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Court Cancels Two-Year Tenure For Local Government Chairmen.
A Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos has ruled that local government chairmen in **Plateau State are entitled to a four-year tenure, striking down the two-year term contained in state laws as unconstitutional.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Delivering the judgment on Friday, the Chief Judge of Plateau State, David Mann, held that the two-year tenure stipulated in the Plateau State Local Government Law and the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission Law conflicts with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which guarantees a democratically elected local government system.
The court therefore ordered that the two-year tenure clause be set aside. Justice Mann explained that the provision contradicts Section 7(1) of the constitution, which outlines the framework for democratic governance at the local government level.
He ruled that any legislation undermining the constitutional structure guiding local government administration cannot stand. As a result, the court declared the relevant sections of the Plateau State Local Government Law and the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission Law invalid to the extent that they conflict with the constitution.
The case was filed by Anani Hamisu Mohammed, Chairman of the **Association of Local Governments of Nigeria in Plateau State and Chairman of Wase Local Government Area. He challenged Section 23(1) of the PLASIEC Law and Section 38 of the Plateau State Local Government Law, both of which prescribe a two-year tenure for elected council chairmen.
Mohammed argued that the provisions contradict Sections 112 and 153 of the Electoral Act as well as Section 7(1) of the constitution, which together safeguard the democratic structure of local government administration.
In its decision, the court agreed that the two-year tenure weakens the constitutional framework for local governance and cannot be sustained. Justice Mann added that the constitution envisions a stable and properly structured local government system, which the shorter tenure fails to guarantee.
Consequently, the court restored a four-year tenure for elected local government chairmen in Plateau State.
The ruling comes months ahead of the local government elections scheduled for September 2026 by the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission. With the judgment, officials elected in the upcoming poll will now serve four years instead of the previously stipulated two-year term.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria and Tanzania have encountered disruptions in their preparations for Friday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier in Uyo following reported changes to their flight schedules.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle arrived in Uyo in the early hours of Monday and was later joined by one of his assistants, Daniel Ogunmodede. However, the team was yet to commence full training as the invited players had not arrived at the camp.
Sources in Uyo told Punch that no Super Eagles player had arrived at the Victor Attah International Airport as of Monday evening, despite team officials waiting at the airport throughout the day.
One of the sources said: “We were at the airport from morning until evening on Monday, and none of the players arrived. When the last flight of the day landed, we checked the manifest, but no player was on board.”
Tanzania also experienced a delay in its travel arrangements. The Taifa Stars, who were initially expected to arrive in Uyo on Monday, were rescheduled to land on Tuesday following changes to their flight schedule.
The East African side have endured a difficult start to their Group L campaign, suffering a 2-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau before settling for a 1-1 draw against Madagascar.
However, Tanzania have already secured automatic qualification for the 2027 AFCON as co-hosts alongside Kenya and Uganda. This leaves only one available qualification spot in Group L.
Guinea-Bissau currently top the group, while Nigeria sit in second position with three points from two matches.
The Super Eagles began their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Madagascar in Uyo but suffered a disappointing 3-0 loss to Guinea-Bissau in Bissau.
Chelle will be hoping to assemble his squad as quickly as possible ahead of the double-header, with Nigeria needing maximum points to improve their chances of securing the group’s remaining qualification ticket.
The coach announced a 24-man squad on Saturday but will be without striker Victor Osimhen, who has been ruled out of the encounter due to injury. The Galatasaray forward also missed Nigeria’s previous two qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in September.
Other players invited include goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Arthur Okonkwo; defenders Olaoluwa Aina and Benjamin Frederick; midfielders Tochukwu Nnadi and Samson Tijani; and forwards Moses Usor and Taiwo Awoniyi.
Turkey-based defender Chibuike Nwaiwu and Czechia-based wing-back Abdullahi Bewene are also part of the squad.
The campaign spokesperson for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Kenneth Okonkwo, has expressed confidence that his principal will appear on the ballot in the 2027 presidential election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Okonkwo accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of making efforts to prevent Atiku from contesting the election, insisting that the party’s alleged attempts would ultimately fail.
He drew a comparison with the 2007 presidential election, when former President Olusegun Obasanjo reportedly made efforts to stop Atiku, who was then his vice president, from contesting the presidency.
Naija News reports that the actor-turned-politician maintained that the APC would suffer the same outcome as Obasanjo, who failed to prevent Atiku from participating in the 2007 election.
Okonkwo also predicted that Atiku would emerge as Nigeria’s next president.
In a post shared on X, he said the APC’s alleged attempts to frustrate Atiku’s ambition had strengthened his belief in the ADC candidate’s chances.
He wrote:
“The more the incompetent and corrupt APC tackles ADC, and the more they try to block Atiku Abubakar from contesting for the post of President in 2027, the more I am convinced that Atiku Abubakar is the next President of Nigeria because you do not cast a stone at a tree that is not bearing any fruit.
“APC should learn from history, and understand that Atiku is unstoppable. President Olusegun Obasanjo did everything possible, with all the powers of the security apparatus, to stop Atiku, his Vice President, from contesting the 2007 presidential election, but failed.
“Atiku succeeded through the rule of law by ventilating his agitation through the courts. This time around in 2027, Atiku will win again because God and the people of Nigeria are on his side.
“Let me reiterate, Atiku and ADC will be on the ballot in 2027 and will win the 2027 presidential election for the security and welfare of Nigerians.
The lawmaker representing Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Uzor Kalu, has denied allegations linking him to the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Kalu made the clarification during an interview on Arise Television, where he was asked about his alleged connections with the CIA and Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad.
The senator explained that his previous involvement in arms trading brought him into contact with both organisations, adding that they monitored his activities because of his business dealings.
He, however, insisted that knowing individuals within the agencies did not mean he worked for them or served as an intelligence operative.
He said, “Even if I know people there, I mean, I’m not working for them. I’m not an agent. Because I was trading in arms, I must know the two organisations very well. They were keeping an eye on me because I was selling arms.”
The former Abia State governor also dismissed suggestions that prominent personalities had described him as an international agent.
According to him, such descriptions do not define his identity, insisting that he knows who he is and makes efforts to maintain his relationships.
Kalu said, “Anybody can say anything. On some occasions, even President Obasanjo himself has called me an international agent. I mean, those things don’t remove anything from my skin because I know myself. I work hard to keep friendships.”
Mossad, officially known as the Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations, is Israel’s national intelligence agency.
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