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Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has again faulted the Rivers’ state of emergency.
Naija News reports that Obi said the political crisis in Rivers State did not require the action of a state of emergency.
In an interview with Arise News, on Tuesday, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party said even though he had issues with his successor, Willy Obiano, he allowed him to govern.
“You cannot take the action that has been taken in River State for what happened. There’s a clear path to dealing with that issue. River State, for the past two years, has become ungovernable for obvious political reasons and interests, which shouldn’t be in a democratic environment. It’s clear. It shouldn’t be. I have been a governor, and I have left government, had issues with the person that replaced me, with my successor.
“But, for God’s sake, the state is far more important than anybody. We have a governor who has been sworn in as a governor, he should be allowed to govern,” he said.
Responding to a question from the anchor, Charles, whether he subscribed to former Governor Rotimi Amaechi‘s allegation that President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State to intimidate governors ahead of 2027, Obi stated that it was unfortunate.
He added that if that is what President Tinubu was trying to do, it showed the country has no democracy.
“Well, for me, what happened in the Rivers State is very unfortunate, and is impacting very negatively to the little or remaining democratic space we had. It eroded a lot from there. So, as for intimidating the governors for 2027, it shouldn’t be. The governors are going to seek re-election. You’re going to seek re-election. You’re going to seek re-election based on what you’ve been able to do, your performance, on Nigerians. The governors just have one vote. It is because of what I told you that it is not a democratic country that you are trying to intimidate the governors,” he stated.
When Charles pressed further whether he believed the President’s action was to intimidate governors ahead of 2027, Obi responded, “I believe so. I believe so.”
Human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju has said Peter Obi’s style of politics may not be enough to defeat President Bola Tinubu in an election.
Adeyanju stated this while responding to the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party’s analyses of President Tinubu’s nearly two years in office, on Tuesday.
Naija News reported that Obi condemned the hardship in the country and also faulted the situation of Nigeria’s democracy under Tinubu.
On his ? handle on Wednesday, Adeyanju wrote: “Peter Obi is on Arise talking calmly and gently about Nigeria. Nigerians acting like they are not aware sef. In today’s Nigeria, Obi is only good for beautiful speeches and motivational beautiful stories about China, etc. Only extremely rugged folks can contest against Tinubu.”
Meanwhile, a former member of Peter Obi and Ahmed Datti’s presidential campaign organization, Fabian Onunaku has responded to criticism of Obi’s interview by Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala.
Naija News reported that Bwala said the former Governor of Anambra’s analyses of Tinubu’s policies were lacking in facts. He added that Obi had yet to recover from his loss in 2023.
Reacting, Onunaku responded: “You can spin it all you want, but Peter Obi spoke about what the people feel and live every day. He spoke truth to power, something that even you will not understand, since you have swallowed your own vomit to become a defender of the indefensible. All the presidential spokesmen in the world cannot change that. Your employers might be happy with you for insulting Obi, but you can’t fool the Nigerian people. The more you insult him, the more his support base increases. You people have absolutely nothing to offer Nigerians.”
[STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu Reconstitutes NNPC Limited Board, Appoints New Chairman, Group CEO
Admin![[STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu Reconstitutes NNPC Limited Board, Appoints New Chairman, Group CEO](/media/k2/items/cache/6af30bfdf3d4edbf3cb0c3c6705d3a57_M.jpg)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a sweeping reconstitution of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited board, removing the chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure and the group chief executive officer, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari.
President Tinubu removed all other board members appointed with Akinyelure and Kyari in November 2023.
The new 11-man board has Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the Group CEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as non-executive chairman.
Adedapo Segun, who replaced Umaru Isa Ajiya as the chief financial officer last November, has been appointed to the new board by President Tinubu.
Six board members, non-executive directors, represent the country's geopolitical zones. They are Bello Rabiu, North West, Yusuf Usman, North East, and Babs Omotowa, a former managing director of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas( NLNG), who represents North Central.
President Tinubu appointed Austin Avuru as a non-executive director from the South-South, David Ige as a Non-executive director from the South West, and Henry Obih as a non-executive director from the South East.
Mrs Lydia Shehu Jafiya, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, will represent the ministry on the new board, while Aminu Said Ahmed will represent the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
All the appointments are effective today, April 2.
President Tinubu, invoking the powers granted under Section 59, subsection 2 of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, emphasised that the board's restructuring is crucial for enhancing operational efficiency, restoring investor confidence, boosting local content, driving economic growth, and advancing gas commercialisation and diversification.
