The Federal Government on Monday approved the 2025 budget proposal.

This follows the Senate’s endorsement of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework 2025 – 2027 on November 22.

President Bola Tinubu will present the proposed N47.96tn budget to the joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday. The exercise, earlier slated for Tuesday (today), was postponed to allow the executive arm to make final adjustments to the budget.

A top management official of the National Assembly confirmed the postponement on Monday, which was further corroborated by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Sabi Abdullahi.

Speaking to Senate Press Corps journalists on Monday, Abdullahi said, “The budget presentation has been postponed from Tuesday to Wednesday. The executive just needs to make one or two adjustments to the budget.”

Previously, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had announced during a plenary session that the President would present the budget on Tuesday at the House of Representatives chamber.

Akpabio added that plenary would begin at 10:30am to allow senators convene in the Red Chamber before proceeding in a procession to the House chamber for the presentation.

The forthcoming budget presentation is expected to align with the fiscal strategies outlined in these documents.

The revised schedule underscores the importance of ensuring all necessary refinements are made to the budget before it is formally presented to the legislature.

The budget size remains N47.96tn as the MTEF proposed, with new borrowings of N9.22tn, the Minister of the Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, told journalists after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

The council approved the MTEF and Fiscal Strategy Paper on November 14, 2024. The MTEF, a critical tool the FG uses to outline its fiscal strategy over three years, establishes macroeconomic assumptions and targets that guide national budgeting. It also includes projections of key economic variables such as oil prices, exchange rates, inflation and growth rates.

For the 2025-2027 period, the MTEF sets out parameters, including an oil price benchmark of $75 per barrel, an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day, an exchange rate of N1,400 to the US dollar, and a GDP growth rate of 4.6 per cent. Its projected aggregate expenditure for 2025 is N47.96tn, with planned borrowing of N13.8tn, equating to 3.87 per cent of GDP.

On Monday, Bagudu announced, “Today, the Federal Executive Council approved the budget proposals 2025 with amendments which Mr President directed following a presentation to the Federal Executive Council led by the Director-General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu.

“The 2025 framework is based on an oil price benchmark of $75 per barrel. Oil production of 2.06 million barrels per day; exchange rate of N1,400 (to the dollar). All these are already included in the medium-term expenditure framework we have presented here, which has also been approved by the National Assembly.

“So, the total projected revenue for 2025 stands at N34.82tn, out of which the expenditure is projected at N47.96tn, an increase of 36.8 per cent from the 2024 estimate. The deficit for 2025 is projected at N13.13tn, representing 3.89 per cent of GDP.”

He explained that comments were taken from council members and the President directed “some consequential adjustments while approving the figures.”

The disclosure comes after weeks of delay, even as President Bola Tinubu is yet to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly. The President presented the 2024 budget on December 1, 2023.

Although Tinubu had, last week, informed the National Assembly of his intent to present the 2025 budget proposal on Tuesday, the council hinted at plans to shift the presentation to Wednesday, December 18.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, told State House Correspondents that the National Assembly and the Executive are currently engaged in discussions and may postpone the budget presentation.

“The Executive and the National Assembly are currently engaged in discussions which may culminate in the shifting of the budget presentation to the federal lawmakers to Wednesday,” he said.

While Bagudu earlier argued that the FG would maintain the January-December budget implementation cycle, he later explained that the late signing of the budget would not disrupt the cycle.

He said the process would be seamless given that the Senate has approved the MTEF, which clarifies the budget size and its underlying assumptions.

He further noted that during the presentation of the 2024 budget, the President urged the National Assembly to carry out their oversight responsibilities diligently and scrutinise all executive proposals. In his 2024 budget speech, the President also directed ministries, departments, agencies, and particularly ministers to respect the role of the National Assembly.

The former Kebbi State Governor said this dynamic has helped bridge gaps between the executive and legislative branches as continuous engagement builds confidence and ensures transparency in the budget’s implementation.

