President Bola Tinubu has signed the 2025 Appropriation Bill into law, officially approving a total budget of N54.99 trillion for the fiscal year. The National Assembly had initially raised the budget from N49.7 trillion to N54.2 trillion following a request from the President before finally approving the N54.99 trillion total. Budget Breakdown Statutory Transfers: N3.645 trillion Debt Servicing: N14.317 trillion Recurrent Expenditure: N13.64 trillion Capital Expenditure (Development Fund): N23.963 trillion The allocation for debt servicing stands at N14.317 trillion, reflecting Nigeria’s financial obligations, while N13.64 trillion is earmarked for Recurrent Expenditure, covering salaries, overheads, and daily government operations. More details…
Author: Ifeanyi Nwagboso
The 27 lawmakers from Rivers State reinstated by the Supreme Court on Friday erupted in jubilation, celebrating their victory with singing and dancing at the court premises in Abuja. The lawmakers, loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and led by Martin Amaewhule, had been at the center of a political crisis in the state following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Their seats were previously declared vacant, and a factional leadership under Edison Oko-Jumbo had emerged. Delivering its ruling, the Supreme Court, in a judgment read…
Amid escalating tension in the Lagos State House of Assembly, 35 lawmakers arrived at the Ikeja High Court on Friday morning as the legal battle over the speakership unfolds. The lawmakers were taken to court by former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, who is challenging his recent removal from office. Court Hearing Commences Amid Assembly Crisis The case, presided over by Hon. Justice Y.R. Pinheiro, was scheduled for hearing on Friday as the power struggle within the Assembly deepens. Obasa was ousted from his position while on a visit to the United States a few weeks ago, with lawmakers electing Hon. Mojisola…
Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State have called on Governor Monday Okpebholo to immediately redeploy Government House staff who served under the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki. Operating under the aegis of Edo APC Leaders of Thought, the party chieftains argue that retaining these staff members poses a security risk to the new administration. Speaking on behalf of the group, Momodu Adams stated that many civil servants in the Government House had worked closely with Obaseki throughout his eight-year tenure, making their continued presence in Okpebholo’s administration a matter of concern. Urgent Need for Staff…
A Lugbe Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja on Thursday dissolved the 13-year marriage between Gaminana Aminat and her husband, Musa Abdulrahab, over allegations of domestic violence and disrespect. Presiding Judge Aliyu Kagarko granted the divorce in accordance with Islamic law after Aminat sought dissolution, citing her husband’s persistent misbehavior and lack of respect for her and her parents. The court also directed Aminat to observe the mandatory three-month Iddah period before entering another marriage. Aminat, who married Abdulrahab in 2012 under Islamic law, told the court that their union had produced three children. However, she accused Abdulrahab of repeatedly…
Mudashiru Obasa, the impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, has declared his resumption as the parliament leader after returning to the Assembly with armed security operatives on Thursday. “I’ve resumed, and I remain the Speaker of the Assembly,” Obasa asserted. Obasa was impeached on January 13, 2025, by lawmakers over alleged misappropriation while he was in the United States. Following his removal, his deputy, Mojisola Meranda, was sworn in as Speaker. Upon his return, Obasa rejected his impeachment, arguing that due process was not followed in his removal. His resumption is expected to spark further political tension…
Former President Muhammadu Buhari was unable to attend the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja due to short notice, his spokesperson, Malam Garba Shehu, has revealed. The high-profile gathering, presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, was attended by key APC figures, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, governors, National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, members of the National Working Committee (NWC), and other stakeholders. However, Buhari, former Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai, and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi were notably absent. Speaking to BBC Hausa, Shehu explained that Buhari received the…
The North-Central APC Forum has announced the end of its agitation over the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), following the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday. The NEC ratified the zoning of the APC national chairmanship to the North-West, solidifying Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje’s position as party chairman. The forum had previously contested this decision, advocating for the North-Central to complete the tenure of former chairman Abdullahi Adamu, who was removed before completing his term. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Chairman of the North-Central APC Forum, Alhaji Saleh…
The leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Jigawa State and its 2023 gubernatorial candidate, Aminu Ibrahim Ringim, has strongly criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration, accusing it of failing in the education and health sectors. Speaking at a political gathering in Ringim, he alleged that the ruling party had neglected critical areas and called for urgent reforms, insisting that the people of Jigawa deserve better governance and improved social services. Education Sector Neglect Ringim decried the shortage of teachers in schools, describing it as unacceptable. “It is unacceptable to see only one teacher in an entire…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed 25 tons of illicit drugs in Kogi State, warning of their potential impact on insecurity if allowed to circulate. NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.), disclosed this on Wednesday in Lokoja during a public destruction exercise. He was represented by Ahmed Suleiman Ningi, NDLEA’s Director of Operations and General Investigation. Marwa highlighted that the 25,000 kilograms of illicit substances, if left unchecked, could further fuel security challenges in the country, particularly in Kogi State. Breakdown of Destroyed Drugs Providing details of the destruction, Marwa said the seized drugs included:…
