Following the recent judgment nullifying the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress,NDC, as a political party, the Kwankwasiyya Movement, has said that no judicial setback, political intimidation, or administrative obstacle will diminish its commitment to its ideals or weaken its resolve to offer Nigerians a credible democratic alternative.

Speaking in a statement signed by its spokesman, Dr. Muhammad Sale Habibu, the movement said it received with concern the recent judgment setting aside the earlier decision directing the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

“We reaffirm the position consistently articulated by our leader and principal, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, that Nigeria deserves a government founded on justice, competence, equity, accountability, and the genuine welfare of its people.

“While we acknowledge and respect the constitutional role of the judiciary as the final arbiter of disputes, we cannot ignore the troubling questions that this judgment has raised regarding the integrity of our democratic process and the future of political pluralism in Nigeria.”

The statement explained that, at a time when millions of Nigerians are yearning for credible alternatives to the current administration, this development inevitably reinforces the growing public perception that powerful forces are determined to shrink the democratic space and ensure that only politically convenient parties are allowed to flourish ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“The litigation has suddenly assumed renewed urgency precisely when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced activities under the timetable for the 2027 general elections, including processes leading to party nominations and candidate submissions.

“Nigerians are therefore entitled to ask whether this sequence of events is merely coincidental or part of a broader pattern aimed at frustrating the emergence of a formidable opposition platform before the electoral process gathers full momentum.”

The Kwankwasiyya Movement noted that even more disturbing is the legal controversy surrounding the decision itself.

Distinguished legal practitioners have already expressed divergent opinions on whether a court that has delivered a final judgment possesses the jurisdiction to set aside its own decision under the circumstances presented, or whether such authority properly belongs to the appellate courts, except in narrowly defined situations recognised by law.

“These legal questions deserve to be answered transparently by the appellate courts, not only in the interest of the NDC but also in order to safeguard public confidence in Nigeria’s judicial system.

“Yesterday was ADC. Today, NDC. Tomorrow, it could be any other opposition platform. Once judicial processes begin to create uncertainty around political participation at critical stages of the electoral calendar, the greatest casualty is democracy itself.

“Democracy cannot flourish where viable opposition parties are weakened through prolonged legal uncertainty. Competitive elections require a level playing field, equal access to justice, respect for due process, and institutions that inspire confidence among all political actors.

“The Kwankwasiyya Movement therefore calls upon the judiciary to remain steadfast as the last hope of the common man by ensuring that justice is not only done but is manifestly seen to be done. We equally urge INEC to act strictly within the confines of the law and to avoid any action that may prejudice ongoing legal processes or undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

“We also call on Nigerians, civil society organisations, professional bodies, and the international democratic community to closely observe developments surrounding this matter. The health of our democracy depends on strong institutions, an independent judiciary, and genuine political competition—not on the systematic narrowing of democratic choices available to the electorate.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Kwankwasiyya Movement remains resolute and unwavering in its commitment to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a platform for democratic renewal and national transformation.

“History teaches us that democracy is not sustained by the comfort of those in power but by the courage of those who defend the people’s right to freely choose their leaders. We remain confident that truth, justice, and the rule of law will ultimately prevail.”

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has called on residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to support efforts to protect critical national infrastructure by reporting acts of vandalism and suspicious activities.

FCT Commandant, Dr. Olusola Odumosu, made the appeal in Abuja on Monday, warning that infrastructure vandalism threatens national development and undermines government investments in public facilities.

He urged residents to provide timely intelligence to security agencies, stressing that protecting public assets is a collective responsibility.

“Many people turn a blind eye when acts of vandalism occur around them. Residents must be proactive and promptly report such incidents through our emergency hotlines,” he said.

“We are maintaining round the clock surveillance across the territory, and anyone apprehended for vandalising public infrastructure will be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” he added

Mr Odumosu also warned vandals to desist from criminal activities, stating that the Command has intensified surveillance across the FCT and would prosecute anyone caught vandalising public infrastructure.

