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Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nigerian government sues senator over assassination claims
The Nigerian government has pressed charges against a senator who accused one of the country's top politicians of plotting to kill her. In April, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that Godswill Akpabio, the senate president, and Yahaya Bello, a former state governor, wanted to "eliminate" her. Both have denied the accusation. Weeks before, Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused the senate president of sexually harassing her - an allegation he has also denied. The government has now filed charges with the High Court, saying Akpoti-Uduaghan's assassination allegation defamed Akpabio and Bello. In the charge sheet, seen by the BBC, Nigeria's attorney general referenced an interview shown by Nigerian broadcaster Channels TV last month. In the interview, Akpoti-Uduaghan spoke of "discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello... to eliminate me". The attorney general said this statement, and others made in the same broadcast, could harm Bello and Akpabio's reputations. Akpoti-Uduaghan has not responded publicly to the charges against her. In March, after accusing Akabio of sexual harassment, Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the senate for six months without pay. The senate's ethics committee said the suspension was for "unruly and disruptive" behaviour during a debate in the senate, but her supporters argue that it was a result of her allegations against Akabio. 'Nigerian Senate is run like a cult', suspended MP tells BBC How some Nigerian women are being cut out of their parents' inheritance Nigeria's fierce political rivals share joke at pope's inaugural mass Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
BBC News
28-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Latest on Lagos state house of assembly crisis and wetin law tok on impeachment of a speaker
Di kasala wey dey rock di Lagos House of Assembly no be like say e go end anytime soon as e enter anoda level on Thursday, 27 February wen di impeached speaker Mudashiru Obasa bin return to di assembly wit entourage of unidentified men and declare imself as di substantive speaker, days afta dem remove am from di position. Reports say e seize control of di office of di Speaker and hold wetin dem fit describe as plenary session wit four lawmakers wey dey loyal to am. Oda lawmakers wey dey present for di 40-member assembly bin boycott di session. Na on 13 January, majority of di lawmakers of di Lagos state assembly vote to remove di speaker, Mudashiru Obasa ova allegations of gross misconduct, poor leadership, mismanagement of funds and corruption. Di majority of di lawmakers come elect and swear in Madam Mojisola Meranda as di new Speaker. However, di impeached Speaker don maintain say im removal no hold water and e dey illegal as lawmakers no follow constitution to remove am, and e declare say im remain di legitimate speaker of di house. "I don resume and I still remain di Speaker of di Assembly," Oga Obasa tell tori pipo for di Assembly complex on Thursday. "Nobody remove me. Impeachment or removal na democratic and constitutional, but if you wan do am, you get to follow due process. We get rules for dis house and house rules wey all state assemblies for di south-west dey follow, but dem no follow am," e tok. Also, for one interview wit Channels TV on Thursday, Obasa claim say madam Meranda don agree to resign as di Speaker during one peace meeting wey leaders of di party for di state arrange. "One meeting hold for Marina wia we get in attendance all di party leaders and all di members [of Lagos Assembly] and openly Meranda herself tok say she don step down and she don resign." Although, Ms Meranda neva react to dis latest tok about her resignation, but one interview she get wit tori pipo on Friday, 28 February, show say she still be di speaker of di assembly. 'Obasa action na invasion' - Mojisola Meranda Meanwhile, di speaker of di assembly don react to Obasa action, she tell tori pipo say "Invasion and breaking into my office na big one." Madam speaker also torchlight on di issue of her security details wey tori pipo report say dem withdraw from her. "I get three or four policemen whereas my normal convoy on my team consist of 12 policemen, four DSS and two anti-bomb. But as I get am dis morning I no get dat," she tok. Earlier, di Lagos state assembly for dia reaction condemn Obasa action. "Di Lagos State House of Assembly wish to bring to di attention of Lagosians, Nigerians and di global community one incident wey occur on Thursday, wey involve one unsanctioned attempt to convene a plenary session by di former speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, plus three members," tok-tok pesin for di house, Steve Ogundipe tok for statement. Di statement add say di rules wey govern plenary sessions of di house dey clear. Valid sitting, require say dem go don send formal notice to all members, di presence of a quorum, an approved agenda, plus di mace – wey be essential symbol of legislative authority. But dis meeting lack dis requirements. "Dem no meet any of dis procedural requirements during di purported sitting, as only five out of di 40 members dey present, and dat render di sitting unconstitutional and without legislative effect." How di crisis for di Lagos state assembly take start Na on 13 January, majority of di lawmakers of di Lagos state assembly vote to remove di speaker, Mudashiru Obasa ova allegations of gross misconduct, poor leadership, mismanagement of funds and corruption. Di majority of di lawmakers come elect and swear in Madam Mojisola Meranda as di new