Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), were among leaders in Abuja for Thursday’s National Council of State meeting

The leaders, alongside General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), are the only former leaders attending the meeting with former presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Shehu Shagari and former interim president, Ernest Shonekan, all absent.

President Muhammadu Buhari presided over what is the third such meeting since his presidency.

Senator Mao Arukwe Ohuabunwa, representing Abia North, says he expects President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Peace Corps of Nigeria bill into law.

The bill was sent to the president for assent after it was passed by the national assembly in July.

Speaking with journalists on Wednesday, Ohuabunwa said there is no reason for the president not to sign the bill.

The senator said those employed by the corps could be trained to gather intelligence that would keep the country safe.

“Speaking to the fact, I don’t really see the president withholding his assent,” he said.

“This is the people’s bill. This is a bill that will create employment for the youth and remember, when we were discussing insecurity, I made an allusion to the fact that, even this young men and women can be trained as intelligent officers like we have seen. Security now has gone beyond machete and guns, we need a lot of intelligence, technology.

“These guys can be trained and I think this is also an avenue to reduce not only employment but even underemployment. I want to believe that the president will jump at this and definitely assent to this bill.”

The senator said if the president refuses to sign the bill, the national assembly may choose to veto it.

“If the contrary happens, there is always a channel of communication, he will send it back to us then we definitely know what to do from there,” he said.

“I don’t want to preempt, but if it is true the president has withheld his assent, then we have our statutory responsibility either to veto or override the president[ial] veto.”

Ohuabunwa added that if the police continue to prevent the corps from using its office, he would bring up the matter in the senate.

TheCable

The Chairman of independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Yakubu Mahmood on Wednesday announced the setting up of an eight-man committee headed by a National Commissioner, Abubakar Nahuche, to investigate allegation of underage voting in the recently concluded local government elections in Kano.

Suleiman Hukunyi, owner of the building demolished at 11B Sambo close, GRA, Kaduna, has raised the alarm that the state government is threatening another of his property.

Hukunyi, a serving senator, leads one of the factions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

The demolished house was used as the secretariat of his own faction of the ruling party which handed a six-month suspension to Nasir el-Rufai, governor of the state, for alleged anti-party activities.

The Apex Court on Wednesday lambasted the Counsel to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Jacobs Rotimi (SAN) for filing an incompetent application in the appeal that emanated from false assets declaration suit brought against the Senate President, Abubakar Saraki by the Federal Government.

The Senate has condemned the demolition of the factional secretariat of the Kaduna APC located along number 11 B Sambo in the state capital has been demolished in the early hours of today (Tuesday).

The building was reportedly demolished under the alleged supervision of the state governor Nasir El Rufai.

Coming under a point of order, Senator Shehu Sani wondered how a democratically elected governor would demolish a building without notice.