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Expectations from the 10th Senate as plenary resumes

Published

10 months ago

September 29, 2025

Whirlwindnews

By Jackson Udom

The Senator Godswill Akpabio-led 10th Senate last month, ended its Second Parliamentary Session and has embarked on its Annual Vacation from Plenary sittings, while committee meetings and other parliamentary engagements continue with full participation of members, in preparations for the commencement of the Third Parliamentary Session on the 7th of October, 2025.

The last two years have been that of legislative and diplomatic impacts championed by the Senate leadership under Akpabio,and has so far engendered Executive/Legislature collaborations, with far reaching outcomes that have met the yearnings of Nigerians.

As the National Assembly resumes plenary next month, Nigerians have high expectations from their lawmakers to address pressing national issues through the instrumentality of the law. It is not out of place for constituents to place demands on their elected representatives, since it is a world held belief, that “Democracy is the government of the people for the people and by the people.”

Expectedly, top on the agenda of the National lawmakers would be the review and passage of the 2026 Appropriation Bill that would be submitted to the two houses by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu before the end of the year. Part of the expectations shall be the Medium Term Expenditure Framework(MTEF).

The 2026 Appropriation Bill is expected to address the nation’s economic challenges, including inflation, unemployment, and insecurity. The Senate has continued to emphasize the importance of timely submission of the budget by the Executive to facilitate thorough scrutiny and public input.

The clamour for electoral reforms by Nigerians before the next election cycle is expected to receive expeditious consideration and attention of Senators as they resume plenary.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have prioritized electoral reforms, aiming to strengthen democratic processes and ensure credible elections. Proposed amendments include compulsory transmission of election results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) and periodic reviews of electoral laws.

Expected to top the chat of legislative engagements as the lawmakers resume plenary, is the vexed issue of Local Government Autonomy. The two Houses will likely consider bills aimed at ensuring the complete autonomy of local governments in Nigeria, following the landmark Supreme Court ruling on the matter.

It would be recalled that despite the landmark judgement delivered by the Apex Court, state governors are still very much involved in the running of funds accrued to local councils from the federation account, through the instrumentality of joint accounts arrangement between the two levels of government.

It is expected that the lawmakers would on resumption, give legislative backing to the Supreme Court Judgement, to allow for both administrative and financial autonomy of local government councils. This issue is pivotal to the Legislative Agenda, particularly Article 6.3 on Law Reform.

Also expected to attract the attention of the lawmakers is the review of the Constitution. The National Assembly will continue its review of the 1999 Constitution as amended, with a view to strengthening the country’s federal structure and promoting national development, unity and cohesion.

Before the end of the Second Parliamentary Session of the 10th Senate, zonal public hearings were embarked upon by the lawmakers. The hearings which held across the six geo-political zones was to gather citizens’ input and a joint retreat with strategic members of the society for their input into the envisaged constitution amendment.

National security and peace is sine-qua- non to national development, as such, lawmakers will be more focused on addressing the country’s security challenges, such as terrorism, banditry, and communal clashes, with a view to using the law to promote national peace and stability. The Senate under Akpabio has always emphasized the need for effective management of national security architecture. Therefore, strengthening national security remains a top priority of the 10th Senate.

The focus is expected to be focused on addressing the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty, unemployment, and social inequality. It has in the past, approved significant funding increases for security agencies and advocated for a more integrated approach to national security and it is expected to do more before the end of the third parliamentary session.

As a two-term governor of Akwa Ibom State, Akpabio demonstrated his love for education when he declared a free and compulsory education from primary to secondary schools for residents in the state, irrespective of their state of origin.

As the President of the Senate, he has continued to emphasis the importance of boosting the standard of education in Nigeria and that was further demonstrated with passage of the NELFUND Bill which has since been assented to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigerian students, particularly the indigent ones are the better for it. The Senate, on resumption is expected to pass quality legislation that will enhance educational service delivery and make a positive impact on the nation’s growth and development.

Economic Growth and Job Creation, is also expected to catch the attention of the lawmakers. It is expected that the 10th Senate will channel its energy towards making laws that would further attract foreign direct investment, create a conducive environment for economic growth, and empower Nigerians through policies that foster economic development and job opportunities.

On Fiscal Policy and Revenue Generation, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio will continue to highlight the importance of expanding legislation that enhances the nation’s revenue stream. It is intended to further empower Nigerians by crafting policies that promote economic growth and provide opportunities for all citizens.

The Senate is also expected to double up its Public Engagement and Transparency policy. In the last two years, Akpabio has prioritized transparency and engagement with the Nigerian people, maintaining regular communication with the media and addressing national concerns to build public trust in the Senate’s work, there shouldn’t be any room for complacency because Nigerians desire to hear from their elected representatives regularly.

