A division appears to have emerged among members of the National Assembly following the intensified faceoff between the lawmakers and the executive arm of government.

Hours after the National Assembly rose from a historic joint closed-door executive session, where far-reaching decisions were adopted, a section of the parliament has come out to discountenance the resolutions.

A member of the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin, gave this indication in a statement released on behalf of the Parliamentary Support Group of the Senate and House of Representatives.

JIBRIN stated that almost all the members and senators who spoke at the Joint Executive Session are of the People’s Democratic Party, while members of the All Progressives Congress declined joining the discussion to avoid a rowdy confrontation.

JIBRIN also excused the Speaker of the House of Representatives for tactically refusing to make any comment at the session even after the Senate President took time to explain the issues, which he said were mostly personal.

The lawmaker from Kano State also stated that it was disturbing and raised questions of pre-determined intentions that the adopted resolutions were drafted by Rasak Atunwa of the House of Representatives from Kwara State.

Monaco GP victor Daniel Ricciardo will be hit with multiple grid penalties at the upcoming Canadian GP.

Two weeks after claiming victory in F1's showpiece event despite a crippling loss of power from his Renault engine, the Red Bull driver - third in the world championship behind Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel - is set to suffer a series of engine-related grid demotions in Montreal.

"Unfortunately, we will be taking penalties," Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey confirmed to Sky Sports News.

With just a third of the season elapsed, Ricciardo has already used a significant chunk of his allowance for engine parts for the entire campaign with the size of his penalties in Canada this weekend set to be determined by just how many components will require changing after he guided his handicapped RB14 car to the chequered flag in Monaco.

The D’Tigers of Nigeria will begin camping for their Group B FIBA World Cup qualifiers on the 19th of June in Lagos under the supervision of head coach, Alex Nwora.

The Secretary General of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Chimezie Asiegbu made this known on Tuesday as the federation intensifies efforts to ensure that the team maintains its 100% winning record in the qualification series.

With invited players already contacted and their availability confirmed for the June window being hosted by Nigeria, the official list is expected to be released next week.

The team was initially meant to camp in Buffalo in the United States, but according to the NBBF Vice President, Babatunde Ogunade, after considering all indices, the team will now camp in Lagos.

Nigeria is currently leading Group B and will hope to maintain their winning run in front of their home fans when they file out against Uganda on the 29th.

Their second game of the window will be against Rwanda on the 30th of June before facing Mali on the 1st of July.

Coach of Gambia’s senior women’s natonal team Mariama Sowe believes the Queen Scorpions have all it takes to defeat Nigeria in the first leg of their Ghana 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifiers today.

The Gambians who are currently camped at the Gambia Football Federation Hotel at Yundum eliminated Burkina Faso in the previous round while champions Super Falcons drew a bye.

“We have been going on with our tactical approach to this game against Nigeria and we are confident that we can get a good performance and the desired result,” Sowe told cafonline.

Nigeria will host the return leg on Monday, 11 June 2018 in Lagos with the winner making it to the tournament in Ghana come November.

The Rivers State Government has filed fresh charges against former Leader of the State House of Assembly, Chidi Lloyd.

The state government is accusing Chidi Lloyd of malicious damage of the Mace of the State Assembly and affray, which is the legal term for fighting or public disturbance

According to the charges filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Ministry of Justice, Ibikiri Otorobio, Chidi Lloyd is alleged to have violated sections of the State Criminal Code.

(Photo Credits: Newsghana.com.gh)

The fresh matter is in connection to an incident in the State Assembly chamber on 9th of July, 2013 during which a fight broke out among some members of the legislature.

You will recall that Chidi Lloyd was previous accused of attempted murder over the incident of nearly five years ago, which the state government decided to discontinue last December.

Our correspondent Victor Ezeama reports that fifteen witnesses have been lined up to testify against Chidi Lloyd, including Michael Chinda, Martins Amaewhule, Victor Ihunwo and Kelechi Nworgu who are members of the State Assembly.

