A bill seeking to return the country to a parliamentary system of government passed its second reading on the floor of the House of Representatives on Thursday.
The bill was among 31 Constitution amendment bills passed for second reading at the plenary presided over by Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Okezie Kalu.
The proposed legislation, titled: “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to Provide for the Office of the Prime Minister as Head of Government and the Office of President as Head of State and to Provide for a Framework for the Mode of Election to the Said Offices and for Related Matters (HB.1115)”, is sponsored by the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, and 59 other lawmakers.
If passed, the bill will replace the current presidential system with a parliamentary model, where executive powers will be vested in a Prime Minister elected by the legislature, while the President will serve as the ceremonial Head of State.
60 members of the House of Representatives had February 14, 2024 introduced three bills proposing alterations to the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) to transition from the current presidential system to the parliamentary system of government by 2031.
The bills are the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2024 (HB.1115); Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2024 (HB.1116) and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2024 (HB.1117).
Briefing journalists after the introduction of the bills, the lawmakers said they came together across party affiliations and regional backgrounds to present the bills proposing constitutional alterations to pave the way for the transition of the system of government.
Abdussamad Dasuki, who spoke on behalf of the sponsors, had said the proposed alterations, when passed, would significantly impact the national political landscape.
Over the years, the imperfections of the presidential system of government have become glaring to all, despite several alterations to the constitution to address the shortcomings of a system that has denied the nation the opportunity of attaining its full potential.
“Among these imperfections are the high cost of governance, leaving fewer resources for crucial areas like infrastructure, education and healthcare, and consequently hindering the nation’s development progress, and the excessive powers vested in the members of the executive, who are appointees and not directly accountable to the people.
“That (parliamentary) was the governance system of the First Republic, a period when legislative and executive powers were exercised by the representatives of the people in parliament and in the executive, and by the nature of the system, these representatives were accountable to the people. For six years while it was in operation, the system worked for the country,” he said.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has commended the fast transitioning of Enugu State into a digital economy, saying the state was fast becoming a standard for tech-driven societies under Governor Peter Mbah’s leadership.
This was even as Governor Mbah restated the preparedness of his administration to partner the federal government on a number of projects and initiatives to consolidate the gains of the past 22 months.
The Minister spoke during a working visit to Enugu State Government House today.
“Enugu is fast becoming a benchmark for how subnational governments can take bold steps to build thriving, inclusive, and tech-driven societies.
“Governor Mbah’s broader achievements in infrastructure, education, and economic reforms are commendable. Perhaps, most exciting for us at the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy is his intentional focus on building a digital economy.
“A strong example of this is the Smart Green Schools, recently inaugurated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu alongside the waiving of Right of Way fees for fibre networks. These initiatives clearly demonstrate the governor’s commitment to equipping young people with the tools and spaces they need to thrive in the digital economy – and are a reflection of his bold vision to transform Enugu into a $30bn economy in eight years,” Dr. Tijani stated.
He said the FG was, therefore, very eager to collaborate with the state on various initiatives to grow the digital economy.
“First, through the Project 774 Connectivity, we will provide internet connectivity in all 17 local government secretariats in Enugu State powered by Galaxy Backbone (GBB) and Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMAT).
“Galaxy Backbone will partner with the state to establish a Digital Innovation Complex in Enugu, which will integrate a Tier Three III Data Centre; a co-working space for entrepreneurs, Small and Medium Enterprises, and tech startups; an Incubation hub, offering mentorship, funding access, and acceleration support and a training centre for digital skills and workforce development,” he stated.
The Minister said the Galaxy Blackbone would provide internet connectivity to over 200 state-owed institutions, including Smart Green Schools, Primary Health Centres, the State Secretariat, and Government House.
He added that the Ministry would, through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), partner with the state to invest in infrastructure support such as connection of presently unconnected rural areas.
He announced that FG would establish an Artificial Intelligence Regional Centre for the South East at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, while the Ministry would launch the already established South East Zonal Office of the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) in Enugu in the next two months as well as plans to train 100 persons in the state on in-demand skills for cybersecurity and infrastructure defence.
“Finally, we are committing to train 1,555,000 residents of Enugu State in essential digital skills through NUTDA’s Digital Literacy for All initiative before 2027,” Tinaji concluded.
Speaking, Governor Mbah reiterated his administration’s commitment to harnessing the full potentials of the digital economy towards the goal of diversifying revenue streams and growing Enugu into a $30bn economy.
