The House of Representatives on Tuesday abruptly adjourned plenary after a lengthy closed-door session, leaving several key bills and motions listed on the order paper unattended.

The sitting, presided over by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, began with the usual National Anthem, prayers, and brief announcements before lawmakers moved into an executive session that lasted nearly two hours.

When the House reconvened, an attempt by Hon. Uzokwe Peter Lovepet Ifeanyi (Dike-Udo), who represents Nnewi North, Nnewi South, and Ekwusigo Federal Constituency, to raise a point of order was not acknowledged by the Speaker.

Instead, Speaker Abbas proceeded to entertain a motion for adjournment, which was promptly moved by the Majority Leader and carried without debate, effectively ending the day’s proceedings.

Plenary was adjourned until Wednesday.

While the outcome of the closed-door meeting was not officially disclosed, sources suggest it may be linked to last week’s tense standoff in the chamber over the non-release of funds for capital projects in the 2024 and 2025 budgets.

During that previous executive session, presided over by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, lawmakers reportedly expressed frustration over the abandonment of project sites nationwide due to unpaid contractor certificates.

Members had lamented that despite the National Assembly’s approval of funds, there had been no visible progress on many constituency projects.

The adjournment meant that several motions and bills scheduled for debate were left pending.

Among the deferred motions were:

• A motion urging the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) to establish a Special Agricultural Processing and Export Zone in Kebbi State, sponsored by Hon. Ibrahim Mohammed.
• A motion on the indiscriminate sale of public land and assets in FHA/ENL Estates, Guzape, moved by Hon. Esosa Iyawe.
• Another motion addressing the collapse of local rice farming and milling industries across Nigeria.

Key bills that were slated for second reading but were not considered include:

• A constitutional amendment bill seeking to create additional Local Government Areas in Plateau State (HB.2590), sponsored by Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase.
• A bill to amend the Electricity Act, 2023, providing a regulatory framework for nuclear energy development in Nigeria (HB.2138), sponsored by Hon. Victor Obuzor.
• The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Institute (EFCCI) Establishment Bill (HB.2396), sponsored by Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, aimed at setting up a training and research centre for combating economic and financial crimes.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has again stopped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from holding its planned National Convention slated for November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The convention was meant to elect new national officers to steer the affairs of the opposition party.

The order followed an ex-parte application filed by former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, through his counsel, Jephthah Njikonye, SAN, seeking an interim injunction to restrain the PDP from proceeding with the event pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice.

In his ruling on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu held that Lamido’s application had merit and warranted the court’s intervention.

He consequently restrained the PDP from convening the convention until the substantive suit is heard and determined.

The judge also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring or recognising any convention the party might attempt to hold before the resolution of the case.

Justice Lifu observed that Lamido, a bona fide PDP member with a declared interest in contesting for the position of national chairman, would suffer irreparable harm if the interim order was not granted.

He further noted that there was no reason to depart from the earlier order issued by Justice James Omotosho on October 31, 2025, which similarly stopped the PDP’s planned convention and restrained INEC from participating in it.

Meanwhile, at the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, Justice Ladiran Akintola has again adjourned the hearing of a motion on notice in a separate case filed by Folahan Malomo Adelabi against the PDP, its acting national chairman, and other respondents.

The matter, which has added to the party’s mounting legal troubles, was postponed to allow all parties adequate time to file and exchange necessary processes before the substantive hearing begins.

Justice Akintola said the adjournment was needed to ensure that all pending applications were addressed together for a smoother and more coordinated proceeding.

In a related development, PDP leaders in Ekiti State have warned against alleged efforts by “enemies of the party” to overturn the result of the governorship primary election won by Dr. Wole Oluyede.

Similarly, some PDP members in Oyo State have petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC), calling for disciplinary action against Justice Akintola over what they described as “acts of judicial recklessness, impunity, and gross misconduct.”

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has expressed confidence that Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, will soon join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Kalu, who currently represents Abia North Senatorial District and previously served as Governor of Abia State, described Soludo as a “natural progressive” whose political philosophy aligns with that of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking with journalists at the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday, Kalu said the Anambra governor, presently a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), is likely to find a common cause with the APC after current political and legal matters are concluded.

“Soludo is a progressive like President Tinubu, like me, and like the Senate President. He has no choice but to join us in the APC,” Kalu stated.

Kalu noted that more politicians and governors across Nigeria are showing interest in the ruling party due to what he called President Tinubu’s visionary and inclusive leadership.

He stressed that no one is being coerced into joining the APC.

“No one is forcing anybody to join the APC — not me, not the Senate President, not even the President. People are coming on their own because they see the direction of progress,” he said.

