Former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Farouk Adamu Aliyu yesterday approached a Federal high court sitting in Abuja, asking it to nullify the resolution passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly empowering Vice President Jonathan Goodluck to assume full presidential powers pending the return of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua from his medical leave.

THE first responses that the manner of the acting presidency the National Assembly thrust on Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was legally flawed were right. The explanation that it was based on the doctrine of necessity has introduced another plank for constitutional abuses, especially in the hands of politicians for whom individual survival comes at the expense of everyone, and everything.

We were lucky . By the time many of us were going to school, my father was transferred to the North and in the north the truth was that there was free education. So, he did not need to pay, the way he was paying in Lagos. There is free education in the South West but I think immediately after Chief Obafemi Awolowo left power,(as Premier of Western Nigeria) nobody can really say education was free.

If something is very strange and it is not efficacious, the doctrine of necessity will save that. The doctrine of efficacy means all the instruments of coercion and administration must accept and fall in line with the doctrine of necessity.

Among the huge crowd at the service were Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, former governors Bola Tinubu [Lagos], Olusegun Osoba [Ogun] Niyi Adebayo [Ekiti] Lam Adesina [Oyo] and two former Deputy Governors in Ogun State, Alhaji Rafiu Ogunleye and Adegbenga Kaka in attendance.

Former Minister of Finance under Buhari/Idiagbon regime, Dr. Onaolapo Olusegun Soleye, Thursday in Lagos advised that the 2011 general election be shifted to enable the country hold a Sovereign National Conference.

FROM the presidency has come a description of the mood that greeted Acting Goodluck Jonathan’s announcement of former Justice Minister, Chief Michael Andoakaa’s removal as Justice minister.

The National Assembly and Nigerians had, as stipulated by the constitution, been waiting for ailing president YarÁdua to transmit a written letter to the Senate on his medical trip to Saudi Arabia so that Jonathan could assume full presidential powers.

Minister of Information and Communication, Prof. Dora Akunyili, yesterday rejected the apology of ex-Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, as she has threatened to go to court next week if Aondoakaa does not in seven days, issue a clear apology to her and publishes it in the media, including The Nation, the newspaper in which Aondoakaa issued his offensive statement earlier this week.

Governor Rotimi Amechi of River State of River state has again stoked the seeming rivalry between the Nigerian Football federation and the Presidential Task force, PTF, by suggesting that the Technical adviser that would be hired by the NFF should be given a five year mandate to develop ‘our football’.