The 10th Senate and its leadership has emphasized the importance of legislative oversight in ensuring accountability and transparency in governance. It is expected that the trend continues as monitoring of government projects and policies, holding the executive accountable and ensuring efficient use of national resources are the major ingredients of representative democracy all over the world.

As the 10th Senate commences its third parliamentary year, focusing on the above expectations, Nigerians will no doubt re-energize their belief that, indeed Akpabio and his colleagues will make a positive impact on Nigerians’ lives and promote sustainable development in the country.

*Udom is Special Assistant, Media To The President Of The Senate.

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‎BREAKING: Terrorists strikes another school! *Kidnap principal, students, NECO official!

Published

21 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Whirlwindnews

The echoes of the drums rolled out to celebrate the rescue of the 44 teachers and students, kidnapped from some schools in Oyo State, after 56 days in the bush, would surely be disrupted abruptly, with the divergent echoes of a fresh abduction, this time coming from Kogi State.

Reports indicate that the gunmen, struck on Tuesday at the Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, in Dekina Local Government Area of the state, abducting four students, the school principal and a National Examinations Council (NECO) ad hoc staff member.

‎Authorities of the Kogi State Police Command, who immediately unleashed their operatives in hot pursuit of the abductors, said the attack occurred at about 5:25 p.m. while the students were writing their NECO examination.

Saliu Oyiza Afusat, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and spokesman of the command, said a combined team of police personnel and other security agencies has launched a search-and-rescue operation following the incident.

Informing that one of the students was actually rescued immediately, she said efforts were ongoing to secure the release of the remaining victims and apprehend the attackers, adding that Naziru Bello Kankarofi, the state Commissioner of Police, alongside the Brigade Commander and the State Security Adviser to the Governor, Commodore Jerry Omodara (Rtd), were already on the way to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.

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Trump shelves 20 per cent fee for ships on Strait of Hormuz

Published

21 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Whirlwindnews

Oil prices are expected to go down now with the announcement of Donald Trump, US President that he will no longer impose a 20 percent “safe passage” fee on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The POTUS, hinged his reversal of the decision on the intervention from some Gulf countries, who pleaded with him not to toe the line due to the massive economic impact the decision would make on the region.

Indeed, oil prices had shot up immediately Trump announced the new levy on Monday while declaring the US ‘the guardians of the Hormuz strait,’ a measure which he said was to pay for the cost of guarding the volatile area in order keep supply of oil flowing.

Reports said that Gulf allies of the US worked frantically to get Trump on the phone in time to talk him out of the idea altogether, while a flurry of appeals came from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar.

In response, the POTUS, posting on his Truth Social platform, wrote: “Based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership, I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States.”

Trump, who said the investments would be “MASSIVE but, at the same time, extraordinarily good for them, and their future,” added that the deals would see factories, plants, and equipment pour into the US at “Historic levels.”

The Gulf nations have committed to invest trillions of dollars in the US, though it remains unclear how much of that they will actually spend over the next several years.

Meanwhile, the US continues to bomb Iran in what appears to be a resumption of active conflict between both countries, despite an ongoing roadmap to end the conflict.

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Fake office: How police pulled out Adeyemi, PFIPC boss from hiding!

Published

21 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Whirlwindnews

Reports say operatives of the Osun State Police Command, and those of the Department of State Services (DSS) had tracking the trail of Adeniyi Adeyemi, controversial Director General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), for weeks, before he was eventually pulled out of his hole on Tuesday.

However, the duo, were said to have pulled back after failing to track him through his mobile phones, which he had reportedly switched off for about two days, making it difficult to locate him, leaving the stage for the members of the Police Intelligence Response Team (PI-RT) led by Moses Lohor, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP).

Lohor, said to have previously served as the Commander of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of Osun State, and reported to have been involved in high-profile security operations and controversies, after taken over fielded his men to pick up signals from their well-oiled signal networks.
Regarded by many Osun residents as one of the key security officers who contributed significantly to the peace and stability enjoyed in Ilesa and other parts of the state during his tenure, he was said to have relied on his contacts before his transfer out of the state, said to have raised concerns from the public about the security situation he would be leaving behind.
His exit from the state was said to be hinged on an incident in 2024, in which he allegedly shot one Iyanda Alowonle, then Chairman of Osun State Motor Transport System, in the stomach at the police station in the state prompting an order for his arrest by then Inspector General of Police (IGP).

His effort was said to have paid off when he successfully tracked down the controversial PFIPC, boss, who was seen on Tuesday evening, in a shot video on social media undergoing interrogation, and eventually handed him over to Ibrahim Gotan, Commissioner of Police in the state.

The PUNCH quoted one of the sources as saying: “The arrest (of Adeyemi) took place on Tuesday morning by the IRT squad, who immediately moved him to Abuja. After he was arrested, he was taken to Ibadan and from there to Abuja.”

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