Veteran Nollywood actor and former spokesperson of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, Kenneth Okonkwo, has accused former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of betraying him during the party’s internal crisis. Okonkwo made the allegation in a recent interview with Symfoni, which has since gone viral on social media. He officially resigned from the Labour Party in February 2025, citing dissatisfaction with the party’s leadership and internal disputes. According to Okonkwo, Obi disregarded his counsel by siding with the embattled Julius Abure-led faction of the party, despite public controversies surrounding their leadership. He alleged that Obi was misled by members…
Author: Ifeanyi N.
Residents of Makurdi, the Benue State capital, have apprehended a woman identified simply as Mercy, suspected to be involved in child trafficking, and rescued a teenage boy from her alleged clutches. The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Saturday near Tionsha Primary School along Naka Road, Makurdi. According to eyewitnesses, including the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Makurdi Local Government Area, Mr. Paul Tion, the suspect attempted to lure the boy with money. “The woman had earlier given the boy a N1,000 note, asking him to buy biscuits and follow her to where some people…
The Niger State Police Command has arrested a suspected vandal, Ndagi Mohammed, for allegedly stealing electric cables from power poles in Ndejiko village, Edati Local Government Area of the state. Mohammed, who resides in the village, was reportedly caught with rolls of electric cables suspected to have been removed from vandalised electric poles on June 5, 2025. Confirming the arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said the incident was reported at ‘B’ Division, Bida, on June 7, 2025. “Based on credible intelligence, police operatives trailed and apprehended the suspect, recovering the stolen cables in his possession,” Abiodun…
Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has praised the National Assembly for its pivotal role in Nigeria’s democratic journey, describing the legislature as the “bedrock of democracy” and the arm of government that best reflects the will of the people. Saraki made this known in a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday as Nigeria marked 26 years of uninterrupted democratic governance. His remarks followed his attendance at the joint session of the National Assembly held to commemorate Democracy Day. “I congratulate all Nigerians at home and abroad on the 26th anniversary of democracy. This…
The Zamfara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has threatened to sue the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, over alleged defamation and character assassination of Governor Dauda Lawal. In a statement issued by the party’s spokesperson, Halliru Andi, on Friday, the PDP accused Matawalle of making baseless and damaging remarks against the governor. The statement revealed that the State Working Committee (SWC), led by Dr. Jamil Jibo Magayaki, was considering legal action against the former Zamfara governor to check what it described as his “unguarded utterances.” “We have been monitoring the body language and unguarded utterances…
Former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan, has described as “strange” President Bola Tinubu’s recent remarks dismissing fears of a plot to turn Nigeria into a one-party state. Ologbondiyan made the assertion on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, while reacting to Tinubu’s Democracy Day address before a joint session of the National Assembly. President Tinubu had on Thursday denied claims that his administration harboured intentions to create a one-party state, insisting that such fears were unfounded. He, however, expressed satisfaction over the disarray in the opposition parties, noting that he would…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dismissed concerns that Nigeria is sliding into a one-party state following the wave of defections from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking on Wednesday during his Democracy Day address to a joint session of the National Assembly, Tinubu insisted that such fears were unfounded and politically motivated. According to the President, the APC cannot be blamed for the collapse of opposition parties, describing them as “sinking ships” from which members were naturally fleeing. “It would be inconsiderate to blame the APC for the defection of politicians who are jumping off sinking…
Retired Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has declared his intention to contest Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, stating that his ambition this time is “serious.” Al-Mustapha made the declaration during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, where he addressed key issues including Nigeria’s democratic process, insecurity, and poverty, as well as his role in the military regime of the 1990s. “God willing, I only tested it, but this time I’m serious about running,” he said, referring to his previous unsuccessful bids for the presidency in 2019 and 2023. The…
Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Mr. Lere Olayinka, has lashed out at media mogul and publisher of Ovation magazine, Dele Momodu, describing him as someone “in urgent need of deliverance and rehabilitation.” Olayinka made the remark in a statement on Thursday while reacting to Momodu’s comments during a television interview on Wednesday. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Momodu, had questioned Wike’s relevance during Nigeria’s pro-democracy June 12 struggle, saying: “Where was Wike during the June 12 struggle? Who knew him then? But today, he…
The 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to abandon what he described as “governance by remote control” and physically tour the country to understand the plight of Nigerians. Obi made the call on Wednesday in Abuja during a press briefing held to mark this year’s Democracy Day. The event, themed ‘Democracy in Decline: Reflecting on Two Years of Tinubu’s Governance’, was used by the former Anambra State governor to give a critical assessment of President Tinubu’s two years in office. He said governance under Tinubu has been marked by several policy…