“That, I believe, has helped improve confidence between the executive and the legislature to the extent that Mister President is determined to present the budget within 48 hours.

“It may be tough, but given all those confidence-building measures, we can’t pre-judge the National Assembly. But we believe that the National Assembly will expeditiously consider, given the track record, confidence and appreciation of the relationship with the executive, particularly with Mr President.

“However, I need to say here that our constitution has always anticipated that even if a budget is not passed by December 31, the executive can continue to incur expenditure, operate and spend money. It’s one of the ingenuities of Nigeria’s Constitution. So, while we hope that the budget will be signed, spending will be impaired because the Constitution anticipates that it could be the case that the budget may not be passed before the end of the year,” Bagudu explained.

He insisted that the country can meet and surpass the 2.06 million barrels-per-day crude oil production target in the MTEF.

“Is it achievable? I think that’s very achievable because we have done it before. Our national planning considerations were that by this time, we should have more than 3 million (barrels per day). And if you recall, NNPC has reported significant findings even outside the traditional areas of production, such as Kolmani and Nasarawa state, among others.

“So this is not too ambitious, but Mr President accepted it and is going to hold people accountable for these numbers,” Bagudu clarified.

On the 2024 budget performance, he said, “The 2024 budget has a revenue estimate of N25.8tn as of September 30, 2024 revenue inflows amount to N14.55tn, 75 per cent of the pro-rated amount. I’m sure it’s higher now because, given that this is as of September 30, driven by a robust performance in the non-oil revenue stream and the courageous deregulation of the petroleum sector, so the nation is no longer bleeding.

“On the expenditure side, the 2024 budget forecasted an expenditure of N21tn, with N8.9tn allotted to debt service, N4.2tn on personnel and N5.86tn was released for capital expenditure, of which MDAs utilised 51 per cent for projects.”

Bagudu said budget performance on debt service is 100 per cent.

“We are not defaulting. Part of what Mr President, led by the coordinating minister of the economy, convinced the investing public and the creditors that we would never default on our obligations, including the challenging non-recourse to Ways and Means beyond the legal limits.

“Equally, the performance on personnel and pension is about 100 per cent and the capital performance is about 51 per cent,” the minister said.

[Punch]

A new dawn may be in the horizon for Nigeria-South Africa relations. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, during her closing remarks at the ministerial session of the 11th Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission in Cape Town, South Africa, requested for South Africa’s support for Nigeria’s bid to attain full membership in the G20 – the grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, BRICS, and the New Development Bank – a multilateral development bank established by the BRICS states. Nigeria is also seeking South Africa’s support for leadership roles in thematic discussions of interest under South Africa’s G20 presidency, which officially began on December 1, 2024. 

The G20 or Group of 20, founded in 1999, is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 sovereign countries, the European Union, EU, and the African Union, which works to address major issues related to the global economy. The sovereign states of the G20 alone (excluding the EU and AU) account for around 85 per cent of gross world product, GWP, 75 per cent of international trade, 56 per cent of the global population, and 60 per cent of the world’s land area. When the EU and the AU are included, the G20 comprises 78.9 per cent of global population and 83.9 per cent of global CO2 emissions from fossil energy.

BRICS, formerly called BRIC, until South Africa was included in the group in 2010, is an intergovernmental organisation currently made up of nine countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. It is now more popularly known as BRICS+ after the admission of new members during its 15th summit in August 2023.  BRICS institutions are considered an alternative to institutions such as those led by nations of the G7 bloc. Combined, the BRICS members encompass about 30 per cent of the world’s land surface and 45 per cent of the world’s population. All the five members (before the August 2023 expansion), are members of the G20, with a combined nominal GDP of US$28 trillion (about 27per cent of the gross world product), a total GDP (PPP) of around US$65 trillion (35per cent of global GDP PPP), and an estimated US$5.2 trillion in combined foreign reserves. 

