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Senate amends Electoral Act, includes Statutory Delegates in Party Congresses and Conventions

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Nigerian Senate
Senate in Session

 

The Senate has altered the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and provided for the participation of statutory delegates in the conventions, congresses or meetings of political parties in Nigeria.

The expeditious consideration followed the suspension of relevant Senate Rules to pave the way for the First, Second and Third Reading of the bill same day.

Titled, “A bill for an Act to Amend the 2022 Electoral Act No. 13 and for other Related Matters, 2022 (SB 1002),” the proposed legislation was sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta Central).

Statutory delegates include the President, Vice President, State and National Assembly members, Governors and their deputies, Chairmen of Councils, Councillors, National Working Committee of political parties, Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of political parties amongst others.

In his Lead Debate, Senator Omo-Agege said the amendment became necessary to correct an ‘unintended error’ in the Electoral Act signed by President Muhammadu Buhari this year.

This, he noted, would ensure the participation of both satutory and elected delegates in the conventions, congresses of political parties.

“As couched, Section 84(8) of the Electoral Act, 2022 does not provide for the participation of what is generally known as ‘statutory delegates’ in the conventions, congresses or meetings of political parties.

“The extant subsection only clearly provides for the participation of elected delegates in the conventions, congresses or meetings of political parties held to nominate candidates of political parties.

“This is an unintended error, and we can only correct it with this amendment now before us,” he said.

Seconding the motion, Senator Uche Ekwunife (PDP, Anambra Central) said the amendment would ensure that statutory delegates were not disenfranchised in the primaries of political parties to elect candidates for the 2023 General Election.

After the First and Second Reading of the Bill, Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi North), moved for the suspension of Rule 80 (1) of the Senate State Order to allow for the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill by Committee of the Whole.

Speaking after the approval, Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan who presided over the session, explained that the move was an ’emergency effort to ensure’ that statutory delegates were not disenfranchised in the forthcoming primaries of political parties.

He said after the processes are concluded in both chambers of the National Assembly, the bill would be transmitted to the Executive for assent within the week.

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General News

Clergy Urged To Put Members’ Welfare Above All Else

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Anglican Church logo

At a solemn ordination service in Abuja, senior church leaders have called on pastors to make the well-being of their congregations a top priority, following the example of Jesus Christ.

Speaking during the priesthood ordination and installation of a Sub Dean at the Cathedral Church of Advent, Life Camp, Abuja, the retired Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Okene, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Ajulo, described pastors as shepherds charged with the care of their flock. He urged them to shun worldly distractions and focus on meeting the spiritual and material needs of their members.

Bishop Ajulo also encouraged the newly ordained priests to remain faithful to their calling by teaching God’s word without compromise.

In his charge, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, urged the new clergy to preach the undiluted gospel and foster religious harmony wherever they serve. He expressed confidence that their new roles would help promote peace and unity in society.

The service also featured prayers for national leaders and divine intervention in addressing the current global economic challenges.

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1,000 Prayer Warriors Storm Ilorin for Tinubu, Nation’s Deliverance

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

In a dramatic show of faith and patriotism, over 1,000 fiery prayer warriors from across Nigeria will descend on Ilorin, Kwara State, this Saturday, lifting their voices in intense intercession for President Bola Tinubu’s success and Nigeria’s survival in the face of biting economic woes and mounting insecurity.

The spiritual siege, themed “Walking in Domini”, is the maiden convention of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), with its Kwara State Chairman, Evangelist Thomas Adeboye, vowing that “heaven will hear and respond to Nigeria’s cry.”

Aside from marathon prayers, the gathering will roll out free medical outreach to locals across Kwara’s LGAs, a gesture aimed at touching both body and soul.

Adeboye, lamenting Nigeria’s “troubling economic and security realities”, called for a nationwide prayer uprising, insisting that Tinubu has shown the will to revive the nation but needs massive divine backing to succeed.

“Banditry, a collapsing economy, and political tension demand we seek God’s face like never before,” he declared. “We will storm heaven for wisdom for the President and governors to steer Nigeria to safety.”

The convention will also feature awards to distinguished personalities, soul-lifting worship, fiery sermons, and unity-driven lectures—all capped with thunderous prayers for Nigeria’s redemption.

Adeboye urged the President to ensure every policy has “a human face,” stressing that Nigerians must not only endure but also enjoy the fruits of governance.

With the OAIC promising to reaffirm believers’ authority in Christ and rally spiritual boldness in the face of national challenges, Ilorin is set to become the epicentre of a powerful spiritual warfare for Nigeria’s destiny.

 

 

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Nigerian Anglicans Condemn Lesbian Archbishop of Wales, Deepening Global Anglican Rift

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…Church leaders accuse Welsh counterparts of “spiritual decadence” and “abandonment of faith”

The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has issued a forceful condemnation of the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann, an openly lesbian cleric, as the Archbishop of Wales. The move is the latest in a series of developments that have deepened divisions within the global Anglican Communion over sexuality and doctrine.

In a statement from Primate The Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba, the church denounced the election as a “serious departure from biblical teaching” and a sign of “spiritual decadence” and “an outright abandonment of the faith once delivered to the saints.”

Archbishop Ndukuba warned that Bishop Vann’s elevation compromises the Anglican Church’s global mission and could obstruct evangelism. He compared the situation to the controversial tenure of Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori, former Presiding Bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church, who also faced intense criticism from conservative Anglicans for her progressive views.

The Primate accused Bishop Vann of being complicit in the “ongoing crisis” around same-sex issues, stating that the election is a “clear revelation that many who claim to be members of the body of Christ cannot endure sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3–4).

The Church of Nigeria called on Anglicans worldwide to reject “rebels” and “apostates” and to instead support conservative bodies like the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON).

“The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) condemns, unequivocally rejects, and will not recognize the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales,” Ndukuba declared. He concluded with a solemn warning that without repentance, the Church in Wales risks losing “complete relevance” and its leaders will face judgment.

 

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