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2023: SAN seeks law to reduce political parties to six
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Lateef Fagbemi, has advocated a new law to reduce the number of political parties in the country to six ahead of the 2023 general elections.Fagbemi spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the on-going National Workshop on Election Petition Review organised by the Court of Appeal in collaboration with the International Foundation on Electoral System (IFES).
The senior lawyer asserted that the present 86 political parties were too much for Nigerians, especially the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cope with along with other challenges.
He said this while delivering a paper titled: “Reform of Election Litigation Process -the Constitution, Electoral Act and the Practice Directions”.
Fagbemi argued that a situation where INEC and Nigerians had to contend with over 86 political parties in an election was not healthy for any electoral process.
According to him, the trend has led to series of confusion for the electoral body and the electorate especially exclusions that are not deliberate on the part of INEC.
“I know that my position will generate reactions but the truth and reality is that political parties must be scaled down from the present 86 to maximum of six to sanitize the party system,” he said.
He said that electoral reform must not be left for politicians alone, adding that in some cases politicians were clever and would not enact laws that would make them fall victim in their ambitions.
“Let nobody be taken off guard, our electoral system needs some drastic and very unpopular rejigging and amendments to the law.
“The sui-generis nature of electoral laws also dictates that reforms to them cannot but be unprecedented if they are to be effective,” he said.
The senior lawyer also suggested that henceforth, a candidate that won an election that was being challenged in court or tribunal should be served with the petition through the party secretariat.
He said this was in view of the limited number of days stipulated by law to hear election petitions.
Fagbemi also said that experience had shown that elected governors cordoned the government house after inauguration so as to frustrate being served with petitions and other processes as required by law.
He further suggested that any winner, whose election was being challenged should have his or her emoluments slashed by half, pending the resolution of the petition.
He added that if such a winner had his or her election nullified, such a person should automatically lose the half of the emoluments.
The Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, has passed away at the age of 91.
The respected monarch reportedly died on Sunday, just hours after the announcement of the death of his longtime friend and former President, Muhammadu Buhari.
Mourning his passage, a prince of Ijebu, Prince Adedoyin Alatishe wrote on X, “Baami Ogbagba agbatewole , Erin wo. Omo anikilaya saagbu.”
Adetona, who ascended the throne in 1960, was one of Nigeria’s longest-reigning traditional rulers and widely revered for his contributions to the sociopolitical development of Ijebuland and Ogun State at large.
Former president muhammadu Buhari has died at a hospital in London this afternoon according to the family, He was former military head of state in 1983.
The family of the former president has announced the passing on of the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, this afternoon in a clinic in London. May Allah accept him in Aljannatul Firdaus, Amin.”
Detials later
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Breaking : Tinubu returns to Abuja tonight after diplomatic visits to Saint Lucia, Brazil,Says Onanuga
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to arrive Abuja later tonight following a two-nation diplomatic tour that took him to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean and Brazil in South America.
His return was confirmed in a message posted on Saturday afternoon by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, on his verified X handle, @aonanuga1956.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu returns to Abuja today after his two-nation visit to Saint Lucia and Brazil,” the presidential aide stated.
The President departed Nigeria on Saturday, June 28 for what was described as a strategic outreach aimed at strengthening ties with regions historically under-engaged in Nigeria’s diplomatic matrix.
His first stop was Saint Lucia, where he made a historic visit to build new ties and explore emerging partnerships with Caribbean states.
While in Saint Lucia, Tinubu interacted with regional leaders under the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), reinforcing Nigeria’s growing interest in Caribbean diplomacy and South-South cooperation.
He subsequently proceeded to Brazil to participate in the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro.
On the sidelines of the summit, President Tinubu held a bilateral meeting with his Brazilian counterpart, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The leaders co-chaired the Nigeria-Brazil high-level bilateral meeting , where they discussed mechanisms to boost trade, infrastructure financing, and cultural cooperation between Africa’s most populous country and Latin America’s largest economy.
With the President’s return, focus is expected to shift to domestic engagements and follow-up actions on the diplomatic and investment commitments made during his foreign tour.
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