Author: Khadijah Olowode
The Abasi People Foundation (APF) has forcefully rejected the proposed Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council, describing the initiative as historically insensitive, politically exclusionary, and structurally flawed. In a detailed statement issued in Abuja at the weekend and signed by its President, Dr. Victor Udo, the Foundation not only denounced the proposed council but also declared unambiguous solidarity with Igbo traditional rulers under the leadership of Lawrence Agubuzu, Eze Ogbunechendo of Ezema Olo Kingdom in Enugu State. The APF argued that any attempt to establish a southern regional traditional body without full democratic consultation and equal representation of indigenous nationalities risks…
His Eminence, Dr. Eberechukwu Oji, the Eze Aro of Arochukwu Kingdom, has explained that contrary to different insinuations being peddled on the social media, that the Southern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Council (SNTRC) was founded on a structure of equity. While clearing the air over the misleading posts on the social media, the Eze Aro Palace in a statement signed by Mazi Ernie Onwumere, the Director of Public Affairs said, “It is both unfortunate and disingenuous to witness the dissemination of some misleading and inflammatory narratives being aimed at His Eminence, Dr. Eberechukwu Oji, the Eze Aro of Arochukwu Kingdom, and…
Austin Aigbe, Wrote from Abuja Electoral laws are the backbone of democratic governance. They define the rules of political competition, shape institutional accountability, and ultimately determine whether elections reflect the will of the people. The Electoral Act, 2026, which repeals the Electoral Act, 2022, is a major legislative milestone. It introduces a revised framework to regulate federal, state, and Area Council elections, reflecting an attempt to consolidate reform gains, address procedural weaknesses, and respond to evolving political and technological realities. Yet, like all ambitious reform efforts, it carries both promise and potential pitfalls. This analysis explores the merits and demerits…
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in collaboration with the British High Commission Abuja, has amplified the voices of trafficking survivors in a bold move to confront the fast-growing crisis of cyber-enabled scam operations across Southeast Asia. At a landmark survivor-centred forum held in Abuja on Monday, stakeholders gathered under the theme, “Confronting the Global Scam Centre Crisis: Perspectives of Nigerian Survivors,” to spotlight the emerging pattern of Nigerians being lured abroad with fake job offers and forced into criminal cyber-fraud networks. The event featured testimonies from recently repatriated Nigerians who were trafficked to Myanmar,…
Nigeria has taken a decisive step to reinforce its environmental commitments with the validation of its Seventh National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity at a high-level workshop in Abuja on Monday, 23 February, 2026. The validation workshop, brought together government officials, environmental experts, civil society actors, researchers, development partners and community representatives to review and endorse the country’s latest biodiversity performance assessment. Describing the exercise as a defining moment for Nigeria’s environmental governance, the Director of Forestry, Hajiya Halima Bawa-Bwari, said the national report goes far beyond a routine international obligation. According to her, the document serves as…
In anothet victory by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria through the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has yet again won a complex international arbitration. European Dynamics UK Ltd, an international technology contractor, had entered into a dispute with the bureau over a national e-Procurement project. In the ruling which is final and not subject to appeal, the tribunal dismissed the contractor’s claims in their entirety, relieving Nigeria of potential financial exposure estimated at over $6.2 million (approximately ₦9.3 billion) in claimed payments and damages. Nigeria’s legal team was led by Johnson & Wilner LLP, a Nigerian business…
By Dr. James Bwala It is the right of every constituent member to ask questions of their representative on how they run with the trust we gave them. The best time to ask questions, however, is when the elections are approaching. For us in the Hawul and Askira/Uba federal constituency, this is the time for us to begin to ask our representative, Dr. Midala Usman Balami, what he did or did not do with the mandate we gave him on trust against all odds in 2023. This is the right thing to do because the relationship between constituents and their…
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, on Sunday, 22 February, 202distributed farm tools to farmers and commissioned a new high Islamic school in Damasak, headquarters of Mobbar Local Government Area. Governor Zulum was accompanied by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, and the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari. Zulum’s agricultural intervention aimed to boost dry-season farming and enhance the livelihoods of returnees who are gradually resettling in the community. Zulum said, “From the beginning of this administration, dry season irrigation farming was adopted as a strategic component of the state’s…
Justice Mainasara Ibrahim Kogo Umar, Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal of Nigeria, embodies discipline, depth, and judicial conviction. A man of impeccable character and tested integrity, he is widely regarded as dependable in moments that demand courage and clarity. With decades of experience in legal practice, public service, and institutional leadership, he stands as one who has truly “been there and done that.” His record reflects landmark contributions—both individually and collectively—shaping conversations around accountability, constitutional responsibility, and anti-corruption enforcement. Justice Kogo Umar represents a compelling study in legal pragmatism, institutional reform, and principled leadership. In this interview with…