Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani

THE Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed calls from certain quarters that the military interfere in the democratic process in Nigeria. The military high command under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa again pledged loyalty to the “constitutional authority” of President Bola Tinubu, saying that it will not be distracted from its roles that are well defined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended). This reaction came on the heels of calls by some Nigerians that the military should step into the country’s leadership position owing to the perceived failure of democratic governments. But in a statement…

SENATOR Abdul Ningi of Bauchi Central says the Senate told President Bola Tinubu to rule out war as part of moves to restore democracy in the Niger Republic. Senator Ningi, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday monitored by News Point Nigeria, said there must be a joint sitting of the National Assembly before the Nigerian Armed Forces could be deployed for war anywhere. “He has the right to ask (for permission) but the Constitution has stipulated some conditions. For him to ask the Nigerian Armed Forces to go into a war there needs to be…

FORMER governor of Kaduna State, Nasiru El-Rufa’i, has jetted out of the country after withdrawing his interest in ministerial appointment, this newspaper can confirm. A credible source told this newspaper that El-Rufai was off to Europe, but will be in Egypt first. The senate had last week approved the appointment of 45 out of the 48 ministerial nominees submitted by President Bola Tinubu. El-Rufai, and two other nominees; Stella Okotete (Delta) and Danladi Abubakar (Taraba) were not confirmed as the senate said they were awaiting security clearance about them. This newspaper had reported how Sunday Karimi, senator representing Kogi west,…

NIGER’s Coup Leaders have threatened to kill ousted President Mohamed Bazoum if neighbouring countries attempt any military intervention to reinstate him by ECOWAS. According to a report by The Associated Press on Friday, two “Western officials” said the putschists issued the threat while speaking to a top U.S. diplomat. This came shortly before the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said it had directed the deployment of a “standby force” to restore democracy in Niger, after its deadline of Sunday to restore Bazoum’s government expired. The threat to the deposed president raises the stakes both for ECOWAS and for…

THE Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has ordered its standby force to restore constitutional order in NIger Republic. News Point Nigeria reports that, the President of ECOWAS, Omar Alieu Touray made the declaration while reading the resolution of ECOWAS on the Niger coup at the ECOWAS Extraordinary meeting in Abuja on Thursday. It also called on the African Union, AU, partner countries and institutions to support the resolution taken by the sub-regional body. ECOWAS said all efforts made to dialogue with Niger Republic military junta have been defiantly rejected by coup leaders as they condemn continuous detention of…

CHARIPERSON of the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS), President Bola Tinubu, says it is crucial to prioritise diplomatic negotiations to resolve the crisis in Niger Republic. According to the Nigerian President, the regional bloc must engage the coup leaders in the neighbouring country to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum. Tinubu spoke on Thursday in Abuja when he declared opened ECOWAS second extraordinary session on the situation in Niger Republic. He said, “More so, in reaffirming our relentless commitment to democracy, human rights, and the well-being of the people of Niger, it is crucial that we prioritise diplomatic negotiations and…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu is said to have authorized a group of Muslim scholars to meet with the military junta in Niger Republic in a bid to resolve the socio-political crisis in that country. The religious leaders, who disclosed this while speaking with reporters after meeting with the President, said their offer had been accepted by the President. The clerics led by the national leader of the Jama’a tul Izalatul Bid’ah wa Iqamatus Sunnah, Sheikh Bala Lau, advised the Nigerian leader against the use of force in Niger. “We want to find a lasting solution. We want peace and harmony to…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu and the former Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II are currently meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The 14th Emir Of Kano had recently returned from Niger Republic where he went to meet the military junta that seized power from the democratically elected President Muhamad Bazoum. Sanusi arrived the Presidential at about 8:25pm immediately after a high delegation of the Nigeria Islamic Ulama met with the President. When asked about his visit to Niger, the leader of the Tijjaniyya Order in Nigeria simply said, it’s fine. As at the time of filing this report, Sanusi was…

OUSTED President of Niger Republic, Mohamed Bazoum, says he is being kept isolated and forced to eat dry rice. Recall that on July 26, 2023, the military ousted Bazoum and suspended the constitution. President Bola Tinubu, who is the Chairman of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), had scheduled a meeting for Thursday after the 7-day ultimatum that the regional bloc issued for the reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum elapsed. CNN quoted Bazoum in a series of text messages to a friend as saying he had been “deprived of all human contact” since Friday, with no one supplying him…

THE 14th Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, on Wednesday met with the coup leaders of Niger Republic in Niamey. News Point Nigeria reports that, the visit shouldn’t be unconnected with all efforts in finding a diplomatic end to the political impasse in Niger Republic. It is not clear whether Khalifa Muhammadu’s visit, who is also the leader of the Tijjaniyya Order in Nigeria was at the behest of the government or a personal endevour to help return peace in Niger.

