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NATASHA VS AKPABIO: Senate Passes Vote of confidence in Akpabio’s Leadership

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Amid the controversy rocking the Nigerian Senate, the Red Chamber on Thursday passed a vote of confidence in the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

This comes after Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele under Orders 40 and 51, moved a motion on the recent controversy surrounding the upper chamber, underscoring the need for clarity, adherence to legislative rules and a renewed focus on governance.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan representing Kogi Central was suspended by the Senate following allegation of sexual harassments against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

She tagged her suspension as an injustice, reporting the matter to the United Nation’s Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on Tuesday.

The Senate, however, responded to her complaint to the IPU on Wednesday, telling the international body that Senator Natasha’s suspension has nothing to do with her sexual abuse allegation against Akpbaio, but for gross misconduct and disobedient to Senate rules.

Speaking on the floor of the Senate , Senator Bamidele acknowledged heightened public interest in the matter due to allegations made by a fellow senator.

However, he maintained that at no point between August 2023 and the present was the Senate informed of any sexual harassment claims, adding that the issue at hand was purely about disciplinary measures related to breaches of Senate rules.

According to him, “I want to make it clear that the matter referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges had nothing to do with sexual harassment.

The Senate President did not preside over any case related to such allegations. What was addressed was a flagrant disregard for Senate rules and we followed due process as guided by the Constitution”.

He further defended the Senate’s authority to regulate its proceedings, including the decision to suspend a senator, stating that such actions were necessary to maintain order and uphold legislative integrity.

He refuted claims that the Senate acted beyond its constitutional rights, noting that suspension remains the only alternative to anarchy within the chamber.

“It was never an issue before us that any member of us was sexually harassed and we hold on to that point. We need to put the events of the last two weeks and concentrate.

There is work before us and we have done everything possible, ensuring that the electoral reforms and others have legislative expressions.

”Regarding international reactions, he further clarifies that the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) acted within its own rules, and that any statements made by the Senator in question at the IPU meeting were done in a personal capacity, not as a designated delegate representing Nigeria.

“It was never an issue before us that any senator was sexually harassed. We need to move past the events of the last two weeks and focus on our legislative responsibilities.

There is critical work before us, including electoral reforms, economic recovery, and tax reform bills.

“The 7th schedule of the 1999 Constitution is clear, and we all swore by oath that we will make laws for the good of this country. We swore to that oath and ensured everyone abides by that oath”.

The Senate leader also addressed the Civil Society Organizations, noting that Nigeria is making progress but still faces significant challenges.

He urged the public to be objective in their analysis and to reserve their energy for genuine cases of sexual harassment.

“We have heard you, but we need to concentrate in our work, so if we choose to be silent on this matter going forward, know that it is intentional on our part.

Please be objective in your analysis and save energy for those genuine victims of sexual harassment”.

To conclude, the Senate passed a vote of confidence in the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, commending the way the matter was handled.

The Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, who presided over Thursday’s plenary session, noted that with the budget which has now passed demands that the legislature focus on its oversight functions.

He reiterated that the matter is now before the courts, and as such, the Senate should allow the legal system to take its course.

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PDP Internal Wranglings: Wike Pulls Out Of Peace Agreement

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory , Nyesom Wike, has confirmed his decision to pull out of all agreements previously reached to resolve the crisis in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

In a statement on Sunday, singned personally by the Minister, he vowed to continue to fight on until justice is served.

Wike pointed out that the party’s problems stem from dishonesty and lack of trust among its key stakeholders, citing non-adherence to agreements reached as the bane of the party.

He specifically mentioned Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, accusing him of being the chief culprit of recent developments in the party that seem to undermine the recoliation efforts

The Minister cited several instances where agreements were breached, including the summoning of a meeting of South-East leaders to recommend the adoption of Ude Okoye as Secretary, and the attempt to have the Deputy National Secretary act as National Secretary.

Wike also mentioned the recent zonal elective congress in Jos, which was aborted due to a dispute over the signatory to the invitation notice.

He expressed disappointment that despite efforts to resolve the crisis, Makinde and others continued to violate agreements.

The Minister noted that he has worked tirelessly for the survival of the party and has contributed substantially to the election victory of some of the governors, but has not had reasons to make any personal demands from them.

He added that he had hoped that there would be trust among major political actors in the party but observed that since they have refused to stop playing games, he has decided to opt out of the peace agreement.

The PDP crisis has taken a new turn with the Minister’s decision to pull out of all agreements, leaving the party’s future uncertain.

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BREAKING: JAMB releases UTME resit results

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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the results of its resit examination conducted for candidates affected by the technical error during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

In a statement released on Sunday morning by its Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, the board announced the results, revealing that out of the 336,845 candidates rescheduled for the examination, 21,082 were absent.

No explanation was provided for the high number of absentees, but JAMB announced a mop-up exam for candidates who missed the initial UTME, including those whose absence had no specified reason.

The Board in the statement raised concerns about widespread exam malpractice involving candidates, school proprietors, and CBT.

It was gathered that a meeting of Chief External Examiners, chaired by Prof. Olufemi Peters, endorsed the resit results based on psychometric analysis by Prof. Boniface Nworgu.

JAMB approved the release of results for under-aged candidates, though these do not qualify them for admission unless litigation is involved.

“As part of the healing process, the meeting resolved that the withheld results of under-age candidates (except where litigation is involved), who performed below the established standards, be released.

“Such result does not, however, qualify them for admission, as they had previously signed an undertaking during the registration process acknowledging that only those who meet the prescribed standards would be considered for under-age special admission,” it reads.