Besides the Smart Green Schools aimed at imbuing pupils with knowledge and skills that sufficiently prepare them for the dynamic workplace of tomorrow, Mbah said the state had fully transitioned to an e-governance platform, a centralised portal that has improved efficiency and transparency, ensured workflow automation and inter-MDA integration.
“Our embrace of innovation is equally evident in our Command and Control Centre, where we have deployed the tools of technology to secure our streets and neighbourhoods through a round-the-clock surveillance system.
“We are in the process of integrating the Command and Control Centre with the NCC Emergency Communication Centre (ECC) to operationalise the Rapid Response Squad (RRS). This allows real-time emergency coordination via the national 112 emergency number, strengthening public safety and inter-agency communication.”
He added that the state was also in the final stages of signing a 25-year facility lease with NCC for the Digital Bridge Institute and Digital Industrial Park, repurposed as an Academic and Innovation Hub, Outsourcing Facility, and Digital Training Centre.
The naira at the end of trading on Tuesday recorded a marginal decline when compared to the value it traded for on Monday.
Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) indicated that the Naira depreciated to 1,532.39 per dollar on the Nigeria Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM).
This marks a slight depreciation from Monday’s value, when the local currency traded at N1,531.19 per dollar.
In the parallel market, commonly referred to as the black market, the Naira also strengthened, exchanging at N1,565 per dollar compared to N1,570 it exchanged for on Monday.
Economists attribute the stability in the parallel market to a decline in demand for the Naira and various control measures enacted by the CBN, which is closely monitoring the activities of traders.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Tuesday, raised concerns over the petition for the recall of the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The commission, in a statement signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, acknowledged receiving the petition, which includes six bags of documents that are said to contain signatures from more than half of the 474,554 registered voters in the district.
However, INEC pointed out that the petitioners failed to provide the necessary contact information, such as their addresses, phone numbers and email addresses, as required under the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
The petition, presented on behalf of the constituents by Charity Ijese and received by INEC’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, on Monday, was said to be lacking clear contact details for the representatives, with only the phone number of the lead petitioner provided
Also, INEC noted that the petition represents voters from five local government areas—Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene—covering 902 polling units across 57 registration areas.
However, the commission criticised the petitioners for providing a vague address—simply listing “Okene, Kogi State”—which does not meet the standards outlined in the commission’s regulations.
The statement read in part, “The commission held its regular weekly meeting today, Tuesday, 25th March 2025. Among other issues, the meeting discussed the petition for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The process of recall is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 as well as the commission’s detailed Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, available on our website. All petitions will be treated in strict compliance with the legal framework.
“The petition from Kogi Central Senatorial District was accompanied by six bags of documents said to be signatures collected from over half of the 474,554 registered voters spread across 902 Polling Units in 57 Registration Areas (Wards) in the five Local Government Areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene.
“The commission’s immediate observation is that the representatives of the petitioners did not provide their contact address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address(es) in the covering letter forwarding the petition through which they can be contacted as provided in Clause 1(f) of our Regulations and Guidelines.
“The address given is ‘Okene, Kogi State’, which is not a definite location for contacting the petitioners. Only the telephone number of ‘the lead petitioner’ is provided as against the numbers of all the other representatives of the petitioners.”
The commission emphasised that the recall process is governed by the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC’s own detailed guidelines and that once the petition meets all the legal requirements, INEC will initiate the verification of signatures in an open process at each polling unit.
It said the verification will be limited to registered voters who signed the petition, and both the petitioners and the senator facing recall will have the right to nominate agents to observe the process.
Signature verification will be conducted using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, and media and other observers will be accredited.
Olumekun explained, “The commission wishes to reiterate that the recall of a legislator is the prerogative of registered voters in a constituency who sign a petition indicating loss of confidence in the legislator representing them.
“Once the petition meets the requirements of submission, as contained in our regulations, the commission shall commence the verification of the signatures in each Polling Unit in an open process restricted to registered voters who signed the petition only.
“The petitioners and the member whose recall is sought shall be at liberty to nominate agents to observe the verification, while interested observers and the media will also be accredited. At each Polling Unit, signatories to the petition shall be verified using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.”
INEC assured the public that the recall process would proceed in accordance with the law, provided the petitioners fulfill all necessary guidelines.
However, in the absence of complete contact information, the commission is exploring alternative methods to notify the petition representatives.
