Former Senator for Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has criticised the National Population Commission (NPC) for requesting nearly a trillion naira to conduct a national census, describing it as “total madness.”

The NPC had proposed a budget of ₦942 billion for this year’s housing and population census.

However, reports indicate that President Bola Tinubu rejected the request, instead considering the deployment of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members for the exercise.

Reacting to the development, Shehu Sani praised Tinubu’s decision, stating on X: “National Population Commission request for almost a trillion naira just to count the number of Nigerians is total madness.

The rejection of their budget is commendable.”

Federal Government ministries, departments, and agencies, along with the Presidency, have collectively spent at least ₦1.99 billion on foreign trips, training, and estacodes in France between May 2023 and September 2024.

The expenditure data, sourced from GovSpend—a transparency platform operated by BudgIT—covered costs such as airfare, accommodation, visa processing, estacodes, training programs, and business meetings.

A significant portion of the funds was allocated to executive training programs, study trips, and international conferences.

According to The PUNCH, one of the largest single disbursements was ₦626.91 million, paid by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta for training and type rating of 35 cadet pilots in South Africa, France, and Nigeria. The funds were transferred via the GIFMIS platform to the PAP Naira Transit Account at the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The State House also incurred substantial expenses on international travel. This included ₦149.79 million spent on foreign exchange purchases for the First Lady’s trip to France on April 1, 2024, and ₦6.29 million allocated in March 2024 for a five-year multiple-entry visa for the Vice President.

Several MDAs also recorded notable spending on overseas trips. The National Merit Award allocated ₦15.5 million as an advance payment for the course fees of eight participants attending a training program in Paris from May 14 to 20, 2023.

The Centre for Management Development disbursed ₦34.3 million for six officials—each receiving ₦5.71 million—to participate in training in France.

Senior officials also benefited from these trips. The Director-General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Adamu Jummai, and former Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, Nuhu Fikpo, had their executive programs in Paris fully funded.

Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) spent ₦41.09 million on multiple officials, including its Technical Adviser, Temitope Yoosuf, who attended business meetings with Airbus in Toulouse, France.

The company’s CEO, Jane Egerton-Idehen, and its Head of Corporate Affairs, Aisha Bantam, were also funded with ₦11.88 million and ₦5.65 million, respectively, to attend the World Space Business Week in Paris.

The Nigeria Football Federation allocated ₦124.45 million for Super Falcons players’ flight tickets for their Olympic Games qualifier against Ethiopia, with travel routes covering America, France, Spain, and Nigeria.

Additional significant expenditures included ₦10.62 million by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for airfare costs for three officials attending the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group meeting in Paris.

The Fiscal Responsibility Commission disbursed ₦7.90 million for an officer’s participation in the 2023 International Bar Association Conference in France.

The Federal Ministry of Health funded ₦5.30 million each for David Beine Atuwo and Olusola Ayoola to cover airfare and participation in the 11th EDCTP Forum in France.

The Defence Intelligence Agency recorded two major payments, totaling ₦574.52 million, covering salaries of two seconded staff of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit at Interpol in Lyon, France, and the Egmont Group in Ottawa, Canada.

These expenditures have drawn scrutiny amid concerns about rising government spending and the increasing cost of governance.

With the economy facing challenges such as high inflation, fiscal deficits, and a depreciating naira, calls for greater accountability and transparency in public spending have intensified.

Earlier, PUNCH reported that in the first six months of President Bola Tinubu’s administration—June to December 2023—the State House spent at least ₦3.4 billion on both local and foreign trips.

Similarly, in the first quarter of 2024, ₦5.24 billion was expended on travel expenses for President Tinubu, Vice President Shettima, and First Lady Remi Tinubu.

Between January and March 2024, ₦1.35 billion was allocated for presidential trips and related expenses, ₦3.53 billion was used for foreign currency purchases covering 10 international trips, and ₦637.85 million was paid to two travel agencies for presidential flight bookings.

Opposition parties have criticized President Tinubu’s frequent international travel, arguing that he prioritizes trips abroad over addressing domestic challenges.

