ActionAid Nigeria Decries National Assembly’s Questionable Approval of Rivers State Emergency, Warns Against Dangerous Precedent

By: Michael Mike

ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has expressed deep concern over the alarming disregard for constitutional processes in approving the state of emergency in Rivers State.

It said in a statement on Friday that the decision by the two chambers, the Senate and House of Representatives, to endorse President Bola Tinubu’s proclamation without a transparent and verifiable two-thirds majority vote raises serious questions about the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic institutions and the respect for the rule of law.

The statement read: “While the 1999 Constitution grants the President the authority to declare a state of emergency, it explicitly requires approval by a two-thirds majority of both legislative chambers. Relying on a voice vote instead of an official count makes verifying compliance with this constitutional requirement impossible, which amounts to a blatant disregard for due process and a serious breach of Nigeria’s democratic principles. However, while permissible for routine legislative matters, a voice vote is wholly inappropriate for decisions requiring a strict supermajority. The deliberate choice by the Senate and the House of Representatives to bypass a transparent vote count smacks of executive overreach and legislative complicity.

“This reckless act not only erodes public confidence in Nigeria’s democracy but also sets a dangerous precedent that public officeholders could exploit in the future and will potentially threaten the very fabric of our constitutional order. If this decision is allowed to stand, what stops a future legislature from using a voice vote to remove a sitting president or to circumvent other constitutional safeguards?

“As the final custodian of justice, the judiciary must assert its independence and call both the executive and legislative arms of government to order. Failing to do so would signal an endorsement of lawlessness and further embolden those who seek to undermine Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.”

ActionAid Nigeria’s Country Director, Andrew Mamedu noted that: “AAN’s position is premised on the fundamental need to uphold democratic principles and ensure that governance is conducted within the confines of the law. The rule of law is the bedrock of any democracy, and its continuous erosion will have dire consequences for Nigeria’s future. We therefore demand that the National Assembly provides verifiable evidence that they met the two-thirds majority required for the approval. Beyond this, those directly affected, such as state officials, political stakeholders, and governance watchdogs, must take immediate steps to seek redress in court and the judiciary must also act decisively to prevent this blatant subversion of constitutional order. Now is the time for civil society, legal experts, and concerned Nigerians to raise their voices against this dangerous precedent. Democracy cannot survive when laws are ignored at the convenience of those in power. Nigerians deserves a government that operates within the bounds of the Constitution, not one that manipulates it at will.”

NAF Airstrikes Destroy ISWAP Logistics, kill scores in Lake Chad

By: Zagazola Makama

The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) has conducted a precision air interdiction on a terrorist stronghold in Jubillaram, a known Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) enclave in the Lake Chad region, killing scores of the terrorists.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the operation, which took place on March 20, 2025, at approximately 1725 hours, was executed following credible intelligence on terrorist activities within the island settlement.

The sources said that air interdiction revealed that several terrorist structures and logistics were destroyed in the well-coordinated airstrike.

The strike was part of sustained efforts of Operation Hadin Kai to degrade ISWAP’s operational capability and disrupt their supply chains within the Lake Chad basin.

It was also designed to soften ground for surface troops conducting Operation Lake Sanity and Desert Sanity 4.

According to operational sources, ISWAP fighters have been using Jubillaram as a staging ground for attacks against security forces and civilian communities.

NAF Airstrikes Destroy ISWAP Logistics, kill scores in Lake Chad

VP Shettima Welcomes Visa Inc’s Pledge To Site Data Centre In Nigeria

By: Our Reporter

Visa Inc., an American multinational payment card services corporation, has updated Vice President Kashim Shettima on plans to site data centre infrastructure in Nigeria.

This is in addition to its investments of over $1 billion in the country, including a substantial technological partnership with MoniePoint to foster digital payment solutions, a $200 million investment in Interswitch, and a partnership with ThriveAgric to empower smallholder farmers and enhance food security in Nigeria.

Visa’s Regional President for Central, & Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA), Mr. Andrew Torre, disclosed this when he led a delegation of the company on a courtesy visit to Vice President Shettima at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Mr Torre said while Visa Inc. “has been making investments and will continue to make these investments in Nigeria”, the plan to site the data centre infrastructure is aimed at bringing new technologies into the Nigerian market that would bolster the nation’s growing digital economy.

According to him, partners like Hugo, and Samsung require some of Visa’s technologies to launch mobile payment services for a more competitive and cost-effective market.

Responding, Vice President Shettima assured the US-based corporation team that the patronage and partnership between Visa and the Nigerian government will continue to grow by leaps and bounds.

VP Shettima also applauded Visa for investing in ThriveAgriculture, noting that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is quite passionate about repositioning the agriculture sector, which is one of the primes in the administration’s 8-point agenda.

He said, “Nigeria is where the action is. Of the ten fintechs in Africa, about eight are in Nigeria, with Moniepoint as the newest addition. Agriculture is key to the 8-point agenda of the present administration. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is really keen on repositioning the agriculture industry here, and we have to invest in technology, we have to invest in modernisation.

“If we must improve on agriculture, we must embrace modernity, improve agricultural prices, seeds, fertilization, and intermediate technology. ThriveAgriculture is a company that has a focus on food security, providing up-to-date data to our farmers. And be rest assured that the patronage, the partnership between the government of Nigeria and Visa will only grow by leaps and bounds.”

The Nigerian Vice President urged Visa Inc. to also invest in the Outsource to Nigeria Initiative of the federal government to help facilitate access to finance for the creative sector to boost the nation’s digital and creative economy.

Also on the Visa delegation were the Senior Vice President, Head of Western and Central Africa, Mr. Andrew Uaboi, and Vice President, Head of West Africa, Mr. Chidozie Arinze.

VP Shettima Welcomes Visa Inc’s Pledge To Site Data Centre In Nigeria