President Tinubu also handed out an immediate action plan to the new board: to conduct a strategic portfolio review of NNPC-operated and Joint Venture Assets to ensure alignment with value maximisation objectives.
Since 2023, the Tinubu administration has implemented oil sector reforms to attract investment. Last year, NNPC reported $17 billion in new investments within the sector. The administration now envisions increasing the investment to $30 billion by 2027 and $60 billion by 2030.
The Tinubu administration targets raising oil production to two million barrels daily by 2027 and three million daily by 2030. Concurrently, the government wants gas production jacked to 8 billion cubic feet daily by 2027 and 10 billion cubic feet by 2030.
Furthermore, President Tinubu expects the new board to elevate NNPC's share of crude oil refining output to 200,000 barrels by 2027 and reach 500,000 by 2030.
The new board chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, is from Borno State. He is an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he received a degree in civil engineering in 1984. He also obtained a postgraduate diploma in petroleum engineering from the Institut Francaise du Petrol (IFP) in Paris
He started his career in the oil industry at Elf Petroleum Nigeria and later joined Total Exploration and Production as a trainee engineer in 1985.
Musa became Total Nigeria's Deputy Managing Director of Deep Water Services in 2015. Last year, he became an Independent Non-Executive Director at Pan Ocean-Newcross Group.
Apart from his oil industry career, Ahmadu Musa Kida is a former basketballer and the president of the Nigerian Basketball Federation(NBBF) board.
Ojulari, the new NNPC Limited Group CEO, hails from Kwara State.
Until his new appointment, He was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Africa Energy Company. His Renaissance recently led a consortium of indigenous energy firms in the landmark acquisition of the entire equity holding in the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), worth $2.4 billion.
Like Kida, Ojulari is also an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He worked for Elf Aquitaine as the first Nigerian process engineer to begin a stellar career in the oil sector. From Elf, he joined Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd in 1991 as an associate production technologist.
Apart from working in Nigeria, he worked in Europe and the Middle East in different capacities as a petroleum process and production engineer, strategic planner, field developer, and asset manager. In 2015, he became the managing director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO).
During his career, he was chairman and member of the board of trustees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE Nigerian Council) and a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
President Tinubu thanked the old board members for their dedicated service to NNPC Limited, particularly their efforts in rehabilitating the old Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, which enabled them to resume petroleum product production after prolonged shutdowns. He wished them well in their future endeavours.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)
Operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) have arrested two principal suspects involved in the killing of 16 Nigerians of Northern extraction in Uromi, Esan North-East local government area of Edo State last week.
The suspects were arrested by operatives of the DSS in Uromi, following credible intelligence. Operatives of various security agencies were hunting for other key suspects involved in the unfortunate incidents
Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, had on Monday during a condolence visit to Kano State, revealed that 14 suspects had already been arrested in connection with the killing and were to be moved to Abuja for further interrogation.
Governor Okpebholo, who visited the State to condole with the government and families of the victims, had vowed that justice will be served and those involved in the killing will be brought to justice.
Governor Okpebholo had also assured families of the victims that adequate compensations will be paid.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday evening by the Edo State governor’s media office, said the two principal suspects arrested by officials of the DSS, have been transferred to Abuja, the nation’s capital, for further interrogation and prosecution by the relevant authorities.
We’ve got the edge. Get real-time reports, breaking
The fate of suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District, will be decided within the next 90 days.
Last week, constituents from Kogi Central submitted a recall petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking to remove Akpoti-Uduaghan from office. INEC is now in the process of verifying the signatures attached to the petition.
For the petition to progress, it must be endorsed by more than half of the registered voters in the Kogi Central District.
According to Punch, if the required threshold is met, the commission will organize a referendum within 90 days from receiving the petition. According to INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a public notice will be issued, providing details of the referendum’s time, date, and location.
However, if the petition fails to meet the necessary number of signatures, a public notice will be issued informing the public of this outcome.
INEC’s guidelines dictate that a referendum will only be conducted if it is confirmed that over half of the registered voters in the district support the petition.
The recall petition stems from several controversies surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan, including her suspension from the Senate on March 6, 2025, for alleged “gross misconduct” following a disagreement with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The petition cites “loss of confidence” as the main reason for the recall and accuses the suspended senator of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and deceit.
