General News
NASS Leadership: Intrigues As APC Fails to Enact Will
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) suffered a crucial setback on Tuesday; as it failed to have its chosen candidates elected leaders of both arms of the National Assembly, according to Daily Independent.
The development, aside putting the party in power in very difficult position with the federal legislature, has dealt a blow on the authority of the APC, especially its strongman, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, believed to have orchestrated the party’s position.
Daily Independent reported that in what was a clear repeat of the 2011 scenario in the House of Representatives when the then opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) connived with rebellious members of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to deny the PDP the chance of installing its chosen candidate as Speaker.
This time, in what some see as payback time, PDP members in the Senate and House of Representatives connived with some members of the APC who were unhappy at the party’s choices to elect Senator Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker respectively.
The APC leadership had picked Senator Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila as the party’s candidate for the position at a mock election held last Saturday.
The intrigues surrounding the fight for the NASS leadership crystallized yesterday when the party members, especially those in the Senate, shunned the meeting called by President Muhammadu Buhari, early in the day, to find a solution to the challenges bedeviling the party.
Instead they appeared in the chamber, and with the support of PDP members, formed a quorum, and went ahead to elect Saraki as the Senate President un-opposed.
In a Senate of 109 members, 57 members made up mostly of PDP members converged in the Senate Chambers, got inaugurated by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, who acting on the letter of proclamation forwarded to him a week ago by President Muhamnadu Buhari, set the 8th Session of the National Assembly in motion.
With calls for nomination made, Saraki was the only one nominated for the seat at a time Senator Ahmed Lawan and his supporters were at the International Conference Centre, waiting for the arrival of President Buhari and the Saraki team.
He emerged un-opposed, following which affirmation vote was taken to ratify his election.
The PDP, however, played a fast one on the APC members when one of the PDP members and the immediate past Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Emweremadu, was nominated as Deputy President candidate to slug it out with Ali Ndume of the APC and Saraki’s running mate.
With their numerical advantage, the PDP members outwitted the few APC senators in the chamber, voting en-mass for Ekwerenmadu.
According to Daily Independent, those who know say Ekwerenmadu’s emergence was not happenstance, because on Monday night, news broke that Saraki had in the bid to win the support of the PDP caucus, agreed to support the bid to return the Deputy Senate President, who served for eight years to his prime job.
The emergence of Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President is the first time a mixed leadership is presiding over the Senate.
With the “palace coup” in the Senate effectively executed, the battle field was shifted to the House of Representatives where the PDP members had struck an agreement with the Yakubu Dogara team offering him their support to emerge as Speaker against the candidature of Femi Gbajabiamila, the APC’s anointed candidate.
The animosity between the two camps was openly displayed even before the Clerk to the National Assembly was done with the assignment in the Senate.
As soon as the news filtered in that Saraki and Ekweremadu had clinched the seats in the senate, the supporters of Dogara both in the PDP and APC threw caution to the wind by engaging in wild jubilation, shouting “PDP” “PDP” “PDP”.
Ironically, Dogara in his last two elections into the parliament, was elected on the platform of PDP but about nine months ago, decamped to the APC to actualize his third term bid.
The lawmakers who supported Dogara did not hide their disdain for Gbajabiamila as they booed him when he entered the chamber at about 10.30 am.
However, the tide changed some minutes later when his supporters who were also at the ICC waiting to attend the meeting called by the President, came in, in droves.
Both camps began to engage each other in war of praise singing, causing much noise in the chamber.
At about 1:03 pm, the clerk of the House of Representatives Mohammed Sanni Omolori, concluded the roll call of members after the Clerk to the National Assembly, Maikasuwa had read the proclamation letter from President Muhammadu Buhari, in accordance with the law.
Of the 360 members, two persons were absent, leaving the floor to the 258 members to engage in the election of the principal officers.
With call for nominations made, Jibrin Abdulmumin, stood up to nominate Dogara for the position of Speaker, which was seconded by Chike Okafor.
Dogara accepted the nomination to the admiration of his supporters.
Minutes after, Mohammed Sanni from Bauchi state nominated Gbajabiamila for the contest and was seconded by Shuaibu Philips from Edo state.
As soon as Gbajabiamila accepted his nomination, the Clerk announced that secret ballot system would be adopted.
Members were called in a group of 10 and in alphabetical order of state of origin and asked to vote by writing the name of their preferred candidate.
The voting commenced at about 1:30 pm.
