President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Justice Dongban Mensem as Acting President of the Court of Appeal. The decision was taken following the retirement of the outgoing President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa (CFR), on March 6, 2020 (Friday). Justice Mensem would be stepping in to act in the capacity for three months. A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said the approval of the temporary appointment followed the recommendation of the Chief Justice of Nigeria. “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of…
Author: Emmanuel Anthony
There were argument and counter-argument at the Senate on Thursday over the procedure for loan requests by states The President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan had asked that partisanship debate on loans be avoided, following the discovery of flaws in the report submitted by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Loans and Local Debts, Senator Clifford Ordia. Senate Minority leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe insisted that Senate should debate on the report to determine its merit or otherwise amid skepticism that the report would be turned down. Abaribe explained that the committee submitted the report so that there could…
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised alarm on the new way coronavirus can spread without people noticing. The organization said people should start using contactless technology instead of cash as banknotes may be spreading coronavirus. The infectious COVID-19 virus could be carried on the surface of banknotes for several days, the WHO warned on Monday night. To stop the spread of the disease, people should use contactless payments where possible and wash their hands after handling cash, a WHO spokesman said. The Bank of England also recognized that banknotes “can carry bacteria or viruses” and encouraged frequent hand washing.…
A detachment of men of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) yesterday besieged the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a move to forestall any breakdown of law and order after a court-ordered Adams Oshiomhole to stop parading himself as the chairman of the party. About 9 trucks full of well-armed policemen were at the APC secretariat with some roaming around the compound, asking staff to return to their offices.As at the time of filing this report, it was yet to be ascertained who called for the reinforcement. A source, however, said that thugs were seen gathering near…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed 34 amendments to the Electoral Act. The proposal was made public by its Director of Legal Services, Oluwatoyin Babalola, who said there are certain shortcomings in the electoral legal framework that should be addressed through legislation. Also, Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Sam Olumekun said the delimitation of constituencies was long overdue, in accordance with the 1999 Constitution. He said the last constituency delimitation was done “more than a long time ago,” adding that the population of the country and registered voters have increased exponentially, thereby underscoring an urgent review for…
Justice Chima Nweze of the Supreme Court yesterday disagreed with the other six justices who dismissed a review brought before the apex court by Emeka Ihedioha. Recall that the Supreme Court in Abuja in a six-to-one judgment had on Tuesday dismissed the application for review of its January 14, 2020, judgment which removed Emeka Ihedioha as Imo State Governor and declared Hope Uzodinma as the valid winner of the last governorship election in the state. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, in a split ruling of six-to-one, described the application by Ihedioha ruling as an invitation to sit in an appeal…
The Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP), on Monday, described the conduct of Saturday Local Government elections in Enugu State as satisfactory. CRPP, at a press briefing in Enugu, said reports from its field agents showed that the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), and the political parties substantially complied with the relevant laws and guidelines guiding the election. Chairman of the group, Barr. Ken Ikeh, flanked by other leaders of the group, said they were delighted that Enugu had witnessed another smooth transition in the local government system. According to them, “the election was widely reported by both our…
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), in Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, has revealed that Lyon’s deputy, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo is on the verge of committing suicide. This follows the Supreme Court verdict that sustained the sacking of Bayelsa State governor-elect, David Lyon and Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, his deputy, Recall that the Supreme Court had sacked David Lyon over Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo allegedly certificates forgery. Speaking in an interview on Monday, Sylva who maintained that the APC was negated in the Supreme Court Judgement, said he (Silva) is dealing with a matter of life and death. According to…
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has spoken on the increasing insecurity in Nigeria. Obasanjo spoke on Saturday at the first Memorial Lecture for the late founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Frederick Fasehun. The former leader stated security and political structure were of great concern to Fasehun. Obasanjo said the first duty and responsibility of a leader of any human community or organisation is the security of life and property of all the members of the community, the organisation of the society. He said there is no doubt that the national security architecture, apparatus, system and arrangements in Nigeria today…
Professor of Virology, Maduike Ezeibe of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), who once claimed to have discovered therapy for the cure of HIV/AIDS, said that his therapy has the potency to cure the dreaded coronavirus ravaging China and some Asian countries. Ezeibe who is the Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine, MOUAU, made the claims in a statement, adding that the therapy can also cure Lassa fever. The professor of Virology who gave the chemical equation of the therapy as (AI4(SiO4)3+3Mg2SiO4-2AI2Mg3(SiO4)3) said: “it’s a mechanism for curing Covid -19 and Lassa fever”. On how the therapy works, Professor Ezeibe…