Accompanying the petition were six bags filled with documents containing signatures collected from more than half of the 474,554 registered voters in Kogi Central.
These signatures were gathered from 902 polling units across the five local government areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene.
As part of the recall process, Naija News gathered that INEC has sent a notification letter to Akpoti-Uduaghan, informing her of the receipt of the petition. A copy of the letter has also been forwarded to the presiding officer of the Senate.
Residents of Olena in Asa community, Otukpo LGA of Benue State, have fled their homes following a series of attacks by suspected herdsmen.
DAILY POST gathered that the community has been under siege for the past four days, with several people killed and many others abducted.
A resident, who spoke to our reporter, confirmed that villagers were forced to flee on Monday night when it became clear that help was not coming.
He lamented that the attackers had been terrorizing the community unchallenged for days.
“I am currently in Upu. I escaped with my family this night. At the moment, we have all vacated our community. Olena has been under attack for days now.
“They have killed and kidnapped several people. We have been crying for help, but no security agents have come to our rescue. I barely managed to escape with my life and my family tonight.
“Olena is under serious attack as we speak,” he said.
Our reporter also obtained video clips showing residents fleeing their homes on Monday night as the attacks continued.
[DailyPost]
Former Labour Party governorship candidate in Enugu State, Chief Chijioke Edeoga, has returned to the Peoples Democratic Party.
Edeoga, who had served the PDP in various capacities, including as a House of Representatives member, commissioner for local government affairs and commissioner for environment, among others, lauded Governor Peter Mbah’s leadership style during his official return at the PDP secretariat on Monday.
“I am impressed by Governor Mbah’s visionary, innovative, and transformative leadership, which has inspired me to return to the PDP,” he said.
Edeoga acknowledged that his decision might not be well received by some, but stressed the need for unity and a strong front ahead of the 2027 elections.
“I know that my decision to return to the PDP may not be appreciated by some, but I believe it is time for us to unite as a family and form a formidable front,” he said.
The state PDP Chairman, Dr Martin Chukwunwike, welcomed Edeoga back to the party, saying his return was a testament to Mbah’s “audacious leadership.”
He said, “We are excited to have Edeoga back in the PDP fold, and we are confident that more former members who had left the party would soon return.”
The Chairman of Isi-uzo Local Government Area, Obiora Obegu, described Edeoga’s return as “a step in the right direction.”
He added, “With Edeoga’s return, the PDP will now become stronger and more united, free from distractions and rancour.”
[Punch]
Mali, Burkina Faso, And Niger Impose 0.5% Levy On Imported Goods From Nigeria, Other ECOWAS Nations
AFOLABI
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have announced the implementation of a 0.5% levy on imported goods from Nigeria and other member-states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as they seek to fund a new regional union following their exit from the bloc.
The announcement, made in an official statement on Friday, marks a significant shift in trade relations within West Africa, with the new levy taking effect immediately.
The statement clarified that the levy would apply to all imported goods, except for humanitarian aid, and would be used to finance the activities of the new bloc, although no further details were provided on how the funds would be utilized.
The move effectively ends the free trade agreement that had been in place across West Africa under the ECOWAS umbrella for several decades.
This levy is part of a broader strategy by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to build a new union after their departure from ECOWAS.
The three countries, each currently ruled by military juntas following coups in 2023, had previously established the Alliance of Sahel States as a security pact.
Over time, this alliance has grown into an economic union with aspirations for greater military and financial integration, including plans to introduce biometric passports.
Last year, the three nations left ECOWAS, citing insufficient support from the bloc in combating Islamist insurgencies and addressing ongoing insecurity within their borders.
In response, ECOWAS imposed economic, political, and financial sanctions on Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, aiming to pressure them to return to constitutional order. However, these sanctions have had little effect on the three countries, which continue to strengthen their alliance.
A bill currently on the floor of the House of Representatives, seeking to stop anyone above 60 years from vying for election to the offices of the Nigerian President and State Governor has triggered controversy.
DAILY POST reports that the bill, sponsored by Imo lawmaker, Ikenga Ugochinyere was passed for second reading at the lower legislative chamber on Thursday.
If the bill scales through legislative scrutiny and is signed into law, the majority of the 2027 presidential hopefuls, including President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, will be missing.
This is because they are all over 60 years.
Titled “A Bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to review the requirements that qualify a person to be elected as President and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Governors and Deputy Governor of a State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and for Related Matters”, was one of the 31 proposed legislations which scaled second reading during Thursday’s plenary session.
