The presentation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been postponed to Wednesday, December 18, 2024.

This change was confirmed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, following the Federal Executive Council meeting, which was chaired by President Tinubu. Idris explained that ongoing discussions had led to the rescheduling of the budget presentation.

Previously, Senate President Godswill Akpabio had announced during last week’s plenary that the budget would be presented on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.

He stated, “His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has indicated his intention to bring the 2025 budget proposals and estimates to a joint sitting of the National Assembly on the 17th of December, 2024, at 11:00am prompt, at the House of Representatives.”

However, sources within the National Assembly later informed newsmen that the presentation had been postponed, though no specific reason for the delay was provided.

The usual preparations for the President’s arrival appeared minimal, with only a few additional security vehicles observed around the National Assembly.

A lawmaker, who had initially confirmed the Tuesday presentation, later shared an update indicating the new date: “President Bola Tinubu’s proposed ₦47.9 trillion 2025 budget presentation has been postponed from Tuesday, December 17, 2024, to Wednesday, December 18, 2024.”

A clerk from one of the National Assembly committees also verified that a circular had been issued regarding the change in schedule.

Salihu Lukman, a former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Northwest, has called on former President Olusegun Obasanjo to rally together other past Nigerian leaders in forming a united political front to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the APC in the 2027 general elections.

Lukman’s plea follows Obasanjo’s recent comments in a December 8 newspaper interview, where he was quoted saying, “A leader made by Satan is bound to fail, while God’s chosen one will thrive.”

Lukman argues that to ensure Nigeria produces godly leaders free from what he terms “satanic genotypes,” Obasanjo and other past leaders, including Generals Yakubu Gowon, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar, and former President Goodluck Jonathan, have a moral responsibility to unite the opposition and form a new, functional political party.

In his open letter to Obasanjo, Lukman emphasized the urgency of such efforts, stating, “It is not enough to lament the presence of Satanic leadership in the country. Unless past leaders like you assert their moral authority, we risk perpetuating the current cycle of failed leadership under President Tinubu.”

He further warned that as long as Nigerian politics remains fragmented and reduced to serving personal ambitions, the country would continue to be led by leaders with questionable motives, whether they emerge from new or existing parties.

Lukman reflected on the potential of the APC in 2015, suggesting it was ultimately undermined by internal divisions and impunity.

Lukman pointed out the risks of the opposition’s fragmented efforts, citing resistance from some opposition leaders who are focused on their personal ambitions, hindering the formation of a cohesive and strategic political force.

He also noted the emergence of regional and ethnic divides, along with the involvement of influential figures allegedly financing such divisions, as signs of a growing threat to genuine political reform.

Lukman concluded that any political leader who resists collaboration with others in the opposition is unwittingly aiding the APC’s chances of victory in the upcoming election.

He stressed that those seeking power at all costs, without regard for the country’s future, were contributing to a political system dominated by “Satanic” leaders.

Having distanced himself from the APC following the 2023 elections, Lukman remained firm in his belief that the party’s strategy revolves around maintaining divisions within the opposition.

He urged Obasanjo and other former leaders to act quickly to unite the opposition and foster a viable political alternative for Nigeria in 2027.

The North-Central All Progressives Congress (APC) Forum has officially endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term in office, expressing its full support for his candidacy in the 2027 presidential election.

In a statement issued on Monday after a meeting held in Abuja on Sunday, the Forum, led by Chairman Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, affirmed that the region would stand by Tinubu in the upcoming election.

The endorsement comes in recognition of the various opportunities and benefits the North-Central has received under Tinubu’s administration since he took office in 2023.

The endorsement contrasts with the stance taken by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), both of which have voiced opposition to Tinubu’s potential reelection.

The ACF recently announced that it would support northern candidates in the 2027 race, while the AYCF expressed regret over supporting Tinubu in 2023, warning that the North might oppose his second term unless there are significant improvements in the country’s socio-economic situation.

Despite this, the North-Central APC Forum emphasized the positive impact of Tinubu’s leadership on the region, particularly in terms of infrastructure development, appointments, and security.

The Forum stated that the North-Central has experienced unprecedented benefits under this administration, making it the most favorable period since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.

Bolaji Abdullahi, a former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, has officially announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In a statement released on Monday, Abdullahi expressed that he has not yet made a decision regarding his next political step.

“The decision on what to do and where to go will be made in due course, and it’s in God’s hands,” he said, leaving the future uncertain.

While he refrained from revealing his next move, there have been speculations that he might join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Supreme Court in Abuja has imposed a N5 million fine on Ambrose Albert Owuru, a former presidential candidate, for filing a frivolous and vexatious suit aimed at removing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from office.

Owuru, who ran for president in 2019 under the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) against former President Muhammadu Buhari, was ordered to pay the fine to Tinubu.

The ruling was delivered on Monday by Justice Uwani Musa Aba-Aji, who dismissed Owuru’s suit.

Additionally, the Supreme Court directed its Registry to refuse any future frivolous originating summons from Owuru.

During the proceedings, Owuru, a lawyer who claimed to have been called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984, attempted to represent himself in court while wearing his wig and gown.

However, he was ordered to remove the wig and gown before being allowed to proceed with his case.

When questioned about why he had brought the suit despite having had similar suits dismissed three times, Owuru’s explanations were deemed unconvincing by the court.

Justice Aba-Aji criticized Owuru’s conduct, calling it unbecoming of a lawyer with over 40 years of experience.

This is not the first time Owuru is facing legal consequences for his actions.

In a previous case, the Court of Appeal had imposed a N40 million fine on him, to be paid to Tinubu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and others, for filing a suit against them.

The fresh suit with the number SC/CV/667/2023, sought to remove Tinubu from office on two grounds: that he was allegedly unqualified to be president and that he had unlawfully usurped the presidency.

The defendants in the case included former President Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation, INEC, and Tinubu.

Owuru, a British-trained lawyer, insisted that he had won the 2019 election but was denied his mandate when Buhari occupied the presidency for eight years.

He also claimed that the Supreme Court had dismissed his earlier suit against Buhari due to a mix-up in hearing dates.

Owuru accused Tinubu of being disqualified from holding the office of president due to the forfeiture of $460,000 to the United States over an alleged drug trafficking offense.

He also alleged that Tinubu was an agent of the CIA, which he claimed made him ineligible to hold the position of Nigeria’s president.

Owuru sought to have the Supreme Court invoke Section 157 of the 1999 Constitution to remove Tinubu from office on the grounds that he was under foreign influence and control.

Owuru had also requested the Supreme Court to declare him the rightful president of Nigeria and order his immediate inauguration to reclaim his alleged mandate.

However, the court dismissed the suit.