The Board also granted a one-time waiver for candidates involved in online malpractice.

“Release of Result of Candidates involved in ‘WhatsApp Runs’ and other Misdemeanours. This category of candidates were found to have been involved in illicit solicitation of assistance.

“The meeting emphasised that its decision is not an endorsement of candidates’ unacceptable acts, but rather a once and for all waiver.

“Candidates were thus advised to refrain from joining questionable ‘WhatsApp and other anti-social groups”, JAMB said.

According to the board, CBT centres implicated in malpractice will be blacklisted and their owners prosecuted.

Those involved in biometric or identity fraud will also face legal action.

“The meeting condemned the involvement of some CBT centres in perpetrating serious registration and examination malpractices and resolved that all the implicated CBT centres should be blacklisted, while complicit owners should be prosecuted.

“In addition, the identified individuals, who directly registered the candidates with modified pictures and biometrics be apprehended and prosecuted.

”The Board criticised unregulated tutorial centres aiding malpractice and urged government regulation.It further reaffirmed its support for CBT and plans to bring in consultants to enhance the registration process.

Efforts to politicise technical issues along tribal lines, were condemned in the meeting, as they urge unity and caution against the divisive narrative.

“The meeting expressed with regret the attempts by some groups to exploit the unfortunate incident to disseminate tribal and sectional narratives.

“The unfortunate incident is not targeted at any section of the country, neither was it caused by any particular section of the country.

“It was emphasised that such narratives risk exacerbating existing divisions within society and even the JAMB workforce.

“The meeting commended the Registrar and the Management of JAMB for the competent and sincere handling of the unfortunate accident and urged them to remain steadfast and courageous,” the statement stated.

JAMB also dismissed claims of high scorers in cancelled sessions, stating 99% scored below 200, with only a few reaching 217.

The Board also condemned attempts to exploit the situation, citing the case of Olisa Gabriel Chukwuemeka, who falsely claimed to have scored 326 in the 2025 UTME.

JAMB confirmed he had altered his 2024 result of 203 and had actually scored 180 in the 2025 exam before his result was withdrawn. He later deactivated his social media account following public backlash.

Recall that the results of the 2025 UTME were originally released on 9 May.

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President Tinubu’s reforms push customs revenue to ₦1.3 Trillion in Q1 2025 — CG Adeniyi

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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded an unprecedented revenue of ₦1.3 trillion in the first quarter of 2025, more than double the ₦600 billion collected during the same period in 2023.

In a statement released on Saturday, May 24, 2025, by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, the Comptroller-General of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi attributed this remarkable growth to transformative reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, as revealed in an upcoming State House documentary marking the President’s second anniversary.

Adeniyi highlighted that the revenue surge emanated from improved technological deployment, enhanced port operations, tightened enforcement on revenue leakages, and a renewed culture of accountability across Customs commands.

“We collected ₦1.3 trillion in Q1 2025 alone. This is not due to higher import volumes. Imports have dropped due to foreign exchange constraints.

“What has changed is efficiency, transparency, and enforcement,” the Comptroller-General said.

He disclosed that the Service is preparing to launch the E-Customs Modernisation Project.

This $3.2 billion initiative will digitise cargo processing, surveillance, and payment systems across Nigeria’s ports and borders.

“We’re laying the foundation to move from a manual, paper-based system to a fully digital service. The E-Customs Project is central to our future. Once fully deployed, we project it will add $250 billion in cumulative revenue over 20 years,” he said.

Adeniyi added that the newly launched Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme is now onboarding pre-vetted importers, allowing compliant businesses faster processing and reducing port congestion.

“It’s about trust and efficiency. If you’re compliant, you get green-lane treatment. This is how modern customs systems work globally,” he said.

The Customs CG confirmed that the Service has intensified its anti-smuggling operations and closed long-standing revenue leakages.

He said over ₦64 billion was recovered from previously under-assessed or undervalued imports in the last nine months, and major smuggling rings at the Seme, Idiroko, Katsina, and Sokoto borders have been dismantled.

He said the new joint border patrol task forces established in coordination with the Nigerian Army, DSS, and Police have also yielded positive results.

“We’re no longer just chasing smugglers in the bush. We’re using data, surveillance drones, and port intelligence to act in real-time. Once systemic leakages are now being plugged,” ” Adeniyi said.

To ease trade and reduce business costs, Adeniyi disclosed that NCS is fast-tracking the roll-out of the National Single Window.

This digital portal will integrate all government agencies involved in cargo clearance.

“Right now, you deal with up to 15 agencies manually. With the Single Window, you’ll do it all online, in one place. This will slash clearance time and costs,” the CG explained, adding that clearance timelines at Apapa and Tin Can Ports have already dropped from 21 days to 7–10 days for compliant importers.

The Comptroller-General said the agency has introduced fast-track lanes for agro-exports and is working with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to streamline outbound cargo processes in line with the government’s push for non-oil exports.

“We’re promoting exports aggressively. Last year, Nigeria exported over ₦340 billion worth of solid minerals and agro commodities through formal channels, up by 38%. We’re targeting even more in 2025,” he said.

He stated that the Customs Service is also undergoing internal transformation, with over 1,800 officers trained in advanced data analytics, risk profiling, and artificial intelligence.

“Customs is no longer just about physical inspection. We are becoming an intelligence-led organisation, and our officers are being retrained to match global standards,” Adeniyi said.

“The President gave us a clear directive: block leakages, facilitate trade, and raise revenue without burdening Nigerians. That is what we are doing. And the results are beginning to speak for themselves.”

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