The Senate has appointed Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.

The announcement was made by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Thursday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently under suspension.

Bassey, who represents Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District, takes over a role Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to in February, after being removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.

No official reason was given for her replacement on Thursday, though it is widely believed to be tied to her unresolved suspension from the Senate.

In May, a Federal High Court presided over by Justice Binta Nyako ordered Akpoti-Uduaghan’s reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate. Despite this, the Senate maintains it has not received a certified true copy of the judgment.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties. In a televised interview on Tuesday, she explained that she was waiting for the certified court order before returning to plenary, saying she was acting on legal advice and out of respect for institutional processes.

Although the court ruled that her suspension was “excessive and unconstitutional,” a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), claimed that the judgment did not include a binding directive requiring the Senate to immediately reinstate her.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three women in the current Senate, described the delay in her return as a violation of her democratic mandate.

“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central—it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.

The Lagos State Police Command has adjusted the hours of restriction on movement ahead of the Local Government elections scheduled for Saturday, July 12, 2025.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, announced that the restriction will now take effect from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., revising the earlier time frame of 3:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

“To alleviate the problem of residents with critical medical emergencies and appointments, and those with longtime international travel plans in and out of the country, the restriction of vehicular movement is hereby readjusted to commence at 6:00 AM and end at 3:00 PM on Saturday, July 12, 2025 and not from 3am as earlier announced. Members of the public are enjoined to cooperate and respect the new timing,” Hundeyin stated.

The decision, according to the police, is aimed at balancing security measures with the personal needs of Lagosians on election day.

The Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, also reiterated the command’s commitment to ensuring a peaceful and well-coordinated electoral process across the state.

Residents have been encouraged to remain alert and report any suspicious activity by contacting the police through the emergency lines 08063299264 or 08065154338.

The elections will be conducted across all 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas in Lagos State.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has formally rejected the purported appointment of Jennifer Adibie N. as the State Chairman of its Ebonyi State chapter, describing the move as an attempt to compromise the party’s integrity and independence.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, the Director General of the ADC National Media Frontiers, Imal Haruna Gal, said the decision followed credible intelligence indicating that Adibie is allegedly working in alliance with the Ebonyi State Governor and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“After a thorough review of available information and credible intelligence gathered from our structures on the ground, I wish to categorically reject this appointment,” Haruna Gal stated. “Let it be made abundantly clear: the ADC will not serve as a platform for political mercenaries or individuals compromised by affiliations with rival parties.”

The party leadership described the development as a direct threat to the credibility of the ADC, stressing that its foundation is built on transparency, accountability, and people-first governance.

“It is unacceptable to have any individual in a leadership position who is allegedly serving the interests of an opposing party, especially one whose policies and leadership style starkly contrast with the values we uphold,” the statement continued.

The ADC announced that the appointment is considered null and void, and promised to initiate a constitutionally guided process to install a committed and loyal party member to lead the Ebonyi chapter.

The party also urged its members and supporters in Ebonyi State and across Nigeria to remain vigilant in the face of what it described as attempts by external political forces to infiltrate its ranks.

“The ADC remains a beacon of hope for millions of Nigerians seeking genuine change, and we will not allow our vision to be hijacked by external political interests,” Haruna Gal affirmed.

The statement concluded by reiterating that the ADC is not a “political trading post,” but a movement rooted in principle, people, and purpose.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ebonyi State has been plunged into a fresh round of internal crisis following a bitter war of words over the authenticity of the party’s leadership and alleged attempts to destabilize its ranks.

In a strongly worded rejoinder issued on Thursday, a coalition of concerned ADC stakeholders accused Comrade Emeka Chiefo, a former party official, of peddling falsehoods aimed at hijacking the party structure.

Chiefo had, in a statement circulated by Asiwaju Media, claimed that the ADC’s Ebonyi State leadership had been dissolved and replaced with an interim committee. He further alleged that Dr. Adibe Jennifer Nwafor, the state chairperson, was an impostor planted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to undermine the party.

But in the rejoinder, ADC stakeholders described the claims as “unsubstantiated,” “reckless,” and “fictitious,” insisting that Dr. Adibe remains the duly elected and INEC-certified state chairperson.

“Contrary to the speculations by Emeka Chiefo, Dr. Adibe Jennifer Nwafor was duly elected in a well-monitored congress in 2022, in line with the party constitution and INEC guidelines,” the statement read.

“The African Democratic Congress has not declared any dissolution of its structures either at the national or state level. The purported claim of an ‘interim leadership’ is a figment of his imagination.”

The rejoinder also dismissed as defamatory the allegation that Dr. Adibe was working at the behest of the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi.

“Dr. Adibe remains a loyal, founding, and committed member of ADC, and her antecedents speak volumes of her integrity, political neutrality, and dedication to grassroots development,” it stated.

The statement accused Chiefo of seeking to sow confusion for personal gain, noting that he had “faded out of relevance within the party due to his divisive tendencies and non-performance.”

Party insiders say the dispute reflects a broader struggle for control ahead of the 2027 general elections, with various actors seeking to consolidate influence and secure the party’s structure in the state.

Despite the crisis, ADC stakeholders reiterated that the party remains “strong and united under the leadership of Dr. Adibe,” and called on supporters to disregard Chiefo’s “baseless propaganda.”

“ADC is not for sale. It is not a one-man affair. It is a democratic institution governed by rules, structures, and values,” the statement concluded.

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ebonyi State, Comrade Emeka Chiefo, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is making moves to infiltrate and hijack the ADC through known proxies.

Comrade Emeka, who is the former Chairman of the ADC in Ebonyi Central Zone and hails from Umunwagu Idembia ward in Ezza South Local Government Area, claimed that a former APC member, Jennifer Adibe, is being positioned by the APC to destabilize the ADC in the state.

“All the state and federal executives remain dissolved,” he stated. “The APC is trying everything possible to use Jennifer Adibe to hijack our party. Jennifer is an APC member. Umahi wants to use his former cronies like Jennifer, but we will resist them vehemently.”

He explained that the ADC’s interim leadership has already commenced efforts to curb the activities of individuals allegedly parading themselves as party officials across different states.

“The lists you saw circulating are all former executives,” he clarified.

Speaking about his aspiration to become the substantive chairman of the ADC in Ebonyi State, Chiefo outlined his vision to reposition the party and offer Nigerians a credible alternative.

“My plan for the party is very simple—to make the party accessible and acceptable to the majority of Ebonyians and Nigerians at large,” he said. “I am coming to bring a better alternative for Nigerians. As we can see, nothing is going on in Nigeria again. Inflation is at its peak, security is zero, people are dying, and other heinous activities are going on unabated.”

He expressed confidence that under the ADC, both at the state and national levels, Nigeria can return to the path of progress and development.

“With our party in both state and federal, we will return Nigeria to the Nigeria of our dreams,” he concluded.