As the only African member of both the G20, and the BRICS (until the August 2023 expansion which brought in Ethiopia and Egypt), membership in these groups give South Africa tremendous visibility at the tables where some of the most important global economic decisions are taken. South Africa also successfully hosted the World CUP in 2010 and equally successfully hosted the 15 BRICS summit in August 2023.  In the same 2023, South Africa led a high-powered African delegation that included Egypt, Senegal, Congo-Brazzaville, Comoros, Zambia, and Uganda and met both Presidents Zelensky of Ukraine and Putin of Russia with a 10-point proposal to end the Russo-Ukraine war.

Though the delegation received lukewarm reception from both the Ukrainian and Russian Presidents, it was probably the first time that Africans had the confidence to try to broker peace for warring European nations.  The effort alone was an indication that South Africa is becoming a major player not just in economic affairs (as indicated by its membership of both the G-20 and BRICS) but also in the political arena.

Perhaps because of the above, there has been a sort of Cold War between Nigeria and South Africa since the end of Apartheid in South Africa in 1994. Elsewhere I called the attitude of some Nigerians to South Africa’s economic and political successes as ‘South African envy’.  Such Nigerians wrongly see South Africa as usurping the roles that should belong to their country. This sense of entitlement comes to the fore very often when Nigerian leaders speak. Nigerian leaders also never fail to remind anyone who cares to listen of the country’s contributions towards the end of the Apartheid regime in South Africa, forgetting that in international relations, the respect a country commands is not dependent on its past benevolence but on the current leverages it brings to the table.  

Besides a certain entitlement for its contributions in the fight against Apartheid in South Africa, Nigerians often boast of their population and mineral resources. For instance, in responding to the disparaging remarks against Nigeria by Kemi Badenoch, the leader of Britain’s Conservative party, whose parents are Nigerians, Vice President Shettima boasted that “the greatest Black nation on earth is the nation called Nigeria.”.  He further boasted:  “One out of every three, four Black men is a Nigerian and by 2050, Nigeria will surpass the United States, and will be the third most populous nation on earth.” 

Unfortunately many Nigerians – like VP Shettima – seem to wrongly believe that having a big population, on its own, is necessarily evidence of global power. It is not. What, if one may ask, was the population of Britain at the time when it had the British empire from 1583 – 1997? The British Empire governed over 458 million people which was about 20 per cent of the world’s population and controlled 33,670 square kilometres which covered over 25 per cent of the Earth’s land area.

Remarkably the UK’s population at that time was a mere 43 million people. Have we ever heard China, with a population of 1.411 billion people (as of 2023) or India with a population of 1.429 (as of 2023), boasting of its population? It is the same  sense of entitlement when we boast of our natural resources, essentially our oil and gas resources, forgetting that these, on their own, cannot make any country great and therefore cannot be a valid metric for our sense of entitlement. In any case almost every other African country is now also an oil-producing country. 

In essence, when Nigeria requested for South Africa’s assistance for its bid to attain full membership in the G20, BRICS, and the BRICS’ New Development Bank, and for it to be given leadership roles in thematic discussions of interest under South Africa’s G20 presidency, it is literally coming down from its high horse. By implicitly accepting South Africa’s leadership role in the continent, it makes it easier for collaboration between the two countries. And there is nothing to be ashamed of about it. America was a British colony and fought a bitter war of independence from Britain from April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783. Today, Britain and the US are very close allies, with Britain accepting American leadership in recognition of the current realities and global configuration of power. If Britain had clung to the fact that America was once its colony and therefore deserved to be respected as the leader, that collaboration and alliance wouldn’t have been possible.

Perhaps the new tacit acceptance of South African leadership by Nigeria paved the way for the remarkably conciliatory speech by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, on the occasion of the South Africa-Nigeria Bi-National Commission on December 3 2024. In his speech, he signalled a willingness to work with Nigeria as partners and even acknowledged the role Nigeria played during the country’s struggle against Apartheid.

