The Commission held its regular weekly meeting today, Tuesday 25th March 2025. Among other issues, the meeting discussed the petition for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.

The process of recall is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 as well as the Commission’s detailed Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, available on our website. All petitions will be treated in strict compliance with the legal framework.

The petition from Kogi Central Senatorial District was accompanied by six bags of documents said to be signatures collected from over half of the 474,554 registered voters spread across 902 Polling Units in 57 Registration Areas (Wards) in the five Local Government Areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene. 

The Commission's immediate observation is that the representatives of the petitioners did not provide their contact address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address(es) in the covering letter forwarding the petition through which they can be contacted as provided in Clause 1(f) of our Regulations and Guidelines. The address given is "Okene, Kogi State", which is not a definite location for contacting the petitioners. Only the telephone number of "the lead petitioner" is provided as against the numbers of all the other representatives of the petitioners.

The Commission wishes to reiterate that the recall of a legislator is the prerogative of registered voters in a constituency who sign a petition indicating loss of confidence in the legislator representing them. Once the petition meets the requirements of submission, as contained in our regulations, the Commission shall commence the verification of the signatures in each Polling Unit in an open process restricted to registered voters that signed the petition only. The petitioners and the member whose recall is sought shall be at liberty to nominate agents to observe the verification, while interested observers and the media will also be accredited. At each Polling Unit, signatories to the petition shall be verified using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

Consequently, if the petitioners fully comply with the requirements of Clause 1(f) of the Regulations and Guidelines regarding the submission of their petition, the Commission will announce the next steps in line with the extant laws, regulations and guidelines. In the absence of a definite contact address, the Commission is making efforts to use other means to notify the representatives of the petitioners of the situation.

The Commission reassures the public that it will be guided by the legal framework for recall. The public should therefore discountenance any speculations and insinuations in the social media.

Sam Olumekun mni 

National Commissioner & Chairman

Information and Voter Education Committee 

The Kingdom of Bahrain has officially opened applications for its Golden Residency Visa in 2025, offering a pathway for foreign nationals to live and work in the country with enhanced privileges.

The move is part of Bahrain’s efforts to attract skilled professionals, investors, and long-term residents.

According to the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior, the Golden Residency Visa provides opportunities for various categories of individuals, including entrepreneurs, property owners, skilled workers, retirees, and foreign residents with strong ties to Bahrain.

Golden residency visa eligibility criteria

The Golden Residency Visa is available to a range of foreign nationals under specific conditions.

• Retirees must have a minimum monthly income of BD 4,000, while property owners must invest at least BD 200,000 in real estate.
• Skilled professionals, including academics, athletes, and entrepreneurs, may be eligible if nominated by a government agency. Additionally, long-term residents who have worked in Bahrain for five years with an average salary of BD 2,000 are eligible.
• Applicants must meet other requirements, including valid health insurance and medical checks confirming they are free from contagious diseases.

The application process requires submission of various documents, including proof of income, property ownership, or professional achievements, depending on the applicant’s category.

Work permit for golden residency visa holders

In addition to the residency visa, Golden Visa holders are also eligible to apply for a work permit in Bahrain. This work permit, which is issued by the Nationality, Passport, and Residence Affairs, allows holders to engage in employment while living in Bahrain.

• To obtain a work permit, applicants must meet certain conditions, such as holding a valid Golden Visa and ensuring that their commercial register has no offenses.
• The work permit process includes a few key requirements, such as submitting a termination form if the applicant’s current employment status is pending renewal. A work permit is valid for one year, with fees set at BD 172, covering both the work permit and basic health fees.

An additional BD 5 administrative fee is charged to the monthly invoice of the commercial register. The work permit application is processed within 10 working days.

Documents and application process

To apply for the Golden Residency Visa and work permit, applicants must provide various documents, including a valid passport, health insurance certificate, and proof of income or property ownership.

Retirees must also submit a pension statement, while entrepreneurs and talented professionals must provide certificates related to their achievements.

The Golden Residency Visa application costs BD 4, while the residency issuance fee is BD 300. Work permits, as mentioned, have their own set of fees and processing times, with applications typically completed in about 10 working days.

Service providers and additional support

The Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture is responsible for processing Golden Residency Visa and work permit applications. The Ministry offers an eService website for applicants to submit their applications and track progress.

Additional assistance is available through the Ministry’s Service Centers, providing guidance and support throughout the application process.

The introduction of the Golden Residency Visa, along with the associated work permit options, is expected to strengthen Bahrain’s position as a destination for foreign talent and investment. The initiative aligns with Bahrain’s broader goals of economic diversification and long-term growth.

