The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, has granted pardon to 21 inmates of the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre as part of efforts to decongest the overcrowded facility. The inmates were released on Thursday during a jail delivery exercise, following a careful review of their cases. Justice Amadi explained that priority was given to inmates whose case files were missing, or whose trials had stalled for several years. Inmates with active court proceedings were excluded from the list. He clarified that the exercise was not intended to interfere with the duties of other justice sector agencies…
Author: Ifeanyi N.
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has called for unity within the Labour Party (LP) amid its ongoing leadership crisis, urging members to rally behind the Senator Nenadi Usman-led leadership, as affirmed by the Supreme Court. Otti made the appeal on Friday during the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja, which was attended by key figures including the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero. The meeting followed the Supreme Court’s judgement, which declared that Senator Usman Nenadi is the recognised National Chairman of the Labour Party, nullifying the claim of Julius Abure to…
The Labour Party (LP) has appointed Senator Usman Nenadi as its Interim National Chairman and Senator Darlington Nwokocha as Interim National Secretary, as part of a new Interim National Working Committee set up to lead the party ahead of its next national convention. The appointments were made on Friday during the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja. According to a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the interim working committee will oversee all party affairs and operations pending the conduct of a full national convention where a new elected National Executive Council will be constituted.…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has conducted a two-day refresher training workshop for political party officials on the effective use of its Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP). The workshop, which began on Wednesday at the INEC headquarters in Abuja, is part of efforts to enhance the capacity of political parties and minimise errors in the nomination of candidates for upcoming bye-elections and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections. The session brought together representatives from registered political parties, including those who had previously received similar training ahead of the 2023 general elections. INEC said the initiative is designed to…
Amidst mounting economic challenges across the country, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), George Agbakahi, has asserted that Nigeria is in a better state under President Bola Tinubu’s administration compared to previous Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governments. Agbakahi made this assertion on Thursday during an interview on Arise Television’s News Programme, insisting that Nigerians are now “happier” than they were during the PDP years. “Of course, Nigeria of today is a lot better than Nigeria of the PDP days,” he said. “Just look at some of the initiatives that the current president has put in place.” Citing examples,…
A pro-Atiku support group, Nigerian Youths for Atiku (NYFA), has described the resignation of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a watershed moment in Nigeria’s political landscape, marking what it called “the end of an era” for the former ruling party. Speaking via a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday, the group’s Director General, Mr Dare Dada, said Atiku’s departure had severely weakened the political and electoral structure of the PDP. He noted that the former vice president’s influence and followership, spanning the north and south, represented a critical pillar of the party’s strength.…
Former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has revealed that he and a group of four other former governors within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had vigorously pushed for Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to emerge as the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election. Ortom made the disclosure on Thursday during an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he provided insight into internal party dynamics and the failed efforts to influence the PDP presidential ticket. The former Benue State governor identified the group as comprising himself, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu…
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has called on Attorneys General across the South-East to deepen their collaboration with the Commission in the fight against corruption at the sub-national level. The call was made by the ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, during a roundtable engagement with state Attorneys General of the South-East zone held on Thursday in Enugu. The event, themed “Strengthening Subnational Synergies for Corruption Prevention: Advancing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy in Nigeria’s South-East Region,” brought together top legal officers from the five states in the zone. Dr Aliyu described the engagement as a platform…
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has disclosed that troops of Operation Safe Haven rejected a ₦13.7 million bribe offered by suspected terrorists during an operation along the Jos-Sanga Road in Plateau State. This was revealed by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, during a media briefing on Thursday in Abuja. He stated that the troops were responding to a distress call about terrorist activities when they intercepted two suspects attempting to bribe them with a cash sum of ₦13.7 million. According to Maj.-Gen. Kangye, the prompt response of the soldiers led to the arrest of the suspects,…
Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has revealed a heartfelt message he received from late former President Muhammadu Buhari during his campaign consultations. Obi, who finished third in the 2023 polls, disclosed this on Wednesday during a condolence visit to Buhari’s family in Daura, Katsina State. He joined other political leaders in paying tribute to the former President, who was buried on Tuesday after passing away in London at the age of 82. Speaking to journalists after the visit, the former Anambra State governor shared his interaction with Buhari when he met the then-sitting president…
