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Nigeria: Another court verdict sacks 20 lawmakers in Cross River over defection. Should politicians worry?

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The Judiciary in Nigeria has given another landmark verdict on the subject of party defection of politicians as The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, sacked 20 members of the Cross River State House of Assembly that defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.

In May 2021, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State and the now sacked lawmakers dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The same court two weeks ago gave a judgment that could upset political behavior in the West African country as it ordered the removal of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and his Deputy, Dr. Eric Kelechi Igwe, following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.

The sack of the Cross River state lawmakers gives credence to what political observers have tagged new precedence in Nigeria’s political history.

Party defection is common among politicians. Sitting governors particularly are fond of switching party allegiance in Nigeria. There have been conflicting court rulings on the subject party of defection in Nigeria.

Like in the case of Ben Ayade cited above, in June 2021 the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, who was elected on the platform of the PDP after the Supreme Court nullified the victory of the APC in the 2019 elections in Zamfara State also joined Nigeria’s ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

In February 2022, a Federal High Court sitting in Gusau, Zamfara State struck out the suit challenging the defection of Governor Bello Matawalle and four others to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Opinions are divided on the recent rain of verdicts on party defections by politicians in Nigeria but one undeniable fact in all these is that Nigerians can brace up for more political shaping events as the 2023 general elections approach.

Politics

Uganda begins withdrawal of troops from eastern Congo DR

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Uganda has started the withdrawal of 1,000 troops deployed for a regional peacekeeping mission in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

According to a statement released by the military, Uganda’s decision not to extend the mandate of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) past December 8 prompted the withdrawal.

At its meetings in Arusha, Tanzania, the CDF affirmed the DRC’s decision and advised the defence ministers of the East African Community (EAC) to formally terminate the EACRF’s operations in the country’s vast eastern region, effective December 8.

UPDF’s contingent spokesperson, Capt. Ahmad Hassan Kato, “UPDF will ensure to expedite the pull-out of its forces and equipment within the approved timelines as enshrined in the extraordinary meeting of EAC CDFS (Chief of Defense Forces) held on December 6.”

“The Uganda contingent urges all armed groups (in the Eastern DRC) to facilitate the withdrawal of the UPDF troops by observing a total ceasefire to allow the forces to exit the mission area safely,” said Kato.

Aside from EAC forces, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as (MONUSCO), has around 12,400 troops in the Congo, with a cost of over $1 billion per year.

Lately, there has been an upsurge in violence in Congo, DR. High rates of civilian casualties and displacement have been caused by hostilities with neighbouring countries, political violence, extrajudicial killings by security forces, and conflicts between militant groups over territory and natural resources.

According to the United Nations, more than 100 armed groups and local militias operate in the eastern DRC.

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Morocco joins PPCA to phase out coal

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Morocco has joined an international campaign to phase out coal, Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), an effort to secure renewable energies in the next seven years.

With Morocco, PPCA has 60 national governments united by the desire to make a clean break with coal-fired power generation.

The United States, the United Arab Emirates, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, the Dominican Republic, Iceland, Kosovo, Malta, and Norway joined the global initiative earlier at the COP 28 climate summit, according to a statement from PPCA.

Without providing a timeline, the PPCA stated that Morocco “will work together with the PPCA to develop a plan for phasing (coal) out.”

Africa bears the least responsibility for climate change, yet it is already experiencing more severe effects than most other regions of the world.

The continent has the lowest carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per capita of any region, contributing less than 3% of global energy-related CO2 emissions to date. Africa is home to nearly one-fifth of the world’s current population.

According to official figures, about 70% of Morocco’s electricity is generated from coal, with 20% coming from renewable sources thus far this year. By 2030, Morocco wants to increase the proportion of renewable energy in its energy mix to over 52%.

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