INEC also urged the public to disregard any rumours or speculations circulating on social media and reiterated its commitment to ensuring that the process is carried out in full compliance with the legal framework.
“Consequently, if the petitioners fully comply with the requirements of Clause 1(f) of the Regulations and Guidelines regarding the submission of their petition, the commission will announce the next steps in line with the extant laws, regulations and guidelines.
In the absence of a definite contact address, the commission is making efforts to use other means to notify the representatives of the petitioners of the situation.
“The commission reassures the public that it will be guided by the legal framework for recall. The public should therefore discountenance any speculations and insinuations in the social media,” the statement concluded.
The recall petition follows several controversial events involving Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended from the Senate on March 6 for alleged “gross misconduct” following a dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The petition, titled “Constituents’ Petition for the Recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Grounds of Loss of Confidence,” called for her removal due to accusations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and a pattern of deceit.
Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has signed an Executive Order relocating the current spare parts and allied trades markets as well as all other related industrial and commercial activities in the Coal Camp and other neighbourhoods within the Enugu Capital Territory to the site of the new International Spare Parts and Allied Trades Park.
The new site traverses Udi and Ezeagu Local Government Areas along the Enugu-Onitsha Road of the state.
The Executive Order is entitled the Designation and Establishment of the Enugu International Motor Spare Parts and Allied Traders Park, Nsude, Udi LGA and Ogwofia Owa in Ezeagu LGA and the Relocation of the Coal Camp Neighborhood and other Neighbourhoods in the Enugu Capital Territory to the New Enugu International Motor Spare Parts and Allied Trades Park Site.
Speaking at the the brief signing ceremony witnessed by the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, and leaders of Enugu spare parts dealers at the Government House on Friday, Mbah assured that the errors and challenges presented by the Coal Camp Spare Parts Market were being effectively addressed in the new one.
“This new market is actually a purpose-built vehicle because it is designed for market in the true sense of the word and with all the supporting facilities. We have taken into account all the safety codes that are required to have an international market.
“As you may already be aware, the construction is ongoing. We are aggressively opening up the roads and also the building itself. That construction has commenced.
“Our hope is that in the next few months, we are going to see the movement of you all from the current location to an international market where we have provided all the services. There is going to be a clinic and fire service there. There is going to be a truck park.
“All the errors, all the challenges and the problems we have in the existing market will all be addressed in the new market.
“We have also made sure that you do not live very far from your market. We have residences around the market. It is an ideal neighborhood concept where you can live comfortably within your neighborhood and still do your trading and businesses comfortably without traveling far to get things done,” the governor said.
In his remarks, the President of Enugu Motor Spare Parts Dealers Association, Chief Michael Nomeh, hailed the governor for keeping to his campaign promise after decades of disappointments endured by the traders
“We are so excited about the relocation of the Enugu motor spare parts dealers to the permanent site, which is of international standard.
“We thank the governor for the campaign promise that he has fulfilled. Since the inception of democracy in 1999 to date, there have been so many promises to our people that they will relocate us to the international market. But none of them has kept to their promises. That is why we appreciate the governor for keeping the campaign promises less than two years in office. He is a governor whom does exactly what he says he would do,” Chief Nomeh stated.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of the Enugu State Investment Development Authority, Dr. Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, described both the move and the location of the new site as strategic, noting that the traders would be able to own shops, unlike the present Coal Camp site where most of them rented shops.
He explained that Enugu State Government is committed to the establishment of a commercial hub that will be a self-contained community with the full compliments of the various ancillary and supporting land uses that will create a comprehensive multi-functional commercial and industrial ecosystem in the emerging 9th Miles business corridor of the State.
“This move is a strategic one aimed at boosting our state economy in our drive to a $30bn GDP economy.
“If you know the location of the new place, it is so strategic. You cannot go from the Middle Belt or South South or Cross River or even from Cameroon to Onitsha without passing through there.
“The government is not building to make profit, but for the traders to move to a well-organised and safe environment for trading and living.
“The place is designed to have the commercial sections with shops of different categories, warehouses, workshops, ample parking spaces, water, power, and other utilities facilities.
“There are also residential areas. There are also going to be smart schools, the primary healthcare centers, the fire service station, Police station, the recreational park, and a football pitch. It is a modern place that everybody will be proud to live in. It is built for modern spare part and allied trade professionals,” he added
An Open Letter to President Donald Trump ; The Ultimate Hope for the Republic of Biafra Restoration.
