Across the length and breadth of Nigeria, here are the biggest stories around Nigeria’s legislators and the institution of parliament you mustn’t miss this Thursday:
2023: Anambra Rep, Ikpeazu eyes Speaker’s seat
The member representing Onitsha North/South Federal Constituency, Lynda Chuba Ikpeazu, has said that she stands a better chance to emerge as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2023, being the highest-ranking member from the South-East geopolitical zone.
Ikpeazu, who disclosed this at her residence at Onitsha while inaugurating the Campaign Council for her re-election, added that she has garnered enough experience, networking and connections to clinch the Speakership if returned to the House in the 10th Assembly.
She also stated the need for the electorates to know that there’s no time limit or tenure limit for the election into the House of Representatives and to be wary of mischief makers and agents of doom whose stock in trade was to spread unsubstantiated stories about her person.
Rep seeks intervention as foreign airlines’ trapped funds rise to $550m
Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, has appealed to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to prevail on its member-airlines to show understanding as the various organs of government were making efforts to ensure that their ticket proceeds are duly remitted.
Nnaji made the appeal while playing host to Kamil Ala Wadhi, the IATA Regional Vice President for Africa and Middle East, who paid him a courtesy call in his office on Tuesday.
The lawmakers also said that $550 million out of $1.1 billion blocked in Africa and the Middle East is held in Nigeria.
2023: Court dismisses PDP’s suit against Rivers APC NASS candidates
A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has struck out a suit seeking to stop National Assembly candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State from contesting the 2023 general election for lack of jurisdiction.
Presiding Judge, Justice Turaki Mohammed, in delivering his judgment on Wednesday, held that the decisions of the Court of Appeal on the subject matter were binding on him and formed sufficient grounds to strike out the case.
The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State had, in the suit FHC/PH/CS/127/2022, asked the court to direct the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delist the APC from the ballot on the grounds that the congresses and primaries that brought in the NASS candidates did not comply with the new Electoral Act.
2023 Budget: Governor Zulum presents N234.8bn 2023 Appropriation Bill to Borno Assembly
Governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum, has presented a budget proposal of N234,831,950,000.00 for the 2023 fiscal year to the State Assembly.
According to the governor, the sum of N144,175,033,000.00 is budgeted for capital expenditure and N90,656,917,000.00 for recurrent expenditure to be financed from Recurrent Revenue of N137,846,861,000.00.
The 2023 Budget Estimate is 34 billion naira less than the budgetary proposal for the 2022 financial year.
READ ALSO: 2023 Budget: Fact File on Proposals by States [South-East and North-East]
2023: 160,966 Permanent Voter Cards yet to be collected in Kogi – INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission {INEC) in Kogi State says 160,966 Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) processed between 2019 and June 2022 are yet to be claimed by registered voters in the state.
Dr Hale Gabriel Longpet, Kogi State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), who disclosed this in a chat with journalists on Tuesday, said as of December 2, 2022, out of 154,984 voters cards produced for voters who registered in 2019, only 13,689 were collected while 141, 295 still need to collect their 2019 voters card.
“I have always used every opportunity to express my displeasure over the poor collection of PVCs in Kogi State. We have 32,508 people who transferred their PVCs from one polling unit to another. But so far, we have seen only 5,977 who have come to collect those transferred PVCs. And you will agree with me that it is not an encouraging figure,” he added.
Ojochenemi Onje-James
Ojochenemi Onje-James is a research writer and journalist with years of proven footprints in areas of crime and politics. She has a M.Sc in International Relations and Strategic Studies as well as a B.Sc in Mass Communication.