The commandant further cautioned operators of Private Guard Companies against operating with fake, expired or invalid licences, disclosing that enforcement actions against defaulting firms would commence soon.

He advised affected operators to regularise their documentation or risk arrest and the closure of their businesses.

The renewed warning comes amid growing concerns over the destruction and theft of public infrastructure in several parts of the country, where vandals frequently target electricity installations, telecommunications equipment, pipelines, rail facilities and other strategic assets, resulting in economic losses and disruption of essential services.

The Taraba State Emergency Management Agency, TSEMA, has distanced itself from a reported operation by the Department of State Services, DSS, at a warehouse in Jalingo, denying any involvement with the facility or the relief materials reportedly discovered there.

In a statement issued on Monday, the agency said it neither stored nor authorized the storage of relief materials at the warehouse where the DSS operation allegedly took place.

TSEMA maintained that it played no role in the events surrounding the operation and urged members of the public and the media to direct all inquiries regarding the warehouse, the operation, and the materials involved to the Department of State Services, which it described as the appropriate authority handling the matter.

The agency reaffirmed its commitment to discharging its statutory responsibilities, stressing that it remains focused on emergency management, disaster response, and humanitarian interventions across Taraba state.

The statement, signed by the management of TSEMA, said it was issued to clarify the agency’s position and dispel speculation linking it to the warehouse and the relief materials reportedly discovered during the DSS operation.

The clarification follows reports alleging that DSS operatives raided a private warehouse in Sintali Ward, Jalingo Local Government Area, where relief materials worth millions of naira were found during a late-night operation.

According to the reports, the items, including large quantities of food supplies, were allegedly donated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) to TSEMA for distribution to disaster victims.

The reports also claimed that four persons, including the owner of the warehouse and three rice traders from Jalingo Main Market, were arrested in connection with the discovery.

The DSS, as at the time of filing this report, has yet to issue an official statement detailing the outcome of the operation or confirming the allegations.

The Nigerian military, in continuation of its sustained air campaign against armed bandits and other criminal elements, have neutralized unspecified number of the assistants at Dogon Dawa, along the strategic Niger–Kaduna–Zamfara border.

A report by a security expert, Zagazola Makama said the strike was executed after intelligence indicated that a large number of armed bandits had converged at the location to coordinate and plan a series of attacks against nearby communities.

“The precision engagement effectively struck the gathering, resulting in the neutralisation of a substantial number of the terrorists”, he said.

According to Makama, intelligence obtained following the operation also indicated that more than hundreds of motorcycles, believed to have been assembled for the planned offensive and mobility of the criminal elements, were present at the target area at the time of the strike.

Battle Damage Assessment, BDA, and follow-up intelligence further revealed that several surviving terrorists, many of them wounded, fled in disarray towards the forests between Shadadi and Ma’undu through the Mangwaro axis, abandoning their coordinated plans as the devastating effects of the air strike disrupted their operations.

Vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has expressed confidence that the party will overcome its ongoing legal challenges, urging members and supporters to remain calm and committed ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Kwankwaso gave the assurance on Sunday through a post on his official X platform following a courtesy visit to the National Leader of the NDC, Seriake Dickson, at his Abuja residence.

According to the former Kano State governor, the meeting was part of broader consultations aimed at strengthening party unity, resilience and strategic preparations for the next electoral cycle.

“Today, I paid a courtesy visit to the National Leader of our party, the NDC, His Excellency Seriake Dickson, at his residence in Abuja,” he wrote.

“The engagement forms part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen the party’s unity, resilience and strategic readiness as we prepare for the 2027 general elections.”

Kwankwaso stated that the party remained fully committed to democratic principles and the rule of law, while expressing confidence in the judicial process despite the legal issues confronting the party.

“As true democrats, we remain committed to the rule of law and have absolute confidence in the judicial process. No temporary setback can weaken the spirit of a movement built on hope, justice, equity, and the collective aspirations of the Nigerian people,” he said.

He further appealed to party faithful, supporters and Nigerians to remain steadfast and optimistic, insisting that the party would emerge stronger from the current situation.

