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Expectations from the 10th Senate as plenary resumes

Published

9 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: Court sentences Nigerien, two others to death over terrorism

Published

2 days ago

June 24, 2026

Whirlwindnews

Justice Muhammad Nuraddeen Bello of High Court sitting in Sokoto State has sentenced three men, including a foreign national, to death by hanging, after convicting them on charges bordering on terrorism and arms proliferation.

The convicts, Yusuf Muhammad (alias Sallau), a Nigerien; Jabbi Alhaji Yalle; and Kabiru Muhammad, were apprehended on 13th June, 2025, by the Department of State Services (DSS) Counter Terrorism Unit in connection with cross-border criminal activities bordering on arms trafficking and terrorism.

Bello, who found all three defendants guilty as charged and sentenced them to death by hanging, while also ordering the forfeiture of all monetary exhibits recovered from the convicts to the Federal Government, said: “The conviction is the latest in a series of successful prosecutions by the DSS in its sustained operations against terrorism and organised cross-border criminal networks across Nigeria.”

The sentencing is coming about two weeks after the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja sentenced each of the five suspects arrested on May 31, 2026, by the DSS for their involvement in the November 21, 2025, attack on St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State, to 25 years’ imprisonment.

Justice Binta Nyako, had handed down the judgment after the men, including two Nigeriens, pleaded guilty to all four terrorism-related charges, bordering on support for the commission of an act of terrorism, breaching both Section 16 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Firearms Act, were pressed against them.

According to Count One, the men were accused of jointly conspiring to assist a terrorist by agreeing and intentionally playing various roles towards conveying 15 AK 103 rifles as well as about 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from the Diffa region, Republic of Niger, to one Malam Ahmad, a member of the Boko Haram terrorist group based in Borgu, Niger State, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

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BREAKING: Primate Ayodele to pay Kwankwaso N10billion over Obi betrayal claim!

Published

2 days ago

June 24, 2026

Whirlwindnews

Primate Elijah Ayodele, is on the verge of coughing out a whopping N10billion, if he fails to offer unrestrained apology to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Governor of Kano State within the next 24 hours, and retract his claim that the former Minister of Defence is bidding his time to betray Peter Obi, to whom he is to contest the 2027 presidential election as a running mate.

Without doing so, the controversial cleric, should be ready for a major court battle with the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the platform on which the pair is to contest the election.

In a letter indicating a legal action against Ayodele of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church over defamatory remarks, Kwankwaso, through Magaji Mato Ibrahim, SAN & Co., his lawyers demanded an immediate retraction and apology from the cleric over the allegations.

Details of the letter, dated June 11, and unveiled through the X platform of the legal team, was based on a viral video recorded during a live-streamed church service, where the preacher made allegations targeting Kwankwaso’s integrity as Peter Obi’s running mate under the NDC.

Quoting the cleric as stating: “KWANKWASO IS A FAKE TO OBI, KWANKWASO WILL BETRAY YOU. KWANKWASO HAS BEEN PAID TO BE VICE PRESIDENT TO OBI AMONG OTHER LIBELOUS COMMENTS WHILE PRETENDING TO BE A PREACHER,” the former governor said the comments were unprovoked, grossly unfounded, and carefully designed to create a rift within the ranks of the political party and its supporters.

Handing Ayodele a 24-hour ultimatum to publish a full and unequivocal retraction across all social media platforms and news outlets with the same prominence as the original video, they also demanded a written undertaking that he would cease and desist from making any further malicious statements against their client, warning that failure to comply, would lead to full legal actions.

The letter stated: “We shall claim substantial damages to the tune of Ten Billion Naira and cost of the action on a full indemnity basis amongst other reliefs.”

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Exploitation of African minerals must stop now – Tinubu *Demands local processing

Published

2 days ago

June 24, 2026

Whirlwindnews

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday demanded the immediate end to the exportation of minerals from countries in Africa in their raw forms, which he said had led to massive exploitation of the continent.

The President, told member countries of the African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), a forum of Ministers in charge of Mining and Solid Minerals on the continent to speak with one voice to promote, collective interests, ensure value addition, and prevent the continent from becoming merely a source of raw materials for the rest of the world.

As the Grand Patron of the group, chaired by Dele Alake, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, gave the charge while receiving a delegation of AMSG in the State House, Tinubu told the delegation that the group had a critical role to play in strengthening Africa’s bargaining power in the global mineral market and ensuring that the continent derives maximum value from its natural resources.

His words: “ What we should do is avoid bureaucracy and deceit; we must put an end to exploitation. The rest of the world won’t mind if your country is a cesspit of dams and rubbish and excavates your raw materials without giving value.

“It is our responsibility to collaborate and cooperate to ensure that these metals and minerals bring value to us, bring technology to us, and we can do it. It is how much each country will put into the research, development and refinery. I don’t see reasons we cannot demand centralisation of that conversation somewhere on the continent. So why not utilise that in our research and development and knowledge-based economy to enhance the quality of life and bring prosperity to our people.”

Emphasising that Africa possessed enormous mineral wealth that should be strategically harnessed to drive industrialisation, create jobs and accelerate economic transformation across the continent, the President, said the era of exporting raw minerals without local processing and beneficiation must give way to a new model that encourages investment in local industries, technology transfer and the development of value chains that retain wealth within Africa.

Alake, who had earlier expressed gratitude to the President for his exemplary leadership under the Renewed Hope Agenda, said the gesture had shown support for Nigeria’s mineral sector, especially in the local value-addition and economic diversification drive, where artisanal miners are empowered.

He told the President: “You encouraged us to look at the focal point of the establishment of this group, which is to ensure that the African natural resources, especially with regards to minerals, critical matters, are localised, the beneficiation coming directly to Africans generally.

“You charged us that we should set our sails very high and ensure that local value addition is a pivot around which all the objectives of this organisation should revolve.

“So, sir, we have gone implemented your charge and we are quitted that today local value addition is reverberating all over Africa.”

He added that some member countries have gone ahead to ban the export of raw minerals.

He explained members of the body were in Abuja for the Fifth edition of the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS 2026), to push for a new continental approach to resource management and industrial development.

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