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Makinde inaugurates State Assembly Service Commission, Government Liaison Officers
Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday, inaugurated the members of the House of Assembly Service Commission and the Government Liaison Officers appointed to oversee the 14 federal constituencies in the State.
The Governor also stated that his administration remained determined to empower the people and deliver dividends of democracy to the people of the State.
A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the Governor stated these at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, while inaugurating the two bodies.
During the inauguration of the House of Assembly Service Commission headed by the immediate past Deputy Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Honourable Abdulwasi Musah, the Governor charged the Commission to remain independent and to guide the House of Assembly on that path.
He said: “I will like to congratulate the members of the House of Assembly Service Commission on your appointment, which was based on merit. Honourable Abdulwasi Musah, you have been the Deputy Speaker before and I believe the experience you have gathered in such an exalted position will be utilized in this present assignment. And I also need to say that there is a clear distinction between politics and governance.
“Governance is looking after the wider interest of the entire state while politics deals with one’s political leaning but this is governance and we want you to have the wider interest of the state at heart in discharging your duties.
“I also need to add that there is a clear separation of powers between the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary. So, we don’t want a rubber-stamp legislature.
“We want you to assist us to achieve that objective where debates are very robust. Sometimes, I may even sign things that will come to the House of Assembly, which are not totally my idea because I and other executive members take decisions based on consensus. So, my personal preference does not fly sometimes when we hold exco meetings.”
Similarly, Governor Makinde, while inaugurating the Governorship Liaison Officers, said they were put in place as his eyes and ears across the State in order to assist him in the onerous task of empowering the people of the State.
He charged them to ensure effective feedbacks to the Government in order for it to be able to deliver on its promises to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people at the grassroots.
The Governor said: “During the campaign, I promised the people that nobody will reap from where he has not sown and I won’t give what belongs to someone who has worked to another person who has not done anything. So, I am counting on you to assist me and this administration to come true on that promise. You will all be the unifier in your various federal constituencies.
“This is fulfilling for me because I now have eyes and ears in all the federal constituencies in Oyo State. The assignment for you is very simple and straight forward. We have to empower our people. Though we do have party machinery in all the federal constituencies but, sometimes, just like we experienced choosing interim officers for the local government, the party apparatus in most places is polarised. So, you are the people I am relying on to unify the party apparatus.
“It does not matter which faction you belong to or where you are all coming from. Before the 2019 election, late 2018 to be precise, all of us came from different places. We met some inside PDP and some came from the Labour Party. Some came from SDP too but we thank God that our journey from then till now has been fruitful. So, you must all have it at the back of your mind that your assignment is solely based on the empowerment of the good people of Oyo State.
“Also, while undertaking your duties, you must know that feedback to the government is essential. My appeal to you is, use this position to take dividends of democracy to the people at the grassroots.”
In their separate responses, the chairman of the House of Assembly Commission, Dr. Abdulwasi Musah and the chairman of the Liaison Officers, Chief Jacob Adetoro, both appreciated the Governor for the confidence reposed in the members of their separate bodies, promising to discharge the responsibilities in the interest of the State.
Wasi said: “As a former Deputy Speaker and a Ph.D. holder in Law, I will put my experience as well as my academic achievement in bear towards working in line with what the Governor said.
“We will ensure that the autonomy of the parliament is ensured in all that we do, even though that will not be translated into making the parliament to stand in friction with the Executive or the Judicial arm of Government. So, that is our mandate and we promise the people of Oyo State that we will live up to that promise.”
In the same vein, Adetoro said: “We are grateful to the Governor of Oyo State for counting us worthy of these positions, and I want to pledge that we shall not disappoint you. We see ourselves now as the bridge that links the party to the government and we shall do our best to promote that course with fairness and all the rest of it.
“Since we have been given this assignment now, I know that every one of us will sit up and perform our responsibilities.”
The Kano State House of Assembly has initiated impeachment proceedings against Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of public trust.
The notice was presented yesterday during plenary by the Majority Leader, Lawan Hussaini Dala, who said the action follows Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dala said the allegations stem from Abdussalam’s tenure as Commissioner for Local Government (2023–2024) and his current role as deputy governor. He accused the deputy governor of diverting funds meant for the 44 local government councils.
