Category: News

Dele Momodu, a prominent member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has described former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal as confused and rambling following his recent comments on Atiku Abubakar. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Momodu criticized Lawal’s statements, arguing that the veteran politician lacked clarity and coherence.

Momodu referenced his background in English Literature to explain his analysis, stating that understanding a speaker’s background and motives is key to interpreting their message. He noted that Lawal, who is over 70 years old, appeared unsure of his allegations against Atiku, questioning why he waited so long to voice such criticisms.

The ADC chieftain dismissed Lawal’s attacks on Atiku’s Fulani heritage, asking when being Fulani became a crime. He pointed out that Atiku is often labeled a “Lagos boy,” yet he is being accused of tribalism. Momodu also highlighted Atiku’s diverse team, noting that his personal physician, Dr. Azubike, is an Igbo man who has served him since his time in Aso Rock. He concluded that Atiku remains the most cosmopolitan leader Nigeria has today.

In a landmark ruling, a High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has condemned seven individuals to death by hanging for their involvement in the abduction and murder of Reverend Edwin Isaiah Dokubo-Harry over a decade ago. Justice Boma Diepiri delivered the verdict on Thursday, bringing closure to a case that has lingered since December 2013, when the clergyman was killed in Abalama, Asari-Toru Local Government Area.

The convicted persons include Precious Jack Opara, Answer Dick, Osaki Fubara, Prince Mikado Philip, Tienabeso George, Seleipri Fubara, and Alaboeriya Fubara. They were found guilty on multiple counts, such as conspiracy, kidnapping, murder, and unlawful possession of firearms. Justice Diepiri emphasized that the prosecution had adequately proven each charge beyond reasonable doubt, leading to the imposition of the death penalty on all seven.

The court heard chilling details of the crime: the victim was lured into a forest in Abalama, where he was seized by members of the group. He was then blindfolded and tied up before being killed, with his body later discarded in a nearby creek. As part of the judgment, the judge ordered that a firearm retrieved during the investigation, along with other evidence, be handed over to the Nigeria Police Force.

Meanwhile, two other defendants, Emmanuel Israel and Nephew Philemon, were acquitted and discharged. The court ruled that the evidence against them was insufficient to link them to the 25-count charge. The verdict sparked emotional reactions, with some convicts and their relatives weeping as the sentences were read out.

The Niger State Government has firmly rejected allegations that its recent spate of road contracts, totaling over 1,000 kilometers, were awarded through executive fiat. Officials insist that all procurement processes adhered strictly to the state’s Public Procurement Law.

During a press briefing marking Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago’s third anniversary in office, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works and Infrastructural Development, Engr. Hassan Baba Etsu, labeled reports of irregular contract approvals as erroneous and deceptive. He emphasized that every contract underwent the required procurement procedures.

Etsu highlighted that the administration is executing some of its most ambitious infrastructure projects, including the construction of six flyover bridges, an underpass, and 100 kilometers of roads within Minna, the state capital. Additionally, the 45-kilometer Bida Ring Road is under construction, while road projects spanning 556 kilometers are progressing across all 25 local government areas.

According to the Permanent Secretary, each local government area is benefiting from at least five kilometers of road construction, with approximately 40% of the projects already advanced and nearing completion. He also revealed that the government has stepped in to support federal roads, funding the rehabilitation of the Kontagora-Rijau and Wawa-Babanana routes to boost connectivity and economic growth.

Etsu further announced the approval of a 13-kilometer road project linking Mararaba Dandaudu and Kuta in Shiroro Local Government Area. He reiterated that the Ministry of Works remains fully transparent and accountable, challenging anyone to provide evidence that procurement guidelines were bypassed.

The Kano State administration has officially combined the Ministry of Water Resources with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, creating a unified body aimed at enhancing government effectiveness.

Under the new structure, the two previously separate departments will operate together as the Ministry of Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change.

Commissioner Dahir M. Hashim announced the move on Monday via a Facebook post, stating that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf approved the merger as part of broader reforms to improve service delivery.

“I am delighted to inform the public that His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, has sanctioned the consolidation of the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change into a single entity, renamed the Ministry of Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change,” Hashim said.

The President-General of the Idoma Association USA, Edwin Ochai, has identified the primary obstacle hindering the Idoma people as a lack of unity, not a shortage of qualified individuals. He made this known during the 2026 Idoma Centenary Plus Lecture in Otukpo, Benue State, on Saturday.

