Author: Benjamin Chukwudaalu, Political Reporter

The Kogi State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dino Melaye, has said that he will not contest the electoral victory of the All Progressives Congress at the Nov 11 polls, saying he has lost confidence in the judiciary The PDP governorship candidate, who came a distant third in the election, made accusations on Wednesday, November 29, alleging that the court is now an APC department rather than an autonomous institution. The Nation reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced APC candidate, Usman Ododo, as the…

Philip Shaibu, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, has expressed confidence in his victory in the forthcoming governorship election in the state. Shaibu said he would definitely defeat the preferred candidate of the state governor, Godwin Obaseki. Shaibu stated this during a TVC programme on Monday evening. This is coming barely 24 hours after he made a formal announcement, expressing his desire to compete for the Peoples Democratic Party ticket in the forthcoming party primaries. Following his announcement, Shaibu inaugurated his campaign office in Benin City, the capital of the…

Palpable tension grips the city of Kano, especially among the Yoruba-speaking community as fear heightens that Yorubas in the northern state might come under attack over the contradiction in the judgement of the Appeal Court affirming the sack of Gov. Abba Yusuf of the New Nigerian People’s Party. The Kano State Police Command has arrested seven persons for participating in Wednesday’s protest following the reported contradiction in the judgment of the Court of Appeal sacking Governor Abba Yusuf. This was the Concerned Yoruba Community in Kano expressed fear over the…

The chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State, Desmond Akawor, has resigned on Friday barely a few hours after President Bola Tinubu appointed him Federal Commissioner—representing Rivers State in the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission. Akawor, in the letter dated November 22, 2023, and addressed to the PDP acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umaru Damagun, said his resignation is due to his appointment as a federal commissioner representing Rivers State. He noted that he has since handed over to his deputy, Aaron Chukwuemeka. The letter read, “I have…

The Ondo State House of Assembly is set to hold a plenary session today to discuss the state’s political situation. It was reliably gathered that the lawmakers would discuss the issue of the executive arm of the government of the state as the lawmakers may declare the deputy governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as acting governor, following the inability of the governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, to resume office, due to ill-health. The governor is still recuperating at his private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State capital. A source, however, noted that some…

THE Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos on Friday affirmed the election of Governor Dapo Abiodun of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as winner of the March 18, poll, in Ogun State. In a majority judgement delivered by the duo of Justices J.S. Ikyegh and Muhammed Mustapha, the appellate court dismissed the appeal brought before it by the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the state, Hon. Ladi Adebutu. The court held that the appeal lacked merit as it found no substance in it and subsequently…

The Federal Government has said plans are underway to begin the processes of evacuating Nigerians taking refuge in neighbouring Cameroon, Chad, and Niger Republic, back to the country. The Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Ahmed Tijjani, made this known on Thursday, in Maiduguri after a meeting with Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno. Tijjani disclosed further that the government had also agreed to close the remaining Internally Displaced Persons camps in Maiduguri and return the displaced persons to their ancestral homes within the…

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Thursday affirmed the victory of the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule. The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Sule of the All Progressives Congress the winner of the election, while David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party came second. But the state election petition tribunal led by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi in a split judgment held that based on evidence from the various polling units, Ombugadu had the majority of valid votes at the election But Sule appealed the judgment and asked the…

Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s former President has said that he does not miss his time during his tenancy at Aso Rock as Nigeria’s President. The former Nigerian leader made the disclosure in an interview with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA). This is Buhari’s first interview since leaving office on May 29, 2023. The former president, when asked about what he misses from his time in office, responded saying: “Miss. I don’t think I miss much.” The teaser of Buhari’s interview was released by NTA on its X handle. The full version…

Olusegun Obasanjo, the man who ruled Nigeria twice as a military dictator and later an elected President on Monday asserted that Western liberal democracy is ill-suited for Africa, particularly Nigeria. The elder statesman cited its failure to deliver on good governance and progressive development for the continent. The Nigerian ex-president called for a re-examination and moderation of the Western democratic model as it is practiced in African nations. Speaking at the high-level consultation on “Rethinking Western Liberal Democracy in Africa” held at the Green Resort Legacy, Obasanjo emphasized the need…

The Nigerian Government has said 48 million Nigerians still defecate in the open and many people still use the bush and water ways as their regular means for excreta disposal. Speaking during the joint press briefing organised by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, in commemoration of World Toilet Day in Abuja, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas noted that many institutions do not have sanitary facilities and where they exist they are either not functioning or misused. Abbas stressed that most urban areas…

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has declared the Zamfara State governorship election inconclusive. The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party winner of the election. The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Bello Matawalle, had challenged the outcome of the March 18 governorship election at the tribunal but his petition was dismissed for lacking in merit. Delivering the judgment on Thursday, the Court of Appeal declared the election as inconclusive and ordered INEC to hold a fresh election in two local governments. The…

The Appeal Court sitting in Abuja has fixed Friday, November 17, 2023, for judgment in the Kano State governorship election dispute between Governor Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party and Nasiru Gawuna of the All Progressives Congress. The judgment will be delivered by 10 a.m. The court had on November 6, 2023, reserved judgment in the appeal by the state governor, Yusuf, who is challenging his removal by the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. The tribunal on September 20 nullified Yusuf’s election by declaring 165, 663 of his votes…

