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Reps Set July Timeline for Constitution Review Talks

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…as meeting with governors, speakers, media planned ahead of public hearings

By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review has announced plans to meet with key stakeholders as part of efforts to update Nigeria’s constitution.

The Committee will meet with the Nigerian Governors Forum on July 23, 2025, to present key bills and seek their backing. It will also hold a joint retreat with members of the Senate and Speakers of the 36 State Assemblies to align proposals and avoid conflicts in the process.

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As part of efforts to involve the public and key voices in the discussion, the Committee plans to engage with media leaders—including the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NUJ, and Broadcasters Association—as well as civil society groups and foreign missions. The goal is to improve public understanding of the changes being proposed and build wider support.

The Deputy Speaker of the House, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, who also chairs the Constitution Review Committee, shared the timeline during a meeting in Abuja. According to him, national and zonal public hearings will begin in July, with the goal of completing the process by December 2025.

He said: “We urge members to work assiduously to ensure that the current Bills before the Committee are passed by December 2025 while also considering the possibility of a second round of amendments, as new Bills are still being sponsored by members.
 
“Steady progress is being made on our work plan implementation and our targets are achievable. However, there are some crucial activities that ought to be accomplished within the given timeframe.
 
“The second meeting/engagement with the Nigerian Governors Forum is expected to hold on Wednesday, 23 July, 2025 to present to them the Bills currently under consideration as requested during previous engagement, seek their support on the proposed amendments, secure buy-in and backing for the passage of contentious bills. 
 
“Joint Retreat of Senate and House Constitution Review Members with Speakers/Clerks of the 36 State Houses of Assembly to harmonize Bills will hold Thursday 25th – Sunday 28th September, 2025.
 
“There will be a Constitution Review Committee Diplomatic Dinner (June 20th, 2025) to seek for support and collaboration from the diplomatic community on some specific thematic areas like gender, security architecture and state policing to promote global best practices.
   
“There will also be an engagement with Civil Society Organizations, Community Based Organisations as part of National Assembly Open Week: (Thursday 3rd, July 2025, NASS Complex; Abuja) 
 
“The engagement will bring expertise and alternative perspectives to the constitutional review process, helping to shape our legislative decisions, by highlighting deficiencies and proposing further debates.
 
“It will also promote transparency, accountability and inclusivity in the processes, by ensuring that all stakeholders are informed and engaged. 
 
“Engagement with Media Executives: (Guild of Editors, NUJ, NBAN etc) will hold on Tuesday 8th, or Wednesday 9th July, 2025, Abuja to facilitate public discussions, debates, and education on constitutional issues, helping to build consensus and foster a sense of ownership among citizens. 
 
“The media can play a vital role in ensuring the constitution review process is inclusive, transparent, and the public is well-informed”.
 
Kalu also gave a timeline of the anticipated public and national hearings on the bills as well as a meeting with the 18 registered political parties in the country, saying that the idea is to ultimately aggregate the views of Nigerians. 
 
“As discussed in our previous meetings, the Committee is poised to subject the 87 prioritized Bills that have passed second reading to Public Hearings in each of the six geopolitical zones. 
 
“Zonal Chairmen and their Deputies are expected to liaise with States under their jurisdictions to ensure active participation in their respective zones. 
 
“The hearings will hold as follows: Northern Geopolitical Zones – Friday 11th to Sunday 13th, July, 2025; Southern Geopolitical Zones – Friday 18th to 20th July, 2025
 
“National Public Hearing – Monday 21st July, 2025. Engagement with Nigeria Political Parties (18 Registered Political Parties Leadership) is expected to hold on Monday 14th July, 2025 in Abuja”, he said.
 
The Deputy Speaker also stated that the House will hold a one week plenary debate on the bills while voting on them is expected to hold on October 14, 2025 just as transmission of the bills to the State Assembly is also expected to hold on October 30, 2025.
 
