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ADC To Akpabio: Encouraging Certificate Forgery Will Be APC’s Lasting Legacy
ADC To Akpabio: Encouraging Certificate Forgery Will Be APC’s Lasting Legacy
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised Senate President Godswill Akpabio over comments dismissing the opposition’s objections to the Electoral Act 2026 and claiming to have done the right thing.
While speaking during a reception for the wife of the President, Mrs. Remi Tinubu, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Saturday, Senator Akpabio said he is excited and knows he has made the right law when opposition parties complain.
However, reacting in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the opposition does not complain for the sake of it, but because provisions have been introduced into the law that were designed to cripple other political parties, undermine the nation’s democracy, and lower the country’s standing in the eyes of the world.
The party said the Senate President should indeed expect the harsh judgment of history for his role in foisting the 2026 Electoral Act on Nigerians, especially the aspect of the law that removes certificate forgery as grounds for challenging election results, which would remain the enduring legacy of the ruling party.
The full statement read:
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken note of the recent comments credited to the Senate President, His Excellency Godswill Akpabio, in which he dismissed the opposition’s complaints about the 2026 Electoral Act as evidence that he and the Senate he leads have made the right laws. In other words, if the laws had been agreeable to the opposition and did not elicit any complaint, those would have been the wrong laws.
The embedded logic of this statement exposes the subterfuge behind the entire business of the Electoral Amendment. It was all designed to make the ruling party and the President happy.
Amendments are made to laws in order to make them better in meeting national aspirations and advancing the collective best interests of citizens towards achieving a better society. It is only in a rogue democracy, or more precisely, in a kakistocracy such as the one we are in today, that the legislature would sit down to make laws that actually lower society’s ethical standards.
How can any self-respecting person be happy with himself for presiding over the making of a law that now says the election of an individual can no longer be challenged on the grounds of certificate forgery as provided in Section 138 of the Electoral Act 2026, even though this is in direct contradiction to Sections 66, 107, 137, and 182 of the Constitution, which clearly disqualify anyone who has presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from holding public office?
This amended legislation does not only create a troubling constitutional conflict, it also shows how far a desperate political party like the APC would go in bringing the country down to its level. It is difficult to imagine a more damaging message to send to Nigerians, particularly to our young people, than the suggestion that certificate forgery should no longer have serious consequences.
What kind of lawmakers gather together to conceive, deliberate, and pass legislation that appears designed to protect dishonesty rather than punish it? Such actions do not only weaken our democracy; they lower the moral estimation of our country in the eyes of the world and reinforce the dangerous stereotype that corruption is acceptable in Nigerian public life.
ADC
If Senator Akpabio wishes to concern himself with the activities of the opposition, that is his choice. But Nigerians will ultimately judge leaders not by their ridicule of the opposition, but by their record. And as it stands, the legacy of this National Assembly will be that of the most spineless and compromised legislature in Nigeria’s democratic history, a legislature that made a law which lowered the nation’s ethical standard just to serve the interest of one man.
While Senator Akpabio can continue to mock the opposition as much as he likes, it is important to note that as a growing party and the choice of millions of Nigerians, the ADC remains focused on building a credible political alternative capable of restoring integrity, competence, and accountability to governance in our country.
History is patient. And when the story of this period in Nigeria’s democratic journey is written, Nigerians will remember those who stood to defend the integrity of our democracy, and those who chose to weaken it.
Signed: Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi National Publicity Secretary African Democratic Congress (ADC)
CBN: 30 Banks Meet New Capital Requirements
CBN: 30 Banks meet new capital requirements. The Central Bank of Nigeria says the banking sector recapitalisation programme introduced in 2024 is progressing steadily, with financial institutions strengthening their capital base to meet new regulatory thresholds.
A statement by the Acting Director of Corporate Communications at the bank, Hakama Sidi Ali, says thirty banks have already met the new minimum capital requirements tied to their respective licence categories.
The statement adds that thirty-three banks had raised additional capital through rights issues, initial public offerings and private placements as part of the recapitalisation programme.
CBN
The CBN notes that the capital positions of the remaining banks are currently undergoing routine verification ahead of final confirmation of compliance within the stipulated timeline.