The deputy governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat has debunked reports that an Italian diagnosed of coronavirus in Lagos works with Agip Saipem, an oil engineering company in Banana Island, Lagos. However, he explained that the man who doesn’t work with Agip works as a consultant for a yet-to-be-disclosed company in Ewekoro, Ogun State. The Italian was confirmed to have the virus on Friday morning — about two days after he arrived in the country. He came in from Milan, Italy, the country with the highest rate of the infection in Europe. This message went viral on social media on…
About 41 stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Zamfara State, have dumped the party and joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The party chieftains are from Talata-Mafara Local Government Area of the state. Talata-Mafara is the LGA of the immediate past Governor and APC leader in the state, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari. The defectors were led to Governor Bello Matawalle at the Government House by Dr. Sha’aya Shehu alongside the State PDP leadership. Shehu said the team: “consists of 41 political leaders who command respect across the local government area and have a political structure in place.” He told…
The ousted governor-elect of Bayelsa State, David Lyon, has finally accepted the final ruling of Nigeria’s highest court, Supreme Court that nullified his victory at the November 16, 2019 governorship election in the State. In a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen on Thursday, Lyon said though the decision of the Supreme Court dashed the hope of the people of the state, he accepted it in the interest of peace and the development of the State. The former Governor-elect called on the supporters of his political party, his loyalists and the people that voted for him during the…
Nigeria’s Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, has claimed that Boko Haram is targeting Christians, in a bid to cause a religious war. Mohammed stated this on Thursday while addressing a press conference in Abuja, the nation’s capital. The Minister admitted that although the insurgents are still attacking Muslims, they now “have a deliberate policy of attacking Christians”. “They have started targeting Christians and Christian villages for a specific reason, which is to trigger a religious war and throw the nation into chaos. “This did not in any way signify that they have stopped attacking Muslims. But they seem to now…
Iran’s vice-president has been diagnosed with coronavirus, state media have reported, as the country struggles to stop the spread of the disease. Masoumeh Ebtekar is among 254 people infected with the virus in the Middle Eastern nation, where 26 people have been killed. The vice-president for women and family affairs is better known internationally as the English-language spokeswoman for the hostage-takers who seized the US embassy in Tehran in 1979, sparking a 444-day diplomatic crisis. Recall that Iran’s deputy health minister also tested positive for the virus earlier this week, hours after appearing visibly unwell at a press conference during…
The Supreme Court has struck out the appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), for the review of the Bayelsa Governorship election. The Court in its ruling said the appeal lacked merit and as a result, struck out. Justice Amina Augie who read the judgment pointed out that the apex court’s decisions were final. The judge said the applicants failed to point out errors in the earlier judgment, insisting that the judgment is final for all ages, saying that no court can fault or reverse it. It would be recalled that Lyon and APC in their applications argued by…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a dramatic twist has denied its statement that it was prosecuting a former lawmaker and human rights activist, Shehu Sani at the resumed hearing on Wednesday for an alleged $25,000. The anti-graft agency has dragged the former lawmaker before the Federal High Court presided by Justice Inyang Ekwo over an alleged $25,000 offered him by the proprietor of ASD Motors, Alhaji Sani Dauda. At Tuesday’s hearing, the EFCC’s counsel tendered documents before the Court asserting that Shehu Sani was being prosecuted for $10,000 which was later published on the agency’s official Twitter…
A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, to seven years imprisonment. The embattled politician has been under trial for money laundering and criminal diversion of funds to the tune of N400 million. Justice Okon Abang handed down the sentence in his judgment on seven counts brought against Metuh and his company, Destra investment, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The judgment came after the court found Metuh, guilty of some of the charges leveled against him. Justice Okon Abang found Metuh guilty of counts…
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Abubakar Adamu, on Tuesday, ordered the closure of all Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) satellite offices. The directive followed Monday’s protests in Sagamu against SARS. The people had marched against the killing of Remo Stars Football Club player, Tiamiyu Kazeem aka Kaka, in Ogun State. Adamu announced the scrap when he accompanied Governor Dapo Abiodun, on a condolence visit to the home of the deceased Vice-Captain of Remo Stars. The IGP was represented by Deputy Inspector General of Police, in-charge of Research and Planning, Peter Ogunyanwo. He ordered that all activities at the satellite offices should be…
Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has recorded a growth of 2.55 percent (year-on-year) in real terms in the fourth quarter of 2019, the highest since the recession in 2016. This was made public in the latest report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. The figure shows an increase of 0.17 percent points compared to the fourth quarter of 2018 which recorded a growth rate of 2.38 percent. According to the data agency, the GDP growth also represents an increase of 0.27 percent points when compared with the third quarter of the year under review. “The strong…
