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A former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami yesterday said ex-President Goodluck Jonathan is not eligible to contest the 2027 Presidential Election.

He said Jonathan cannot be the nation’s President beyond the constitutional limit of two terms of eight years.

He said if elected President, Jonathan would exceed the constitutional requirement for the office.

Salami warned that Jonathan stands the risk of being nullified by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court if he defies the 1999 Constitution(As Amended).

He said Jonathan’s 2027 presidential ambition is dead on arrival by virtue of Sub-section (3) of Section 137 of the 1999 Constitution as altered by the Fourth Alteration Act, No 16 of 2018.

He said those encouraging Jonathan should heed the warning caveat emptor usually directed to land speculators.

Salami bared his mind in an opinion on Jonathan’s bid for the Presidency in 2027.

He said: ‘ It is painstakingly and dispassionately demonstrated abundantly to all and sundry that ambition of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to contest for the office of the president for the second term in the 2027 general election is effectively and undoubtedly shot down by Sub-section (3) of Section 137 of the 1999 Constitution as altered by the Fourth Alteration Act, No 16 of 2018 which, to my mind is unassailable.

‘My advice to the political class angling up in his support to heed the warning, caveat emptor usually directed to land speculators to be aware.

‘In an event of his winning the election he will be conveniently removed by the Court of Appeal in an election petition to that court which removal will be undoubtedly affirmed by the Supreme Court on the ground that his total tenure would have exceeded the eight years maximum tenure.’

Salami said any alteration or amendment to the constitution has retroactive effect unlike criminal act.

He said it is trite that an amendment to an enactment relates back to the date the principal enactment (legislation it is seeking to amend) came into force.

He added: ‘It seems to me, however, that the interpretation of the amendment is not strictly in contention.

‘What is in issue, to my mind, is the eligibility of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to seek the office of the president in the 2027 general election, being a person who exhausted the remainder of the term for which Umoru Musa Yar’Adua was elected president.

‘ It is his case that the amendment to the Constitution cannot take a retroactive effect.This argument has probably lost sight of two points of view.

‘Firstly, that it is a Constitutional and not a statutory provision that is in contention. Secondly, thepurported right he seeks to protect is civil and not criminal.

‘It is convenient to quickly dispose of the second point of view which I consider to be a civil right. The Constitution protects criminal right against retroactive legislation. Sub-section 8 of section 36 of the Constitution provides thus – 36-(8) No person shall be held to be guilty of a criminal offence on account of any act or omission that did not, at the time it took place, constitute such an offence and no penalty shall be imposed for any criminal offence heavier than the penalty in force at the time the offence was committed.

‘The Constitution frowns at or forbids retroactive enactment with regards to criminal act, omission and penalties and not civil or constitutional infractions.

‘Moreover, it is trite that an amendment to an enactment relates back to the date the principal enactment (legislation it is seeking to amend) came into force. In other words, the date for the commencement of Fourth Alteration Act, No 16 of 2018 is the date the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria itself, came into force. See sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Interpretation Act which states thus –

4 (1) A reference in an enactment to another enactment shall, if the other enactment has been amended, be construed as a reference to the other enactment as amended.

‘Consequently, the hue and cry that there has been a retroactive legislation is most unjustifiable.

‘The principles governing interpretation of constitutional and statutory provisions are not usually on all fours.

‘ The reason being that statutes are acts of the legislature while a Constitution; the ground norms are made by a higher body. In other words statutes in Nigeria are promulgated by the National Assembly for the Federation and State Houses of Assembly for the respective States.

‘The Constitution is usually made by a supreme body such as the National Assembly in conjunction with sub national assemblies. Plebiscites are, at times, required. It is inconceivable, therefore, to abrogate constitutional provision on account of unconstitutionality or as retroactively made or otherwise.’

The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has conferred a prestigious National Award on Heartland FC’s Technical Manager, Emmanuel Amuneke, in recognition of his immense contributions to football development and his enduring impact on Nigerian sports.

