The Senate has granted the ad hoc committee probing alleged mismanagement of N40bn by the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission a four-week extension.

The Chairman of the panel, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, had raised a point of order, where he informed his colleagues about the need to extend the one-month investigation with additional weeks.

Adetunmbi noted that the Coronavirus lockdown in the country has prevented the committee to receive written memorandum from affected stakeholders.

He further stated that only a few of them had responded as of the deadline for the submission of the written explanation on Monday, June 8.

Following the review of Adetunmbi on the extension of investigation, the Senate granted his panel one-month extension.

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The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, asked the panel to remain focused and avoid distractions “because of the sensitive nature of the matter, which is generating national interest.

The suit, with reference number: FHC/B/CS/48/2020, was filed by the factional Edo Deputy Chairman of APC, Kenneth Asekomhe, and a governorship aspirant Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, citing COVID-19 pandemic and the 2018 NEC resolution as the grounds for their action.

The plaintiffs also prayed the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring the primary and the police from giving effect to the NWC’s guidelines.

Their counsel, Ken Mozia (SAN) and John Odubela (SAN), maintained that the APC Constitution provided that states should suggest the mode of primary to the NWC, stressing that the leadership of the party in Edo had suggested indirect mode, in which 4,000 delegates would participate at the stadium in Benin.

The defendants in the suit are APC; its National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo state; INEC; and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).