Nass

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

A group known as the Concerned Kaduna Central Constituents has initiated a process to recall their Senator, Lawal Adamu Usman, citing poor representation and neglect of duties.

In a statement to the press, the group accused the senator of failing to advocate for the constituency, being persistently absent from legislative duties, and providing no tangible projects for the people.

They claimed he has been disconnected from the realities of his constituents since taking office.

The group has begun gathering signatures from registered voters to petition the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for his recall.INEC has not yet responded.

By law, a recall requires signatures from at least half of the registered voters in the senatorial district before a verification and referendum can be held.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Security agents, including police officers and personnel from other agencies, on Tuesday prevented Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from entering the National Assembly premises.

The senator, who represents Kogi Central, arrived at the gate in a black SUV. However, she was denied entry by security operatives who had barricaded the entrance.

Her supporters were also seen engaging in a heated exchange with the officers at the scene.

This incident occurred hours after reports emerged that Senator Natasha was planning to resume plenary, citing a court ruling as justification for her return.

Earlier in the day, SaharaReporters had reported a strong security presence around the National Assembly, with several security vehicles stationed at key entry points.

Operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were deployed to guard the complex.

Despite a recent ruling by the Federal High Court that declared her suspension unconstitutional, the Senate leadership has maintained that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan remains suspended.

The lawmaker had been suspended in March 2025.Over the weekend, the embattled senator declared her intention to resume legislative activities.

“I have pretty much two months more before the six months expire. However, I have written to the Senate again telling them that I’m resuming on the 22nd, which is on Tuesday, by the special grace of God,” she said during a constituency training event.

“I will be there, because the court did decide on that. Now, they argue that it’s an order, it’s not an order, but it is a decision,” she added.

Her lawyer, West Idahosa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, backed her position.

He argued that the judgment provided enough legal grounds for her return to the red chamber.

“Let me be honest with you. Attendance is a legislative action. As far as we are concerned, we are focused on the appeal and other issues before the court. I think the decision to go back to the Senate will be determined by the constituents,” Idahosa said.

He continued: “The suspension was overreaching the provisions of the constitution. I mean, that was clearly stated there. When you say that the plaintiff should go back, you mean that she should go back to work. I think that is more or less an order… She is still a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

However, the Senate leadership has taken a different view. In a letter dated July 14 and addressed to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Michael Jonathan Numa (SAN), the National Assembly asserted that the court did not issue any binding directive on the Senate to recall her.

The letter, signed by Charles Yoila, Director of Litigation and Counselling for the Clerk to the National Assembly, stated that the judgment merely “advised” the Senate to consider allowing her return.

Despite the resistance at the gate, Senator Natasha was later seen trekking into the complex, a video of which was shared online.

By Anwar Usman

The Nigerian Senate has again summoned all security chiefs to appear before the house next week over the rising insecurity bedeviling the country.

Those summoned include the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar.

Other security agencies are the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, Director General of National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed, and the Director General of Department of State Services Adeola Ajayi.

The president of the Senate Godswill Akpabio, while speaking during Wednesday’s plenary, said the service chiefs were initially invited but could not attend due to scheduling conflicts.

He stated that the rescheduled meeting next week will centered on deliberating on critical security issues inorder to proffer urgent solutions.

The Senate also raised serious concerns over allegations that certain international agencies may be financing the Boko Haram insurgency.

On February 19, security chiefs were summoned to explain allegations that the United States Agency for International Development was linked to funding Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in Nigeria.

The meeting will look into these claims among others, address Nigeria’s broader security challenges, and shape policy responses.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

In a decisive move, the Nigerian National Assembly (NASS) has suspended Senator Natasha for six months following recommendations from the Ethics and Public Petitions Committee.

The suspension, which takes effect from March 6, comes after the senator stood up for her rights during a Senate session.

The committee has mandated that Senator Natasha must submit a written apology before she can resume her duties.

Additionally, her office will remain locked throughout the suspension period, and she is barred from entering the NASS complex. Her salaries, allowances, and security details have also been suspended for the duration of her penalty.

Furthermore, Senator Natasha is prohibited from representing herself as a senator in both local and international media during her suspension.

This development has sparked widespread debate, with critics labeling the punishment as excessive and indicative of deeper governance issues in the nation.

As Africa’s most populous black nation, Nigeria continues to grapple with political controversies, and this incident has further fueled discussions about transparency and accountability in its leadership.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Nigerian Senate has criticized Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, for her remarks about the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, regarding seat allocations.

On Thursday, Akpoti-Uduaghan refused to accept the new seat assigned to her, citing her right to protection under the Senate’s Rule 10.

The dispute arose after her seat was changed following the defection of some opposition senators to the ruling party.

However, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan rejected the move and accused the Senate leadership of attempting to silence her.

“I have no problem if they take away my right to speak. I am not afraid of you. You are denying me my rights,” she said, addressing the Senate President.

As tensions escalated, Akpabio ordered security personnel to remove her from the Senate chamber, but some senators intervened to de-escalate the situation.

Reacting to the incident in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Senate spokesman Yemi Adaramodu said that the National Assembly is not a place for entertainment.

“What we are saying is that the National Assembly is not a place for creating entertainment or play. It is a place for serious legislative work,” he stated.

Regarding Akpoti-Uduaghan’s accusation of rights infringement, Adaramodu explained that, despite being a new senator, she had been assigned significant leadership roles in the Senate.

“If she is claiming that her rights are being denied or that she’s being prevented from speaking, as a new senator, she has been given three major committee leadership roles. Every senator is entitled to lead one committee, but she is now leading foreign affairs and NGOs,” he added.

The Senate spokesman further mentioned that the matter would not be revisited, as Senator Isah Jubril from Kogi had apologized on behalf of Akpoti-Uduaghan.

“The Senate has fully accepted this apology, and so the matter will not be reopened,” he said.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini 

The National Assembly on Tuesday, granted full financial and administrative autonomy to all 774 local council authorities across Nigeria by amending Section 124 of the nation’s constitution. 

The section provides a consequential provision for the making of the local councils a full third tier government without undue interference from the state governments. 

The amendment was one of 22 others approved by the House of Representatives last week and ratified by the Senate on Tuesday. 

Both chambers had, through a conference committee, harmonised versions of the amendments to the constitution carried out by each of them last month. 

By this development, the National Assembly had ratified all the 23 clauses and sections that had been amended by both chambers. 

The newly amended document, which would be sent to the State Houses of Assembly for approval, also approved the creation of the Office of Auditor General of the Local Government as well as the State Local Government Service Commission. 

The section equally deleted the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIEC) from the constitution, thereby vesting the powers to conduct council elections on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). 

It, however, retained the immunity clause in the constitution for the President and Governors by adopting the Senate version of the amendments on the issue and rejecting the House of Representatives version, which removed the immunity clause. 

The National Assembly also made provisions for independent candidature in future elections in Nigeria by amending sections 65 and 106 of the 1999 constitution.