“We are two countries united in purpose and vision. We will remain forever grateful to Nigeria for its leading role in the international campaign to end apartheid in South Africa,” he said, and declared that he looked forward to seeing more Nigerian companies investing in South Africa, while announcing a simplified visa process for Nigerian business people to travel to South Africa. Under the simplified visa process, qualified Nigerian business people can be granted a five-year multiple entry visa. Additionally, tourists from Nigeria will be able to apply for a visa without submitting a passport. 

South Africa will also benefit from an improved cooperation with Nigeria. There are over 100 South African businesses in Nigeria, with the leading ones being MTN Group, Shoprite, Multichoice, Standard Bank, Remgro, Pick ‘n Pay Holdings, Clover Industries and Naspers. In contrast there are less than ten registered Nigerian companies in South Africa – not counting churches. Six Nigerian companies invested at least $142m in South Africa between 2008 and 2020, with the Dangote Group and GZI accounting for the lion’s share of the investment. In 2021, Nigeria’s Access Bank acquired South Africa’s Grobank for $60m. 

The Nigerian fintech company, Paystack, and airline, Air Peace, also have imprints in the South African business environment. Several Nigerian businesses have, however, experienced little success in South Africa. Companies in this category include Thisday Group, Arik Air, and Bellview Airlines. Similarly, a raft of South African businesses has in recent years exited Nigeria – from popular supermarket chain, Shoprite Holdings, to the less-known Nampak, Africa’s biggest packaging company. A closer relationship will help the two countries to work around these challenges, including communal level issues affecting Nigerians living in South Africa which has led to episodic attacks in the country against African migrants. 

The bilateral trade between Nigeria and South Africa has also been growing and reached $1.6bn in 2006, up from $16.5m in 1999. Nigeria accounts for over 60% of South Africa’s trade in West Africa, and as of 2020, trade between both countries stood at $2.9bn – with the balance of trade tilting in favour of Nigeria which mostly exports oil to the country. In 2021 Nigerian exports were valued at $2.23bn (mostly from exporting oil products) while South African exports stood at $569m.  Improved relations between the two countries will further boost bilateral trade. 

The crucial question now is whether the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission, will now walk the talk?

It is important to emphasize that just as talents are not evenly distributed in any federation, there is also ‘ethnic socialisation’’ by people who operate from the other side of the moral divide. For instance when we mention drug dealing, credit card fraud, ‘Yahoo Yahoo’, religious fundamentalism, prostitution abroad or militancy, accusing fingers would be pointing in different ethnic directions. This means that despite what the Internet Warriors would want us to believe, no ethnic group should pretend to occupy the moral high-ground or feel better or worse than others.

Seven, while living in Europe I saw myself as an Africanist, and used my publishing firm and my writings to challenge theories or innuendos that maligned Africa or ruled out development and democratic possibilities for the continent. However, as I get older, I tell people that I am no longer an Africanist but a humanist. This is because with age and experience one realises that every race, ethnic group, community and even kindred, is an embodiment of the good, the bad and the really horrible.  As the American writer and historian, James Tuslow Adams, would put it:  “There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it ill behoves any of us to find fault with the rest of us.”

*Jideofor Adibe is Professor of Political Science at Nasarawa State University, Keffi.

The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc will utilise the net proceeds of its ongoing N239.4 billion Rights Issue to invest in additional digital technologies and business expansions that will strengthen the bank’s seven and half decades of impressive performance.

UBA is offering 6.84 billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each to existing shareholders at N35 per share. The rights issue is pre-allotted on the basis of one new ordinary share of 50 kobo each to every five ordinary shares held as at November 05, 2024. The rights issue is scheduled to close on December 24, 2024.

Group Chairman of UBA, Mr. Tony Elumelu, said the primary objective of the ongoing Rights Issue is to strengthen the bank’s position as a pan-African banking industry leader and a highly rewarding institution for all stakeholders.

He said the group decided on the rights issue to ensure that shareholders continue to derive undiluted benefits from a stronger, more innovative and resilient pan-African banking group.

