Category: Legislative

IPU Speakers’ Conference : Akpabio charges global Lawmakers to unite for Peace, Justice

Lukman Laleye Babalola

President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has called on parliamentarians across the world to stand in unity and commit to building a future anchored on peace, justice, and shared humanity. Speaking at the ongoing 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments, jointly organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Akpabio emphasized the urgent need for collective action in addressing global crises.   “As parliamentarians, let us commit to collaboration and the courageous pursuit of solutions that transcend borders and partisan divides,” he…

Senate knocks NNPCL GCEO over ₦210 Trillion audited reports, demands full disclosure within Three weeks

Emporium Reporters

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has expressed deep concern over the alleged discrepancies in the audited financial statements of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), amounting to a staggering ₦210 trillion for the period between 2017 and 2023. Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada (Nasarawa West), while addressing the matter on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at the National Assembly, stated that the queried amount consists of ₦103 trillion in liabilities and ₦107 trillion in assets. He emphasized that the concerns raised stemmed directly from the Auditor-General’s…

Senator Aniekan Bassey condemns Anti-Nigerian protest in Ghana, calls for Regional Unity

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organizations, Senator Aniekan Bassey, has condemned the recent anti-Nigerian protest in Ghana, described it as “deeply disturbing and contrary to the spirit of African brotherhood.” The Senator was reacting to a viral video making the rounds on social media, which showed some Ghanaians staging a protest and demanding the expulsion of Nigerians from their country over alleged misconduct and behaviour deemed inconsistent with Ghanaian societal norms. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Senator Bassey, who is also a member of the…

Senate denies rift between Akpabio, Bamidele during Executive Session … Says robust debates are part of legislative tradition

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigerian Senate has refuted media reports alleging a clash between the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, during an executive session held to deliberate on whether the upper legislative chamber should proceed on its annual recess.   In a statement issued on Sunday by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, the Senate described the reports as entirely false and misleading.   “The reports do not contain any iota of truth. In their entirety, they misconstrue our…

Akpabio’s Verbal Slip: NASS New Media Forum slams sensational headlines, urges responsible Journalism

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The National Assembly New Media Forum (NANMF), a body of accredited online journalists covering the National Assembly, has strongly condemned what it described as sensational and misleading reports that misrepresented a verbal slip made by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Wednesday’s plenary.   Akpabio was quoted as saying, “Nigeria is proud of the way Tinubu was honored and buried” a statement he immediately corrected on the Senate floor.   In a statement signed by the Forum’s Chairman, Clement Nwabuko, NANMF expressed disappointment over what it called a deliberate effort by…

Lawyer faults Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s attempt to enforce judgment under appeal

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) has been criticised for attempting to enforce a court judgment she is simultaneously challenging at the Court of Appeal.   Senior legal practitioner, Ken Harries, made this observation while reacting to the senator’s dramatic appearance at the National Assembly on Tuesday, where she claimed she was seeking to enforce the July 4 judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja, which she interpreted as ordering her recall to the Senate.   Harries described the action as a classic case of “trying to eat her…

Senate calls for immediate implementation of 4% FOB Policy, seeks monthly Customs budget reports

Lukman Laleye Babalola

By James Isaac,Abuja       The Joint Committee on Customs and Excise of the National Assembly has called for the urgent implementation of the 4% Free On Board (FOB) policy and directed the Nigeria Customs Service to submit monthly performance reports on the 2024 budget.   The resolution followed an interactive session on Monday at the National Assembly involving lawmakers, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, and the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.   Chairman of the Committee, Senator Jibrin Isah…

House Committee on Constitution Amendment Begins Zonal Public Hearing in Calabar …… Stakeholders Demand State Creation, Mineral Rights, Electoral Reforms

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution has commenced its zonal public hearing in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, as part of the nationwide constitutional review process.   The Calabar sitting covers Zone A of the South-South region, comprising Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers States, while Zone B encompassing Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa States is scheduled to hold its hearing in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.   Upon arrival in Calabar, the leader of the Constitution Review Committee and Minority Leader of the…

Senate Leader Bamidele mourns Buhari, Oba Adetona …Describes them as pillars of peace, unity, and national development

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has paid heartfelt tributes to Nigeria’s former President, Muhammadu Buhari, and the late Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona (Ogbagba II), described both as unwavering champions of peace, stability, and unity in Nigeria and beyond. In a statement issued by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Office of the Leader of the Senate, Bamidele praised the lives and legacies of the two national icons, who passed away at the ripe ages of 82 and 91, respectively, on…

National Assembly suspends legislative activities to honour late President Muhammadu Buhari

Lukman Laleye Babalola

In honour of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly has announced the immediate suspension of all legislative activities until Tuesday, July 22, 2025.   The announcement followed the passing of the former President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who died on Sunday, July 13, 2025, in London, United Kingdom.   In a statement signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana Esq., the leadership of both chambers conveyed the directive of the President of the Senate and the Speaker…