This series of tweets helps you understand the troublesome #ShariaBill

Author, lawyer and human rights activist, Ayo Sugunro, in this series of tweets explains the implication of the Sharia bill pending before the House of Representative. The Bill, which has scaled through second reading and is currently before the House Committee on constitutional amendment, has far reaching consequences for Nigeria’s legal architecture. Ayo Sugunro, tweeting... Read More

Ayo Sogunro, Constitution, criminal law, House of Rep, law, Sharia, tweets

May 12, 2016

No jokes, beggars are on strike in Kaduna state

Beggars in Kaduna state besieged the Kaduna Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists on Wednesday, May 12 demanding that Governor Nasir El-Rufai fulfil his electoral promise to them before banning their activities. The beggars said before the state could ban them from begging in the street, the Disability Bill must have been passed into law and... Read More

The News Blog

beggars, Constitution, economy, el rufai, Kaduna State, law, Religious bill, state, strike

May 1, 2016

Sheriff defies party chieftains, pursues amendment of PDP constitution

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ali Modu Sheriff is said to be moving towards changing the constitution of the opposition party to favour his ambition. Sheriff’s goal is to contest the chairmanship of the party at the national convention of the PDP on May 21, however, many party chieftains are opposed to... Read More

Constitution, PDP, sheriff

May 1, 2016

‘The constitution allows us to move freely’ – Fulani herdsmen

Herdsmen have described as ‘unconstitutional’, the attempts to stop them from grazing their cattle in any part of the country, especially in the south. The herdsmen, under the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, said the constitution guaranteed their movement into any part of the country. Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Plateau State, Nuru Abdullahi,... Read More

Featured, The News Blog

Constitution, Fulani herdsmen

January 27, 2016

Obasanjo blasts legislators in letter to the Senate (READ)

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has sent a letter to the leadership of the National Assembly. According to The Cable, the letter dated January 13, 2016 addressed to Senate President Bukola Saraki and House Speaker Yakubu Dogara bashed the lawmakers for being ‘insensitive’ as they planned to buy cars for themselves despite the economic crunch in... Read More

8th Senate, cars, Constitution, corruption, Legislators, Obasanjo

April 28, 2015

With the constitution’s help, PDP hopes to produce new Speaker of House of Reps

by Kolapo Olapoju While the All Progressives Congress delays in agreeing on candidates for National Assembly leadership, the Peoples Democratic Party is reportedly planning to field a candidate on June 6 when an election would be held to pick a new speaker for the House of Representatives. According to a report by Vanguard newspapers, the PDP... Read More

APC, Constitution, Constitution amendment, House of Representatives, PDP, speaker

February 23, 2015

Why Obanikoro is not qualified to be a minister – Civil society group

by Damilola Jagun A civil society group, All Nigeria Save Democracy Movement, is seeking to block the ratification of the Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, after being nominated by President Goodluck Jonathan for ministerial appointment. Last week, the president sent 8 names, which included former Minister of Defence, to the Senate for approval. However, the group has... Read More

Constitution, gbenga ashafa, Minister ratification, musiliu obanikoro, national assembly, Obafemi Ojudu

January 21, 2015

Modupe Odele: What the law says about Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s certificate

by Modupe Odele So honestly, I cannot (and justifiably so) understand the argument that the General is not qualified to run as a Presidential candidate in the forthcoming elections. This morning I came across a tweet by a colleague that read – “PDP has been feasting on the collective ignorance of Nigerians including the media... Read More

Abuja, certificate, Constitution, katsina, law, Military, Modupe Odele, Muhammadu Buhari, nigeria, Politics, WASC

August 18, 2014

APC voltrons take note – The deployment of soldiers for elections is legal (Y! Legal)

by Orji Agwu Uka However, in the absence (to my knowledge) of any law or regulation passed by the National Assembly on the deployment of troops to any part of Nigeria for the purposes of maintaining law and order during elections, the President appears to have a carte blanche to deploy such armed forces... Read More

Constitution, deployment, elections, legal, orji agwu uka, president, soldeirs, y! legal, ynaija

April 1, 2014

Opinion: 13 things Mandela would have done if he was a Nigerian

by Darasimi Oshodi He would have tried (and might have succeeded) to tinker with his country’s constitution to elongate his time in office perpetually. Was Nelson Mandela a man from our clime? Was he truly African? He definitely did not think or act like an African. He looked like he came from another world. He... Read More

africa, Constitution, darasimi oshodi, elongate, leader, nelson mandela, Nigerian, opinion, ynaija