The bill provides that “A person shall be qualified for election to the office of the President if he has been educated up to at least university level and has earned a Bachelor’s degree in his chosen field of study.
“Section 131 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting a paragraph which reads, “That he is not more than 60 years at the time of vying for the Office of President.
“Section 177(d) of the principal Act is amended by altering the educational requirement that qualifies persons to be elected as governor as follows:
“A person shall be qualified for election to the Office of the President if he has been educated up to at least university level and has earned a Bachelor’s degree in his chosen field of study.
“That he is not more than 60 years old at the time of vying for the office of Governor.”
While the bill was spontaneously accepted by Nigerian youths, who feel they have been marginalized for years, others rejected the move.
Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill
On May 31, 2018, the then Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari signed the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill into law, signalling hope for the younger generation, who may be vying for any political office.
The law reduces the age qualification for the office of Nigerian President from 40 to 35; state governor from 35 to 30; senator from 35 to 30 Federal House of Representatives and State House of Assembly membership from 30 to 25.
However, the majority of the elective positions across the country are still occupied by older politicians, fueling the move to enact law that would retire them and pave the way for younger politicians.
Some respondents, who spoke with DAILY POST on the age limit bill, expressed divergent opinions on the matter.
Nigeria needs clinical electoral reform system, not age limit – Osita Okechukwu
Mr. Osita Okechukwu, former Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, VON, and one of the founding brothers of the All Progressives Congress, APC, says rather that the age limit bill, Nigeria needs a clinical electoral reform system.
In a chat with DAILY POST, Osita opined that “age is a non-issue as per our national predicament. Rather the issue is the bandit mindset, whereby we all behave like bandits in all spheres of our life.
“Otherwise, how come we’ve cult members in junior secondary schools? Is it different from we the corrupt old men, whom they refer to as failed generations?
“All we need is a clinical electoral reform system as expressly recommended in the Uwais Report of 2008”.
The APC chieftain appealed to President Bola Tinubu, State Governors and members of the National and State Assemblies to “muster the political will to deepen our democracy and catapult Nigeria to giant status; by amending the constitutional nomination process of INEC and SIEC executives as recommended by Uwais Report interalia.
“Advertise all positions, spelling out requisite Qualifications! Receive Applications/Nominations from the General Public; Shortlist 3 Persons for each position and send to the National Council of State to select one from the Shortlist and forward to the Senate for Confirmation”.
“My submission is that it is only the truly independent INEC and SIEC which will ensure the highest quality and the highest standard of our general elections”, he added.
Ageism can’t stand in Nigerian law – Sowore
The 54-year-old presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in the last election, Omoyele Sowore has also rejected the bill, stating that such discrimination won’t stand in Nigerian law.
In a chat with DAILY POST, Sowore expressed pessimism about the progression of the bill, saying it may not see the light of day.
According to Sowore, “I am pretty sure the proposal won’t see the light of the day, I just think these legislators are trying to divert attention away from the scandalous role and the bribery saga involving the rivers state emergency rule.
“Any form of discrimination can’t stand in law, if it is based on age it is known as ageism. The fact that it is generally attractive doesn’t make it acceptable”.
Only the youths can savage Nigeria – Former Rep candidate
In his own view, Terzulum Ukpanya, a former candidate of the Labour Party for the Gboko/Tarka Federal constituency in Benue State said Nigeria may remain underdeveloped if the older politicians remain in power.
He said, “It is only when the Nigerian youths take back their country from these failed old politicians that things will be better.
“The only thing they know is how to acquire wealth for their unborn grandchildren. They have no vision for the country, they only plan for their pockets and that is why we keep seeing these unnecessary fights between them.
“It is so bad that when they get into power, they will want to plant their boys, who will be fraudulently remitting government money go them. This thing has been going on for ages and that is why we are where we are today.
“Their selfish interests have widened the gap between the rich and the poor because they keep acquiring wealth at the expense of the poor people.
“The president of France is just 47 years old. Go there and see what he is doing there. If President Tinubu falls sick today, he will go to a country where a 47-year-old boy is ruling. This is shameful.
“The age limit bill is a very good one but then, even if it is passed, who will sign it? It won’t go anywhere”.
[DailyPost]
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe as Chairman of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
This was revealed in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Sunday.
The appointment of the former Kwara Central Senator will be for an initial term of four years.
