The Rivers State High Court has invalidated the amended Local Government Law proposed by the Martins Amaewhule faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The ruling was delivered in a suit numbered PHC/1320/CS/2024, which challenged the extension of tenure for LG chairmen for six months after the expiration of their term.

Justice D.G. Kio, presiding over the case, declared the amendment invalid, citing its inconsistency with the 1999 Constitution and Section 9(1) of the Rivers State Local Government law No. 5 of 2018.

The court emphasized that the applicable law governing the tenure of local government chairmen and councillors is the Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018, which stipulates a three-year tenure.

The attempt to extend their tenure through the enactment of the Local Government Law No. 2 of 2024 was deemed unlawful and contrary to their oath of office.

The ruling marks a victory for Enyiada Cookey-Gam and six others who challenged the extension, asserting the primacy of constitutional principles in governance.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has accused Labour Party, LP, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidates in the 2023 election, Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, of desperation, following their recent meeting.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by APC national publicity secretary Felix Morka, on Tuesday.

Reacting to several speculations concerning Obi’s recent visit to Atiku, the party stated that the duo are united by their mutual desperation to be President of Nigeria and their ignoble disdain for President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The statement reads in part, “Atiku and Obi are united by their mutual desperation to be President f Nigeria and ignoble disdain for President Bola Tinubu’s focused and extraordinary commitment to the transformation of our nation.

“Their restless drift in search of convenient party platforms to execute their presidential run only belie self-indulgent and opportunistic essence of their aspirations.”

On the issue of a possible alliance between the former governor and the ex-vice president, the party said it wont be surprised if Obi returns to PDP or Atiku decamps to Labour Party as the duo are known as political wanderers.

It pointed out that Nigerians cannot trust men who are unable to build or fix their party to tackle serious and complex national, political and economic challenges of the country.

“Men without the staying power to build or fix their own parties, who flee at the slightest flicker of internal crisis cannot possibly be trusted by Nigerians to tackle serious and complex national, political and economic challenges that confront our nation,” the statement added.

A former National Vice Chairman, North-West, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr Salihu Lukman, has said that contrary to the expectation that President Bola Tinubu will replicate his earlier success as Lagos governor, his administration has succeeded in creating more doubts in the minds of Nigerians.

Lukman, in a statement issued Tuesday titled, ‘Illusive Politics: What is to be Done’, saud Tinubu’s administration had been characterized by policy missteps and reversals.

The APC chieftain lamented that after 25 years of democratic rule, Nigeria was yet to produce leaders that are predisposed to accommodating the interests of citizens.

He said: “Painfully, against every expectation that President Asiwaju Tinubu will reignite the Lagos success story at national level, his government is more and more creating doubts in the minds of Nigerians about the prospect of resolving the country’s challenges with incidences of policy missteps and reversals.

“As a result, crisis of insecurity has remained. Problems of inflation, unemployment and poverty are on the increase.

“If the hallmark of the tenure of former President Buhari is the trauma of dashed hopes for citizens, we must, as Nigerian citizens and as committed progressive politicians, wake up and remedy the ugly and despicable experience of illusive politics.

“After one year in office, the unmistaken message must be conveyed to President Asiwaju Tinubu and by extension all APC leaders that the democratic future of Nigeria is not negotiable.”

The father of David Ukpo, Mr. Nwamini Ukpo, has said that the family of Senator Ike Ekweremadu offered him a tricycle in his family compound in Ebonyi State, but he rejected it. 

He disclosed this to our correspondent at his family compound in Ndioffia Ishieke, Ebonyi State, in the presence of community members as well as the head pastor of the Nigeria Reform Church (NRC), Reverend Igweali Linus, where David Ukpo worshipped as a chorister.

Speaking on the offer, Nwamini said, “Since the issue of my son being taken to the United Kingdom became a global issue, none of the Ekweremadu family visited us immediately. 

“It was when the case was being handled by the UK government that a group of people came, saying they were from Ekweremadu and decided to offer me a tricycle, which I rejected.

“I rejected it because that was not what I needed. I just want to have the chance to speak to my son again. I am only trying to be strong for my wife, who is the mother of David, because it hurts me inside.

“As you can see, my legs are swollen, and that started the day I heard of David’s disappearance. My heart beats fast, and as such, I have stopped farming work.”