UBA had delivered 375 per cent capital gains to investors in nearly five years, outperforming the average returns at the Nigerian stock market and the entire financial services sector. The bank also holds the distinction of highest dividend payout by any bank and one of the three highest yields in the entire stock market with its interim dividend payout of N2 per share.

Retail shareholders have already expressed supports for the ongoing rights issue, citing the bank’s historical financial performance and investors’ friendly disposition.

Elumelu said the Rights Issue would enable the bank to drive organic expansion and business growth within and outside Nigeria, while strengthening its international operations. UBA recently signed agreement to commence full banking operations in France.

[Vanguard]

Ademola Lookman, Super Eagles winger, says his success as the 2024 CAF men’s player of the year came after he “failed in front of the world” four years prior. 

Lookman spoke after receiving the award as the best African male footballer of 2024 in Marrakech, Morocco, on Monday.

The 27-year-old finished ahead of Achraf Hakimi, Simon Adingra, Ronwen Williams and Serhou Guirassy to win the coveted individual prize for male African footballers.

He followed in the footsteps of Victor Osimhen, who won the award in 2023.

Speaking at the ceremony, Lookman referenced his failure to convert a penalty for Everton in November 2020.

Lookman had the opportunity to earn a point for Fulham in their English Premier League (EPL) match against West Ham United. Instead, he failed to execute a Panenka penalty kick easily saved by Lukasz Fabianski as West Ham won 1-0.

The penalty attempt earned him mockery on social media, and Scott Parker, Fulham’s manager, ripped into the player in public.

“Just over four years ago I failed in front of the world. Fast forward four years, I’m the best player in Africa,” Lookman said after receiving the award.

“I want to say to the young children and people watching this: don’t let your failures weigh you down that they break your wings. Matter of fact, turn your pain into your power and continue to fight.

“Firstly. I want to thank the Almighty God for everything he has been doing in my life, and everything he has been blessing me with.

“I want to thank the president, I want to thank all my teammates- club and country. I want to thank them for all their support and love that they gave me.”

“This award today is a blessing to me, to my family, to my nation, and to be recognized as the best player in Africa. It’s something incredible and I’m extremely proud of.”

Lookman left Fulham after that season for RB Salzburg in Germany, where he continued to flap his wings before taking flight following his move to Atalanta in the summer of 2022.

[TheCable]

The Women in Rotary, Enugu State, recently organized a life-changing empowerment programme for widows, reinforcing their commitment to uplifting vulnerable women in the community. The initiative, part of the broader Rotary Club District 9142 Widows Empowerment Initiative, was championed by Rotarian Trish Ezeh, the Enugu Representative of Women in Rotary, alongside other distinguished women in Rotary.

Held in Enugu, the programme aimed to provide widows with financial grants to start petty trading, equipping them with the resources needed to regain economic stability and confidence. Speaking during the event, Trish Ezeh emphasized the importance of the initiative, describing it as a means to address the struggles faced by widows and create a sustainable path for their empowerment.

“We specifically targeted the poorest of the poor in our communities. Our goal is to not only empower these women but also create a ripple effect that benefits their families and communities,” Ezeh explained. She added that the beneficiaries’ progress would be closely monitored, with plans for further assistance if necessary.

Ezeh lauded the collective efforts of Rotarians, families, and friends who contributed to the initiative. “Everything we’ve provided today is a result of Rotarians and generous supporters who believe in the transformative power of giving,” she said.

The event also featured an inspiring address by Rotarian Ijeoma Akuegbu-Sunday, the District Chair of Women in Rotary. She shared her personal motivation for starting the project, drawing from her mother’s experiences as a widow. “I understand the struggles widows face, and I believe no widow should ever lack as long as we are here to help,” she said.

Beneficiaries of the programme expressed deep gratitude for the initiative, which provided them with cash grants. Speaking on behalf of the group, Mrs. Modesta Ogbodo said, “This support has given us hope and inspired us to work harder. It’s more than just financial aid; it’s a testament to the kindness and empathy of Rotary members.”