The announcement was made in a statement jointly signed by SWAN’s National President, Mr. Isaiah Benjamin, and Secretary-General, Ambassador Ikenna Okonkwo, after a recent press briefing held in Abuja.

According to the statement, the award is part of activities marking SWAN’s 60th Anniversary and celebrates individuals whose leadership, achievements, and influence have significantly advanced sports in Nigeria.

‘The conferment is in recognition of the national pride and glory you have brought to your fatherland. Nigerian sports writers owe it to thank you for your dedication and consistent contribution to football development,’ the statement read.

Amuneke, a former African Footballer of the Year and one of Nigeria’s most respected football tacticians, has continued to inspire a new generation of players and coaches through his work with Heartland FC and other national assignments.

In his reaction , Amuneke expressed deep appreciation to SWAN for the recognition, describing it as a call to continue serving Nigerian football with greater passion and commitment.

He also extended his appreciation to the management and players of Heartland FC, noting that their collective effort and belief in his vision for the club have been key to their recent progress.

‘This honour is not mine alone. It belongs to everyone at Heartland – the management, the players, and our loyal fans. Together, we are rebuilding a club with a proud history and a bright future,’ he added.

SWAN, in its statement, highlighted Amuneke’s illustrious career as both player and coach – from scoring Nigeria’s historic Olympic gold medal-winning goal in Atlanta 1996 to grooming young talents who have gone on to represent the country internationally.

The formal presentation of the SWAN Diamond Jubilee National Award will take place at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, today , October 31, at 1 p.m., with top dignitaries from the sporting community expected to attend.

Popular singer, Bella Shmurda, has opened up about the huge financial investment that goes into creating and promoting quality music, saying that producing his last album alone cost over $100,000.

Speaking passionately from the standpoint of a creative, the ‘Cash App’ singer shed light on the real cost of artistry, stressing that musicians are not overcharging but rather investing heavily to meet global standards.

‘I will say this from the perspective of a creative person,’ Bella began. ‘Producing my album alone cost over $100,000. Then there are still expenses for promotion, which also run into millions. So, we are not overcharging.’

He further explained that the high standards in today’s entertainment world extend beyond studio production to lifestyle and image management.

‘The cloth I’m putting on here now, I can’t wear it again after now because the people have already seen it on me,’ he said, hinting at the pressure to constantly reinvent and maintain a fresh public image.

Bella, who leads the Dagbana Republik movement, also spoke glowingly about his new signee, Fola, who is currently gaining attention in the music scene.

‘Fola is signed under Dagbana Republik,’ he said. ‘I have known him for over four years now, and I just woke up one day and told my team it is time to support this guy fully in our own little way. We are happy with his success so far.’

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has urged the Federal Government to spend the significant part of the $ 2 billion available to the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to proffer solutions to the power supply challenges of the country’s industrial hubs.

Vice Chairman, Dr. Musiliu Oseni, gave the charge at the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) 20th anniversary in Abuja.

The theme of the event was ‘Strengthening Power Sector Governance For A Sustainable Future’

‘The government should deliberate make policy to power industry for economic prosperity since mini-grids of the REA can only provide energy access but would not be able to energize the economy to prosperity.

‘There must be a deliberate policy by the FGN to power our industry for economic prosperity. You can power access through Mini-Grids but you can’t power your economy to prosperity.

‘Thus, there is a need for policy rethink on the utilisation of the USD2bn currently available to the Rural Electrification Agency (‘REA’).

‘A substantial portion of the fund should be dedicated to providing end-to-end solution to the power supply challenges facing our industrial hubs,’ he said.

Oseni recalled that NERC oversaw the privatisation and unbundling of the hitherto state owned vertically integrated monopoly.

He stressed that the commission has developed standard regulatory instruments to strengthen the electricity market, improve reliability of supply and enhance consumer protection.

