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Defections: Nigerian Elected Officials Are Lawless, Says Ardo

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By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

Following the unprecedented gale of defection across the country by elected officials, the convener of the League of Northern Democrats (LND), Dr Umar Ardo has declared that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and defectors have thrown the “Rules, laws and constitution to the dogs” in pursuit of self-serving political expediency.

Expressing concern over the brazen persistent breach of provisions of the constitution by elected officers, Dr Ardo said there is no need to conduct elections in future since politicians have no regard for provisions of the constitution.
He stressed that with such contempt for the rule of law, elected officials could simply remain in office indefinitely.
Ardo noted that the deliberate and continuous disregard for the laws guiding democratic ethos and values by elected public officers and other appointees, have totally rendered the democratic process so meaningless.Ardo, who stated these in a statement issued at the weekend, spoke against the backdrop of the gale of defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stressing that the defections were in clear violation of the 1999 Constitution.In the words of Ardo; “Since, it is clear that we have decided to run our democracy without abiding by the provisions of our constitution and the law, then we as well don’t need to conduct any elections anymore.“Conducting elections every four years is itself a provision of our constitution. Let everybody simply do as they please.”He noted that on Friday, May 9, 2025, the three PDP senators on the platform of the PDP from Kebbi State namely; senators—Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi (Kebbi North), and Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South)—alongside members of the House of Representatives and State House of Assembly, met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and announced their defection to the APC.

Ardo said that the event which was marked by a gleeful photo session and a cryptic speech by Ganduje, followed a similar mass defection in Delta State some weeks ago where Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, six federal lawmakers, and 22 state assembly members also crossed over to the APC.Ardo described the defections as “another sad day for the Nigerian state,” and pointedly accused elected public office holders of throwing “rules, laws, and constitution to the dogs” in pursuit of self-serving political expediency.He explained that while party-switching is not uncommon in advanced democracies like the United States and United Kingdom, Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) explicitly addresses defections under Sections 68(1)(g) and 109(1)(g) for federal and state legislators, respectively.Ardo said that the provisions explicitly stated that a legislator must vacate their seat if they switch parties before the end of their term, unless the defection results from a division within their original party or a merger of parties.Citing the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in Adegunde Vs Ondo State House of Assembly, Ardo noted that the court clarified that a “division” must affect the national structure of the party, not merely its ward, local government, or state levels.According to Ardo; “There is no division within the ranks and structures of the PDP. The defectors have no legal basis for retaining their seats. Yet, the leadership of the legislative houses—aligned with the APC—refuses to enforce these provisions, prioritizing partisan gains over constitutional duty.He said that the hiccup lies with Section 68(2) and 109(2), which empower legislative leaders to declare defectors’ seats vacant, adding that because the leaderships belong to the party benefiting from the defections, partisan benefits become more convincing than enforcing the constitution they swore to uphold.Ardo noted that this failure has turned Nigeria into a “lawless society,” with leaders compromising the very laws they are entrusted to apply.He specifically labelled the Senate President, Speakers of the House of Representatives, State Assemblies, the APC National Chairman, and President Tinubu as “tyrants and enemies of the state” for encouraging the constitutional violations.In the words of Ardo; “The consequences of this trend are dire. While bandits and terrorists are outlaws, the ultimate results of compromising the law by those entrusted to apply it could create a thousand bandits and terrorists.“The actions of these leaders are more dangerous than armed insurgency, as they undermine the foundation of Nigeria’s democracy and society.“To address the issue, there is the urgent need for a constitutional amendment to strip legislative leadership of the power to declare seats vacant and transfer it to the sponsoring political parties.“This change should also apply to executive officeholders to strengthen party discipline and stabilize Nigeria’s democracy. Parties will retain political initiatives over their members, thereby strengthening our democracy.“Shame on the decamping legislators, shame on the APC National Chairman, shame on the leaderships of the legislative houses, and shame on the president himself who encourages such wanton violations of our constitution,” he declared.

Education

FG vows full WAEC CBT shift by 2026 – Minister

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The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to fully transitioning to Computer-Based Test (CBT) examinations for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and other exam bodies by 2026.

Dr Alausa made this known while monitoring the conduct of WAEC’s CBT examinations in Abuja on Wednesday.

He expressed optimism about Nigeria’s capacity to modernise its examination system and reduce widespread malpractice through digital innovation.

Commending WAEC’s initiative, the minister described the shift from traditional pen-and-paper exams to CBT as a historic and crucial step toward fairness and educational integrity.

“We are working very hard to eliminate fraud in our exam system, and WAEC is taking the lead,” he said.

Highlighting the advantages of CBT, Alausa noted that the system simplified the exam process while significantly curbing cheating.

“We now have clear evidence that when exams are done using technology, the level of fraud is minimised to almost zero,” he stated.

He further lauded WAEC’s internal safeguards, explaining that the CBT system was operated via a secured Local Area Network (LAN), making it “literally impossible” to hack.

According to the minister, by Nov. 2025, all WAEC multiple-choice exams will be conducted using CBT.

He added that essay questions and NECO examinations would follow suit by 2026.

On infrastructure and logistics, particularly in remote areas, Alausa acknowledged the challenges but assured that scalable solutions are in progress.

