The Kano State Government has announced a restriction on movement across the state ahead of Saturday’s local government elections. The Commissioner for Information, Baba Halilu Dantiye, disclosed this on Friday, explaining that the measure is intended to safeguard lives and property during the polls. According to Dantiye, the movement restriction will be in effect from midnight to 6 p.m. on election day to ensure the peaceful conduct of the exercise. “Only personnel providing essential services, including election officials, security operatives, and accredited journalists, will be exempt from the restriction,” he said. Dantiye urged residents to comply with the directive and…
Author: Ifeanyi N.
A chairmanship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the recently concluded local government elections in Kagarko LGA, Kaduna State, Ahmadu Yunusa Yusuf, has described the polls as a “charade.” Speaking to reporters, Yusuf alleged that elections did not take place in any part of Kagarko LGA, contrary to the announcements made by the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KAD-SIECOM). “It is laughable that despite no election being conducted, the state electoral body went ahead to declare the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as winners across all 23 local government areas,” he said. Yusuf criticized the results, stating that…
Former Minister of Women Affairs, Uju-Kennedy Ohanenye, has pledged her unwavering support for President Bola Tinubu and his administration’s “Renewed Hope Agenda,” despite being relieved of her ministerial position earlier this week. In a post on her X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, Ohanenye reaffirmed her determination to work alongside Tinubu in his efforts to address Nigeria’s challenges. “This is a test of time, a highly spiritual movement that no human being can stop,” she wrote. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is destined to fix Nigeria, and I, Barr Uju Kennedy, will fight alongside him to the last.” The former minister…
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has expressed support for the creation of special seats for women in the National and State Assemblies to enhance their political participation and representation. The National Chairman of IPAC, Yusuf Mamman Dantelle, gave this backing during his opening address at the Council’s 2nd Policy Roundtable held in Abuja on Friday. Themed “64 Years of Independence, Inclusive Democracy, and the Options of Special Seats for Women,” the event focused on fostering gender equality in Nigerian politics. Dantelle emphasized the importance of inclusive governance, noting that democracy thrives when all citizens are actively involved in political processes.…
A prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State, Asuquo Ada, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing political realignment and personal conviction. Ada’s defection adds to the series of high-profile exits from the PDP in the state. Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Friday, Ada said his decision to join the APC was in line with his political aspirations, as the party controls both the state and federal governments. Before his defection, Ada served as the Director-General of the campaign team for a PDP governorship aspirant in the…
Tunde Rahman, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu, has emphasized the need for politics to be free of bitterness. Rahman made the remark in response to Tinubu’s meeting with the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, at the National Mosque in Abuja. The meeting, which took place during the Jumat prayer and wedding ceremony of Senator Danjuma Goje’s daughter, was also attended by key political figures. Among them were the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Mohammed Bala, Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South), and…
A fresh controversy has erupted in Kano State as the Federal High Court on Friday sacked the 44 chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the ruling New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) ahead of Saturday’s local government election. Delivering the judgment, Justice Simon Amobede nullified the candidacies following a suit filed by a faction of the party led by Dalhatu Shehu Usman. The court directed the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) to accept and clear the faction’s list of candidates instead. The defendants in the suit include the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), KANSIEC, the Inspector General of Police, and the…
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has clarified that it played no part in the removal of fuel subsidies by the administration of President Bola Tinubu. The IMF made the statement during a press conference at the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings held in Washington, D.C., United States. Abebe Selassie, Director of the IMF’s African Department, emphasized that the decision to end fuel subsidies was entirely domestic. “The decision was a domestic one. We don’t have programmes in Nigeria. Our role is limited to regular dialogue, as we have with other nations like Japan or the UK,” Selassie said, as…
The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) have announced a seven-day nationwide warning strike, beginning from midnight on Friday, October 25, 2024. This decision was disclosed by JOHESU’s National President, Kabiru Minjibir, during a press briefing held after the unions’ expanded National Executive Council (NEC) hybrid meeting in Abuja. Minjibir explained that the unions had yet to receive any favorable response from the federal government regarding critical demands, despite assurances made during meetings with relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). “If at the end of the seven-day warning strike the federal government fails…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that special telephone hotlines will be provided for media practitioners covering the November 16 off-cycle governorship election in Ondo State. These hotlines will enable journalists to verify unclear issues before publishing reports. Amosa Lamidi, INEC’s Head of Electoral Operations, disclosed this during a workshop organized for media executives in Akure, the state capital. Lamidi, represented by Mr. Tope Onojobi, said the hotlines would be made available before election day to ensure smooth communication. He also revealed that INEC would establish a situation room to receive calls and handle inquiries from journalists during…