Your Excellency Mr . President,
Greetings from the people of Biafra. Your emergence as 47th President of the United States of American is miraculous and we celebrate with the overwhelming majority of American citizens that have vested trust in your presidency.
We commend your peaceful initiatives and resolutions targeted on immediate international crisis particularly the Isreal – Palestine conflict and the Ukraine – Russian war. We have gone through that pathetic experience, and that is why the restoration of the Republic of Biafra is of particular interest to us . Permit us to pin point what concerns us with your presidency.
In the year 2016, Biafrans foresaw among others and was first in Africa to envisage the values of your Presidency. In November 2016 , we celebrated your election victory. On 20 January , 2017 massive solidarity rallies were organized by Biafrans in the U.S. embassies in various countries of the world in support of your presidency. Rally in our home city , Port Harcourt in Nigeria resulted to bloodshed. Biafrans again shed blood in defense of human rights. Heroic Biafrans shedded their blood during this solidarity rally for liberty, freedom and peace envisaged in your presidential victory.
Since the surrender of the Republic of Biafra in January 1970, several Biafrans’ campaigns for the restoration of Biafran have been unleashed with brutal suppression within the ranks of the Nigerian police and military forces. Amnesty International recorded that at least 60 people were killed in cold blood during May 2016 protest and accused Nigeria’s security forces of carrying out extrajudicial executions of some of the activists (Newsweek / BBC 20 Jan 2017; Associated Press (AP) 21 Jan 2017).
The declaration of the Republic of Biafra in 30th May ,1967 triggered the Nigerian-Biafran war, which began on July 6, 1967. Till present, Biafra is a word that evokes tragic memories: a long and bloody war, children with swollen belly of kwashiorkor (malnutrition due to the shortage of proteins), a humanitarian catastrophe that struck to the heart of the post-war optimism. That is, the hope that the horrors of World War II would never have been repeated again.
The tragedy of Biafra has represented a capital hub in the history of the twentieth century as vividly noted by Giovanna Marconi in an editorial. One of the first struggle for the right of self-determination prior to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was then that the concept of large-scale humanitarian assistance was created. At the same time, however, it was just the humanitarian catastrophe that obscure the political roots of the affair. In other words, what had triggered that war? What was the response of other states and supranational organizations? Why has the revindication of Biafran state reminiscent in recent years? To these and other questions, we still trust and pray Your Excellency, Mr. President to review the former Senator Eugene McCarthy’s motion speech tabled to Congress on 16 May 1969 ( Text extract below, is reproduced from the Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates, 91st Congress, First Session, vol.115, no.80).
“Mr. President, during the past year, the horrors of the Nigerian-Biafran war have become clearer. Widespread starvation has resulted from the compression of millions of refugees into an area one-quarter of the original home-land, from disrupted planting, and from the cutting off of trade routes by the Nigerian forces. It is reported that over a million Biafran civilians have perished from starvation and a million more deaths may occur within the few months. Not since World War Il has a civilian population been so affected by war.
The American people have responded compassionately by contributing to relief efforts, which operate under the most difficult conditions, to airlift food and medicine to Biafra. The U.S. Government also has donated food and equipment to relief organizations on both sides of the fighting line.
Unfortunately, this relief effort can alleviate only a fraction of the suffering, for as long as the fighting continues only a small part of the desperately needed supplies can be brought in. As long as official U.S. policy awaits a ‘military solution’, present relief efforts will remain superficial and inadequate, if not contradictory to official policy”
It is time to re-examine our policy of ‘one Nigeria’, which has resulted in our accepting the deaths of a million people as the price for preserving a Country that never existed.
The pattern of American diplomacy in this area is a familiar one, not very different from that in Vietnam. It began with misconception, was followed by self-justification, and is ending in tragedy. Political preconceptions have kept us from realistic examination. They have kept us from recognizing that the boundaries of Nigeria imposed artificially by a colonial power are not so sacred as to justify the deaths of several million people. The price of unity is too high.
When independence was attained in 1960 ,Nigeria was a colonial amalgamation of several hundred relatively autonomous peoples, who had by no means developed a national consciousness. It was the Easterners who were the best educated and who had left their crowded homeland in large numbers to occupy middle-level skilled jobs throughout the country, who most looked forward to ‘one Nigeria.’ It was the people of the northern region, where indirect rule had strengthened the conservative and authoritarian structure of the society, who were most regionally oriented and who threatened frequently to secede from the Federation of Nigeria unless they dominated it.