The Presidency has described the nationwide strike embarked upon by organised labour as an attempt to blackmail the government. The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement on Monday said the planned action is an abuse of privilege and one that contravenes a restraining order by the Industrial Court against the strike. He noted that Ajaero’s assault in Imo though condemnable is a personal issue that shouldn’t force the whole country into punishment. The statement read, “This decision by the NLC and TUC…

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has written to all zonal coordinators and chairpersons of the union and demanded that members be mobilised for the nationwide strike in line with the directive from the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress. The directive is coming just as the Federal Government is preparing for a meeting with the organised labour to resolve the crisis. The letter signed by ASUU’s National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, was issued on Monday night. The letter read, “The Nigeria Labour Congress at a Joint National…

Senator Douye Diri, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the off-cycle Bayelsa State governorship election, has won the Saturday, November 11, 2023 poll with a total of 175,196 votes. Timipre Sylvia of APC garnered 110,108 votes. Diri’s overwhelming victory became clear following the consolidation of election results from the State’s eight local government units on Monday afternoon. Prof. Faruq Kuta, the state’s Returning Officer, announced that the exercise had come to an end at about 12:42pm on Monday, about 48 hours after the election held in the oil-rich South-South…

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the Kogi State governorship election, Usman Ododo, is currently leading other candidates in the race. This is as the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, has officially announced the results from 18 out of the 21 Local Government Areas of the state on Sunday. The LGAs where election results had been collated and declared included Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Idah, Ijumu, Kabba-Bunu, Kogi, Mopamuro, Ofu, Okehi, Okene, Olamaboro, Omala, Yagba East and Yagba West, while the results from only…

The Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party have called for the cancellation of the Imo State governorship election held on Saturday. The deputy governorship candidate of the LP, Tony Nwulu, said in a press conference on Saturday night that security agents allegedly provided cover for some persons as they subverted the will of the people. He declared that the LP won with the actual votes cast in the election, saying that “democracy is under threat in this state.” Nwulu said, “There was no election in Imo State on Saturday.…

The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, as the winner of the state governorship election held on Saturday. The state Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, who is also the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, announced the results on Sunday morning at INEC’s state collation centre in Owerri, the state capital. He declared Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the election with 540,308, votes while Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party came a distant second with…

The Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, on Tuesday, announced that there will be no vehicular movement as well as movement of canoes, ships and other means of transportation via waterways in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states, starting from Friday. Egbetokun, who said the decision was in line with measures put in place to ensure free, fair and credible elections in the three states, also barred some state security outfits including Ebubeagu and other quasi-outfits from operating during the exercise. The IG, who disclosed this at a press briefing at Force…

The Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume, has clarified the issue bordering on the controversial Presidential yacht said to be worth about N5 billion. Ndume made this clarification while speaking on the review of the supplementary budget on Arise Television’s Morning show on Friday. The All Progressives Congress Senator representing Borno South said the presidential yacht had been signed and delivered but not paid for before the public outcry, adding that the Senate has since added the required payment fee to the student loan budget. Ndume said, “We queried…

The House of Representatives Committees on Constituency Outreach and Poverty Alleviation on Tuesday summoned the Minister of Humanitarian Affair and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu to appear before them for a briefing on the formula adopted for the distribution of the sum of N1.1 trillion conditional cash transfer to 15 million households across the country. The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance brought before the House during plenary by the lawmaker representing Irepodun/Olorunda/Osogbo/Orolu Federal Constituency, Osun State, Morufu Adebayo. Recall that Edu had said that following the approval of…

The Oyo State Government on Monday presented cheques, worth Five Hundred Million Naira (N500m) to participating micro finance banks across the seven geopolitical zones in the state, as loan support to small and micro enterprises under the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER). The symbolic presentation of the cheques to the Micro finance banks was held at the conference room, office of the Secretary to the State Government, Secretariat, Agodi Ibadan. Presenting the dummy cheques to the representatives of the micro finance banks, the Chief of Staff to the Governor,…

Edison Ehie, the former majority leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, has emerged the new Speaker of the state Assembly. The development follows the reported impeachment of Hon. Martin Amaewhule as the speaker of the House. Meanwhile, the House of Assembly has announced the suspension of the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Simeon Amadi. Developments in the embattled oil-rich state remain unclear as at the time of filing in this report. The capital city, Port Harcourt has been in political turmoil all day with the Governor, Siminalayi Fubara…

The main chamber of the Rivers State House of Assembly has been set ablaze by suspected political thugs. This is following a move by the house to commence an impeachment process on the Leader of the House, Hon. Edison Ehie, and the state Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara on Monday. The arsonists had carried out the act at about 9:45pm, causing uneasy calm around the assembly complex where the State Police Command also stands. A source said the legislature has concluded plans to impeach the duo on Monday at its resumed…

