General
Lagos Assembly Stops Salaries of Sanwo-Olu’s Appointees
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
On Tuesday, the Lagos State House of Assembly ordered the state government to stop the salaries of the appointees of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who the parliament has not screened.
At the plenary today, the state’s legislative arm of government said it was wrong for these government appointees to continue in office without due process, as their nominations should have been subjected to screening and confirmation by the House.
The Lagos Assembly, which summoned the Commissioner for Establishment, Mrs Ajibola Ponnle; the Head of Service, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola; and the Accountant-General of the State, Mr Abiodun Muritala, directed that the salaries and remunerations enjoyed by the affected appointees must be halted pending their appearances before the House.
In a Matter of Urgent Public Importance brought before the House by the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr Noheem Adams, the lawmakers lamented the increasing situation where supposed nominees of the governor continue to work without being screened and confirmed by the House.
The Speaker of the House, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, who presided at the sitting, agreed with the lawmakers that appointments of that nature without recourse to the parliament amounted to infractions.
“I quite agree with all of you that the failure of such nominees to appear is an infraction or violation of the laws of this House, especially as it relates to the MDAs, most of which were established by the laws of this House,” he said, noting that the House of Assembly has statutory provisions that nominees of the governor must appear for confirmation.
“It is becoming common and regular, and if we fail to act now, it becomes a norm. I share your sentiments that there is a need for us to put a stop to this. I am aware of the development in the Audit Commission; I am aware of the one in the Law Reform Commission and now the Auditor-General and some others,” the Speaker said.
Raising the issue earlier, Mr Adams cited Section 196, subsection 2; Section 198 and Section 126, subsection 3, which give backing to the House of Assembly in respect of nominations by the governor for appointments.
“Section 126, subsection 3 provides that except with the resolution of a State Assembly, no person shall act in the office of the Auditor-General for a state for a period exceeding six months.
“As the chairman of the House Committee on Legislative Compliance, I have observed that some appointments to boards and other agencies were not brought to this noble House. If this persists, the principle of separation of powers will be in jeopardy.
“For example, the Auditor-General was appointed on September 22, 2022, and today is April 11, 2023,” the lawmaker noted, adding that the Auditor-General’s appointment in acting capacity had exceeded what the laws stipulate.
Supporting him was Mr Ademola Kasunmu, who said the stipulations of Section 198 should be strictly adhered to, adding that because such appointments are considered null and void, every remuneration that had gone out should be returned to the coffers of the state.
Speaking on the same matter, Mr Victor Akande observed that the situation happened in the judiciary where an appointment was made without recourse to the House and the due process, as Mr Sa’ad Olumoh lamented that such appointments without regard for the House were becoming too many.
“Separation of power is a doctrine enshrined in the constitution. The executive has the right to nominate people and the House has the responsibility to either confirm or reject such nominations.
“It is not only in the office of the Auditor-General, but I don’t know in what capacity one can act beyond the time limit without recourse to the House,” he said while urging the House to look at the issue holistically so as to put an end to what could cause issues later.
In his contribution, Mr Rotimi Olowo, who noted the difference between nomination and appointment, lamented: “Today, we have a lot of people parading themselves with many names without appearing before this House for clearance. It should not be a padi-padi thing. This is a constitutional matter, and if we do not adhere, we will end up facing the wrought of the people.”
He said it was an infraction to have people who are not cleared by the House receiving salaries, and “I am of the opinion that such money is supposed to be returned to the coffers.”
On his part, Mr Desmond Elliot called on the House to act in a way to curtail any future occurrence, while his colleague, Mr Femi Saheed suggested that “in line with the constitution, anyone acting outside the stipulated time must recourse to the House,” noting that the Head of Service is made to appear before the House to clear himself over the issue.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Contrary to reports making the rounds, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly is not considering passing a bill to make it a criminal offence for single ladies having romantic affairs with married men in the state.
On Monday, unconfirmed news went viral, purporting that a phantom Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Akon Etim, had sponsored a bill to ensure single ladies having sexual relationship with married men spend 10 years in prison, while the men pay a fine of N2 million.
It was claimed that the bill was to be passed by the state parliament, today, Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
Business Post reports that the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State is Mrs Akon Eyakenyi, not Mrs Akon Etim.
Reacting to the reports, the chairman of the House Committee on Information, Mr Jerry Anson Otu, described the reports as “false.”
“The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly wishes to categorically state that this report is entirely false and has no basis in fact. The Assembly has not received or considered any such bill, and the Deputy Governor has not sponsored it.
“We condemn this malicious attempt to tarnish the image of the Deputy Governor and the Assembly, and urge the public to disregard this fake news and any associated commentaries.
“The House remains committed to its constitutional role of law-making, and will not be swayed by mischievous attempts to undermine its integrity,” parts of the statement issued by the parliament stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria is eyeing stronger diplomatic and strategic ties when it comes to sustainable development as it participates in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW).
President Bola Tinubu arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Sunday. His plane landed at the Presidential Wing of Zayed International Airport at exactly 11:30 pm local time.
He was received by Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi; Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; and members of the Nigerian diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi.
Several other ministers, including the Minister of Budget and Planning, Mr Atiku Bagudu; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Jumoke Oduwole; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mr Mohammed Mohammed, welcomed President Tinubu at his hotel.
President Tinubu arrived in Abu Dhabi from Europe, where he spent part of his end-of-year break, engaging in fruitful discussions with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a statement by the presidency.
The 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, with the theme The Nexus of Next, All Systems Go, is a global platform that brings together world leaders, policymakers, investors, and experts to advance dialogue and action on sustainable development, climate action, energy transition, and inclusive economic growth.
This visit further reinforces the strong diplomatic and economic ties between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while positioning Nigeria as an active contributor to global conversations on sustainable development.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to account for about N55.9 billion earmarked for the purchase of some materials for the 2019 general elections has forced the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to file a lawsuit against the commission.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/38/2026 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP asked the court for an order of mandamus to compel INEC to disclose the names of all contractors paid the sum of money.
It was claimed that the N55.9 billion was meant for the purchase of smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets and other election materials for the 2019 general elections, which produced the late Mr Muhammadu Buhari as President for a second term in office.
SERAP is relying on the latest annual report published by the Auditor-General on September 9, 2025, to ask for the use of the funds, which is said to be missing or diverted.
The organisation argued that the electoral umpire “must operate without corruption if the commission is to ensure free and fair elections in the country and uphold Nigerians’ right to participation.”
“INEC cannot ensure impartial administration of future elections if these allegations are not satisfactorily addressed, perpetrators including the contractors involved are not prosecuted and the proceeds of corruption are not fully recovered,” a part of the statement issued by the group stated.
“INEC cannot properly carry out its constitutional and statutory responsibilities to conduct free and fair elections in the country if it continues to fail to uphold the basic principles of transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
“These allegations also constitute abuse of public office and show the urgent need by INEC to commit to transparency, accountability, clean governance and the rule of law,” it further declared.
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