The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has offered N50 million to the immediate past governor, Godwin Obaseki, if he can freely walk through the streets of Benin City and receive a warm welcome from residents. This challenge was issued by Prince Kassim Afegbua, a chieftain of the party and member of the Edo State Assets Verification Committee, during a press briefing held shortly after the committee’s inauguration by Governor Monday Okpebholo at the Government House in Benin City. Response to PDP Criticism Afegbua used the platform to address allegations and criticisms leveled against the two-week-old administration…
Author: Ifeanyi Nwagboso
A bill seeking the creation of Ijebu State from Ogun State has passed its first reading in the Senate, marking the initial step in the legislative process. The bill, titled the “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2024 (Creation of Ijebu State),” was sponsored by Senator Gbenga Daniel, representing Ogun East Senatorial District. During Tuesday’s plenary session, Senate Majority Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele of the All Progressives Congress (APC) formally introduced the proposal. Senate President Godswill Akpabio facilitated the process, allowing the bill to proceed to its first reading. Legislative Process and Advocacy The bill will…
The Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned one Bukar Umar Alhaji before Justice Muhammad Maina of the Borno State High Court in Maiduguri. The defendant was charged with two counts of obtaining by false pretense and criminal misappropriation involving N2,100,000. According to the EFCC, the defendant, alongside an accomplice identified as Babagoni Umar (now at large), allegedly defrauded one Ibrahim Ismail in March 2022 under the pretext of selling two plots of land in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State. The prosecution stated that the land in question did not belong…
The studio section of Radio Nigeria, located at Plot 35, Ikoyi Road, Lagos, was engulfed by fire on Wednesday night, prompting a swift response from emergency services. The Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, confirmed the incident in a statement shared via the agency’s official X handle. According to Adeseye, firefighters from Dolphin, Ebute Elefun, and Oba Oniru Fire Stations were the first responders at the scene. They were joined by the Federal Fire Service, the Nigerian Police, and other emergency responders, who collaborated to extinguish the blaze. “The firefighters met the fire well-alight due…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State has announced the creation of a Shadow House of Assembly to enhance accountability in governance. The party’s chairman, Abraham Amah, made the announcement during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the PDP secretariat in Umuahia on Tuesday. Amah revealed that Solomon Akpulonu, representing the Obingwa East State Constituency, has been appointed as the Speaker of the Shadow House of Assembly. Amah disclosed that the PDP would formally notify the Abia State House of Assembly of this development within 48 hours and urged the legislature to recognize and comply with the Shadow Assembly initiative.…
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration of mismanaging over N30 billion left in the state’s coffers by the immediate past government of Godwin Obaseki. The allegations come just two weeks after Okpebholo was sworn into office. Addressing a press conference titled “State of the Nation Address,” the PDP caretaker committee chairman, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, claimed that the funds were used to compensate political “godfathers” who supported the governor during the September 21, 2024, governorship election. Aziegbemi further alleged that the APC-led administration had failed to pay November salaries to civil…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has urged a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Maitama to deny bail to the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, who is facing a 16-count charge of corruption and fraud. Represented by a team of lawyers led by Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, the EFCC argued that Bello, who is also facing another corruption charge at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, has a history of evading trial. Bello, alongside his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. His legal…
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has re-arraigned Professor David Iornem and two others before Justice P.O. Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on an amended 14-count charge bordering on certificate racketeering and money laundering. The case, which began in 2013, is being heard de novo following the elevation of the former trial judge, Justice A.R. Mohammed, to the Court of Appeal. At the resumed hearing, ICPC’s prosecution counsel, David Nwaze, informed the court of the Commission’s readiness to proceed with the re-arraignment and commence trial, presenting two witnesses who were present in court.…
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has expressed deep sorrow over the sudden death of Dr. Monday Bitrus Adze, Chairman of the Youth Wing of CAN (YOWICAN). In a statement signed by Archbishop Daniel Okoh, the national president of CAN, the association described Adze’s passing as a significant loss that has left a profound void, particularly among the youth he served with dedication. “Dr. Adze was not only a dedicated veterinarian but also a beacon of hope and inspiration,” the statement read. “His unwavering commitment to empowering young people and fostering unity within the Christian community was a reflection of…
Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has appointed three Special Assistants as acting commissioners to oversee key ministries following the recent dismissal and suspension of some commissioners in the state. The Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpo, disclosed the development in a statement on Wednesday in Abakaliki. According to the statement, Franklin Ukah, the Special Assistant on Water Resources, will now oversee the Ministry of Water Resources, while Patrick Enyi, the Special Assistant on Housing and Urban Development, has been assigned to head the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in an acting capacity. Additionally, Dr. Sabinus Nwibo,…