March 9, 2014

Opinion: How President Jonathan failed to wield absolute power

by Olaitan Ajiboye That absolute power is what Nigerians want Mr President to ‘ACTIVATE’ on Boko Haram and paralyse them. Yes, unleash that ‘absolute power’ on Boko Haram and indeed to guarantee the people of Nigeria security of lives and Property. President Jonathan said during the Presidential Media Chat on Monday 24th, February that he’s... Read More

absolute power, CBN Governor, Constitution, media chat, Olaitan Ajiboye, opinion, President Goodluck Jonathan, sanusi lamido sanusli, ynaija

December 20, 2013

Tunde Ajileye: Death and the politician’s horsemen

by Tunde Ajileye The Constitution we have agreed to be governed by sets term limits for them and all attempts by incumbents so far to manipulate these limits have failed. But in Nigeria, many politicians go into another form of death once they are out of office; they die politically, and their relevance and power... Read More

Constitution, death, dies, eleshin, horsemen, newswirengr, opinion, politicians, relevance, tunde ajileye, Wole Soyinka, ynaija

November 4, 2013

Opinion: A few fixes Nigeria desperately needs

by Tokunbo Soetan Fixing this constitution will go a long way towards fixing the ills of the country, and should negate the need for a national sovereign conference simply because the end result will be the same Reading our constitution, I come away sometimes impressed but oftentimes disheartened and even saddened. While it allows various... Read More

Constitution, country, ills, nigeria, opinion, tokunbo soetan, ynaija

October 21, 2013

Ochereome Nnanna: We want a real conference, not a jamboree

by Ochereome Nnanna The conference will now be exactly what we had feared: an Obasanjo-like jamboree that will not satisfy the yearnings of those hoping it would give Nigeria a new beginning and cure the polity of the ailments responsible for the overall unhappiness of every stakeholder. When Senator Ahmed Tinubu came back from his... Read More

abroad, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Constitution, femi okunronmu, medical trip, national assembly, Ochereome Nnanna, sovereign national conference, ynaija

October 17, 2013

Opinion: President Jonathan and the contentious single term pact

by Idowu Babajide Though members of The New PDP have insisted that GEJ signed an Agreement stating that he won’t run in 2015, it is noteworthy that the purported agreement has been put forward for public knowledge. Secondly, such agreement cannot supersede the provisions of the constitution. In the past few weeks, there has been... Read More

2015 elections, Constitution, eligibility, Goodluck Jonathan, idowu babajide, new pdp, PDP

October 10, 2013

Olisa Agbakoba: Can National Conference provide legal basis for new Nigerian Constitution?

by Olisa Agbakoba, SAN The Late Aka-Bashorun, my most illustrious predecessor, as President of Nigerian Bar Association, the first to clearly articulate the need for a Sovereign National Conference, as long ago as the 1980’s, must be rejoicing in his grave. Civil society has always stated that a National Conference is a vital requirement for a People’s Constitution for Nigeria.... Read More

Alao Aka-Bashorun, Civil Rights, Constitution, National Conference, NBA, Olisa Agbakoba

October 6, 2013

Simon Kolawole: Our Constitution is not the problem

by Simon Kolawole But I will soon show that this is not a minor issue. It will determine the pattern of voting and the overall outcome. Three, how will delegates emerge? By election or selection? If by election, I am afraid the same people who know how to win elections will emerge as delegates to... Read More

Constitution, Goodluck Jonathan, nigeria, north, Sani Abacha, simon kolawole, south

September 21, 2013

Opinion: Atiku, ‘new PDP’ and their crude antics

by Ocheme Eneoche But, even more worrisome is the motivational similarities of an agbero “takeover” with the Atiku led “putsch”. In terms of motivation, the first criterion for an agbero “takeover” is the yearning to control the unaccounted “daily collection” of funds from drivers in a taxi park, from the rents collected by providing transport... Read More

agbero, atiku abubakar, Constitution, INEC, matchet, Ocheme Eneoche, PDP

September 3, 2013

Opinion: Eligibility questions against Jonathan – Lessons from the U.S

by Umar Ardo Therefore, these calls on President Jonathan to contest the 2015 presidential elections without first amending the constitution or getting an affirmative declaration from the Supreme Court will only open other vistas of constitutional issues that would create a floodgate of political crises. In my view, notwithstanding the view expressed by Prof. Ben... Read More

America, apex court, Constitution, eligibility, President Goodluck Jonathan, Professor Ben Nwabueze, Umar Ado

September 3, 2013

Opinion: Is the ruling party gradually ruining or completely ruined?

by Emmanuel Onwubiko Why should an elected president of the federation or state governors be recognized as party leaders respectively in their zones of political influences even when the constitution of these parties stipulate how the executive committees are to be constituted? In the foreword to my book titled “Politics and litigation in contemporary Nigeria”, Complete... Read More

Constitution, Emmanuel Onwubiko, governors, INEC, leader, opinion, PDP, president, ynaija