“I urge all party members, supporters, and well-meaning Nigerians to stay calm, resolute, and focused on our shared mission. Together, we will rise above every challenge.

“Nigeria will be OK,” he added.

Zamfara State chapter of the Action Alliance, AA, has condemned the attack on its 2027 presidential candidate, Aare Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, describing the incident as an assault on democracy.
The party made its position known in a statement issued on Sunday in Gusau by its state chairman, Shehu Hussaini Waziri.

According to the statement, the attack occurred on Saturday during a burial ceremony at Ekusa in Odo Otin Local Government Area of Osun State.

Waziri described the incident as an attempt to intimidate opposition political parties and undermine democratic principles.

“This cowardly act is a direct assault on democracy and an attempt to intimidate the opposition,” he said.

The party called on security agencies to investigate the incident and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

Waziri maintained that Omoaje and his supporters would remain committed to the pursuit of justice, peaceful coexistence and national development despite the attack.

He also urged party members and supporters to remain calm, law-abiding and peaceful while allowing security agencies to carry out their investigations.

The AA chairman further stressed the need for adequate protection of political actors and citizens, describing safety and security as essential to the country’s democratic process.

National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Seriake Dickson, has commended the move by president Bola Tinubu on the creation of state police.

Speaking during an interview on ‘Sunday Politics’, a programme on Channels Television, Dickson, however, said the president should slow down the process of state police creation.

According to him, attention should be focused on fighting terrorism and insecurity, adding that the business of implementing state police should be left for the next government.

“President Tinubu should slow down the process of state police creation.

“I commend the move to decentralise policing, but we should also decentralise mineral rights. That’s what we call resource control.

“The president has done this (state police), and it has my support, but my prescription would have been to decentralise it to the zonal levels first.

“Then, we amend the constitution to give governors power to appoint the commissioners of police working with the Police Service Commission, PSC, and then putting them to the Houses of Assembly for screening and oversight,” he said.

The NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had also said that he is suspicious of the timing of state police.

“You can’t amend the constitution and give powers to the governors when there’s an upcoming election,” Obi had said.

Thursday, June 26 was another black day in Lagos. A day that started like any other normal day but before noon was enveloped in agony of pains and sorrows for many families.

A two-storey building at Alakija Bus-stop, along Old Ojo Road, Satellite Town, in Oriade Local Council Development Area, LCDA, of Lagos State, had suddenly collapsed, killing nine persons. It, indeed, brought an unending nightmare to scores of families, friends and well-wishers.

A statement by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) noted that after the rescue operations were concluded at the site, 27 persons were saved and taken to hospital for treatment.

“Twenty-seven persons were rescued alive through coordinated efforts by the LASEMA Response Team, sister agencies, and members of the community.

“Victims received immediate pre-hospital care from LASAMBUS and were transferred to nearby hospitals for further treatment,” the statement from LASEMA Head of Public Affairs, Afolabi Olawale, read.

“Nine fatalities recovered, including four adults confirmed dead before responders’ arrival, and five additional victims, including a two-year-old baby girl.

“All deceased were respectfully bagged and handed over to the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit, SEHMU, for identification and onward release to families,” it added.

Giving a breakdown of the rescue activities, LASEMA said its “Director of Operations, Olanrewaju Akinsanya, and Cappa Base Coordinator, Salami, led operations on the ground.

“LASEMA’s heavy-duty excavator was deployed to augment two CCECC excavators already on site, enabling safe access to trapped victims and accelerating the operation to ground zero,” it said.

Following the incident, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) to commence immediate structural integrity assessment of adjoining buildings and enforce compliance with building codes in the area.

The incident occurred less than 24 hours after another building collapsed in Rivers State.

The Rivers State incident involved a four-storey building, still under construction along Peter Odili Road.

Several workers were trapped under debris, leading to a large-scale rescue operation involving emergency agencies and security personnel.

Three persons were rescued and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Indeed, incidents of building collapse have become so rampant in the country.

The situation has become worse such that a person who wakes up hale and hearty in the morning and leaves for work may not return home alive.

