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Thoughts on the Judgment of the Supreme Court on Zamfara
By Raymond Nkannebe Esq.
One struggles to find the right word to capture the chicanery that passes for internal democracy in Nigeria. The brand of politicians that appeared onto the political firmament with the return of democracy in 1999 with their inflated sense of importance and voracious taste for power worryingly turned the field of politics to one where anything goes riding roughshod on constitutionalism and getting away with it in many cases, save for occasional moments where an over-stretched judiciary rises up in defence of democracy as was seen in the landmark decision of the apex Court in the case of Amaechi v INEC (2009) 10 WRN 1 and even more recently the decision of the same Court in the case of Mato v Hermber (2017) LPELR-42765(SC) to name a few. In the particular case of Amaechi, eminent Professor of Law, Itse Sagay SAN, described the judgement of the court as a “groundbreaking one, spinning of and spurring many legal off-shoots, principles and precedents in Nigerian Electoral Law and practice and ushering in a more civilized and enlightened political culture”.
The power-by-all-means syndrome that afflicts our overrated political class unfortunately have come with great cost for internal democracy in Nigeria. And when one expects the situation to get better, it has arguably gotten worse. Nothing signposts this more, than the parallel congresses that characterized many state organs of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the build up to the recently held general elections. And without a doubt, Rivers, Imo and just recently Zamfara state are currently bearing the highest lump of the prostitution of the internal processes of the party.
It is against the backdrop of this therefore that the recent decision of the Supreme Court over the political crisis that rocked the APC in Abdulaziz Yari’s Zamfara is both instructive and commendable irrespective of how harsh it may be perceived in some quarters. By holding that the ruling APC did not conduct a valid primary election in the state with crude implications for the candidates purportedly elected under its platform at the recently concluded election, the apex Court has once again drummed home the message that Nigeria is a nation under laws to which political parties and politicians alike are bound.
In an article entitled “Towards a Political Hygiene in Intra-Party Politics” published last year few days to the flag-off of party primaries by INEC, I had underscored the recurrent problem of intra-party politics in Nigeria thus:
“At the core of intra party disputes and disaffection on the part of members is the disrespect of the constitution of political parties by their hierarchy; non-compliance with laid down rules and regulations and the habitual compromise and impunity by so called godfathers with an inflated sense of their importance over the affairs of the party. One veritable feature of this ill democratic practice is the illegal substitution of persons who emerge victorious at state primaries for other persons under circumstances that leave a sour taste in the mouth. Indeed, in the numerous cases that have made their way to the court for determination by aggrieved party members, this thread is always to be seen. But while some of these aspirants get lucky by having the decision of the party reversed, many others are often not so lucky. Hence the ceaseless cross carpeting and other signs of protest that have become a feature of partisan politics in our chequered history”.
I had also admonished in that article that going into the primaries (irrespective of which method that has been adopted by the state caucuses of the individual party), the irreducible minimum conduct expected by those to spearhead the exercise irrespective of the political party in question, should be one that accords with the laid down provisions of the Electoral Act, 2010 and the individual party’s constitution and INEC’S guidelines and regulations as anything short of these would not only be setting the democratic clock of the nation backward, but also a recipe for disaster in the individual party.
Apparently, these admonitions meant nothing to many politicians and their political party. To be sure, the circumstances that led to the non-holding of a valid party primaries in Zamfara state finds its root in the major albatross around the neck of party-politics in Nigeria namely, the parochial interest of one man to lord his will over others thus feeding the emotions that almost always give rise to renegade or splinter factions within the party. In Rivers State, Sen. Magnus Abe and transport minister Rotimi Amaechi represented these conflicting interests, while in Imo State, incumbent governor Rochas Okorocha and his adversary, Sen. Hope Uzodinma were very visible. In Delta, Enugu, Adamawa, Bauchi amongst other states, the ugly head of this monster was also visible with tell-tale consequences here and there.
