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Natasha’s recall will deepen democracy, put lawmakers on their toes —Group

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The Campaign for Democracy, a civil society organisation, on Thursday said the recall of Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP-Kogi Central) by her constituents would deepen democracy in Nigeria.

The pro-democracy group also said that such action by her concerned constituents would help put lawmakers on their toes to serve them well.

The group made the this known in a statement issued in Lokoja by its President, Mr Ifeanyi Odili.

It expressed worry over what it described as “avoidable” crisis between embattled suspended Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio a few weeks ago.

According to the group, the incident has put Nigeria’s image on trial before the global community.

The CSO said it was worried that, rather than addressing the core issues surrounding her (Akpoti-Uduaghan) suspension within the framework of Nigeria’s democratic institutions, she chose to “engage in a campaign of calumny against the Senate as an institution.”

“It’s unfortunate that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s activities within and outside the country since the beginning of the controversy have cast an unfortunate dent on the image of Nigeria, for which she must apologise.

“This is nothing but gross misconduct against Nigeria,” it said.

It advised respected Nigerian leaders to always identify when not to play opposition politics with delicate national issues, in the best interest of the nation.

“More worrisome is the fact that she has distorted the facts preceding her suspension and curiously held on to her sexual harassment allegations against the Senate President as the reason for the initial actions taken against her.

“Taking such misrepresentation to the world stage and representing Nigeria illegally at the Inter Parliamentary Union to air such views can be described as nothing but gross misconduct against the country.

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“She needs to apologise. This should not be muddled up with politics, the group said.

The group wondered why Sen. Natasha had abandoned her faith in the Nigerian judiciary.

According to the group, since she has already taken her grievances to the courts, one would have expected her to allow due process to take its course.

It argued that resorting to media trials, seeking sympathy from foreign audiences, Akpoti-Uduaghan has watered down whatever sympathy she could have gained from them and Nigerians at large.

“Her current confrontational approach serves no productive purpose other than to bring ridicule to Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

“As a public official, she has a responsibility to uphold the dignity of her office and promote national cohesion, rather than dragging the country’s name through unnecessary international controversies,” the group said.

The CSO commended the electorate of Kogi Central for exercising their constitutional rights to initiate a recall process.

“This is a significant step towards strengthening Nigeria’s democracy,” it said.NAN

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Appea Court Lack Jurisdiction To Declare Abure As The National Chairman Of LP – Supreme Court

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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.

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Bitcoin Drops to $82,000 After Trump’s Tariff Announcement

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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.

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Clashes In South Sudan: 30 People Kill

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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.

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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.

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