LAWMAKERS in the Green Chamber have started taking delivery of their Sports Utility Vehicles, this newspaper gathered. Similarly, legislators in the Red Chamber will receive the first batch of the SUVs this week. It was also gathered that the last tranche of the SUVs for use by the lawmakers would arrive before December. This newspaper reported that the leadership of the National Assembly had announced the decision to purchase imported SUVs for each lawmaker and bulletproof vehicles for the principal officers. The move has generated heavy criticism, with some citizens lampooning the parliamentarians for being insensitive to the plight of…
Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani
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BARELY 24 hours after the Supreme Court ended the dispute over 2023 Presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), were seen sharing a moment. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared President Bola Tinubu winner of the election, but Atiku challenged his victory in court, losing at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal and at the apex court. Reacting to the verdict, Ganduje had taunted Atiku, saying he would wait till 2031 as Tinubu, who is yet to spend a year in office, would…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has appointed Prof. Tunji Olaopa as Chairman of Federal Civil Service Commission. This was announced in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, Presidential spokesman, on Friday. The statement also announced new appointments across regions and geopolitical zones. The statement read in full: PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS NEW FEDERAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION LEADERSHIP TEAM As one of fourteen Federal Executive Bodies into which Section 154 of the Nigerian Constitution (1999, Amended) empowers the president to appoint its Chairman and members, President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of the following Nigerians to serve in the Federal Civil Service Commission…
THE National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu says President Bola Tinubu is committed to credible elections, assuring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of no interference in the off-cycle Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo governorship elections. Ribadu gave the assurance on Friday when he met with the INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu along with the Commission’s national commissioners and other members of the inter-agency Consultative Committe on Election Security. “This election will be better than any previous ones. It will be without violence, it will be free and fair and there will be no interferences,” Ribadu told the gathering, adding that Tinubu…
FORMER Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, is currently being detained in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. This newspaper can confirm that Emefiele, who is currently being interrogated at the National Headquarters of the anti-graft agency, Jabi, Abuja, was picked up by EFCC operatives Thursday night, less than an hour after he regained his freedom from the Department of State Services. An impeccable source revealed the development to our correspondent Friday morning, noting that the EFCC is probing Emefiele over alleged impropriety during his term as the head of the apex bank. “Yes,…
THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says no fewer than 1,255 journalists have been granted accreditation to cover the November 11 governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo states. The INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this during a quarterly consultative meeting with media executives on Thursday in Abuja. According to him, the journalists cut across 94 different media houses. “Our updated statistics show that 94 media organisations, deploying 1,255 personnel, have been accredited for the elections. “In the next few days, the accredited media organisations will be notified of the date for the collection of the identity cards for their…
THE Senate has confirmed Musa Aliyu as the substantive chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission. His confirmation followed a screening exercise on Thursday at the plenary. The screening started around 11:50 am after the leader, Bamidele Opeyemi, raised a point order to suspend relevant senate rules to allow strangers into the chamber. Aliyu, a lawyer and Attorney-General of Jigawa State was screened at the Committee of a Whole chaired by the Deputy President, Jibirin Barau. News Point Nigeria reported that President Bola Tinubu had written to the Senate on Wednesday seeking confirmation of Aliyu as…
President Bola Tinubu has told his aides that their jobs are secured. The nation’s number one citizen said this while responding to the affirmation of his victory by the Supreme Court. In a video posted on X by Arise News on its official handle (@ARISEtv) Tinubu is seen surrounded by Presidential Villa staff in his office who came to congratulate him on his win. In the midst of the felicitations, he calmly stated “Ajuri, your job is secured”. In response Ajuri, alongside the other staff erupted in laughter. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Tinubu, who contested under…
THE Supreme Court on Thursday affirmed the victory of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the valid winner of the February 25 presidential election. The apex court in its ruling held that the appeal filed by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, lacked merit. “On the whole, having resolved all the issues against the appellant, it is my view that there is no merit in the appeal and it is hereby dismissed,” Justice Inyang Okoro said. “The judgment of the court below delivered on September 6th 2023 affirming the election of…
THE Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the ruling by the Appeal Court that a candidate does not need to get at least 25 per cent of votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to be declared as the country’s president. Justice Inyang Okoro led the panel of justices to determine Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar’s appeal against Tinubu’s victory. While Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP)’s Peter Obi had wanted Tinubu’s win in February 2023 to be nullified on the ground that he did not get 25 per cent of votes in the FCT,…
