The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has forecast sunshine and haziness across the country from Friday to Sunday.

NiMet also called on airline operators to get its airport-specific weather reports for effective planning.

In a weather outlook it released on Thursday in Abuja, NiMet envisaged sunny skies in hazy conditions on Friday over the northern region.

It predicted prospects of thunderstorm over parts of Taraba during the afternoon or evening hours.

“Sunny skies with patches of clouds are anticipated over the North Central region with prospects of isolated thunderstorms envisaged over parts of Kogi and Benue states.

“Cloudy skies with intervals of sunshine are anticipated over the southern region with prospects of morning thunderstorms over parts of Cross River, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.

“Later during the afternoon/evening hours, thunderstorms are expected over parts of Imo, Abia, Enugu, Anambra, Edo, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Lagos states.

“Moderate dust haze is anticipated over parts of Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Adamawa and Bauchi States on Saturday,” the statement read.

The agency anticipated the rest of the northern region to experience sunny skies in hazy conditions throughout the forecast period.

According to NIMET, sunny skies with patches of clouds are expected over the North Central region throughout the forecast period.

Cloudy skies with intervals of sunshine are anticipated over the southern region with prospects of afternoon/evening thunderstorms expected over parts of Ogun, Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Lagos states

The agency predicted moderate dust haze over the northern region on Sunday.

“Temperatures are high over most parts of the country, putting people at risk of heat stress; people should stay in well-ventilated and cool spaces,” the statement read.

The agency advised members of the public to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and avoid undue exposure to direct sunlight.

It also urged people with respiratory issues, especially in the northern parts of the country to be cautious of the weather condition and take necessary precautions.

[Punch]

The Supreme Court, on Friday, restored Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel, vacated the concurrent verdicts of the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal in Enugu, which sacked him from office.

In the lead judgement that was delivered by Justice Jamilu Tukur, the apex court held that the two lower courts were bereft of the jurisdiction to dabble into domestic affairs of a political party that was not justiciable.

Consequently, the Supreme Court panel affirmed the minority judgement of the appellate court which nullified the decision of the trial court on account of lack of jurisdiction.

More so, the apex court held that the plaintiff, Mr. Aniagu Emmanuel,whose suit led to Anyanwu’s removal from office, lacked the locus standi (legal right) to institute the action.

It held that the plaintiff failed to establish how he was affected by who occupied the office of the National Secretary of PDP.

The appellate court had in a judgement it delivered last December, upheld the High Court verdict that sacked Senator Anyanwu and recognized Chief Udeh-Okoye Enemchukwu as the authentic national scribe of the party.

In its lead judgement that was delivered by Justice Ridwan Abdullahi, the appellate court dismissed as incompetent and lacking in merit, Anyanwu’s bid to upturn the decision of the high court.

The court held that Anyanwu’s continued stay in office as National Secretary was in breach of PDP’s Constitution, having contested and emerged as the party’s candidate in the governorship election that held in Imo State last year.

However, dissatisfied with the concurrent judgements of the two courts, Anyanwu approached the Supreme Court to set them aside.

Aside from his substantive appeal, he equally filed a motion for accelerated hearing and for the abridgment of time within which the matter would be determined, citing the crucial role of the office of National Secretary in the affairs of the political party.

It will be recalled that both the Board of Trustees, BOT, and the National Working Committee, NWC, of the PDP, had earlier endorsed Chief Okoye as the National Secretary of the party, in line with the subsisting court judgements.

Anyanwu outrightly rejected the decisions, insisting that the position was the subject of a pending litigation.

Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has strongly criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, describing it as a dangerous precedent for Nigeria’s democracy.

In a statement released on Thursday, Kwankwaso expressed deep concern over the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and all elected state legislators, calling the move a clear overreach of executive power.

Reflecting on his experience in the 1992/93 National Assembly, Kwankwaso warned against repeating past mistakes, where lawmakers were preoccupied with internal power struggles instead of safeguarding democratic institutions.

“I have closely followed developments in Rivers State in the past two days, and my initial silence was informed by the desire to let the authorities and parties in the conflict do what is right,” he stated.

However, he said he was perturbed by Tinubu’s unilateral decision to remove elected officials from office, stressing that such an action violates the constitution and undermines democracy.

Kwankwaso accused the 10th National Assembly of failing to uphold democratic principles and acting as a rubber stamp for executive excesses.

“The legislature has the responsibility to hold the executive accountable, not always play to its tune. It is appalling to see this 10th Assembly become more of a rubber stamp than any of its predecessors,” he said.

He further condemned the manner in which the National Assembly approved the state of emergency, arguing that using a voice vote on such a critical issue lacked transparency and undermined due process.

The former Kano governor also called on the judiciary to uphold its independence, urging judges to resist external influence and deliver fair and just rulings.

“Our judiciary must wake up to its responsibility of calming nerves by delivering judgments devoid of any hint of external influence,” he said.

Kwankwaso warned that President Tinubu’s actions could set a dangerous precedent for opposition-led states, creating fear and uncertainty about federal interference.

“This proclamation and the subsequent pronouncements by the Attorney General of the Federation have now sent numerous people in opposition-led states into disarray. It sets a dangerous precedent for how the Head of State can tighten his grip on states that do not share the same political standing with the center,” he warned.

He also criticized the involvement of the military, stating that Tinubu, as a longtime advocate of democracy, should understand the dangers of reintroducing military influence into governance.

“For a politician who prides himself as a defender of democracy, drafting the military into a position of leadership is dangerous to the progress we have made in the past 26 years,” he noted.

He further reminded Tinubu of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s efforts to keep the military confined to their barracks, warning that reversing this trend could have long-term consequences.

Kwankwaso concluded by urging the federal government to reconsider its actions, emphasizing that the political situation in Rivers did not warrant such drastic measures.

“I am of the view that the political situation on the ground in Rivers does not justify such a flawed interpretation of Section 305(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

“This action constitutes an unconstitutional overreach, and if unchecked, it could foster a culture of impunity,” he warned.

[DailyTrust]