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Tag: Senate

Senate Set To Screen Professor Joash Amupitan As INEC Chairman Thursday

Senate To Screen Professor Joash Amupitan As INEC Chairman Thursday

Wale busari02 mins

The Senate is set to conduct the screening of Professor Joash Amupitan, President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Thursday, October 16, 2025. A circular released Wednesday by the Senate’s Director of Information, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, confirmed that the screening will take place in the Senate Chamber of the National Assembly Complex. Members of the press and television stations have been asked to provide coverage of the event. The announcement comes less than 24 hours after Tinubu’s letter requesting Amupitan’s confirmation was read on the Senate floor by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The nominee’s appointment had been endorsed last week by the National Council of State, signaling a key transition at INEC following Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s ten-year tenure. In his letter to the Senate, Tinubu stated that the nomination was made in accordance with Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and urged lawmakers to give it prompt consideration. He described Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as “an apolitical figure of impeccable integrity.” Amupitan’s nomination has reignited debates over INEC’s independence and credibility in the wake of the 2023 general elections. While the presidency has highlighted his impartiality, opposition parties and civil society organizations have stressed the need for a transparent and thorough confirmation process. Thursday’s screening is expected to attract nationwide attention, as it could shape future electoral reforms and serve as an early test of the government’s commitment to credible elections ahead of 2027.  

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Senate Initially Hesitates to Second Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Motion on Nigerian Women in Libyan Prisons

Wale busari02 mins

Tension briefly surfaced at the National Assembly on Tuesday when senators hesitated to second a motion moved by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over the alleged abuse of Nigerian women in Libyan detention centers. Representing Kogi Central under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Akpoti-Uduaghan called for urgent intervention to repatriate Nigerian women reportedly held in Libyan prisons. She claimed that some detainees were subjected to sexual exploitation by prison officials and, in some cases, forced to bear children while in custody. She urged the Senate to direct the Nigerian Immigration Service to work with Libyan authorities to ensure their safe return. After her presentation, Senate President Godswill Akpabio asked for a seconder—a required step for debate to begin—but initially, no senator rose to support the motion, leaving the chamber momentarily silent. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele eventually seconded the motion, allowing proceedings to continue. Akpoti-Uduaghan had just returned to the Senate earlier this month following a six-month suspension related to sexual assault allegations she made against Senate President Akpabio. Drama as Senators shun Natasha Akpoti's motion in Senate today pic.twitter.com/7PbY3tGW0B — Politics Nigeria (@PoliticsNGR) October 14, 2025

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Tinubu Requests Senate Approval For Joash Amupitan As INEC Chairman

Wale busari01 mins

President Bola Tinubu has sent a formal request to the Senate seeking confirmation of Joash Amupitan as the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The request, communicated in a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, was read during Tuesday’s plenary session. Amupitan’s appointment was unanimously approved by the National Council of State on October 9. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, he will succeed Mahmood Yakubu, who completed his tenure at the commission. In the letter, Tinubu emphasized that the confirmation aligns with Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and expressed hope that the Senate would expedite the approval process. Following the reading of the letter, Senate President Akpabio referred the matter to the Committee of the Whole for further legislative consideration.  

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Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Reclaims Senate Seat After Six-Month Suspension

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Reclaims Senate Seat After Six-Month Suspension

Wale busari03 mins

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), resumed plenary at the National Assembly on Tuesday after completing her six-month suspension from the Senate. The lawmaker reclaimed her seat at 11:42 a.m., entering the chamber to a warm welcome from her colleagues and exchanging greetings with several senators. She was accompanied to the National Assembly by civil rights activist Aisha Yesufu, known for her role in the Bring Back Our Girls campaign, who was seen in the Senate gallery. Some of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s supporters, however, were not allowed entry. Her office — Suite 2.05 in the Senate Wing — was reopened earlier in the day by security officials led by the Deputy Director of the Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, marking the formal end of her suspension. Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended in March 2025 over alleged misconduct after protesting the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The suspension, which lasted six months, prevented her from taking part in any Senate proceedings. Although the suspension officially expired in September, her return was delayed by legal and administrative disputes. In July, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja declared the suspension “excessive and unconstitutional,” ordering her reinstatement on the grounds that her constituents had been denied representation. Despite the ruling, the Senate leadership maintained that she must complete the full suspension period, leading to exchanges between her legal counsel, Michael Jonathan Numa (SAN), and the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamorudeen Ogunlana. In a letter dated September 11, Numa demanded her immediate reinstatement, warning that continued defiance of the court order could lead to contempt proceedings. Ogunlana, however, responded that he lacked the authority to override Senate resolutions. Upon her return to the red chamber on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan reaffirmed her commitment to representing the people of Kogi Central, declaring that she owed “no apology” for standing by her convictions.  

