The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, is set to resign as a minister to represent Plateau South Senatorial District in the Senate. This followed the collection of his certificate of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja on Thursday, November 23, 2023. The Court of Appeal had, on November 7, sacked Napoleon Bali of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and declared Lalong as the senator representing Plateau South. The appellate court nullified the participation of the PDP and Bali in the February 25 National Assembly election on grounds of refusal to carry out the order of court. The court in a judgement delivered by Justice Elfaida Williams-Dawodu held as unlawful and wasted, votes cast for PDP in the election. Justice Williams-Dawodu declared Lalong, the immediate past governor of Plateau State as the Senator for Plateau South. Lalong who contested the election on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had come second in the senatorial election. Justice Williams-Dawodu, however, held that the PDP and its candidate have no legal ground to participate in the election having failed to obey the judgement of a Plateau High Court. The court added that the party should have conducted lawful elections for the purpose of having officers for Wards, Local Governments, and State Council. The Plateau High Court had, in 2022, ordered PDP to conduct elections for selection of officers for Wards, Local Governments, and the state chapter of the party which was not complied with. The Court of Appeal said that disobedience and disregard to clear lawful order of court was fatal because PDP hurriedly put an illegal Caretaker Committee in place in confrontation to the court judgement. Specifically, the appellate court held that PDP did not sponsor any candidate for the Plateau South Senatorial District because it was not qualified to stand for any election as of February 25, 2023. The Court of Appeal subsequently upheld the declaration of Lalong as the lawful senator for Plateau South Senatorial District having scored second highest votes in the election.

  The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upturned the removal of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the March election but David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headed for the tribunal. According to INEC, Sule polled a total of 347,209 votes to defeat his closest opponent, who secured 283,016 votes. However, in a split decision on October 2, the tribunal nullified Sule’s election and upheld Ombugadu as the winner. But Sule, through his counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), asked the appellate court to upturn the judgment of the tribunal and allow his own appeal. Olanipekun argued that the tribunal refused to take the submissions of their witnesses during the tribunal hearing, adding that the BVAS data were merely dumped before the tribunal without being considered as evidence. A three-member panel of justices unanimously held on Thursday that the Nasarawa State Election Petition Tribunal erred in law in concluding that Sule did not win majority of the votes cast in the election. The appellate court subsequently set aside the judgment of the tribunal and affirmed the re-election of Sule as Governor of Nasarawa State.

  Friday 24 November 2023 NNPCL ends fuel import Dec 2024, projects N4.5tn revenue FG, states plan 18 million agric jobs, $1.5bn funds FG to fish out prison warders aiding terrorists Seven Kano protesters arrested, Yoruba community fears attack ‘Police need N245bn to address patrol vans shortage’ NAF decorates 12 combat pilots, vows tough time for terrorists Appeal Court Sets Aside Tribunal Judgement, Affirms Abdullahi Sule As Nasarawa Gov Tinubu’s Government Inherited Dead Economy — Soludo Lalong Picks Certificate Of Return As Senator-Elect Yahaya Bello Freezes All State Govt Accounts Supreme Court’ll Do Justice To Mutfwang, Lawal’s Sack — PDP Govs Court Refuses To Vacate Judgement Stopping NBC From Imposing Fines On Stations Imo Election: LP’s Achonu, Supporters Storm INEC Headquarters, Demand CTC Court Upholds Gombe Gov Inuwa’s Re-Election, Dismisses PDP Case Niger Junta Sues ECOWAS, Court To Rule Dec 7 Tinubu Appoints Akawor As RMAFC Federal Commissioner Troops Kill Four Terrorists, Recover 57 Rustled Cows In Zamfara 4 Killed In Edo Auto Crash Nigeria Lacks Accurate Data For National Planning – Senate Panel War On Gaza: Israeli-Hamas Ceasefire Begins Today Northern elders express concern over conduct of judiciary Jega, Babachir, others reflect on INEC, 2023 elections amid fresh A’Court verdicts FG reassures paramilitary agencies of upward salary review Bauchi Emirate sacks 55 title holders States, FCT owe Fed Govt N1.72tr Budget Support cash AfDB’s $1b boost to create 500,000 jobsin agric sector Kano governor rejects Appeal Court’s recall of defective CTC Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  A member of the House of Representatives, representing Argungu/Augie Federal Constituency of Kebbi State at the National Assembly, Sani Yakubu Noma, said he has concluded arrangements to give out100 female orphans for marriage. Speaking to journalists at his hometown in the Argungu area of Kebbi State, the lawmaker said the marriage plan was part of his contributions to the welfare of orphans in his constituency. He said the marriage ceremony will take place at the Palace of the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Sama’ila Muhammad Mera on Saturday. “A committee has been set up for the successful implementation of the event. Those selected to be married out were drawn from the two local government areas that I’m representing at the National Assembly. Already, I have procured beds, mattresses, essential furniture and other matrimonial commodities for the beneficiaries,” he said.

