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Just In: Supreme Court Stops CBN From Releasing Allocation To Rivers, Orders Pro-Wike Lawmakers To Resume Immediately

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The Supreme Court has ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and the Accountant General of the Federation to stop further release of financial allocations to the Rivers State government with immediate effect.

JomogNews Nigeria reports that the apex court directed that the order shall remain in force until the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, halts all his illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional activities.

Specifically, the court ruled that no money shall be released to the state government until a lawful Appropriation Law is enacted under the Martin Amaewhule speakership.

In a judgment delivered on Friday by Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, the Supreme Court also ordered the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to resume functions immediately.

The unanimous judgment of the five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Musa Uwani Aba-Aji, nullified all actions carried out by Governor Fubara for being unlawful.

The apex court criticized the governor for engaging in the criminal act of demolishing the House of Assembly with impunity to prevent the 27 legislators from sitting and carrying out lawful activities.

Justice Agim further ordered that the Clerk and Deputy Clerk, who were unlawfully redeployed, must be allowed to resume work alongside the House of Assembly staff.

The court held that it was an aberration for Governor Fubara to operate with only four out of the 32 House of Assembly members under the guise of baseless fears of impeachment.

According to the justices, Fubara, through his unlawful acts, collapsed the House of Assembly and used his immunity under Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution to carry out acts against the rule of law.

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgments of both the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court in Abuja, which had declared the actions against the 27 House of Assembly members as unlawful and illegal.

A fine of N10 million was imposed on Fubara, to be paid to the House of Assembly and the 27 members who instituted the suit against him.

The court ruled that the receipt and disbursement of monthly allocations since January this year by Governor Siminalayi Fubara is a constitutional aberration that must not be allowed to continue.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court had last year ruled that the presentation of the 2024 budget by Fubara before a four-member Rivers House of Assembly was an affront to constitutional provisions.

Specifically, the judge stated that Fubara’s action in implementing an unlawful budget constituted gross violations of the 1999 Constitution, which he swore to protect.

The judge had therefore restrained the CBN, the Accountant General of the Federation, Zenith Bank, and Access Bank from allowing Fubara to access money from the Consolidated Revenue and Federation Account.

Details later.

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Tinubu Appoints New Ministers, Sacks Edun, Dangiwa In Minor Shake-Up

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President Bola Tinubu has approved a minor reshuffle of the Federal Executive Council, removing the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa.

This was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yomi Odunuga, citing a memo signed by SGF George Akume.

According to the memo, Taiwo Oyedele has been appointed as the new Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.

Also appointed is Dr. Muttaqha Darma as Minister-designate for Housing and Urban Development.

The memo directed the outgoing ministers to complete handover processes to their respective successors or supervising officials.

It stated that all handing over and taking over activities must be concluded on or before the close of business on Thursday, 23rd April, 2026.

Explaining the decision, Akume said the changes were aimed at improving coordination and strengthening delivery across key sectors of the economy under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“These changes are aimed at strengthening cohesion, synergy in governance as well as achieving more impactful delivery on the economy to Nigerians, through the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Akume stated.

He added that President Tinubu acted in line with his constitutional powers as provided under Sections 147 and 148 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The SGF also conveyed the President’s appreciation to the outgoing ministers for their service to the nation and wished them well in their future endeavours, noting that the process of cabinet reinvigoration would remain continuous.

The statement further noted that Taiwo Oyedele was appointed as Minister of State for Finance in March 2026, while Edun was among the ministers appointed on August 16, 2023.

 

 

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Tax Reform Expert Taiwo Oyedele Nominated As Minister Of State For Finance

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially nominated Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Dr. Taiwo Oyedele as the new Minister of State for Finance.

Oyedele replaces Dr. Doris Anite-Uzoka, who has been redeployed to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning as Minister of State, her third portfolio in the administration.

The President on Tuesday conveyed Oyedele’s nomination to the Senate for confirmation in a letter to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Tuesday.

Until Tinubu nominated him as a minister, Oyedele from Ikaram, Akoko, Ondo State, was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which overhauled Nigeria’s tax system.

The 50-year-old is an economist, accountant, and public policy expert who led the comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s tax system through the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms.

The committee, inaugurated in August 2023, delivered four executive bills that consolidated over 60 taxes into fewer than 10 statutes and introduced significant reforms, including zero income tax for Nigerians earning N800,000 annually or less.

The Tax Reform Acts, which became effective on January 1, 2026, also exempted small businesses with turnover below N50m from company income tax, capital gains tax, and development levy.

Other provisions include a 50 per cent tax deduction for companies hiring new workers for three years, a 50 per cent deduction for wage increases to the lowest-paid employees, and a five-year corporate tax holiday for agricultural enterprises.

Oyedele attended Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma in Accountancy and Finance, before proceeding to Oxford Brookes University for a BSc in Applied Accounting.

He also completed executive education programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.

Oyedele spent 22 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers, joining in 2001 and rising to become the Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader before his appointment to head the tax reform committee.

He is currently a professor at Babcock University in Ogun State and a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School.

As Minister of State for Finance, Oyedele is expected to oversee the implementation of the tax reforms he championed, particularly as the government seeks to improve revenue generation and deepen economic reforms.

Anite-Uzoka, who is being redeployed to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, previously served as Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment before her appointment as Minister of State for Finance.

The Senate is expected to screen and confirm Oyedele’s nomination in the coming weeks, following which he will be sworn in to assume his ministerial duties.

The Finance Ministry, currently led by Wale Edun as substantive minister, oversees fiscal policy, revenue mobilisation, debt management, and economic planning.

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Gospel Artiste Taiwo Adegbodu Of Adegbodu Twins Passes On

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Taiwo Adegbodu, one half of the popular Nigerian gospel duo Adegbodu Twins, has passed away.

The tragic news was officially confirmed by his twin brother and musical partner, Kehinde Adegbodu, through a heartfelt post on the duo’s official Facebook handle.

In a heartfelt post, Kehinde conveyed his profound grief over the loss of both his brother and ministry partner.

He wrote: “TAIWO, why will you leave me and your kids without notification?
My heart is bleeding, Lord how do you want me to cope without him?
God why? This is too much for me to bear!!!”

Taiwo and Kehinde Adegbodu were renowned in gospel circles for their spirited worship sessions, twin-stage performances, and dynamic ministrations, which resonated with churches and Christian gatherings across Nigeria.

Their music and live performances earned them a devoted following, particularly in the South-West region.

As of the time of this report, the cause of Taiwo Adegbodu’s death and details of his funeral arrangements have not been disclosed.

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