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Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Returns To Senate After Serving Six-Month Suspension

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Returns To Senate After Serving Six-Month Suspension

Wale busari03 mins

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, is set to return to the Senate chambers today (Tuesday) after completing her six-month suspension. Her lawyer, Victor Giwa, confirmed her resumption in an interview with The Punch, assuring that the lawmaker would join her colleagues for plenary sessions as the National Assembly reconvenes. The Senate had earlier shifted its resumption date from September 23 to October 7, 2025, extending its annual recess and delaying debates on several key national issues. Giwa warned the Senate against any attempt to block Akpoti-Uduaghan’s return, stressing that she had served her full suspension and was constitutionally entitled to resume her duties. “To me, our client should just go straight and resume on Tuesday. Anything else they say is just an opinion. As Femi Falana said, the Senate cannot become an institution that legalises illegality,” he said. He added that preventing her from resuming would amount to contradicting the Senate’s own decision and could lead to “total chaos” within the National Assembly. “She has served out the six months, so whatever is before the court now only concerns whether the suspension in March was lawful. It has nothing to do with her return. Denying her resumption would mean defying your own resolution and creating confusion in the legislature,” Giwa stated. Two weeks ago, Akpoti-Uduaghan described Senate President Godswill Akpabio as a “dictator” after she was allowed access to her office following the completion of her suspension. Her office, located in Suite 2.05 of the Senate Wing, was unsealed by the Deputy Director of the National Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji, marking her official reinstatement ahead of today’s plenary.

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Senate Gives NNPCL 21 Days to Explain N210 Trillion in Unreconciled Funds

Senate Gives NNPCL 21 Days to Explain N210 Trillion in Unreconciled Funds

Fola Badmus03 mins

The Nigerian Senate has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to provide explanations for N210 trillion in unreconciled financial records flagged in its audited accounts. The directive was handed down to NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Bayo Ojulari, on Monday during a session with the Senate Committee on Public Accounts. Ojulari appeared before the committee after previously failing to honor four separate invitations. Committee Chairman Senator Ahmed Wadada (Nasarawa West) disclosed that the discrepancies were identified in 19 audit queries raised by the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation. The flagged figures span the years 2017 to 2023 and comprise N103 trillion in liabilities and N107 trillion in assets. “The committee has not said the N210 trillion was stolen or missing,” Wadada clarified. “This is part of our constitutional mandate to examine the audited accounts of public institutions.” Ojulari, who has been in office for just over 100 days, apologized for his earlier absences and asked for more time to review the complex financial queries. He initially requested a four-week extension, but the committee granted him three weeks. “I still need time to do further digging,” he said. “Your explanation now changes my perspective about the issues.” He is expected to submit written responses and appear again before the committee, along with other top officials of the NNPCL. Lawmakers emphasized the gravity of the matter, stressing the importance of transparency in the operations of the national oil company. “NNPCL is in possession of Nigeria’s economic prosperity. We must ensure transparency,” said Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central). Senator Babangida Hussaini (Jigawa North West) described the audit findings as “germane and critical,” while Senator Tony Nwoye (Anambra North) called for a fair hearing, noting that some of the discrepancies might be due to errors in the audit process.