He said relative to 20 years ago, not less than 30 per cent of the electricity consumers have experienced significant improvement in their electricity services.

But through effective regulation, the Commission has saved the Federal Government several trillion of naira in subsidies thereby contributing to improved fiscal position of the Federal Government, according to him.

The Vice Chairman revealed that the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) transmission

transmission networks require significant investments.

The fiscal realities, however, according to him, have shown that the government alone cannot fund it.

He insisted that necessary regulatory framework will go a long way in attracting private investments.

He disclosed that NERC has begun the process for the establishment of Transmission Infrastructure Fund (TIF)), which is expected to get policymakers support.

Oseni further noted that NERC shall sustain the regulatory process for transition to bilateral trading, handholding of state regulatory commissions for capacity development.

He said the Electricity Act of 2023 provides for regulatory oversights at the subnational level.

According to him, 15 states have got their transfer order from the Commission while 11 of them have crossed the six months transitional period but only eight out of the 11 are currently operational.

He added that there is a vacuum in Edo, Ogun and Oyo States.

A store at the popular Jabi Lake Mall in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been razed by fire.

The incident occurred in the early hours of yesterday, causing panic among responders and security personnel at the shopping complex.

It was gathered that the incident occurred at about 3am with the Adidas sports store in the mall razed by the inferno.

It was further learnt that firefighters from the Federal Fire Service, the Berger Fire Department, and the FCT Fire Service, as well as police officers, were deployed to the scene.

When contacted, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident, and said police officers were deployed to the location to secure the area and prevent looting.

‘We received a distress call at about 3:40 a.m. We immediately deployed our men there to secure the place and prevent any breach of public order,’ Adeh said.

The situation has since been brought under control.

The Kogi Polytechnic is investigating a syndicate of nine suspects, for alleged certificate racketeering and document falsification.

Prof Salisu Ogbo, Rector of the Kogi Polytechnic made this known while addressing a news conference on Friday in Lokoja.

The rector said five of the institution’s staffer members had already been placed on suspension while four acclaimed students had been arrested over the uncovered certificate forgery and document falsification syndicate.

‘Only recently the management uncovered the syndicate involving some students, non-students, and a few dishonest staff members accused of manipulating academic records in clear disregard of due process and institutional values.

‘We have discovered 30 forged original certificates reportedly sold out to prospective buyers.

‘The suspects forged National Diploma (ND) results in the name of Kogi State Polytechnic and had the temerity to apply for Higher National Diploma (HND) admission in the same institution using the forged ND results,’ he said.

According to the him, the fraud was uncovered following intelligence reports and routine verification exercises carried out by the Admission, ICT, and Security Units of the institution.

‘These individuals compromised our security arrangements and tampered with the security features on our Statements of Result.’

Ogbo said that they colluded with result processors to prepare results for individuals who had multiple carryovers but refused to sit for their examinations, thereby falsely portraying them as graduates.

‘Such criminal acts represent an assault on the credibility and reputation of our institution, and they cannot be allowed to go unpunished, ‘ hesaid.

The rector assured the general public, stakeholders, and the polytechnic community that the institution’s quality assurance measures and security mechanisms remain fully active and uncompromised.

‘ We will not relent in our effort to expose and eliminate all forms of misconduct that is capable of denting hard earned reputation of Kogi state Polytechnic, Lokoja, ‘ he said. (NAN)

Olawale Ogunbusola School Competition and Awards, is set to hold next week at National Museum of Unity, Aleshinloye, Ibadan. A statement by the Convener, Olawale Ogunbusola, described the event as a platform to strengthen pupils’ academic competence, boost their confidence and provide exposure to intellectual and social development.

He said the initiative reflected personal and collective commitment to nurturing a generation of informed, inspired and responsible youths through education and recognition of excellence.

He said outstanding individuals, who contributed to their professions, would be honoured.

The event will be co-chaired by Chief Press Secretary to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju, and Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the snator representing Oyo Central, Kunle Olatunji.

