Day: March 18, 2025

Emergency Rule: Fubara, Inexperience & Lessons For Democracy By Christian Okeke Ph.D

Emporium Reporters

The declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is most unfortunate and it is a sad day for democracy.   Largely, it has not helped to enrich our democratisation experience as a country and is a total failure on the part of politicians.   It is a shame that political elites persistently work for democratic reversals, rather than expected maturity.   Siminilayi Fubara was unfortunate and appears not to have shown mastery of the art of politics all through his ordeals. He was…

TEXT OF THE BROADCAST BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES, DECLARING STATE OF EMERGENCY IN RIVERS STATE ON TUESDAY 18 MARCH 2025

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Fellow Nigerians, I feel greatly disturbed at the turn we have come to regarding the political crisis in Rivers State. Like many of you, I have watched with concern the development with the hope that the parties involved would allow good sense to prevail at the soonest, but all that hope burned out without any solution to the crisis.   With the crisis persisting, there is no way democratic governance, which we have all fought and worked for over the years, can thrive in a way that will redound to…

JUST IN::Tinubu declares State of Emergency in Rivers, suspends Gov Fubara, Deputy , Assembly members for Six Months

Lukman Laleye Babalola

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a state of emergency in Rivers State for six months, citing prolonged political unrest and governance paralysis. The announcement was made during a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday.   As part of the emergency measures, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have been suspended. President Tinubu has appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the state administrator to oversee governance during this period.   The President, invoking Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution, explained…

Reps members Jallo Hussaini, Adamu Tanko dump PDP for APC amid political realignments

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Two members of the House of Representatives have defected from the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), citing dissatisfaction with their former party’s leadership and confidence in the APC-led administration. The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, announced their defections during plenary on Tuesday, marking another shift in the National Assembly’s political dynamics. Hon. Jallo Hussaini Mohammed, who represents Igabi Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, and Hon. Adamu Tanko, representing Gurara/Suleja/Tafa Federal Constituency in Niger State, officially declared their move to the…

NSCIA debunks report attributed to Sultan of Sokoto on Islamizing Nigeria ….. Warns against misinformation

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has strongly refuted a viral claim on social media alleging that the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, made a statement about an agenda to Islamize Nigeria.   In a statement signed by Imam Haroun Muhammad Eze, Esq., Deputy National Legal Adviser of NSCIA, the council described the claim as baseless, malicious, and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.   “The spurious information is not only unfounded but also mischievous. The Sultan, who was falsely alleged to have…

JUST IN: Wike revokes PDP’s New Secretariat Land

Emporium Reporters

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revoked the land allocation for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) proposed new national secretariat in the Central Area of Abuja.   In a statement issued by the FCT Administration, the revocation was attributed to “inconsistent documentation and non-compliance with regulatory procedures.” The statement emphasized that the decision was in line with Wike’s commitment to transparency and enforcement of land-use policies in the capital city.   “The decision was taken in the interest of the public good and to uphold…

BREAKING: House of Reps Passes Four Tax Reform Bills Amid Controversy

Emporium Reporters

The House of Representatives has passed four major tax reform bills for the third reading, marking a significant step in Nigeria’s fiscal policy overhaul.   The bills, which included the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill 2024, Nigeria Revenue Service Bill 2024, and the Joint Revenue Board Tax Bill 2024, were transmitted to the National Assembly in October 2024.   The passage followed the approval of the report by the House Committee on Finance, which reviewed submissions from stakeholders, despite opposition from Northern leaders, the Nigeria Governors Forum,…

Ramadan Series (18): The Importance And Benefits Of Sadaqah/Charity In Ramadan! By Imam Murtadha Gusau

Emporium Reporters

Tuesday, Ramadan 18, 1446 AH (18/03/2025)   In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful   All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation. May Allah extol the Messenger in the highest company of Angels and grant him peace; and likewise, his family, his Companions and all those who truly and sincerely follow him until the Day of Resurrection.   Dear brothers and sisters! Know that charitable giving is a cornerstone of Islamic practice, and its importance is amplified during the noble month of…

Kabir Dangogo: Archetypal public relationist, a spirit so rare

Emporium Reporters

I received with shock and a resultant deep grief, the news of the transition of Mallam Kabir Dangogo in the wee hours of March 7, 2025. If I want to sound official, I will say Mallam Dangogo was one of my predecessors as Secretary General of the African Public Relations Association (APRA). Indeed, he was Nigeria’s first Secretary General of FAPRA, the forerunner of APRA, and expectedly the continental body of professionals and practitioners of public relations is already treating this as a grave tragedy and putting it in a…