Politics

Still On National Confab

Published

12 years ago

October 7, 2013

Since the return of civil
rule in 1999, pro-democracy groups in Nigeria have been clamouring for a Sovereign National Conference where the various ethnic nationalities that make up the Nigerian state will be given the opportunity to re-negotiate their stake in the Nigeria project for their collective well-being. Both past and present administrations had been vehement in their opposition to the idea of convoking a Sovereign National Conference, basically to justify the nation’s representative democracy and the “indispensable” services being rendered by those at the helm of affairs. The National Assembly in particular had been very vociferous in opposing the idea and was never comfortable whenever such matter was being raised by members of the public. In 2012 the National Assembly had this to say.
“Talking about Sovereign National Conference now looks like going back to the days of tribal champions. It is like going backwards. For us, it is not just because we are sitting here (in National Assembly), but we are moving forward the fragile democracy.
“A Sovereign conference is suitable for countries that are coming out of war and not Nigeria. We believe that rather than solving the problems, the Sovereign National Conference will end up creating more problems for us.
“They should believe in National Assembly. They are talking about the constitution but there is no way the constitution will be perfect. But since we are in the process of reviewing and amending the constitution, let them take advantage of the exercise and present their grievances and proposals to the National Assembly, so that it could be taken care of”.
In order not to upset the apple cart President Goodluck Jonathan was supportive of the position of the National Assembly. Hear him:
“In recognition of the demands by Nigerians for a constitutional amendment, we set up the Justice Belgore Committee to bring up all those issues which have been agreed upon at previous National Conferences, for presentations as bills to the National Assembly and subsequent passage into law, while a larger body will meet on issues that are still controversial for a national consensus.
“The committee will bring up areas of national consensus from 2006 National Political Reform Conference for National Assembly’s consideration towards effecting constitutional amendments.”
Speaking at the annual national conference of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) in Calabar in August this year, the Senate President, David Mark, re-affirmed the position of the National Assembly on Sovereign National Assembly. Hear him:
“The National Assembly recognizes the right of Nigerians to aggregate, assemble or meet in any legitimate form or manner to discuss the affairs of their country and indeed encourages such fora as it is a constitutional right. A mark of such encouragement is the elaborate public hearings that have become part of our constitutional amendment process. We however, have difficulties with the calls by certain sections of the party for a Sovereign National Conference.
“The 1999 constitution (as amended) with all its imperfections, including its debatable origin, remains our grundnorm, our supreme law from which all other laws derive and express our sovereignty. It creates all the powers, institutions and authorities of the state to which we have all submitted. We have challenged its provisions in courts of law established by it and obeyed the decisions of the courts.
“We have therefore ratified the constitution by our conduct. The 1999 constitution (as amended) is a reality.
Consequently, where will the Sovereign National Conference be convoked and by whom and under what terms? I have been confronted by the argument that sovereignty derives from and belongs to the people. How then do we get the people to confer sovereignty on such a conference?
“These are intractable issues to be addressed by the agitations for Sovereign National Conference and that is why I subscribe to the proposal for an amendment to the 1999 constitution to provide for the making of a new constitution.”\
Surprisingly, President Jonathan, while playing host recently to a political pressure group, The Patriots, led by Professor Ben Nwabueze expressed support for the convocation of a conference for ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.
“It is time to have a conference but the limitation we have is that the constitution appears to have given that responsibility to the National Assembly.
“I have also been discussing the matter with the leadership of the National Assembly. We want a situation where everyone will key into the process and agree on the way forward.
However, Nigerians were stunned and dumbfounded when the Senate President, David Mark recoiled from his hard stance to lend weight to the convocation of national conference. His volte-face came barely a month after he had attended the NBA conference in Calabar where he reiterated the position of the National Assembly on the matter. Hear Senator Mark at the resumption of the Senate from annual recess on September 17 this year:
“We live in very precarious times and in a world increasingly made fluid and toxic by strange ideologies and violent tendencies, all of which currently conspire to question the very idea of the Nigerian state. But that is not to say that the nation should like the proverbial ostrich, continue to bury its head in the sand and refuse to confront the perceived or alleged structural distortions which have bred discontentment and alienation in some quarters. This sense of discontentment and alienation has fuelled extremism, apathy and even predictions of catastrophy for our dear nation.
“A conference of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities called to foster frank and open discussions of national question, can certainly find accommodation in the extant provision of the 1999 constitution which guarantees freedom of expression and of association. To that extent it is welcome.
“But be that as it may, such a conference if and whenever convened should have only a few red lines, chief among which would be dismemberment of the country. Beyond that every other question would be open to deliberations.
“However, I hasten to add that it would be unconstitutional to clothe such a conference with constituent or sovereign power. But the resolution of a national conference, consisting of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities and called under the auspices of government of the federation will indeed carry tremendous weight.
“And the National Assembly, consisting of elected representatives of the Nigerian people, though not constitutionally bound by such resolutions will be hard put to ignore them in continuing the task of constitution review. But to circumvent the constitution and its provisions on how to amend it and repose sovereignty in an unpredictable mass will be too risky a gamble and may ultimately do great disservice to the idea of one Nigeria,”
Could it be that President Jonathan eventually persuaded the senate president to have a rethink in the interest of the nation? But one thing is instructive: they only gave their consent to the convocation of national conference and not sovereign conference.
Political pundits are of the view that the presidency and the National Assembly are merely playing to the gallery in view of the 2015 general elections and the wave of political crisis pervading the nation. While it is too early to put to question the sincerity of the leadership of this great nation on the matter Nigerians would be gladdened if at the end of the day the resources expended on the convocation of the national conference would be justified.