THE Supreme Court has dismissed the application of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to file fresh evidence against President Bola Tinubu. Atiku had asked the court to allow him file the evidence obtained from Tinubu’s record at Chicago State University. The PDP Presidential Candidate had argued that Tinubu submitted forged documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). But Tinubu objected on the grounds that Atiku made the plea outside the 180 days stipulated period. In his ruling on Thursday, Justice Inyang Okoro, chairman of the 7-man panel, said the time allotted to…
THE Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver judgement (today) Thursday, October 26, 2023, in the cases of the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Bola Tinubu. The PDP presidential candidate and his LP counterpart have lodged appeals challenging the September 6 ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) that upheld Tinubu’s electoral victory. The judgement date was confirmed by all parties involved on Wednesday. At its last sitting on Monday, the apex court reserved judgement filed by Atiku…
THE Department of State Services (DSS) has released former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, this newspaper can confirm. Bawa has been in custody since June when President Bola Tinubu suspended him – exactly 134 days ago. Willie Bassey, Director of Information at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, had said Bawa was suspended as a result of weighty allegations of abuse of office levelled against him. Former governor of Zamfara State and Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, had accused Bawa of demanding $2 million bribe from him,…
PRESIDENT President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of nine (9) new Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a term of five (5) years each, subject to the confirmation of the Nigerian Senate. This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, Wednesday. The statement read in full: PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS NINE INEC RESIDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSIONERS By powers vested in him by Section 154 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, Amended) and Section 6 of the Electoral Act (2022), President…
THE Senate on Wednesday considered two bills seeking to ban the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Deputy Governors of the apex bank from participating in politics. The two bills passed a second reading during plenary at the upper chamber. The Senate passed them after the consideration of two similar bills sponsored by Sunday Karimi, the lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District and Darlington Nwokocha, lawmaker representing Abia Central Senatorial District. During the debates on the bills, the lawmakers proposed that Section 9 be further amended to insulate the CBN governor and deputies from participating in politics…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of two new Chief Executive Officers in Parastatals and Agencies under the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in line with the recommendations of the Minister, Adegboyega Oyetola: Managing Director / CEO, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) — Alhaji Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji. Executive Secretary / CEO, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) — Mr. Akutah Pius Ukeyima This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, Wednesday. The statement read in full: PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS NEW LEADERSHIP IN THE MARINE AND BLUE ECONOMY SECTOR President…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has written to the Senate for expeditious consideration of the confirmation of the appointment of Adamu Aliyu as Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The appointment of Saka Bolaji Suleiman and Prof. Dantata as members of the Federal Judicial Service Commission was also conveyed in a letter to the Senate President, where President Bola Tinubu sought the Senate’s confirmation. The Senate equally swore in Senator Amos Yohanna representing Adamawa North senatorial district. He is replacing Senator Elisha Abbo recently removed after the court voided the election of Elisha Abbo as senator…
THE Supreme Court has announced that it would deliver judgment in the appeals by the presidential candidates of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi challenging the result of the February 25 election which produced President Bola Tinubu. The Director of Information of the Supreme Court, Dr Festus Akande, confirmed the date on Wednesday. Atiku and Obi filed separate appeals at the apex court to challenging the judgement of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT), which dismissed their petitions and affirmed Tinubu’s electoral victory. Recall that on October 23, 2023, a seven-member panel…
THE Senate has justified the planned purchase of luxury vehicles for lawmakers in spite of dissenting voices in the last few days. Briefing journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Services, Sunday Karimi, said that the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly decided to buy the luxury cars for lawmakers because of durability and maintenance for the period of four years. He further stated that Nigerians were picking on lawmakers but ignoring ministers. According to him, some ministers have more than three Land Cruisers, Prado and other vehicles and questions are not…
THE Chairman of the Supreme Court panel hearing the appeals against the election of President Bola Tinubu, Justice John Okoro, said on Monday that the Peoples Democratic Party standard bearer in the February presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, must prove the allegation of certificate forgery levelled against the ex-Lagos State governor beyond reasonable doubt. Okoro handed down the admonition during the hearing of the election petition appeals filed by Atiku and Peter Obi of the Labour Party. He stated this following the submission of Atiku’s lead counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, urging the court to admit the fresh evidence brought by the…