Legal Diary News

Dual party membership has continued to erode party discipline and weaken democratic accountability in Nigeria. The amendment to Section 77 of the Electoral Act is a bold s tep forward, expressly prohibiting multiple party membership and prescribing strict penalties ₦10 million fine, two years imprisonment, or both to deter political inconsistency. Nonetheless, this must be balanced with Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees freedom of association. The law does not restrict political participation but ensures that party affiliation is singular, clear, and lawful at any given time. For this reform to be effective, political parties must enforce internal discipline through credible membership registers, transparent primaries, and strict adherence to their constitutions. However, enforcement cannot rest on parties alone. The  must take decisive steps by establishing a centralised digital membership database, auditing party registers, and enforci...

I read with a mixture of amusement and sadness the statement credited to one Mr. Chidi Uwaeziozi, who claims to be the Controller of Works for Abia State in the Federal Ministry of Works. In that statement, he asserted that the Umuahia/Ikwuano/Ikot Ekpene Road continues to be executed and funded by the Federal Government, apparently in response to recent remarks from the administration of His Excellency, Governor Alex Otti, which identified the project as a State-led intervention. Ordinarily, such a claim would not deserve a response, especially as the Abia State Government has already addressed and refuted the misleading assertions contained in that statement. However, it is important that the people of Abia State, and indeed Nigerians, understand the true situation surrounding this vital road project. Infrastructure remains the backbone of economic development. Roads in particular connect communities, facilitate trade, and reduce the burden of daily life for ordinary citi...