The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has lashed out at the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio over his submission that he gets excited when he makes laws that the opposition opposes.

Recall that Akpabio, while speaking at a reception for President Bola Tinubu’s wife, Remi Tinubu, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Saturday, dismissed the opposition’s objections to the Electoral Act 2026, insisting that he had acted correctly.

Akpabio said whenever the Senate made a law and the opposition frowned, he got excited that he had done the right thing.

Responding to a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Sunday, the ADC stated that Akpabio’s statement shows that the Electoral Act was designed to make the ruling party and President Bola Tinubu happy.

Abdullahi condemned provisions of the law which it said were designed to protect dishonesty, weaken opposition parties, and erode public confidence in the nation’s democracy.

According to him, the Senate President should anticipate harsh judgment from history for his role in imposing the 2026 Electoral Act on Nigerians, particularly the provision that removed certificate forgery as a valid ground for challenging election results.

“The African Democratic Congress has taken note of the recent comments credited to the Senate President, His Excellency Godswill Akpabio, in which he dismissed the opposition’s complaints about the 2026 Electoral Act as evidence that he and the Senate he leads have made the right laws.

“In other words, if the laws had been agreeable to the opposition and did not elicit any complaint, those would have been the wrong laws.

“The embedded logic of this statement exposes the subterfuge behind the entire business of the Electoral Amendment. It was all designed to make the ruling party and the President happy,” the ADC said.

By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

The Labour Party State Chairmen Forum on Monday called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reject a memo purportedly written by the Caretaker Committee of the party seeking to hold a fresh Congress of the party as from March 26, 2026.

According to the party’s Spokesman, Obiora Ifoh, the memo to INEC has not complied with the constitution of the party and other laws of the land.

The LP State Chairmen forum comprises all the state chairmen of the party elected in Congresses carried out on December 6, 2025.

The Forum also called on the electoral commission to sanction Senator Nenadi Usman and her group.

Recall that INEC had refused Senator Nenadi’s request to hold congresses while also warning that the Caretaker Committee cannot act on behalf of the Party.

In a statement, Ifoh restated that the party had earlier told Nigerians that Senator Nenadi was never a member of the party.

“Her ignorance of the party constitution and the naivety so far displayed in all her correspondences to INEC offer a justification.

“For instance, it is only the NEC who is empowered by the party constitution to fix date, time and make rules for the conduct of congresses.

“Secondly, State, Local Government and Ward executives have four years tenure. Notice for another congresses cannot be valid under the Labour Party Constitution when the tenure of those elected in December 2025 still subsists. This was the kernel of INEC letter to her dated 16th of February 2025.

“The state chairmen forum has therefore urged INEC to consider designating an officer from the commission to run the Labour Party.

“It is therefore on this note that we insist that the attempt by Senator Usman to initiate a new memo to INEC written on March 3rd, notifying the commission of its intention to hold a fresh congress was an action dead on arrival.

“This is because INEC in their letter dated 16th of February has denied knowledge of any NEC by the Caretaker Committee convened for the sake of dissolution or electing a new executive.

“It is not only unlawful but also an aberration that a caretaker committee will seek to summarily dismiss a duly elected executives of a political party and in turn unilaterally appoint a caretaker committee in their stead.

“Nigeria is not a lawless nation. In the Labour Party constitution, tenure of elected officers is sacrosanct and guaranteed and there is no provision granting a caretaker committee the powers to dissolve elected party structure across the federation.

“Be that as it may, it is also on record that the Labour Party leadership has appealed the Federal High Court procured judgement.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has commended Nigeria for securing the hosting rights for the fifth edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair 2027, describing the development as a major milestone for the country and the African continent.

Obasanjo, gave the commendation on Monday, at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Arts and Culture, at the signing of the host country agreement for the event in Lagos.

The fair will be held from Nov.

The initiative sought to reduce the export of raw materials, promote global equity in trade relations and increase Africa’s self-sufficiency and self-reliance

The former president, expressing optimism, stressed that the event would bring together African governments, businesses and investors to promote trade, investment and economic cooperation across the continent.

Obasanjo noted that hosting the fair in Lagos presented a historic significance because the city had been hosting landmark economic agreements aimed at strengthening Africa’s development.

“Bringing IATF 2027 to Lagos has historic relevance because this is where African leaders signed the Lagos Plan of Action for the economic development of Africa.

“The initiative will geometrically reduce the export of raw materials, promote global equity in trade relations and increase Africa’s self-sufficiency and self-reliance,” Obasanjo said.

He congratulated President Bola Tinubu, and Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for their roles in securing Nigeria’s successful bid to host the trade fair.

Obasanjo further commended the collective efforts of the public and private sectors in ensuring that Nigeria emerged as host of the continental event.

“On behalf of the advisory council, I convey profound congratulations to President Bola Tinubu, the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, and the Governor of Lagos State.

“Their unwavering dedication and collective efforts of the Nigerian government and private sector were instrumental in securing Nigeria’s successful bid to host the fifth edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair.” he said.

The former president, who chairs the advisory council for the event, reaffirmed the council’s commitment to working with partners and the host country to ensure the successful organisation of the fair.

According to him, the fair will serve as a platform to elevate Africa’s trade standards and support the continent’s economic transformation.

“It is imperative that through the IATF, we endeavour to elevate our standards and achievements as we advance our development aspirations.” he said.

Obasanjo said that the initiative aligned with the vision of the African Union and its long-term development blueprint, Agenda 2063, which aimed to foster continental integration and create a unified African market.

He expressed optimism that the 2027 edition of the trade fair would surpass previous editions in scope and impact.

“I am confident that IATF 2027 will surpass all previous editions in both scale and impact.

“It will be a continental event of global significance and an important instrument for achieving the Africa we want,” Obasanjo said.

The former president also stressed the importance of thorough planning to ensure the success of the event.

“We must work hard and plan well to keep moving toward the Africa we want.

“The Intra-African Trade Fair is one of the key instruments for achieving our continental development objectives.” he added.