Author: Farouk Abbas

Recall Proocess’ll Deepen Democracy, Put Lawmakers On Their Toes THE Campaign for Democracy has said that the actions taken by the suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, since the “avoidable” crisis began a few weeks ago, have put Nigeria’s image on trial before the global community. The foremost Civil Society Organisation expressed concern that, rather than addressing the core issues surrounding her suspension within the framework of Nigeria’s democratic institutions, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan chose to “engage in a campaign of calumny against the Senate as an institution.” In a statement on Thursday, signed…

THERE mild tension as Police are currently investigating a case of alleged infiltration of the National Assembly by Russia’s KGB (Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti), the former Soviet security agency. The Police headquarters had invited Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi, for questioning following a petition by his colleague, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to that effect, it was learnt. According to the petition dated March 5, Senator  Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on six months suspension from the Senate had asked the police to investigate the claim by her counterpart from Kogi West that the KGB had infiltrated the National Assembly, thus posing a…

– Say, ‘She’s Now A Paper Weight In Kogi Central’ THOUSANDS of Kogi Central constituents have unanimously thrown their weights behind the ongoing recall process for the suspended Senator representing the District in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, saying no amount of falsehood and propaganda can derail the process. The constituents noted that it had become clear that her being in the Senate was an error, adding that they were determined to correct that error. The over 10,000 constituents, from the five local government areas in Kogi Central, under the platform of Kogi Central Grassroots Movement, spoke through a…

THE Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening cultural ties with Uganda. The Minister, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa made this known on Tuesday in Abuja, when a 27-man delegation comprising senior military officers from Uganda paid her a courtesy visit. The Minister said that the collaboration is part of Nigeria’s broader strategy to promote pan-Africanism and foster greater regional integration. Minister Musawa who was represented by the Head of Department, Cultural Industries and Heritage, Rev. Canon Anamah N.U.B, Ph.D stated that Nigeria and Uganda have a long-standing relationship which dates back to…

THE Organised Labour has strongly condemned the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, warning that it may be forced to take decisive action that could disrupt national economic activities if the proclamation is not reversed within a reasonable timeframe. The threat was contained in a statement jointly signed by the Rivers State Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Alex Agwanwor; State Chairperson of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Ikechukwu Onyefuru; and Chairperson of the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC), Chuku Emecheta. The labour unions raised concerns about the legality, economic impact, and consequences of the federal government’s…

ACTIVIST, and pro-democracy advocate, Comrade Okpe Sylvanus, has lauded the decision of constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District to recall the embattled Senator representing them at the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The activist, in a video that has now gone viral, said these were the electorate of Kogi Central and that, going by their constitutional rights, they also had the power to recall her at anytime. In the four minutes, 36 seconds video, he lambasted the suspended Senator over what he described as her mischievous allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The activist said, as a lawyer, a Senator…

KOGI West indigenes, on Sunday, said the unstable and embarrassing conduct of the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, had shown that her call for periodic drug tests for senators was apt. The indigenes said the embattled senator’s advice was in order, considering the fact that her conduct since she refused to obey a simple sitting arrangement rule at the Senate, had truly called for a drug test to ascertain if she was free from the influence of substance. The constituents were responding to a statement by the embattled Senator, where she called for…

THE Senator Representing, Kogi West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Sen. Sunday Karimi, has said that the current happenings in the Senate involving the lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, have vindicated former Governor Yahaya Bello. Senator Karimi noted that, as a key player in the National Assembly, he could comfortably say that the former Governor could, afterall, not have been blamed for what Akpoti-Uduaghan blamed him for in the state prior to the National Assembly elections. The Kogi West Senator, who spoke to journalists in Lokoja, in reaction to the face-off between Akpoti-Udaughan and Senate President Godswill…

‘Action Shows You Have Realised You’re As Good As Gone’ KOGI Central indigenes have described the recent court injunction obtained by the embattled lawmaker representing the Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from receiving a petition for her recall, as a sign that “she has realised that she is as good as gone.” According to the constituents, who cut across the five local government areas of the Senatorial District, once intentions are not pure, individuals are bound to commit irreversible blunders, “which is the case of Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan, even in the construction of her court…

THE Supreme Court has nullified the judgements of the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court which sacked Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). A five-member panel of the apex court held that the issue of who is the National Secretary of the PDP borders on the internal affairs of a political party which is not justiciable. Justice Jamilu Tukur, who delivered the lead judgment of the Supreme Court, consequently struck out the judgement of the trial court delivered in October 2024 and also set aside the majority judgement of the court of appeal…