When the voting were concluded, and the ballots counted, Dogara emerged victorious with 182 votes, beating Gbajabiamila by a slim margin of 8 votes, as the APC adopted candidate scored 174 votes.
Wild jubilation erupted in the chamber, as Dogara’s supporters hugged one another while some supporters of Gbajabiamila who could not stomach the defeat were seen crying openly, while leaving the chambers.
The desire of the PDP to take absolute control of the lower parliament was however thwarted as members refused to nominate Leo Ogor, the immediate past Deputy Leader of the House, for the Deputy Speaker position. Ogor was said to have rallied the PDP members for Dogara, because he was promised the Deputy Speaker seat as compensation.
As soon as it dawned on Ogor that he had been edged out, he stormed out of the chambers angrily even before the nomination was made openly.
It took the intervention of some PDP members to bring him back into the chamber, and even then, he sat with anger openly visible on his face.
When nominations were made, Lasun Yusuf, an APC member from Osun State was nominated and put in the ring with Mohamned Tahir Monguno who was the Deputy Speaker-designate on the Gbajabiamila ticket. Yusuf garnered 203 votes to Monguno’s 153.
While the voting for the Deputy Speaker seat was still ongoing, the leadership of the APC in a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, raised objection to the game that played out on the floor of the House and the Senate Chamber.
Meanwhile, celebration broke out in Bauchi State as soon news of Dogara’s emergence filtered in.
He represents the Bogoro Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency of the state. Youths, women and political groups, Muslims and Christians were almost united in celebration as almost every man on the street of Bauchi was elated with the emergence of Dogara as the 8th Speaker.
Dogar, 48, is from Gwaranga village in Bogoro Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
He scored 182 to beat his main rival, Femi Gbajabiamila, who represents Surulere Federal Constituency, Lagos state, in a keenly contested election. Gbajabiamila scored 174.
IHS Nigeria has partnered with the Osun State Government on Osun Teacher-Shift 2025, a programme aimed at transforming technical and vocational school teachers into digital-ready educators capable of driving innovation in classrooms.
The IHS Nigeria sponsored initiative, implemented by Focus Teens Foundation in collaboration with the Osun State Board of Technical and Vocational Education, targets about 200 teachers across the State’s nine technical colleges. The training will run in batches over a two-day period, with participants expected to acquire modern skills, and innovative teaching techniques.
Speaking at the opening ceremony which held in Osogbo yesterday, Titilope Oguntuga, Director of Sustainability at IHS Nigeria, explained that the project was developed to prepare teachers for the opportunities and challenges of a fast-evolving world.
She said, “Today is not just the launch of a programme — it is the beginning of a movement. This is more than training, it is a mindset shift. It is about rethinking how we prepare teachers, students, and our communities for the opportunities and challenges of a fast-evolving world.”
Oguntuga emphasised that teachers remain at the centre of national development but face increasing demands to inspire creativity, nurture innovation, and equip young people with practical and technology-driven skills.
She noted that the initiative also reflects IHS Nigeria’s four sustainability pillars — ethics and governance, environment and climate change, people and communities, and education and economic growth.
The IHS official said, “education remains the strongest catalyst for national development. But we cannot achieve this without empowering the people who will empower the next generation. With this programme, teachers and beneficiaries from the nine technical colleges will begin to think more innovatively and incorporate new systems that support STEM for the advancement of our nation.”
Oguntuga added that each school would be given routers with one year subscription.
Adedapo Ademola-Adesina, Special Adviser to the Governor on Technical and Vocational Education, noted that the State Government believes in private sector collaboration to achieve its goals for technical and vocational education, leading to the partnership with IHS Nigeria.
“We must begin by changing the mindset of our teachers. They are the ones who shape future leaders. That is why we tagged the program “Osun Teacher-Shift 2025” — shifting from the old ways to new digital teaching”, he said.
Also speaking, Sunday Eluwole, the Osun State Commissioner for Education, acknowledged that the training was both timely and necessary, saying; “this is the 21st century, and Nigeria cannot be left behind. Our schools, teachers, and classrooms must be digitalised. Teachers must first be trained in digital methods before they can pass the knowledge on to students.”
Eluwole added that Osun State, which has the highest number of technical colleges in the Country, is committed to making its schools models of digital and vocational learning.
Earlier, Muritala Jimoh, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, said that Osun State teachers are ready to shift. Jimoh noted that Governor Ademola Adeleke is prioritising teachers’ welfare in the state, hence their readiness to embrace the shift.