Former President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday, said the country would have paid $15 billion if it had lost the case against the international firm, Process & Industrial Development Limited. He lamented that such monetary loss could be substituted to finance key infrastructural projects, among others. Following a 2010 agreement between P$ID and the Federal Government, the firm pledged to build a gas processing plant in Nigeria, The PUNCH reports. However, the project never materialised, leading P&ID to sue for lost profits. The firm was granted the sizable award plus accumulated…

Nigeria’s Supreme Court has dismissed the application of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar to present fresh evidence to support his appeal at the court. The apex Court also agreed with the Court of Appeal that the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, is like other states. The presiding justice of the panel, John Okoro, asked, “Are you saying if someone scores 25% votes in 30 states but not in Abuja, he should not be president? Is that how you interpret the law? Atiku had sought the leave…

A former lawmaker representing the Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 8th National Assembly, Senator Shehu Sani has noted that the emergence of Nyesome Wike as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory is a receipt of the proverbial 30 Shekels of Silver from President Bola Tinubu for betraying his party and it’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections. Sani also described the presence of the former Governor of Rivers State in the ruling party as the ‘hand of Esau’.in the PDP and the ‘voice of Jacob’ urged him…

An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ogbomoso has ordered the removal of the new Soun, King Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye. Recall that Oyo state Government announced the selection of the former RCCG Pastor and he was installed king on the 8th of September, 2023. Another contender for the stool, Laoye Kabir had earlier queried Ghandi’s selection claiming he is not eligible for the throne adding that there were discrepancies in the selection. It was also gathered that a court injunction had called for the stop of Ghandi’s installation of which…

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has urged the Supreme Court to admit fresh documents against President Bola Tinubu. Speaking at the court on Monday, Atiku’s lead counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, described the matter as a grave and constitutional matter. He urged the court to adopt the application and grant their request. The fresh documents are President Tinubu Bola’s academic records obtained from the Chicago State University. Presenting his argument, he said, “The issue involving Mr Tinubu’s certificate is a weighty, grave, and constitutional one, which…

Labour Party lawmakers in the National Assembly and the party’s leadership are on collision course over the party chairman, Julius Abure’s order to the lawmakers to reject the N160m SUVs bubgeted for each lawmaker by the Presidency. The lawmakers have ignored the advice of the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, not to be a part of the luxury official vehicles being planned for legislators. Abure had, in a statement on Monday, said the National Assembly leadership was planning to buy a Sport Utility Vehicle worth N160m for each lawmaker. Abure,…

The Nasarawa State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party has strongly condemned the recent statement credited to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje, in which he asserted that the party would do everything within its powers to protect the mandate of the State Governor, Abdullahi Sule. Sule was sacked by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal after the PDP candidate, David Ombugadu, dragged him to court, challenging his victory at the March 18, 2023 governorship election in the state. The APC National Chairman who was represented by…

Akin Rotimi, spokesperson for the House of Representatives has debunked stories making the rounds that the honourable members are to receive Toyota Prado jeeps valued at N130m but insisted the house will soon begin the distribution of official vehicles to its members in the coming weeks. According to the House’s spokesperson, the vehicles to be distributed to members are official vehicles and not for personal use. He further explained that these vehicles are assigned to members during their tenure and must be returned after their term ends. Rotimi also highlighted…

Main opposition party in Ogun State, the Peoples Democratic Party, launched a scathing attack on the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, urging him to take responsibility for the failure recorded in the distribution of palliative rice rolled out to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal from petroleum products in the country. The PDP gave this charge on Sunday, in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Asiwaju Akinloye Bankole. The party was reacting to a statement from the state government alleging that the opposition parties were behind the determined…

The Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, has asked the Court of Appeal to reverse the alternative ruling of the state governorship tribunal, ordering a supplementary election in the state. The governor is contesting the alternative majority ruling which created a path for his Peoples Democratic Party opponent, Ashiru Isa, to claim victory. This followed the main ruling of the Justice Victor Oviawe-led three-man tribunal panel, delivered on September 28. The cross-appeal by the victor is taken out on his behalf by his legal team, headed by a former Attorney General…

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s Presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has challenged the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to tell Nigerians his true name and everything related to his educational career. Obi said this on Tuesday in a press conference in Abuja and asked Tinubu to provide clear details about the schools he attended, whether he participated in the National Youth Service Corps, and if he changed his name at any point. Obi added that Tinubu needs to introduce himself to Nigerians and the world so as to further…

There is no evidence that the Chicago State University’s academic certificates of President Bola Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2023 presidential election were forged, the BBC’s Global Disinformation Team reports. The university released Tinubu’s academic records, which went viral on social media but were tagged as fake by some opposition party leaders and members, especially his main rivals, Labour Party’s Peter Obi and the Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar. But, according to the BBC’s findings, the Social Security Number in the transcript from Chicago varsity…

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has disqualified the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the Bayelsa State Governorship Election, Timipre Sylva from the contest. A member of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Demesuoyefa Kolomo had in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 asked the court to determine whether Sylva was qualified to contest in the election, having occupied the office of governor of Bayelsa from May 29, 2007 to April 15, 2008 and May 27, 2008 to Jan. 27, 2012. In a judgement delivered on Monday night,…