But by no means is the ruling APC the only affected party here. Not at all. if the situation in the APC has gained more commentary in recent times, it is perhaps because it is the ruling party. Of course, the PDP era was also marked by the same crisis and until recently was lurked in a fratricidal leadership crisis until the same apex court came to the rescue.
In my referenced article above, I had written of the main opposition party thus: “At the commanding heights of the PDP rule, we saw the elevation of sharp practices in the internal affairs of a political party taken to a whole new dimension. This impunity which gained traction under the watch of former president Olusegun Obasanjo perhaps had its ugliest manifestation in Anambra, Imo and Rivers states to the utter embarrassment of the civilised world. Indeed one could say, without any fear of contradiction that intra-party corruption as we have it today, remains one of the ugliest legacies of the current opposition party PDP, who while it enjoyed its status as the ruling party within the space of 16 years, nearly institutionalized a culture of needless intra-party squabbles through sundry acts of subterfuge and injustice in deciding who gets what, when and how within the hierarchy of the party.”
Nor are the smaller political parties excepted. In the state chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Imo State for example, it is the complaints of alleged hijacking of the party by some quarters that necessitated the decamping of a former governor of the state to the Accord party to contest the gubernatorial election almost at the eve of the election. And at the national level of the party its leadership was until recently mired in serious crisis arising from the non-observance of party processes until same was resolved by the apex Court rightly or wrongly mid last year.
All of these scenarios unfortunately leave an ugly picture of intra-party politics in Nigeria- which needless to say remains the foundation of representational democracy. But an undisciplined political class must be disciplined one way or another. And this is what the judgement of the Supreme Court represents in Zamfara. And it couldn’t have come at a better time. It is in many respects a necessary hemlock down the throat of the state chapter of the ruling APC in Zamfara for daring to mortgage the divergent interests of the party hierarchy in the state to the whims and caprices of one man. Through and through, the judgment must be a hurtful reminder of how not to conduct intra-party affairs and the need for conforming to the minimum requirements of the law in party affairs.
But the greatest credit in all of these must go to the judiciary- that institution that continues to live up to its billing as the last hope of the common man; for rising courageously at opportune moments to defend our cherished democracy and instill discipline where impunity has become the rule of thumb.
Raymond Nkannebe is a legal practitioner and public interest analyst and writes from Lagos.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has announced plans to commence an indefinite nationwide strike starting November 1, 2025.
NARD President, Mohammad Suleiman, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the strike directive was issued after the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier given to the Federal government over unresolved demands.
This latest action comes after a five-hour meeting of the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) on Saturday.
“The NEC has marshalled out minimum demands, strike monitoring directives, and ‘no work, no pay/no pay, no work’ resolutions needed for a successful execution of this action,” the statement reads in part.
According to Suleiman, the decision followed the expiration of a 30-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal government to address its demands.
“Today, after a 5-Hour Extra-Ordinary National Executive Council Meeting, the Members of NEC have issued out new marching orders to us once again.
“The NEC has unanimously directed us to declare a total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action to commence on Friday 31st October 2025 at 11:59pm.”
Suleiman said the National Officers Committee (NOC) has been mandated to ensure full compliance with the directive and to implement strike monitoring and enforcement measures across all centres.
He added that the association’s centre presidents and general secretaries have been directed to convene emergency congress meetings to brief members on the resolutions.
“We have reported to NEC and NEC has decided. The NOC will carry out this directive to its latter and in full compliance.
“NEC has also decided that centre Presidents and General Secretaries shall go back and call Emergency Congress Meetings to brief Members on the details there-in.
The NARD President accused some government and non-government actors of “evil and exploitative plans” against resident doctors, adding that the union will “collectively resist” such moves.
He also called on members of NARD to use the next few days to hand over patients, engage community and religious leaders, and sensitise the public ahead of the strike.
The industrial action is expected to cripple medical services in hospitals nationwide, as resident doctors constitute the backbone of clinical care in the nation’s healthcare system.
On September 26, NARD issued one-month ultimatum to the Federal Government to address the lingering issues affecting the welfare and training of resident doctors and medical officers across the country.
