General
CNPP, CSOs Describe Rivers Crisis as National Democratic Emergency
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
President Bola Tinubu has been called upon to resolve the escalating political crisis in Rivers State, warning that the situation now constitutes a “national democratic emergency” requiring urgent presidential intervention.
This call was made by the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) and the Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations (CNCSOs).
“Mr President, this is no longer just a Rivers State issue. It is a national democratic emergency,” the organisations declared in a joint statement, stressing that what is unfolding in the state “goes far beyond local politics” and represents “a critical test of Nigeria’s commitment to constitutional governance, separation of powers, and democratic stability.”
The CNPP and CNCSOs warned that failure by the President to act decisively could legitimise what they termed “legislative anarchy” and embolden similar crises across the federation. According to them, “failure to act now risks legitimising legislative anarchy and encouraging similar crises across other states, with dire consequences for national unity and peace.”
They described the Rivers State situation as a deliberate political project rather than a governance issue, insisting that Governor Siminalayi Fubara has not committed any constitutional offence warranting impeachment.
“Let us be clear,” they said, “Governor Siminalayi Fubara has not committed any act that meets the constitutional threshold for impeachment under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. There is no credible allegation of gross misconduct, no paralysis of governance, and no popular uprising demanding his removal.”
According to the groups, the ongoing impeachment threats reflect “the weaponisation of a State House of Assembly as an instrument of political conquest rather than a guardian of democracy,” a development they warned is “not only reckless; it is extremely dangerous to Nigeria’s national peace.”
They cautioned President Tinubu that if the Rivers State model is allowed to persist, Nigeria could slide into a destabilising era where legislatures are used to unseat elected governors for political and financial control. “If the Rivers State template is allowed to stand,” they warned, “then Nigeria risks sliding into a future where state assemblies across the country become battlegrounds for elite power struggles.” They further asked pointedly: “If every governor becomes vulnerable to impeachment at the whim of external political forces, where then is the sovereignty of the people? Where does democratic stability reside?”
The CNPP and CNCSOs also drew the President’s attention to allegations of conditional political settlements linked to the crisis. They cited claims by loyalists of Governor Fubara that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, imposed conditions on the governor in exchange for halting impeachment proceedings. “Chief among these alleged conditions,” they said, “was the immediate ratification of a commissioner list reportedly submitted by the FCT Minister upon Governor Fubara’s return to office.”
“These allegations,” the groups added, “strongly suggest that the crisis is not about governance or accountability but about control—control of federal allocations, control of internally generated revenue, and control of political power in Rivers State.” They warned that such claims “strike at the heart of democratic governance and must not be ignored by the Nigerian state.”
On financial matters, the organisations appealed to President Tinubu to order a thorough probe into funds received and expended during the six-month emergency rule in Rivers State. They disclosed that the state “reportedly received no less than N254.37 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee between March and August 2025,” averaging about N42.40 billion monthly. They alleged that despite a probe announced by the House of Assembly, there were “strong indications” that the exercise was “merely cosmetic.”
More troubling, they claimed that “state resources were shared during the emergency rule, with lawmakers loyal to the FCT Minister allegedly receiving as much as N350 million each from funds exceeding N360 billion left behind by the suspended Governor.” If true, they said, this would amount to “a betrayal of public trust on a scale that demands urgent national attention.”
Framing their appeal directly to the President, the CNPP and CNCSOs said: “As President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and leader of the APC, you have both the constitutional authority and moral responsibility to halt this dangerous slide.” They emphasised that Nigeria “cannot consolidate democracy while tolerating legislative blackmail, political extortion, and institutional sabotage.”
Among their key demands to the President are the immediate termination of all impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara, an independent investigation into the conduct of the Rivers State House of Assembly, a presidentially ordered probe into allegations of conditional political settlements, and a comprehensive forensic audit of all funds received and expended during the emergency rule.
In a strong concluding warning directed at the Presidency, the groups stated that “impeachment without just cause is political banditry” and that the continued weaponisation of legislative institutions is “a direct threat to Nigeria’s democracy and national peace.”
They urged President Tinubu to act swiftly to prevent a dangerous national precedent, declaring: “Governor Siminalayi Fubara must be allowed to govern. Rivers State must be allowed to breathe. Nigeria’s democracy must be protected.”
“Enough is enough,” they concluded. “Let the Governor govern. Let Rivers State develop. Let Nigeria’s democracy survive.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Some expired pharmaceutical products and 1.8 tonnes of Cannabis Sativa have been intercepted by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Isah Sulaiman, a Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC), disclosed that the pharmaceutical products are suspected to be pushed into the Nigerian market by relabelling them.