She pledged that the grants would be used wisely to grow businesses and contribute to their families and communities.

The Women in Rotary, Enugu State, reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to empowering disadvantaged groups, expressing hope that this initiative would leave a lasting legacy and inspire similar efforts in the future.

The immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yayaha Bello, has threatened to institute legal proceedings against an online medium that published report linking him to an attack on President Bola Tinubu.

Bello who spoke through the Director, Media office of the former governor, Ohiare Michael, on Monday described the publication as not only a mischievous but absolutely senseless report.

The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to a not only mischievous but senseless report published by a mushroom blog called Daily Excessive, which attributed fake quotes against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to our principal, the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

“Ordinarily, we would not have even bothered to give this any attention, because no informed Nigerian would take such a ridiculous story, written by a sick mind, seriously, especially since court records are public documents.

“This clarification is, however, necessary for the record and for the benefit of social media users who circulate fake news without fact-checking the details.”

He said that the report, which is part of the desperate plot by irresponsible politicians to strain the relationship between the President and the former governor is the most laughable twist in their failed bid to execute their bring-him-down-at-all-costs mirage.

“The Media Office of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, hereby states that the report in circulation by one Daily Excessive blog, which quoted the former governor to have said that he would reveal to the world how President Tinubu became President is not only misleading but also a confirmation of how unintelligent some unrelenting detractors of the former governor are.

“Every Nigerian following court proceedings, since the former governor submitted himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, knows that trial has not commenced in any of the cases. Former Governor Bello has only taken his plea at both courts.

“The court is an open place where journalists and other stakeholders monitor proceedings. This is the reason no informed Nigerian would even consider opening this sick report by an ‘Excessive fake news purveyor’ called Daily Excessive. But a ‘conquered’ mind is a sick mind, so we understand the plight of these mischief makers,” the statement added.

Bello further reiterated his support for Tinubu, and his party, the All Progressives Congress.

[OpinionNigeria]

The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brig. Gen. Yushau Ahmed Dogara has reiterated the scheme’s zero-tolerance policy for protests and indiscipline among serving corps members.

Dogara, who handed down the warning during a working visit to the temporary orientation camp in Kaduna, said, in the last three months, several corps members have attempted to protest, resulting in disciplinary actions against them.

He reminded corps members that the scheme’s bylaws clearly outline the consequences of indiscipline, and corps members are expected to adhere to these rules.

“In NYSC, just like in the Army and the Police, we don’t allow protest because we are disciplined and law-abiding. So whenever anybody wants to deceive you, go back and read your bylaws.

“In the last three months, we have a few corps members who are indiscipline. They attempted to protest. So, we are keeping them behind due to their act of indiscipline”, he said.

He expressed concerns over the safety of corps members, particularly with regard to night journeys, warning that most night journeys are hazardous and have resulted in accidents and kidnappings.

According to him, the scheme has lost several corps members to night journeys, and it is essential to take proactive measures to prevent such incidents, urging corps members to desist from night journeys and prioritize their safety.

“My concern has been these incessant night journeys that have claimed so many lives. Sometimes they are involved in accidents and some other times kidnapping and we never recover them.

“One of my top agenda is the security and welfare of corps members which is why anywhere I go, I must stress these two issues”, the DG added.

On corps members allowance, he announced that the government has agreed to double the monthly allowance from N33,000 to N77,000.

The increase is expected to reflect in the corps members’ allowances soon, pending the completion of necessary processes, especially the cash backing, he assured.

“I need to tell you that whenever the government increase salary, we in the NYSC approach the government for increment in corps members allowances and there was never a time the government did not respond to us.

“This time, the government has agreed to double the amount from N33,000 to N77,000. We are only waiting for cash back because other processes have been communicated to us”, he confirmed.

The Supreme Court has imposed a N5 million fine on a former presidential candidate, Ambrose Owuru, for harassing President Bola Tinubu with frivolous and vexatious suits.

