On Monday, a trailer struck a truck and struck a driver on the Karu Bridge.
Fears that many people may have lost their lives as a result of the accident were popular on social media.
No injuries were reported in the accident, according to the FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) in a statement.
The statement from FEMD’s Head of Public Affairs, Nkechi Isa, read partially as “No life was lost to the incident.” However, the J5 driver suffered some injuries and was taken to the hospital. The sachet water truck was struck by the road maintenance agency’s workers while performing repairs on the side of the Karu bridge when it hit its brakes.
In the Niger Truck Accident, there were 16 injuries and seven deaths.
The “trailer coming from behind” allegedly struck the sachet water truck. The incident was attended by Federal Road Safety Corps and the FCT Emergency Management Department.
The expressway connects Nasarawa and the FCT, and the Karu Bridge is located along it. The latest of a long line of road collisions that circle that axis is…
Femi Falana, a senior advocate for Nigeria and a human rights lawyer, has vehemently opposed the proposed bill, calling it “unconstitutional” and “impractical” in light of the country’s current legal system.
The bill, co-sponsored by Labour Party lawmaker Daniel Asama Ago and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, calls for all Nigerians of voting age to be required to participate in national and state elections. It recommends that eligible citizens who fail to cast a vote receive a six-month jail term or a 100,000-dollar fine.
Ago, a representative for Bassa/Jos North, claimed that the bill’s goal is to reduce voter apathy and encourage voter participation during the plenary on Thursday. The bill was supported by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who cited Australia as a case study of how mandatory voting has reportedly improved civic responsibility.
However, Falana criticised the legislative move on constitutional grounds in a statement titled “Compulsory Voting is Not Enough” released on Monday.
He claimed that the bill conflicts with several provisions of the 1999 Constitution that protect people’s freedom of expression, freedom of speech, and privacy.
“The Speaker of the House of Representatives probably wants Nigeria to join Egypt, which is the only African nation on earth with mandatory voting requirements.”
The alleged constitutional provisions safeguard the people of Nigeria’s fundamental rights, including the right to vote in both national and state elections held in Nigeria.
“It is doubtful, however, whether the Speaker and his team have given the relevant Constitution’s provisions enough thought. Otherwise, they would have known that the constitutional requirement for compulsory voting violated Sections 37, 38, 77 (2), 135 (3), and 178(5), respectively, and that it was constitutionally invalid.
Nigerians are “impractical to prosecute,” they say.
Since Chapter II of the Constitution outlines the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, which are still non-justiciable, he claimed that the legal justification for mandatory voting is ambiguous.
“Compulsory voting is not vacuo legalized.” It is practically impossible to prosecute millions of Nigerians who may choose to boycott national and local elections because they have seen the political class’s agenda become more frequent and corrupt, according to Falana.
According to him, “Circular voting may only be justified if Chapter II of the Constitution is made justiciable because Section 14 (2) of the Constitution allows for popular participation in the democratic process.”
Falana criticized Nigerian courts for disregarding Section 224 of the Constitution, which mandates political parties to align their programs and policies with the principles of that chapter.
According to him, “Nigerian courts have never taken into account Section 224, which states that “the program, as well as the aims and objectives of a political party, shall conform to the provisions of Chapter II of this Constitution.”
He also cited Chapter II’s directive principles, as well as sections of the Constitution that require public officeholders to swear to uphold the Constitution.
Falana argued that both elected officials and political parties are legally required to uphold citizens’ socio-economic rights.
Each of these public officials is required to “seek to preserve the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy contained in the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution.
According to him, “The point I’m struggling to make is that all political parties, members of the executive and legislature, and all other members of the executive and legislature are legally required to adhere to the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy enshrined in Chapter II.”
He cited the African Charter’s Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, which grants citizens the right to participate in government, to its full extent.
Falana continued, “Century can only be justifiably compelled to vote if the socio-economic rights set forth in Chapter II are made justiciable.”
READ ALSO: Bill to require Nigerians to vote requires a second reading in Reps.
FILE: Some Ondo State voters line up in the polling booth.
The Tilt to Electoral Act Review Bill
Falana cited a number of precedents, arguing that “common law” and “moral law” are both broken. He stated that it is advised to review the contentious bill without further delay.