[Nairametrics]

Nigerian music sensation David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido has declared that his type of wealth is not obtainable through investment but the blessings from God.

Davido who is the son of Nigerian billionaire businessman, Dr Deji Adeleke, made this claim in a video recently shared on social media.

In the Video, Davido was seen in Adelekes’ new luxurious jet with socialite Cubana Chief Priest.

Speaking in Pidgin English, Davido declared, “This type of wealth no be by investment, Na God gats bless you.”

In agreement with Davido, Cubana Chief Priest stated, “Inside private jets, private jets dey.”

[Leadership]

The Supreme Court has dismissed claims that Justice Emmanuel Agim accompanied the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to the recent convocation ceremony of the University of Calabar (UNICAL).

The clarification came after mixed reactions trailed a photo where Justice Agim was seated beside Wike, who was also honoured at the event.

Justice Agim read the recent lead judgement of the Supreme Court on the political crisis in Rivers State.

The February 28 judgement informed the declaration of the state of emergency in the state by President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking on the reactions that trailed pictures from the UNICAL convocation, the Supreme Court, in a statement issued on Monday by the Director of Information and Public Relations of the court, Dr Festus Akande, said Justice Agim attended the convocation as an honouree not as an escort of any government official.

The statement reads: “In light of the reports circulating on social media and other news platforms, we wish to clarify the circumstances surrounding the attendance of Hon. Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim of the Supreme Court of Nigeria at the convocation ceremony of the University of Calabar on Saturday, 22nd March 2025.

“It has come to our attention that misleading information has emerged, suggesting that Hon. Justice Emmanuel Agim accompanied the Hon. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, to the ceremony. We hereby dispel this false narrative.

“Hon. Justice Agim attended the convocation as an esteemed honouree and an alumnus of the institution, whom the Governing Council had found worthy to be conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Law (Doctor Honoris Causa).

“He was recognised for his significant contributions to the legal profession, which is a reflection of his commitment to justice, integrity, and the rule of law, serving as a model for aspiring legal professionals and students alike.

“Hon. Justice Agim was scheduled to attend the burial ceremony of Hon. Justice Stanley Alagoa alongside other Hon. Justices of the Supreme Court in Bayelsa State but sought permission to go for the convocation ceremony.

“We wish to emphasize that Justice Emmanuel Agim’s participation at the ceremony was independent and not as an official representative of any government ministry or department, let alone accompanying any serving or retired government official. Any insinuation to the contrary is not only inaccurate but undermines the judicial independence that is crucial to our democracy.

“We encourage the public and media to verify information through credible sources before sharing or publishing to prevent the spread of misinformation.”

[DailyTrust]

The organised labour has warned that it may be forced to take decisive action that could disrupt national economic activities if the state of emergency declared in Rivers State is not reversed within a reasonable timeframe.

The threat was issued in a statement jointly signed by the Rivers State chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Alex Agwanwor, state chairperson of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Ikechukwu Onyefuru and chairperson of the Joint Negotiation Council, JNC, Chuku Emecheta.

The labour unions raised concerns about the legality, economic impact and consequences of President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State.

They described the declaration of a state of emergency and the suspension of the elected governor, Siminalayi Fubara, deputy governor, Ngozi Odu and House of Assembly members as premature and baseless.

The union leaders insisted that the people of Rivers State freely elected these officials, and any attempt to remove them outside constitutional processes undermines democracy.

According to the labour leaders, such actions must be reversed to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic system.

They highlighted the immediate hardship the state of emergency has caused for local government workers, many of whom have yet to receive their salaries.

The statement noted that withholding workers’ wages has exposed them to avoidable economic suffering, particularly at a time when the cost of living is already high.

The organised labour warned that the state of emergency could have devastating economic consequences, emphasising Rivers State’s strategic importance to Nigeria’s economy and the Niger Delta region.

It said with the nation already grappling with inflation, naira devaluation, high exchange rates, rising unemployment and skyrocketing living costs, further instability in Rivers State could worsen the situation nationwide.

The statement also pointed out that the political uncertainty caused by the state of emergency has driven away potential investors who had expressed interest in the state’s economic initiative.

“This loss of investment is damaging the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) and will have long-term consequences for economic development and employment opportunities in the region.

“While we acknowledge the need for maintaining law and order, such actions must be carried out within the framework of the Nigerian Constitution. Suspending elected officials and allegedly disrupting salary payments for workers violate fundamental rights and could worsen security and economic challenges.