The first 6 years of the Nigerian Republic were characterized by shifting political coalitions, ethnic conflict, regional jealousies, and massive corruption in public administration (s).
In the fall of 1966, 30,000 Ibos and other easterners residing in the north were killed. The easterners living outside their homeland lost trust in the federal government and 2 million of them returned to the east, suffering loss of jobs and property and in many cases, physical injury. They understandably moved away from the commitment to the federal government which had not restored mutual trust among the regions and tribes.
At a conference in Aburi, Ghana, in January, 1967, a confederated union with equality among the regions was agreed upon. However, the Aburi agreement was soon abrogated unilaterally by the government in Lagos with the promulgation, without consultation with the East, of a 12-state system particularly designed to confine the Ibos to a small area and to break their influence. The Easterners felt excluded from the government and seceded in May, 1967, declaring the independent Republic of Biafra which five African Countries recognized.
Secession was followed quickly by war in July 1967. Armed with British tanks and bullets and with Russian Mig’s piloted by Egyptians, the Nigerians have surrounded the Biafrans and cut them off from traditional sources of food and outlets to the sea. A strategy of siege, designed to produce military victory, has produced massive starvation unparalleled in modern warfare.
The Nigerians claimed originally that the Biafran leaders represented a small, elitist clique who acted in their own self-interest without popular support, and this claim was accepted by the British and American Government(s). It was thought that the secession would end soon. Now, although their capital has been moved three times, although they are surrounded and completely cut off from normal sources of food and trade, although they are bombed daily by jet fighters, although their young and old have died of starvation, the Biafrans have survived. They make their own oil for transport and their own crude weapons to fight with. They desert their towns to the enemy rather than collaborate. They fight on, despite the human misery. This is not an elitist struggle.
From the beginning of the civil war, the British have supported the federal military government of Nigeria, partly for economic reasons and partly because of an emotional or intellectual stake in a unified Nigeria, which is represented as a triumph of the British colonial technique of indirect rule and of the successful transition from colonial rule to independence. The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Joseph Palmer, who was our first Ambassador to Nigeria, personally shared this commitment to ‘one Nigeria’. He accepted the analogy of the secession of Biafra to the secession of the American Confederacy, entirely overlooking the fact that Nigeria, unlike the United States, was not unified by a common language, culture, and historical tradition, and had no background of stable, capable government.
Furthermore, 30,000 South Carolinians had not been massacred in 1861, and the inhabitants of the Southern States were neither pushed out of the Union nor were they living in fear for their physical security as is the case with the Biafrans in Nigeria. The U.S. State Department accepted a historical analogy without taking into account the complicated background to the secession. By putting its diplomatic and political weight behind the Nigerian position, the United States has committed itself to a purely military solution.
We were and are, in fact, not neutral. The United States has been neutral only in refraining from shipping to arms. Whereas Great Britain and the U.S.S.R. continue to send in arms, we have officially accepted the Nigerian explanation of the situation and have used our influences to gain acceptance, for this viewpoint among other African nations.
Any review of past events clearly demonstrates the bankruptcy of American policy of ‘one Nigeria – at any cost.’ The ‘one Nigeria,’ which upon the most optimistic projections might survive from the war would have little resemblance to the carefully balanced federation of regions which many people had envisaged as essential to independence. The ‘one Nigeria’ of the future would have to be postulated upon the inequality of different tribes. The Ibos and Eastern tribes who co-operated in forming Biafra would be stigmatized and penalized in many ways. The Ibos would – according to the new proposed division of the country into states – be confined to a crowded, infertile region smaller than their ancestral homeland, with no access to the sea. They would be deprived of all but token participation in the reconstituted unitary state. At a recent planning conference in Nigeria, it was declared that it will be 25 years before Ibos can be given positions in Nigeria.
The United States should immediately call for an arms embargo. We should actively seek a truce. We should use our good offices to promote negotiations for resolving the differences. We should press for a de-escalation of great power involvement. We should seek to form a multinational effort to provide the logistic support required for an adequate relief effort. We should accept Biafra’s right to a separate national existence and look to possible early recognition of Biafra by the United States and other nations.
