In a major push to tackle mounting case backlogs and accelerate the delivery of justice, the Senate has begun the process of significantly expanding the manpower of Nigeria’s superior courts, advancing legislation that would add 60 new judicial officers to the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal. The proposed reforms, which sailed through second reading during plenary, seek to increase the number of judges of the Federal High Court from 70 to 90 and raise the complement of justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110. The bills, sponsored by Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti…
Author: National Update
***Says Rising Debt, Poverty Contradict Claims of Fiscal Success Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has launched a blistering critique of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s three-year economic record, questioning how government revenue could have more than doubled while poverty, debt and economic hardship deepened across the country. Reacting to the administration’s assessment of its performance since assuming office in 2023, Obi said the government’s own figures expose what he described as a troubling contradiction at the heart of Nigeria’s economic management. According to him, President Tinubu recently announced that federal revenue increased from N16.8 trillion in…
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Comrade Timi Frank, has raised fresh concerns over alleged attempts to use the judiciary to weaken opposition politics, warning judges against delivering rulings that could undermine Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of future elections. Frank, in a statement issued on Tuesday, called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the National Judicial Council (NJC), and judicial officers at all levels to protect the independence of the courts and resist political interference in sensitive cases. His warning comes amid ongoing legal disputes involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its former deputy…
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has raised concerns over what it described as a growing trend of “elite capture” in Nigeria’s political party primaries, warning that the development is undermining internal democracy and distorting candidate emergence ahead of the 2027 general elections. Speaking at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) quarterly consultative meeting, IPAC Chairman Yusuf Dantalle said recent changes in the Electoral Act 2026—particularly the scrapping of indirect primaries—have unintentionally concentrated power within a narrow circle of party elites, weakening broad-based participation in the selection of candidates. Dantalle said the removal of indirect primaries has disrupted established internal party…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed recent court judgments that questioned aspects of its timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections, insisting that its constitutional mandate includes the authority to prescribe timelines necessary for the orderly conduct of elections. INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday during the Commission’s second quarterly consultative meeting with leaders of political parties in Abuja, where he defended the Commission’s powers to coordinate and regulate critical electoral processes. Amupitan said the Commission was compelled to seek clarification from appellate courts following what he described as conflicting judicial decisions…
In a bold move aimed at reversing decades of industrial decline, the Senate on Tuesday called for an immediate ban on textile imports, arguing that Nigeria cannot continue to depend on foreign-made fabrics while its once-thriving textile industry lies in ruins. The upper chamber said reviving domestic textile production has become an economic and national security imperative, warning that continued reliance on imported textiles is costing the country jobs, foreign exchange and opportunities for industrial growth. The lawmakers consequently urged the Federal Government to adopt aggressive measures to restore the sector, including restricting textile imports, expanding cotton production and providing…
The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to give Nigerians a detailed account of how borrowed funds have been utilized, insisting that transparency and accountability must accompany every debt incurred on behalf of the nation. Obi made the demand on Tuesday in a statement shared via his X account and circulated by the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), where he expressed concern over Nigeria’s rising debt profile and questioned the management of resources obtained through government borrowing. The former Anambra State governor said the issue facing the country…
The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Abubakar Sadiq Gombe, has said the party remains open to reconciliation with aggrieved members as it intensifies internal restructuring and prepares for the 2027 general elections. Speaking in Abuja after a quarterly consultative meeting between political parties and the Independent National Electoral Commission, Gombe said the SDP has largely contained its internal disagreements but is still willing to welcome back members who follow due process as provided in the party constitution. He stressed that reconciliation within the party must be guided by discipline and established procedures, noting that the SDP’s internal…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has aligned itself with recent judicial pronouncements on the leadership dispute within the Social Democratic Party (Social Democratic Party (SDP)), effectively recognising the faction led by National Chairman Prof. Abubakar Sadiq Gombe. The move is seen as a major setback for the rival camp led by former National Chairman Shehu Musa Gabam, whose claim to the party’s leadership has been at the centre of a prolonged internal crisis. The development followed a high-level meeting in Abuja between INEC officials and leaders of the Gombe-led faction, during which the Commission reportedly acknowledged court decisions affirming…
The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Niger State, Dr. Mohammed K. Kpautagi, has called on Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago to publicly account for alleged ₦4.9 billion donations received for victims of the Mokwa flood disaster, amid growing concerns over the condition of displaced persons one year after the tragedy. Kpautagi made the call in a statement issued in Minna on Tuesday, describing the situation of the flood victims as “pathetic and worrisome,” and alleging that there has been little evidence of meaningful resettlement despite the volume of funds reportedly received. He said the funds, which he…