“One-week plenary debate on the Constitution Review Bills to familiarize members with their contents in preparation for the voting is expected to hold on Tuesday, 7th- Thursday, 9thOctober 2025. Voting in the Plenary – Tuesday, 14th October, 2025. The Secretariat Retreat to Produce Clean Copy – Thursday 16th – Sunday, 19th October, 2025 while transmission to States: (at a ceremony in Transcorp with  leadership of the Constitution Review Committee of the House and Senate with Speakers/Clerks of the state Houses of Assembly) is expected to hold on Thursday, 30th October 2025”, Kalu said. 
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INEC extends PVCs collection in Ekiti for 72hours

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ekiti State Office, on Thursday announced the extension of the ongoing collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) has been extended from Friday, 12th June to Sunday, 14th June 2026.

The was contained in a statement by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Bunmi Omoseyindemi in Ado Ekiti

The statement read: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ekiti State Office, wishes to inform all registered voters in the State that the ongoing collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) has been extended from Friday, 12th June to Sunday, 14th June 2026

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“The extension is intended to provide an additional opportunity for eligible voters who are yet to collect their PVCs to do so before the Governorship Election scheduled for Saturday, 20th June 2026.

“Collection of PVCs will continue at the designated Local Government Area Offices of the Commission during official hours. Voters are advised to collect their PVCs personally, as collection by proxy will not be permitted.
INEC urges all registered voters who have not collected their PVCs to take advantage of this extension, as the PVC remains the only means of identification for voting on Election Day.

“The Commission remains committed to ensuring that every eligible voter is given the opportunity to participate in the electoral process.”

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Trump Stops Scheduled Bombings Against Iran

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US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was calling off strikes on Iran and flagged the signing of a possible deal with Tehran after top-level talks.

“Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have… cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.
“Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly,” he added.

Iran Warns Of ‘Endless Quagmire’

Iran had warned Washington on Thursday that it risked wading into an “endless quagmire” of war and soaring energy prices, after Trump vowed to launch a new round of airstrikes and to seize an island oil terminal.

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Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the Americans, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, issued his stark warning after the two sides exchanged overnight fire and Trump threatened that US forces would hit “VERY HARD TONIGHT”.

“Wrong strategies and impulsive decisions will reset the entire board for the worse, explode energy infrastructure and markets and create an endless quagmire that you will be stuck in for years,” Ghalibaf said.
The war, which began on February 28 with a wave of US-Israeli strikes on Iran, was paused under an April truce, but efforts to hammer out a permanent end to the fighting have since stalled.

US forces have also, since the ceasefire, hit radar arrays and disabled Iranian ships, and Tehran has maintained a chokehold on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

“At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela,” Trump said, in a post on his own social media platform, referring to a Gulf island that hosts Iran’s biggest oil export terminal.

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General Ali Abdollahi, head of the Iranian military’s central headquarters, warned that “if the United States once again seeks to carry out attacks against heroic Iran, it would receive a harsher response than before, and the flames of war, in addition to creating insecurity in the region, will become more widespread and far-reaching”.
The conflict has destabilised oil and gas prices, fuelling inflation and fears of recession in many economies.

On Thursday, the World Bank lowered its global growth forecast to its lowest level since the coronavirus pandemic, predicting it would drop to 2.5 percent in 2026, from 2.9 percent last year.

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Akpodiete Hails Rt. Hon. Fred Agbedi on Appointment as House Minority Leader

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Hon. Dr. Olotu Akpodiete JP, who’s vying for the Ughelli North, South and Udu Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives, has sent his congratulations to Rt. Hon. Frederick Agbedi. Agbedi’s new role as Minority Leader was announced today during plenary by Speaker Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.

Dr. Akpodiete said Agbedi’s emergence shows the trust and confidence his colleagues have in him. He described the new Minority Leader as dependable, strong-willed, and a politician of principle who acts on conviction rather than convenience.

Rt. Hon. Agbedi represents Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency in Bayelsa State. Before this appointment, he led the PDP Caucus in the House and also served as Bayelsa PDP chairman. He remains a committed PDP member and believes the party has a vital role as a strong opposition.

Akpodiete said he’s confident Agbedi will use his experience, competence and character to serve the House, the legislature, and Nigerians well.

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Signed:
Hon. Dr. Olotu Akpodiete JP
House of Representatives Candidate Hopeful
Ughelli North, South and Udu Federal Constituency

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