Speaker. Afta majority of di lawmakers elect her as speaker, Madam Meranda bin visit di state Govnor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and di Governing Advisory Council, one body wey dey recognised as di topmost group for di Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC) to seek dia blessings. Dem elect di new speaker wen Oga Obasa dey out of di kontri, wey e tok say dey wrong. E say di house bin dey on recess, and dem move motion to adjourn sitting to 18 February, wen di impeachment occur. "We adjourn properly, so if time reach to reconvene, e get to go through di majority leader, di clerk and di speaker and according to di rule, na only di speaker fit reconvene. So if you no follow dat, e no mata di forgery you dey try to perpetrate," Obasa tok for one recent Channels TV interview. However, since e return, na one crisis or di oda. Di first time na wen some alleged security officials lock di assembly for several hours and dem no let sitting hold. Dis mata make di speaker cry. Den, di most recent na wen Obasa storm di assembly and preside ova di plenary as speaker wit four lawmakers present. Oga Obasa don tok several times say im no get issues wit im removal but wit di process wey dem take remove am, e say due process no dey followed. However, di issue of di legality of im removal dey for court. Court adjourn case wey Obasa file against di assembly to March Di Lagos High Court wey sit for Ikeja on Friday, 28 February rule say make all members of di Assembly dey joined as parties for di suit wey di impeached speaker file. Justice Yetunde Pinheiro also adjourn di case to 7 March to hear all pending applications for di mata. Obasa bin drag di assembly go court ova wetin e call unlawful removal. Di lawsuit, wey e file for February also name di current Speaker, Lasbat Mojisola Meranda, as di defendant. For di application wey dem date 12 February, wey im lawyer Afolabi Fashanu SAN file, di plaintiff bin claim say 36 lawmakers bin remove am from im position on 13 January wen e dey out of di kontri. Obasa application dey based on nine grounds, wey focus on di interpretation of various sections of di Constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and di Rules and Standing Orders of di Lagos State House of Assembly. Di plaintiff dey challenge di constitutionality of di Lagos State House of Assembly to sit and carry out proceedings during recess without di Speaker convening di House or delegating authority to someone else to do so. Wetin di constitution tok about di removal of a speaker? Section 92 of di Constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, create di offices of di "Speaker and Deputy Speaker of a House of Assembly wey members of di house go elect from among themselves." Section 92 (2)c state say di speaker or di deputy go vacate im seat "if e dey removed from office by a resolution of di House of Assembly by di votes of not less dan two-third majority of di members of di house." Ogbonge legal practitioner Deji Adeyanju wey follow BBC Pidgin tok shed more light on wetin di constitution tok and di standing order of di Lagos state house of assembly. Adeyanju explain say according to di constitution, di removal of a speaker na internal process, dis one mean say, na members of di house fit decide to remove di speaker, and na 2/3rd of di members fit comot di speaker. Di constitution no also tok di offence wey fit warrant members to vote for di removal of di speaker. E add say, di Lagos assembly dey operate on standing order wey tok how speaker or im deputy fit dey removed. Firstly, bifor dem comot speaker, lawmakers wey wan remove am for don present am wit formal notice or motion. Under di house rules, dem also dey give notice period. Although di notice period, no dey mandatory, na for members to prepare for debate, and di time for di notice na at di discretion of those wey dey call for di removal. Also, dem go give di speaker opportunity to defend any accuse against am. Adeyanju add say wetin di constitution tok na say members of di house must reach a resolution to impeach di speaker, and na two-thrid of di members of di house fit vote for di removal of di speaker or im deputy. Speaker or deputy speaker need to dey di house bifor dem impeach dem? One major concern to Obasa na di fact say di impeachment happun for im absence. "If you wan do anything, do am well. Dem remove me becos I dey out of di kontri. Lagos na special place; we no fit belittle di state. "Wen dem remove former speaker, Rt. Hon Jokotola Pelumi, e dey for di assembly, and we no invite policemen. Wen dem remove my sister, former deputy speaker of di house, Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, we no invite di police," di embattled lawmaker tok. Adeyanju say di constitution dey silent on if di speaker need to dey present for di plenary during im removal. E tok again say wetin di constitution state na two-third majority of di members of di house fit initiate di impeachment process of a speaker. Although, di lawmakers tok say dem give Obasa di notice, however, Obasa tok say di house dey on recess wen dem impeach am, but di standing order no give room for recess, Adeyanju add. Dis no be di first time, speaker of di house of assembly go dey removed. For January 2024, Ogun State House of Assembly bin impeach Speaker Kunle Oluomo. Na 18 out of di 36 members of di state Assembly bin vote for di impeachment for dia plenary session on Tuesday. Dem impeach Oluomo for alleged embezzlement of funds, high handedness and oda type offences like dat.
BBC News
19-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Wetin be CPI rebasing wey National Bureau of Statistics do to make Nigeria inflation rate drop by 10% and wetin e mean for di price of goods and services?
