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*Senator Magnus Abe, Governorship Candidate of Social Democratic Party in Rivers State (Nigeria) Governorship Candidate of Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe, has said that his relationship with the President-elect, Senator Bola Tinubu transcends party politics. This as he maintained that his political group has always worked with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and described it as the best place to belong. He said: “We had always been with Asiwaju and that’s where we are. That’s fine because, that’s the right place to belong”. Abe, who spoke on a live national television programme, monitored in Port Harcourt, also expressed regrets that a lot of SDP members and supporters in the State have been imprisoned while several others are being arrested. He stated that the alliance between Governor Nyesom Wike-led G5 governors and the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, changed the dynamics of politics in Rivers State. The Senator said: "I t

*Court of Appeal, Lagos (Nigeria) The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has asked the Court of Appeal, sitting in Lagos, to declare the purported pardon granted to an Indian businessman, Ashok Israni and three others, by the Lagos State government as illegal, unconstitutional, null and void. Addressing a special panel of the appellate court on Thursday, during the hearing of the appeal filed by Israni, and two officials of Keystone Bank, Anayo Nwosu and Olajide Oshodi, EFCC lawyer, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, submitted that there are plethora of legal authorities that pardon cannot be granted to convicts whose rights of appeal have not been exhausted. Members of the Special Panel are: Justice Joseph Ikyegh (Presiding), Justice Ebiowei Tobi, and Justice B. Gafai. Justice Kudirat Jose of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere, had on December 9, 2019, convicted Israni, and two officials of Keystone Bank, Anayo Nwosu and Olajide Oshodi, on an amended 15-count charge b

(Nigeria) Labour Party, LP, through its National Working Committee, NWC, has disassociated the party from a purported Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the party which sought to hold a parallel National Executive Council meeting in Bauchi State. Deputy National Chairman of the party, Ladi Illiya, who chaired a meeting of party stakeholders, including most of the 36 State Chairmen and Secretaries in Abuja, said the party remains committed despite ancits of paid agents to distabilise the party, as they restated their support Julius Abure, as National Chairman, as confirmed by the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Asaba a forthright ago. Illiya, who addressed newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, said: “Those who are gathering in Bauchi to hold a fake, unconstitutional NEC meeting do not represent our party. “We held our authentic constitutionally approved NEC meeting in Asaba about two weeks ago. State Chairmen and Secretaries from the 36 states, who are here today were in attendance.

(Nigeria) The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Lagos State Council, has urged media practitioners to take cognisance of quality news reporting to enhance the profession as the World marks the Press Freedom Day. The union in a statement by Lagos State Council, Chairman, Adeleye Ajayi and Tunde Olalere, Secretary, on Wednesday, noted that the quality of our news reports was very essential. The union recalled that over the past 30 years, World Press Freedom Day celebrations had taken the media on a journey, giving prominence to the right to free expression and emphasizing various aspects of press freedom’s importance. Celebrated May 3, this year’s theme for the Day: “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights,” is very apt. The union added that in the face of multiple crises globally, media freedom, journalists’ safety and freedom of expression, as well as other human rights were increasingly under attack. NUJ said that the day reminded the

(Nigeria) Media Rights Agenda, MRA, on Wednesday, called on the Federal Government to ensure adequate protection for media freedom in law and in practice, noting the relentless attacks on the media over the years had also undermined the general human rights protection for all Nigerians, democracy and sustainable development in the country. MRA in a statement to commemorate this year’s World Press Freedom Day and the 30th anniversary of proclamation of the Day by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, said by strengthening the right to freedom of expression, which is a critical human right that serves as a driver for all other human rights, the Government could ensure a future where all other human rights are adequately protected and respected in Nigeria. MRA’s Programme Director, Mr. Ayode Longe, noted in the statement that given enormous duty imposed on the media by the Constitution, particularly Section 22, which requires the media sector to ensure that the Government lives

*Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State  (Nigeria) The Central Working Committee, CWC, of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC, have announced an indefinite shut down of Imo State from Wednesday, following alleged disruption of Workers May Day celebrations in the state by thugs, suspected to be working for the government. A communique by Emmanuel Ugboaja, General Secretary- NLC and Nuhu Toro, Secretary General, TUC, on Tuesday, said: “The joint CWC-in-session of the NLC and TUC after careful deliberation on the violent disruption of Workers May Day celebrations earlier Monday in Owerri by the agents of Imo State Government strongly and overwhelmingly condemn the unprovoked assault on Imo State workers. The TUC and NLC thus reached the following conclusions: “That the Government of Imo State has grossly violated the rules of engagement amongst the Social partners in Industrial Relations in the country by using thugs to violently disrupt this year's May Day

(Nigeria) Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, has described Anambra State Police Command's linking its members with criminal activities in the state, as one of the many lies of the Nigerian Police against the organisation (IpoB), challenging the CP to charge arrested persons to court, if he was honest about his claim. IPoB in a statement on Tuesday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, said: "We, the global family and movement of the IPoB, under the command and leadership of our great and indefatigable leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, condemns Anambra Commissioner of Police for linking IPoB and ESN with the criminal activities in Anambra State and other parts of the Eastern Nigeria. "Nigeria Police's habit of forcing criminals to confess as being members of IPoB or ESN is absurd and unprofessional, it is unfortunate that the Nigeria Police will not stop ridiculing themselves in order to tarnish the image of IPoB. "We wonder how Nigeria police keep ridiculi