However, the Presidency has defended his travel engagements, asserting that a leader focused on attracting foreign investments must be proactive in seeking opportunities.

A few months ago, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, also defended Tinubu’s frequent trips, emphasizing their benefits.

“Nigeria has the money. How much does travelling cost compared to the benefits? Again, how much does it cost really when you compare it to some of the things that the President has already addressed?

“How much have we wasted on fuel, electricity, and other subsidies? He was subsidising consumption instead of production and subsidising the real sector of the economy,” he said.

Since taking office, Tinubu has embarked on 32 foreign trips, visiting 19 countries, including France, the United Kingdom, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Saudi Arabia, India, and South Africa, among others.

Bode George, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has criticised the Lagos state house of assembly over its decision to reinstate Mudashiru Obasa as speaker.

Obasa was removed from office by a majority of lawmakers following allegations of financial misconduct but was later reinstated in what George described as a “disregard for due process”.

Speaking in an interview with The Tribune on Saturday, George accused the assembly of acting like a “private enterprise” rather than a democratic institution.

George questioned why Obasa was reinstated without addressing the allegations that led to his removal.

He further suggested that the lawmakers’ actions undermined democratic principles.

“If they are deceiving themselves, they cannot deceive the general public,” George said.

”If you are the leader of a party and the party was going to go through a procedure, and they accused the speaker of a lot of inappropriate activities – financial and otherwise – shouldn’t you even address those issues?

“Since he didn’t do it, there is no need for Obasa to respond to the allegations levelled against him. The same people came back and reinstated or re-elected him. It is an indecent approach to what democracy is all about.

“If you were accused of certain misdemeanor openly and people went through a process by which they said enough of you, if you want to come back, you know you will have to defend yourself first. It’s already in the public domain, but there was an order that he should be reinstated since it is a private enterprise. 

“Do you return people like that in a democratic dispensation to override whatever others had been saying? Is it that those Assembly members didn’t know what they had been talking about before they removed Obasa, or they are absolutely acting like a military organisation?”

The PDP chieftain also alleged that a single individual appeared to be in control of the assembly.

“You can see who is in charge. It’s a private enterprise, he can hire and fire. Is that democracy? You can’t have your opinion to explain yourself based on the demands from your constituency,” George added.

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has approved the recruitment of an additional 500 personnel for the Ogun State Security Network Agency, commonly known as the Amotekun Corps.

The State Commander of Amotekun, Brigadier General Alade Adedigba (retd.), announced the decision in a statement on Saturday, highlighting the state government’s continued dedication to strengthening security across Ogun State.

According to Adedigba, this recruitment drive follows the recent passing-out parade of 690 newly trained operatives, further demonstrating the government’s commitment to safeguarding residents.

He stated, “Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications free of charge via the official website: [ogunstateamotekun.com.ng](http://ogunstateamotekun.com.ng).

“The application window will remain open from Monday, March 10, 2025, to Friday, April 4, 2025.

“A comprehensive screening exercise is scheduled to take place from Tuesday, April 22, 2025, to Thursday, May 1, 2025.

“Prospective applicants are encouraged to adequately prepare and adhere to the guidelines that will be provided throughout this critical process.

“This recruitment initiative marks a significant advancement in our continuous efforts to enhance the capacity of the Amotekun Corps, enabling our operatives to serve and protect the citizens of Ogun State more effectively.

“We strongly encourage all eligible individuals to participate in this important undertaking and play a vital role in fostering a secure community environment.”

This move is expected to further boost security operations and reinforce the presence of the Amotekun Corps in safeguarding lives and property across the state.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum has dismissed claims that its members are backing a joint presidential ticket featuring former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi for the 2027 election.

In a statement issued on Saturday by the Forum’s Director General, Emmanuel Agbo, the PDP Governors, under the leadership of Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, affirmed that they would support only the party’s official presidential candidate.

Naija News understands that reports had emerged suggesting that five PDP governors were supporting a El-Rufai/Obi ticket. However, the PDP Governors Forum has strongly refuted the claim, describing it as false and provocative.

