Emmanuel Emeruwa of the Labour Party (representing Aba South) has emerged as the eighth Abia House of Assembly speaker.

Another Labour Party lawmaker, Okezie Augustine, representing the Umuahia East constituency, also emerged as the deputy speaker of the house.

Mr Emeruwa was nominated by Uche Akachukwu, representing the Aba Central, and seconded by Emeka Obioma, representing the Umuahia South constituency.

Attempts by two lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Solomon Akpulonu (Obingwa East constituency) and Mandela Obasi (Ohafia North constituency), to nominate PDP’s candidate for the deputy speakership were overlooked by the clerk of the house, John-Pedro Iroakazi.

The development caused a mild uproar on the house floor as the PDP members began to raise objections.

In an acceptance speech after the return of normalcy, the speaker promised that he would pilot the affairs of the house without fear or favour.

He described Governor Alex Otti’s efforts to enthrone excellence in governance as commendable, saying that the governor’s leadership style would serve as a guiding principle for him as a speaker.

Mr Emeruwa said,

“I am deeply honoured by the trust reposed in me, and I pledge to serve with unwavering integrity and dedication. I will serve to produce good laws and support the executive to propagate prosperity in the state. The mandate you have given me will be carried with utmost diligence.”

In a proclamation speech, the governor called for a partnership between the executive and legislative arms of government to foster productive development in Abia, stressing that building meaningful collaboration between both arms would allow for more effective, reliable and productive administration.

He described the legislature as “a crucial part of government” and expressed his readiness to support the house to churn out good laws for the betterment of Abia.

Mr Otti appealed to the legislators to place a premium on the mandate given to them by their constituents by joining him to transform the state into an investors’ haven.

“Our government will be a government of zero excuses and 100 per cent action. I extend a warm handshake to everyone, and I will work with everyone regardless of party affiliations so that we can deliver the real dividend of democracy to our people,” said the Abia governor.

There are 24 parliament members (10 Labour Party, 11 PDP, two Young Progressives Party and one APC).Of the PDP lawmakers, only four returned from the seventh house.

The immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has resigned his membership of the 10th House following his resumption of work as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.

Gbajabiamila tendered his resignation letter on Wednesday on the floor of the House before Abass and the members of the House.

After laying his letter of resignation before the House, the new Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, read it out to the members.

The former Speaker subsequently took a bow before the new Speaker and the members before walking out of the chamber amidst cheers and standing ovation from the lawmakers.

During his two-decade law-making career in the House, Gbajabiamila was Minority Leader, Majority Leader, and Speaker at various times.

He was re-elected to represent Surulere 1 Federal Constituency in Lagos State before his new appointment and was sworn in as a member of the House at the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly on Tuesday.

The National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) has tasked Senate President Godswill Akpabio to include women in governance.

The national president of NCWS, Lami Lau, gave the task while congratulating Mr Akpabio after he emerged as the 10th president of the Senate in Abuja on Tuesday.

“We are aware of your belief that women are better managers, so we urge you to canvass for an all-inclusive government with adequate women representation,” she said.

Ms Lau said his emergence was in the interest of Nigeria and women in particular.

She described Mr Akpabio as a “strong supporter of women”, adding that she does not doubt that he would continue to support women as the 10th senate president.

“As a council, we draw your attention to the underrepresentation of women in the 10th National Assembly, which is a serious setback that requires deliberate action,” Ms Lau added.

Mr Akpabio polled 63 votes to emerge the winner, beating his contender, Abdulaziz Yari, who scored 46 votes.

Governor Caleb Mutfwtang has appointed Jeremiah Satmark as his chief of staff.

The appointment is contained in a statement by Mr Mutfwang’s spokesman, Gyang Bere, on Monday.

He said the appointment was in furtherance of his resolve to run a responsive and people-centred government.

The chief of staff was, until his appointment, the vice-chairman of the People Democratic Party of Central zone in Plateau and was chief of staff to a former speaker in the state.

Also, the governor approved the appointment of the outgoing speaker of the Plateau assembly, Abok Ayuba, as his special adviser on legislative duties, Alex Gyang Kundang, as deputy chief of staff to the deputy governor.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Tuesday that the country would amend its election law to ban any politicians who do not vote from running for political offices.