The Senate and the House of Representatives have adjourned plenary indefinitely after making a twelve point demand from the Executive Arm of government.

The closed-door session was the first to be held by the two chambers of the National Assembly since the current democratic dispensation began nineteen years ago.

During the meeting; the federal lawmakers observed that Nigeria’s democracy was heading for imminent collapse.

They resolved to liaise with the ECOWAS Parliament; the United Nations, the European Union and Civil Society Organisations in a bid to save the country.

The National Assembly demanded that the security agencies must be given a marching order to check the spate of killings across the country and protect Nigerians

They also called for an end to what they called a systematic harassment, humiliation and persecution of perceived political opponents by the Executive Arm of government.

It is also the demand of the Federal lawmakers that the Executive must ensure strict adherence to the rule of law, and that President Muhamadu Buhari must be accountable for the actions of his appointees.

The National Assembly charged the Executive to show sincerity in the fight against corruption by not being selective and also prosecute government appointees with corruption cases in court.

The lawmakers also demanded that the sanctity of the National Assembly should be protected and preserved, and caution the Executive against interfering in the legislature.

They want the appropriate authorities to prosecute those who invaded the Senate and snatched its mace, which is the symbol of authority.

The Senators and House of Representatives members advised that democratic elections must be competitive and inclusive by removing the present reign of fear and intimidation, as the nation approaches the 2019 elections.

The lawmakers passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly, while maintaining their previous vote-of-no-confidence on the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

Speaking after the joint session, Senate President Bukola Saraki warned that it will not hesitate to invoke its constitutional powers if nothing was done to address the resolutions passed at the joint closed-door session.

President Muhammadu Buhari has summoned a meeting with Security Chiefs at the State House in Abuja.

In attendance at the meeting include the Minister of Defence, Retired Brig General Mansur Dan Ali, the chief of defence staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, and the chief of army staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai,

Others are the chief of naval staff, Ibok Ekwe Ibas, The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar and the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

For the first time since the current democratic dispensation in Nigeria began nineteen years ago, the Senate and the House of Representatives have held a joint closed door session.

Our correspondent James Igah reports that the federal lawmakers in the National Assembly entered into the joint closed-door session, after the two chambers arose from separate closed sessions.

Details of the meeting remain sketchy, but our correspondent gathered that issues concerning the fate of Nigeria appear to receiving the attention of the Senators and House of Representatives members.

The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, dropped the hint as well as other recent developments in the polity before going into the Joint Session in his capacity as Chairman of the National Assembly.

The leadership of the National Assembly is expected to release a joint statement on the outcome of their deliberations.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has dismissed claims that it was planning to freeze the bank accounts of the Rivers State Government.

The South-South Zonal Head of the EFCC, Nnaghe Obono-Itam, gave this indication while briefing newsmen at his office in Port Harcourt in response to comments purportedly made by Governor Nyesom Wike.

Nnaghe Obono-Itam, who is an Assistant Commissioner of Police, further disclosed that the EFCC has in the last five months secured thirteen convictions out of twenty-eight corruption cases it took to court.

Obono-Itam said the matters in court and the concluded ones form part of one hundred and sixty-six complaints that were received during the period under review.

The United States Government has appealed against a court ruling that barred President DONALD TRUMP from blocking twitter users from his account.

The Justice Department said it wants to challenge the court ruling that President TRUMP may not legally block Twitter users from his account based on their political views.

The move is in response to a lawsuit filed on behalf of seven plaintiffs who sued President TRUMP for blocking them from his @realDonaldTrump account.

U.S. District Judge NAOMI REICE BUCHWALD in Manhattan ruled on 23rd May that comments on the President’s account, and those of other government officials, were public forums.

The Judge further declared that blocking Twitter users from such accounts for their views violated their right to free speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

The lawyer for the plaintiffs, JAMEEL JAFFER said he was pleased that the White House unblocked his clients from the President’s Twitter account.

However; JAFFER expressed disappointment that the government intends to appeal the district court’s ruling, which he considered as thoughtful and well-supported.