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has threatened to drag the Anambra State Government to court over its policy mandating governorship candidates in the forthcoming November 8 election to pay a ₦50 million campaign permit fee. This follows the announcement on Wednesday by the Anambra State Signage and Advertising Agency (ANSAA) that all governorship candidates are required to pay the fee to secure a permit for deploying campaign materials such as posters, billboards, and branded vehicles across the state. InfoStride News reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared 16 candidates, including the incumbent Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to…
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has assured that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will not collapse despite its lingering internal crisis. Wike gave the assurance on Monday evening while hosting a meeting of critical party stakeholders under the banner of ‘Concerned Stakeholders of the PDP.’ In attendance at the meeting were former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State. Also present were the National Secretary of the PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, former Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda, serving and former federal and state lawmakers, as…
The National Rescue Movement (NRM) has raised alarm over what it described as the alleged imposition of a governorship candidate on the party by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State. The party disclosed that its legal team has been briefed to take appropriate action against INEC’s move, which it said was done without the consent of its duly constituted National Executive Committee (NEC). Speaking to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, the immediate past National Chairman of the NRM and current National Organising Secretary, Mr. Isaac-Chigozie Udeh, expressed shock that INEC, which…
The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere, has said Nigeria’s democracy and development remain a work in progress, urging collective effort from all citizens to overcome the nation’s challenges. Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, made this known in a Democracy Day message on Wednesday, congratulating Nigerians as the country marks Democracy Day on June 12. Fasoranti noted that the anniversary serves as a reminder that Nigerians, regardless of ethnic or religious differences, can work together to build a prosperous and stable nation. The Federal Government had earlier declared Thursday, June 12, a public holiday to commemorate the occasion. The Afenifere leader expressed…
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has warned the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to maintain neutrality and desist from unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of the group. Ohanaeze described IPOB’s recent actions as troubling, disconcerting, and deserving of outright condemnation, alleging that the group is being misled by individuals benefitting from the prolonged detention of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. In a joint statement issued on Tuesday by the factional Deputy President-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and spokesperson Thompson Ohia, Ohanaeze lamented that some IPOB elements appear to be aligning with forces complicit in Kanu’s incarceration. The group further…
Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has accused the President Bola Tinubu-led administration of failing Nigerians, saying the government has worsened the country’s economic hardship. Amaechi, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), declared his readiness to join a coalition of opposition forces to challenge Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027. Speaking in an interview with the BBC, the former minister insisted that his loyalty to the APC would not stop him from speaking the truth to those in power. “If the government is failing the country, you don’t just go along because you’re in…
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Katsina State has unveiled plans to dump the party and join forces with other political groups to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections. Leader of the faction and former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Mustapha Inuwa, made this known during a meeting with party members and supporters in Katsina on Sunday. Inuwa explained that the decision was aimed at ending APC’s dominance at both the state and federal levels by forming a new, formidable political alliance. “The coalition is working nationally with political…
The Labour Party (LP) in Cross River State has expressed relief over the recent defection of some of its members, describing their exit as a blessing in disguise. Particularly mentioned were Hon. Ekpenyong Akiba, the current member representing Odukpani/Calabar Municipal Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, and Hon. Daniel Asuquo, a former member who represented Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency. The party described both men as “very ungrateful” to the platform that facilitated their political rise. In a statement issued by the State Chairman of the LP, Patriarch Ogar Osim, the party said it wished the defectors well in their future…
The Kaduna State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of 27 suspects following a coordinated security operation in the Kawo area of the state. The raid, carried out in the early hours of June 8, 2025, was the result of a joint effort involving the military, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), and local hunters. Spokesperson for the command, DSP Mansir Hassan, disclosed that dangerous weapons such as knives, axes, and illicit substances including marijuana were recovered from the suspects during the operation. The Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Muhammad, commended the synergy among the various security agencies,…
The Adamawa State Police Command has foiled a kidnapping attempt and arrested a suspect in connection with the crime. This was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje. According to the statement, the incident occurred on June 7, 2025, following a tip-off from a resident who reported receiving threats from an unknown caller demanding a ransom of ₦1 million. Acting swiftly, police operatives in collaboration with local hunters launched an operation that led to the arrest of 32-year-old Manu Ahmadu at Kamsu village in Hong Local Government Area. The suspect…