Kalu reaffirmed his dedication to strengthening the APC’s base in the South East, adding that his focus is on preparing the party for the 2027 general elections.

He also confirmed his support for his younger brother’s political ambitions within the APC and ruled out backing candidates from other political platforms.

Addressing the state of the nation, the senator reiterated his loyalty to President Tinubu’s administration, expressing optimism that the government’s economic reforms will soon bear fruit.

“At the beginning, there were rumours about moves to remove the Senate President, but as you can see, everything is calm. The Senate is united and focused on helping the President deliver on his agenda,” Kalu said.

He acknowledged the economic difficulties facing Nigerians, especially after the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the exchange rate, but urged citizens to be patient.

“As a businessman, I feel the pain, but I also see the progress. Macroeconomic indicators are improving even though life remains tough for ordinary people. The key now is ensuring that relief reaches the masses,” he explained.

Kalu dismissed fears of a strong opposition in the next general elections, insisting that President Tinubu remains the dominant political figure in the country.

“The 2027 election will be Tinubu versus Tinubu,” he declared.

“There’s no united opposition. Our party is solid, organized, and connected to the people.”

Kalu also reacted to recent remarks by former U.S President Donald Trump regarding killings in Nigeria, saying Trump’s comments reflected the harsh reality of insecurity in the country.

“What Trump said isn’t false. Nigerians, both Christians and Muslims, are being killed. In Plateau, the victims are mostly Christians; in Zamfara, they’re Muslims. These are terrorists, and that’s what they should be called,” he said.

He disclosed that he had recently spoken with two former U.S presidents and over 60 U.S lawmakers, who expressed a willingness to support Nigeria’s counter-terrorism operations.

Kalu suggested that increased collaboration with the U.S might have led to the recent improvement in Nigerian Air Force operations.

However, he criticised Western nations for their roles in destabilising Africa through the military interventions in Libya and Iraq, which he said led to arms proliferation and worsened insecurity across the continent.

Despite current challenges, Kalu remained optimistic about Nigeria’s future.

“The government is on the right track, and I believe President Tinubu will overcome these challenges,” he concluded.

In the buildup to the upcoming council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), no fewer than 203 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have defected to the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Abaji Area Council.

The defectors, drawn from Rimba, Ebagi, Pachiwa, Tupa, and Rimba-Gbagyi communities in the Rimba-Ebagi Ward, were officially received on Sunday by the YPP chairman in Abaji, Alhaji Alhassan Suleiman, alongside the party’s chairmanship candidate, Alhaji Muhammad Angulu Loko, during a campaign rally in Tupa community.

Welcoming the new members, Alhassan Suleiman praised them for their “courageous decision” to align with the YPP, promising that all members would enjoy equal opportunities within the party.

“You have taken the right step by joining a party that values fairness, inclusion, and the voice of the people,” Suleiman said. “We will carry everyone along as we work to transform Abaji.”

On his part, Alhaji Muhammad Angulu Loko, the YPP chairmanship candidate, said he was excited by the growing support the party was receiving ahead of the polls.

He assured the defectors that his administration would be inclusive and people-oriented if elected.

“This movement is about unity and progress. Our goal is to bring development to every community in Abaji,” Loko stated.

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Mr. Mathias Gimba said their decision to leave the PDP and APC was inspired by the YPP’s grassroots appeal and the growing confidence in its candidate.

“We have watched the massive support Alhaji Loko has been receiving across all ten wards, and we want to be part of the change he represents,” Gimba said.

A prosecution witness in the ongoing money laundering trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has reaffirmed that the withdrawals made by the state government did not violate any banking laws.

The witness, Mshelia Arhyel Bata, who serves as a Compliance Officer at Zenith Bank, made the clarification on Monday while being cross-examined by Joseph Daudu (SAN), counsel to the former governor, before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Bata, who testified as the fourth prosecution witness (PW4) for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), also admitted that Bello’s name did not appear as a beneficiary in the bank account statements presented as evidence before the court.

During cross-examination, Daudu drew the witness’s attention to several transactions by Umar Comfort Olufunke, which were not mentioned during the earlier testimony.

Bata confirmed that Olufunke made multiple withdrawals of ₦10 million each between December 2017 and April 2018, noting that the funds were paid to various hotels in Kogi State.

He further testified that another individual, Alhassan Omakoji, made withdrawals between November 2021 and December 2022, none of which exceeded ₦10 million per transaction, amounts he said were within the limits set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Bata also told the court that he was not aware of any specific law governing how the Kogi State Government spends its allocations or internally generated funds.

Following the testimony, Justice Nwite discharged the witness after prosecuting counsel Rotimi Pinheiro (SAN) informed the court that there would be no re-examination.