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Natasha’s Constituents Submit Petition To INEC For Her Recall 

Akpoti-Uduaghan Insists Court Ordered Her Recall, Rejects Senate Clerk’s Advisory Interpretation

Fola Badmus07 mins

Suspended Kogi Central lawmaker Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has formally rejected the National Assembly’s claim that a July 4 Federal High Court judgment urging her return to the Senate was merely advisory. In a strongly worded July 14 “Rejoinder” to the Clerk of the National Assembly, her legal team—led by Michael Jonathan Numa, SAN—argued the court’s ruling is a binding directive requiring her immediate recall. What Sparked the Dispute Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for six months in March (formally enforced in early May 2025, according to Senate records citing “unparliamentary conduct” and “gross misconduct”). Critics have called the suspension politically motivated, alleging it targeted her over vocal interventions on budget and governance issues affecting Kogi Central. She sued in FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, naming the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Senate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and the Senate Committee on Ethics chairman among the defendants. The Court’s Decision In a judgment delivered July 4, 2025, Justice B.F.N. Nyako faulted the length of the six‑month suspension, saying it deprived Akpoti-Uduaghan’s constituents of representation. The court’s enrolled orders, she says, begin with “It is hereby ordered…” and include 12 specific directives—one of which states the “Senate should recall the Plaintiff.” While the word “should” was used, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s team contends that read in context, the structure and findings make the recall compulsory, not optional. Senate Clerk Pushes Back Responding in a July 14 letter, the Clerk (through Charles Yoila, Director of Litigation & Counselling) told her counsel that the court issued no mandatory order binding the Senate, describing the pronouncement as non-directive. The Clerk advised that the senator await Senate action should the chamber choose to exercise its power to recall her. Senator’s Legal Counterargument In her rejoinder, Akpoti-Uduaghan argued: Next Steps With the National Assembly in recess following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, plenary is expected to resume July 22, 2025. Akpoti-Uduaghan has notified the Clerk of her intention to return that day, barring further obstruction. Her lawyers warned that “all lawful measures” remain on the table should the Senate decline compliance. Wider Political Undercurrents Sources in the Red Chamber say senators are divided—some urging adherence to the court’s ruling (or at least a negotiated political settlement), others resisting on procedural or political grounds. Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West) recently urged a political solution in televised remarks. Meanwhile, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has not issued a public statement on the matter. Background Timeline Why It Matters The showdown tests judicial enforceability over internal legislative discipline and raises broader questions about representation rights, checks and balances, and politicized sanctions within Nigeria’s National Assembly. How the Senate resolves—or escalates—this case could shape future confrontations between lawmakers and the courts.

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Gbajabiamila: Lawmakers Forced Into Budget Insertions Due to Broken Local Governments

Fola Badmus14 mins

Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, says Nigerian lawmakers are often forced to insert constituency projects into the national budget to meet public expectations caused by the collapse of local government systems. Speaking on Tuesday during the opening of the 2025 Open Week of the House of Representatives in Abuja, Gbajabiamila — a former Speaker of the House — said there is a widening disconnect between the constitutional role of lawmakers and what the public expects of them. “It is a source of frustration that, nearly three decades later, the vast majority of our nation’s people still do not fully comprehend the legislative functions, powers, responsibilities, and limitations of each member of parliament and the institution,” he said. Gbajabiamila explained that the public pressure on legislators to build roads, classrooms, and healthcare facilities — responsibilities assigned to the executive and local governments — has driven lawmakers to rely heavily on budget insertions to deliver tangible projects to their constituents. His remarks follow revelations by BudgIT, a civic tech group, which recently said it uncovered over 11,000 projects worth N6.93 trillion inserted into the 2025 national budget by the National Assembly. The group described the practice as a systemic abuse of power. But Gbajabiamila argued that in the absence of functioning local governance, lawmakers have little choice but to fill the vacuum. “A member of the House of Representatives who isn’t actively engaged in providing education and healthcare facilities, who isn’t doing road construction and waste management, while delivering sustained empowerment for commercial activities, is not going to be a legislator for very long,” he said. He warned that the blurring of legislative and executive roles risks long-term dysfunction and growing public resentment. Legislators, he said, are being judged on duties they were never constitutionally designed to perform. “For example, when the executive builds roads, there is a framework for maintenance through the public works department. No legislator can provide that, nor should they be expected to,” he noted. Gbajabiamila assured that the Tinubu administration is working to restore autonomy and functionality to local governments through improved funding, transparency, and accountability. He emphasized that in more advanced democracies, local governments handle most quality-of-life services — from waste disposal to community policing — now unfairly expected of federal lawmakers. He expressed hope that a strengthened local government system will allow legislators to return to their core constitutional duties: lawmaking, policy development, and oversight of the executive.

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