August 14, 2013

Elnathan John: About Femi Fani-Kayode’s ‘bitter truth’

by Elnathan John My opinion in this matter is simple. A Lagosian as a social term is any Nigerian citizen who is permanently domiciled in Lagos, pays tax to the Lagos State Government and calls Lagos home. I am always wary of people who claim they know the ‘real story’ or the ‘truth about’ something.... Read More

Constitution, elnathan john, Femi Fani-Kayode, igbos, illuminati, Lagosian, Nigerian, opinion, Truth, ynaija

August 13, 2013

Chidi Amuta: Lagos deportation – The invasion of designer tribesmen

by Chidi Amuta But what we are witnessing in recent times, beginning with the Lagos renditions, is first, a flagrant violation of the Nigerian constitution. I am not aware that as Nigerians we are only fit to reside anywhere in our country when we are fit, rich, able and self-supporting. Nigeria 2013. Just when you... Read More

Chidi Amuta, Constitution, Igbo vs Yoruba, lagos, no man's land, oath, opinion, River Niger, tribesmen, ynaija

August 8, 2013

Opinion: The APC and remoulding the Nigerian party system

by Jibrin Ibrahim The Professor Jega led INEC has always shown concern for a party system that expressed scant regard to democratic rules in their internal affairs. INEC, I believe, has also been concerned about the high number of non-functional parties that only serve to clog the ballot during elections, which explain their eagerness to... Read More

Abuja, ballot, Constitution, court, INEC, Jibrin Ibrahim, Jusitce Kolawole, Justice, opinion, political parties, Republic, supreme court, ynaija

August 8, 2013

Opinion: Nigerian legislators are cats with nine lives

by Josef Omorotionmwan When it comes to playing to the gallery, the House of Representatives is certainly smarter than the Senate. This is what the much-touted idea of autonomy for the local governments has shown. People asking for Sovereign National Conference for the purpose of giving this country a Constitution certainly know what they are... Read More

amendment, awarded, Cats, Constitution, Josef Omorotionmwan, legislature, life pension, national assembly, opinion, Senate President, speaker, ynaija

August 7, 2013

Opinion: The big dilemma in the local government reforms

by Nasiru Suwaid To be sure, none of the issues in contention in the current reviewed document, has presented a clear and a glaring case of injustice, as the way many state governments have abused the local government system. The local government system is a problematic concept to situate. For this reason, there is no... Read More

autonomy, Constitution, legislative, Local Governemnt, Nasiru Suwaid, opinion, Parliament, review, State Government, ynaija

August 3, 2013

Mina Ogbanga: Facing the crux of the matter – Who are we up against? (Y! FrontPage)

by Mina Ogbanga Then let’s start by facing the crux of the matter and also remember that “Those whose palm kernels have been cracked for them by some benevolent spirits must also learn to be humble.” Not too long ago, I watched in amazement how Nigeria was classically humbled by the boisterous, goal hungry,... Read More

#ChildNotBride, Constitution, Marriage, Mina Ogbanga, nigeria, positivism, senate, spain, state, Y! Frontpage

August 3, 2013

Chido Onumah: A case for true federalism

by Chido Onumah It is this unregulated power that has created the twisted logic that makes it possible, for example, for Kano to have 44 local governments while Lagos has 20 local governments… it is retrogressive to dictate the number of local governments states should have. No topic has generated as much interest in the... Read More

Canada, Chido Onumah, Constitution, democracy, development, fallacy, Federating unit, Itse Sagay SAN, kano, lagos, Local Government, RAUF AREGBESOLA, USA

July 29, 2013

Cheta Nwanze: Yerima is all about himself and little of Islam (Y! FrontPage)

by Cheta Nwanze The world will always be full o’people like Yerima who will always attempt to twist conditions for their own benefit regardless of what storm it causes. But when our very laws give them the latitude, then we have a problem. I love the Arabic word for “hypocrite”. It is “munafiq”. It shares... Read More

Cheta Nwanze, Constitution, Deputy Minority Leader, hadith, islam, Muslim, nigeria, Prophet Mohammed, Sani Ahmed Yerima, Y! Frontpage, Zamfara

July 27, 2013

Roz Ben-Okagbue: Is the removal of S29 the answer to eradicating child marriage?

by Roz Ben-Okagbue The long and short of it all is that just as Yerima argued in the Senate, the Nigerian legal system through Islamic and Customary law places no specific limitation on the age at which a girl can marry. Last week Nigerians round the world witnessed the unfolding drama of the purported validation... Read More

#ChildNotBride, Ahmed Sani Yerima, child marriage, Child Rights Act, christian, Constitution, Muslim, nigeria, north, Roz Ben-Okagbue, Section 29, The Marriage Act, vesico vaginal fistula, VVF