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Tinubu Reaffirms Commitment to Revitalizing Road Infrastructure Tinubu Reaffirms Commitment to Revitalizing Road Infrastructure

2027: South West, Tinubu’s supporters playing with fire – Part 2

Fola Badmus03 mins

By Mallam Nasir El-Rufai Driven by ego and the arrogance of power, these South South and PDP elements increasingly and I dare add naively went against the North, where the PDP still had considerable influence and support then, in the most condescending manner and in so doing gradually lost the support of the North to the advantage of Buhari and the APC coalition. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, as I Iook at the rambunctiousness of some APC members and fellow supporters of President Bola Tinubu, especially from the south west geopolitical zone, I wonder if people have any sense of history and if they truly understand Nigerian politics. I read some people say that President Tinubu is not former President Jonathan, Jagaban is a political juggernaut and master strategist, etc. All that I totally agree with. No question whatsoever. However, politics is not a one champion show. While fPGEJ lacked equivalent political gravitas and sophistication (with all due respect to him) as PBAT, he had the then formidable PDP behemoth which could have actually seen him through but for the grievous ‘political mistake’ of messing with the North. Love or loathe that fact, the North remains the kingmaker in Nigerian politics, at least, as of today. Any politician or political party that plays with that reality might pay a steep political price for it. People who ignore history are bound to fall victim and to repeat mistakes of the past. I just want to prod our political senses, in case some of us are forgetting, in the euphoria of tribal and geopolitical politics. I hope better sense will prevail and soon too. It is whom you love that you chastise. In all, I continue to wish PBAT and my party, the APC well. With almost exactly two years to the month to the 2027 general elections, let’s focus and continue to deliver the promised dividends of democracy to Nigerians. GodBlessNigeria

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Tinubu Reaffirms Commitment to Revitalizing Road Infrastructure Tinubu Reaffirms Commitment to Revitalizing Road Infrastructure

2027: South West, Tinubu’s supporters playing with fire -Part 1

Fola Badmus06 mins

By Mallam Nasir El-Rufai It is actually premature to be talking about 2027 elections less than 2 years into our first tenure, but what is happening in the political arena is forcing me to speak to it, for as they say, ‘a stitch in time saves nine’. As an APC member, I naturally would want my party to win re-election in 2027. However, as a realist, I have my concerns. I recall that during the 2019 party Primaries, when I saw the way our party was handling the Primaries, I wrote that if the party wasn’t careful, it could go the way of the PDP which lost power after 16 years. I predicted then that if we didn’t return to our promised progressive path and ideology and instead stayed obsessed with just winning elections at any and all cost, just like the PDP, we could lose power at the federal level by 2031. When I wrote that, we were not faced with the current situation we are faced with. Indeed, I never imagined that we would be in the current situation any time soon, surely not under President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Note: I am not talking about the present economic situation and the likes. I am talking about the current and increasing ‘ghaghagha’ in our party and among APC members and supporters of the PBAT administration. Incidentally, many Nigerians have a short memory. Permit me to juggle the memories of some short memoried and uninitiated political neophytes. Many will recall that, as we approached the 2023 presidential election, with the conduct of some individuals, I desperately cautioned that we should be careful and not play with the North. Somehow, common sense prevailed, and we succeeded, unarguably and undeniably with the unquantifiable help of the North (the records of the election results prove so). Less than 2 years into the tenure, we are witnesses to how the relationship between the North and President Bola Tinubu or rather his administration is quickly deteriorating, driven by the words and conduct of unfortunately, many from the President’s geopolitical zone and tribe. Truth be told. I have read and heard the arrogant posturing and braggadacio by some people who I refer to as political rabble rousers, but I get more worried each day as it keeps looking more and more like a movie we had seen before. May I remind some persons that, more than the performance or lack thereof of the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan administration, it was his attitude, and that of people around him, towards the North that ultimately brought him down and by extension the PDP that had boasted that it would rule Nigeria for 60 years. In the lead up to the 2015 Presidential election, inspite of the popularity of General Muhammadu Buhari Rtd and the gathering of political heavyweights under the umbrella of the then newly formed APC, one key factor that led to former President Jonathan and the PDP losing that election was underestimating the North and the disrespect and insult directed towards to North, notably led by the then first lady and accentuated by elements from the South South geopolitical zone and particularly his Ijaw kinsmen, many of them with little or no political weight and many of whom were living full time in NICON and Sheraton hotels Abuja then (with newly found free money). Funny enough, many of these individuals contributed little or nothing to Jonathan’s victory in 2011. Indeed, many of them forgot that it was the agitation by groups like the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), spearheaded by the likes of Pastor Tunde Bakare, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Mr Yinka Odumakin (RIP) and co that eventually led to then VP Goodluck Jonathan becoming the acting President in the first place following the incapacitation of former President Shehu Musa Yaradua (God rest his soul).

