Author: Ifeanyi N.

Troops of the 3 Division/Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) have arrested two suspected notorious gunrunners, Saeedu Haruna and Yahaya Adamu, in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State. The arrest was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by the Media Officer of Operation Safe Haven, Major Samson Zhakom, who said it followed an intelligence-led operation conducted on May 11, 2025. According to the statement, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects and their syndicate were behind a series of deadly attacks in Gashish and Kurra Falls in Plateau State, as well as Gwantu and Fadan Karshe in Sanga Local Government Area…

The Obidient Movement has renewed calls for sweeping electoral reforms in Nigeria, warning that the country’s democracy is “suffocating” and in urgent need of institutional overhaul. Speaking at an event in Enugu State, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, called for reforms across the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, and the Press, noting that their independence and credibility have been compromised. In a statement made available to the media on Sunday, Tanko said recent electoral outcomes have cast a shadow on the legitimacy of Nigeria’s democratic process. “I stand before you today with a profound sense of concern…

Former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has ruled out any intention of returning to Aso Rock Villa in 2027, declaring her full support for First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and President Bola Tinubu ahead of the next general elections. Speaking on Saturday night at the Women Icon Leader of the Year award ceremony hosted by Accolade Dynamics Limited in Abuja, Dame Jonathan paid glowing tribute to the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of the President, while reiterating her loyalty to the Tinubu administration. Addressing the audience, the former First Lady said, “All the way, we are with you. No…

A civic coalition, Citizens’ Action for Democratic Restoration (CADR), has called for the immediate termination of emergency rule in Rivers State, warning that the Federal Government’s intervention has eroded constitutional order and intensified unrest in the oil-rich state. The group, led by its National President, Dr. Maryleen Ebere Okoro, condemned President Bola Tinubu’s decision to appoint Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.) as sole administrator of the state, describing the move as a “reckless overreach” that has worsened the crisis and suppressed the will of the people. In a strongly worded statement issued in Port Harcourt on Saturday, CADR faulted the…

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may convene in Abuja on Sunday to deliberate on the way forward, following a fresh wave of defections that has rocked the main opposition party in recent weeks. InfoStride News reports that the past two weeks have been particularly challenging for the PDP, as several key members have dumped the party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The latest round of defections began on April 23, when Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, alongside his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and the entire PDP structure in the state, declared their allegiance…

No fewer than 51 chairmanship candidates have emerged from Saturday’s All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries conducted across various Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State. The APC employed a mix of consensus and electoral methods to select its flagbearers for the forthcoming local government elections scheduled for July 2025. The primaries were largely peaceful, though minor disruptions were reported in a few isolated areas. Below is the full list of declared APC chairmanship candidates: Ifako-Ijaiye: Prince Akanbi Hamzat Igbogbo Baiyeku: Olalekan Aroyewu Ojokoro: Rossini Oluyemisi Kosofe: Barr. Moyosore Ogunlewe Ajeromi-Ifelodun: Hon. Akindipe Olamilekan Ifelodun:…

The House of Representatives has passed a bill for the establishment of a Federal University of Technology in Badagry, Lagos State, after its third reading, marking a crucial milestone in efforts to expand access to tertiary education in the region. The proposed legislation, sponsored by Hon. Sesi Oluwaseun Whingan, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources and representative of Badagry Federal Constituency, aims to alleviate pressure on existing institutions and provide more educational opportunities for students in Badagry and surrounding areas. The bill, which now awaits concurrence in the Senate, was presented during plenary by House Majority Leader,…

A member of the House of Representatives representing Suleja, Gurara, and Tafa Federal Constituency in Niger State, Hon. Adamu Lokoja, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Lokoja was formally received into the APC by the State Chairman of the party, Aminu Bobi, at the party’s secretariat in Minna on Saturday. Speaking at the event, the Niger East Zonal Chairman of the APC, Danladi Ahijoh, described Lokoja’s defection as a strategic move and a valuable investment in the political future of the country. He emphasized that the achievements of the APC-led administration…

Leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has lambasted politicians who defect to rival parties after benefiting from the mandate of the people, describing such actions as the “greatest political sin” in a democracy. Kwankwaso made the statement on Friday while receiving a fresh wave of defectors from Takai Local Government Area of Kano South into the NNPP at his residence on Miller Road, Kano. His comments come amid a series of high-profile defections from the NNPP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including Senator Abdurrahman Kawu…

