Senate President Godswill Akpabio says the only place that can hurt a sitting governor is the House of Assembly.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Akpabio made this statement on Thursday at a Public Lecture in honour of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, 57th Birthday Celebration.

His comment is coming following the controversy between Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly.

DAILY POST reports that the Assembly on Thursday initiated proceedings for the impeachment of Fubara.

Reacting, Akpabio said, “For those of you who may not understand politics, we were taught even while in school that the parliament can turn a women into a man and a man into a woman.

“When I was a governor, my greatest fear was my House of Assembly. So because of that, I never traveled anywhere without my Speaker. So anytime I don’t see him for a day, I would send somebody to his house to find out so he could come and have lunch with me then I would use idea to look at his face whether he was happy with me or not.

“So, the only place that can hurt a governor is the House of Assembly and no court or democracy can stop that from happening.”

A former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has dumped the ruling party for the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC).....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Adamu, who was on Thursday received into the APC fold in Keffi, Nasarawa State, said his decision was guided by principle and conscience.

The ex senator, who was appointed APC national chairman in March 2022, “resigned” from office in July 2023, less than two months after President Bola Tinubu was sworn in as president.

While addressing a gathering of APC faithful at his defection arena, Adamu accused the APC of deviating from its founding ideals.

According to him, the ruling party sidelined experienced members, suppressed dissenting opinions, and weakened internal democracy.

The ex party chair served as governor of Nasarawa State for eight years, from 1999 to 2007. He got elected to the Senate in 2007 to represent Nasarawa West senatorial district on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Republic (PDP).

While in the Senate, the 79-year-old politician had joined nine other serving PDP senators to defect to the APC in 2014.

The Nasarawa born politician had maintained a low profile since he left office as APC, in circumstances considered cloudy by the public.

Recall that Adamu had, in the build up to the APC presidential nominations in 2022, declared a former President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan as the party’s consensus candidate for the 2023 presidential election.

However, President Bola Tinubu defeated Lawan and 12 others to win the APC ticket and eventually won the presidential election.

Analysts and APC sources as well had attributed Adamu’s forced resignation as national chairman, to his open hostility towards Tinubu before and during the 2023 presidential election.

Not a few believed that President Tinubu forced him to resign.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has formed a 22-member Constitution Review Committee aimed at strengthening the party’s internal democracy, discipline, and administrative processes.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Naija News reports that the committee was inaugurated at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

During the event, Senator David Mark, ADC’s National Chairman, emphasized the crucial role of the party’s constitution in shaping its future.

He described the constitution as a guiding force that regulates the party’s internal processes and ensures internal democracy.

Mark explained that the constitution review was necessary as the party continues to grow, and it must be aligned with global democratic standards. The review process is intended to create a clearer, more inclusive, and accountable system within the party, empowering members and promoting unity.

He called on the committee members to engage with party members at all levels, maintain respect for the party’s founding values, and produce a constitution that fosters transparency, internal democracy, and fairness.

The 22-member committee, led by Etigwe Uwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), includes prominent figures such as former Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, former party National Chairman Chief Ralph Nwosu, former Minority Leader Hon. Mohammed Kumaila, Senator E.Y. Orker Jev, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Professor Lawal Salihu, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Adamu, Professor Mohammed Sani Bello, and former House of Representatives member Hon. C.I.D. Maduabum, among others.

The committee’s key tasks are to review the existing ADC constitution, identify areas for amendments or clarifications, and ensure that the revised document adheres to democratic best practices, Nigerian electoral laws, and the Nigerian Constitution. Particular attention will be given to inclusiveness, transparency, party primaries, congresses, discipline, and dispute resolution. Special focus will also be given to women, youths, and persons with disabilities.

In his speech, Etigwe Uwa, the committee’s chairman, expressed confidence that the committee would carry out its task with dedication.

He reassured that the goal was not to discard the current constitution but to improve it for better governance.

Uwa stressed that a robust constitution would protect the party from internal crises and ensure the fair and democratic selection of leaders and candidates.