The Forum asserted that it remains committed to strengthening the party and will not engage in any political maneuvering that compromises its integrity.

It emphasized that PDP governors have been actively working to improve governance at the state level, despite economic challenges imposed by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Addressing the rumors, the Forum reaffirmed its dedication to the principles of equity, social justice, accountability, and electoral integrity. It vowed to support whoever emerges as the PDP’s official candidate for the 2027 presidential election, positioning the party to reclaim power at the federal level.

PDP Governors Forum stated “It is incumbent on the PDP Governors’ Forum through its leadership anchored by the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, to openly denounce and in very strong terms, the unpleasant and provoking publications and rumours being peddled ad nauseam by negative forces and their agents who cannot absorb the temerity of this Forum to question their incapacities in leadership by performing above the limits imposed by their failed economic policies and programs, which have left the ordinary Nigerian with nothing other than poverty and financial hardship down to the remote locations.

“Unsatisfied with the results their clones have gotten in the low-willed factions they keep financing within our party structure, they have proceeded with direct confrontation on the Governors towards creating a one-party entrapment, with intention to split the opposition and thereby cripple democratic institutions and values through questionable adoptions and misinterpretation of the law, all to strangle the lifeline of our nation to enforce dictatorship and one-party rule.

“The PDP Governors’ Forum does not align with these actors, neither does it enjoy any ambience of political space to discuss nor seal the auction of the PDP through lowlife grifters who are allegedly working behind the scenes to support a potential Nasir El-Rufai/Peter Obi presidential ticket in the 2027 election.”

It continued “It is obvious that these mischief makers and detractors, who are bewildered at the way and manner PDP Governors are daily performing to pull the people out of economic hardship despite the intimidation by the ruling APC, are only intimidated and can only throw mud at our good works.

“In the world of politics, rumours and speculations are common, as such, we will not allow these enemies of Progress and agents of confusion to gaslight the Nigerian people to draw wrong and erroneous conclusions.

“Our principles are for equity, social justice, sincerity of purpose, accountability, enthronement of undefiled electoral process, enhancement of the lives of the people, and propagation of humanity.

“Suffice it for us to irrevocably state here that in 2027, PDP Governors as disciplined leaders and stakeholders will exemplify this by wholeheartedly supporting whoever emerges as the flag-bearer of our great party in the battle to wrestle power from the non-performers at the centre.”

The legal battle surrounding the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has taken a new turn as his case has officially been reassigned to another judge.

Naija News reports that this development was confirmed by Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, in a statement on Saturday.

Ejimakor revealed that Kanu remains fully prepared for trial and confident in his innocence.

“Yesterday, before the legal team conducted our routine visitation to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, we received two separate official letters regarding his case. The letters are momentous and somewhat pyrrhic,” Ejimakor stated.

According to him, one of the letters came from the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria in response to a request for administrative intervention, following the recusal of the previous judge handling Kanu’s case.

The second letter, from the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, officially informed Kanu’s legal team of the case reassignment.

Expressing gratitude for the decision, Kanu instructed his legal team to acknowledge the efforts of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, stating, “Consequent upon these latest developments, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu instructed the legal team to publicly convey his sincere gratitudes to the Chief Justice of Nigeria for her sound administrative discretions and the despatch with which she responded to our request.”

He also extended appreciation to members of the public who supported the demand for his case to be reassigned.

Reiterating his readiness for trial, Ejimakor emphasized that Kanu has always been willing to defend himself in court but faced challenges due to the judicial disruptions that began in September 2024.

“To be sure, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has always been ready to take his trial because he is firmly convinced of his innocence. But the perverse events of the past six months (from September 2024, when the recusal happened) posed portent dangers to his constitutional rights, particularly his right to fair and speedy hearing,” Ejimakor noted.

He further explained that the legal team had to take extraordinary measures to ensure the case was appropriately reassigned. Now that the authorities have taken steps to uphold due process, the focus will shift to Kanu’s defense.