“Let the Federal Government prioritize the safety and welfare of citizens over political interests. Any governance approach that sacrifices workers’ well-being for political maneuvers would only heighten tensions and resistance,” organized labour said.

[DailyPost]

Veteran actor Jide Kosoko has shared intimate details about his polygamous marriage, revealing that he has lost three wives under different circumstances.

He is married to one wife and hoped that God will not allow him to lose her.

In an interview on the Honest Bunch podcast, Kosoko clarified that he did not have four wives at the same time, but rather married two, lost them, and then married another two.

He emphasised that he is not advocating for polygamy, acknowledging that not everyone can navigate its complexities as smoothly as he has.

The actor shared insights into how he manages his polygamous household, particularly when it comes to celebrating his children’s birthdays.

Kosoko explained that his children and their mothers understand when he is not financially buoyant to celebrate every birthday elaborately.

Instead, he prioritises showing love and care to all his children and wives in other ways.

Kosoko emphasised that he does not feel obligated to buy gifts for all his children simultaneously, stating that each child’s needs are addressed individually.

He said: “I lost three wives under different circumstances, I’m with one at the moment, God will not allow me lose her. I didn’t have four wives at the same time o! Don’t get it wrong because people are not getting it. I had two, I lost them. I married another two.

“I am not supporting polygamy. Not everybody can be this lucky. Do you know that in some polygamous homes, you have mothers with different children, and your own daughter’s or child’s birthday is tomorrow? Fortunately, we celebrated it elaborately. But when it comes to another child’s birthday, and I am not buoyant enough, my children and their mothers understand that with me.

“If it’s your birthday and I have money, I will do it. If your own comes when I don’t have money, that’s your fate. It’s a matter of luck with me. But you must have shown them that you love them all. You must have given them that love in other ways, so when it’s not coming at that material time, they will easily understand.

“Another one will tell me, ‘Daddy, anytime you get money, you still need to buy me something for my birthday.’ I will say, ‘By God’s grace, remind me.’ And when the money comes and they remind me, I give them what they ought to have gotten for their birthday.

“But don’t tell me that because I bought something for your co-wife’s son, I must also buy for your son. If you do so, you lose it. I won’t buy. That’s not the way I operate.”

[TheNation]

Five students of the Osun State University, UNIOSUN, Osogbo have been reportedly killed in a ghastly auto accident on the Ikire-Ibadan express road.

The accident involving a luxurious bus travelling from Ibadan and an 18-passenger bus from Osogbo had a head-on collision resulting in multiple fatalities including the five UNIOSUN students.

It was gathered that five other persons were killed in the unfortunate incident which occurred at Balogun Area of Ikire on Sunday, March 23, 2025

A statement released by the Institution’s Public Relations Officer, Ademola Adesoji, stated that reports from the Nigerian Police and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), that the accident was caused by the head-on collision of the two buses, leading to a severe impact that claimed the lives of several passengers.

“Our University Management, upon receiving this distressing news, swiftly dispatched a team to the scene to identify and support any of our students involved in the accident.

“Regrettably, we confirm the loss of the following students; Olagbemide Dotun, a 200-level student of Software Engineering, Suleiman Farouq, a 400-level student of Law, Ogundare Pelumi, a 300-level student of Public Health, Ogundare Elijah, a 100-level student of Mechanical Engineering and Olawuyi Mary, a 200-level student of Nursing.

“However, one of our students, Olagbemide Damilola, a 200-level student of Medicine and Surgery, survived the accident and is currently receiving medical attention.

“Osun State University is working closely with the relevant authorities to gather more details on the circumstances surrounding the accident. We are also providing necessary moral and logistical support to the bereaved families, including funeral arrangements for the deceased students.

“This tragic loss has deeply shaken our University community. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the deceased. We urge our students, staff, and the entire university community to remain calm and supportive during this difficult time”, he said.

As part of its golden jubilee, the University of Calabar is said to have held a special convocation ceremony on Saturday, 22 March, 2025 where it handed out honours to all manner of persons. The Chancellor of the University is Aminu Ado Bayero, the deposed Emir of Kano. Present at that event also were Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Nigeria’s most prolific political litigant; as well as Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, a senior Justice of the Supreme Court who delivered the leading decision in the recent judgment of that court concerning the withholding of the federal allocations of the Rivers State Government.

