- INEC to scrap PVCs as it plans to accommodate Diaspora voting
- Tinubu is set to present the 2025 budget to the National Assembly on December 17
- FG threatens contempt suit against governors against LG autonomy
- IGP orders nationwide police deployment to minimise crimes during festive season
- Naira gains against USD in official and parallel markets
Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.
INEC to scrap PVCs as it plans to accommodate Diaspora voting
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has made public its decision to remove the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) as its sole mode of voting.
Following the 2023 general and off-cycle elections, INEC announced that it would reform Nigeria’s electoral system.
Among the electoral reforms include phasing out of the PVCs and onboarding Diasporan Nigerians to allow them to vote wherever they might be around the world.
Tinubu is set to present the 2025 budget to the National Assembly on December 17
President Bola Tinubu is expected to present the ₦47.9trn 2025 budget to the national assembly on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
The news was shared by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, who revealed the plenary’s development.
The federal government submitted ₦47.9 trillion as its estimated budget for 2025 on November 14, and shortly after, the President submitted the medium-term expenditure framework and fiscal strategy paper (MTEF/FSP) for 2025–2027 to both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
FG threatens contempt suit against governors against LG autonomy
The Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), warned all state governors to ignore the Supreme Court’s judgement on local government autonomy, threatening to apply for a contempt of court suit.
On July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court affirmed the financial autonomy of all 774 local government areas in Nigeria, barring the intervention of all state governors from controlling the funds initially for the councils.
The Supreme Court directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to transfer local government allocations directly to their accounts, ruling that the failure of the 36 states to remit these funds was unconstitutional.
IGP orders nationwide police deployment to minimise crimes during festive season
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered all police officers to strategic locations and identified spots across the country to combat terrorism and crimes during this festive period.
Instructions were made to minimise criminal activities while Nigerians were out and about during the Yuletide season. The announcement was focused on preserving the lives and properties of Nigerians.
In a statement published via the Nigeria Police Force’s account on X (formerly Twitter), the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, stated that “The IGP has directed the immediate deployment of adequate personnel to strategic locations, key areas, and identified hotspots across all states. This initiative aims to curb traffic, highway robberies, and other criminal activities during this period of increased mobility, public gatherings, and celebrations.”
Naira gains against USD in official and parallel markets
The Nigerian currency (₦) has appreciated against the US dollar ($) across all trading platforms.
According to the report by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the naira trades at ₦1,534/$ in the official market and ₦1,680/$ in the black market.
The previous rates were ₦1,545/$ in the official market and ₦1,715/$ in the parallel market, as reported on Wednesday, December 11.
