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The Defence Headquarters has refuted the report that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has died.

Earlier on Tuesday, there was a report by few newspapers claiming that Musa had died.

However, a swift reaction by the DHQ in a post on X disclosed that the Defence Chief is well and alive.

It described the report as false publication adding that the Chief of Defence Staff is hale and hearty.

“Contrary to recent false publication, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, is alive and well,” DHQ wrote.

“Please rely on credible sources for accurate information,” it added.

Gen. Musa was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as the Chief of Defence Staff on June 19, 2023.

Senator representing Benue South Senatorial District, Abba Moro, on Tuesday, emerged Senate Minority leader.

Moro, a two term Senator on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was nominated by the opposition party in the red Chamber and was subsequently affirmed.

He took over from Senator Simon Davou Mwadkwon representing Plateau North Senatorial District who was removed by the Appeal Court

Earlier, the Senate had zoned the Minority leader to the North Central. Senator Mwadkwon, though a first timer to the Senate, was nominated by the minority caucus.

Leading reporters gathered that the newly elected Minority leader was a former Minister of Interior during the former President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

The Senate Committee on Electoral Matters has said that it will make it mandatory for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to upload election results…

The Senate Committee on Electoral Matters has said that it will make it mandatory for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to upload election results online.

The committee chairman, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, told Channels TV on Tuesday that the current law does not make it mandatory for INEC to upload results, but that the committee is working on amending the law.

He said, “That is one of the things that we are going to do. Under the current law, it is not mandatory for INEC to upload results, that is what the court has said. But as we are going forward, it is going to be mandatory.”

In addition to other electoral reforms being considered, Alli said the committee proposed resolving all pre-election matters before the election and upgrading election technology.

“We looked at elections and election petitions. In terms of legislation about election petitions, what we think is all pre-election matters resolved before the election.

“We are also looking at a situation where election petitions are concluded before swearing in.

“We are thinking of approving the time within which to file and conclude election petitions so that somebody will not be sworn in, that is what led us into having these off-cycle elections. There would have been no need for it if we were able to conclude election petitions before the swearing in.

“We are looking at the development of technology, improvement on technology because a lot of Nigerians were disappointed when the use of the IReV didn’t work, but going forward we will try to ensure INEC do something about that,” he said.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has faulted verdicts of the Nigerians judges on the electoral disputes, saying three to five judges should not overturn decisions made by millions of voters during an election.

Obasanjo described the powers vested in the hands of a few judges as “totally unacceptable.”

The former President spoke in wake of the ongoing judgements of the Court of Appeal on the electoral disputes arising from 2023 elections in Nigeria.

Only last week, three governors were sacked in separate judgements delivered by the judges of the Court of Appeal.

The affected governors are, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, Abba Kabir Yusuf in Kano, and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State.

The decisions have triggered reactions, earning the judiciary more knocks than kudos.

Speaking at the high-level consultation on Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa held at Green Resort Legacy, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Obasanjo faulted what he labelled “cathedral pronouncements” by the judges.

Obasanjo said “I believe whatever form of democracy we have or whatever system of government we have, three or four men in the judiciary should not be able to overturn the decisions of millions that have voted. Now, we have to find a way to handle that. I don’t know what the way will be but, for me, I think it’s totally unacceptable that millions (of votes), maybe 10m on one side, maybe 9million on the other side. Then, you have five people sitting down, three of them agree, two disagree. And you come up and make cathedral pronouncements that cannot be changed, I believe that should not be accepted.

“How do we do it? I don’t know. But whatever form of democracy we have, we should look at how to handle this. If you say ‘go again for election,’ then, what happened to the previous election? I don’t know.

“So, I personally feel strongly about. It does not matter what you say about the judiciary, but in fact only five people or seven will sit down. If they are five, three may agree, two may not agree, and the decision of three will be final. All that you have done comes to the decision of three or decision of four.”

President Bola Tinubu has asked for German investment in vital Nigerian economic areas, including electricity and rail transport.

According to a statement released by the president’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu made the request at a meeting with German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz on Monday in Berlin, outside the G20 Compact with Africa Economic Conference.

According to the President, important growth-enabling businesses in transportation, energy, and the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power require German investment.

The President said that there should be a renewed urgency to the uneven and sporadic implementation of the Presidential Power Initiative, which is backed by Siemens.

“For me, I am very much committed to pursuing all aspects of the Siemens power project and the skill development opportunities that will emerge from that project for our talented youths who can participate in sustaining the industry,” Tinubu said.

He added that Siemens can contribute to Nigeria’s rail network by supplying cutting-edge trains and railroads, just as it is doing in Egypt, where it is building a 2,000 km ultra-high-speed rail network spanning 60 towns.

The German Chancellor, Mr Olaf Scholz said that he was prepared for this but that in order to move forward, financial and administrative obstacles resulting from the sector’s governance issues needed to be addressed.

Tinubu brought up the issue of value-added processing in Nigeria’s solid minerals, agriculture, automotive industry, and other job-generating sectors to the German leader’s notice

A fresh crisis has hit the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as its leaders in the state have asked the state chairman, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, to resign over an alleged viral video where he was seen pitching his tent with calls for Edo Central candidacy for the party’s gubernatorial ticket for the 2024 election.

Recall that the Edo PDP has been engrossed in a series of crises with the 2024 election around the corner, leading to many of its bigwigs, such as Senator Mathew Urhogide, Kenneth Imasuagbon, former Minister of Works, Mike Onolememhe. Gideon Ikhine. Two ex-commissioners in Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration, Andrew Ewanta and Efe Stawart, among others, are leaving the party.