Part of the grievances listed by the association are excessive and unregulated work hours, nonpayment of outstanding arrears from the 25 and 35 percent upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), and the unjust dismissal of five resident doctors from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
The resident doctors also expressed frustration over the non-payment of promotion arrears to medical officers in various federal tertiary hospitals, as well as the failure of the government to pay the 2024 accoutrement allowance despite repeated assurances from the Ministry of Health.
They further cited bureaucratic delays in upgrading resident doctors’ ranks following the completion of postgraduate medical examinations, leading to non-payment of new salary scales and accumulated arrears.
NARD also condemned their exclusion from the specialist allowance, despite their critical role in providing specialist-level care to patients across the country.
The association faulted the exclusion of medical and dental house officers from the civil service scheme — a policy it said denies them rightful salaries, professional recognition, and career progression.
NARD also decried the downgrading of newly employed resident doctors from CONMESS three Step three to CONMESS two Step two, resulting in reduced earnings and unpaid salary arrears in several federal hospitals.
By Henry Ukazu
Dear Destiny Friends,
Secrets are exclusive preserves of certain individuals or institutions. They are one’s advantage over others, in the sense of ‘there’s something I know, which no one else knows. No one can ever claim that they don’t have a secret, either in the good or bad light.
Secrets therefore, exist in the family circle, business terrain, academic environment, career/professional pursuit, health management, spiritual connectivity and even in everyday personal living. It is an undeniable fact that everyone has a secret that works for them.
Let’s take a minute to discuss some of the aforementioned secrets.
Family
Every family has a secret. It will be foolhardy for anyone to disclose family secrets. Most families die with their secrets. To understand how family secrets work, imagine the Coca-Cola company. The family is said to be the only one in the world that has the formula for the beverage; a trade secret that originated with its creator, John Pemberton.
It is said that not even all family members enter the room where Coca-Cola is mixed or manufactured for fear of the secret being divulged. Imagine where spouses have access to the room and the marriage goes south, there’s a tendency that a spiteful divorced partner might leak the secret and the rest as they say is history.
There are many secrets that bind many families which only the immediate family members know. In some cases, only the parents or grandparents know. They can decide to share the secret to either the first male child, first female child or even a member of the family that one considers rational. For instance, imagine where a family is faced with a peculiar life threatening illness which ordinarily might scare anyone who wants to get married into that family, it will be stupid for anyone to spit it out, that act alone can make the intending spouse to reconsider his/her plan to marry from the family.
Business
Every business has a trade secret. Trade secrets are what makes a business unique. Every business has a unique selling point. (USP), which is a distinct benefit that sets the business or product apart from its competitors. A shrewd businessman will never leak his secret to his employees or competitors. The best his employees will know are the values, the operational systems or structures of the business and how his mindset works. But what makes the business stand out is the mystery that one will need to unravel.
Academic
Every student has a distinct trait that makes him/her succeed academically. This unique trait makes the student exceptional. For any student to succeed in their academics, he must know himself and what works for him. While some might study at night, some might study during the day, others might just listen during the lecture and understand the key points.
It’s sad to see students, who haven’t discovered who they are and what works for them following students who have discovered who they are. For example, while some students have good listening and understanding ability, and can listen to lectures and read a little and pass their examinations, some other students will have to read the course material before the lecture, listen during the lecture, read after the lecture and read thoroughly for examination before they can get a decent grade.
In some cases, they might not get the desired grade. Some students will even party hard during the day and at night they study, while some will party at night and study during the day. So, you can see that while some students have discovered themselves and what works for them, some others follow them sheepishly. Moral: Know what works for you and do what works for you because according to Oscar Wilde, “be yourself because others are taken”.
Career/Profession
Every career professional has a secret that works for them. In the same way, every industry knows what makes it stands out. The secret of what makes someone in the entertainment industry successful is quite different from what makes someone in politics or law enforcement, energy, education, legal, or health sector different. They all have different strokes, and the ability of one to do the needful in addition to playing the associated game can be the game changer.