The communique also stated that Oloriegbe’s appointment took effect on March 11, 2025.
Oloriegbe represented the Kwara Central Senatorial District at the 9th Senate of the National Assembly.
”He holds a Master’s in Coaching and Consultation from the University of Oxford, UK, and HEC, Paris, and a Bachelor’s of Medicine and Surgery from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State.”
”He is a member of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), Nigeria Veneral Disease Association, Guild of Medical Directors of Nigeria, International Aids Society (IAS), and the Africa Health Leadership and Management Network,” it also read.
Oloriegbe served as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health from 2019 to 2023 and the Chairman of the Joint National Assembly Committee on Health.
[Channels TV]
More...
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky says most regions of the country were recently attacked by the Russian Army.
He said about 1,310 Russian guided aerial bombs, over 1,000 attack drones mostly “Shaheds”, and 9 missiles of various types, including ballistic ones, were launched into Ukraine in the past one week.
Zelensky, who confirmed this in a statement on his official X handle on Sunday, however, said a significant number of the weapons “were successfully shot down by our air defense warriors, mobile fire groups, and all units involved in protecting our skies”.
Confirming Saturday’s strike on Kharkiv, Zelensky said the attack “sadly took the lives of two people”.
Zelensky noted that Russia is dragging out the war, adding that Ukraine will continue to provide its “partners with full information on the strikes the Russian army is carrying out and the actions it is preparing for”.
“We expect a response from the United States, Europe and all our allies to this terror against our people,” he added.
The president thanked “all the leaders and states who understand this and continue their support”, stressing that the “stability and predictability of support for Ukraine are crucial”.
[DailyPost]
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas “to immediately withdraw the oppressive bill which contains repressive provisions to jail any Nigerian of voting age for six months and/or impose a fine of N100,000 on them if they fail to vote in national and state elections.”
SERAP urged Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas to instead “amend the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the Electoral Act 2022 to remove constitutional immunity for state governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences, including vote-buying, to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators.”
SERAP also urged Mr Akpabio and Mr Abbas “to amend the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act to explicitly prohibit the appointment of members of any political party as resident electoral commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”
There is currently in the National Assembly a ‘Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act 2022 to Make It Mandatory for All Nigerians of Majority Age to Vote in All National and State Elections and for Related Matters.’ The bill seeks to make voting compulsory and prescribes a six-month jail term or a fine of N100,000 or both for non-compliance.
In the letter dated 29 March 2025 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Jailing eligible Nigerians for deciding not to vote would be entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations.”
SERAP said, “Rather than proposing bills that would severely punish Nigerians who may decide not to exercise their right to vote, the National Assembly ought to propose bills to remove constitutional immunity for governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences and undermine the integrity of the electoral process.”
According to SERAP, “The most effective way to solve the perennial voter apathy is to create a safe and conducive environment, combat the impunity of high-ranking politicians who commit electoral offences, and generally improve the electoral process to encourage the citizens to come out to vote, and not to send them to jail.”
The letter, read in part: “Should the National Assembly fails to drop the bill prescribing a six-month jail term for eligible Nigerians who decide not to vote in national and state elections, and should any such bill be assented to by President Bola Tinubu, SERAP would consider appropriate legal action to challenge the legality of any such law and ensure they are never implemented.”
“The idea of compulsory voting and jailing citizens for not voting is impracticable, unnecessary and unlawful. The right to vote is part of citizens’ right to participate in their own government and the choice of whether to exercise it is personal.”
“The right to vote includes the right not to vote. If the right to participation is a right of the citizen, she/he must be free to decide whether or not to exercise it.”
“Because the notion of a democracy exists by virtue of the consent of the citizens, voters must get to choose how they exercise consent, not be forced to the polls like ‘cattle to the slaughter.’”
“The National Assembly ought to propose bills to reduce the influence of money in politics, and encourage and not compel the exercise of the right to participation.”
“The proposed bill is a blatant violation of the right to political participation, which is guaranteed under section 14(1)(c) of the Nigerian Constitution, article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.”
“SERAP also urges you to amend the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act to include explicit mandatory provisions on internet voter registration, and the use of modern technology, including in casting and counting, voter registration and systems for reporting results.”
“Amending the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act to explicitly include the right of eligible Nigerians to vote and to vote securely would enhance the effective enjoyment of their right political participation and representative democracy.”