“So, now that the first steps have been taken by the authorities to do the lawful thing, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his legal team shall take stock and hanker down to the zealous preparation of his defense,” he added.

Former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan made an iconic quote that has since gone into the political lexicon of the country’s history: “My political ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian”. It presupposes that Jonathan would rather not pursue his ambition if such would lead to any violence. 

In the heat of the Boko Haram terror attacks, Jonathan also came up with yet another assertion that he had not used one tenth of his power. This forced many to ask, why crave for political position if you can’t exert the power thereof? Jonathan did not last in the office as President. He was booted out. He is an Ijaw man of Niger Delta extraction.

Rivers state, Siminalayi Fubara does not need to speak out that he does not need to use one tenth of his constitutional power as governor. The world has seen it all. And it is counted for him as weakness, hence the escalation of crisis in the state.

Years before his death, former petroleum minister, Professor Tam David West had once described Jonathan as “the weakest President” Nigeria ever produced. But Rivers people have since come to acquiesce themselves with the fact that the leadership of government in Rivers state is taking shade under the tree of weakness while professing the path of peace. And the peace is pyrrhic.

Pundits have averred that since October 29, 2023 when the crisis began in the state with the threat of impeachment, Governor Fubara failed to exert his power and nib it in the bud once and for all. While he keeps hoping that there would be a political solution some day, the opposition was swinging from post to post looking for where to nail him . They appear to be succeeding from recent developments especially with the recent Supreme Court ‘5-0’ judgment.

Lack Of Consultation

Sources within government circle in the state had informed that the governor would rather choose to carry the gauntlet alone without any botheration. The source noted that the man in the Bricks House does not care about some of the elders who stick out their necks to fight for his political survival. “Even a governor of a nearby state would call him, the man would not answer. He does not relate well with the leadership of the ethnic nationalities in the region who are solidly behind him in this fight”.

Governor Fubara knows that there is a bigger masquerade behind the Minister of the federal capital territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, stoking the fire of crisis in the state. He knows the masquerade would not listen to him for obvious reasons. But there are distinguished Nigerians like former President Olusegun Obasanjo, General Ibrahim Babangida, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto among others. But “Oga will not want to consult anybody”, he said.

He went on to reveal that “even when Papa Edwin Clarke was alive, am not sure Oga visited him one day despite the late man’s stout defence of his government”. The Governor chooses to surround himself with political feather weights who cannot rise up when occasion calls. They are supporters of the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar. In 2023 these men were chased out of Rivers state to Abuja by Wike. When the table turned, Wike moved to Abuja as a minister while they returned to Port Harcourt to pitch tent with Fubara. Nothing to offer.

Miserly

Governor Fubara is known to be “a nice man”. Another source put it this way: “Fubara is generous. However, this generosity does not seem to reflect or show in the politics of the state. The governor has reportedly said that the revenue of the state is to develop Rivers for the betterment of the people. This is good. We support him for that. But he is fighting a survival battle and he needs to fight. Until lately, he was not doing that. The Supreme Court judgment appears to have woken him up. But how far can he go? He has lost huge grounds.’

A member of the Elders Council in Rivers state had rebuked the governor for being “too stingy with money”. According to him, “last Christmas, not even a grain of rice from this government despite our support for him. Whatever we are doing, we are not doing it because of Fubara but for Rivers state. We like peace and not war”.

Peace Moves

A prominent retired Army officer from the north was said to have sent emissaries to the Governor to broker peace in the state. He turned it down. Though the man’s move was predicated on his interest in the oil well in Rivers, many northerners would definitely love to side with Fubara in the ongoing political quagmire just to spite Wike who is seen as Tinubu’s strongest man in the south-south region.

“Yes, the general sent some persons to come to Port Harcourt to meet with the Governor. They could not. Maybe the governor was not willing to receive them. The effort is still on. We believe that he will see the reason to meet with the team and douse tension in the state”, the source said. “The governor appears to have made the fight an Ijaw affair. This is not an Ijaw fight. It is a fight for Rivers people and all lovers of peace and uprightness. This explains why the Governor has to come out firm and establish his authority to prove to all that he is fully in charge of governance in the state”, he said.