Many Nigerians surprise afta di National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) release di inflation figure for January 2025, wey show say inflation drop to 24.48% from di 34.4%. Bifor dis latest figures, di inflation rate for Nigeria bin drop only once in 2024 and dat na for di month of July wen e drop from 34.19% to 33.4%; and e start to increase steadily again until di end of di year. Dat na why di recent January figures by di NBS wey show a drastic drop of about 10%, take many pipo by surprise. According to di NBS, dis development na sake of di rebasing wey dem do for di Consumer Price Index (CPI) wey be di main tool for measuring inflation. "Di CPI be like basket and many goods and service wey Nigerians dey purchase on daily basis full inside. Rebasing di CPI means say we dey swap out di outdated items for dis basket and we dey fill am wit oda newer items wey reflect wetin pipo dey buy today, and e go make sure say our inflation calculations dey more accurate," di NBS tok. Dem further explain say dis new CPI basket include 960 products, up from di 740 products wey bin dey di old basket. Wetin be CPI? Consumer Price Index (CPI) na index wey dey give a general measure of changes in di average prices of goods and services wey consumers dey mostly buy compared to a period of time wey dem dey call di base year or price reference period. One of di key importance of dis CPI na say dem dey use am produce kontri inflation rate among oda tins. Wetin be CPI rebasing? CPI rebasing na exercise wen dem dey carry out to make sure say di methodological basis upon which dem dey construct di CPI dey strong, logical and consistent with best practices. According to NBS, e specifically mean to bring di weight and price reference periods closer to di current period. (i.e di current consumption pattern). E go ensure say di inflation figure reflect current inflationary pressure and consumption patterns. CPI rebasing mean say price of goods and services dey go up or come down? Di simple answer na no. Na statistical process wey no directly get impact on di price of goods and service. E dey only provide up to date measure of price change for di kontri. Wetin experts tok about di CPI rebasing and how or if e go affect di economy Paul Alaje wey be ogbonge economist tok say di concept of rebasing mean say di NBS change di reference year wey dem bin dey use to calculate inflation. Bifor now, di reference year wey di NBS bin dey use na 2009 but now dem decide to use 2024 as di reference or base year, Alaje explain for one interview wit Channels TV. E further explain dat changing di reference year na best practice bicos two key decisions wey goment take recently - floating di naira and stopping fuel subsidy - bin get strong impact on di economy, so e no make sense to continue to dey use 2009 as di base year. "But dat one no mean say if you go market, di price don reduce, or to say di quality of life for di ordinary pesin don improve, however, di numbers go help to improve di image of di kontri. "Di only positive I fit give to dis, however, na di confidence wey dis new figures go bring to our economy in attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDI). Anoda sabi pesin wey chook mouth for di matter, Uche Uwaleke, a professor of capital market for Nasarawa State University, agree say dis recent figures no exactly mean say prices of food or oda commodities don come down well-well, e go fit boost Nigeria ability to attract investors. "Inflation na one number wey investors dey always look at bicos dem dey interested in di real rate of return on dia investment. So wen di inflation number reflect more accurately di inflationary pressure, e go put investors in a position to make a favourable decision," oga Uwaleke tok. E add say im dey expect dis new inflation rate to also affect di decision of di Central Bank of Nigeria wen dem meet to discuss interest rates. Meanwhile, one X user wey im handle na @ThaMVP say: "E no be must say we go adopt methodology wey reflect international best practices but e no reflect di peculiarity of local events." Anoda person, Maurice Ekpenyong, tok say "food inflation dey more dan 100% and you want us to believe say e don drop to 26.08%?" @alabioloyde simply write: "Dis (figures) no dey correct and e no get any way wey dis na di reality".
BBC News
06-02-2025
- BBC News
How midnight fire kill 17 children, injure odas for Zamfara school
Dem don bury at least 17 almajiri children wey die afta fire burn down one school for Zamfara state, northwest Nigeria. Di fire tragedy wey bin happun overnight on Tuesday, also injure 12 oda children for Kauran Namoda. Chairperson of Kaura-Namoda Local Government, Mannir Haidara, wey confam di incident of di fire for Mallam Ghali Tsangaya Islamic school to tori pipo on Wednesday, say im go provide details about di incident later. One eyewitness, Yahaya Mahi, tell BBC say di fire bin start for one house near di Islamic school, before e come spread enta di school. "Initially dem bin quench am, but as pipo leave, di fire begin burn again. E start right in front of di door wia di students dey, blocking di door from wia dem go fit leave," Mahi tok. Tori be say di fire spread fast-fast through di school wia many of di children bin already dey asleep. Anoda pesin wey from di area, Abdulrasaq Kaura, wey tok wit tori pipo Channels TV add say na some sticks wey dem bin pack keep, wey dem dey call 'kara', na im cause di fire to spread. According to Kaura, di fire burn like mad for about three hours. Kaura say, "e happun for Makaranta Mallam Ghali, inside dia study hall. Na about 100 of dem dey for di house, afta dem carry di students comot, dem bin tink say nobody else remain for di house, na wen dem return afta di fire, dem begin see dia legs and hands, dem burn beyond recognition." Many of dem bin dey trap inside di building as di fire dey burn. By di time wey di help bin come, di fire don already kill many children. Area pipo say many oda children bin injure and dem rush dem go nearby health centres for treatment.
