The Presidency has said that President Bola Tinubu “is still nursing” the knee surgery he underwent in the United Kingdom in 2021 before he became President.

“He is still nursing it up till now because it was a major surgery. It is not that he has any other ailment.”

Special Adviser to the President on information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a recent interview with the Nigerian Tribune, said: “when you do knee surgery, you cannot be walking like a 25-year-old man.”

Onanuga recalled that prior to the declaration of his presidential ambition and flag off of campaign in 2022, Tinubu had made a medical trip to London for the knee surgery.

According to Onanuga, Tinubu has no other ailment but is still nursing the knee surgery.

“No, he was not sick. We made this clear to Nigerians. Tinubu was as fit as a fiddle in the run-up to that election.

“Before that campaign began, I think a year before, he went for knee surgery, which was not a secret, as President Muhammadu Buhari even went to see him in London when he was recuperating.

“So, that was what he went to do, knee surgery. “That was why he could not walk properly.”

The Court of Appeal has reversed the sack of the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule by the State Election Petitions Tribunal in its judgment delivered on October 2.
Delivering the judgment today, November 23, in Abuja, the three-member panel, led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, held that the Tribunal was legally bound to act on witness statements filed along with the petition or front-loaded within 21 days stipulated by law.
The Court held that the Tribunal, led by Ezekiel Ajayi, acted in grave error by using witness statements on oath not front-loaded as required by law to arrive at the unjust conclusion of nullifying the election of the governor.
The Court held that no petition can lawfully be amended outside the 21 days allowed by law as wrongly done by the Tribunal.
According to the Court of Appeal, the Tribunal denied the governor a fair hearing by not considering and making findings on the issues of jurisdiction raised at the hearing of the petition.
The court further held that since the statements used by the Tribunal to sack the Governor were not front-loaded in compliance with the law, such statements were the product of illegality with no probate value for a law Court to act upon.
The Court dismissed the over-voting issues used to annul the election, adding that allegations were not established by law.
Justice Onyemenam held that the petition by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), David Ombugadu, was null and invalid on the ground that the jurisdictional issues raised by the governor were unlawfully ignored by the Tribunal.
Justice Onyemenam agreed that the denial of a fair hearing against the governor was fatal and tendered all decisions of the Tribunal invalid.
The Court subsequently reversed all orders made against the governor and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and affirmed Abdullahi Sule as the lawfully elected governor of the state.
INEC had declared Abdullahi Sule the winner of the governorship election on the grounds that he polled a total of 347,209 votes to defeat his closest opponent, David Emmanuel Ombugadu who secured 283,016 votes.
And in a split decision on October 2, the tribunal nullified Abdullahi Sule’s election and upheld Ombugadu as the winner.
Source: Channelstv.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen has asked the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to come up with creative ways for optimal performance to stemmed years of non-performing public assets in the oil sector.
The Speaker, who spoke today, November 23, when he received the management of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari in his office in Abuja, commended the NNPCL for taking full advantage of the Petroleum Industry Act to maximise its commercial potentials.
He however, decried the state of Nigeria’s refineries such as the one in Kaduna, which he said, has been moribund for over 20 years, even though the staff are being maintained, paid and promoted.
He described the situation as inefficiency and waste of human resources that need to be addressed.
“I am from Kaduna, and the Kaduna refinery has been moribund for more than 20 years. I know of people working there who have been idle all these years receiving salaries and promotions. “This is inefficiency of a worrisome proportion. The company needs to seek creative ways to repurpose staff strength in such facilities to areas where they can remain productive even in the absence of crude oil at the refineries.”
Speaker Abbas called for measures to turn around the losses suffered by the economy, owing to the non-productive state of the refineries, by privatising them for better management and productivity.
The Speaker congratulated the company for redirecting gains of subsidy removal to other productive areas of enhancement that are now adding value to the system as shown by the quantum leap being reported in its revenue profile as presented by the Chief Executive.
He said that the 10th House, and by extension the National Assembly, would fully be behind the company in its fight against oil theft, disclosing that the House has taken the lead in creating a Special Committee on Oil Theft and Pipeline Vandalism, which was inaugurated yesterday, November 22.
Speaker Abbas, who received the NNPC management in company of the Minority Whip of the House, Ali Isa and the chairmen of relevant committees in the oil and gas sector, assured the company of the willingness of the House to always partner with it in repositioning the nation’s economy.
Earlier, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the NNPC Limited, highlighted the areas of improvement in the company, using the instrument of the Petroleum Industry Act.
The company’s chief reiterated that the entity has fully gone commercial with the new law, adding that it was hitherto operating at a loss, recording a negative of N803 billion in 2018.
Kyari said that the changes that happened in the company after the PIA have led to the realisation of N674 billion profit after tax in 2021, and over N2trillion income in 2022.
Kyari said that the company has a projected revenue to the tune of N4.5 trillion as expected income in 2023, adding that having gone fully commercial, the company controls over 30% of the market share in the downstream sector.
“This company is operating just like any other private company providing dividends to its shareholders. We have over 30% of the market share in the downstream sector, which is why no single player can hold this country to random in terms of making products available to Nigerians.
“So when you see queue, it’s really not as a result of scarcity but internal events arising from the actions of marketers, and people can always go to our stations and be served. They are guaranteed quality and accurate quantity of dispensed products.”

