Politics
Farah Faults House Plans To Sanction Chinda
The member representing Bonny/Degema Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Dr. Farah Dagogo has faulted plans by the leadership of the House of Representatives to sanction Hon. Kingsley Chinda over his call for the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Kingsley Chinda, a lawmaker from Rivers State had moved a motion urging the National Assembly to commence impeachment moves against the president over rising cases of insecurity across the country, especially in the North, and the failing state of the country.
However, the leadership of the House, through the Majority Leader, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, had threatened to take disciplinary action against Kingsley Chinda describing his utterances ‘ as a desecration of the time honoured legislative practice’.
But in a swift reaction against the plan, Hon. Dagogo chided the House Majority Leader for playing to the gallery.
In a statement released in Abuja, Tuesday, he posited that Ado Doguwa who cut his legislative teeth as a member of the Third Republic and still a legislator in the current dispensation, ‘ought to be experienced enough’ to know that Kingsley Chinda did not commit any ‘legislative infraction with his patriotic call’.
He said claims by the Majority Leader that the President failed to honour the invitation of the House of Representatives because of Kingsley Chinda was not only ludicrous, but had only exposed the leadership of the House to hypocrisy.
“ I can’t fathom this kind of authoritarian or autocratic democracy that the Majority Leader of the House and his supposed colleagues he claimed to be speaking for, want to practice in the House. It is sheer hypocrisy. We are all witnesses to the state of the economy and the perilous security situation, especially in the North, where the Majority Leader comes from. As a supposed seasoned legislator, who was in the Third Republic, will he in all sincerity admit that this 9th Assembly is actually playing its role of checkmating other arms of government, particularly the executive?
“Rather than trying to demonise Kingsley Chinda, I expected the Majority Leader to encourage and thank him for speaking the minds of many Nigerians that cannot find comfort in a country they call their homes, especially in the North.
“For me, and I believe it to be the position of majority members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the House, Kingsley Chinda did not breach any legislative rules that could warrant any disciplinary action and as such any untoward move geared in that direction will be resisted. We are not in a banana republic, we must imbibe the tenets of democracy and no one member in the House of Representatives will cow the other. We are all equals, as we represent different constituencies, positions are just privileges.
“ Furthermore, it is high time, we, as a House, discountenanced this subtle blackmail of resorting to ‘harmonious working relationships between the executive and legislature to put things in its right perspective.
“If the President and other members of the executive are getting it wrong, which is happening now, it behoves us representatives of the people to point him or them towards the right direction and if they fail to heed it, we use constitutional means to call whomsoever to order”, he added.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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