THE Economic Community Of West Africa States (ECOWAS) under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu has imposed fresh sanctions over the coup in Niger Republic. The regional bloc had earlier given Niger junta seven days to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum or risk sanctions, including possible military action. But the coupists called the bluff of ECOWAS and vowed to resist any foreign intervention on its soil. It also severed ties with Nigeria, Togo, France and US, and shut down Nigerien airspace indefinitely. At the end of the ultimatum, the bloc scheduled a meeting for Thursday to review the situation in the…

THE Senate has transmitted the names of 45 confirmed ministerial nominees to the Presidency. The Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Abdullahi Gumel, disclosed this in an interview with journalists at the National Assembly on Tuesday. Explaining why the number of ministerial nominees was increased to 48 as against 42 in the previous administration, Gumel said some of the ministries which were merged will now stand alone namely the Ministry of Works and Housing. He also thanked the Senators for suspending their recess to screen and confirm the nominees. The Senate on Monday confirmed 45 out of…

SENATE Spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, says the red chamber may re-invite the three ministerial nominees yet to be confirmed for re-screening. Adaramodu representing Ekiti South Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly (NASS) made this known on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Tuesday monitored by News Point Nigeria. Asked whether the Senate was still going to confirm those yet to be confirmed, the lawmaker said, “The question raised about them is an ongoing issue. So, once the Senate is satisfied, definitely, if we may likely invite them to the chamber for the re-confirmation and re-screening. We’ll do that.” The three…

THE Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Monday, announced new chairmen of some standing committees in the red chamber. News Point Nigeria reports that, the Senate President named the chairmen of the committees after confirming 45 of the 48 ministerial nominees during the day’s plenary session. President of the Ninth Senate Ahmad Lawan (Defence), former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal (Housing), and former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole (Interior) were some of the senators appointed to chair committees. Also appointed were Sen Godiya Akwashiki (Airforce), Buhari Abdul-Fata (Aviation), Osita Izunaso (Capital Market), Cyril Fasuyi (Establishment), Seriake Dickson (Ecology/Climate Change),…

THE management of Azman Air has sent all staff of the company on a mandatory leave without payment nationwide – News Point Nigeria gathered. The management in a memo sighted by News Point Nigeria, signed by the HR Manager, Magaji Mohammed Misau, dated 3rd August, 2023 and titled: ‘PLACEMENT OF LEAVE WITHOUT PAY,” requested all of the staff to leave with an exception of an under listed eight staff. “The letter reads in part: “As you are aware, our domestic operations has been put on hold for a while due to the conveyance of our aircraft for C-Checks and the …

AS diplomatic efforts continue with pressure mounting on the putschists who hijacked power in neighbouring Niger Republic, President Bola Tinubu, on Sunday night, met with five northern governors who share borders with the coup-torn country. The meeting was part of consultations by the President on the situation in Niger Republic. The governors, who met the President at Aso Rock are Ahmed Aliyu (Sokoto), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Idris Nasir (Kebbi) and Dr Dikko Radda (Katsina). Though details of the meeting held at the State House in Abuja were not made public, the meeting is coming as Economic…

THE family of a former chairman of the defunct National Party of Nigeria in Plateau State, Alhaji Yahaya Sabo, has accused the immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu of illegally taking over of their House for over 25 years without making any payment to the family. The property which is presently being occupied by the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, was said to have been donated to the agency by the Nasarawa State government. The first son of the family, Mohammed Sabo, made the disclosure while speaking with…

CONCERN Citizens Project (CCP), an organisation for good governance in Nigeria, said the recent happenings resulting from the move made by the Department of State Services (DSS) to rearrest and continue to interrogate the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, and continued detention of the suspended EFCC Chairman, Abdurrashid Baba, are commendable jobs. CPP made this public in a press statement signed by its National Coordinator, Amb. Salisu Jaji, yesterday,  August 4, 2023, in Abuja. The statement reads as; “it is known that the DSS are accusing the CBN governor over accusations of economic and financial crimes…

THE Senate has asked the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS and other leaders of the region to tread softly in addressing the political quagmire in Niger Republic. Rising from a closed-door session that lasted close to two hours to discuss the letter written to the Senate on Friday by President Bola Tinubu on the decisions taken by the regional body, the Senate asked ECOWAS to strengthen political and diplomatic options and other means to resolve the political impasse in Niger Republic. The Senate while condemning the Niger coup in totality, commended the chairman, President Bola…

MEMBERS of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Governors’ Forum; the party’s National Working Committee (NWC); and its flag bearer for the 2023 poll, Atiku Abubakar; on Saturday, met at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja for a stakeholders’ meeting. PDP’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum; the Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara, as well as other party stakeholders were present at the meeting. The agenda of the meeting was not made known to journalists. However, this is the first time since after the general elections that Atiku would be meeting with the PDP governors and other…