One of David Ukpo’s uncles, who resides in the city and is often the intermediary between the Ekweremadu family and his family, stated that the family only wants an opportunity to speak with their son to know if he is alive or not.

He said, “The last and only time the family of Ekweremadu has come to our village was to present my brother, Nwamini Ukpo, with an offer as compensation, which he rejected. He told them that he has nothing to do with their offer but wants to have access to his son.”

Meanwhile, further findings revealed the medical challenges of David’s father, Nwamini Ukpo, as his leg was swollen at the time of this interview and currently battling with a heart condition that has stopped him from farming. 

The Reverend Father of the Nigeria Reform Church, Igweali Linus, also spoke to Vanguard, affirming Mr. Nwamini Ukpo’s heart condition and stating that he only wants to communicate with his son, not receive gifts.

US Dollar supply surged to 93 per cent at the official foreign exchange market amid Naira’s gain.

FMDQ data showed that the turnover of forex transactions increased to $161.41 million on Monday from $83.5 million recorded on Friday last week.

This development led to continued appreciation on Monday, when it stood at N1468.99 per Dollar, down from N1497.33 traded on Friday.

Nigeria’s foreign exchange (FX) reserves increased by approximately $535 million in the past weeks.

FX reserves rose from $32.107 billion on April 19, 2024, to $32.642 billion by May 16, 2024.

Super Eagles head coach Finidi George says his team is focused on their next 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa.

The three-time African champions are yet to record a win in the qualifiers after drawing their opening two games against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.

The West Africans must beat Hugo Broos’ side to get their qualification campaign back on track.

Finidi is wary of the difficult task ahead of his team but is confident they can surmount the hurdle.

“We know Nigerians would love the team to win all the time, and we’ll just get the players focused on the game, one game at a time. We focus on the South African game and see how we can win that one before we talk about the Benin Republic game. For me, as a coach, it’s either you have a good result, or you don’t have a good result,” Finidi said in an interview with Eagle FM.

“One cannot be scared in life. Like I said, going through life is difficult, you walk through it with the difficulties that you know you’ll encounter. So that’s how I look at life and approach it that way, and football will not be any different. We will do our job and make sure we get the best out of that game, and apart from that, nothing else.”

Pope Francis has addressed the controversy over his stance on same-sex couples.

The Pope explained that he allowed the blessings of individuals but not on same-sex unions.

Fox News reports that the Pope was asked about a seeming change to Vatican policy when he approved the blessings of Catholics in same-sex unions in a conversation with CBS ’60 Minutes’.

“Last year you decided to allow Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples,” CBS ’60 Minutes’ anchor Norah O’Donnell said. “That’s a big change. Why?”

“No, what I allowed was not to bless the union. That cannot be done because that is not the sacrament. I cannot. The Lord made it that way,” the Pope said, in remarks translated into English.

“But to bless each person, yes. The blessing is for everyone. For everyone. To bless a homosexual-type union, however, goes against the given right, against the law of the Church. But to bless each person, why not? The blessing is for all. Some people were scandalized by this. But why? Everyone! Everyone!”

Recall that the Pope allowed blessings for same-sex couples in a document called Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust).

The news made waves around the world, with some gay Catholics viewing it as a welcome alteration after previously feeling alienated by Church teachings.

The development then caused widespread debate in the Catholic Church, with particularly strong resistance coming from African bishops.

Nollywood star Angela Okorie has lambasted her colleague, Zubby Michael, for publicising his donation to the family of their late colleague, Junior Pope.

DAILY POST reports that a video capturing the moment Michael made a donation to Junior Pope’s widow, Jennifer Awele, and their children, has gone viral on social media.

Reacting, Okorie berated Michael for making the donation “on camera.”

She noted that the burial of a young person is not the right place to flaunt cash.

On her Instagram story, she wrote: “Zubby na young person die, that showcase of money wasn’t necessary. But as a local boy that you are, you don’t have sense. You don’t know where to do show and where to behave well.

“Abi you get money pass all the dignitaries wey come there? Mugu.”

DAILY POST recalls that Junior Pope died on April 10, 2024, alongside three others after their boat capsized on the Anam River in Anambra State while returning from a film location.

He was laid to rest at his hometown, Ukehe in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State, last Friday.