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Appeal Court reaffirms Julius Abure as Labour Party Chairman

Fola Badmus02 mins

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has reiterated that Julius Abure remains the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). A three-member panel of the appellate court in a judgement delivered by Justice Hamma Barka, held that its judgement of November 13, 2024, which recognised Abure as national chairman subsists and has not been set aside by any court. Barka made the declaration on Friday, while delivering judgement in two separate appeals filed by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman and the Caretaker Committee and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The appellate court in the two separate appeals held that it did not delve into the issue of the leadership of the Labour Party, because such issues are not justiciable. According to the appellate court, anything that is done outside jurisdiction amounts to a nullity. Hence the judgement of the Federal High Court delivered on October 8, 2024 by Justice Emeka Nwite is of no effect because it was delivered without jurisdiction. “We cannot say this appeal fails or succeeds because the lower court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit in the first place,” Barka held. While striking out the suit for want of jurisdiction, he held that the appellate relied on its previous judgement of November 13 last year to hold that “Abure Remains National Chairman of the Labour Party”.

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Lagos lawmakers impeach Speaker amid fraudulent allegations

Fola Badmus02 mins

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday impeached Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, accusing him of multiple statutory and financial infractions. Mr Obasa was subsequently replaced by his deputy Lasbat Meranda. Mrs Meranda, who represents Apapa Constituency 1, was also a former chief whip of the House. The removal came days after it was reported how Mr Obasa oversaw the withdrawal of N43.5 billion for back up vehicles for lawmakers, as well as other controversial activities. Mr Obasa, 52, was first elected Speaker on June 8, 2015, resuming office alongside former one-term governor Akinwunmi Ambode. Repeated charges of fraud and political thuggery have marked his speakership. In 2020, Peoples Gazette published a series of investigations detailing how Mr Obasa diverted Lagos funds to his personal firms and bank accounts. Sahara Reporters at the time also uncovered Mr Obasa’s assets across Lagos. He was invited to be questioned by the EFCC after the anti-graft office became overwhelmed by media reports of Mr Obasa’s mismanagement. He denied all allegations, and no charges were filed after he met with detectives.

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Shettima: Ifeanyi Ubah’s free spirit pulled down political, ethnic barriers

Fola Badmus04 mins

Vice President Kashim Shettima @officialSKSM today joined his former colleagues at the Senate in paying glowing tributes to the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, saying the free spirit of the late lawmaker who passed on earlier in the year, broke down political and ethnic barriers. Shettima’s tributes followed the valedictory session held at the Senate Chambers in honour of the late senator whilst his remains were laid at the foyer of the White House Wing of the chambers. Reading his tribute during a valedictory session on Tuesday, the Vice President described the late Senator Ubah as “the youngest member of the 9th Senate and one of its brightest stars, whose age belied his political dexterity and grassroot affiliation. “His bridge-building capacity elevated his political journey beyond older and more established giants in the arena and he was easily on his way to bigger conquests when the lord called him home,” Senator Shettima noted. Recalling one of his encounters with the late Anambra-born Senator, while serving as Governor of Borno State, the VP recalled that Senator Ubah’s generosity “knew no bounds and his free spirit broke down political and ethnic barriers”. While condoling the family, friends and associates of the late lawmaker, the Vice President reminded the gathering that “death is an inevitable destiny that is hanging on everyone’s neck,” adding that “we are travelers on our journeys home, from God to God.” Earlier in his remarks, the Senate President @SPNigeria, Senator Godswill Akpabio announced that the day had been set aside to honour the life and time of Senator Ubah, drawing the attention of Senators to their departed colleague’s seat adorned with the Nigerian flag and four symbolic candles as a mark of respect. Senator Akpabio described the late businessman from Otolo, Nnewi North, Anambra State as a visionary leader with extraordinary empathy for all and a champion for economic empowerment and community development. The Senate President said the death of Senator Ubah has created a huge deficit in the political terrain of the country, regretting that the vacuum created will be difficult to fill. Senators took turns during the valedictory session to pay tributes to their departed colleague, praying God to give the family the fortitude to bear the loss.

