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Democracy Day: IAWPA urges Tinubu to set up Peace and Reconciliation Committee, says new Electricity Act would engender rapid development
The International Association of World Peace Advocates, IAWPA has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to set up a Committee that would reconcile Nigerians and ensure there is peace and unity across the country.
The African Director of IAWPA, Ambassador John Metchie made the call on Monday, in a goodwill message to President Tinubu and the people of Nigeria, on this year’s Democracy Day celebration.
He also commended the President for signing the Electricity Act 2023 into law, saying it would contribute to rapid infrastructural development of the country and expressed joy that the Act is in line with the Light-Up Umueri Project, his personal initiative which has been distributing solar powered energy to hundreds of households in the community where he is the President General.
Dr, Metchie who is also the Prime Minister of Anambra Association of Town Unions (ASATU), expressed the hope that with the signing into law of the Electricity Act, the President would as well sign the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) Bill into law, soon.
Metchie issued the statement in Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE) where he is scheduled for a meeting of the Global Eminent Peace Ambassadors to review decisions taken at the UN-Habitat Assembly meeting which took place last week in Nairobi Kenya.
He said that the highly contested 2023 presidential election in Nigeria shows that the country and its people have come to a consensus that democracy is the best form of government, adding however, that the election witnessed unprecedented level of hate speech and threat of violence, the need therefore, for a committee for healing and national reconciliation.
Metchie noted that according to data available at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), there were over 53 reported incidents of hate speeches during the 2023 general election and that the hurting speeches were made by politically exposed persons including governors, lawmakers and community leaders and others, which he said bruised a lot of individuals and groups across the country.
He said for the administration of President Bola Tinubu to achieve its set objectives, all hands must be on deck to support the efforts of the President, adding that there must be a deliberate attempt by the government to carry all citizens along, irrespective of their ethnic, political and religious leanings.
On the President’s assent to the Electricity Bill, Metchie said that the law which empowers states, firms and individuals to generate electricity is one of the best decisions of the federal government in recent times, as according to him, the law satisfies the yearnings and aspirations of majority of Nigerians for the unbundling of some sectors of the nation’s economy, including electricity, education and police, among others.
Metchie who is also the Deputy Commander General of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) in charge of Technical Services, therefore expressed hope that with the prompt action of the President in signing the Electricity Act into law less than two weeks of his assumption of office, there was hope that the NHFSS Bill which Tinubu inherited from his predecessor, would also be assented to very soon.
He said he was sure President Tinubu would assent to the Bill because of the strategic roles officers and men of the NHFSS are expected to play towards effective security of lives and property of the people of Nigeria.
He said that most criminal elements known as terrorists, gunmen, bandits and kidnappers, among others, use the forests as their hideout and also retire back to the forests after carrying out their nefarious activities.
He stated that apart from curbing the various crimes mentioned above, signing the Bill into law, would enable government recruit thousands of young men and women as hunters, which would help to solve the issue of acute unemployment, one of the most serious challenge facing the nation.
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Turaki-led PDP wins as Court of Appeal affirms Wole Oluyede as duly nominated candidate for Ekiti
Dr. Wole Oluyede has been affirmed as the duly nominated candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the Ekiti State governorship election.
The Court of Appeal, Akure Division, made the affirmation in a landmark judgment, thereby giving validity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election for the same.
In a unanimous decision, the three-man appellate panel led by Hon. Justice Peter Chudi Obiorah, alongside Hon. Justice Jane Esienanwan Inyang and Hon. Justice Peter O. Affen, set aside the earlier judgment of the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti.
The justices held that the primary election conducted by the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) was valid, transparent, and complied with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
On the 13th of January, 2026, the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti nullified the Ekiti State Governorship primary election conducted on the 8th and 9th November, 2025.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, the Party appealed to the Court of Appeal and today, the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court..
The Court further held that the primary election was duly conducted.
This judgment effectively puts to rest the leadership and candidacy disputes that have shadowed the party’s preparations for the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election. By upholding the Turaki-led process, the Court has provided the necessary legal finality to ensure the PDP enters the general election as a unified front.
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India slaps Nigeria, rejects Tinubu’s ambassador-designate
India and some other countries have reportedly declined to accept some of President Bola Tinubu’s recently posted ambassadors-designate due to diplomatic policies that discourage receiving envoys from administrations with less than two years remaining in office.
According to reports in the media, India, where career diplomat Ambassador Muhammad Dahiru has been designated to serve, maintains a standing policy against accepting ambassadors from governments with tenures of less than two years remaining.
India is exercising its discretionary powers to turn down the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ request to accept Dahiru’s posting.
According to sources quoted by the report, the Federal Government was already receiving signals from New Delhi and possibly other capitals about their reluctance to grant agrément.
Agrément is the formal approval given by a receiving country to accept a diplomat designated by the sending country, and it is a prerequisite before an ambassador can assume duty.
“They don’t accept an ambassador from an administration that has less than two years in office. So they are giving us that body language already,” a Presidency official was quoted to have said
The source continued, “Some countries are reluctant to accept some people, not because of the individuals but because of time. They are already seeing the Tinubu government as an outgoing government.
“So their concern is that he has just one year left, so what if he doesn’t win the election? Another government may come and remove them. We also understand that some countries have this policy. Any ambassador from an administration that has less than a year or two in office will not get accepted. And one of such countries is India.”
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Belonging to two political parties to attract imprisonment
The House of Representatives on Wednesday amended Section 77 of the recently assented Electoral Act 2026 to prescribe two-year jail term or N10 million fines or both, for anyone who knowingly maintains membership of two political parties at the same time.
Lawmakers during the committee of the whole presided by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu, made amendment to section 77 of the 2026 Act by inserting three new clauses 8, 9 and 10 which were considered and approved by lawmakers after a heated session of back and forth debates.
According to the new clauses approved by lawmakers, any party member found to be registered as member of more than one political party at the same time will have his or membership of the said parties voided.
Clause (8) of the approved amendment stipulates that “A person shall not be registered as a member of more than one political party at the same time.”
Clause (9) stipulates that “Where it is established that a person is registered as a member of more than one political at the same time, such dual membership shall be void, and the person shall cease to be recognised as a valid member of any political party pending regularisation in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the constitution of the political party concerned.
Clause (10) stipulates that “A person who knowingly registers or maintains membership in more than one political party at the same time commits an offence is liable on conviction to a fine of N10,000,000 or to imprisonment for a term of two years, or both.”
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