National News
Marwa seeks community support as Ochi’Idoma, others back drug war
Marwa seeks community support as Ochi’Idoma, others back drug war
By Michael Mike
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) has challenged traditional rulers, religious and community leaders to champion the campaign against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in their communities and spheres of influence.
He gave the charge at different occasions in Igumale, Ado local government area and Otukpo in Benue state.
According to a statement on Tuesday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, Marwa gave the advice last Sunday and Monday.
Babafemi said the NDLEA boss was in Igumale to perform the ground-breaking ceremony of the agency’s Area Command office in the community.
Speaking at the palace of the community’s monarch, Chief Joseph Oche Ikor, Marwa urged the traditional ruler to see the siting of an NDLEA office in his domain as a call to mobilise his people to reject substance abuse and support ongoing efforts to eliminate access to illicit drugs wreaking havocs in families and communities.
In his remarks at the foundation laying ceremony and the commissioning of a 20-kilometre road facilitated by the member representing Ado-Ogbadigbo-Okpokwu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and who incidentally is the Chairman, House Committee on Narcotic Drugs, Hon. Francis Agbo, Marwa said “both developments are signs of the importance of this community and local government to Nigeria’s welfare and also a testament that communities in this corner of the country are not left out of the dividends of democracy by its leaders.”
Marwa, while commending Agbo for his passion and commitment to the effort to make Nigeria a drug-free country, told the community that the lawmaker is at the the cusp of making history with his sponsorship of a bill to make political office seekers take the Dug Integrity Test, from the lowest position of councillorship to the highest office in the country. “At the same time, he has also been one of the key drivers of the amendment of the NDLEA Act which we are hopeful will be passed by the National Assembly before the end of the tenure of the Ninth Assembly. Even as he worked on the national stage, he also remains an embodiment of the saying that “charity begins at home.”
Marwa admonished the community, stating that: “I will also want to use this opportunity to appeal to the good people of this constituency to do their utmost to ensure we keep our communities clean of illicit drugs. Keeping Nigeria safe from dangerous substances is the mandate of NDLEA; the mandate, however, cannot be attained without the contribution of Nigerians. We have created a vehicle to facilitate the participation of the citizenry, which is the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign. It is a social advocacy which we are taking to every community in this country. We started in 2021 and in the past two years, we have succeeded in getting WADA to the doorsteps of our people at the grassroots.
“As we intensify the campaign this year, I enjoin every one of you to be a part of this platform for social action where all well-meaning Nigerians become stakeholders in the concerted effort to safeguard the safety and sanity of our society against the drug scourge.”
Speaking during a WADA advocacy visit to the Ochi’Idoma of Idoma land, Agabaidu Elaigwu Odogbo Obagaji John, on Monday, Marwa said traditional rulers as leaders of their people must embrace the campaign against the drug scourge in the interest of the youths, families and the security of their communities and the country as a whole.
In their responses, the monarchs and other community leaders who spoke at the different ceremonies promised to support the Marwa-led Agency to succeed in its given task while also assuring that they would work with NDLEA to rid their domains of illicit drugs.
Marwa seeks community support as Ochi’Idoma, others back drug war
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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