Ochai emphasized that the event broadened his perspective on the challenges the Idoma community faces and the necessary steps toward a brighter future. He pointed out that despite the Idoma nation producing many professors, military generals, technocrats, and other accomplished professionals, this wealth of talent has not translated into the expected political, economic, and social progress.

According to Ochai, the community’s greatest shortcoming is the absence of unity and a shared vision, not a deficiency in education or ability. He remarked that individual accomplishments across various fields show no lack of talent or leadership potential. However, personal interests, political differences, and clan loyalties often override collective benefits, limiting the community’s ability to leverage its full potential for development.

He stated, “The Idoma people continue to excel, but their collective strength remains underutilized. A people united by a shared purpose can achieve far more than even the most brilliant individuals working separately.” Ochai urged that the centenary celebration should serve as a call to action for greater unity and purposeful leadership, not just a reflection on past achievements.

With elections approaching, Ochai called on the Idoma people to look beyond sentiments, personal relationships, and short-term gains when selecting leaders. He advised voters to prioritize candidates with proven competence, integrity, vision, and a genuine commitment to advancing Idoma interests. He stressed that the future depends not on who spends the most or speaks the loudest, but on who possesses the vision, competence, integrity, and dedication to progress.

Ochai further emphasized the need for leaders who can rally professionals, entrepreneurs, traditional institutions, women, and youth around a common development agenda. He described the upcoming elections as a chance to make informed decisions that will benefit both current and future generations. The centenary celebration, he said, should inspire unity, collective purpose, and visionary leadership that can transform the area into a model of progress, influence, and development. He concluded, “The time to act is now. The time to unite is now. Now is the time to make a wise choice.”

The Presidency has ridiculed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar following the exit of Babachir Lawal from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). In a statement on Monday, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga described Lawal’s departure as a harsh blow to Atiku’s political ambitions.

Onanuga took to X (formerly Twitter) to declare that Lawal had delivered a scathing rejection of both Atiku and the ADC, likening the move to a bitter divorce. He wrote, “Babachir David Lawal just handed Atiku Abubakar and his captured ADC a stinging rebuke, along with a bitter divorce.”

Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), announced his resignation via Facebook, citing widespread irregularities in the party’s just-concluded primaries. He alleged that the primaries at all levels were rigged in favor of Atiku and his loyalists, with election results fabricated and winners replaced by individuals aligned with the former vice president.

The former SGF stated that he could not remain in a party he accused of operating as a “rigging machine” in preparation for the 2027 general elections. He further criticized Atiku and his allies for promoting ethnic and religious agendas, arguing that Atiku’s emergence as the ADC presidential candidate would inadvertently boost President Bola Tinubu’s chances of securing a second term.

Lawal also condemned northern political leaders and delegates for backing Atiku despite the region’s ongoing economic and security crises. He questioned their judgment, suggesting that their support for Atiku was misguided given the challenges facing the North.

A recent post from Nigeria’s independent grid monitoring account on X has ignited a heated online conversation, garnering over 110 million views. The message, simply stating ‘Word for the week: GO GET YOUR PVC,’ was interpreted by many as a nudge toward civic engagement ahead of the 2027 elections.

Reactions poured in, reflecting deep divisions. User Marvelous commented, ‘Even National Grid is tired of the administration,’ implying widespread discontent. Chinedum Mbah urged active participation: ‘Get your PVC. Know your ward. Vote. Defend your votes with anything and everything in you.’

However, skepticism was also prevalent. Felix Ndubusi argued that voter registration alone may not sway outcomes: ‘Nothing concerns Tinubu and PVC. Have you ever seen him asking his supporters to go get their PVCs? You need much more than votes to defeat him.’ Another user, Bimo, questioned the value of voting altogether: ‘To do what? The only thing Nigerians should do is nobody should come out to vote yes, collect the money they share, but don’t vote for anybody, and see that they’ll still put Tinubu in.’

It is important to note that the National Grid X handle is a private account, not affiliated with government entities like the National Independent System Operator or the Transmission Company of Nigeria. The debate unfolds against a backdrop of persistent electricity woes. Despite a population exceeding 250 million, Nigeria’s power generation hovers between 3,000 and 4,500 megawatts.

President Tinubu, who secured the APC presidential primary for re-election last month, had promised to address power supply issues during his 2023 campaign, but shortages remain three years into his tenure. Meanwhile, opposition candidate Peter Obi of the NDC recently pledged to boost electricity capacity by 10,000 megawatts within four years if elected in 2027.