The African Radio Drama Association (ARDA) on Thursday organized a one-day training for journalists in Ekiti State, focusing on promoting equal media coverage of women’s participation in politics alongside their male counterparts. The workshop, tagged “Representation Matters: How Media Should Portray Women in Political Leadership and Governance in Nigeria,” was supported by UN Women and the Canadian government. It aimed to equip journalists with skills and knowledge to reshape the narrative around women’s political involvement through traditional and social media platforms. Speaking during the event, Adebisi, a Media and Development Communications Professional and an associate of ARDA, emphasized the need…
Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday presented a proposed budget of ₦955 billion for the 2025 fiscal year to the State House of Assembly for consideration. The proposed budget represents an increase from the revised ₦923.46 billion provision in the 2024 budget. The 2025 budget, christened the “Budget for Consolidation and Expansion,” comprises ₦300 billion for recurrent expenditure and ₦655 billion for capital expenditure. Governor Eno noted that the capital expenditure for 2025 is estimated at ₦655 billion, up from the revised provision of ₦573.32 billion in 2024. The budget is based on an oil benchmark of…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday nominated three individuals to fill existing vacancies on the board of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). The nominations were conveyed in a formal letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, according to a statement by Tinubu’s media aide, Bayo Onanuga. The nominees are Alhaji Fatai Ibikunle from Oyo State, Justice Ibrahim Buba, a retired Federal High Court judge, and Kennedy Ikpeme from Cross River State. Established in 1979, the Code of Conduct Bureau is tasked with promoting integrity in public service and ensuring compliance with Nigeria’s ethical standards. The Bureau operates under a 10-member…
Former Senator representing Kogi Central, Dino Melaye, has criticized the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum, accusing him and his alleged backers of lacking political finesse. In a post shared on his X account on Monday, Melaye stated that Damagum and his “paymasters” would soon be taught “elementary politics 101.” He accused the party’s leadership of failing to learn lessons from previous presidential primaries held in Port Harcourt and Abuja. “Damagum, his paymasters will be taught elementary politics 101. The lessons of Port Harcourt and Abuja presidential primaries have not been learnt. It is too…
Members of the Cross River State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) staged a protest on Monday at the party’s secretariat, opposing alleged plans to reinstate the ousted state chairman, Mr. Venatius Ikem. The protest, reportedly carried out by ward and local government chapters of the PDP across the state, featured party members brandishing placards with various inscriptions. They warned of mass defection if Mr. Ikem is reinstated. Some of the placards bore messages such as “Ikem must go”, “All ward and local government chapters reject Vena”, and “The decision of the Cross River State Working Committee (SWC) is…
Otunba Segun Showunmi, former spokesperson for the defunct Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation, has called for the establishment of a robust political movement to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Showunmi emphasized the need to rejuvenate Nigeria’s democracy, citing the decline in electoral integrity and citizens’ enthusiasm since 1999, despite initial progress made with multi-party democracy. He highlighted the peaceful transfer of power in 2015 as a milestone but lamented the growing voter apathy, which he attributed to worsening electoral processes. “Enthusiasm has waned over the years, with each election…
Operatives of the Bauchi State Police Command have arrested a 23-year-old suspected thief, Ukasha Adamu, for his alleged involvement in a syndicate specializing in warehouse theft across the metropolis. Adamu, a resident of Ajiya Adamu Road in Bauchi, was apprehended on November 11, 2024, following an investigation by the State Intelligence Department (SID). According to a statement issued on Monday by the command’s spokesman, SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, the syndicate used fabricated keys to break into warehouses and steal valuable goods. Recovered items include: 150 bags of parboiled rice 43 cartons of spaghetti 20 cartons of vegetable oil 42 cartons…
Two artisans, identified as Osamudiamen Ehigie and Nosa Aghimie, were reportedly lynched by a mob after being mistaken for armed robbers in the Amagba community, Benin City, Edo State. According to sources, the victims, who were welders, were returning from a project site in the community around 6 p.m. on November 16 when they encountered armed robbers attacking residents. The artisans reportedly fled the scene when the robbers gave them a hot chase, seeking refuge in a nearby house. However, residents in the neighborhood, mistaking them for the robbers, apprehended and beat them to death. The owner of the project…
Phrank Shaibu, the Special Assistant on Public Communication to former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has criticized Daniel Bwala over his recent redesignation as President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication. In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Shaibu dismissed Bwala’s role as inconsequential, questioning the existence of policies worth communicating under Tinubu’s administration. “Speed without control leads to ruin, but @aonanuga1956, with the relish of an elder, wasted no time in declaring that @BwalaDaniel was, in fact, a Special Adviser on NOTHING,” Shaibu wrote. “In a government that names someone an S.A. on Policy…
The media aide to former Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has described Governor Monday Okpebholo’s decision to probe the previous administration as a diversionary tactic aimed at masking incompetence and lack of preparedness for governance. In a statement issued on Monday, the aide, Crusoe Osagie, accused Governor Okpebholo of using political theatrics to distract the public from his alleged failure to chart a clear developmental course for Edo State. Osagie criticized the governor’s approach, likening it to staging a gladiatorial spectacle meant to deceive the people of Edo State. He alleged that the administration’s focus on probes, including a recently…