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Ita Enang Confirms Removal as Buhari’s Senate Aide, Appointed as Aide on Niger Delta Affairs

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Ita Enang has confirmed a report published earlier by PREMIUM TIMES on President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to renew his appointment as the president’s aide on National Assembly Matters.

PREMIUM TIMES broke the news that Mr Enang, a former senator from Akwa Ibom state, would not return as Mr Buhari’s senior special adviser on Senate because of the perception within the presidency that he was unable to manage the relationship between the president and Bukola Saraki-led Senate.

The relationship between President Buhari and the eighth Senate was characterised by deep animosity.

“He (Enang) didn’t have the temperament to deliver anything substantial,” a source within the presidency had said of Mr Enang’s performance as Mr Buhari’s aide.

“Despite the experience he has and the senators being his former colleagues, he could not resolve the frequent crisis the senators were having with the president.”

The president picked Omoworare Babajide, a former senator from Osun state, as Mr Enang’s replacement, the source said.

Mr Enang, the source had said, would be compensated with a new position – the president’s adviser on Niger Delta matters.

The former senator, apparently unaware of the development within the presidency as at that time, disputed the PREMIUM TIMES report.

 

“My name is Senator Ita Solomon Enang, and I am the National Assembly Liaison officer; Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Senate),” Mr Enang said on Planet 105.9 FM Uyo, on August 13, a day after the PREMIUM TIMES report.

Mr Enang’s media aide, Essien Inyang, and people sympathetic to the former senator gleefully promoted the claims on Facebook.

A photo showing Mr Enang in an office, with Nigerian flag at the background, was also promoted on the social media site by his media aide, with the message “Work more, talk less!”

The intention, perhaps, was to discredit the PREMIUM TIMES report.

Mr Enang also granted press interviews in Abuja, telling reporters he was still President Buhari’s aide on National Assembly Matters.

But on Tuesday, eight days after the report, Mr Enang’s media aide, Mr Inyang, posted on Facebook: “Meet Senator Ita Solomon Enang, Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs”, therefore confirming the report by this newspaper.

Mr Inyang in another post said the new appointment was an “elevation” for Mr Enang.

Many of Mr Enang’s supporters have taken to Facebook to congratulate him and to also thank Mr Buhari for the appointment.

“May God continually bless us with many more opportunities as Akwa Ibom people. May we equally use such openings for the benefit of our people,” Onofiok Luke, a House of Representatives member from the state, wrote on Facebook about the appointment.

Mr Luke, a former speaker of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, congratulated Mr Enang on the appointment.

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US Lawmaker Seeks More Airstrikes in Nigeria, Insists Christian Lives Matter

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United States Representative Riley Moors has said further military strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria could follow recent operations ordered by President Donald Trump, describing the actions as aimed at improving security and protecting Christian communities facing violence.

Moore made the remarks during a televised interview in which he addressed U.S. military strikes carried out on Christmas Day against militant targets in North-west Nigeria.

The strikes were conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government, according to U.S. and Nigerian officials.

“President Trump is not trying to bring war to Nigeria, he’s bringing peace and security to Nigeria and to the thousands of Christians who face horrific violence and death,” Moore said.

He said the Christmas Day strikes against Islamic State affiliates had provided hope to Christians in Nigeria, particularly in areas affected by repeated attacks during past festive periods.

According to U.S. authorities, the strikes targeted camps used by Islamic State-linked groups operating in parts of north-west Nigeria.

Nigerian officials confirmed that the operation was carried out with intelligence support from Nigerian security agencies as part of ongoing counter-terrorism cooperation between both countries.

The United States Africa Command said the operation was intended to degrade the operational capacity of extremist groups responsible for attacks on civilians and security forces.

Nigerian authorities have described the targeted groups as a threat to national security, noting their involvement in killings, kidnappings and raids on rural communities.

Moore said the strikes marked a shift from previous years in which attacks were carried out against civilians during the Christmas period. He said the U.S. administration was focused on preventing further violence by targeting militant groups before they could launch attacks.

U.S. officials have said the military action was carried out with the consent of the Nigerian government and formed part of broader security cooperation between the two countries. Nigeria has received intelligence, training and logistical support from international partners as it seeks to contain militant activity.

Moore had previously called for stronger international attention to attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria and has urged continued U.S. engagement in addressing extremist violence. He said further action would depend on developments on the ground and continued coordination with Nigerian authorities.

Nigerian officials have maintained that counter-terrorism operations are directed at armed groups threatening civilians, regardless of religion, and have reiterated their commitment to restoring security across affected regions.

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Renowned Boxer Anthony Joshua Survives Ghastly Road Accident

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World-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua on Monday survived a ghastly road accident in Makun, Ogun State.

Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated.

Joshua reportedly sustained minor injuries, while two persons were said to have died on the spot.

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Atiku Warns Against Hasty Re‑gazetting of New Tax Laws

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has cautioned that any attempt to hurriedly re‑gazette Nigeria’s new tax laws could undermine parliamentary oversight and set a dangerous constitutional precedent.

Atiku’s warning follows public scrutiny over reports that the Tax Reform Acts signed by President Bola Tinubu differ from the versions passed by the National Assembly. Lawmakers, including Abdussamad Dasuki, raised concerns that the alterations could pose serious legal and constitutional risks, noting that they were not backed by any constitutional framework.

In a statement on X, Atiku said the directive to re-gazette the Acts effectively confirms “that the gazetted version of the Tinubu Tax Act does not reflect what was duly passed by the National Assembly,” calling it “a grave constitutional issue.”

He emphasized that under Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution, a bill only becomes law after passage by both chambers, presidential assent, and gazetting.

“Gazetting is merely an administrative act of publication. It does not create, amend, or validate a law,” Atiku said, adding that any post-passage insertion, deletion, or modification without legislative approval constitutes forgery rather than a clerical error.

Atiku further warned that rushing a re-gazetting while legislative investigations are ongoing “undermines parliamentary oversight and sets a dangerous precedent,” stressing that the only lawful approach is “fresh legislative consideration, re-passage by both chambers, fresh presidential assent, and proper gazetting.”

The former vice president clarified that his position is not opposition to tax reform but a defence of constitutional order.

“This is a defence of the integrity of the legislative process and a rejection of any attempt to normalise constitutional breaches through procedural shortcuts,” he said.

The Federal government has denied wrongdoing, insisting the laws will take effect as scheduled on January 1, 2026, while the National Assembly has directed the issuance of Certified True Copies of the Acts to ensure clarity and accuracy.

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