Mr Hun Sen said this in a speech during a get-together with nearly 20,000 garment factory workers in the Cambodian capital.

According to him, if politicians do not cast their ballots on the general election day, they would have no right to stand for any election level.

He said it was the common people’s right to decide whether to go to the polls, but politicians must vote, or their right to be a candidate in any elections will be revoked.

Cambodia would hold a general election for the 125-seat national assembly on July 23, 2023, the National Election Committee (NEC) said.

It added that over 9.7 million Cambodians had registered to cast their ballots.

Governor Francis Nwifuru has appointed Emmanuel Echiegu as his chief of staff, Mathias Adum as principal secretary, and 22 as senior special assistants and special assistants.

This is contained in a statement by the governor’s chief press secretary, Monday Uzor, on Tuesday.

The appointments include Timothy Nwachi, deputy chief of staff; Okey Oroke, deputy principal secretary; senior special assistants and special assistants (Chinedu Awo, SSA on power; Anthony Onyibe Nwegede, SSA on agriculture; Benjamin Ezeoma, lands; Friday Nwuhuo, legal services; Onu Nwonye, water resources; Lilian Nwachukwu, education, etc.).

Others are Nwozaka Abel Uzodinma, SSA on rice mill, and Nwogbaga Fred, transport. Nwogha Paul, LG and chieftaincy; Nwoga Paul, library development.

Nwokoro Okechukwu, environment, amongst others.

Mr Nwifuru, on June 5, promised that his administration would run an all-inclusive government to enhance development in Ebonyi.

In commemoration of 2023 Democracy Day, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa has granted pardons to two inmates in the state’s correctional facilities.

This is contained in a statement by Humwashi Wonosikou, the chief press secretary to the governor, on Monday in Yola.

Mr Fintiri said he pardoned the inmates based on their good conduct right from the day of their convictions.

“After due consultation with the State Advisory Council On Prerogative of Mercy, I have granted various categories of pardon to two prisoners for their good conduct.”

The governor gave the names of the pardoned persons as Adeolu Adumjobi and Ibrahim Babale.Mr Fintiri expressed delight over Nigeria’s unbroken democracy since the return to civil rule in 1999, describing it as the ‘triumph of freedom’.

“Twenty-seven years ago, we witnessed a scene that had once seemed impossible – an election where, for the first time, the people of this nation had a choice-unanimously agreeing to ensure democracy thrives.”

Mr Fintiri noted that though it was thwarted, 1999 saw a new beginning as the event turned out to be a landslide victory for freedom as it ushered in the beginning of the end of military rule.

He said: “And we have seen the extraordinary progress since that time. As Nigeria today is standing tall as proud a democracy.”

While describing Adamawa as a peaceful state, he regretted the ugly happenings of the state governorship election, where some elements tried to subvert the people’s will.

He commended the resilience of those who stood to preserve democracy by ensuring that the right thing was done.

Ahead of the Kogi governorship election scheduled for November 11, Muritala Ajaka has emerged Kogi East consensus candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Gabriel Aduku, chairman of the Kogi East Elders Committee, unveiled and presented the candidate to the Kogi people at a news briefing in Abuja on Monday.

Mr Aduku said Mr Ajaka’s choice was based on the committee report set up by the Ukomu Igala organisation toward the end of 2022 to address the problems of Kogi East’s political backwardness.

He stated that the committee opted for Mr Ajaka after carefully examining his capacities, popularity/acceptability, and network and considering the various recommendations and reports received from the grassroots.

“We want to use this medium to call on all other candidates to please rally around Ajaka for the sake of the entire Kogi to ensure our victory at the poll.

“We plead that the candidates collapse their structures to close ranks with the other candidates and work together to achieve the desired aim,’’ Mr Aduku said.

The Kogi East Elders Committee chairman said the zone had remained backwards regarding development.

He noted that the zeal by many to revamp this backward trend led many residents to throw their hats into the ring to contest the state’s November 11, 2023, governorship election.

Mr Aduku disclosed that due to the diversity of candidates vying for the number one seat, the Ukomu Igala organisation had to set up a committee to streamline the number of candidates.

He said the engagement with the candidates continued after the conclusions of the political parties primary elections and the subsequent release of INEC’S list of candidates who emerged as party flag bearers.