Some others will still be in their homes and death will come calling. It is that bad.

A sympathiser at site of the Alakija incident captured the scenario thus: “They leave home in search of daily bread. They bid goodbye to their children and loved ones as they leave for work. Most often, they never knew they were bidding the final goodbye as they never always returned alive.

“They are labourers hired at building construction sites across the country. Others meet death right inside the comfort of their homes due to poorly constructed structures.”

Experts have attributed the rising spate of structural collapses to several factors, including poor building materials.

An estate agent, Anthony Chukwudi described the scourge as a nightmare, which has refused to go away.

He said: “In the last couple of years, the menace of building collapse has become one of the biggest nightmares facing the country. The list of such incidents across Nigeria is endless.

“It is believed in some quarters that every week, a building would collapse somewhere in Nigeria but most of them are not always reported.

“However, more worrisome is the fact that each time it happened, promises would be made by the government to look into the cause of the incident and punish offenders but it never stopped.”

Genesis

Before now, building collapse was viewed as a calamity because it rarely happened. People adhered to the building laws because flouting them would attract severe punishment.

But in recent times, everything seems to be on the contrary. Building collapse has become a recurring decimal with its attendant loss of both human and material resources.

The situation has given credence to Andit Nehru’s assertion that evil unchecked grows and evil tolerated poisons the whole system.

However, as a punitive measure to arrest the ugly trend, the Lagos State government through the State House of Assembly had enacted a law, which empowers the state to assume ownership of any collapsed building.

Much as the implementation of the new law in the state had put landlords on their toes, with regard to the quality of raw materials they use when building new houses and the need to properly maintain the existing ones, buildings are still collapsing in Lagos and elsewhere.

Lagos State government, since the law became operational, has demolished a couple of houses and acquired such plots of lands across the state.

“The demolition of a two-storey building that partially collapsed after a heavy down on Freeman Street, Oyingbo area of the state and the subsequent revocation of the ownership of the property comes to mind.

“The same fate awaits the Alakija building that collapsed last week. The state government would take ownership of the property according to the existing law in the state.

Experts react

Expressing his thoughts on the ugly trend, a structural engineer and developer, Kunle Adegbenro, pointedly laid the bulk of the blame on the government.

He blamed the governments at all levels for failure to enforce the existing building laws due to corruption.

He said: “When an individual wants to build a house, there are laid down procedures to be followed. First, a surveyor has to be engaged to take measurements of the site, then a soil test expert who will determine the texture of the soil to be able to know the kind of structure that could be erected on such lands.

“Also needed in the picture are the architect who will draw the design of the building and the structural engineer who will ensure that materials such as rods are of the best quality standard.

“The structural engineer, apart from ensuring that cement, gravel, sand and water are all in the right quantities before mixture, also ensures that the instructions of the surveyor, soil test expert and architect are strictly adhered to.

“But today, nobody who wants to build a house adheres to the procedures; they would rather cut corners by bribing their way.

“Town planning authorities whose responsibility is to ensure that the procedures are adhered to don’t do anything about it.

“They are so corrupt that even when they discover that a particular building has not complied with the building code and is likely to collapse after building, they would close their eyes as long as the owner of the building is ready to oil their palm.
“They collect huge sums of money from the builders and allow them to continue with the building which already has defects from the foundation.”

He accused agencies of the government charged with the responsibility of ensuring that builders comply with the building laws of failure to carry out proper monitoring.

“Even when they monitor, they take bribes and allow construction works to continue on buildings that deviate from the building law. For instance, during the monitoring exercise, if the town planning officials discover that the building plan approval does not correspond with the structure being erected on the site, the normal thing is to issue the contravention order, followed by a stop-work order before the demolition.

“But you find out that when they issue the contravention order followed by the stop-work order, the property owner would quickly approach them, negotiate with them, pay an agreed sum and the construction continues,” said.

Apart from lack of monitoring and corruption of town planning officials, he said most personnel of the town planning authorities are not professionals.

“A situation where town planning personnel are mostly people who studied administration and other social science courses, what do you expect from them when they go to a construction site?