It was disclosed that the items were intercepted based on credible intelligence and enhanced risk profiling systems, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other relevant regulatory bodies.
In one of the major interceptions, officers of the command seized a 40-foot container numbered CAAU7569127, which was found to contain a large consignment of Cannabis Sativa, popularly referred to as Canadian Loud.
The command revealed that a total of 3,639 sachets of the illicit substance were recovered, each weighing 500 grams, for a total estimated weight of about 1,819 kilograms (1.81 tonnes). Preliminary field tests confirmed the substance as Cannabis Sativa. The drugs were concealed inside a vehicle and within bags and drums packed inside the container.
Speaking on the seizures, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba warned perpetrators to desist from criminal activities, stating that “unpatriotic importers and their collaborators who deliberately engage in smuggling, drug trafficking and the importation of expired pharmaceuticals are enemies of Nigeria’s progress.”
“We have the intelligence, the technology and the resolve to identify and apprehend them. Anyone still contemplating these criminal acts should desist immediately, because the consequences will be swift, decisive and uncompromising,” he added.
He further reiterated that Apapa Port and all Customs-controlled areas remain under constant surveillance, adding that enforcement operations will continue to be intelligence-driven while ensuring legitimate trade is not hindered.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Skite is expanding its push into Nigeria’s rapidly growing knowledge economy with an all-in-one platform designed to help creators, coaches, consultants, educators and other professionals monetise their expertise from a single hub.
The platform enables users to sell courses and digital products, host paid communities, organise live events, offer one-on-one video consultations and monetise audience interactions without relying on multiple tools.
The move comes as more Nigerians turn to knowledge-based businesses as a source of income, creating demand for platforms that simplify how expertise is packaged, sold and delivered online.
While the creator economy has traditionally been associated with content creation and social media influence, a growing number of professionals are increasingly building businesses around coaching, training, consulting and digital education.
However, many creators still depend on several platforms to manage payments, courses, communities, customer engagement and events, often increasing operational costs and complexity.
Skite is seeking to address that gap by consolidating these functions into a single ecosystem built specifically for knowledge entrepreneurs.
According to the company, creators using the platform have recorded an average 30 per cent increase in revenue after consolidating their operations, while premium subscribers enjoy a zero-transaction-fee structure on earnings.
Speaking on the opportunity within the sector, Skite chief executive, Mr Samuel Obinna, said the company was focused on providing the infrastructure needed for creators to build sustainable businesses around their expertise.
“The knowledge economy is creating unprecedented opportunities for professionals to earn from what they know. We are building the tools that make it easier for creators to launch, manage and scale those businesses,” he said.
As Nigeria’s digital economy continues to expand, industry stakeholders expect knowledge entrepreneurship to become an increasingly important segment of the creator economy, with platforms such as Skite positioning themselves to serve the next generation of digital business owners.
Skite is an all-in-one creator monetisation platform that enables knowledge creators to build, grow and monetise their businesses from a single platform. The platform provides tools for selling courses and digital products, hosting paid communities, running live events, offering one-on-one consultations, monetising direct audience interactions and managing sales funnels. Skite is designed to help creators turn expertise into sustainable and scalable income.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has directed all civil servants to immediately discontinue the use of personal email accounts for official communication, as part of efforts to prevent rising cyberattacks and safeguard the flow of information.
It has mandated the adoption of approved government email platforms across the federal public service.
The directive was announced by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, during a digital transformation summit held in Abuja to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Galaxy Backbone.
According to Mrs Walson-Jack, more than 115,000 official GovMail accounts have been activated to enhance the security, professionalism, and accountability of government correspondence.
She emphasised that official government business must no longer be conducted through personal email services or informal communication channels, which often pose challenges for record-keeping and institutional accountability.
She explained that one of the primary reasons for the policy is to ensure continuity in government operations. Official records and communications, she noted, must remain within government-controlled systems even after public officers leave office, preventing the loss of critical information tied to individual accounts.
The Head of Service also revealed that the Federal Government achieved a major digital transformation milestone by successfully digitising work processes across all 38 federal ministries and extra-ministerial departments before the end of December 2025.
Describing the accomplishment as a testament to effective leadership and institutional commitment, Mrs Walson-Jack said the milestone demonstrates the civil service’s growing readiness to embrace modern governance and technology-driven service delivery.
She further acknowledged longstanding challenges associated with manual processes, including delays, misplaced files, and bottlenecks in approval workflows.
The transition to digital systems, she said, has significantly improved document tracking, strengthened accountability mechanisms, and enhanced performance monitoring across government institutions.
The paperless civil service initiative is expected to accelerate decision-making, reduce bureaucracy, improve transparency, and ensure faster retrieval and processing of official records, ultimately creating a more efficient and responsive public service.
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