🏛️ Branches of Government • Executive: The President serves as both head of state and government, elected for up to two four-year terms via a modified two-round system requiring at least 25% of votes in 24 states or a runoff . • Legislative (National Assembly): Bicameral, consisting of a 109-member Senate (3 per state + 1 for FCT) and a 360-member House of Representatives based on population . • Judicial: Includes the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Federal and State High Courts, as well as customary and Sharia courts in some states

Appeal Court nullifies GTBank’s foreclosure of Abiola family mansion. The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, has set aside the 2014 judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos that authorised Guaranty Trust Bank Plc to take possession of a N30 billion, 44-room mansion in Ikoyi, Lagos, owned by Alhaji Agboola Abiola, son of the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola. In a unanimous judgment delivered on June 18, 2025, and with the Certified True Copy dated June 19, 2025, the appellate court declared the foreclosure invalid, citing irregularities in the legal mortgage that GTBank had used to substantiate its claim to the property. Justice Paul Bassi, delivering the lead judgment, stated that the Federal High Court had erred by failing to address credible allegations of forgery and document manipulation raised by the appellants. The appeal marked CA/L/888/2014 was Instituted by RCN Network Limited and Alhaji Si-Nurani Abiola as appellants, with GTBank as the sole respondent.

APC chieftain begs Tinubu to intervene in Osun LG fresh crisis. Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the brewing crisis in the state over the Court of Appeal ruling on the conduct of the council election. Oyintiloye, who made the plea in a chat with newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo, said that the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, on Friday had started generating tension in the state. The APC chieftain said although the court struck out a request by APC to relist its appeal against the 2022 Federal High Court ruling nullifying the local government elections, the court did not nullify the judgment of Feb. 10, which reinstated the chairmen and councillors. Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, said that the misinterpretation given of the ruling by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the state government may result in a crisis in all the 30 local government areas if not quickly checked.

Emefiele Appeals Final Forfeiture of 753-Unit Abuja Estate Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking to overturn a judgment that granted the Federal Government ownership of a 753-unit housing estate located in the Lokogoma district of Abuja. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier secured both interim and final forfeiture orders from a Federal High Court, which linked the estate to proceeds of unlawful activity. The property was initially recovered from an undisclosed former government official. Through his lawyer, A.M. Kotoye, Emefiele filed a motion as an interested party, arguing that he should have been included in the original proceedings. He is now seeking to nullify the lower court’s decision, claiming that due process was not followed. Emefiele specifically requested an extension of time to contest the interim and final forfeiture orders, which were issued on December 2 and December 24, 2024, respectively. He asserted that the EFCC published the interim forfeiture notice in a rarely-read section of a national newspaper, which he could not reasonably have seen, especially while facing multiple criminal trials in both Abuja and Lagos. He accused the EFCC of deliberately excluding him from the proceedings despite ongoing engagements over separate criminal cases. Emefiele maintained that the Commission concealed the forfeiture process, even though it was aware of his interest in the disputed property. However, the trial court, in a judgment delivered by Justice J.O. Onwuegbuzie, dismissed his motion, ruling that the publication met the legal requirements under Section 17(2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006. The court further stated that a half-page notice in a national newspaper could not be deemed obscure. Unhappy with the ruling, Emefiele filed an appeal dated April 30, 2025, seeking five key reliefs, including an order to set aside the lower court’s decision. The EFCC is listed as the sole respondent in the case. In the appeal, Emefiele argued that the entire forfeiture process was flawed, built on conjecture and hearsay—evidence he described as inadmissible. He maintained that no laws were violated in the acquisition of the estate, and thus, Sections 44(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 17(1) of the fraud-related offences act could not be invoked. He further argued that the forfeiture orders violated Section 44(1) of the Constitution, rendering them legally null and void. Emefiele also emphasized that he has both legal and equitable interests in the estate. Meanwhile, in a letter dated May 26, 2025, co-counsel A.O.M. Adebowale wrote to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, informing him of the pending appeal and urging a suspension of any action related to the property. The letter noted that the properties were recently handed over to the Ministry and are allegedly being prepared for public auction. It emphasized that notices of appeal and injunction were served to the EFCC on May 2 and May 22, 2025, respectively. “In light of the foregoing, we respectfully request that any further action on the subject property be suspended until the Court of Appeal delivers its ruling,” the letter read. The matter now awaits judicial review at the appellate level. #Emefiele #EFCC #ForfeitureAppeal #NigeriaNews