The Senate has resolved to summon the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, over the growing rate of kidnappings in Abuja, the FCT.

The Senate also called for the probe of the contract for installation of close circuit television (CCTV) in Abuja where $500 million was spent, but the contract was not executed.

The Senate’s resolution was based on Senator Ned Nwoko’s motion on “Urgent need to stop the Galadimawa kidnappings: need for security agents to act.”

Coming under matter of urgent national importance, Nwoko said that the rate of kidnappings in the country has entered the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja,  “undermining the very essence of safety and security.”

He said that 19 persons, including his Senior Legislative Aide, Barrister Chris Agidi were kidnapped in Galadimawa area of Abuja, adding that information from security agencies had confirmed that 12 of them have lost their lives.

In his contribution, Senator Enyinaya Abaribe (APGA, Abia South) said that it is not only Galadimawa, but many parts of Abuja are under siege, adding: “this is the FCT of Nigeria; if anything, it should be the safest.”

According to him the kidnappers ask for ransom using their cell phones, and they are not traced.”

Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), a former Minister of the FCT, lending his support to the motion said “many people are no longer sleeping in their houses.”

Aliero said that when he was FCT minister, contract of $500 million for CCT was awarded, adding: “the contractor installed useless cameras and the citizens are left at the mercy of criminals. 

“This contract must be investigated because it is national embarrassment and shame.”

According to him, the sum of N1.5 trillion was approved for security agents nationwide and the National Assembly must go on oversight to see how the money was utilised.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio said that Nwoko’s motion was supported by all the lawmakers and that “it is worrisome that they are turning the FCT upside.”

Therefore, the Senate approved the prayers of motion to call for “joint operations involving the Army, the Air force, the Police, the DSS, to intensify the search efforts for the kidnap victims.

“Urge the FCT Minister to revisit the contract for the installation of CCT cameras within and around Abuja for which 500 million dollars has been paid” and highways and other capital cities to bolster surveillance and detect criminal activities.

“Call on the IGP to urgently increase security patrols and surveillance within Abuja and within the nation to proactively turn back and prevent further criminality.

“Mandate the Committees in Defence and Police Affairs to conduct a thorough investigation into this present kidnapping and other similar incidence in and around Abuja.

“Mandate the aforementioned committees to recommend robust strategies to prevent future kidnapping within the FCT.”

Akpabio assured the senators that Senate Committees on National Security, Intelligence; ICT & Cyber Crime were having a public hearing and will propose amendment to the relevant laws.

He thanked Senator Ned Nwoko for raising the motion and wished that all those who have been kidnapped, including his aide will regain their freedom and return safely.