Reward Akwu

Politics

Senate Urges Tinubu To Sack CAC Boss

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

The Senate yesterday urged President Bola Tinubu to remove the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Hussaini Magaji, over what lawmakers described as a persistent refusal to appear before its Committee on Finance.

The resolution followed a motion raised by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu during a session where members of the President’s economic team were present for engagement with the committee.

Tension rose at the commencement of the meeting when agency heads were introduced and senators observed the absence of the CAC Registrar-General, who had been invited to account for the commission’s activities, particularly on revenue matters.

Moving the motion, Kalu expressed anger over what he termed repeated disregard for legislative oversight, accusing the CAC boss of consistently avoiding invitations to appear before the committee.

He said, “Since I came to the Senate, this CAC man has always given excuses that he is in the Villa or going to London. He is not above the law. This man is not coming to the Senate. Look at the ministers of finance and budget. They are both here. We summoned them and they came.

“But this man thinks he’s bigger than the Senate. We’re not going to take that rubbish again. He had refused on so many occasions to honour our invitation to appear before this committee. We have issues with the reconciliation of the revenue of CAC.

“I move a motion that the man should be reported to Mr President and ask for immediate removal because we cannot continue with him. Is that what we’re doing here? He should come and give us an account of what he had done.”

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, corroborated the concerns, pointing to unresolved discrepancies in the reconciliation of the commission’s revenues.

He noted that despite several invitations, the registrar-general had failed to show up to address the issues raised by senators.

“The registrar-general of the Corporate Affairs Commission has refused on so many occasions to honour the calls, invitations or summons of this most important committee.

“There are only about three committees that are in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Committee of Finance is one of those committees. Sections 88, and 89 have given us these powers.

“And as registrar-general, we have issues with the reconciliation of their revenue. Anytime he is invited, he will give us one reason or another, and he will send junior officers to come and talk to the Senate. That cannot be accepted,” he said.

In a further show of frustration, Senator Adams Oshiomhole proposed that the Senate escalate the matter by withholding approval of the CAC’s 2026 budget pending the registrar-general’s personal appearance before the committee.

Oshiomhole also suggested that the commission be restrained from spending its internally generated revenue without prior approval of the national assembly.

“This senate should decline to appropriate anything in the 2026 budget until we are satisfied that he has accounted for previous money and spending properly.

“And should he spend money that is not appropriated, he should be heading to Kuje prison,” Oshiomhole said.

The motion urging the President to remove the CAC Registrar-General was subsequently put to a voice vote and adopted.

The development underscores renewed assertiveness by the Senate in exercising its constitutional oversight functions, particularly over revenue-generating agencies.

The Corporate Affairs Commission, which regulates companies and business registrations in Nigeria, is a key contributor to non-oil revenue, making accountability and transparency central to its operations.

News

Amend Constitution To Accommodate State Police, Tinubu Tells Senators

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu has appealed to the leadership of the 10th Senate to amend the constitution to provide a legal framework for the establishment of State Police to tackle insecurity nationwide.

President Tinubu made the appeal during an interfaith breakfast with senators at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday.

The president said that the creation of State Police has become urgent to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, strengthen grassroots policing, and enhance states’ capacity to respond swiftly to threats within their jurisdictions.

He noted that a decentralised policing structure would complement existing federal security architecture and promote intelligence-led, community-focused law enforcement.

