National News
CSJ: Current Insecurity Shows Government May Have Abandoned It’s Constitutional Duty
CSJ: Current Insecurity Shows Government May Have Abandoned It’s Constitutional Duty
By: Michael Mike
Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has lamented that the country’s security situation has degenerated to the extent that it can be categorically stated that the government has abandoned, failed, refused or neglected to enforce its primary and constitutional duty of guaranteeing the security of Nigerians and residents in Nigeria
The Centre, in a statement signed on Tuesday by its Lead Director, Eze Onyekpere said it is regrettable that there is recent upsurge of insecurity exemplified by the late December 2023 killings in Plateau State, incessant killings in Katsina State, 45 passengers kidnapped as gunmen attacked transporters along Otukpo-Enugu Road and the ongoing kidnap and murder of innocent Nigerians in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
CSJ lamented that: “In all the foregoing, Nigerians are yet to hear concrete and reassuring words from the president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces or high-level officers of state on the way forward. In FCT, the minister in charge, instead of addressing the challenge seems more interested in continued fueling of a political crisis in his home state, Rivers State.
It recalled that in the last ten years, security has enjoyed the highest allocation in federal budgets to cater for the armada of security agencies maintained at the tax payers expense, adding that: “Budgetary allocations have been proposed and spent on personnel, arms and ammunition, aircrafts and vessels, vehicles, equipment including intelligence gadgets. We are worried at the seeming cluelessness and inability of the security agencies to deploy intelligence to prevent and nip in the bud the insensitive acts of criminal elements who have no regard for human lives. We are further worried that when these crimes have been committed, the security agencies have been unable to investigate, arrest and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
The Centre noted that under Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, GSM SIM card numbers were linked to national identity numbers of Nigerians and the authorities indicated that it would provide a foolproof link and clue to any crimes committed using GSM phones as it will be easy to find the criminals since all identity information is already available with the state, insisting that: “This raises the critical question on why the perpetrators of these high level crimes where GSM phones have been used to make contact are not brought to justice.”
The Centre lamented that: “There have been several mop-up of light arms in the possession of law-abiding citizens and only very few Nigerians have been licensed to carry weapons. Nigerians are made vulnerable because they do not have access to arms to defend themselves and the state that should legally and legitimately defend them has failed in the discharge of this duty.,” stating that: “The critical question is; why take away the arms needed for self-defence if the state is not ready to defend citizens and residents of Nigeria?”
It decried that: “The insecurity is heightened at a time Nigeria has launched a global campaign for foreign investors to come and invest in the country. News of crowdfunding for the purpose of meeting the ransom demands of kidnappers is clearly not the way to attract foreign investors.”
The Centre however made some recommendations, including that the federal government should expeditiously take steps for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution and enactment of new laws for the establishment and activation of State Police; Intelligence should be mainstreamed and prioritized in policing and security work. The activation and routine deployment of the SIM GSM database and inventory for investigations and tracking of criminals is long overdue.
It also recommended for the liberalisation of the processing of gun licenses for responsible law-abiding tax paying citizens for the purpose of self defence; rewarding of hard working and result oriented security and police personnel who diligently discharge their duties and impose sanctions on personnel whose negligence, failure or refusal to act contributes to insecurity and general security lapses, insisting that the financial resources to implement this could come from more prudent management of existing security resources.
The Centre added that Nigerians need to be reassured through concrete security action on the ability of the state to protect lives and property.
CSJ: Current Insecurity Shows Government May Have Abandoned It’s Constitutional Duty
VP Shettima Attends AU Heads of State Plenary Session
By: Our Reporter
Vice President Kashim Shettima is attending the plenary of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The opening session has drawn leaders from across the continent and beyond, as delegates convene to address critical issues under this year’s theme: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.”
The Vice President is representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the high-level gathering.
VP Shettima Attends AU Heads of State Plenary Session
National News
Experts Warn Senate Amendment to Electoral Act May Weaken Electronic Transmission Safeguards
Experts Warn Senate Amendment to Electoral Act May Weaken Electronic Transmission Safeguards
By: Michael Mike
A coalition of electoral reform advocates, legal experts and technology specialists has warned that the proposed amendment to Clause 60(3) of Nigeria’s Electoral Act could undermine recent gains in electoral transparency if not carefully revised.
They gave support to the position of the House of Representatives over that of the Senate, stating that the lower legislative arm position on the amendment of the electoral act was a lesser devil than that of the upper chamber.