The reactions to these proposals by those who have shaped American policy in West Africa heretofore can be anticipated. They will say that Biafran independence will be a first step toward the Balkanization of Africa. They will say that the Rivers tribes and other minority tribes of the east will suffer if Biafra gains its independence. They will say that these proposals will undermine the position of our British ally in Africa. They will claim that U.S. diplomatic recognition of Biafra will constitute intervention into a purely African problem.
Let us look at each of these objections.
The prediction that Biafran independence would lead to the Balkanization of Africa is obviously the discredited domino theory transferred to a new locale. There is no more reason to think that it is correct or that it is an adequate basis for present policy in West Africa any more than it is in Asia. Local grievances, local animosities, and local injustices are more important than outside influences in accounting for revolutionary developments within a country. It is significant that four African countries – Tanzania, Zambia, Ivory Coast, and Gabon – have recognized Biafra. Each of them has large minority groups, but none of them seemed to fear that its recognition of a secessionist regime elsewhere would encourage secession within its own boundaries.
As regards the question of economic stagnation and retrogression, it should be recognized that eliminating the hostility generated by an artificial political union could release energy for economic development. Certainly the technical ingenuity of the Easterners will be stimulated by the independence of Biafra. Furthermore, independence does not preclude economic association. The Biafrans have already indicated their willingness to co-operate with Nigeria on vital problems of transportation and communication, particularly the use of the Niger River.
Almost any advantage that can accrue from ‘one Nigeria’ can also be achieved by regional economic arrangements such as a common market and a regional development board for redistributing revenues. Even without such arrangements it is clear that Nigeria is viable without the eastern region, since it has great resources, including vast amounts of oìl in the Midwestern region; it has been able to forego the Eastern oil revenues for 2 years while fighting a costly war, and it would evidently be in far better economic condition without the expense of the war.
It is hard to credit the claims of the Federal Government of Nigeria that Biafra is governed solely by and for Ibos, who subjugate the minority tribes. In any case, the national preference of the minority tribes is a question which can be settled through plebiscites supervised by the United Nations or the Organization of African Unity. Even without some minority tribes, Biafra would be a populous country by African standards, larger than three-fourths of the African countries. Only 10 of some 40 African countries would be larger.
The argument that American recognition of Biafra would undermine the position of our British ally depends upon two premises, both doubtful. The first is that essential British oil interests would be threatened by Biafran independence. However, as pointed out before, much of the oil is in the Midwest, nor have the Biafrans expressed any intention of expropriating British oil. In any case, this should hardly be a major consideration of American foreign policy in this case.
The second premise is that the British support the Federal Government of Nigeria has diminished Soviet influence upon that government. However, all that can be said with assurance is that the Federal Government of Nigeria has shrewdly played off the Soviet Union against Great Britain in order to receive as many arms as possible from both. Who will come out ahead in this game of influence is uncertain.
To argue that diplomatic recognition of Biafra would constitute intervention into purely African affairs is irrelevant; nonrecognition is also intervention. There are faults of omission as well as of commission. The United States has already intervened repeatedly in the area: first by propping up General Gowon when he assumed power; later by backing him when Nigeria abrogated the Aburi agreements; and also by exerting pressure on a number of African nations not to recognize Biafra.
The steps I propose are diplomatic, not military. Our goal should be the recognition of Biafra which has demonstrated that it represents the interest of its people. We should begin by seeking an arms embargo. Our goal should be a truce with a view to reasonable negotiation. We should seek to de-escalate great power involvement. We should provide massive relief. The alternative – to continue to give passive military support and active diplomatic support in the name of unity – is no longer defensible”.
The surrender of Biafra never capitulated her citizens right of sovereignty. Onus for the clarion call for restoration. The yellow sun of the Republic of Biafra still shines.
We are still being killed mostly for our peaceful world values, hence we strongly believe that you are the chosen to restore our right to self-determination.
We hereby demand your support for a referendum deal to resolve this persistent crisis and to support Biafra that challenged the threats of jihadism more than fifty years ago in Nigeria. Your present tenure is miraculous and we hope it is ultimate hope for the restoration of the Republic of Biafra.
Signed
The Chancellor
Biafra De Facto Customary Government
Phone: +1 917 346 5419
Email: biafradefactogov@gmail.com
Website: [www.bdfcg.org](http://www.bdfcg.org
Labour Party Presidential Candidate in 2023 general election – Mr Peter Obi has joined millions of Nigerians to criticize the endorsement of President Tinubu emergency rule and suspension of an elected Governor by National Assembly.According to Peter Obi in the message released on his twitter space ”The parliamentary vote held yesterday clearly demonstrates that democracy, in its true sense, does not exist in Nigeria. Where there is no functional opposition, democracy cannot thrive.