Nevertheless, Comrade Franklin Ntekim believes that Governor Fubara’s mien disposition should not be taken for docility. “I believe that it is his own strategy. If you look at it clearly, the governor had been winning the war until the Supreme Court came out with that controversial judgment. He is not weak but a very calculative person”.

Countering Franklin’s position, a social commentator, Comrade Gregory Akpan fumed that if it was not a sign of weakness or fear “how come the Governor had five consolidated cases in the Supreme Court and he could put up any fight and he lost them all. The courts are operated by human beings. Did his men fight to present quality and sound arguments and make noise against possible injustice that is common in our system?”

Double Ultimatum

Arising from the Supreme Court judgment which reinstated them as the “valid” members of the House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule and the 26 other lawmakers on Monday ordered the Governor to present the 2025 budget before the House within 48 hours.

That ultimatum expired on Wednesday midnight only for another ultimatum to sack all Commissioners and political appointees who were not screened and confirmed by Amaewhule within another 48 hours. The House ordered the Governor to forward another list of nominees to the Assembly for proper screening to fill all vacant positions in the state executive council.

Governor Fubara had since denied ever seeing any letter asking him to present the budget. In a letter by the secretary to the state government, SSG, Dr Tammy Danagogo, the Governor said such letter was never brought to his office, hence, he could not respond to anything in social media space.

The two quick ultimatums issued out by Amaewhule are an indication that the House was in a hurry to get the Governor impeached. The battle line is now drawn. Interesting events are expected to unfold as the days go by.

Support Base

Governor Fubara has been enjoying a robust support since the political fight between him and Wike broke out in 2023. The show of solidarity has never been because of the moves by the governor but largely because of their interest in the state. Such groups as the pan Niger Delta Elders Forum, PANDEF, Ijaw national Congress, INC, Ijaw Youth Council, IYC and many more are solidly behind the Governor. President of INC, Professor Benjamin Okaba in his recent press statement warned on dire consequences if Fubara is impeached by the pro-Wike lawmakers.

The leadership of IYC from the eastern zone said “the purported 48-hour ultimatum issued to the Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, by the defected Martins Amawhule-led House of Assembly to present the 2025 budget is a clear indication of an orchestrated effort to create chaos and potentially impeach the governor. This is not only an attack on our leadership but also an affront to the will of the Rivers people who have entrusted their governance to one of our own.

“The IYC firmly warns that we will not stand by and allow detractors to steal this mandate. We are committed to defending our rights and ensuring that the voices of the Ijaw people are heard and respected”.

INC on its part recalled that “In 2003, when Marshall Harry backed Sergeant Awuse’s governorship ambition, it was not Awuse but Harry himself who was assassinated, marking a painful loss for the Ijaw people. By 2007, Ijaw leaders such as Soboma George and Farrah Dagogo played a decisive role in securing victory for Sir Celestine Omehia, while Prince Igodo, a Kalabari-Ijaw warlord, was killed during Omehia’s swearing-in to prevent security breaches”.

He went on to recall that “in 2011, when Rotimi Amaechi sought to nominate Pastor Tonye Cole as a minister, Dame Patience Jonathan, the wife of then-President Goodluck Jonathan, ensured that Nyesom Wike took the slot instead”. The INC lamented that despite these consistent sacrifices by the Ijaw people, an Ikwerre political elite now seeks to frustrate the first riverine governor in decades.

The body stated that the Ijaw people will defend Governor Fubara “with every pint of blood in their veins”, emphasizing that they would not stand by and allow their long-awaited tenure to be truncated.

Prof. Okaba also cautioned that while the INC has worked tirelessly to preserve peace in the Niger Delta, leading to increased oil production and revenue for the nation, regrettably, the same resources are now being used to marginalize the Ijaw people.