Yusuf Dantalle, the National Chairman of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has called on Nigerians to vote according to their conscience and resist what he termed “peanuts or that menace called vote buying.” He emphasized that vote buying poses a severe threat to Nigeria’s democracy and urged citizens not to trade their future for short-term financial gains.

Speaking on Monday during a live interview on Frontline, a current affairs program on Eagle 102.5 FM in Ilese Ijebu, Dantalle stated, “Choose your preferred candidate. Refuse peanuts or the evil of vote buying. If they give you money and you feel compelled to accept, take it, but still vote correctly.”

Dantalle expressed sympathy for President Bola Tinubu, acknowledging that Tinubu’s reform agenda is well-intentioned but hindered by systemic inefficiencies and weak institutions. “I feel for the president. He is trying his best to fix Nigeria,” Dantalle said, adding, “However, Nigerians are suffering greatly today.” He argued that the anticipated benefits of Tinubu’s policies have not improved living standards and that economic hardship is directly fueling rising insecurity across the country.

When asked if the APM would reverse key reforms like subsidy removal and exchange rate unification if it came to power, Dantalle rejected a simplistic policy reversal. “The APM, through my presidential candidate, has proposed resetting Nigeria,” he explained. He clarified that resetting Nigeria involves more than economic tweaks; it requires a thorough reassessment of national values, institutions, and governance culture. “We must examine the entire value system. What we see as insecurity is a result of neglect and exclusion. If Nigerians feel they own Nigeria, no one would want to destroy what belongs to them,” Dantalle concluded.

Babachir Lawal, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has declared his intention to modify his plans and seek input from allies on how to ensure Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), never gets near the presidency. This statement came shortly after Lawal announced his resignation from the ADC.

In a statement released on Monday, Lawal accused the ADC of rigging its presidential primary in favor of Atiku, prompting his departure from the party. He expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu’s political machinery would outmaneuver what he described as Atiku’s “band of wicked vote riggers and result manipulators.”

Lawal stated, “I will be tweaking my plans for the future and consulting with like-minded colleagues on how to stop this incompetent octogenarian from coming close to the presidential office.” He added that he would temporarily retire to his farm in the village, from where he would watch the political drama unfold. “I will be watching Kachalla Atiku and his band of wicked vote riggers and result manipulators mercilessly out-rigged and beaten to pulp by Tinubu’s ruthless and superior rigging machine.”

He concluded by predicting that the North would ultimately reject Atiku, saying, “It will be bye-bye to this octogenarian presidential wannabe. It will be bye-bye to the North for preferring a religious hegemonist over a competent world-renowned economist and corporate guru.”

The Labour Party in Ogun State has successfully resolved its internal divisions. On Monday, the previously feuding camps joined forces to announce a single candidate for the upcoming 2027 gubernatorial election. Party leaders acknowledged that their earlier disagreements were counterproductive, stating that unity was essential to challenge what they termed ‘political looters’ in the state.

During a press conference held in Abeokuta, the state capital, Apagun Olaolu Samuel, who chairs the Nenadi faction, explained that despite sharing common goals, a fractured party could not succeed. He emphasized that the reconciliation aimed to select compassionate and capable individuals for office, rather than career politicians looking for a comeback.

Samuel declared, ‘We have all consented to operate as a single, unified party, because we understand that only together can we achieve our objectives. We recognize that our aspirations to rescue Nigeria, and specifically Ogun State, from political predators are identical. For us to succeed in 2027, we realize that a house divided against itself cannot stand. Therefore, we are presenting a consensus candidate for all elective positions. Chief among these is the governorship seat, and today we introduce Hon. Mojisola Oluwaseun Ajayi as our nominee for the 2027 race.’

Samuel further described Ajayi as a person of integrity, strong character, and genuine compassion, not a recycled politician. In a similar vein, Oluwabukunola Soyoye, head of the Abure faction, stressed the importance of familial unity. ‘Fighting among ourselves in Ogun is like siblings beating each other—it leads nowhere. We have chosen to come together as a large Labour family, erasing all factions, to collaborate for the 2027 polls,’ she said. She also confirmed that the party would fill all 39 other elective positions through consensus.

Accepting the nomination, Mojisola Ajayi expressed gratitude to party members and vowed to cooperate closely with them to secure victory in 2027.