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N30bn Palliatives: Akpabio Eats the Humble Pie, Apologises to State Governors
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The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has apologised to the state governors over his comment on the N30bn hardship allowance allegedly paid to them from the federation account.
Akpabio, during plenary last Tuesday, had said an “unverified report” indicated that state governors received N30bn each from the Federal Government to cushion the effect of inflation and high cost of food prices.
He made the comments during deliberation on the alleged N30trn Ways and Means advances from the Central Bank of Nigeria to the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
The Federal Government in September 2023, said N2bn was released to governors out of the N5bn loan it promised them as a palliative to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy.
In response to the Senate President’s unverified claims, the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, and the Akwa Ibom State government had denied receiving the N30 billion Federal Government’s cash disbursement to states to cushion the effects of the prevailing socio-economic hardship as stated by Akpabio.
However, Akpabio ate the humble pie Monday night when he apologised to the governors and regretted making the statement while relying on unverified information.
The Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, Hon Eseme Eyiboh, said Akpabio held the governors in high esteem.
The statement was titled, “N30bn to state governors from unverified report: I hold governors in high esteem – Akpabio”
It reads in part, “The office of the President of the Senate has been drawn to various misconceptions in the public domain on the statement credited to the President of the Senate in plenary of Wednesday, February 21, 2024, during the presentation of a report of the joint Committees on Finance, Agriculture/Food Sufficiency, Banking and Insurance.
“During the session the President of the Senate commented on the payment of an unverified cumulative sum of about #30bn to the sub-national governments by the Federal Government for various interventions to ameliorate the food situation of our citizens at the sub-national governments.
“The unfortunate conjectures to take away the kernel in the material facts of FAAC payment are rather regretted.
“In considering the well-intended motive of urging state governments to collaborate with the Federal government of President Bola Tinubu to facilitate strategic interventions to mitigate the prevailing economic situation in the country remains the underpinning motivation in the comment.
“The President of the Senate is not oblivious to the fact that state governments are functional partners in all the efforts of the current administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“They are also valuable stakeholders’ in the various legislative engagements of the legislature in creating the nexus between the legislature and the people.
“The President of the Senate has always demonstrated commitment to team building and shall not do less in the circumstance.
“He therefore urges the sub-national governments not to be distracted by any misunderstanding of the context and true meaning of the statement.
“The President of the Senate recognises and appreciates the current efforts of the governors at ameliorating the adverse effects of the current inclement socio-economic environment and therefore invites more hands on the plow to complement the renewed hope agenda.”
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Atiku Drags Tinubu to Court over Certificate Forgery, Eligibility to Contest 2027 Election
Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), personally appeared at the court registry to depose to an affidavit in support of the suit.
The suit was instituted by Atiku and the ADC against President Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
It is anchored on Sections 137(1)(j), 139(1)(a)(i), and 285(14)(c) of the 1999 Constitution, as well as provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
At the heart of the case is Section 137(1)(j), which disqualifies anyone who presents a forged certificate to INEC from contesting for President.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to determine whether Tinubu and the APC should be disqualified from the 2027 election over allegations that the President submitted an NYSC discharge certificate bearing the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle” to INEC for both the 2023 and 2027 elections.
According to Atiku’s affidavit, the name on the certificate is different from “Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” and the document was not obtained by the President.
Speaking after taking the oath, Atiku said his personal appearance was to show seriousness.
“I came here personally because the issues before the court go to the heart of our Constitution and the integrity of the office of President… I have therefore put my name, my signature and my oath behind the facts we are presenting to the court. Now it is President Tinubu’s turn to answer them,” he said.
The suit also asks INEC to produce Tinubu’s Form CF001 submitted for the 2023 and 2027 elections.
Atiku said he had applied for certified true copies of the form but got no response before filing.
“This is precisely why we have gone to court. We are not asking Nigerians to decide this matter on social media… We are asking the institution holding the records to produce them and the judiciary to examine the evidence and pronounce on it,” Atiku stated.
“If the certificate belongs to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, let that be established before the court. If ‘Tinubu Bola Adekunle’ and ‘Bola Ahmed Tinubu’ are one and the same person for the purpose of that certificate, let the evidence establish it.”
Beyond the certificate, the ADC and Atiku are also challenging aspects of the Electoral Act, 2026, which they argue restrict pre-election challenges to a candidate’s qualification. They contend that no law can override the Constitution.
“Can an Act of the National Assembly be used as a shield against an express provision of the Constitution?… Our position is that the Constitution remains supreme,” Atiku said.
Among the reliefs sought is an order disqualifying Tinubu and the APC from participating in the 2027 presidential election if the court upholds the plaintiffs’ case.
“Nobody should misunderstand what is at stake. Nigerian graduates cannot complete NYSC documentation with one identity and simply ask employers to ignore discrepancies… The Presidency is not an immunity certificate against constitutional scrutiny,” he added.