Issuing a direct warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the INC insisted that the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State must not be treated as ordinary politicking. Prof. Okaba stressed that the Ijaw people, numbering over 40 million worldwide, would not tolerate any attempt to undermine their place in the Nigerian politics.

He further stated that while it enjoins Governor Fubara to, in the spirit of sportsmanship, work with all duly constituted arms of government in the State, “if Governor Fubara’s tenure is truncated by the Amaewhule-led Assembly or anybody else, the INC cannot guarantee the sustenance of the current peace in the Niger Delta, nor the continued rise in oil production.

Division Among Ijaws

Meanwhile, there appears to be a sharp division among the Ijaws following a recent call by the Rivers rescue Movement, RRM, rebuking the utterances of the IYC and INC leadership over the crisis in the state.

This is as the leadership of the group after an extensive deliberations with Ijaw leaders expressed sadness over the recent statements credited to the President of INC, Prof Benjamin Okaba, Chief Sara Igbe, Alhaji Asari Dokubo and some leaders of IYC. Speaking to a cross section of journalist the secretary of RRM said for them as a group those statements were not only reckless, thoughtless and provocative but also a grave threat to national security and peaceful coexistence.

“As a group that stand for peace, justice and a united Nigeria, we believe no individual or organization has the monopoly of violence, so we are calling on the Nigerian Security agencies to arrest these individuals or any other person or group that will threaten the Nigerian State, it’s economy or people.

“RRM is wondering if the purveyors of these message of destruction or economic sabotage are more Ijaws than the 9 grateful Rivers State House of Assembly members from the IJAW extraction that have been maltreated, humiliated and denied all their allowances by the Gov Fubara administration for over a year when no court had declared their seats vacant?

“RRM want to make it clear that we run a constitutional democracy guided by laws and the highest court of the land (The Supreme Court) has spoken and Gov Fubara is bound to obey the ruling. Furthermore, the public is hereby advised to disregard their empty, watery and old fashioned threat because the laws of Nigeria is always supreme”, the group said in a statement.

Why Fubara May Survive Impeachment

Every impeachment takes place in line with the constitution. With 27 lawmakers, it will be a very easy process to vote for all the impeachable offences committed by the Governor. But where the process will likely get stuck is when the Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi would be called upon to set up a 7-man panel to investigate those offences.

Being a very principled man who is said to be neutral and “a decent gentleman”, people doubt if the CJ could be compromised.

The National Assembly, once envisioned as the hallowed cornerstone of Nigeria’s democracy, has descended into a circus of disgrace. Allegations of sexual harassment, tear gas, and paid protesters have stripped the institution of its dignity.

This week, the streets of Abuja witnessed a spectacle that has left Nigerians questioning the integrity of their lawmakers: hired crowds clashing in a Nollywood-style drama, ignited by a bitter feud between Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The chaos erupted after Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, first on national television and then in an open plenary session—an unprecedented moment in Nigeria’s democratic history since 1999. What followed was not a sober investigation or a dignified response but a shameful display of sponsored protests, tear gas canisters lobbed at demonstrators, and a legislative body more concerned with technicalities than truth.

Veteran journalist Reuben Abati, co-host of Arise TV’s The Morning Show, did not mince words when he called it ‘a pivotal moment’ that exposed the National Assembly to global ridicule.

Abati thundered on air, “It was a pivotal moment for the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and, by extension, the whole of the National Assembly. For the first time since our return to democracy in 1999, we have the chairman of the National Assembly, the third-highest-ranking official in the country, being accused in open plenary of sexual harassment. What makes it even sadder is that this was done in the presence of a UK parliamentary delegation led by Kate Osamor, the MP for Edmonton.”

The optics were damning. As British parliamentarians watched in disbelief, the Senate floor became a battleground of egos, with Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition dismissed by the Ethics Committee as ‘Dead on Arrival’ due to procedural flaws and a parallel court case.