Former presidential aide Reno Omokri and a prominent Northern youth leader, known on X as Sarki, have criticised Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for his absence at the state burial of former President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State. Buhari, who passed away in London on Sunday at the age of 82, was laid to rest in his hometown on Tuesday, with full state honours. The burial was attended by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar and Yemi Osinbajo, and a host of top government officials, military officers, and dignitaries. However, Peter Obi was conspicuously…
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has formally resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing a deviation from the party’s founding ideals as the reason for his departure. In a resignation letter dated July 14, 2025, and addressed to the PDP Chairman of his Ward in Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Atiku said the party has strayed from the values on which it was built, prompting his decision to leave. “I am writing to formally resign my membership from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect,” Atiku stated in the letter he personally signed. The former Vice…
A suspected member of the Supreme Eiye Confraternity, identified as Bashiru Saidu, has been shot dead in a suspected cult clash in the Atan-Ota area of Ogun State. The 44-year-old was reportedly gunned down on Sunday night by rival cult members who fled the scene immediately after the attack. According to sources, the assailants, numbering four, arrived on two motorcycles and targeted Saidu along Bankole Onibukun Street in Atan-Ota, where he was shot in the head and left in a pool of blood. Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, said the Atan-Ota Division…
The remains of former President Muhammadu Buhari were on Tuesday committed to mother earth in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, following an elaborate military committal ceremony and Islamic burial rites. The late president, who passed away at the age of 82 in a London clinic on Sunday while receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness, was buried in accordance with Islamic traditions in his private residence—at his favourite resting spot within his compound. The Janazah (funeral) prayers were led by the Chief Imam of Daura, with a large congregation of mourners in attendance, including religious leaders, traditional rulers, past and…
A youth group within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has issued a stern warning to former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, over reports of his possible exit from the ADC-led coalition should he fail to secure the party’s presidential ticket for the 2027 general election. In a statement released on Tuesday and signed by Comrade Abayomi Bello, Coordinator of the ADC Youth Vanguard, the group described such a move as politically dangerous and potentially damaging to Obi’s long-established image as a principled leader. The warning follows recent remarks by Dr Yunusa Tanko, a spokesperson associated with Peter Obi, which hinted…
A coalition of opposition political parties in Lagos State has called for the outright cancellation of last Saturday’s local government elections, describing the exercise as “undemocratic” and a “daylight robbery.” The parties—including the Labour Party (LP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), African Action Congress (AAC), Action People’s Party (APP), and Accord Party (AP)—made their position known during a joint press conference held in Lagos on Tuesday. Leaders of the various parties accused the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) of orchestrating widespread irregularities, disenfranchising candidates, and demonstrating blatant bias in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Addressing journalists on…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ilorin Zonal Directorate, has secured the conviction of five individuals involved in cybercrime-related offences. The convictions followed separate trials at the Federal High Court and Kwara State High Court. The convicts — Ayinla Abdulmajid, Yusuf Onimisi, Muhammed Eneye, Abdulbasit Abdulmumeen, and Victor Anibe — were arraigned on various charges relating to internet fraud and impersonation. Ayinla, Yusuf, and Muhammed were tried before Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court, while Abdulbasit and Victor were prosecuted before Justices Sulaiman Akanbi and Haleema Saleeman of the Kwara State High Court respectively. According to the…
The Ogun State Police Command has arrested two suspects in connection with the gruesome murder of a Chinese national, Mr Chen Wang, an employee of WH Great Resource Limited, located in Ogere, Ogun State. The Force Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, describing the development as a major breakthrough in the ongoing efforts to combat violent crimes in the state. According to Adejobi, the case was initially reported to the Ogere Divisional Police Headquarters on January 12, 2025, following a distress call from the company. Officers who responded…
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has tendered an apology to party members and supporters for its failure to reclaim the September 2024 governorship mandate through the courts. Chairman of the PDP State Caretaker Committee, Tony Aziegbemi, made the appeal during a stakeholders’ meeting held on Monday in Benin City. The meeting was attended by the party’s 2024 governorship candidate, Dr Asue Ighodalo, members of the caretaker committee, and leaders from the state’s three senatorial districts. In his opening remarks, Aziegbemi expressed gratitude to members for their unwavering support throughout the electoral process and the…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured stakeholders of enhanced logistics, coordination, and transparency in the lead-up to the 2026 Osun State governorship election. The assurance was given by the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Mutiu Agboke, during a town hall meeting with members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), held on Monday at the union’s state secretariat in Osogbo. The engagement, which forms part of INEC’s early preparations for the forthcoming election, brought together key electoral stakeholders to discuss effective strategies for election day logistics and transport coordination. Dr Agboke stressed the critical…