The suit seeking to declare vacant the seat of Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, representing Ideato North/South Federal Constituency of Imo State, has been withdrawn at the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division. The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/28/1/2025, was filed on February 18, 2025, by Hon. Augustine Nwachukwu, Hon. ThankGod Okeke, and three others believed to be loyalists of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. The plaintiffs had sought the court’s interpretation of Sections 65(2)(b) and 68(1)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), arguing that any lawmaker who loses the membership of the party that sponsored their election should automatically forfeit their seat. They…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Southeast Zonal Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. James Ugwu, have been cautioned against any actions that could amount to contempt of court regarding a purported zonal congress of the party in the Southeast. In separate letters addressed to INEC and Mr. Ugwu, Barr. Mike Nwankwo’s legal counsel reminded them of a subsisting court order (Suit No: FCT/HC/CV/325/2025), which prohibits the PDP from conducting the zonal congress. The letter, signed by Kalu Kalu Agu, lead counsel to Barr. Nwankwo, emphasized that INEC had already entered an appearance in the case…
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has revealed that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) inherited a debt of N8.9 billion upon assuming office. Ganduje made the disclosure during the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja, explaining that the liabilities were accrued from pre-election legal battles, election cases, and appeals for legislative, governorship, and presidential elections. “The total liabilities amount to N8,987,874,663, stemming from various legal engagements,” he stated. However, the APC chairman assured members that the party’s National Legal Adviser, Prof. Abdul Kareem Kana (SAN), has been actively working to…
The Northern Patriots Forum (NoPF) has condemned former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, over his recent remarks against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and National Security Adviser (NSA) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. El-Rufai, in an interview on Arise Television on Monday, accused President Tinubu and Ribadu of orchestrating his failed ministerial nomination. He dismissed claims that a security report led to his exclusion, insisting that Tinubu personally did not want him in the cabinet. He also alleged that Ribadu was working against him due to his supposed presidential ambition for 2031. In response, NoPF, in a statement signed by its Coordinator,…
A yet-to-be-identified driver on Monday struck two female siblings returning from school along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, leaving one dead and the other critically injured. Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident, stating that the driver was speeding on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lane when he hit the victims at Ogundare bus stop. “On Monday, February 24, 2025, at about 15:35 hours, a yet-to-be-identified driver, while plying the BRT lane at high speed at Ogundare bus stop along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, hit two female pedestrians, siblings aged 12 and 15, on their way back from school,”…
Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested a 35-year-old woman, Blessing Oleru, for allegedly engaging in an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) debit card swap fraud amounting to over N500,000 in Port Harcourt. The command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, revealing that Oleru was apprehended following a complaint filed by her victim. According to Iringe-Koko, “The victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, reported the incident on November 26, 2024, at the Olu-Obasanjo Police Station after the suspect swapped his ATM card at a bank along the Garrison axis in Port Harcourt. “The victim attempted…
The Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expelled its chairman, Ugochukwu Agballah, along with several other party members over alleged gross misconduct. In a statement issued by the acting state chairman, Alphonsus Onyeachonam Nwafor, and the state publicity secretary, High Chief Charles-Solo Akor, the party accused Agballah and his associates of persistently violating court orders prohibiting them from parading themselves as executive members of the party. “The leadership of APC Enugu State Chapter do hereby officially expel Ugochukwu H. Agballah, Augustine Alumona, Jude Chinedu Aniogbo, Moses Emeka Eze, Sunday Ugwoke, Ugwu Christian Kanayo, Eze Chidiebere Johnson,…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State has condemned the defection of Rowland Dennis Chinwendu, the lawmaker representing Isiala Ngwa South Constituency, to the Labour Party (LP). Chinwendu’s defection was announced on the floor of the Abia State House of Assembly on Tuesday, just days after speculation emerged about his plans to leave the PDP. Reacting to the development, PDP declared the move unethical and unconstitutional and vowed to write to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare his seat vacant. In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, the PDP Publicity Secretary, Eric Ikwuagwu, cited Section 68(1)(g) of…
President Bola Tinubu is currently presiding over a meeting of the National Caucus of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja. This marks Tinubu’s first caucus meeting since assuming office in May 2024. Key party leaders in attendance include: Vice President Kashim Shettima APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje Senate President Godswill Akpabio Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas Also present are nine members of the National Working Committee (NWC), including the deputy national chairmen (North and South), national secretary, legal adviser, treasurer, organising secretary, women leader, youth leader, and leader of persons…
The Abia State Government has commenced the registration of all citizens and residents as part of efforts to enhance socio-economic planning and intervention programs. The Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Kingsley Anosike, announced this on Monday, stating that the initiative will involve the issuance of the Abia State Social Identification Number (ABSSIN)—a unique identity system designed to provide every resident with a verifiable identity. According to Anosike, the ABSSIN will serve as a crucial database linking residents to essential services such as social welfare programs, healthcare, student scholarships, and other government interventions. “Trained enumerators will visit homes, offices, shops, markets,…