Politics
How Senate Endorsed Troops For Mali
Senate
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria last
Tuesday endorsed the deployment of One thousand, two hundred (1200) Nigerian
soldiers on Peace Keeping Mission to the Sahel region of Mali among the
African-led force(AFISMA) on limited combat duties.
The Nigerian troops are to
join other contingents across the continents to help the Malian Government
quell the insurgence of rebel Islamic extremists ; Al Queada.
The Senate during its Plenary
sitting, gave the approval following a request from the President and
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces , Goodluck Jonathan for the law makers’
consideration and approval for the deployment of the troops.
President Jonathan in a letter
to the Senate read by the Senate President David Mark at plenary drew the
Senate’s attention to the political and security crisis in Mali and the
attendant grave consequencies on both security of lives and property and
political stability of the Sahel region as well as the entire West African sub-
region
Mr. President notified the
Senate that the depoyment is also in line with the ECOWAS security council
resolutions 2071 and 2085 on the crisis in Mali
President Jonathan in the
letter to the Senate was clear on the reasoning that the activities of the
Islamic extremists are threats to not only Mali but all neighbouring countries
in the region
The letter read in parts “
Having satisfied myself that our national security is under imminent threat of
danger as a result of the crises in Northern Mali, I, in consultation with the
National Defence Council, approved the deployment of a contingent of 1,200
members of the Armed Forces to serve in the African-led force(AFISMA) in Mali
for limited combat duties.
“Nigeria is currently facing
daunting security challenges and given its proximity to the Sahel region, the
crisis in Mali, if not brought under control, may spill over to Nigeria and
other West African countries with negative consequences on our collective
security, political stability and development efforts.
“As responsible member of the
international community and given our recent experiences with insurgency and
terrorist activities especially in the northern parts of the country, I felt
compelled to urgently approve the deployment of Nigerian troops.
“The deployment of Nigerian
troops is in line with Security Council resolution 2085(2012) and is
necessitated by the need to combat armed and terrorist groups including
Al-Qaida in the Islamic Mageb(AQIM) and their activities, as well as
proliferation of weapons, from within and outside the region with grave
consequences on the security and stability in the northern parts of Mali and
beyond, including Nigeria.”
Just before the debate on the
request was concluded , President of the Senate, Senator David Mark said
because of the nature of the crises and considering Nigeria’s current security
situation , if Nigeria does not intervene on her own , the rest of the world
would be suprised.
According to him, Nigeria is
not only a big brother in ECOWAS but equally a big brother in African
continent.
He also maintained that if Nigeria fails to
intervene in curbing the crisis, if the situation continues, it may not be long
before the fire gets to Nigerian borders.
Senators who spoke on the
issue were very blunt on the height of terrorism consuming Mali at the moment
and the fact that Nigeria is already exposed to such.
However, many of them
considered the financial implications the deployment on Nigeria’s economy and
feel is time Nigeria started attaching economic policies to such military
assistance to other countries since many of them hardly reciprocate Nigeria’s
gesture in economic affiliations after their cloudy moments.
That not with standing, contributors
in Senator Magnus Abbe’s line of thought insisted that Nigeria’s assistance to
Mali or other African countries in need should not be linked with financial
gains but simply saving a brother in need even as we may need them some day
also.
He regretted that countries
like Nigeria waited for too long before deciding to move to Mali. According to
him, such delay had cost Africa lives, properties and even historical sites
like Timbuktu.
Abbe’s words “If we remember
the historical site of Timbuktu, just as the Asian has their own history we
also have our own history. I am shocked that we allowed them to go as far as
Timbuktu, the security if our country is being threatened by the activities of
these bandits I think we should help the Malian in their time of needs. I don’t
think when it comes to matter of security, we should start thinking of what we
are going to benefit. I think that we should stand by our soldiers and let them
know that in this journey Nigerians are behind them”.
The Leader of the Senate,
Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba in his lead debate fully supported President
Jonathan’ decision.
He said the lesson from the
Malian experience is that military regimes are out of fashion because the world
has come to know that they do not solve the problem of any nation.
According to Senator Ndoma
Egba this will send a very clear message to any ambitious military men that
their day is long gone.
However, he is of the opinion
that Nigeria must tie economic interests to her foreign policy stressing that
experiences in the past have shown that while Nigeria assist in achieving peace
in Liberia, Sierra Leone and other West African countries it must move up to
the next level of economic ties.
Deputy President of the
Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu said the rest of West Africa believed that
Nigeria should have acted long ago and like the Americans we need to take this
war to their homes.
“I think we need to commend
France for taking the lead in this effort. We must be our brother’s keeper we
need to save Mali from itself. I think what we are discussing today is germane
to us as a nation”.
Senator Chris Anyawu in
supporting President Jonathan’s decision reminded all stakeholders that Mali is
too close to Nigeria to ignore though there is every need to define the confine
of our engagement.
“Nigeria
is no longer in a position to play Father Christmas again. As we are going to
Mali we must know what we are going there for. As we are going we must carry
our business men along. That mindset of Nigerian foreign policy formulators
must change now. “ She said.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday brushed aside the order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which ordered him to stay proceedings in a suit that sought deregistration of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Accord Party and three others.
The Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision of a panel of three Justices had on May 22, 2026 directed the Federal High Court Judge not to proceed with the suit until an appeal pending before them and filed by Accord Party is resolved.
In a Certified True Copy Enrol Order of the Superior Court, Justices Mohammed Danjuma, Adebukola Banjoko and Oyejoju Oyewumi asked the lower Court Judge to stay proceedings until all issues on the appeal filed by the Accord Party were resolved
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State had, through the Accord Party, applied to justice Lifu to join him as a defendant in the deregistration legal battle instituted by a group of former legislators.