This fresh crisis is coming barely 48 hours after the PDP announced its timetable for the state’s 2024 governorship election.

The leaders alleged that the party’s chairman acted in a manner suggesting that he was supporting the candidature from Edo Central extraction to emerge as the flagbearer for the party.

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Aziegbemi, in the viral video, was seen telling a gathering of people believed to be PDP faithful that “it is now time to keep our eyes on the ball. From now on, it is for all of us to queue behind the governor so that we can make that right choice, and PDP should remain in Osadebey Avenue and make sure that man or woman is one of our own, is of Esan extraction.”

Speaking on behalf of the party leaders in Oredo Local Government Area, Martins Osakue said the video proved what he said last week: that Aziegbemi was a landlord that had abdicated his position.

He called on the National Working Committee of the party to do the needful, saying, “If Aziegbemi refuses to recuse himself from the exercise, they should remove him from the scene and just be an onlooker.”

Reacting, Aziegbemi said it was within the democratic right of any member to ventilate his views on party matters.

“That is democracy in action. I was actually talking about the wish that the next governor would come from Edo Central. The delegates will determine where the candidate will ultimately come from.

“It is my personal wish, which is premised on the spirit of the Edo in us: fairness, equity and justice,” he said.

In a related development, protesters under the aegis of PDP National Back (PDP-NB) on Monday stormed the party’s national secretariat in Abuja demanding the resignation of the acting national chairman, Amb. Umar Damagum, and other members of the National Working Committee (NWC).

The group, led by their conveners, Salau Olusola and Ami Gift, said the failure of the Damagum-led NWC to discipline former Rivers State Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and his G-5 members for their anti-party activities during the last election showed a lack of capacity to lead the party.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed his displeasure with the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Niger Delta, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Oko-Jaja, for failing to acknowledge his presence as FCT Minister during a church service in Port Harcourt.

The incident occurred at the rededication service of the 2023/2024 Legal Year of the Rivers State Judiciary.

At the event with Wike was the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, with the meeting serving as their first encounter since their fallout became public.

Wike, who was angry at not being recognised, warned that anyone who is not a politician should be careful not to be treated like one, emphasising that those who drag themselves into politics will be “rubbed in the mud of politics.”

“I saw the preaching; I was watching the preaching of Bishop Oko-Jaja yesterday. I watched the prayers you prayed,” Wike said.

“As a Minister of the FCT, I came to the church; not even the courtesy of recognizing that the Minister of FCT came in, and I laughed.”

He further stated that when he was Governor of Rivers State, the Anglicans were praising him.

“When I was Governor here you were all praising me here and there, saying I did this, I did that; fake!” Wike exclaimed.

Wike reiterated that he is a politician and not a clergy, and that they each have their own roles to play.

“I tell people. I am a politician and not a clergy. We have our own roles,” he said.

“As a clergy, you have your own role. I have never asked anybody how do you preach. I have never told anybody this is what to preach.”

Wike warned the clergy to be careful not to drag themselves into politics, as they would be subjected to the same treatment as politicians.

“If you are not a politician and don’t want what happens to politicians to happen to you, be careful. Because, once you drag yourself into politics, the mud will also be rubbed on you,” Wike said.

Wike reiterated that he is a politician and not a clergy, and that they each have their own roles to play.

“I tell people. I am a politician and not a clergy. We have our own roles,” he said.

“As a clergy, you have your own role. I have never asked anybody how do you preach. I have never told anybody this is what to preach.”

Wike warned the clergy to be careful not to drag themselves into politics, as they would be subjected to the same treatment as politicians.

“If you are not a politician and don’t want what happens to politicians to happen to you, be careful. Because, once you drag yourself into politics, the mud will also be rubbed on you,” Wike said.

Meanwhile, the bishop delivered a sermon titled “Fear Not,” where he encouraged judicial officers to fearlessly uphold the truth in their duties and to overcome the spirit of fear.

In a protest against alleged high handedness of Osun State chief judge, Justice Adepele Ojo, members of Judiciary Staff Union (JUSUN) of the state yesterday paralysed activities at the state High Court in Osogbo.

The protesters led by their chairman, Comrade Gbenga Eludire, who were armed with placards with inscriptions such as “Judiciary staff deserves better; We are tired of oppression and stagnation” among others, accused Ojo of refusal to pay wardrobe allowances of workers in the last three years among others.

Speaking with newsmen during the protest, Eludire, who claimed that their agitations were different from the actions of the state government, called for thorough investigation into the activities of the chief judge.

Meanwhile the speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, has said the lawmakers have no intention to encroach on the constitutional duties of the National Judicial Council (NJC) on disciplinary action on the Osun chief judge.

Reacting to NBA condemnation of the ongoing process of investigating the chief judge, Egbedun in a statement by his chief press secretary, Olamide Tiamiyu, said the House is only trying to expose corruption.

“The House is fulfilling its constitutional duty of exposing corruption as stipulated in Sections 128 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The Osun State House of Assembly is aware of the position of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the decisions of the Supreme Court in various cases stating that the governor of a state and the House of Assembly cannot remove a chief judge from office without the participation of the National Judicial Council.

“Therefore, we urge commentators to be cautious in their utterances, as they may convey the misconception that the Osun State House of Assembly has removed or intends to remove the chief judge of Osun State without the involvement of the National Judicial Council.

“It is pertinent to also clarify that the Osun State House of Assembly was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit filed by the chief judge of Osun State at the National Industrial Court, Ibadan,” Tiamiyu said.