He said they received recommendations from over 40 groups and associations of Kogi East extraction of their preferred candidates.

He added that after all processes and engagements on June 11, the committee received a report of five among the nine candidates who stepped down for Mr Ajaka.

The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) has urged President Bola Tinubu to return Nigeria to federal constitutional governance upon which the nation secured independence.

NADECO secretary general Ayo Opadokun said this in a message to commemorate Nigeria’s Democracy Day anniversary on Monday in Lagos.

The NADECO chieftain recalled how the military abrogated and substituted negotiated federal constitution and replaced it with various decrees, which had unitarised all government policies and activities.

According to him, this, in turn, has occasioned injustice, inequity, disregard for the rule of law and all kinds of discrimination.

Mr Opadokun, in the message titled ‘June 12 and the Search for Democracy’, said Mr Tinubu should implement the report of the Nasir El-Rufai panel.

He said the panel recommended that APC fulfil its promise of returning Nigeria to federal constitutional governance.

The NADECO leader said the path of federal constitutional governance was what most ethnic nationalities, civil society bodies, and opinion leaders had vigorously campaigned for in the last 30 years.

He said this was because the country recorded visible development in all sectors, including the economy and education.

“President Tinubu perhaps was brought to the government to return Nigeria to the path of sanity where it will be able to establish a productive government that fastly lifts its people out of prolonged misery and poverty,” Mr Opadokun explained.

The NADECO chieftain added;

“Others are to modernise its education system and organise its agricultural endowments to meet the value chain necessities required in the modern world where agriculture is organised as a business. NADECO, therefore, demands from the president to accurately capture the national mood.”

Mr Opadokun also mentioned that the country’s return to federal constitutional governance would not immediately solve all the many infractions imposed by the military on governance.

He noted that most aberrations at the national and sub-national levels could be taken on board for resolutions.

Mr Opadokun said Mr Tinubu must be conscious of his historical place, adding that the timing was critical.

Ibrahim Babangida, a former military Head of State, has stated that Nigerian politicians have failed to capitalize from the gains of June 12 election.

Speaking on Sunday, June 11 ahead of Democracy Day which is marked June 12 of every year, Babangida said politicians have blatantly ignored the “beauty part” of June 12, 1993 election which was highly adjudged the freest and fairest election in Nigeria.

In a statement released by his media aide, Kassim Afegbua, Babangida said;

“The gains of June 12, 1993 presidential election have not been exploited by political leaders in succeeding elections in Nigeria,” he said.

“It was adjudged the freest and fairest election in Nigeria, yet politicians have blatantly ignored that beauty; the beauty of credible elections.

“Remember, it was an election Nigerians came out en mass to choose their leaders, irrespective of their cultural/traditional and religious affiliations.

“There is thuggery in politics in Nigeria, too many litigations in Nigeria, too many issues that transparent elections ought to have addressed,” he said.

“June 12 should naturally encourage more voters to endorse democracy and election, but the turnout during our election is gradually declining,” he added.

“Right now there is voter apathy, that’s the more reason why something must be done to ensure mass participation in elections.”

Babangida says progress has been made with recent electoral reforms, but it is still a work in progress

“It is a learning curve and a work in progress. Our leaders must continue to invest their time, energy, and resources to deepen democracy and sustain democratic ideals,” he said.

APC chieftain Tajudeen Olusi, a member of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) in Lagos, has advised Nigerians to pay their taxes and duties regularly to assist the government in meeting its responsibility.

GAC is the highest decision-making body of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos.

Mr Olusi disclosed this at the 10th Assembly inaugural reception for Eti-Osa constituency II in Ikoyi, organised by a member representing the area, Gbolahan Yishawu, on Sunday.

Addressing journalists on the sideline of the ceremony, Mr Olusi said when citizens pay their taxes regularly, the government would be in a better position to discharge its responsibilities to the citizens adequately.

“I have listened to people on radio and television asking the government to do this and that. But one thing is missing, the responsibility of ordinary Nigerians.

They need to discharge their duties in the prompt payment of their taxes and duties,” stated the APC chieftain.

“In the light of this, I urged eligible taxpayers to embrace the culture of paying taxes because it is a demonstration of one’s faith in his country.”