  The International Committee of the Red Cross Nigeria on Wednesday said Nigeria has a missing caseload of over 25,000 people registered with the Red Cross in the last 10 years. Speaking with our correspondent, the Public Relations Officer, ICRC Nigeria, Aliyu Dawobe, noted that the 25,000 missing people were those whose relatives came and requested for the Red Cross to register their cases. Dawobe said, “ICRC Nigeria started family unification in 2013 in Nigeria alongside the Nigerian Red Cross society. “The 25,000 missing persons is only a fraction of people who are aware that ICRC is helping to reunite separated/missing family members. They register their cases and there are over 25,000 cases of such.” However, the PRO added that though the number of missing persons in Nigeria in the last 10 years might have dropped as a result of some families re-uniting without the help of the Red Cross. He stated, “Though, this figure could drop because some people can get reunited with their families without the ICRC knowing or being informed.” Also, according to a document made available to our correspondent by ICRC Nigeria, over 400 people were traced and contact with their families was restored, while the families of 563 people in detention received news of their loved ones. In addition, 580 civilians were able to restore contact with their families through Red Cross Messages, while 17 unaccompanied children were reunited with their families from January to September 2023. Our correspondent gathered that the ICRC is currently organising the 3rd international conference for the families of the missing persons. The international conference aims to gather families of missing persons from all around the world to share their plights and to communicate on mechanisms and methods they have been coping with over the years. The conference, which assembles families from different places, countries and continents can virtually meet each other to share experiences, develop peer-to-peer support, learn from each other, and adopt some positive experiences in their contexts

  The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has called on the Federal Government to take advantage of Nigeria’s diplomatic ties with Finland to get Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa, whom the military has accused of fuelling the insecurity in the South-East. The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, had on Tuesday accused the Finland-based Ekpa of sabotaging the activities of security agents in the South-East. Musa, who spoke when he led the service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police to appear before the House of Representatives in Abuja on Tuesday, had declared that “Simon Ekpa is sabotaging our efforts in the South-East,” adding that the agitator was taking shield in faraway Finland. He urged the Federal Government to engage the Finnish government and possibly invite its ambassador to Nigeria over the activities of the agitator. Speaking in an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday, the Secretary General of Ohanaeze, Ambassador Okey Emuchay, said Ohanaeze welcomed Musa’s proposition. Emuchay said, “This morning, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and myself, we have discussed it, and then as you know, everybody, all the stakeholders in the South East, the governors, President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the leadership of Ohanaeze, everybody is concerned about the security situation in the South-East.   “So, the statement yesterday at the hearing of the House of Representatives tells the story as to what we have been saying all along. It is a matter for the Federal Government of Nigeria to handle, as Ohanaeze or the states in the South-East are subordinate to the Federal Government. “The Federal Government has a diplomatic relationship with Finland, they (Finland) have an embassy in Abuja, and that diplomatic channel is what Ohanaeze is asking to be activated. Ohanaeze is very pleased that the Chief of Defence Staff made a public pronouncement on the matter of Simon Ekpa and we are happy with it.” The Ohanaeze leader added that the organisation was not relenting in the effort to secure the release of the incarcerated leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. Emuchay said, “Ohanaeze will not be deterred in calling for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. “Ohanaeze and the South-East governors are on the same page on the matter of Nnamdi Kanu. I am not in a position now to say more but Ohanaeze with the South-East governors, the stakeholders in the South-East, the leadership of Ohanaeze, we are all on the same page on the release of Nnamdi Kanu