The position emerged from an Expert Round Table convened in Abuja on Friday by ActionAid Nigeria, YIAGA Africa and the Movement for the Transformation of Nigeria. The meeting brought together academics, civil society leaders, lawyers, engineers, election administrators and governance specialists to examine the implications of the National Assembly’s amendment to Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act 2022.
At the centre of deliberations was the provision dealing with electronic transmission of election results. While the current law provides for electronic transmission, the Senate’s amendment affirms that manually signed polling unit results remain legally valid if electronic transmission fails. Participants argued that this caveat could reopen long-standing vulnerabilities in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Experts at the forum stressed that credible elections are the bedrock of democratic legitimacy and political stability. They noted that Nigeria’s democratic history has repeatedly been strained by allegations of manipulation, flawed collation processes and protracted post-election litigation. According to participants, strengthening transparency in result transmission is critical to rebuilding public confidence.
A major focus of the discussion was the role of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in safeguarding results at polling units. Participants described electronic transmission not merely as a technological innovation but as a protective mechanism against manipulation during collation — historically considered the weakest link in Nigeria’s elections.
Technical experts at the meeting maintained that electronic transmission is largely feasible nationwide, citing data that shows approximately 98 per cent network coverage across polling units, with only about two per cent classified as connectivity blind spots. They recommended targeted infrastructure investment to address these gaps rather than reverting to manual safeguards that could compromise transparency.
Concerns were also raised about legal ambiguities in the proposed amendment. Participants observed that the Senate version does not explicitly mandate electronic transmission through BVAS, nor does it clearly outline procedures in the event of technical failure. This, they argued, could create loopholes and fuel conflicting interpretations between manual and electronically transmitted results.
Another issue highlighted was the legal status of regulations issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Many operational guidelines governing electronic transmission are contained in subsidiary regulations rather than entrenched in the Act itself, potentially weakening their enforceability in court.
The experts warned that ambiguity in the law could increase election petitions and deepen what they described as the “judicialization of politics,” where electoral outcomes are increasingly determined in courtrooms rather than at the ballot box.
Beyond the amendment, participants identified broader institutional challenges affecting electoral integrity, including perceived executive influence in appointments to INEC, vote buying, weak enforcement of electoral offences and political interference. They called for comprehensive reforms to strengthen the independence and technical capacity of the electoral body.
In their resolutions, the roundtable participants reached consensus that electronic transmission should be clearly established in law as the primary and legally binding method for transmitting election results. They expressed preference for the version passed by the House of Representatives, which does not prioritise manually signed results in cases of transmission failure, while recommending further refinements to ensure clarity.
They also urged lawmakers to incorporate key INEC regulations directly into the Electoral Act, reform judicial procedures governing election disputes for faster resolution, and invest in election technology infrastructure.
Looking ahead, the experts advocated a long-term reform agenda that could eventually include electronic voting, drawing from international best practices. They further called on the National Assembly to conduct a public hearing on the technical glitches recorded during the 2023 general elections to prevent recurrence and enhance accountability.
The meeting concluded that Nigeria’s democratic future depends on ensuring that electoral reforms strengthen — rather than dilute — safeguards designed to reflect the true will of voters. Participants pledged continued legislative engagement and public advocacy to protect the integrity of the country’s electoral framework.
Experts Warn Senate Amendment to Electoral Act May Weaken Electronic Transmission Safeguards
Wife of the Vice President of Nigeria in Ethiopia
By: Our Reporter
Wife of the Vice President of Nigeria Hajiya Nana Shettima arrived Addis Ababa With Her Husband, Senator Kashim Shettima to attend the 30th General Assembly of Organization of African First Ladies For Development (OAFLAD) while The Vice President will be attending the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of African Union Heads of States and Government on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Mrs Shettima is Representing First Lady of Nigeria Senator Oluremi Tinubu CON.
The African First Ladies are expected to Focus on internal issues and advance OAFLAD’s strategic priorities.
The 30th General Assembly’s open session under the theme “Building Resilience for Women and Girls: Climate, Conflict, and Sustainable Futures will be held on the 15th of February.
Mrs Shettima who left Abuja this afternoon for Addis Ababa the Capital of Ethiopia will participate in various meetings with African First Ladies spanning for Three Days
Wife of the Vice President of Nigeria in Ethiopia
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