Owuru, who contested the 2019 presidential election against former President Muhammadu Buhari on the platform of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP), was ordered to pay N5 million to Tinubu.

Justice Uwani Musa Aba-Aji issued the order against the former presidential candidate while dismissing his fresh suit praying for the removal of Tinubu as Nigeria’s president.

Apart from the N5 million fine, the apex court ordered its Registry not to accept any frivolous suit-originating summons from Owuru again.

At the day’s proceedings, Owuru, who claimed to be a lawyer called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984, sought to argue his case wearing his wig and gown.

He was ordered out of the Bar and directed to remove his wig and gown before he could be allowed to argue his case.

Upon complying with the orders, Owuru was asked why he came before the court again, having had his suits dismissed three times.

Although he tried unsuccessfully to convince the Apex Court to grant him adequate audience, his explanations were rejected as unconvincing.

Following his recalcitrance, the court threatened to refer him to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee LPDC.

Justice Aba-Aji ruled that Owuru’s conduct was unbecoming of a lawyer of over 40 years, as he claimed to be.

In the end, the Court dismissed his suit and ordered him to pay Tinubu N5 million.

The court lambasted him for taking the Supreme Court for a ride, wasting its precious time with baseless suits and grossly abusing court processes.

Before the suit was thrown out, Bode Olanipekun SAN who appeared for President Tinubu had drawn the attention of the court to several cases of Owuru that were dismissed on account of frivolity.

He added that the direction of the fresh suit could not be understood because of the poor ways and manners it was couched by the applicant.

Olanipekun SAN also said that it was difficult for him to apologize to the court on behalf of Owuru because the conduct of the applicant had become something unbearable in the practice of the law profession.

In his own response, a professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Taiwo Osipitan assured that the conduct of the former presidential candidate would be referred to the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA.

The Court of Appeal had previously imposed a fine of N40 million on Owuru, to be paid to Tinubu, INEC, and others, for filing a suit against them.

The new suit prayed the Apex Court to sack Tinubu on two major grounds: alleged non-qualification to hold office as Nigeria’s President and alleged usurpation of the office in contravention of the law.

Defendants in the suit were former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Tinubu as 1st to 4th defendants, respectively.

He claimed that his suit at the Supreme Court, which would have removed Buhari from office, was technically jettisoned by the Apex Court due to a mix-up in hearing dates.

He also prayed the Apex Court to disqualify Tinubu on account of the forfeiture of $460,000 to the United States of America over an alleged drug trafficking-related offence.

Besides the alleged forfeiture, Owuru accused Tinubu of being an active agent of the CIA, a position he claimed disqualified Tinubu from holding the office of President of Nigeria.

Specifically, Owuru prayed the Supreme Court to invoke Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution to remove Tinubu from office on the grounds of being under the control of foreign authorities.

He also asked the Supreme Court to declare him Nigeria’s President and order his immediate inauguration to reclaim his alleged usurped mandate.

[TheNation]

The N47.9tn 2025 budget presentation to the joint session of the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, earlier fixed for Tuesday, December 17, has been shifted to Wednesday, December 18.

Our correspondent in the Senate authoritatively gathered from top management staff of the National Assembly.

The insider source said an official statement on the postponement should be issued within the next few hours.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had, during the announcement at the Thursday plenary, announced that President Tinubu will present the 2025 budget on Tuesday.

He said, “The president has made his intention known to the National Assembly to present the 2025 budget to the joint Assembly of the National Assembly on the 17th of December, 2024.”

Akpabio announced that the budget presentation will occur at the House of Representatives Chamber.

He further informed the lawmakers that plenary will be at 10:30 am to allow senators to meet in the Red Chamber before moving in procession to the House of Representatives chamber where the budget will be presented.

Tinubu had last month submitted the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for 2025–2027 to both the Senate and the House of Representatives last Tuesday.

[Punch]