances its Next Frontier ambitions, with digital innovation and alternative connectivity services forming part of its business direction.