“Are we going to be ready to provide every single needed infrastructure by November? Absolutely not.

“But as we move into the future, we will be ready. We have to challenge ourselves as government,” he said.

He also addressed concerns over the logistics of conducting multiple exams.

“In WAEC, the average student takes about eight to nine papers.

“They do it over several days. Those are the logistics we, as administrators, have to work through, and we already are,” he explained.

The ongoing WAEC exams, which began on April 24, are scheduled to conclude on June 20, 2025.

A total of 1,973,253 candidates from 23,554 schools are participating. Of this number, 979,228 candidates are male, accounting for 49.63 per cent, while 994,025 candidates are female, making up 50.37 per cent.(NAN)

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Ex-NBA President Seeks Higher Minimum Entry Requirements into Police

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A Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), JB Daudu (SAN),has advocated for a higher minimum entry requirement for the Nigerian Police Force, suggesting a university degree or its equivalent.Daudu, who is the Coordinator of the Rule of Law Development Foundation made the call at the 13th Webinar series organized by the foundation on Tuesday in Abuja.

Report says that the webinar had the theme `Overview and Mid-Term Report of The Administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (May2023-May 2025)’.
He suggests that a more educated workforce would be better equipped to handle the challenges of policing, potentially leading to improved performance and effectiveness“This will ensure that all entry level officers receive a mandatory course in the recognition and enforcement of fundamental human rights that have been enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution (as amended).
“It will also ensure that they receive sufficient training in the handling of firearms to curb the wave of accidental discharge of firearms and all other cases of abuse of firearms that our citizens now suffer from’’.“As far as many Nigerians are concerned, the police force is not only moribund, but a large percentage of its personnel are branded as corrupt.“Most Nigerians don’t report crimes in which they are victims because of the fear that they may, in the course of pursuing their rights, be branded as the criminals, or be exploited for financial gain.“The federal government must commence the rebranding of the Nigerian Police Force’’.He equally called for improvement in their remuneration package, the provision of institutional support such as insurance cover, mandatory housing program, promotions as and when due, affordable health services, and educational support.The Learned Silk stressed the need to rewrite the disciplinary protocols of all security agencies and ensure that these rules are subjected to ordinary laws of the land through trials in our criminal courts.“Offences by errant policemen amounting not only to civil disciplinary issues but are also criminal in nature, must attract punishments that fit the offence.“Such offences as reckless misuse of firearms and police power leading to death or serious bodily harm of, and on, innocent victims must be appropriately punished rather than a mere slap on the wrist”.He added that serious and immediate thought must be given to the decentralisation of the Nigeria Police Force.“20 years ago, I championed the advocacy of an autonomous and independent state police completely severed from the umbilical cord of the federal police that is the Nigeria Police Force.“I cannot in good conscience state today that I can still support the creation of a blanket State Police left in the hands of the Governor of a State.“The reason for this shift in position is that the political maturity, and I say this with the utmost respect and humility, of our new set of leaders at the state level is not such as was in existence 25 years ago’’.He noted that creating state police at this point in time is to encourage flashpoints in different parts of the country some of which may escalate into ‘civil wars’.“I shudder to think of what would have happened if certain states which were recently plunged into political crisis had recourse to their police units during the political crisis that recently plagued their states.“For now and until the political actors improve in their political maturity, the alternative would be and should be ‘community police’.“I propose most respectfully a measure where every ward in a local government would have an office of the community police that will monitor and ensure the reportage of all crimes.“This should include the movement of all suspicious characters who may likely pose a threat to the peace and harmony of the community”.He added that where the threat is beyond the capability of the community, and escalates to the remaining wards and the Local government Headquarters, the State Police Command should step in.He said that all the funds being used to buy rice and other palliatives could be used to fund and equip security-watch offices in these locations as described above.“This means therefore that the local government council of every LGA must be made to be the centre point of the maintenance of law and order and the promotion of security in Nigeria.“Note that there is still the corruption factor and strict or severe punishment must be meted on local community police officers who corruptly abuse their power”. (NAN)

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NYCN Demands Probe into DPO’s Killing

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The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has called for a thorough investigation into the killing of CSP Baba Ali, a Divisional Police Officer in Kano State. Report says that the Police Command in Kano confirmed the killing on Monday, along with the burning of the Rano police station.

The DPO was reportedly killed by angry youths in Rano town, Rano Local Government Area, sparking widespread condemnation and concern across the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Kaduna, NYCN National President, Isah Abubakar, expressed sorrow and described the incident as a grave national loss. “CSP Baba Ali served with dedication and integrity. His commitment to peace and security must be recognised and remembered,” Abubakar stated.
Abubakar urged the Federal Government to launch an impartial investigation, calling for cooperation among relevant agencies to reveal the circumstances of the officer’s death. He emphasised that the investigation must be transparent, keeping the victim’s family and the public informed at every stage. The NYCN president also demanded justice not only for CSP Baba Ali but for all Nigerians striving for safety and security. He called on the government to adopt measures that strengthen security forces and ensure better protection for officers on duty. “The death of CSP Baba Ali underscores the urgent need for united efforts against violence. Government must act decisively to prevent similar tragedies,” he added. (NAN)

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