Hon. David Olofu: When Preparation Meets the Moment

Hon. David Olofu, former Benue State Commissioner for Finance and Budget and senatorial aspirant for Benue South.

Hon. David Olofu moves from the policy backroom to the public stage, meeting journalists in Abuja to signal his bid for the Benue South Senate seat in 2027—framing experience, grassroots connection, and quiet conviction as his case for leadership.

Contemptous rulers and docile people

Tinubu’s vague overseas trips reveal a presidency more obsessed with image than accountability, leaving Nigerians in the dark while crises rage at home.

Chris Ngige Faces N1.8B Corruption Trial in Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will arraign former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, on Friday over alleged corruption, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. Ngige, also a former Governor of Anambra State, will appear at a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwarimpa, Abuja, as the sole defendant in an eight-count corruption charge (FCT/HC/CR/726/2025). Filed on December 9 by a legal team led by Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, the charges allege that Ngige, while serving under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, used his position to benefit companies linked to his associates. He is accused of awarding NSITF contracts worth over N1.8 billion to companies including Cezimo Nigeria Limited, Zitacom Nigeria Limited, Jeff & Xris Limited, Olde English Consolidated Limited, and Shale Atlantic Intercontinental Services Limited. Ngige is also alleged to have accepted gifts totaling N119,783,000 through organisations linked to him, including the Senator Chris Ngige Campaign Organisation and the Chris Ngige Scholarship Scheme, while performing official duties. The offences contravene the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, specifically Sections 17(a) and 19, and are punishable under Section 179(c) of the Act.

Rivers Assembly Endorses Tinubu for Second Term Amid Criticism of “Sycophancy”

In a move many described as politically motivated, the Rivers State House of Assembly has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office. The endorsement, announced on Wednesday, was presented as a vote of confidence in appreciation of what the lawmakers called the “numerous Federal Government projects and interventions” in the state under Tinubu’s leadership. The motion, signed by 26 members and read by the House Leader, Mr. Major Jack (Akuku-Toru), claimed that Tinubu’s administration had demonstrated commitment to peace, stability, and development. In a controversial justification, the legislators cited Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency and the temporary suspension of the state legislature, moves widely criticized by Nigerians and international observers, as evidence of his “fatherly role” in restoring order. Speaker of the House, Mr. Martin Amaewhule (Obio/Akpor I), praised the president as a “compassionate father” working to reposition the nation for growth. He also lauded the appointment of Rivers indigenes into key federal positions, saying it reflected Tinubu’s inclusiveness and strengthened the state’s relationship with the Federal Government. The lawmakers further pledged loyalty to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and promised to mobilize grassroots support for Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda.”