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Appeal Court affirms Amaewhule as Speaker of Rivers Assembly

Fola Badmus08 mins

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, affirmed Hon. Martin Amaewhule as the valid Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly. It also validated the Amaewhule-led members of the Assembly as bonafide lawmakers for the state. The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, dismissed an appeal that was lodged before it by Governor Siminalaye Fubara and upheld a judgement the Federal High Court delivered on January 22, which nullified the 2024 budget of Rivers State on the premise that it was not presented before members of the state assembly that were known to the law. According to the appellate court, Fubara, shot himself on the foot when he voluntarily withdrew a counter-affidavit he filed to challenge a legal action the Amaewhule-led lawmakers instituted to be recognised as valid members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The court held that Fubara’s decision to present the 2024 Rivers State Appropriation Bill to only four out of 31 members of the Assembly, amounted to a gross violation of section 91 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. It will be recalled that the Rivers State Assembly was fractionalised owing to the frosty relationship between Governor Fubara and his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike. In the heat of the fracas, governor Fubara sidelined the Amaewhule-led 26 members of the House that were loyal to Wike and presented the state’s N800billion 2024 budget before the four lawmakers led by Hon. Edison Ehie who had emerged as a factional Speaker of the Assembly. The Ehie-led faction, which had also declared seats of the Amaewhule-led pro-Wike lawmakers vacant for defecting to the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the Peoples Democratic Party, promptly passed the budget which was quickly assented to by Governor Fubara. Meanwhile, following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, both Fubara and Wike signed a peace pact that included the restoration of Amaewhule as the bonafide Speaker of the State Assembly. Vanguard reports that the factional Speaker, Ehie, who had approached the court and was joined as an interested party in the suit, subsequently withdrew all the processes he filed before the court and equally rescinded both his seat and his membership of the Assembly. Whereas Governor Fubara, in line with terms of the peace deal, withdrew all the processes he filed to challenge the suit, however, the pro-Wike lawmakers only withdrew an impeachment notice they served on him while they declined to terminate their legal action. While deciding the suit, Justice James Omotosho of the high court held that the budget was invalid as it was not properly presented before the Rivers State House of Assembly as required by the law. It held that Governor Fubara acted like a tyrant when he demolished the Rivers State Assembly complex and withheld funds standing to the credit of the legislative house. The court also described as unconstitutional the redeployment of the Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Rivers State Assembly by Governor Fubara. Justice Omotosho stressed that the governor lacked the statutory rights to interfere with the operations of the Assembly, adding that he acted in contempt of a subsisting order that barred the parties from taking any steps to overreach the matter that was pending before the court. Besides, the court held that the National Assembly could not take over the legislative affairs of the state in the absence of the preconditions that were listed under section 11 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. Consequently, the court, among other things, nullified all actions the Rivers Assembly took without the participation of the Amaewhule-led members of the House, among which included the presentation of the state appropriation bill. It issued an order of injunction, restraining Governor Fubara from impeding or frustrating the operations of the Assembly under Amaewhule’s leadership as its speaker. It ordered the governor to release all funds standing to the credit of the Rivers State House of Assembly. While upholding the verdict of the lower court, the appellate court held that Fubara conceded to the Amaewhule-led lawmakers when he withdrew all the processes he filed against their suit. “A party must be consistent in the presentation of its case. A party cannot approbate and reprobate or blow hot and cold at the same time,” the appellate court held. It held that the orders of the trial court were appropriate given the circumstance of the case, saying the appeal Fubara filed before it amounted to an academic exercise. Accordingly, it ordered Fubara to pay a cost of N500,000 to each of the Respondents in the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/133/2024.

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