He called on teachers to reciprocate government’s efforts by making their minds flexible to change.
Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed all airlines operating in the country to ensure that passengers completely switch off their mobile phones during aircraft take-off and landing.
Michael Achimugu, director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCCA, disclosed the directive in a post on X on Tuesday.
He said the measure was part of a harmonisation of existing rules on the use of electronic devices onboard.
“Henceforth, the regulation per phones and other electronic devices in Nigeria has been unified: ALL PHONES MUST BE SWITCHED OFF DURING THE CRITICAL ASPECTS OF TAKE-OFF AND LANDING,” Achimugu wrote.
“All airlines must amend their security programmes to reflect this if different in their current programmes. No more airplane mode until regulations are reviewed to reflect evolving technological situations.”
The directive means that all airlines will have to adjust their operational manuals and cabin crew instructions to enforce the policy.
Reactions to the announcement have been mixed on social media, with some Nigerians questioning the relevance of the rule in light of advances in aircraft technology and onboard connectivity.
Sonny Echono, executive secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), has called on Nigerian tertiary institutions to urgently embrace technology in teaching, research, and administration, warning that billions of naira already invested in ICT infrastructure risk being wasted due to underutilization.
Echono made the call in Abuja, Nigeria while delivering remarks at a 2-Day Workshop on Blackboard/TERAS Adoption and Usage in Beneficiary Institutions, organized by TETFund for Registrars, Bursars, Directors of Academic Planning and ICT and Thesis Project Repository Managers of beneficiary institutions.
He lamented that despite TETFund’s early investment in digital learning platforms such as the Tertiary Education, Research, Applications and Services, TERAS, many universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education were still lagging behind in ICT adoption.
According to him, Nigeria’s rapidly growing population and limited availability of classrooms make technology the only viable pathway to expanding access to quality education.
“We are no longer confined to the four walls of classrooms. With just an android phone or a device, students should be able to access content, participate in learning, and acquire skills. There is no alternative to technology if we must prepare our youths for the opportunities ahead,” Echono said.
He decried the slow pace of transition to digital platforms in many institutions, some of which still send hardcopy requests to TETFund despite clear directives for e-submissions.
The TETFund boss stressed that robust and regularly updated institutional websites should be a minimum requirement in the digital age, describing many schools’ online presence as “embarrassingly outdated.”
Echono also cited the successes recorded during the COVID-19 lockdown when TETFund partnered states, the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, and radio stations to broadcast WAEC syllabus-based lessons.
According to him, that year produced one of Nigeria’s best WAEC results, indicating the potential of technology to revolutionise learning.
He expressed concern that Nigeria now ranks 189th globally and 25th in Africa in education competitiveness, behind smaller countries like Rwanda and Mauritius that have leveraged ICT to transform their systems.
“Government has done its part by providing the infrastructure. But when equipment is procured and platforms created and they are not being used, that is the very definition of waste,” he warned.
The TETFund boss urged heads of institutions to champion the use of digital platforms like TERAS by lecturers and students, stressing that over time, more than half of TETFund’s education investments would have to go into ICT rather than physical infrastructure.
Echono also linked Nigeria’s underdevelopment to its failure to leverage technology in sectors such as oil, agriculture, and manufacturing, contrasting the country’s struggles with China’s rapid transformation through deliberate investment in knowledge and innovation.
“We can do the same if we decide to do the right thing. The right thing starts with our education system. The building block of every nation is knowledge,” he said.
He appealed to tertiary institutions to seize the opportunity, populate their websites with relevant data, and ensure students and staff are fully onboarded onto TERAS platform.
Earlier, Mr. Joseph Odo, director of ICT, TETFund, said interactive sessions at the workshop were designed to deepen understanding of the Fund’s digital platforms and improve collaboration among beneficiary institutions.
“This is part of our engagements with key stakeholders, registrars, librarians, ICT directors, repository managers, and academic planners, to ensure that everyone understands the interventions we are providing. The world is moving fast technology-wise, and we cannot afford to be left behind,” Odo said.
He explained that the sessions, which will hold across all six geopolitical zones, are focused on strengthening the use of TETFund-funded learning platforms, which aggregate data for planning and improve teaching, research, and learning outcomes.
Odo added that TERAS is evolving into “an educational lifestyle” that caters to students, lecturers, administrators, and even government planners.
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