Serving as Fathers of the Day are Dr. Babatunde Oruomeniowo, chairman of Prince 89.7 FM, Ibadan, and Pastor Tayo Olatunji. Guest speakers include Kehinde Ayantayo, professor of Religion, Ethics, and Sociology at University of Ibadan, and Dr. Anthony Adeniji, among others.

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Anele, has approved the appointment of new principal and command officers across various Nigerian Air Force (NAF) units and commands.

According to Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information, the appointments are strategic moves to enhance operational efficiency, foster synergy, and align with the new NAF leadership’s command philosophy.

He stated that the reshuffle was part of ongoing efforts to optimize command effectiveness, improve decision-making, and enhance mission readiness in line with the evolving security environment.

Those affected by the new development are: Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Abubakar Abdullahi appointed as Chief of Policy and Plans, while AVM Adeniran Ademuwagun assumes duty as Commandant, Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna.

Additionally, AVM Ibitayo Ajiboye has been named Group Managing Director, Nigerian Air Force Investment Limited (NAFIL) Group of Companies, while AVM Precious Amadi takes over as Chief of Operations, and AVM Nnamdi Ananaba becomes Chief of Air Intelligence.

Other appointees are: AVM Ebimobo Ebiowe who is appointed Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation, AVM Ahmed Dari appointed as Chief of Training, and AVM Mohammed Ibrahim now heads the Transformation and Innovation Branch.

According to the statement, in the logistics and engineering domains, AVM Olufemi Ogunsina is appointed Chief of Aircraft Engineering, AVM Michael Onyebashi assumed command as Air Officer Commanding (AOC), Mobility Command, while AVM David Pwajok is now Chief of Communication and Information Systems, and AVM John Ukeh takes charge as Air Provost Marshal.

In the NAF’s administrative and welfare structures, the NAF’s boss appointed AVM Simon Peter as Managing Director, NAFIL Housing and Construction Company, AVM Chidiebere Obiabaka became Air Secretary, AVM Anthony Martins now serves as Chief of Administration, AVM Abubakar Sule takes over as AOC, Logistics Command, and AVM Abdulrasheed Kotun was appointed the Managing Director, NAF Farms, AVM Edward Gabkwet is the new Chief of Civil-Military Relations, and AVM Osichinaka Ubadike has been named Deputy Commandant, AFIT.

Other senior officers redeployed to strategic position include AVMs Ahmed Bakari, Albert Bot, Idi Sani, Muhammed Suleiman, Jibrin Usman, and Japheht Ekwuribe, who have been redeployed to various defence and inter-service establishments in line with ongoing efforts to strengthen joint operations and national defence coordination.

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has revealed that he has stepped away from television punditry in order to care for his 20-year-old autistic son Aiden.

Scholes, who won 25 trophies during his 20-year playing career with United before retiring in 2013, had been a regular pundit for TNT Sports but has not featured for the broadcaster since the Europa League final in May.

The former England midfielder, who split with his wife Claire in 2020 after 27 years together, says he has stepped back from his television work in order to help provide around-the-clock care for Aiden, who was diagnosed as having non-verbal autism when he was a young child.

‘I just made the decision this year because of Aiden, obviously with his special needs and stuff, all the work I do now is just around his routines, because he has quite a strict routine every single day, so I just decided everything I’m going to do, it is around Aiden,’ Scholes said on The Overlap.

‘Well, me and Claire are obviously not together any more. We have him three nights each and Claire’s mum has him on a Friday night but we’ll always do the same things with him.

‘He doesn’t know what day of the week it is or time. But he’ll know from what we’re doing what day it is.

‘I pick him up every Tuesday from his day-care place he goes to for four hours and we go swimming. Loves swimming, then we get his pizza on the way home. Thursday pick him up, we’ll go for something to eat, go home.

‘Sunday, I pick him up from Claire’s house and we go to Tesco where he buys a trolley full of chocolate. So, he doesn’t know what day or time the is, he knows from what we’re doing what day it is. He’ll be 21 in December.