According to the majority leader, Abdussalam allegedly received N1.5 million monthly from each council between June 2023 and January 2024, totaling N462 million. Between February and July 2024, he allegedly collected N3.255 million monthly from each council under the guise of special assignments, amounting to N726 million.
Dala also accused the deputy governor of abuse of office, claiming he facilitated payments of N10 million from each council to NovoMed Pharmaceuticals Limited, totaling N440 million, in violation of state procurement laws.
“The misuse of official capacity to confer undue advantage constitutes abuse of power and undermines public trust,” Dala told lawmakers, adding that the allegations amount to gross misconduct under the Constitution.
The impeachment notice was reportedly endorsed by 38 lawmakers, meeting the constitutional threshold to proceed. The Speaker has acknowledged receipt, and the House is expected to serve the allegations on the deputy governor.
If approved, a panel may be constituted by the state Chief Judge to investigate the claims.
As of filing, Abdussalam had yet to respond publicly to the allegations.
The Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, on Thursday announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that he had joined the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, made the announcement during a media briefing in Abuja, attributing his decision to what he described as irreconcilable differences within the PDP.
The lawmaker said the emergence of the NDC would strengthen Nigeria’s democratic system by providing a credible opposition platform.
According to him, the party recently received its certificate of registration from the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He said, “Last week INEC issued a certificate of registration and we now have the newest party in Nigeria known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress and our symbol is victory, the victory sign.
“So, my dear Nigerians, you now have a credible alternative opposition party known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress.”
Dickson noted that although the party’s registration took longer than expected, its eventual approval was a welcome development for the country’s democratic landscape.
“Yes, it is coming at this time. We would have wished it started some years or months back. We don’t control INEC and their processes; they delayed. We don’t also control the judiciary, but thank God it has finally arrived,” he said.
The senator also stressed that Nigeria’s democracy must not slide into a one-party system, insisting that political diversity remained vital for national stability.
“This nation cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria is not designed to be a one-party state.
“We are a very diverse nation culturally, religiously and politically and that is the beauty of our country.
“So anyone or any party promoting one-party rule in Nigeria is mistaken. We build political parties and get involved in movements to access power for the good of the people, not for our personal benefit,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission recently announced the registration of two new political parties.
The parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, bringing the total number of registered political parties in Nigeria to 21.
The announcement was made by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, during the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with political party stakeholders for 2026.
According to him, the Democratic Leadership Alliance completed the required verification process, while the Nigeria Democratic Congress was registered in compliance with a Federal High Court order.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 58-year-old alleged drug lord, Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, who had reportedly been on the agency’s wanted list and that of British authorities for over 15 years.
Ilomuanya was apprehended in Lagos on Monday, February 23, 2026, following what the agency described as a high-level, coordinated operation by officers of its Special Operations Unit.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said the suspect’s arrest ended a prolonged manhunt linked to his alleged involvement in drug trafficking activities across Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
According to the statement, Ilomuanya was first arrested in February 2003 in the United Kingdom and convicted for drug trafficking.
He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment but was released after serving two years following a successful appeal.
Babafemi added that the suspect was again arrested in the UK in July 2011 over drug-related offences.
He said, “He was granted administrative bail but jumped jurisdiction and fled to Nigeria.
“Typical of a recidivist, Ilomuanya was in November 2018 arrested in Nigeria by NDLEA operatives following the discovery of two clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in his Obinugwu, Orlu Local Government Area country home in Imo State and at his No. 3 Barrister Declan Uzoma Close, Lagos residence where officers recovered 77.960 kilograms of methamphetamine and extensive production equipment.
“He was subsequently charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos, after which he jumped court bail and has been on the run since then.”
Reacting to the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the agency’s ongoing war against drug trafficking networks.
Marwa said the operation demonstrated the agency’s resolve to track down criminal elements regardless of how long they evade the law.
He said, “This arrest serves as a stern warning to those who think they can hide behind borders to escape justice.
“Whether you jump bail in London or set up clandestine labs in your village, the long arm of the NDLEA will eventually catch up with those who choose to undermine the health, security, and future of our nation.
“We remain committed to our international collaborations to ensure that Nigeria is not used as a sanctuary for global drug lords.”
Marwa also commended officers of the Special Operations Unit for their professionalism and persistence in tracking down the suspect.
He added that the agency would continue to strengthen intelligence-driven operations and international cooperation to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond Nigeria.
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