The apex bank reiterates that Nigeria’s banking system remains stable and sound, stressing that the recapitalisation initiative will further strengthen banks’ capacity to support households, businesses and sustainable economic growth.
Stakeholders Join Forces With EFCC To Tackle Corrupt Practices In Anambra
Stakeholders join forces with EFCC to tackle corrupt practices in Anambra. In a renewed effort to strengthen inter-agency and institutional collaboration against economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption, the Anambra Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has embarked on a series of strategic courtesy visits and awareness campaign to critical law enforcement agencies, judicial and traditional institutions in the state.
To this end, the Anambra Zonal Director of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Ofen-Imu Atiba Sunday, on March 5, 2026, led a delegation to the State Director, Department of State Services, DSS, Anambra State, C. Anukposi; State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Anambra State, Akachia Godwin; State Comptroller, Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Anambra State, Umerah Timothy Nwanegbo; State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Anambra State, Bridget Asekhauno, State Commandant, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Anambra State, Onubogu Charles Orakwue and His Majesty, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, Eze Iweka III (Eze Ogalagidi), the Eze Obosi and Chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Council and cabinet members.
Speaking during the visits, the Acting Zonal Director emphasized that the fight against corruption required sustained cooperation and synergy among relevant institutions and community leaders. This, he said, will enhance intelligence gathering, strengthen prevention strategies and effective enforcement actions against economic and financial crimes. “Collaborative efforts among stakeholders which include community leaders are essential to safeguarding Nigeria’s economic stability and future”, he said.
Providing insight into crime patterns within the Directorate’s jurisdiction, which covers Anambra and Imo States, Sunday disclosed that preliminary crime analysis indicates that public sector corruption, land and property fraud, tax fraud, advance fee fraud, cybercrime, bank fraud and open market abuses remain the most prevalent crimes in the region,
Responding, Anukposi expressed strong support for the initiative and emphasized the importance of sustained synergy, intelligence sharing and coordinated operations among law enforcement and security agencies. He noted that corruption and economic crimes constitute serious threats to national security and economic stability, assuring the EFCC of his Service’s readiness to strengthen cooperation and undertake joint efforts where necessary to combat such crimes within the state.
Similarly, Godwin commended the Commission for its proactive engagement with sister agencies. He appreciated the existing collaboration between the Corps and the EFCC, particularly in the areas of illegal bunkering, vandalization of public assets and oil theft.
In his own response, Nwanegbo welcomed the engagement and reiterated the Service’s willingness to continue to collaborate with the EFCC, particularly in areas relating to border control, migration monitoring and intelligence support necessary for combating transnational financial crimes.
EFCC
Asekhauno also praised the Commission’s efforts in promoting accountability and transparency. She emphasized the need for continued partnership among public institutions to strengthen compliance with the rule of law and support national development. She equally enjoined the EFCC to take advantage of the Corps’ robust database in the fight against economic and financial crimes.
Orakwue, equally commended the initiative and assured the Commission of his Agency’s commitment to strengthening inter-agency collaboration in tackling criminal networks whose activities intersect with drug trafficking, money laundering and other economic crimes.
At the palace of His Majesty, the Eze Obosi, the royal father appreciated the EFCC’s engagement with traditional institutions and acknowledged the negative impact of corruption, economic and financial crimes on communities and development. The monarch pledged the support of the Anambra’s Traditional Council towards promoting cultural values, ethics and integrity.
He promised to mobilize other community leaders across the state to support the anti-corruption sensitization efforts at the grassroots level.
Oyo: Hoodlums Attack LG Congresses Of Wike’s PDP Faction
Oyo: Hoodlums attack LG congresses of Wike’s PDP faction. Hoodlums disrupted Saturday’s local government congress of the Mr Nyesom Wike faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), leaving a trail of destruction of property and injuries.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that party members were attacked at Bodija, Ibadan North Local Government Area, and allegedly, at other venues of the congress across the state.
Hoodlums Attack LG Congresses Of Wike’s PDP Faction
According to a member of the faction, Julius Adekunle, the hoodlums attacked almost all the designated venues of the congresses across the state.
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