“Where do you expect them to borrow brain from at the site to know what they do not know? It is not possible. Until the monitoring team of the various town planning authorities are made of professionals in different building fields, the noise about monitoring will just be a mirage.

“They will just go to the site and negotiate with the builders and once they are ‘settled,’ construction will continue, even if the building collapses before completion.”

He was of the view that unless various town planning authorities begin to include in their monitoring teams, professionals like surveyors, architects, soil test experts and engineers, there will be no meaningful result and the issue of building collapse will continue to occur.

Although he traced the causes of building collapse to such factors as poor quality of building materials, he equally stressed that failure to determine what he referred to as live load and dead load of a structure and the soil texture also contribute.

He said: “Every building has a life span. It is contained in the building design, which was done by the architect. Even in the event of fire, the design contains how long materials like a rod will resist fire before it is consumed if help does not come.

“And the owners know the life span of their houses because it is in their design. But, when the town planning officials mark such houses that have lived out their life span for demolition, the owners will meet them in secret and after money has changed hands, such houses would continue to exist, thereby endangering the lives of the occupants.

“So, to a large extent, the issue of building collapse should be blamed on the government and its agents who refuse to do their jobs and even when they want to, corruption will not allow them to do the right thing.”

He absolved the building professionals, even though he admitted that high fees charged by professionals for supervision, accounts for why some builders engage the services of non-professionals.

He, however, advised that people should be informed and educated on the need to always engage the services of professionals when building their houses.

He believes that when a prospective builder presents his case before a professional, such a professional will always consider the financial capacity of the person involved and charge accordingly.

He agreed that all fingers are not equal but insisted that people should first appreciate the need to engage professionals while building their houses.

He also charged the government at all levels to work on their agencies, even as he urged Nigerians to always adhere to the life span of their structures to avoid the wanton loss of lives and property.

Also, Mr. Chudi Ubosi of the Ubosi Ele and Co, Estate Surveyors and Valuers, maintained that the failure of Nigerians to engage the services of professionals while building is a major cause of building collapse.

He argued that as long as people refuse to acknowledge the role of building professionals, cases of building collapse would continue to plague the nation.

On who should be blamed for the development, he said the first person to take responsibility is the owner of the house, who, instead of engaging professional builders, prefers to cut corners by engaging quacks.

He also blamed non-professional, who instead of advising their clients on the best thing to do, would keep a blind eye so long as they make their own money.

He further informed that the third person to take the responsibility is the government, but insisted that before the government, individuals should do their jobs first.

He said: “It is expected that before you build, you must get approval from the government but most people don’t do that. They just go ahead and start to build.

“And when the government agencies responsible for enforcement get to know, they are bribed and they allow work on such buildings that, most often, do not meet the required standard to go on.”

He advised builders to understand that when professionals give advice, it is not just for fancy, stressing: “they do so because they are professionals who want to avert future disaster, which always comes in the form of building collapse.”

Abia State Government has appealed to its citizens to cooperate with State authorities mandated to enforce the ban on commercial motorcycle operations within designated areas of Umuahia, Aba and Ohafia metropolis.

The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu made the appeal in a statement he issued on Sunday to announce the formal enforcement of the ban on commercial motorcycle operations.

The State government while acknowledging that thousands of Abia citizens depend on commercial motorcycle business as means of livelihood, said that the policy was designed for security and safety of lives and property, adding that the decision was applied in the overriding interests of all citizens.

The State further promised to be fair and professional in the enforcement exercise.

It said that defaulters of the policy would now pay N20,000 fine, as against the earlier N50,000 it previously announced.

Under the policy, all private and commercial motorcycles and tricycle (Keke) in the State are to be registered and duly documented, while private motorcycle operators are not allowed to carry a passenger.

Also, all motorcycles impounded by law enforcement agencies are to to released to their owners after the registration, verification, documentation and other statutory requirements.

The State government further urged all the citizens to report any extortion, abuse or other forms of misconduct by Task Force officials to the State, using provided phone lines.