Health
Health is a personal thing. Nobody knows you more than you know yourself. To show you how secretive and important one’s health is, it’s been said that there are three kinds of life: Public life, private life and secret life.
Your public life is the life that is generally known by everyone. It is the character we exhibit in the public space. It can also be regarded as the image perception lifestyle; we don’t generally go around revealing our health status in the public domain except where necessary. The private lifestyle; this is the kind of life only our family and close friends know.
Again, we don’t disclose such pertinent information to them only where and when necessary, then we have the secret lifestyle which only us and our creator knows. In some cases, we go to the graveyard with this. Do you see why health is a personal issue which needs to be kept in a secret place?
Personal
As mentioned earlier, everyone is unique. One of the best things that can happen to anyone is knowing themselves, and knowing what makes them different. I strongly believe we all have seeds of greatness in us. What works for Mr. A might not work for Mr. B. Like I always say, you can copy my style, but you can’t be me because imitation is a limitation.
For instance, I have unique energy and inspiration when it comes to writing. I have developed a keen interest and passion for writing. If tomorrow I become very successful or attract a unique opportunity, and someone decides to try writing to attract similar opportunities, the person might fail because God is the one that decides what opportunities come to anyone nor matter how hard someone may work.
Spiritual
This is another interesting aspect of life. Life is indeed spiritual. There’s nothing that happens physically without taking place spiritually. Everyone has a covenant point that was assigned to them at birth. Once that covenant point is touched that fellow might lose their blessings, anointing or what makes them strong.
There have been many testimonies about this. For instance, in the Bible, Samson’s touching point was his hair. He knows his power lies in his hair, that’s why Delilah tried so many times to know the secret of his strength, but Samson refused to tell her. She tried to make him drunk, but Samson still has the power. Samson repeatedly lied to Delilah about the secret of his strength, first saying it was new bowstrings, then new ropes, and finally by weaving his hair into a loom. Each time, he easily broke free, but Delilah continued to pressure him.
Weary from her constant questioning, Samson finally confessed that his strength was tied to his hair, which had never been cut because he was a Nazirite from birth. Delilah then called for a man to shave Samson’s seven locks of hair while he slept in her lap. His secret was revealed. His hair was cut. He strength was gone.
Do you see that Samson’s secret place was his hair?
In conclusion, depending on what we are working on, we all have our secret strength and place. The onus is on us to cultivate and dwell on this secret place to avoid losing power and focus.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
Amid growing insecurity in different parts of the country, Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has urged residents to defend themselves against persistent bandit attacks.
He insisted that his administration would neither negotiate with nor pay ransom to criminals under any circumstances.
Bago made the declaration during a visit to the Rijau and Magama local government areas, where several communities were recently attacked by bandits operating from the Kontagora axis.
The governor said the State has reached a critical stage that demands collective action, warning that ransom payments would only embolden the criminals and turn kidnapping into a profitable venture.
“I will not negotiate with bandits. I will not pay ransom.
“The moment we start paying, they will open shop on our heads and continue kidnapping people,” he said.
“The situation has reached a state of war that requires collective resistance. We are surrounded by enemies, but we will not give up.
“The constitution gives us the right to defend our lives and property, and we will do just that,” the governor added.
Describing the recurring attacks and displacement of residents as “embarrassing and unacceptable,” Bago announced plans to recruit and train 10,000 personnel into the state’s joint task force to strengthen community security and restore peace.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Print Media, Aisha Wakaso, the governor also announced a total ban on all mining activities across Zone C of the state.
The affected local government areas include Magama, Kontagora, Rijau, Wushishi, Mariga, Borgu, Mashegu, and Agwara.
Bago explained that illegal mining had become a major driver of insecurity in the zone, noting that many miners had unrestricted access to forest areas considered unsafe for residents.
“It is suspicious that miners can enter the forests freely, yet the bandits don’t touch them. I have ordered the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to arrest anyone caught engaging in mining activities,” he said.
Governor Bago also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ending the cycle of violence and restoring lasting peace throughout the state.