Images of the events in Calabar putting these major actors in contemporary politics of the Nigerian judiciary in close propinquity with one another have gone viral. In response, Festus Akande, Director of Information and Public Relations at the Supreme Court issued a public statement on Monday, 24 March, 2025, in which he felt compelled to claim that Emmanuel Agim attended the convocation “as an esteemed honouree and an alumnus of the institution, whom the Governing Council had found worthy to be conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Law (Doctor Honoris Causa). He was recognized for his significant contributions to the legal profession; which is a reflection of his commitment to justice, integrity, and the rule of law, serving as a model for aspiring legal professionals and students alike.”

Mr. Akande’s statement further claimed that “Emmanuel Agim’s participation at the ceremony was independent and not as an official representative of any government ministry or department, let alone accompanying any serving or retired government official”, before asserting that “any insinuation to the contrary is not only inaccurate but undermines the judicial independence that is crucial to our democracy.”

These claims are made in the name of the Supreme Court and in pursuit of high sounding goals of judicial independence and democracy.

The Supreme Court is a public institution embodying the highest judicial authority in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Judicial independence is a high constitutional principle ordained for the protection of judicial authority as a public trust. It is not a self-serving shibboleth.

In terms of Nigeria’s constitution, the source of democratic legitimacy resides in the people alone.

To leave Festus Akande’s claims uncontested or without a response, therefore, is to diminish the high authority of the Supreme Court, the service of the distinguished men and women who have laboured to give it its historically high standing in the public imagination until recently, and the high principles of judicial independence and democracy instituted for the protection of the peoples of Nigeria.

This statement is issued out of concern to stem the heedless hemorrhaging of the rarefied authority of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. In this spirit, it is essential to set the records straight, even if ever so briefly.

The Applicable Standards

The fact that Festus Akande considered it essential to issue the statement itself shows what something was wrong with that event in Calabar. In case he needs reminding, Lord Chief Justice Hewart laid down the applicable standard for judging judicial impartiality and independence in 1923 in R. v Sussex Justices, Ex Parte McCarthy, (1923) All ER 233, to the effect that: “Nothing is to be done which creates even a suspicion that there has been an improper interference with the course of justice.”

That event in Calabar was rich with pictures to support suspicions of improper interference with the cause of justice.

Rule 2.8 of the Revised Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers in Nigeria (2016) is very clear: “A Judge shall avoid developing excessively close relationship with frequent litigants – such as government ministers or their officials, municipal officials, police prosecutors in any Court where the Judge often sits, if such relationship could reasonably create an appearance of partiality.”

In Buhari vs. Independent National Electoral Commission & Ors (2008) LPELR-814(SC) at PP.145-146, Justice Niki Tobi of the Supreme Court admonished judges to “maintain a very big distance from politics and politicians” warning that:

“….the two professions do not meet and will never meet at all in our democracy in the discharge of their functions…. Their waters never meet in the same way Rivers Niger and Benue meet at the confluence near Lokoja. If they meet, the victim will be democracy most of the time, and that will be bad for sovereign Nigeria.”

In his memoirs, Faces, Cases and Places, published in 1983,(p.78), former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Atanda Fatayi Williams, said:

“In Nigeria, familiarity does not breed contempt. It breeds obligation. As a result, people with whom you are friendly expect you to bend the rules to suit their requirements. It pays in the end for a judge, even at the risk of being accused of being a snob or of haughtiness, to be somewhat aloof, not only from members of the Executive, but also from political powerbrokers.”

Neither Festus Akande not, indeed, Justice Emmanuel Agim as a Justice of the Supreme Court can pretend to be unaware that Nyesom Wike is the most prolific current political litigator in Nigeria. To justify public fraternizing with him by a Supreme Court Justice is to licensing the accessorizing of judicial officers for political purposes.

The Context: Nyesom Wike & Emmanuel Akomaye Agim

On the last day of February 2025, the Supreme Court delivered judgment in the consolidated appeals in SC/CV/1174A/2024 et al, Rivers State House of Assembly & Anor vs. The Government of Rivers State & 9 Ors. The case sought orders of the court to, among other things, require the Central Bank of Nigeria to withhold the federal allocations of the Government of Rivers State until the passage of a budget by a faction of the State House of Assembly. At the time, the question of the right of that faction of the State House of Assembly to function as such was the subject of litigation before lowers courts in FHC/PHC/CS/2024 Oko-Jumbo & 2 Ors vs. Martin Amaewhule & Ors (pending in the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt since April 2024).