Atiku further urged INEC to demonstrate neutrality by making the relevant records available to the court.
“The 2027 election must begin with clarity about the qualification of those seeking the Presidency. Nigerians should not be asked to vote first and investigate later,” he said.
Lead counsel, Joseph Onu Silas, Esq., said the legal team was confident the case would help deepen Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence.
“This is not about privilege, personalities or presidential power. It is about one Constitution and one standard for every Nigerian. Nobody is above the Constitution — not Atiku Abubakar, not Bola Tinubu, and certainly not the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Onu said.
Lawyer petitions EU over Tinubu’s qualification, cites ‘subversion of constitution’
Relatedly, a renowned Nigerian lawyer, Kalu Kalu Esq., has submitted a petition to the European Union in Brussels, alleging that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu subverted constitutional order ahead of the 2027 general election.
His remark was shared on Facebook Friday by Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Kalu, who spoke at the European Commission headquarters, said the petition seeks the EU’s intervention to “help restore constitutional democracy in Nigeria.”
He accused President Tinubu of submitting false academic credentials to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and failing to state the primary and secondary schools he attended.
“Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has suspended the constitutional order in Nigeria because of his false academic credentials, which he submitted to INEC for the 2027 general election and he did not state the primary school and the secondary school he attended,” Kalu said.
The lawyer cited Section 137(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution, arguing that presenting a false certificate to INEC disqualifies a candidate.
“Section 1371J says if you have presented a false certificate to INEC, the Independent National Electoral Commission, you will not be qualified to run election and he has submitted forged documents, forged certificates to INEC that made him not to be qualified to run for the 2027 general election,” he stated.
Kalu further alleged that because “they have captured all the power in Nigeria,” the President has “imposed himself on Nigeria, thereby subverting the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, which is a mini-coup, a sub-coup against the people of Nigeria.”
He said the purpose of his visit to Brussels was to formally submit the petition to the EU and solicit support for the restoration of constitutional governance in Nigeria.
“Good afternoon all and good afternoon to the whole world. I am here at the European Commission to submit a petition to the European Union concerning the subversion of constitutional order in Nigeria… So, I’m here to submit the petition to the EU to help restore constitutional democracy in Nigeria,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency and INEC have not responded to the allegations.
The European Union-Supported Election Observation Group has deployed 843 observers across Osun State for Saturday’s governorship election, as part of efforts to independently assess the conduct of the poll.
The group, comprising the Centre for Media, Society, the International Press Centre, the Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund, the Kukah Centre and Yiaga Africa, disclosed this in its preliminary statement on the election on Friday in Osogbo, the state capital.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, said the observers would monitor, document and report on the electoral process in line with the principles of independence, impartiality and non-partisanship.
Itodo said; “the election was of significant national importance as it would provide another opportunity to assess the implementation of provisions of the electoral legal framework and offer INEC, security agencies, electoral stakeholders and the public further insight into preparations ahead of the 2027 general election.”
He said, “the group acknowledged INEC’s declared operational, technological and logistical readiness for the election, including the deployment of election materials and personnel.”
The EU group also noted that INEC had increased the number of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices following technical challenges identified during the mock accreditation exercise, with additional devices provided as backup.
On result management, however, the group called for greater clarity on the electronic transmission and backend validation of polling unit results.
It urged INEC to make the result transmission process more transparent and verifiable, including providing clearer information on the backend validation process and the use of electronic result sheets.
The group also called on the Commission to ensure smooth electronic transmission of validated polling unit results and maintain adequate live backup of election data to prevent disruptions during accreditation and counting.
United States President, Donald Trump, says his country is now in “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing tensions with Iran over the reopening of the strategic waterway.
Trump made the claim while speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, saying the situation with Iran was progressing well despite continued disagreements between both countries.
“Iran is going fine – going just absolutely fine. We totally control the Strait of Hormuz. We have control over it; nobody else, only us. Our navy is unbelievable, and things going great for our country,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews.
“I don’t trust Iran. I’m the last person to trust Iran; they’ve lied to me constantly. We have total control over the Hormuz Strait right now; they don’t have control,” he added.
The claim comes as the United States and Iran continue to exchange demands over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, casting further uncertainty over negotiations aimed at ending their five-month conflict.
Although the US has confirmed its involvement in the talks, Iran maintains that it is negotiating directly only with Oman. Tehran has also proposed that the future management of the strategic waterway be shared with Oman.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical global energy route, with about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passing through it before the US-Israel war with Iran began at the end of February.
On Monday, Trump said he would seek compensation from Iran for deaths and injuries associated with conflicts and attacks spanning several decades.
His position followed Iran’s demands for reparations over the war last week, as Tehran said it would not reopen the strait until Washington addresses its political and economic conditions.
