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Nigeria’s Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, Embarks On Diplomatic Mission To Angola
The 147th IPU Assembly in Luanda, Angola, has become a significant stage for Nigeria’s Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, as he leads a high-profile Nigerian delegation.
This diplomatic mission holds great promise for enhancing Nigeria’s bilateral relations with Angola and creating consensus on critical African issues.
Upon his arrival at the Luanda International Airport, Senator Akpabio was warmly welcomed by the Nigerian Ambassador to Angola, H.E. Professor Monique Oshame Ekpong, and high-ranking Angolan government officials led by Joao Diogo Gaspar, Deputy Secretary UIP Angola.
Gaspar expressed Angola’s honor at hosting the Nigerian Senate President, recognizing the potential for strengthened relations between the two nations and within Africa as a whole.
Senator Akpabio, clearly delighted to attend the IPU Assembly in Angola, commended the Angolan Government for their robust bilateral relationship with Nigeria.
He emphasized that Nigeria’s strong delegation at the IPU Assembly serves as an opportunity to consolidate bilateral relations. He stated, “Our presence here is to ensure that our bilateral relationship is strengthened.
With our presence, we can forge a strong bilateral parliamentary relationship for the interest of our nations.”
Senator Akpabio continued to lead Nigeria’s delegation by participating in the first meeting of The African Group at the IPU Assembly.
This active involvement underlines Nigeria’s commitment to diplomatic relations and collaboration on issues that matter most to the African continent.
The 147th IPU Assembly, hosted by the National Assembly of Angola, takes place from 21 to 27 October 2023.
It serves as a vital platform for parliamentarians, partner organizations, and experts to share best practices and focus on the overarching theme of “Parliamentary action for peace, justice, and strong institutions.”
This theme closely aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, a cornerstone of global development.
The Assembly is set to discuss actions to enhance trust between people and governance structures, making public institutions more effective, accountable, and representative.
Additionally, it will equip parliaments to address the complex geopolitical, economic, and environmental challenges that our world faces.
The Supreme Court has overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision that recognised Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). In a decisive ruling, a five-member panel declared that the Court of Appeal lacked the legal authority to determine the party’s leadership matters.
In a unanimous verdict, the highest court in the land stated that the Court of Appeal had no jurisdiction over the matter. The panel observed that since the case revolved around the internal leadership structure of the Labour Party, it fell outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
The ruling reinforced the long-standing principle that leadership disputes within political parties should be resolved internally, rather than through judicial intervention.
The Supreme Court stressed that leadership struggles within political parties are purely internal matters. According to legal principles, courts should not interfere in such issues, as they fall under the party’s constitution and governance framework. By upholding this legal doctrine, the apex court reaffirmed that political parties must settle their leadership crises independently.
The Supreme Court upheld the appeal lodged by Senator Nenadi Usman and a fellow appellant, ruling that their claims were valid. Their appeal challenged the earlier judgment, arguing that it was flawed due to jurisdictional overreach. After thorough legal scrutiny, the Supreme Court found merit in their argument and ruled in their favour.
The legal battle also involved a cross-appeal filed by supporters of Julius Abure, who sought to challenge the decision against their leader. However, the Supreme Court dismissed this cross-appeal, declaring it unsubstantiated and lacking merit. The ruling effectively ended the legal contest over the Labour Party’s chairmanship, cementing the judiciary’s stance on non-interference in party leadership disputes.
Bitcoin experienced sharp fluctuations following President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement, initially surging to $88,000 before dropping to $82,000.
By April 3, it stabilized around $83,000, with the broader crypto market down over 4%. Major altcoins like Ethereum and Solana also declined over 6%, hitting multi-month lows.
Analysts see the tariff news as reducing market uncertainty, potentially attracting institutional investors.
Despite higher-than-expected rates, experts believe the clarity could help Bitcoin regain momentum toward $90,000. Bitcoin ETFs, led by BlackRock, recorded $218 million in inflows on April 2, reversing prior outflows.
Kraken’s Thomas Perfumo challenged the idea that institutional interest stabilizes crypto, emphasizing that volatility signals demand for a scarce asset.
Some analysts viewed the sell-off as an overreaction to trade policy concerns, highlighting Bitcoin’s resilience as a store of value.
With ETFs showing strong demand, Bitcoin’s price may stabilize and rise, though market participants remain cautious, monitoring trade policies and economic conditions.
Violent clashes between pastoralist groups and settled farming communities have long been a challenge in South Sudan.
However, the recent outbreak of violence in the northern Ruweng Administrative Area has further heightened concerns over the nation’s fragile peace. At least 30 people lost their lives after an armed youth group launched a brutal attack on a northern South Sudanese town, according to local officials.
The incident, linked to an escalating cattle raid, saw the town briefly fall under the control of the attackers before security forces regained control.
The violence began when a group of armed youth stole lambs earlier in the week. Security forces quickly intervened, forcing the raiders to retreat. However, instead of dispersing, the group reorganised and launched a more aggressive attack on Abiemnom the following day.
Local Minister of Information, Simon Chol Mialith, confirmed that despite resistance from local youth and security personnel, the town was overrun by the Mayom armed youth. The attack led to significant casualties and destruction before security forces were able to reclaim the town.
On Wednesday, the South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF) successfully pushed the attackers out, restoring a semblance of calm. However, the scale of the destruction was already severe, with over 40 individuals injured in addition to the fatalities.
Although reports suggest that some of the deceased were members of the armed groups, official confirmation remains pending.
The attack comes at a time of growing instability in South Sudan, with tensions between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar intensifying. This political rivalry threatens to unravel the delicate 2018 peace agreement that ended the nation’s five-year civil war.
Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has struggled with continuous unrest. Despite its vast oil resources, the country remains impoverished, with conflicts like these exacerbating economic and social difficulties.