Politics
Suspension: Court moves hearing of Natasha’s suit against Senate to March 25
Justice Obiora Egwatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed March 25 for hearing in a suit filed by Kogi Central senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, against the Nigerian Senate.
Natasha had approached the Federal High Court, seeking an order restraining the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges from investigating her.
The court granted the order but the Senate on Thursday proceeded to suspend the senator for six months after it considered the report of the committee and despite the pendency of the restraining order.
At the hearing of the matter on Monday, counsels to the first, second and third defendants told the court that they have not been served with Natasha’s court papers.
However, Natasha’s counsel, Michael Numa, SAN, said all parties have been served, adding that affidavits of service were before the court.
After going through the affidavits of service before the court, Justice Egwatu confirmed service of all processes on all respondents.
At this point, counsel to the third respondent, the Senate President, Kehinde Ogunwumiju SAN, prayed the court for an adjournment for all processes to be harmonized.
Others counsel supported the move on the ground that it will facilitate accelerated hearing at the next adjourned date.
In his ruling, Justice Egwatu adjourned the matter to March 25th, 2025 and ordered that all the relevant processes be served on parties before the adjourned date.
The Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Victor Nwaebonyi, while speaking on the outcome of the proceeding admitted that in legal proceeding service is very important.
Nwaebonyi added that it is only when parties are properly served that they will be able to study the matter and respond accordingly.
He admitted that it is strange for the court to interfere in the affairs of the Senate, noting that the Senate only answered the call of the court, being a responsible and law abiding institution.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the constitution of the Nigerian side of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group as part of steps to deepen collaboration in tackling security challenges in the country.
The composition of the Joint Working Group was part of the agreement reached during the recent trip to Washington, DC, by a high-level Nigerian delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Ribadu is to lead the Nigerian side of the Joint Working Group, supported by a multi-stakeholder team comprising senior officials from relevant government establishments.
Members of the Joint Working Group include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Bernard M. Doro, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Mohammed Mohammed and the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force, Mr Kayode Egbetokun.
Ms Idayat Hassan of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and Mr Paul Alabi of the Embassy of Nigeria in the US will serve as the secretariat.
President Tinubu has urged members of the Joint Working Group to work assiduously with their US counterparts to ensure smooth operationalisation of all agreements across sectors.
Politics
AU, ECOWAS, and WAEF Condemn Guinea-Bissau Military Takeover, Demand Restoration of Democratic Order
Election-observation missions from the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) have jointly condemned the military takeover in Guinea-Bissau, calling it a direct assault on the country’s democratic process.
In a strongly worded statement, the observer groups denounced the suspension of the presidential and legislative elections, which had been conducted peacefully on 23 November. They praised the citizens of Guinea-Bissau for their orderly participation and commended electoral officials and security personnel for maintaining professionalism throughout the vote.
The missions described the military intervention as a “blatant attempt to disrupt the democratic process,” noting that the takeover occurred while the nation awaited the official announcement of election results. With both leading presidential candidates having pledged to respect the final outcome, observers said the coup threatened to erode confidence in the country’s democratic institutions.
The joint statement also expressed deep concern over the detention of government and electoral officials by the military, urging their immediate release and the swift restoration of constitutional rule. The observers warned that halting the electoral process could reverse years of regional efforts to strengthen political stability and democratic norms in Guinea-Bissau.
Regional and international bodies are now intensifying calls for the reinstatement of civilian authority and the continuation of the electoral process, emphasising the need to safeguard the will of the people at a critical moment in the country’s political trajectory.
Politics
Nnamdi Kanu is in the prison, we should not get angry and it is not issue to use knives, gun or fighting ourselves in order to solve it- Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, has urged the South-East people to use dialogue and peaceful means to address the recent imprisonment of Nnamdi Kanu
She added that the people of the South-East should emulate other zones and learn to solve their challenges “through dialogue and peaceful ways.”
Bianca Ojukwu made the remarks at the 14th edition of the Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Memorial Day Celebration held at the Ojukwu Memorial Library, Owerri, Imo State, on Wednesday
She noted that although the court of first instance had sentenced Kanu to imprisonment, “all hope are not lost,” adding that through dialogue and peaceful methods, Nnamdi Kanu could be released from the Sokoto Correctional Centre.
The Ojukwu’s annual memorial day was instituted by Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, the founder of the Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASOB
The event is usually attended by Igbo people from the five South-East states and beyond.
During her address, Mrs. Ojukwu called for a minute of silence for the late BBC journalist, Mr. Frederick Forsyth, “who resigned her job to cover all things that happened during the 1967 to 1970 Biafra and Nigeria civil war.”
She said, “Nnamdi Kanu is in the prison, we should not get angry and it is not issue to use knives, gun or fighting ourselves in order to solve it”
“This coming Christmas, all of us should endeavour to meet with our National Assembly members and our governors, ask them the way forward to ensure that Kanu is freed from the prison”
“Also, all of us should come together, plan ourselves on how to use peaceful means to settle this matter, we should plan how to meet with President Bola Tinubu and amicably resolve this matter.”
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