The contention of the Osun State governor was that he had a stake in the Accord Party, being the platform he was seeking re-election in the August 15 gubernatorial poll in the state.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu on April 27 ruled against the Osun State governor, rejecting his request to be joined in the suit to defend his own position and interest.
Not satisfied with the Federal High Court decision, the Osun State governor, through his lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), moved to the Court of Appeal in Abuja where he challenged the Justice Lifu decision to refuse to allow him join the suit.
After listening to the argument canvassed, especially that he has interest to protect as Accord Party gubernatorial candidate for Osun State governorship election, the three Justices of the Court of Appeal, unanimously directed Justice Lifu to allow them look into the grievances of the governor.
In specific terms, the Court of Appeal Justices directed Justice Lifu not to proceed further with the matter and fixed October 27 to determine the interlocutory appeal of the appellant.
However, when the certified enroll order and notice of appeal were served on Justice Peter Lifu by Mr Adetunbi (SAN), the judge rejected it on the ground that it was a ploy to arrest his judgment in the matter.
Although the judge had adjourned his judgment delivery in the matter indefinitely, he finally made a dramatic turn around on Monday and proceeded to deliver the judgment that has now proscribed the five political parties.
Actor turned politician, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, has rejected the choice of former Rivers State Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement on Monday, Mallam Bolaji Abdulllahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, announced the party’s choice of Mr Amaechi.
However in a statement, Mr Okonkwo said that the choice of Mr Amaechi from the South South strengthens the continued marginalization of people from the South East.
According to the former spokesperson of the Labour Party, any arrangement that would not factor a person from the South East either as president or vice president in the party is anti-Igbo.
He contended that Chief Raph Nwosu, who founded the ADC in 2005 and willingly surrendered it’s leadership to Senator David Mark did not do so to entrench Igbo marginalization in the party.
The former actor said: “I heard from the social media that ADC has picked its vice presidential candidate from the South-South. If this is true, it is unfortunate, as this will continue the crude marginalisation of the South-East.
“This geo-political zone has neither produced a president or vice president since 1999. To deny the South-East the opportunity to produce the president or vice president in the ADC in 2027, will amount to perpetuating the marginalisation.
“The ADC was founded by Ralphs Nwosu from the South-East in 2005. He made the sacrifice to give up the party in 2025 for the coalition to usher in a better Nigeria. He couldn’t have made that sacrifice to marginalise his own people.
“I did not join the coalition to assist in marginalisation of my own people further. I am of the opinion that if we made a sacrifice to give up the national chairman and the president, it will amount to unpardonable injustice to deny us the vice president in 2027.
“I joined politics to fight for a better Nigeria where no region, geo-political zone, or person will be marginalised.
“The only favour I asked Atiku Abubakar, who openly declared that he is the pathway to the presidency of the South-East, is to show it by choosing someone from the South-East to be his vice.
“If it is confirmed that he has chosen a candidate from the South-South, I wish him well. I am not favourably disposed to campaigning for any presidential ticket that does not have a person of South-East origin as president or vice in 2027”
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, on Monday said that the numerous projects being executed by President Bola Tinubu across the states in the southeast will give him upper hand over other presidential candidates during next year’s general elections.
Prof. Yilwatda stated this at the Abakaliki Township Stadium during a mega rally organized by the Ebonyi State government and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, during which President Tinubu and other APC candidates for the 2027 general elections were adopted.
According to the APC National Chairman, no President had done for the southeast region what President Tinubu has done for them and expressed the confidence that the president would not only win in Ebonyi State but in the entire South East.
Prof. Yilwatda also used the occasion to address growing insinuations in some quarters that Ebonyi State had been conceded to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dismissing the claim, Prof. Yilwatda said the state would not allow the PDP to win any position in the forthcoming general election.
“We will return President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Francis Nwifuru as Governor of Ebonyi State in 2027.
“We want to return all APC senators, members of the House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates in 2027.
“Nobody has conceded Ebonyi to the PDP. Therefore, there is no vacancy in Ebonyi State. Ebonyi PDP has no place, and there is no vacancy at all in the Government House come 2027,” the APC National Chairman declared.
He commended the people of the state for their support for President Tinubu and urged them to re-elect him in the next presidential election in appreciation of what he has done for the state and the entire South-East through infrastructural transformation and human capital development.
Governor Francis Nwifuru, who also spoke at the event, said the state had no other presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections apart from President Tinubu.
He declared that Ebonyi remained a stronghold of the APC and vowed that the party would deliver the President in the state.
Gov. Nwifuru said President Tinubu had shown exceptional commitment to the state and deserved total support for appointing Senator Umahi as Minister of Works, a role he said Senator Umahi had performed creditably.
“Ebonyi has no other presidential candidate apart from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and we will return him in the presidential election.
“We are standing here today to tell the whole world, especially those using the President’s name to orchestrate division and confusion in this great state, that we have only one party, and that is the APC.
“This statement became necessary because some people are going around claiming they have discussed with Mr President and that he has handed Ebonyi over to the PDP. They are also saying that Chief Nyesom Wike is their leader and that Wike said the President has given Ebonyi to him.
“Ebonyi is not for sale. We are restraining ourselves because the people are with us. Nobody should push us because we have what it takes to confront anyone trying to destabilise us.
“We want to tell Mr President that he has earned our votes. He gave us what we had never had in Eastern Nigeria — the office of the Minister of Works. And this Minister of Works is not sitting idle; he is working,” he stated.
Senator Umahi, in his remarks, said President Tinubu had done what no other President had done for Ebonyi State and the entire South-East by executing numerous projects across the state and the region.
“Ebonyi State is a one-party state under Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. We are not going to repeat the mistakes of the past.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done a lot, not just for Ebonyi State but for the entire South-East and other geopolitical zones,” he said.