Author: Chief Editor

Independent National Electoral Commission has declared a sitting member of the House of Representatives Hon. Chukwuma Michael Umeoji as flagbearer of the All Progressives Grand Allaince in the Anambra State governorship election billed for November 6. The electoral umpire also named Andy Uba, who won the controversial primaries of All progressives Congress, APC, as the candidate of the party for the November poll. These were contained in the list of candidates for the Anambra State governorship election published by the commission. Prior to the primary elections, APGA had been rocked by a leadership crisis with two factions laying claims for…

Looting sprees in South Africa that saw thousands of people pillage shops and warehouses are poised to worsen the country’s already grave struggle with coronavirus, health experts said. “We are concerned about the last three or so days of rioting in some parts of South Africa, it may exacerbate the situation of a very severe wave,” the World Health Organization’s director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said on Thursday. “The government has to brace itself, and we in the WHO will be preparing to see an increase in the cases again.” Recent days of unrest in the country has left at…

Abimbola Adelakun Until Tuesday, there were two media-muzzling bills before the National Assembly: one is the Act to amend the Nigerian Press Council Act 1992, and the other is the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission Amendment Bill. Properly speaking, both should have been aptly re-labelled “Decree 4.” Sponsored by one Olusegun Odebunmi representing Surulere/Ogoluwa Federal Constituency of Oyo State, they contained draconian provisions. They were the latest installment in the obsessive attempt of the Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) regime to shrink free speech and constrain media freedom. Since 2015, no other ambition has consumed this regime more than constricting democratic space,…

The House of Representatives has commenced the clause-by-clause consideration of the Electoral amendment Bill as presented by Chairman of the Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Aisha Dukku. The session is being presided over by Deputy Speaker, Hon. Idris Wase. The issue of electronic transmission of election results is expected to generate heated debate when the clause is considered. The Senate had earlier voted on the clause, rejecting it by 52 to 28 votes. [ThisDay]

President Muhammadu Buhari will on Monday in Daura, Katsina State, inaugurate the first Integrated Farm Estate established by the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA). The authority was established by the former Military Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) through Decree No. 92 of 1992 to execute a National Agricultural Land Development Programme that would address the chronic problem of low levels of utilisation of abundant farmland and rural labour resources as well as the high cost of land development. It was however scrapped in 2002, 10 years into its existence by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration. NALDA was…

The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Prof. Sani Muhammad Adam, as National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) representing the North Central zone. The confirmation of the nominee followed a presentation and consideration of a report by its Committee on INEC. Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Kabiru Gaya (APC-Kano), in his presentation, said the request to confirm Adam by President Muhammadu Buhari was made in accordance with Sections 153(1)(f) and 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Following the suspension of the confirmation of the nominee by the Senate last Tuesday, Gaya said, the committee, in exercising…

The Senate on Thursday passed the electoral act amendment bill 2021 amidst a rancorous atmosphere after a disagreement over clause 52(3) almost torn the red chamber apart. Some senators of the ruling All Progressives Congresses (APC) kicked against the electronic transmission of results during the plenary session. The Senators considered the bill which had 158 clauses, clause after clause until all clauses were dispensed members of the APC in the Senate on Thursday voted against electronic transmission of results. Senator Sabi Abdullahi had sought for amendment to the clause saying, “The commission may consider electronics collation of results provided the…

The Nigerian Army (NA) has debunked reports that it has released over 1009 ex-Boko Haram fighters to Borno State government. Army spokesman, Onyema Nwachukwu, a Brigadier General who debunked the story noted that the army has been notified of a media publication alleging that the NA has handed over 1009 Ex-Boko Haram fighters to Borno State government. A national daily, (not The Guardian) had reported that the Nigerian military on Wednesday released 1,009 ex-Boko Haram insurgents, who had been in military custody at Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. It further said the former terrorists were handed over…

Few months after the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) lost its Beechcraft King350 aircraft to a mishap that claimed the lives of former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Attahiru and ten other senior officers, the first batch of 6 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft procured, have departed the United States of America on Wednesday, July 14, enroute Nigeria. Air force spokesman, Edward Gabkwet, an Air Commodore who made the disclosure, noted that the six aircraft will be leapfrogged through 5 countries of Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and Algeria before arriving their final destination in Nigeria towards the end of July 2021. “An official…

Resident doctors at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, have put their services on hold indefinitely. The development, according to the president of the association Dr Olaniyi Olaoye, was due to the irregularities in the payment of their salaries attributed to alleged reduction in the monthly subvention to the hospital by government. Dr Olaoye explained that since 2018, resident doctors have been subjected to hardship due to the payment of only their net salary as against the gross. He said the non remittance of various deductions such as cooperative and union dues to appropriate quarters had hindered them…