Five Northern groups have appealed to Ndigbo to boldly come out and save Nigeria from her present predicaments by vying for the 2023 Presidency. The groups are the Arewa Youth Coalition (AYC), Northern Youths Progressive Forum (NYPF), Northern Youths Initiative (NYI), Arewa Women Consultative Forum(AWCF), United Arewa Change for a Better Nigeria. The northern groups made their position known in a press statement jointly signed by their spokespersons, Ibrahim Ndanus (AYC), Illyasu Bingham (NYPF), Liman Katsina (NYI), Hajia Bilma Alheri (AWCF) and Dan Musa Mohammed,(Arewa Change). It called on the Northern extraction to fully back an Igbo candidate to occupy…
Gubernatorial candidate, Deputy and chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), alongside the party’s teeming supporters in Jigawa State have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The SDP gubernatorial candidate, Bashir Adamu Jumbo who served for 16 years as House of Representative member, represented Roni, Kazaure, Gwiwa and Yan’kwashi from 1999 to 2015 under the umbrella of PDP. He left the party for allegedly accusing PDP of refusing to give him a senatorial ticket in the 2015 election. Jumbo defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) after the 2015 election. He also pulled out from APC to SDP…
Security operatives on Saturday barred protesting youths from getting close to the convoy of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. Oshiomhole was in Benin to attend the burial ceremony of mother of Hon Ehiozuwa Agbonyinma, late Cecilia Agbonyinma. Heavily armed security personnel were mobilised to the Benin Airport following reports that youths were at the airport to boo Oshiomhole. At the airport entrance gate, there were soldiers and two police vehicles while others comprising officials of the Department of State Security, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were stationed at various points of the Airport. The…
The Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri has urged those aggrieved with the Supreme Court ruling that declared him governor to put their grievances behind and support his administration. Diri spoke while promising useful programmes for the state to rekindle the hope of the people. Diri was sworn in as the fifth governor of Bayelsa State on February 14 sequel to the February 13 Supreme Court judgment that sacked the erstwhile governor-elect, David Lyon. Diri disclosed his administration’s direction during a state-wide broadcast in Yenagoa. According to him, victory in a political context is not an end in itself but as…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been described as a Coronavirus infected party that someone of the status and pedigree of former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose can never join. Media Aide to the former governor, Lere Olayinka, stated this in a statement on Friday in reaction to a statement by the APC in Ekiti State, that Fayose was not qualified to join the party. Olayinka said, “it is funny that the APC in Ekiti State lied and went further to react to its lies.” He added; “As I write, Fayose is presently in a meeting of major stakeholders…
The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, has sought a refund of over N32billion his predecessors spent on Federal Government’s projects, especially on roads in the state. Uzodinma paid a visit to the President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting, he said he raised the issue with Buhari because Imo was ‘financially distressed’. He said, “About N32bn that was spent on federal roads in the past…Imo is financially distressed.” Uzodinma’s immediate predecessor, Mr. Emeka Ihedioha, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, is contesting the Supreme Court judgment that sacked…
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) named Reformed PDP (R-PDP) has emerged in Adamawa State and has inaugurated its officials. The R-PDP took the step Thursday in Yola amid attempt to stop it by operatives of the Nigeria Police who blocked the members from their initial venue, the Lalewal Hotel in central Jimeta, forcing the members to convene at the house of its leader, Dr. Umar Ardo, in high brow Karewa, Jimeta. The R-PDP has been at loggerheads with the mainstream PDP in the state since the conveners first publicly announced its formation last year, and only about…
National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Secondus, has said his party will retrieve its governorship mandate in Imo State at the Supreme Court. Secondus said there are several grounds upon which PDP is relying to ‘retrieve’ its mandate in Imo State. Addressing journalists in Abuja, the PDP National Chairman expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would review and reverse the judgment which declared Hope Uzodinma the winner of the last governorship election in Imo State. He insisted that the number of votes cast was higher than the number of accredited voters, adding that the apex court Justices were…
The Lawmaker representing Brass constituency 1, Akassa, Hon. Abraham Ingobere has emerged as the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly (BYHA). Also elected was the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Michael Ogbere, member representing Ekeremor Constituency 3, who was the Chief whip until his alleviation. It was gathered that the slight change was as a result of the newly sworn-in Governor of the state, Senator Douye Diri, who eventually is from the same Senatorial district of the former Speaker, Rt. Hon. Edwin Obolo-bubo, hence the need for the new leadership. Ingobere, a third-term legislator in the hallowed chambers came into…
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has said President Muhammadu Buhari will not sack his Service Chiefs now. Mustapha explained that Nigeria was in a difficult situation hence synergy was needed within the intelligence community. Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the SGF faulted calls for the sack of Service Chiefs, following the spate of insecurity in the country. Mustapha noted that the country would be at the receiving end if Buhari sacks his Service Chiefs now. He said: “We are in a very difficult time now. We need everybody to be on board. We…