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), based on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, has arraigned one Ntai Bagshaw and his company, Terraworks Limited, before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja over alleged N70 million fraud. According to a statement issued by the commission via its official X handle on Friday, Bagshaw and his company are facing a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and stealing. One of the charges reads: “That you, Ntai Bagshaw and Terraworks Limited, sometime in December 2021 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction…

The Katsina State Police Command has successfully foiled a banditry attack and rescued two kidnapped victims in Matazu Local Government Area. The incident occurred around 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8, when armed men suspected to be bandits attacked farmers working in Ilali village. During the attack, the assailants abducted two residents, identified as 45-year-old Sada Maraya and 47-year-old Basiru Magaji. In response to a distress call, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) swiftly mobilized a patrol team to the scene. The police engaged the bandits in a gun duel, which led to the assailants retreating into a nearby forest. According…

The Kwara State Government has declared a crackdown on street begging, child hawking, and the sale of intoxicating substances, especially within Ilorin metropolis, citing growing security and environmental concerns. The warning was issued by the Commissioner for Social Development, Hajia Mariam Nna Fatima Imam, during a familiarization visit to the State House of Assembly’s Committee on Business, Innovation, Industry, Women Affairs and Social Development in Ilorin. Hajia Imam expressed serious concern over the rising incidents of street begging and described it as a looming security threat. She emphasized that the government would not hesitate to prosecute individuals involved in child…

The leadership crisis rocking the Labour Party (LP) has taken a fresh turn with the suspension of the embattled factional National Chairman, Julius Abure, by the party’s National Executive Council (NEC). Abure’s suspension, announced on Friday by the Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee, Senator Nenadi Usman, follows his alleged defiance of court orders and continued claim to the office of National Chairman, despite a Supreme Court ruling nullifying his leadership. According to the NEC, Abure’s actions amount to impersonation and disregard for the rule of law, undermining the integrity of the Labour Party. “After a careful and comprehensive review…

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, has expressed strong confidence in the resilience of the party amid recent defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that the PDP is built to withstand such political shifts. Speaking on the wave of defections, Sowunmi dismissed concerns that the movement of some members to the APC spells doom for the PDP, questioning the rationale behind the panic. “Why would PDP not survive?” he asked rhetorically, during a media chat. “Every political party has only a few coveted positions. The presidency is just one ticket. All those aspiring to…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified that it has not taken any formal decision on the leadership crisis currently rocking the Labour Party (LP), amid conflicting reports circulating in the media. INEC made the clarification in a statement signed by Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, in response to claims that the Commission had recognized certain individuals as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary. “The names of the National Officers of the LP had previously been uploaded to our website following a court order, not related in any way to the latest judgement of…

Prince Adewole Adebayo, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has urged President Bola Tinubu to prioritize addressing the growing discontent among Nigerians rather than being preoccupied with emerging political coalitions ahead of the 2027 general election. Speaking in an interview with journalists, Adebayo said that while the president may be politically savvy, the real threat to his leadership lies in the frustrations of ordinary Nigerians—not in opposition alliances. “President Tinubu is experienced enough to know that the coalition is not the problem. He knows the people in that coalition—they are his friends,” Adebayo…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has reacted with indifference to the defection of the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as driven by “personal ambition and self-preservation.” Speaking at a press conference in Benin City on Thursday, the State Caretaker Committee Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, said Agbebaku’s defection — along with those of two other lawmakers, Yekini Idaiye (Akoko-Edo I) and Sunday Fada Eigbiremonlen (Esan Central) — was not surprising, as the Speaker had long operated as a “covert…

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ayekooto Akindele, has expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will secure victory in both the North and South during the 2027 presidential election. Akindele, in a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, dismissed recent political moves by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to build a coalition against Tinubu ahead of the next general election. “See, no matter how aggressively El-Rufai and Atiku incite the North against Tinubu, TINUBU will still win both the North and the South by wide margin in 2027,” Akindele…

Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has strongly condemned recent comments by the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, questioning the integrity of the September 21, 2024 governorship election in the state. In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, Governor Okpebholo described Obi’s remarks as “unfounded and disrespectful to the will of the Edo people.” “The Edo State Governorship Election was conducted by the highest standards of electoral integrity, as observed by both local and international observers,” the statement read. “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ensured a level playing field, and the…

The Heavy Duty Vehicle Division of the Lagos State Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS), in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has impounded 28 trucks for failing to meet required safety standards. The trucks were seized during a recent joint enforcement operation aimed at improving road safety and regulatory compliance among heavy-duty vehicles operating in Lagos. This was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by Mrs. Bolanle Ogunlola, Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation. According to the statement, the impounded vehicles were found with multiple infractions, including broken headlamps, faulty rear lights, worn-out…