Despite their efforts to improve electoral credibility, the SAN also criticized the lack of constitutional support for electronic election devices like BVAS and IReV. He claimed that the Supreme Court has determined that the use of these devices is not yet recognized by the Constitution or the Electoral Act.
According to Falana, the legislative agenda should shift to incorporating technological advancements like BVAS and incorporating important recommendations from the Uwais Electoral Reform Panel.
These include creating an electoral offences commission, establishing proportional representation, and unbundling INEC.
House of Representatives members’ file photos: X@HouseNGR
He claimed that enforcing compulsory voting would continue to be in conflict with the Constitution’s Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy until Chapter II, which contains the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, is made lawful.
According to the attorney, “Criminal voting cannot be legalized in vacuo due to the state of the law,”
The Court of Appeal ruled that open ballot voting was a violation of the right to privacy in Nwali v. Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission & Ors (2014).
Case References  ,
The senior attorney cited Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal v. Okonkwo (2001), which stressed the need for individuals to be free from being coerced into deliberations.
The court overturned a doctor’s disciplinary action against him for respecting a patient’s religious refusal to give blood transfusion, according to Falana, highlighting the constitutional rights that are violated by coercion.
He cited Incorporated Trustees of Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative & Ors v. National Identity Management Commission (2020), where a judge ruled that the right to privacy extends beyond physical spaces to decisions and personal data.
Olisa Agbakoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), believes that the country’s model of democracy needs to be reworked and has criticised opposition members for putting their own structures under control for the All Progressives Congress (APC).  ,
Agbakoba questioned the level of commitment by Nigeria’s politicians, who he claimed were only concerned with gaining control, and claimed the country’s current democratic system “is not working.”  ,
“I believed things would have been much better than what we have now.” And after we had military coups in and out, then democracy for more than 25 years, I think something must be wrong. Agbakoba stated on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today that something was fundamentally wrong with the process.
He said, “I just came to the realization that it’s time to shed our Western model, the Oyibo model, the model that the Europeans and Americans have imposed on us, because it’s not working, and I’ve reflected on this a lot.”
He claims that Nigerians are only interested in a system that provides them with the basic necessities.
Who would you want to vote for, in general, if you asked Nigerians at the moment? They will simply say, “We want to vote for food in our stomachs, good schools, good roads, good housing, and other things that make them comfortable,” the senior advocate said, citing China’s growth despite the country’s lack of democracy.  ,
“The president’s identity is not really important to Nigerians.” They are looking forward to a president who will deliver. In order to do that, it is also necessary to make sure you have a good president.
[2027] I’m Only Interested In The Coalition Against Hunger, Poverty, Says Peter Obi.
Defection Would Not Enhance Democracy
Olisa Agbakoba’s photo in a file
He claimed that Nigeria needs to start considering a system that works for all people, given that the country’s Western democracy is “certainly not working.”
“So I want the question to be the first step in the conversation. Does this have any effect on us?
The Western system of democracy, I’d say, may be effective in Europe, but it’s not effective here. What can we put on the table that will work, then?
Agbakoba said, “The first thing to do is acknowledge that this country is very divided along ethnic, religious, and linguistic lines.”
Agbakoba claims that his statement is in vain because the opposition parties have been defections from the All Progressives Congress.
“I’d better tell the opposition tonight that they’re not making any sense. And they have two years to wake up if they believe they have a chance in 2027, according to the former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president.
The Obidient Movement has firmly refuted claims that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Vice President Atiku Obi have been given a vice-presidential position ahead of the 2027 general elections.  ,
The movement called the report “entirely baseless” and “imaginary to the author,” according to a statement released on Monday and signed by Nana Kazaure, its director of strategic communications and media.
According to a media release claiming that our principal, Peter Obi, has been offered a running mate position in the new coalition being formed ahead of 2027, The Obidient Movement has received numerous calls from its members both domestically and abroad, including from other members of the public.
The statement read, “We find it appropriate to react in view of possible far-reaching misconceptions in the public space, even though the publication is imaginary to the author,”
I Won’t Compete With Tinubu in a 2027 Wike, READ ALSO.
“Progress Than Power-Deals”
The group argued that these engagements are only meant to address national issues rather than power-sharing agreements, despite acknowledging ongoing discussions with various political partners and stakeholders.