  The Economic Community of West African States Court in Abuja will on December 7, 2023, deliver its ruling on interim measures in a case between the State of Niger and seven others, and the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS and two others. The court fixed the date after hearing both parties during its sitting held on Monday, November 21, 2023, in Abuja, Nigeria. At the hearing, the applicants represented by their lawyers, Mr Moukaila Yaye, and five others argued that the sanctions imposed by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, led by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, have occasioned adverse effects on the Nigerien people, including shortage of food, medicine, and electricity, due to the closure of borders and cut off of electricity supply by Nigeria. A statement from the court on Wednesday said the applicant asked the court for interim court orders that would compel the Authority of Heads of State and Government to immediately suspend the sanctions. They said the respondents overreacted by imposing the sanctions which were not successive and that Niger was treated unequally and unfairly compared to the other three member states (Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea) that also experienced coup d’état in recent years. The applicants also asked the court to declare its competence to examine the case and declare the application admissible in accordance with the court’s texts. The respondents – Authority of Heads of State, the Mediation and Security Council, and the ECOWAS Commission – represented by Mr François Kanga-Penond – raised an objection to the inadmissibility of the application and asked the court to reject the request of the applicants. Kanga-Penond told the court that coup d’état was not recognised in a democracy and that the junta does not have the legal capacity to bring a case before the court, adding that the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum has a pending case before the court in which he is challenging the legitimacy of this same junta. Kanga-Penond emphasised that the lack of legal capacity of the junta to approach the court robs the court of the jurisdiction to examine their request for interim measures. “In the initiating application, the applicants – the State of Niger, six Nigerien organisations, and a Nigerien national asked the court to declare the measures taken by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS during its extraordinary sessions of July 30 and August 10, 2023, allegedly aimed at restoring constitutional order in the Republic of Niger, illegal. “They requested the court to nullify all decisions of these ECOWAS organs imposing sanctions, including the decision to resort to military intervention in the Republic of Niger, “ the statement added. Meanwhile, parliamentarians of ECOWAS have appealed to the Heads of State and Government in the region to lift the sanctions imposed on the Niger Republic. The Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS had in July called for the immediate release and reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum as the legitimate Head of State and Government of the Republic of Niger. They further imposed sanctions on the Niger Republic over the ouster of Bazoum by some military officers led by erstwhile Presidential Guard Commander, General Abdourahamane Tchiani. The Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ali Ndume, who is also a member of the ECOWAS Parliament, addressed journalists after the opening session of the parliament in Abuja on Wednesday, saying the sanctions were biting hard on the masses including Nigerians in the border states. “Niger is bordering about eight states in Nigeria, namely Borno, Yobe, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi. Since the closure of the border and the imposition of sanctions, poor people, especially children and women, have been exposed to untold hardship and no meaningful progress have been made in term of resolving this issue. “We are, therefore, using this opportunity of the second extraordinary session of the ECOWAS Parliament to appeal to the ECOWAS Head of State to intensify the resolution of the political impasse in Niger by first lifting the sanctions and opening the closed border of Niger and Nigerian. “Let me add by saying that this is a collective decision by some of us who are concerned about what is going on and the suffering our people are going through. “This also affects other non-border countries because Niger is a leadway for goods moving from Sokoto to Ghana, goods moving from Togo to Nigeria, and goods moving from several parts of the ECOWAS countries from the West down to the North,” he said. Also speaking, Abdullahi Salame from Sokoto said his people were suffering from the sanctions on the Republic of Niger. He said thousands of trailers loaded with food items to be transported to Niger were stranded at the border, lamenting that the food items were already decaying. He said the border closure was also increasing insecurity in the region.

  Thursday 23 November 2023 Nigeria records over 25,000 missing persons in 10 years – ICRC Kano poll controversy: Police, NNPP protesters clash, more cloud over judgment Fintiri intervenes as soldiers kill inspector in Adamawa Fresh Naira scarcity hits Kano, Sokoto, Edo, others N1.2bn fraud: Emefiele gets N300m bail, restricted to Abuja A’Court Clears Air On Kano Judgement, Cites Typo Error Nigeria Will Be Net Exporter Of Petroleum Products In 2024 – NNPCL Israel-Hamas Conflict Gone Beyond War To Terrorism — Pope Francis Like Reps, Senate Passes 2024-2026 Medium Term Expenditure Framework Two Feared Killed As Bandits Attack LG Headquarters In Zamfara Tinubu Back In Abuja After G20 German Summit APC Dissolves Rivers Executives, Appoints Caretaker Committee 2023: INEC prosecutes 1,076 electoral offenders, Ebonyi, Edo, Anambra top list JUSUN declares indefinite strike over Osun CJ Air travel fare rises 7% to N78,778 in October Rate of revenue leakages worrisome — Reps Road Crash Claims 25 Lives In Niger Osun Gov Knocked For Failing To Hold Cabinet Meetings Rep To Marry Off 100 Orphans In Kebbi Poor funding raises concerns for 270 new private varsities Tension in Kano over guber verdict as Akeredolu-Aiyedatiwa crisis rocks Ondo   Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  Senate President Godswill Akpabio says cybercrime is a “grave menace to the society, economy and citizens’ security”. Akpabio spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of a public hearing on the 2023 cybercrime (prohibition and prevention) act (amendment bill). Represented by Opeyemi Bamidele, majority leader of the senate, Akpabio said there is a need for stronger laws to curb the crimes committed over the internet. The senate president said some individuals have explored weaknesses in the laws to tarnish Nigeria’s image. “In this age of rapid technological advancement and widespread internet usage, cybercrime has emerged as a grave menace to our society, economy and personal security,” he said. “It is imperative to review and strengthen the existing laws on cybercrime prohibition and prevention. In the past, certain individuals with misguided intentions exploited our weak cybercrime laws, thereby tarnishing the reputation of our country. “They engaged in a wide array of illegal activities, such as hacking, identity theft, fraud, harassment and cyber terrorism. “These crimes not only inflicted significant financial losses upon our country, but also invaded our privacy, disrupted critical infrastructure, and eroded trust in our digital systems.” On his part, Shuaib Salisu, chairman of the senate committee on ICT and cybersecurity, said all hands must be on deck to tackle cybersecurity issues. “It is a complex and multidimensional challenge that requires a collaborative effort among the government, industry, civil society and academia,” Salisu said. Also speaking, Shehu Buba Umar, chairperson of the senate committee on national security and intelligence, said cybersecurity should be prioritised and treated as a matter of “urgency”. “If the national cybersecurity programme is not effectively funded, the gains of the digital economy will be defeated. There is an urgent need for the country to amend the country’s cybercrimes,” Umar said. The senator added that the current laws do not empower the relevant agencies to adequately mitigate cybercrimes. In 2022, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said cybercrime remained one of the dangers of digital transformation in Nigeria. The commission added that the country has lost $500 million to cybercrime.