“It would rebuild public confidence in the ability of the National Assembly to effectively perform its constitutional responsibilities.”
“Any amendment of the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act must include bills to address and punish governors and their deputies and their agents who commit electoral offences including voter suppression, voter intimidation and the destruction of polling units or theft of election materials.”
“It is important for the National Assembly to introduce and pass bills that would effectively rein politicians who continue to abuse the electoral rules to distort and undermine the right to participation with almost absolute impunity.”
“Removing constitutional immunity for governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences would address the brazen impunity for electoral and human rights crimes which frequently characterise the country’s elections.”
“The major problem facing the country’s democracy is the lack of respect for Nigerians’ right to participation and the concomitant lack of trust in election results. If citizens do not believe in the election process, then the entire system of democratic government becomes a questionable enterprise.”
“The crisis confronting Nigerian elections and lack of public trust and confidence in the electoral process can be addressed if the right of Nigerians to vote and to vote securely is explicitly recognized in the constitution as justiciable right.”
“Nigerians do not currently enjoy explicit right to vote and to vote securely. Although the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] provides in Section 14(1)(c) that, “the participation by the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”, this is not recognized as legally enforceable human right.”
“Nigerian election laws ought to be such that would give effect to the electorate’s will and uphold the popular mandate through clean, fair, and honest elections. The right to vote in a democracy is important because so many other matters depend upon its exercise.”
[Vanguard]
Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, has suspended Friday Ibadin, commander of the Edo State Security Corps, over the killing of 16 hunters in the Uromi area of the state.
In a statement released by the secretary to the state government on Saturday, Okpebholo also ordered the suspension of illegal vigilante groups operating in the state.
On Thursday, a mob in the Uromi area of Edo killed 16 hunters of northern descent who were travelling from Elele, Rivers state.
The police had said the hunters were killed after a local vigilante group, who mistook them for kidnappers, found 19 locally fabricated firearms in their possession.
President Bola Tinubu had ordered the police and security agencies to swiftly investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.
In the statement, the Edo governor said the vigilante group that carried out the act was not registered or profiled under the state security corps.
“It is to be reiterated that the local vigilante group involved in the gruesome killing of 27th March was operating illegally as it was never profiled or registered with Edo State Security Corps,” the statement reads.
“Its actions do not reflect the core values, character and principles of the Okpebholo administration, or the objectives of the corps as enshrined in the Edo State Security Corps Governance Law.
“Investigations into the killings are on-going and fourteen (14) persons have been arrested so far, while there is an intense manhunt for others involved in the gruesome killing by a special team set up by the Inspector General of Police.
“The Government of Edo State reiterates its belief in the constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens to move freely or engage in lawful business in any part of the country.
“In the meantime, the Government is in touch with families of the victims, community leaders and the Government of Kano State where most of the deceased are reported to hail from.
“We urge all parties involved to remain calm as the State Government remains committed to ensuring that justice is done in a most efficient, transparent and proactive manner.”
[TheCable]
![[PRESS STATEMENT] Governor Soludo Celebrates Mothers On 'Mothering' Day](/media/k2/items/cache/6bb848ada97730b6636ebdcc49882cc3_XS.jpg)
The Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, has expressed heart-warming congratulations and profound appreciation to all mothers in Anambra State and across Nigeria on the occasion of today's Sunday Mothering Day, lauding their unrelenting dedication, selfless love, and irreplaceable contributions to our families and society.
In his goodwill remarks, Governor Soludo described motherhood as the purest form of love and sacrifice, extolling the strength, resilience, and compassion demonstrated by mothers daily from the foundation upon which our communities thrive. It is thus most deserving to honour the extraordinary women who nurture dreams, instil values, and shape the future through their children.
The Governor also acknowledges the exceptional role of the First Lady of Anambra State, Dr. Nonye Soludo, whose humanitarian initiatives continue to transform lives across the state. Through her dedicated work with children and her inspiring Healthy Living Project, Dr. Nonye Soludo exemplifies the nurturing spirit of motherhood extended beyond family boundaries to embrace all Anambra citizens, aligning perfectly with the Soludo administration's vision of creating a livable and prosperous homeland where every citizen can thrive.
Therefore, Governor Soludo wishes all mothers a joyous celebration of this Mothering Day and reaffirms his commitment to supporting policies and programmes that continuously strengthen families and empower women in their vital roles as partners in state development.
Signed:
Christian Aburime
Press Secretary to the Governor