‘He’s non-verbal, when I say he can’t speak, I think he understands a lot more than we think, if you says something to him he will understand.

‘He has sounds, but it’s only people that are close to him that will know what he’s saying.’

Scholes rarely shared details of his private life during his playing career at United but now regularly updates his 1.1 million followers on Instagram with his moments alongside Aiden.

‘I did it one or two times, I only show the good bits, obviously there are some bits that aren’t great, and it was just the response I had from people, parents who had the same, that’s why I carried on doing it,’ Scholes said.

‘I will reply to people on Instagram because it’s hard, especially when they’re young because there’s the harm, the attacking people, I only put the nice stuff on.

‘I do sometimes think about putting stuff on where he’s not too happy, when he might go for you, try to bite you, I do think about it but think that’s probably not the right thing to do.’

Scholes also revealed that he struggled to balance his playing career alongside caring for Aiden.

‘You never got a break from it,’ Scholes said.

‘It was very hard in those days, it feels like it was years ago, I don’t think they diagnosed it until they were two-and-a-half [years old]. But you knew early something was wrong but then you get the diagnosis of autism, and I’d never heard of it. Then all of a sudden you start seeing everything, I don’t know if it just consciously happens, I don’t know.

‘I remember the first time after we were playing Derby away and I just didn’t want to be there. I remember the manager [Sir Alex Ferguson] dropped me the week after actually, and I hadn’t told anyone, I ended up telling them a few weeks later, I think as it was quite hard.’

Scholes also recalled a moment last year when he struggled to understand that Aiden had been suffering from a toothache.

‘Don’t get me wrong, he can be so happy it’s untrue, and it gives you great pleasure and joy, it’s not all bad,’ Scholes said. ‘There was a time last year I took him away and he kept feeling his mouth and not sleeping and I had no idea what was wrong with him.

‘He kept doing it and doing it, so I put numbing gel on his lips because he can’t tell you what’s wrong or got pain anywhere and he won’t go to a dentist. He won’t sit there and have someone open his mouth, he just can’t do it.

‘We got him to a special needs dentist and they had to put him to sleep with gas. He had to have a filling and all sorts then had an operation because his mouth was a mess. But he can’t tell you what pain he’s in. That must have been going on eight-to-nine months, imagine having toothache for nine months?’

The head teacher of Community Primary School, Umunze, in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, has been suspended indefinitely for allegedly allowing a political campaign rally to take place within the school premises during school hours.

The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, announced the suspension, describing the head teacher’s action as a ‘gross violation’ of government directives prohibiting political or social gatherings in public schools.

According to the commissioner, the Ministry of Education had earlier issued a standing order barring political meetings, rallies, or any form of non-academic gatherings in schools to ensure that learning environments remain safe and apolitical.

Prof. Chuma-Udeh expressed regret that the incident disrupted academic activities and put pupils’ safety at risk.

‘The head teacher disobeyed an existing order of the ministry, which banned gatherings of any sort in schools. The state government is preparing to institute legal action against the organisers of the rally, whose activities disrupted classes and endangered the lives of the children,’ she stated.

The commissioner reiterated the state government’s commitment to maintaining discipline and safeguarding children in all educational institutions, emphasising that schools must remain neutral and focused solely on learning.

She warned that similar infractions would attract severe sanctions, noting that the government would not tolerate any attempt to use public schools as platforms for partisan activities or political mobilisation.

Sources within the community revealed that the rally, reportedly organised by a local political group, took place during school hours and attracted a large crowd, leading to a temporary suspension of lessons. The situation, they said, caused panic among pupils and teachers before security operatives intervened to restore order.

The development has sparked mixed reactions among residents, with some commending the government’s firm stance on protecting the sanctity of the school environment, while others urged for a thorough investigation to ensure that the head teacher is not unfairly punished if she had no control over the event.