Without any risk of contradiction, we would like to reiterate that Mr. Obi’s stated goal and involvement in a coalition is to fight back against and address the issues of the country’s poor governance, corruption, hunger, poverty, poor healthcare, out-of-school children, and the myriad of other issues that affect the country’s citizens daily, the statement continued.
We don’t want politics just for the sake of gaining power; we want a politics that is progressive, standing up for the people, and serving the great people of Nigeria.
The movement further emphasized that Mr. Obi will continue to support the Labour Party by saying unwaveringly, “As of right now, Mr. Peter Obi will remain in the Labour Party, and if this changes, he will do so himself.”
I’m a member of the “Council Against Poverty” movement.
Obi reaffirmed his commitment to issue-based politics earlier on Monday when he addressed the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kubwa in Abuja.
I am a part of a coalition that opposes hunger, poverty, and a bad health. Politics is not about position; it is about doing what is right, Obi said during the discussion.
We talk about politics in this country without addressing the issues that matter to us. How we are going to educate the children is what we should be discussing.
The former governor of Anambra State dismissed rumors that he had agreed to be a running mate in 2027 and said such rumors were part of a “politics of selfish ambitions that are detrimental to the growth of the nation.”
In the 2023 presidential election, Obi, who placed third behind Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has remained a key player in opposition politics. Many analysts speculate that a coalition involving Obi and Atiku could present a formidable challenge in 2027.
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 election, claimed that his participation at Pope Leo XIV’s Vatican inauguration in Rome was not political.
Obi claimed that his participation in official ceremonies and swearing-ins was consistent with his previous international inaugurations.
He believes that these situations have a significant moral and spiritual significance.
At the ceremony held on Sunday at St. Peter’s Square, the former presidential candidate and former Ekiti governor Kayode Fayemi were seen together with President Bola Tinubu.
At the ceremony, President Tinubu, Fayemi, and Obi.
The former governor of Anambra State stated in a post on X on Monday that politics should never interfere with this situation. The best times to meditate peacefully are at times.
READ MORE: PHOTOS: Tinubu Meets With Obi and Fayemi At Pope Leo’s inauguration
I missed the Papal Audience after the opening mass, and as a result, I had no opportunity to meet the Holy Father in person. Heads of state and diplomats with diplomatic credentials were exempt from this honor. The Papal Audience continues in accordance with tradition for those who want to have such a conversation.
Obi argued that attention should be drawn to the morality and content of the Pope’s homily, particularly his urgent plea to combat poverty and foster a spirit of brotherhood that transcends all racial, political, and religious boundaries.
He said, “The deeper meaning of the gathering lies not in ceremonial gestures, but in whether those present understood his message and would follow it with a strong resolve.”
The first step in transforming societies is to focus resources on what really matters: education, healthcare, poverty alleviation, and infrastructure, according to the author.
These should be our top concerns, and the Vatican’s lasting message should be ours. In whatever position we are currently in, may we be able to contribute to the creation of a more just, compassionate, and prosperous society.
Obi and Tinubu Meets Obi
The former Ekiti governor spotted Obi and asked him to follow him in homage to Tinubu, which the former Anambra governor consented to in a statement released on Sunday.
Also read: Obi and Fayemi Attend Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural mass
According to Onanuga, “Fayemi broke the ice between Obi and Tinubu” upon reaching the President.
He continued, “Mr. President, welcome to our church, and thank you for honoring the Pope with your presence.” “
He said, “I should be the one greeting you and Peter, President Tinubu, ever-so-quickly responded. I’m the delegation’s head. “
The organizers announced on Monday that the Ballon d’Or award ceremony will take place on September 22 this year, with the awards for women and men set to be awarded for the first time.
The list was updated this year for the ceremony held at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris, according to France Football magazine and UEFA, and awards for best female goalkeeper, best young female player, and best female player in a club or national team have been added.
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That means there will be six prizes, including the Socrates Award, for actions that promote solidarity, which are open to either men or women, along with six for male players and six for female players.
In the first week of August, the nominees will be revealed.
After Real Madrid learned that their Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior had not won the best men’s player award, which went to Rodri of Manchester City, the ceremony was overshadowed by a boycott of the previous year’s awards ceremony.