Mr. Chidi Chidebe has emerged as the new Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State, following a congress held on Thursday at the Women Development Centre, Awka. Chidebe, a former PDP Youth Leader in the state, secured 1,080 votes to defeat Amechi Onowu, who polled 960 votes in the tightly contested election. In addition to Chidebe’s victory, Charles Anierobi was elected as the Deputy Chairman, while Mr. Ebele Onunkwo emerged as the party’s Secretary. The Chairman of the Anambra PDP Congress Committee and Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ossai, urged the new leadership to focus on…
The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in Abia State has officially kicked off its campaign ahead of the upcoming chairmanship and councillorship elections scheduled for Saturday, November 2. The party’s state chairman, Chris Onukwue, addressed supporters at the campaign flag-off held at the Enyimba International Stadium, Aba. Onukwue urged candidates to extend their outreach to every part of the state, emphasizing the importance of grassroots engagement. “We are determined to win these elections. I call on all our candidates across the 17 LGAs to work closely with the party leadership to secure victory at the polls,” Onukwue said. In their responses,…
The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested 21 individuals for allegedly attempting to interfere with the recently concluded local government elections in the state. ASP Mansir Hassan, the command’s Public Relations Officer, confirmed the arrests in a statement issued on Thursday in Kaduna. According to Hassan, the suspects, identified as political thugs, were caught trying to block transportation routes and disrupt the distribution of election materials by targeting ad hoc staff responsible for election logistics. “They were intercepted by operatives from Operation Fushin Kada, who acted promptly to prevent the obstruction of the electoral process,” Hassan said. The police also…
As floods continue to devastate communities along the River Niger, corpses have reportedly been washed away in Udaba, a community in Etsako Central Local Government Area of Edo State. This was disclosed by Joseph Odemokpai, the Councillor representing Ward 8, which includes Udaba, Ofukpu, Agbavo, and Osomhegbe, during an interaction with journalists in Benin City. Odemokpai lamented the dire situation, revealing that several communities remain submerged and the water levels are still dangerously high. “The entire communities have been ravaged by floods, and we are working to relocate residents to safety camps. Unfortunately, in Udaba, some corpses have been…
Former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has described his defeat in the 2015 presidential election as one of the most challenging moments in his political career. Jonathan, who shared his experience during the 1st Raymond Dokpesi Annual Diamond Lecture in Abuja on Friday, said the loss felt overwhelming, as though “the whole world was against” him. “It is not easy to lose an election as president. You will think the whole world is against you,” he remarked. Jonathan contested the 2015 election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but was defeated by Muhammadu Buhari of the…
The Niger State Government has approved a new minimum wage of N80,000 for civil servants at both the state and local government levels. Governor Mohammed Umar Bago announced the decision on Friday after meeting with leaders of the organised labour at Government House, Minna. He disclosed that the implementation of the new wage structure will begin in November. According to the governor, the approval followed extensive deliberations between the government and labour leaders. “We have decided to approve the sum of N80,000 as the minimum for both state and local governments. The N80,000 approved is sustainable, and as our agricultural…
Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP), has reacted to Tony Okocha’s recent claim that the 27 embattled Rivers lawmakers never defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Okocha, who was recently removed by a court as Chairman of the Rivers State APC Caretaker Committee, said in an interview in Abuja that he had attempted to recruit the lawmakers into his political structure but they declined. He added that the legislators were currently at odds with Governor Siminalayi Fubara. “I need to make this clear to everyone. Much as I want to…
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate for Umuahia North in the upcoming Abia State local government elections, Raymond Ofoegbu, has called on Governor Alex Otti and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to abandon the Labour Party (LP) and return to APGA. Speaking on FLO FM in Umuahia on Wednesday, Ofoegbu argued that the political interests of both Obi and Otti would be better secured within APGA if they rejoined the party before the 2027 elections. “At a critical time like this, when betrayal has become the order of the day, I am adding my voice to urge…
A 26-year-old bank employee who facilitated the laundering of funds for a notorious transnational crime group has been sentenced to three years in prison. Funmi Abimbola, a resident of Rosse Court Terrace, Lucan, was identified as a key facilitator for the Black Axe organised crime syndicate. International law enforcement agencies have described the group as one of the most dangerous in the world, with operations spanning fraud, human trafficking, drugs, arms smuggling, and murder. Abimbola, a former Bank of Ireland employee with a Master’s degree in Human Resources, managed multiple accounts and controlled the activities of money mules in Ireland.…
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has approved ₦80,000 as the new minimum wage for workers in the state, with immediate effect. Mbah made the announcement on his social media platform, emphasizing his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare. “Today, I’m happy to announce a new minimum wage for workers in Enugu State, reflecting our fidelity to their welfare, which we have been resolutely committed to,” Mbah stated. He confirmed that the approved sum of ₦80,000 will take effect immediately as the new minimum wage across the state. The governor explained that the decision is rooted in the belief that labor…