Discard Inducement Insinuation As Unfounded ‘We Want To Bring Her Back Too Learn Purposeful Representation EBIRA indigenes have condemned, in strong terms, insinuations that the recall process against the lawmaker representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, was not endorsed by the majority of the electorate in the area. The indigenes, from across the five local governments of Kogi Central, said they had resolved to bring the embattled Senator back home, adding that the embarassment she had caused the senatorial district had, unfortunately, taken an “international dimension.” This stand was taken in a statement on Thursday, jointly…

THE 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has announced the formation of a Coalition of Opposition Political Parties to oust President Bola Tinubu in 2027. The former Vice President confirmed this while responding to a question on behalf of the opposition leaders at an ongoing press conference at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja. He said, “Yes, this is the birth of the coalition of opposition ahead of 2027.” THE Coalition led by Atiku also had former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachair Lawal, Peter Obi and some…

POLICE authorities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) say six persons have died and fourteen cars burnt following an explosion at the Karu Bridge in the nation’s capital.  The incident on Wednesday along the Abuja-Nyanya-Keffi sent panic among residents of the nation’s capital. But in a statement hours after the incident, the spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, Josephine Adeh, said the accident involved a trailer that lost control and crashed into a stationary vehicle trapped in traffic.  “The impact engulfed fourteen vehicles in a raging inferno. Panic and chaos followed as bystanders and motorists scrambled for safety. Emergency responders rushed…

JUSTICE Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out the preliminary objection of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), challenging the competence of the ₦100 billion import license suit instituted by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals. In a ruling, Justice Ekwo held that the NNPCL failed to file a counter affidavit against Dangote Refinery’s suit but rather filed a preliminary objection, contrary to relevant laws guiding court proceedings. The judge added that where the issue of jurisdiction is raised, the court can address it at the time of judgement. He faulted the NNPCL for flouting…

FORMER Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has accused his successor, Senator Uba Sani, of diverting local government (LG) funds to purchase properties in Seychelles, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. El-Rufai, who recently defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), made the allegations in an interview with Freedom Radio Kaduna, yesterday. He claimed that Sani converted local government allocations into dollars to acquire the foreign properties. He said that this was a departure from what transpired during his tenure when he did not interfere with local government funds. “When I was governor,…

– Says, Not All Nigerians Can Be Bullied, Blackmailed FORMER Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has dismissed as deliberate mischief, claims by the Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, that his cement factory was demolished twice during the Amosun Administration. In a statement, titled, “Re-Government Demolished My Cement Factory Twice”, signed by Lanre Akinwale, for Senator Ibikunle Amosun Media Office, the former Governor challenged Dangote to “avail the public of the requisite approvals for the construction of the structures he alleged were demolished.” Amosun noted that his government believed that there could not be two governments in…

FORMER Vice President Namadi Sambo has clarified that Umar Sani is no longer his spokesman and that any public opinions expressed by him are strictly personal. In a statement signed by his Personal Aide, Yinka Ibrahim, Sambo noted that Sani, also known as Dekat, has recently been vocal about his political views. However, he emphasized that some media reports have mistakenly attributed those opinions to him. The statement urged media organizations to take note that Sani is no longer authorised to speak on behalf of the former Vice President. “It has come to our attention that recent media reports have…

AS Nigeria continues regional consultations on the 2025 Voluntary National Review (VNR), the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs (SSAP-SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, OFR, has emphasised the need for stakeholders to intensify efforts towards the achievement of the SDGs by 2030. She stated this in her Keynote Address, delivered on her behalf by Dr Bala Yunusa, mni, Senior Technical Adviser, at the North-East Regional Consultation in Gombe as part of Nigeria’s VNR preparation for the High-Level Political Forum in New York in July 2025. The SSAP-SDGs noted that world leaders established the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable…

THE Federal Government on Saturday explained why it awarded the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project to Hitech Construction Company Ltd. The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, made the explanation during an inspection tour of the highway project in Lagos. Recall that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had described the N15.6tn Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project as wasteful and corrupt. He equally slammed the President Bola Tinubu administration for spending N21bn on a new official residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima, calling it a misplaced priority and conduit designed to embezzle public funds. The ex-leader disclosed this in chapter six of his new…

THE All Progressives Congress has commended former President Muhammadu Buhari for reaffirming his commitment to the ruling party, describing his stance as a demonstration of integrity and party loyalty. In a statement on Saturday by the APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the party applauded the former President for swiftly disassociating himself from individuals attempting to link him with “nonplussed political choices.” The statement read in part, “The All Progressives Congress greets and commends former President Muhammadu Buhari for his solid reaffirmation of loyalty to our great party. In a statement of Thursday, March 13, 2025, the former President stated,…