Outside, the streets of Abuja turned into a marketplace of loyalty, where poverty was weaponised to fuel rival protests. Women clad in coordinated outfits waved designer banners—one group chanting in support of Akpabio, another backing Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Viral videos laid bare the farce. In one clip circulating on social media, a female interviewer confronted a protester supporting Akpabio. “Why are you supporting Senator Akpabio?” the voice behind the camera asked.
The woman hesitated before replying, “Yes, I didn’t see anything wrong with what they are saying. But I don’t know much about the details.”

Pressed further by the interviewer, “You don’t know the whole story. Do you support Senator Natasha?” the Akpabio supporter admitted, “I don’t really know the whole story.”

The interviewer persisted: “So, why did you come out here today?” The response was telling: “I came out today because they said we should come and protest that Akpabio should remain as our Senate President.”
Her words, devoid of conviction, revealed the hollow core of the demonstration—she was there not out of principle, but because she was instructed to attend.

Other clips captured similar absurdity: a protester in the Akpabio camp lamented, “Akpabio, don’t disappoint us. They’ve given us only water,” while another woman confessed, “We were paid 5,000 naira to come here.”

Abati’s outrage cut through the noise. He remarked, “We watched the spectacle, the Nollywood-style engagement of sponsored protesters in Nigeria—one party carrying placards and banners supporting one side, the other side supporting the opposite. It’s very bad optics, and the fact that the National Assembly is bringing us this embarrassment should be condemned by every Nigerian.”

The allegations themselves are grave. Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, claimed Akpabio made inappropriate advances, a charge he vehemently denied, citing his upbringing by a single mother as evidence of his respect for women. Yet, the Senate’s response has been less about seeking truth and more about dodging accountability.

Senators debated arcane rules—Order 40, Sub 4, and others—arguing that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition was invalid because she signed it herself and first aired her grievances on Arise TV rather than on the Senate floor.

“Perhaps the floor of the Senate should have been the place to start the petition, rather than in the media,” Abati noted, acknowledging her tactical misstep but refusing to let the institution off the hook.

Meanwhile, the protests revealed a deeper rot: a nation where poverty has turned the masses into pawns. For as little as N5,000 — barely enough to prepare a decent pot of soup — hundreds of women flooded the streets, their placards as hollow as their motivations.

“Which one concerns them? Someone made an allegation of sexual harassment, and women are coming out to protest in support of the accused. It doesn’t make any sense,” asked Grace Ojo, a petty trader who witnessed the chaos near the National Assembly gate.

The tear-gassing of protesters only deepened the disgrace. As rival camps clashed, security forces unleashed canisters, scattering the crowds and leaving a cloud of shame hanging over the Assembly.

“What kind of nonsense is this? If any person has money, he can bring anybody to come and protest. They’ve made a mockery of protest in Nigeria,” fumed Godson Okeke, a civil servant whose office at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja is near the National Assembly gate.

Abati echoed this sentiment, urging lawmakers to focus on their duty rather than theatrics.
“This is a matter of urgent national interest to the extent that the representatives of the Nigerian people have exposed that institution to ridicule.

“Nigerians want to know what the truth is. Is Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan a witness of truth? Is Akpabio himself a witness of truth? The Senators should refrain from blackmailing one another and the kind of personal attacks that have been going on,” he said.

The irony is stark. An institution tasked with making laws has become a law unto itself, dodging accountability while the poor are bought to prop up its farce.

Amina Yusuf, a rights activist and gender advocate in Abuja, lamented, “Poverty is being weaponised in Nigeria, and the poor people are part of our problem. The masses are easily bought. You can mess up in the church, pay 5,000 naira, and they’ll line up to support you.”

As the dust settles, the National Assembly stands at a crossroads. Will it rise above this disgrace to address the substance of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s claims, or will it hide behind rules and hired crowds?
For now, the answer seems clear: Nigeria’s lawmakers have turned their chamber into a theatre of shame, and the world is watching.

“Lawmakers should know they have to make laws, not engage in all this nonsense,” Abati summarised. For a nation desperate for leadership, his words are both a plea and a warning.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed a new rule requiring applicants for green cards and visas to disclose their social media handles.