The case seeking to withhold the federal allocations of Rivers State was un-related to this appeal. Delivering the judgment of the Supreme Court on 28 February, Emmanuel Akomaye Agim framed two issues for determination neither of which had anything to do with then issues pending before the Federal High Court. Yet, without an appeal from that case before it, the court purported to determine the issues then pending before the Federal High Court on the question of the defection of the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from the platform on which they were elected (the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC). Even though the issue of the defection of the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly did not arise in the appeal, the Supreme Court raised it by itself and shockingly decided a case that was still pending at the High Court.

This course of action has no precedent in Nigeria’s judicial history. It is the  first in the history of Nigeria that the Supreme Court will take over a case that is pending in the Federal High Court. Unsurprisingly, counsel to the 27 legislators promptly applied to the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt asking it to dismiss the case on the ground that it has become academic on the basis that the Supreme Court has decided the matter while it was still at the Federal High Court. The Port Harcourt judicial division of the Federal High Court will render its judgment on this application on 20 April, 2025.

The Context: Nyesom Wike and Aminu Ado Bayero

On 14 March, 2025, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja in Appeal No., CA/KN/27/M/2025, Alhaji Aliyu Babba Dan Sarki Dawaki Babba vs. Kano State House of Assembly & 7 Ors, granted a “Mandatory Injunction” (not a stay of execution) arresting the enforcement of the judgment of the same Court of Appeal on 10 January 2025 in Appeal No. CA/KN/126/2024, Kano State House of Assembly & Anor vs. Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan Agundi & Ors. The earlier judgment of the Court was delivered by a panel led by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, a Justice of Appeal since 22 June, 2018. The latter decision arresting that judgment was given by a panel led by Justice Okon Abang, a Justice of the Court of Appeal since 20 September 2023. Other members of the latter panel were Justice Eberechi Suzette Nyesom-Wike (Justice of the Court of Appeal since 10 July 2024) and Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi (Justice of the Court of Appeal since 10 July 2024). This panel of the Court of Appeal included the wife of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.

In terms of seniority in the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal, Justice Okon Abang is no. 6 out of 10; Justice Nyesom-Wike is No. 9; and Justice Oyewumi is the last. It is unprecedented for a panel this junior to be constituted to sit upon a decision of a much more senior panel of the Court of Appeal. It is equally notable that the President of the Court of Appeal has unilaterally moved this case to Abuja from Kano.

The subject matter of this appeal is a fundamental rights claim by a disaffected king-maker in respect of the stool of the Kano Emirate from which  Aminu Ado Bayero was deposed. The Court of Appeal in Kano had denied that claim, holding that the Federal High Court had no jurisdiction over essentially chieftaincy matters.

Following this decision, Aminu Ado Bayero, who is not a named party in the case, notified the security services in Kano of his intention to hold an Eid-El-Fitr Durbar at the end of the holy month of Ramadhan. I am reliably informed by sources within the Court of Appeal of plans by some people to procure an order of the same Court of Appeal on Tuesday, 25 March 2025 to enjoin the security authorities in Kano to ensure co-operation with and protection for the Durbar proposed by Aminu Ado Bayero.

Meanwhile, on Monday, 24 March 2025, the Supreme Court entered an appeal against the ruling of the Okon Abang-led Court of Appeal panel as Appeal No SC/CV/279/2025. This should ordinarily preclude the Court of Appeal from further engagement with the subject matter but these are no ordinary times and no one can say what could happen

The Optics

Aminu Ado Bayero, the Chancellor who conferred the honorary degree on the Minister of the FCT, is seeking to claim benefit of a curious, incongruous and improbable order of the Court of Appeal panel which included the wife of the Minister. As I write, the panel has yet to release the text of the reasoning on which it issued its orders.

Justice Emmanuel Agim is the author of a curious, incongruous, and inexplicably unprecedented decision of the Supreme Court in favour of satraps of the same Minister in the political contest in Rivers State.

This context makes the optics of that particular occasion in Calabar an awful advertisement for high subversion of the values of judicial independence and democracy, around whose flags Festus Akande sought to wrap his defense of the indefensible. Even worse, these facts create a credible perception of network transaction in judicial orders.

The 50th anniversary convocation of a university is not an emergency event. The parties who met in Calabar had to have had notice of that event long before the dates of the judgments or rulings in the cases in which their interests interlocked. There was ample time, if they desired, to make alternative arrangements. Their decision to proceed in the manner they did without any regard to the optics or possible damage to the standing of the judicial institutions serves neither judicial independence nor democracy. Instead, it showcases a peculiar brand of hubris and impunity at the desecration of those high constitutional values.

Odinkalu is a lawyer and a teacher. He can be reached at odinkalu@tufts.edu