Buhari receives National Security Council membership Bill, independent candidacy

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Presiding officers of the Senate and House of Representatives are set to be members of the National Security Council (NSC) as the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday directed the clerk of the National Assembly to transmit bills passed to the presidency for assent.

The bills also include independent candidacy contesting elections without necessarily belonging to a political party.

The inclusions were captured in the passage of (Fifth) Alteration Bill Nos. 46 (Membership of the National Security Council to include Presiding Officers of the National Assembly) and 58 (Independent Candidacy), 2023.

The sponsor of the motion, Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy Senate President and Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitution

Amendment said Gombe State House of Assembly has given its nod for the bill to meet its constitutional requirement.

Omo-Agege revealed that the Gombe State House of Assembly that earlier declined to adopt the amended constitution has eventually forwarded a passed resolution to the committee, leaving Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Plateau, and Taraba Houses of Assembly as of Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

The presiding officers are the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Speaker. Recall that on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, the clerk of the National Assembly was directed to transmit Constitution Alteration Bill No. 20 (Uniform Retirement Age for Judicial Officers) after it met the requirement of Section 9(2) of the Constitution to Buhari for his assent.

From Abubakar Yunusa, Abuja

Justice A.R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Court 5, Abuja has set July 13, 2023 for the cross examination of the last defence witness Segun Arowolo on allegations against Midland Capital Market Limited and its managing Director Mr. Sam Kwandi bordering on operating as fund managers without registration by the Securities and Exchange Commission among others.

Midland Capital and Bandi are being accused of obtaining the sum of N40m from one Mr Patrick Aibhalemen under false pretence that they are fund managers and going to invest the money on his behalf under a ‘Guaranteed Investment Product’.

They however, did not invest the money, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section