This initiative, aimed at strengthening security screening, has sparked concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of data.

The rule would apply to various immigration forms, including applications for U.S. citizenship, asylum, and adjustments of status from an H-1B visa to a green card, according to TravelBiz

The USCIS has published the proposal in the Federal Register and has invited the public to submit comments during a 60-day period.

The new requirement will extend to several immigration forms, including the N-400 for naturalization, the I-131 for advance parole, the I-485 for green card applications, and the I-589 for asylum.

Applications for refugee status and petitions for conditional residency removal will also be affected.

Reports indicate that this move by the US Immigration to request social media handles of visa applicants is part of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) effort to enhance security vetting through more comprehensive background checks.

However, immigration experts have raised concerns about how social media information will be interpreted and used.

Immigration attorney Jonathan Wasden voiced concerns over how USCIS will interpret social media activity. “It remains unclear how USCIS will interpret posts, how long they will store data, or what guidelines they will use to flag concerns,” he said.

He also warned of the potential for applicants to face denials based on online activity that may be taken out of context.

“There is also a risk that applicants could face denials based on online activity that is taken out of context,” Wasden added.

The USCIS has opened a 60-day public comment period for individuals and organizations to provide feedback on the proposed rule.

This allows the public to express concerns about its necessity, effectiveness, and impact before it is finalized.

Reports indicate that while the USCIS has assured there will be no additional costs for applicants beyond standard filing fees, the requirement for social media disclosure introduces an extra layer of scrutiny.

This could potentially complicate applications, causing delays as social media activity undergoes review.

Some employees of Ikeja Electric have opened up on how they were brutalised by Nigerian Air Force officers from the Sam Ethnan Air Force Base in Ikeja.

Naija News reports that the soldiers had stormed the IE headquarters in the Alausa area of the state capital, Ikeja, in a military truck, two OP-MESA vehicles, and others at about 7:40am.

According to Punch, some newsmen had gathered at the facility in preparation for a trip to Adiyan to unveil a solar project.

However, the soldiers caught them unawares, dragged them out of a bus and beat them thoroughly, even forcing them to sit on the ground.

The Air Force operatives, led by a woman and some men in mufti, occupied the office of Ikeja Electric for over one and a half hours, beating the workers and other people sighted on the premises.

They blocked the roads leading to the office, which gave them a field day to molest those within the premises of the electricity company.

The invasion reportedly followed the expiration of an ultimatum given to the Disco to reconnect the power supply of the air force base, which was disconnected because of a debt of ₦4bn, according to the Ikeja Electric spokesman, Kingsley Okotie.

Okotie said that the men vandalised doors, CCTV cameras, and other gadgets in the office.

In separate interviews with the aforementioned publication on Friday, some IE workers brutalised by the military officers described the invasion as a “broad daylight robbery and terror attack”, saying they were still struggling to recover from the shock.

A female security staff member of IE, Funmilayo Adeniyi, described the experience as one she would never forget.

“The military stormed in with guns and beat the hell out of me. Two of them carried me and threw me inside their van. I thought they were taking me to their barracks, but minutes later, they dragged me out and ordered all of us to lie on the ground. They poured water on us and beat us with plastic rods. They beat us so badly that we couldn’t even stand up,” she recalled.

Another IE security staff member, Olajide Kolawole, stationed at the main gate when the military men forced their way into the premises, also shared a similar account.

“Some of them even jumped over the fence. It was a terrible experience; they beat the hell out of me. The other guy working with me at the gate, Samuel, was also thoroughly beaten. After that, they took both of us and some other members of staff to the fuel dump within the premises. They ordered us to lie on the ground and started beating us. They even attacked the workers in the canteen,” he said.

Gabriel Fatoye, a worker in the facility department of the company, also recounted how the officers took his phone during the invasion.

“It was a very brutal experience. I was on my way back to the office from an outside engagement when the men broke in and stole my phone. They ransacked our office, broke the door, and took my phone, which I had left on the table. Since yesterday, I’ve tried calling my phone, but the line has been switched off,” he narrated.