News
Electoral Reform: Lawmakers, Experts Seek Solutions to Legal Gaps
By Gloria Ikibah
The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, Rep. Adebayo Balogun, has called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s electoral laws.
Speaking at a consultative meeting with election petition lawyers, and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was organised by the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in partnership with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Committee Chairman highlighted issues from the 2023 elections that needed legislative attention.
Balogun stressed the importance of collaboration among lawmakers, legal experts, and stakeholders to improve election transparency and fairness.
He further acknowledged that the Electoral Act 2022 introduced key reforms like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal but noted that gaps remain.
One major issue raised was the inconsistency in court rulings on election matters. Balogun called for clearer judicial guidelines and faster resolution of election cases to ensure disputes do not extend beyond swearing-in dates. He also advocated for stricter penalties for electoral offences to deter malpractice.
Chairman Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, restated these concerns, and eemphasised the need for legal reforms to strengthen public confidence in elections.
The President Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, also criticised conflicting court decisions and procedural obstacles that delay justice.
Osigwe who warned that an overburdened judicial system focused on election cases could hurt Nigeria’s legal and economic environment, urged lawmakers to involve judges in the reform process to ensure clearer electoral jurisprudence.
Executive Director PLAC, Clement Nwankwo commended the commitment of the National Assembly to electoral reform and encouraged collaboration between the Senate and House committees.
Representative of the President of the Senate, Senator Abdullahi Yahaya, assured stakeholders that their recommendations would be taken seriously.
The meeting reinforced the need for legislative amendments to enhance Nigeria’s electoral system and prevent future disputes.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, February 20, 2025, endorsed to two bills establishing the Federal University of Agriculture and Development Studies, Iragbiji in Osun State, and the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin Ekiti, Ekiti State.
He said these specialised institutions will address the educational needs of the populace while driving research and innovation and contributing to the country’s overall economic growth and development.
He said the institutions will serve as training grounds for developing agriculture, science and technology professionals and enhancing Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global economy.
According to the National Universities Commission (NUC), Nigeria currently has 63 approved federal universities, 63 State universities, and 149 private universities.
On February 3, 2025, the president approved the establishment of the Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET) in Ogoni town of Tai, Rivers State.
Tinubu also consented to the federal government’s takeover of a forfeited private university in Southern Kaduna and its transformation into a federal university.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that France was entering a “new era” and that he planned to tell US President Donald Trump he could not “be weak” with Vladimir Putin.
Macron spoke to the French ahead of a planned visit to the White House to meet Trump next week, as Europe scrambles to respond to his Ukraine war shift.
“I’m going to tell him: ‘You can’t be weak with President Putin. That’s not who you are, it’s not your trademark, it’s not in your interest’”, Macron said as he answered questions from the French public on social media.
Trump will meet in Washington with Macron on Monday and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday next week, the White House said.
Trump has sent shock waves around Europe by saying he is ready to resume diplomacy with Putin to end Russia’s three-year war against Ukraine, over the heads of European countries and Kyiv.
In recent days French officials have said the French public needed to understand the magnitude of the threat coming from the Kremlin.
Macron told reporters earlier this week: “Russia poses an existential threat to Europeans.”
On Thursday, the French president said that France needed to beef up security amid the shock policy shift in US-Russia relations.
I am convinced that we are entering a new era. It will impose choices on us,” Macron said. “We Europeans must increase our war effort.”
Macron stressed he did not plan to send troops to Ukraine “tomorrow” but indicated that France was considering providing security guarantees to Ukraine following a ceasefire deal with Russia.
“I have not decided to send troops to Ukraine tomorrow, no,” he said.
“What we are considering instead is sending forces to guarantee peace once it has been negotiated,” he said.
Speaking to AFP earlier Thursday, a French source familiar with the discussions said France was working with European countries to ensure security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire agreement.
Macron also said he planned to speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later Thursday.
AFP
…as bandits demand N100m ransom
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
An ex- presidential candidate, Eniola Ojajuni, has been reportedly shot and abducted by bandits in Abuja.
Mr Ojajuni was abducted from his vehicle on Monday, family sources revealed.
Mr Ojajuni was the presidential candidate of the defunct Alliance for Democracy, in 2019.
The politician was on his way to a meeting when he was attacked.
“The kidnappers have reached out to his (Mr Ojajuni) wife, demanding a ransom of N100 million,” said a source on Thursday.
The source also revealed that Mr Ojajuni, the national president of the Afenifere Youths Council, was shot in the buttocks during the attack.
“The Afenifere National Youths Council is deeply saddened to announce the kidnapping of its national president, Prince Eniola Joseph Ojajuni, in Abuja, Nigeria.
“During the kidnapping, Prince Ojajuni sustained a bullet wound on his buttock. We are deeply concerned about his safety and well-being, and we urge the kidnappers to release him unharmed,” the youth group said in a statement.
The FCT police command spokeswoman, Josephine Adeh, could not be immediately reached for a comment.
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