National News
NDLEA, ALGON partner on drug war, to set up WADA committees at LGs, communities
NDLEA, ALGON partner on drug war, to set up WADA committees at LGs, communities
By: Michael Mike
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) have agreed to work together to curb the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in communities across the country.
According to a statement on Saturday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, this was one of the agreements reached at a meeting when the National President of ALGON, Hon. Aminu Muazu Maifata led other leaders of the umbrella body for all local government chairmen in the country on a courtesy visit to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Addressing the ALGON leaders, Marwa expressed the preparedness of NDLEA to work with the council chairmen to ensure that people at the grassroots are well sensitized about the dangers of abusing illicit drugs and also provide help for those already indulging in the unhealthy habit.
He told them that: “We are particularly happy that you’re here to identify with our work and partner with us because you are the closest tier of government to the people especially the grassroots and our communities where majority of Nigerians reside. This is more so because the drug scourge is in virtually all our communities, no community across the country is spared and as such, we need your partnership to cascade all our efforts in terms of drug demand reduction and even the supply reduction, down to the remote communities.
“This partnership is also important coming at a time when we’re deploying our personnel to the local government areas to establish our physical presence in the rural communities so that we can support you to curb the scourge of drug abuse and illicit drug dealing, which fuel crimes and criminalities in those areas.”
He encouraged the ALGON leaders to mobilise their members nationwide to set up local government drug control committees and war against drug abuse, WADA, committees comprising traditional rulers, community gatekeepers, opinion and religious leaders as well as market and women groups, among others at the community level. These committees similar to what obtains at the national and state levels, he said, will work with NDLEA commands to coordinate the fight against the drug menace in the communities.
He encouraged them to also take advocacy and drug test as major components of their efforts when they return to their local governments to begin implementation of the various strategies discussed at the meeting. He added that to make drug test easier, the Agency has mass produced quality test kits easy to use at home, offices and others with the aim of early detection and providing treatment for those who test positive as well as engendering deterrence.
In his remark, the ALGON National President lamented the negative impact of drug abuse on the health, businesses and security of lives and property at the grassroots while expressing the commitment of the body to work with NDLEA to ensure that the ugly development is urgently reversed.
He said: “As the body of local governments in Nigeria, we appreciate the enormous work this Agency is doing under your leadership and that is why we have come to partner with you so that we can collectively stamp out the drug abuse problem from our communities.”
He assured that they will emplace necessary structures that will facilitate the deployment of NDLEA personnel to their council areas.
Other ALGON leaders at the meeting include: Mr. Itiako Ikpokpo, Director General; Hon. Bala Chamo, National Publicity Secretary; Hon. Aminu Jairo Hassan, National Welfare Officer; Hon. Adamu Bukar, National Auditor; and Hon. Shehu Jega, Chief of Staff to the National President.
NDLEA, ALGON partner on drug war, to set up WADA committees at LGs, communities
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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