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*Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri (Nigeria) Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has said the ruling of the country’s apex court on the Osun State governorship election was an affirmation that power in a democracy resided with the people. Governor Diri, while congratulating Senator Ademola Adeleke in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, on Wednesday, expressed joy that the Supreme Court sealed the mandate freely given to the governor by the Osun people. The Bayelsa governor also said the verdict reflected the current mood of the country where those whose stock-in-trade is to promote electoral violence and subvert the will of the people have no place in our electoral system. He expressed the hope that introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, will instil more confidence in the electoral process, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deepen Nigeria’s democracy by also introducing electronic votin...

*Presidential election petition tribunal sittings in Abuja (Nigeria) Conference Of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, has thrown its weight behind calls for live broadcast of the proceedings of the presidential election petition court sittings in Abuja. In a statement by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, the umbrella body of all registered political parties and political associations in the country noted that not only will the live broadcast douse tension associated with the ongoing proceedings and high expectations by the electorates, it will also promote transparency in the court process in public interest. The CNPP also reasoned that “there is no way the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and it's candidate in the presidential election, Bola Tinubu, will oppose a live broadcast of the tribunal’s sittings up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria where the matter will eventually terminate if any of the parties procee...

(Nigeria) The Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, has commended the Federal High Court Abuja, over its order of perpetual injunctions restraining the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, from imposing fines on broadcast stations in the country. Ruling on originating motions marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1386/2021, instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda against the NBC - as sole respondent in the suit, Justice James Omotosho, also set aside the N500, 000 fines imposed on March 1, 2019, on each of 45 broadcast stations. The judge also held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations. He further held that the Nigeria Broadcast Code, which gives the commission the power to impose sanction, is in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution that vested judicial power in the court of law. In a statement by its President, Mustapha Isah and the General Secretary, Dr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren, on Wednesday, the Guild salut...

(Nigeria) The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has been restrained by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, from imposing fines on broadcast stations in the country. Trial judge in the matter, Justice James Omotosho also set aside the N500,000 fines imposed on March 1, 2019, on each of 45 broadcast stations. The court made the orders in its judgment a suit by the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda, MRA, which had sued the NBC. Justice Omotosho held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations. The court further held that the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which gives the commission the power to impose sanction, is in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution that vested judicial power in the court of law. He said the court would not sit idle and watch a body imposing fine arbitrarily without recourse to the law. He said that the commission did not comply with the law when it sat as a complainant and at...

*President-elect,  Bola Tinubu,  departs Nigeria for Europe on working visit (Nigeria) President-elect Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, departed Nigeria for Europe on a working visit. Office of the President-elect, in a statement on Wednesday, by Tunde Rahman, said: “He will use the opportunity of the trip to finetune the transition plans and programmes, and his policy options with some of his key aides without unnecessary pressures and distractions. “During the visit, the President-elect will engage with investors and other key allies with the goal of marketing investment opportunities in the country and his administration’s readiness to enable a business-friendly climate through policies and regulations. “Already, meetings with multi-sectoral actors in Europe’s business community including manufacturing, agriculture, tech and energy have been lined up. “Asiwaju Tinubu hopes to convince them of Nigeria’s readiness to do business under his leadership through mutually-beneficial partn...

*President Muhammadu Buhari (Nigeria) Despite Nigeria's foreign debt profile, now about $41.7billion, President Muhammadu Buhari has written the Senate, asking it to approve a fresh loan request of $800million. According to a  letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, said: read in full:  "It is with pleasure that I forward the above subject to you. Please note that the Federal Executive Council, FEC, approved an additional loan facitity to the tune of U$800 million to be secured from the World Bank, for the National Social Safety Net Programme, NASSP and the need to request for your consideration and approval to ensure early implementation. (Copy of FEC Extract attached). "The Senate, may wish to note that the Programme is intended to expand coverage of shock responsive Safety Net support among the poor and vulnerable Nigerians. This will assist them in coping with the costs of meeting basic needs. "You may wish to note that, the Fed...