“We are facing terrorism, banditry, and insurgency. But we will never fail to make a right response to this cause. What I will ask for tonight is for you (Senators) to start thinking how best to amend the constitution to incorporate the State Police for us to secure our country, take over our forests from marauders, and free our children from fear,” he said.

The president commended the cordial relationship between the Executive and the Senate, saying that unity is needed to defeat terrorism and banditry in the country.

“It is a good thing that we are working in harmony, we are looking forward to a country that evolves, a country that takes care of its citizens and protects all.

Tinubu thanked the Senate for its unflinching support towards achieving various economic reforms of his administration, especially the fuel subsidy removal and tax reform policy.

“I have a lot of credit for bold reforms. Without your collaboration and inspiration, those reforms would not be possible. We are reformists together. What we gave up and what we stopped is monumental corruption in the subsidy system. We don’t want to participate in monumental corruption and arbitrage foreign exchange.

You don’t have to chase me for dollars; you could see what Nigeria is today. You should be proud, and I am glad you are. What we are enjoying is a stable economy, and prosperity is beckoning us. We need to work hard, and this attendance means a lot to me,” the president said.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, commended the president for hosting the leadership of the Senate to the Interfaith breaking of fast.

He commended President Tinubu for providing the visionary leadership the nation needs at this critical time, stating that the administration’s bold reforms have now brought more revenue to governors at the sub-national level for the development of critical infrastructure.

The Senate President prayed for the administration, and for the nation’s peace and prosperity.

Politics

FCT COUNCILS’ ELECTIONS: PDP WINS GWAGWALADA CHAIRMANSHIP AS APC SECURES AMAC, BWARI

Published

5 days ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

Alhaji Mohammed Kasim, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has won the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Philip Akpeni, the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced the results on Sunday morning.

Alhaji Kasim polled 22,165 votes to defeat Alhaji Yahaya Shehu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 17,788 votes.

Alhaji Biko Umar of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) scored 1, 687 to come in third place.

“I am the returning officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Gwagwalada chairmanship held on Feb. 21, 2026,” Akpeni said.

“That Mohammed Kasim of PDP, having certified the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”

In the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Christopher Maikalangu, the APC candidate, was declared the winner of the chairmanship poll with 40,295 votes.

Andrew Abue, the Collation Officer for AMAC, said Hon. Maikalangu, who is the incumbent AMAC chairman, was returned elected having scored the highest number of votes cast.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) came second with 12,109 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 3,398 votes.

According to Abue, the total number of valid votes in the chairmanship poll was 62,861, while the total votes cast stood at 65,197.

He added that the number of registered voters in AMAC was 837,338, while the total number of accredited voters was 65,676.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr. Joshua Ishaku of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Bwari Area Council Chairmanship election.

Announcing the result on Sunday in Bwari, the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Mohammed Nurudeen, stated that Ishaku polled a total of 18,466 votes to emerge victorious in the February 21, 2026 poll.

“I am the Returning Officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Bwari chairmanship held on Feb. 21, 2026. That Joshua Ishaku, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Nurudeen said.

According to the results declared, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) secured 4,254 votes, while the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) polled 3,515 votes to place second and third respectively.

The declaration adds to the series of results emerging from the 2026 FCT Area Council elections, as political parties assess their performance ahead of future contests.

INEC UPLOADS 2,602 OF 2,822 FCT CHAIRMANSHIP RESULTS ON IReV

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had uploaded 2,602 out of the 2,822 expected polling unit results from Saturday’s chairmanship elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as at 5:55am on Sunday, data retrieved from its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) showed.

According to The Tide source, the figure represents an overall upload rate of about 92.2 per cent across the six area councils of the territory.

A council-by-council breakdown indicates that Municipal Area Council recorded the highest number of submissions in absolute terms, with 1,309 of 1,401 polling unit results uploaded, representing 93.43 per cent.

In Gwagwalada Area Council, 330 of the expected 338 polling unit results had been uploaded, representing 97.63 per cent — the highest upload rate among the six councils.

In Bwari Area Council, INEC uploaded 463 of 485 polling unit results, translating to 95.46 per cent.

In Abaji Area Council, 129 of 135 polling unit results had been uploaded as at 5:55am, representing 95.56 per cent.

In Kwali Area Council, 164 of the expected 201 polling unit results were available on the portal, representing 81.59 per cent.

In Kuje Area Council, 207 of 262 polling unit results had been uploaded, representing 79.01 per cent — the lowest rate among the six councils as at the time of review.