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Unlike Some Of My Colleagues, I Can Never Retire To Senate — El-Rufai

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Nasir El-Rufai, governor of Kaduna, says he will not seek a legislative seat after leaving office.

The governor spoke on Monday at the second edition of the distinguished parliamentarian lecture series organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), in Abuja.

El-Rufai was elected as governor in 2015 and is currently serving his second term which will enď in May 2023.

It is not uncommon for governors who have spent two terms in office to contest to be elected into the senate.

Currently, the former governors in the red chamber include Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Orji Kalu (Abia), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa), Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), and Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara).

El-Rufai, however, said he does not look forward to becoming a lawmaker because he does not believe he can function well within such an environment.

“The national assembly, and indeed the legislature, is very key and often the decapitated branch of government, because whenever there is a military coup, every other arm of government is left intact to continue but the legislature is usually dissolved,” he said.

“So, we have found over time, due to years of military rule, legislative tradition has not developed as much as the executive and judicial tradition, and this is why this kind of lecture is very important to continue to build the institutional strength and capacity of the legislature.

“There is also a lot of confusion about the role of the legislature because many of the constituents think that when you are in the legislature, you should get them contracts.

“They think that everyone in government awards contracts. They do not understand that the role of the legislature is to make laws and serve as a check to the executive and judicial excesses. I, therefore, commend the ninth assembly and NILDS for this initiative.

“For me, being here is an opportunity to learn because the legislature is one branch of government I know I can never function in. The hard work needed to convince people to support even your motion is something some of us have no patience for.

“The executive is very straightforward and very hierarchical and once you are the governor, your work is almost done. In the legislature, everyone is equal. There is nothing in leadership more difficult than managing your equals. So, I don’t envy the speaker and senate president, because their job is perhaps the hardest job in this country.

“Managing equals is very difficult; managing subordinates is easy. You can hire and fire. I know I am quite incapable of it, so any opportunity I have to interact with the legislature I take it.

“I know many of my colleague-governors are retired to the senate. I can assure you I can never retire to the legislature because I do not think I can function there.

“So, I really have great respect for those in the legislature and have managed to make it function. It is a great pleasure to be here.”

The governor added that the three arms of government should always work for the public good.

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NDLEA Seizes Lipsticks Stuffed With Drugs At Lagos Airport [VIDEO]

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Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have uncovered another batch of female lipsticks containing illegal drugs at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

Femi Babafemi, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, revealed this in a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) page on Sunday.

He also urged Nigerians, particularly women, to be extremely vigilant when purchasing or accepting beauty products, especially from unfamiliar sellers or dubious online platforms.

The statement read, Ladies beware! It does appear like female lipstick is becoming attractive as an instrument for concealment and trafficking now with yet another consignment of factory fitted female lipsticks stuffed with illicit substances intercepted at MMIA barely a week after @ndlea_nigeria officers uncovered a similar cargo at a courier company in Lagos.

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JUST IN: Former President Buhari Dies In London Clinic

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Former Nigerian leader, Muhammadu Buhari, passed away on Sunday.

His longtime media aide, Garba Shehu, confirmed the news in a brief statement issued on Sunday afternoon, stating that the former president died at a clinic in London.

Shehu’s message, distributed to the media, read:
“INNA LILLAHI WA INNA ILAIHIRRAJIUUN. The family of the former president has announced the passing on of the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, this afternoon in a clinic in London. May Allah accept him in Aljannatul Firdaus, Amin.”

The statement concluded with the date: July 13, 2025.

Although the cause of death was not disclosed, Buhari, who held office from 2015 to 2023, had frequently sought medical care in the United Kingdom during and after his time as president.

Buhari, a retired Major General in the Nigerian Army, first led Nigeria as a military head of state from 1983 to 1985. Decades later, he was elected president through a democratic process. He made history as the first opposition candidate to unseat a sitting president in Nigeria.

Funeral plans have not yet been made public.

 

More to come…

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No Effective Governance Without Full Local Government Autonomy — Femi Gbajabiamila

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The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has stated that governance at the local government level cannot be effective without complete autonomy.

He made the remark while addressing journalists after voting in the Lagos State local government elections in Surulere on Saturday.

When asked about the progress of implementing the LG autonomy ruling by the Supreme Court one year after it was delivered, Gbajabiamila described the process as ongoing and said it would be completed with time.

Gbajabiamila said, “The ruling was welcome by everybody. It’s the execution of that ruling and the implementation of that ruling that we are still trying to dot the Is and cross the Ts.

“I believe in a matter of time, we will realise full autonomy. There cannot be effective governance without full autonomy. That’s what we are working toward.”

In July 2024, the Supreme Court granted autonomy to all 774 local government areas across the country following a case filed by the federal government through the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation. However, the ruling is yet to be fully implemented.

Following the judgement, the Senate urged state and local governments to immediately adhere to the court’s directive, especially regarding local government accounts and direct fund disbursements.

The Senate also moved to amend relevant sections of the Constitution to ensure full local government autonomy nationwide.

The announcement was made by Deputy Senate President Senator Jibrin Barau, after lawmakers emerged from a closed-door session where they discussed alleged efforts by some state governments to bypass the Supreme Court’s ruling on July 11.

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