NIGERIA NOT RIPE FOR DIRECT PRIMARIES — IPAC – DAILY TRUST PG.6, PUNCH PG.17, SUN PG.8, THISDAY PG.6
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) says Nigeria is not ripe to adopt direct primaries however beneficial it may appear to be. The IPAC, which is a pressure group of the 18 registered political parties in the country, said the National Assembly’s attempt to override President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill would be fruitless.
JUDICIARY: CASES, PERSONALITIES TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2022 – DAILY TRUST PG.20
The judgment of the Supreme Court in the originating motion by governors of the 36 states of the federation challenging Executive Order 10 signed by President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2020 granting financial autonomy to states judiciary and legislatures, which was reserved for judgment, is expected to be delivered in the early part of 2022. The trial of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is expected to be accelerated this year. At the last hearing of the matter on December 2, 2021, the presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako, while fixing January 18, 2022, for the trial, also ordered an accelerated hearing in the matter.
PROBE ALLEGED FRAUD IN ABIA, HEDA URGES ICPC – NATION PG.20
The Human & Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has written the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), seeking an in-depth investigation into the allegations and counter-allegations between the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Chinedum Orji and former Attorney General/ Commissioner of Justice, Abia State, Umeh Kalu (SAN). A statement by the chairman of HEDA, Olanrewaju Suraju implored the anti-corruption agency to expedite action on the matter in line with its mandate and prosecute anyone found culpable in such distasteful act of corrupt practices and financial misappropriation which has deprived the citizens of Abia State of enjoying dividends of democracy.
NAME, PROSECUTE TERROR SPONSORS, NDUME TELLS FED GOVT – NATION PG.1&4
Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Ali Ndume, has asked the Federal Government to arrest and prosecute suspected financiers of terrorism in the country. Ndume recalled during an interview with Channels Television’s Political Paradigm, that he was once tried by the Federal Government for sponsoring Boko Haram. His offence, according to him, was that the Department of State Services (DSS) tracked a phone and uncovered a call made by a spokesman of the insurgents.
GWANDU EMIRATE CASE: LAWYERS SEEK REFORMS OVER LONG ADJOURNMENT – PUNCH PG.13, THISDAY PG.8
A legal practitioner, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), on Monday, called for an investigation into the circumstances leading to the long adjournment of an appeal in respect of the controversial Gwandu Emirate headship tussle by the Supreme Court of Nigeria to November 23, 2023. But another legal practitioner, Innocent Daagba, called for the creation of regional Supreme Courts to handle the backlog of appeals at the apex court. The Supreme Court had on November 29, 2021, granted the two-year adjournment in the Gwandu Emirate leadership tussle.
2022 AND BURDEN OF EXPECTATIONS – SUN PG.20
As Nigerians bid goodbye to 2021 and welcome a brand new 2022, expectations are high, not only for themselves but also for the political, socio-economic direction of the country. The preceding year was one like no other. For one, many had hoped that, in 2021, the myriad of challenges, including banditry, kidnappings, the pummelling of the currency, the naira, and insurgency, among others, would have been resolved by the Federal Government. Unfortunately, for most Nigerians, 2021 was a year like no other. To some, may the preceding year never happen again, while, to others, it was a time to take stock and move on, regardless of whether hopes and aspirations were met or dashed.