Opposition is a critical pillar of any democratic system. It ensures that the right things are done, holds the ruling party accountable, and offers alternative viewpoints. However, an effective opposition can only exist within a system that supports proportional representation—an approach practised in countries like South Africa and Indonesia.
In South Africa, for example, the National Assembly has 400 seats. The African National Congress (ANC) received about 40% of the vote and holds approximately 160 seats, while the Democratic Alliance (DA), with about 20% of the vote, holds around 80 seats—alongside several other parties. Those who contested the presidential election remain the recognised leaders of their respective parties.
A similar situation exists in Indonesia and other countries where democracy is genuinely practised. As is the norm in such systems, laws prohibit elected officials from switching parties without forfeiting their seats. This helps maintain party discipline and preserves the sanctity of the electoral mandate. These mechanisms contribute to a more balanced, accountable, and credible democratic process.
If that were the case in Nigeria, our Senate—comprising 109 seats—would be more reflective of electoral realities, with the APC holding 44 seats, the PDP 33 (under the leadership of Atiku), and the Labour Party 27 (under my leadership). Ideally, the House of Representatives should mirror this balance, with approximately 144 APC members, 108 PDP members, and 90 Labour Party members. But this is far from the case. The absence of laws restricting party defection allows politicians to switch allegiances freely and without consequence. This not only weakens the opposition but also makes a mockery of the electorate’s will and undermines the integrity of our democratic institutions.
What we are left with is not a genuine democratic system, but one that is transactional, compromised, and, in many respects, resembles organised criminality. Unless we urgently implement reforms to entrench true democratic principles, enforce party discipline, and ensure fair representation, Nigeria’s democracy will remain fragile and dysfunctional.
But we will not surrender to criminality. We shall continue to fight for democracy—genuine democracy”
The leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, on Friday issued a formal apology for his recent verbal attacks on the Federal High Court and Justice Binta Nyako. The apology was delivered through his new legal representative, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
Kanu also extended the apology to the Federal Government’s counsel, Chief Akinlolu Awomolo, SAN, as well as his former team of lawyers led by Aloy Ejimakor, whom he had criticised during proceedings before Justice Nyako. The apology was conveyed in court before Justice James Omotosho, the newly assigned trial judge, after Chief Agabi sought and received the court’s permission to deliver the message on Kanu’s behalf.
Justice Omotosho had been assigned the case following a request by Kanu and his legal team for a change of judge, citing bias. This led to the case’s reassignment from Justice Nyako, who had previously recused herself from the matter on September 24, 2024, citing Kanu’s loss of confidence in her court. However, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, later directed that any formal recusal must be backed by a formal application, temporarily returning the case to Justice Nyako.
Amid this back and forth, Kanu and his lead counsel insisted that Justice Nyako no longer had jurisdiction over the case, leading her to adjourn proceedings indefinitely. The case is now set to begin afresh before Justice Omotosho, with trial proceedings scheduled to resume on March 21. Kanu, who was brought back to Nigeria from Kenya in June 2021, is expected to take a fresh plea as the trial begins anew.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has extolled Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State over the administration’s sterling quality leadership, saying the governor’s huge investment in education, primary health care and infrastructure was a turning point in the state.
This was even as the governor reiterated the state’s commitment to feeding over 300,000 Smart Green School children quality nutrition daily come September 2025.
The Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Enugu, Mrs. Juliet Chiluwe, gave the commendation at the signing ceremony of the UNICEF/Enugu Government Multiyear 2025/2027 Workplan at the Government House, Enugu, on Tuesday.
Expressing delight over the governor’s “sterling leadership and great advocate for the welfare of children and women”, Chiluwe added that Mbah had tamed the tide in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
“You are the pioneer of smart schools here. Enugu is one of the states that is leading in terms of the WASH masterplan implementation. Your investment in primary health, upgrading the primary healthcare system to Level 2 is something that is very highly commendable and also the smart schools, which show your commitment to the development of human indices in the state.
“I have been in Enugu for the last three years and I have seen commendable changes in terms of infrastructure, security and the welfare of women and children.