Afenifere rejects Supreme Court Ruling On LG Autonomy 

The Pan Yoruba Socio-Political Group, Afenifere, has faulted the Supreme Court verdict that granted fiscal autonomy to local government areas. It lamented that the Apex Court verdict has “done incalculable injury to the Nigerian state. This was contained in a statement signed by the leader of the group, Pa Ayo Adebanjo and it’s National Publicity Secretary Prince Justice Faloye, made available to newsmen in Akure, the state capital. It’s entitled ” Tinubu and the Grand Conspiracy Against Democracy and True Federalism in Nigeria. The statement declared that ” Afenifere views the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case filed by the Federal Government on the so-called Local Government autonomy as sheer judicial conspiracy in cahoots with the Tinubu administration against the Nigerian state and its foundational principles of federalism. Rather than interpret the constitution to uphold its elementary but overriding federal principle which recognises only a two-tier federal structure of the central government and federating states, the Supreme Court played to the gallery and wittingly allowed itself a most retrogessive declaration that the power of the government is portioned into three arms of government, the federal, the state and the local government. For the avoidance of any doubt, Afenifere makes bold to say that in line with its negotiated basis of existence, Nigeria is a “Federation consisting of States and a Federal Capital Territory”. as affirmed by Section 2 (2) of the 1999 constitution. While Afenifere frowns at corruption and misuse of public funds at levels of government, it condemns in most unmistaken terms the subjugation of the states and its constitutional roles including the Local Government system to the whims and caprices of the federal government by any means including obvious manipulation of the federation account as in the present case. The 1999 constitution, which in spite of its flaws, gives life and power to the Supreme Court provides in Section 162 and particularly subsection (6) that “each state shall maintain a special account to be called “State Joint Local Government Account” into which shall be paid all allocations to the local government councils of the state from the Federation Account and from the Government of the state”. “Against this unambiguous provision the Supreme Court held that “demands of justice requires a progressive interpretation of the law. ”It is the position of this court that the federation can pay Local Government allocations to the Local Government directly or pay them through the states. ”In this case, since paying them through states has not worked, justice of this case demands that Local Government allocations from the federation account should henceforth be paid directly to the Local Governments . ”Contrary to this invented alternative routes, Section 162 of the Constitution is not ambivalent about the process and route through which “all allocations to the local government councils of the state from the Federation Account and from the Government of the state” shall become payable to the Councils. ‘In other words, the interpretation does not require a voyage into jurisprudential sophistry leading to the absurdity of deliberate judicial amendment of the grundnorm. “By wittingly or inadvertently equating the Nigerian Federation with the Federal Government in the erroneous belief that both expressions are used interchangeably, such that the President may withold funds to the credit of the Local Governments from the Federation Account, under the guise of having no democratically elected officials, which is obviously subject to the interpretation by the Federal Government. ”The apex court has not only done incalculable injury to the Nigerian state, it has lent itself to setting aside its precedent in the hallowed judgment against the President Obasanjo administration withholding funds to the credit of Local Governments in Lagos State even when the Supreme Court said so.

Presidency Reacts To Supreme Court Ruling On Local Government Autonomy

The presidency has reacted to Thursday’s victory against 36 state governors at the Supreme Court on local government autonomy. The Supreme Court ruled that all federal allocations for local government councils should be paid directly into their accounts. In Nigeria, most states operate a joint account with local governments, Justice Emmanuel Agim, who led a seven-member panel of justices, said local government allocation should be paid directly to a separate account belonging to each local government. The federal government through the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) approached the Supreme Court, in a suit, marked SC/CV/343/2024, and sought that 36 governors of the federation grant full autonomy to the 774 local governments. Giving details of federal government’s prayer in the suit, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on his X handle on Thursday, wrote, “The details of the Supreme Court ruling giving 774 local councils financial autonomy “The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that all federal funds for local government councils should be paid directly into their accounts. “Justice Emmanuel Agim, who led a seven-member panel of justices, delivered the judgment in a suit filed by the federal government against the 36 state governors. “According to the judgment, henceforth, no more payments of local government area allocations will be made to state government accounts. The court also prohibited the governors from receiving, tampering with, or withholding funds meant for local governments. “Furthermore, the court barred the governors from dissolving democratically elected officials for local governments and deemed such actions a breach of the 1999 Constitution. “The federal government had approached the Supreme Court with a suit seeking to compel the governors of the 36 federating states to grant full autonomy to local governments in their domains. The suit, marked SC/CV/343/2024, was filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on behalf of the Federal Government. “The Federal Government accused the state governors of gross misconduct and abuse of power in its suit, which was based on 27 grounds. In the originating summons, the FG prayed the Supreme Court to make an order stating that funds standing to the credit of local governments from the Federation Account should be paid directly to the local governments rather than through the state governments. “The justice minister also requested an order restraining governors, their agents, and privies from receiving, spending, or tampering with funds released from the Federation Account for the benefit of local governments when no democratically elected local government system is in place in the states. “Finally, the Federal Government sought an order stopping governors from constituting caretaker committees to run the affairs of local governments, contrary to the constitutionally recognized and guaranteed democratic system.”