Senate Passes Bill for Same-Day General Elections

A bill aimed at empowering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct all general elections on the same day has passed its second reading in the Senate. The bill, which seeks to amend the Electoral Act 2022, is designed to reduce the high costs associated with elections, shorten campaign periods, and allow elected officials to serve as ad hoc delegates in party congresses. Senator Saliu Mustapha, who led the debate on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, pointed out the unsustainable rise in election costs, which have grown from ₦1.5 billion in 1999 to ₦350 billion in 2023. He stressed that the current staggered election system is financially burdensome and inefficient, contributing to voter fatigue and low turnout. According to Mustapha, holding all elections on the same day would save costs, increase voter participation, and reduce political tension. While the proposal received support from several senators, some expressed reservations about INEC’s capacity to manage nationwide elections in a single day. Senator Adams Oshiomhole cautioned that the reform should not be rushed, urging lawmakers to consider INEC’s preparedness for such an undertaking. He also raised concerns about the potential confusion caused by multiple ballots, particularly for illiterate voters. The bill will undergo further scrutiny in the coming weeks, as the Senate evaluates its implications for Nigeria’s electoral process.

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Rivers: Fubara signs N1.1trn budget into law

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has appended his signature to the State’s N1.1 trillion appropriation budget into law. Fubara signed the bill into law at the River State House of Assembly on Thursday. Shortly after the exercise, the Governor wrote on his X handle (formerly Twitter), “Today, I signed into law the 2025 Rivers State Appropriation Bill. Tagged; “Budget of Inclusive Growth & Development.” “The bill is estimated at N1.1 trillion. “I deeply appreciate the Rivers State House of Assembly for their diligence and my executives for their unwavering commitment to service. “Together, we are setting the pace for a prosperous year ahead, focusing on education, healthcare, agriculture, and infrastructure. “Let me, on this note, thank everyone and once again wish you a happy and prosperous New Year ahead as we continue the journey of making Rivers State great again.”

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Abiodun signs N1.054trn appropriation bill into law

The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has signed the N1.054 trillion 2025 State Appropriation Bill into law. The signing, which took place at the Governor’s Office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, was witnessed by the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, principal officers of the House, the Deputy Governor, and members of the State Executive Council. Speaking after receiving the clean copies of the Bill, Governor Abiodun announced that his administration would, in the coming month, sign the partnership agreement with potential partners for the development of the Olokola Sea Port. He said the government would also focus on the provision of more basic infrastructure with the signing of more Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with private corporate bodies in renewable energy, agriculture, and other sectors that would boost the State’s economy. He said: “It is my pleasure to announce to you that in the coming month, we will be signing the partnership agreement with potential partners in our port development. The Olokola Port is back on track. “In the coming year, you will see us signing more Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with private players in the areas of renewable energy, energy transition, and agriculture, particularly animal husbandry. We intend to join the league of those producing beef and pork, not just for domestic consumption, but for export. “We will continue to provide more infrastructure, particularly roads, in every local government in the State. We will continue in our stride to provide the right infrastructure and the right situation to ensure that students in Ogun State learn in a conducive environment. We will continue to pursue our healthcare program in primary health care, secondary, and tertiary, and of course, our policy on ‘grow what you eat and eat what you grow.’ We are going to be more aggressive in the area of agriculture.” While noting that his administration would be relentless in the pursuit of infrastructure that would engender more socio-economic development, Governor Abiodun revealed that emphasis on arterial roads like the Ijebu-Ode-Epe, Sagamu-Abeokuta, Atan-Lusada-Agbara, Ota-Abeokuta, and Ilaro-Owode roads had played important roles as they had helped to improve the State’s Internally Generated Revenue through the influx of more people and industries. He acknowledged the difficulties people are going through due to the bold policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to pull the country out of the woods but maintained that his administration had risen to the occasion by providing needed palliatives to cushion the effects and help the people navigate the period. “I want to assure you that we can only hope for more wins in the future. It has been a very difficult year for us all, not just as a state but as a country. Our President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, started his tenure with very bold reforms that have resulted in some unintended consequences that we must all endure so that we can have a country that is solvent,” he added He appreciated members of the Assembly for the speedy passage of the Bill after due diligence and commended their high level of commitment to their constituents and the state, noting that their collaboration with the executive arm had led to the state growing in leaps and bounds. Speaking earlier, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, noted that the speedy passage of the Bill was in keeping with the promise made to the governor when he presented the Bill to the assembly on the 4th of December this year, adding that no budget bill had been passed before Christmas in the past. While appreciating the governor for the facelift given to the Assembly Complex, Rt. Hon. Elemide said his colleagues worked tirelessly to ensure that the budget was passed on time so as to keep the wheels of the state’s progress moving.

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Reps move to split Oyo State into two

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, passed for second reading, a bill seeking to create the New Oyo State with Oyo town as the Capital City. The bill was sponsored by Hon. Adeniyi Adeyemi and six other lawmakers. Leading the debate on the bill, Adeyemi, who observed that the bill was not new to the parliament. He recalled that the bill was successfully passed in the Second Republic by both chambers (National Assembly) awaiting the presidential asset before military takeover. Adeyemi explained that the  National Assembly in 1983 successfully passed a motion on the creation of New Oyo State with Oyo Town as its Capital. (See National Assembly Debates (Senate) Official Report. Volume 2. No. 24 of Wednesday 23” February, 1983). “The 2014 National Conference held in Abuja also recommended in its final report for the creation of New Oyo State with Oyo town as its capital.  “This is stated in volume II page 708 of the report, It’s noteworthy that present Oyo State deserves to be split into two being the largest state in terms of landmass in the South-West geopolitical zone with thirty-three Local Governments and it has a population of 5,580,894 people (2006 census). 

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