Headlines
Buhari Sacks Postmaster General, NCC Chairman, Others
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Monday, sacked Postmaster General of the Federation, Mr Bisi Adegbuyi.
The NIPOST boss was replaced by Dr Ismail Adewusi.
Buhari’s media aide, Mr Femi Adesina, announced the replacement of Adegbuyi in a statement made available to one of our correspondent.
He also announced other appointments in parastatals under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
The parastatals affected are the Nigerian Communications Commission; National Information Technology Development Agency; Nigerian Postal Service; Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited; and Galaxy Backbone Limited.
At the NCC, Prof Adeolu Akande (South-West) replaced Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye (South-West) as Chairman, Board of Commissioners, subject to confirmation by the Senate.
Mr Uche Onwude (South- East) also replaced Senator Ifeanyi Ararume (South- East) as Non-Executive Commissioner.
The Presidency said that at the National Information Technology Development Agency, Dr Abubakar Sa’id replaced Prof Adeolu Akande as board chairman, while Dr Habibu Imam (North-West) replaced Dr Lawal Bello Moriki (North-West).
In the same agency, Dr Mohammed Sa’idu-Kumo was named as a board member.
Another change took place at the Galaxy Backbone Limited, where Prof Muhammed Abubakar replaced Mr Yusuf Kazaure.
Similarly, at the Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited, Mr Yusuf Kazaure replaced Chief George Moghalu as board chairman.
Dr Najeem Salam replaced Mr Samson Osagie as Executive Director, Marketing and Business Development, while Prof Abdu Ja’afaru Bambale replaced Kazeem Raji as Executive Director, Technical Services.
In addition, Hadi Mohammed replaced Mohammed Lema Abubakar as Executive Director, Administration.
Adegbuyi who was appointed as the PMG and Chief Executive Officer of NIPOST in August 2016 did not complete his tenure in office before his sacking by Buhari.
Sources at NIPOST revealed that Adegbuyi did not expect his removal from office.
A source said, “This is coming as a surprise.
“Nobody saw this coming. The PMG had no inkling that he was going to be removed and what made this even more difficult to understand is there was no reason given for the development.
“The PMG was looking forward to repositioning NIPOST in line with the partial commercialisation policy.”
Last week, Adegbuyi had addressed journalists, mapping out his future plans for NIPOST.
NIPOST is currently engaged in a spirited campaign to retain the collection of stamp duties.
The Punch
The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (NWC) has suspended the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade; National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha; and National Organizing Secretary, Umaru Bature for one month.
The suspension comes on the heels of the judgement of the Federal High Court On Friday, which stopped the party’s planned national convention.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, told journalists in Abuja on Saturday, that the decision followed an emergency meeting of the national working committee, which was held in Abuja.
President Donald Trump of the United States on Friday designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), in response to allegations of widespread persecution and genocide against Christians.
Writing on his Truth Social account, Trump stated that Christianity faces a serious threat in Nigeria.
The US leader also added Nigeria to a State Department watch list.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote.
According to the US president, he was placing Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer and most populous nation, on a “Countries of Particular Concern” list of nations the US deems to have engaged in religious freedom violations.
According to the State Department’s website, the list includes China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, and Pakistan, among others.
Trump said he had asked US Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole, as well as the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, to look into the matter and report back to him.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Hon. Abubakar Gummi from the House of Representatives after he left the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress.
The lawmaker represented the Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency in Zamfara State.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the ruling, holding that Gummi’s defection breached the Constitution.
The court said the seat does not belong to any politician but to the political party that sponsored the election.
According to the judgment, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, is barred from recognising Gummi “as a member representing Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency.”
The judge also instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission to “conduct a fresh election” for the vacant seat within 30 days.
The case was instituted by the PDP and its Zamfara chairman, who insisted that Gummi’s move to the APC had no legal justification. They argued that there was no division in the PDP to support his defection, as required by Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution.
Gummi, through his counsel, claimed he left the PDP due to internal crises which he said made it “impossible” to serve his constituents effectively. The judge, however, dismissed his arguments and granted all the reliefs requested by the plaintiffs.
Justice Egwuatu, in a firm comment, warned politicians against what he described as reckless party hopping.
“Political prostitution must not be rewarded,” he declared, adding that lawmakers must not transfer votes won on one party’s platform to another party.
The court also ordered Gummi to refund all salaries and allowances received from October 30, 2024, until the date of judgment. He is also barred from earning any further benefits as a member of the House.
Additionally, the judge imposed a N500,000 cost against the defendants in favour of the PDP.