“Your footprint in the infrastructural development of the state and the deliberate efforts in boosting the state’s economy demonstrate your commitment to the viability and achievement of the long term vision. Your interest and commitment to issues of children and women in the state is highly commendable and a sign of the anticipated progress in collaborating with UNICEF towards the improvement in children indices in the state,” she further stressed.
According to her, the signing of the multiyear plan indicated UNICEF’s recommitment to collaborating with the state government towards the realization of the rights of children and women in the ongoing Country Programme of Cooperation which commenced in 2023 and would come to an end in 2027.
The UNICEF boss, however, called for intensified efforts from all stakeholders such as the local government authorities in ensuring that the state attains open defecation free (ODF) status, and the delivery of the social protection policy to eradicate poverty.
Reacting, Mbah expressed gratitude for the partnership and support the UN agency had been giving to the people of the state, adding that the administration was strongly dedicated to addressing compelling social challenges as evidenced the past two budget cycles.
Describing the UNICEF as a reliable development partner, the governor disclosed that the government had continued to prioritize the social services sector which accounted for the reason behind the highest allocation of the budget to the sector.
“Education got 33 per cent and that has been consistent over the 2024 and 2025 budget cycles. The healthcare space is not left out of it. We also have plan that this is going to continue for at least the next five years for things to be well rooted before we feel like we’re starting from ground zero even in terms of the baseline of infrastructure,” Mbah said.
He stressed that the plans for the 260 Type-2 primary healthcare centres in each of the electoral wards, many of which had been completed and equipped, were beyond mere buildings to staffing, ancillary services and other cutting edge medical facilities including 24/7 electricity.
The governor, who highlighted some of the challenges, such as deficit in health personnel, the administration faced when it assumed office, immediately approved the recruitment of 2,500 health workers.
On basic education system in the state, Mbah said the smart schools would come into operation by September 2025 with over 300,000 school children benefitting from the healthcare facilities in each of the schools, including free daily balanced diet and healthy learning environment.
He further emphasized that the administration was aggressive in ensuring that residents of the state lived a comfortable life through the ongoing first phase of the 7,500 mass housing scheme that would relocate those living in urban slums and put an end to open defecation.
The House of Representatives yesterday urged the federal government to take pragmatic steps towards diversifying its revenue base by harnessing the potential in the maritime sector and ensuring that the challenges hampering the growth of the sector were effectively dealt with.
The House also urged the federal government to revive the abandoned Oseakwa Seaport in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State and others across the country in order to reduce the pressure on existing seaports and checkmate over-dependency on petroleum as well as boost the nation’s economy.
Its further urged the federal government to include the construction of Oseakwa Seaport and dredging of Orashi River in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State in the 2024 Appropriation Bill.
These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion on the Need to Harness the Potential in the Maritime Sector for Economic Growth and Revive the Abandoned Oseakwa Seaport at Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State moved by Hon. Paschal Agbodike.
The lawmaker noted that Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was mainly dependent on the contributions of the oil and gas sector, hence the need for diversification of the country’s revenue base.
Adding that the maritime industry provides the government with the right platform to diversify the economy, and if properly harnessed, it has great potential to generate huge revenue from both Local and International transportation of persons and goods by water as approximately 80 per cent of the shipping business done on the coast of West Africa is done in Nigeria.
The House further noted that at an event organised by the Joint Body of Nigerian Seafarer’s Professional Group to commemorate the 2023 World Seafarers Day, Seafarers had stated that the Nigerian maritime industry has the potential to generate $100 billion annually if properly harnessed.
Agbodike said the Oseakwa Sea Port at Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State was established before Nigeria’s independence and was a major route for transportation in the old Eastern region, but it became moribund after the civil war.
“It was also aware that compared to the Lagos Seaport which is 60 nautical miles to the Atlantic Ocean, Oseakwa Seaport is only 18 nautical miles to the Atlantic Ocean, which, by implication, is a closer and more viable route for shipping goods from China and other countries.
“The Oseakwa seaport has the capacity to handle over 35 per cent of marine business in Nigeria. The abysmal neglect of the sector as both its potential to create jobs and contribute to the country’s GDP are lost, just as foreign operators smile home with billions of dollars yearly that could have accrued to local operators and government’s coffers,” he added.
Furthermore, he noted that, “the country’s ports are currently classified among the worst ports in the world due to challenges such as delay in import/export processes, traffic congestion, poor access roads, safety and security concerns, infrastructure deficits and logistics shortcomings among others.”
