Author: Lawrence Idoko

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has said he would rather support President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) than former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 presidential election, warning that an Atiku presidency could lead to “chaotic collapse”. Lawal, who disclosed this in an interview on Monday, said his decision was based on political principles and his assessment of the opposition coalition. Lawal, speaking in an interview said, Nigeria might face an “orderly crash” under Tinubu but a “chaotic collapse” under the former Vice…

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the House of Representatives has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify any candidate whose name is not found in the membership registers submitted by political parties, citing a Supreme Court ruling that restored the requirement. The House said the move is aimed at curbing imposition of candidates, party defections and last-minute substitutions that have continued to fuel pre-election litigation in the country. The Committee on Electoral Matters, led by Bayo Balogun, called on INEC to enforce Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 across all political parties, saying…

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has released the names of the 25 personnel who lost their lives when its 931 aircraft plunged into the swamps of Igbokoda in Ondo state on Monday. In a statement on Tuesday, Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information at NAF, said Sunday Aneke, Chief of Air Staff (CAS), described the incident as a deeply painful moment for the air force and the nation. He said the aircraft had 25 people on board, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers, adding that no survivors had been found. The crew members were: 1.Squadron Leader MI…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned politicians against heating up the polity ahead of the 2027 general elections, declaring that no political ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian. INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, who issued the warning on Monday in Abuja at a stakeholders’ meeting, urged political actors to play by the rules and place national peace and stability above personal interests. Amupitan said the agency had activated an early-warning system with security agencies to document political violence, thuggery and inflammatory campaign rhetoric. “No political office in this country is worth the blood of a single…

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has launched a nationwide mobilisation drive targeting 50 million Nigerian women to support the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in the 2027 presidential election. The First Lady, who flagged off the campaign in Abuja, said Nigerian women have been major beneficiaries of the Renewed Hope Agenda and must be at the forefront of sustaining the administration beyond 2027. The mobilisation effort received a major boost on Monday, when more than 20,000 women stakeholders from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) converged at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International…

The Senate on Monday extended condolences to the Nigerian Air Force and families of the 32 people killed when a military aircraft crashed in Ondo State, calling the incident a “deeply painful moment” for the nation. In a statement signed by Senator Osita Ngwu, Chairman Senate Committee on Air Force, the Upper Chamber commiserated with the Chief of the Air Staff, officers and personnel of the Nigerian Air Force, and “most importantly, the families and loved ones of all those affected by this unfortunate incident.” “We mourn our gallant men and women who lost their lives while undertaking their duties…

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commissioner of Police Ahmed Sanusi has ordered the immediate arrest and prosecution of motorists in Abuja driving with unauthorized tinted windows, concealed or fake license plates, and fraudulent diplomatic number tags. The directive targets what the command describes as a surge in vehicles used by criminal elements to evade identification and escape detection after committing offenses in the nation’s capital. Sanusi told reporters that the FCT’s unique status as Nigeria’s administrative center makes it a high-value target for criminals who exploit obscured vehicle identities to bypass security checkpoints and gain unimpeded access to ministries and restricted…

Governor of Adamawa State Ahmadu Fintiri held a closed-door meeting with Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike in Port Harcourt, a visit that underscores the widening fissures within the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections. The encounter, confirmed by Wike’s media aide Lere Olayinka via photographs posted on X, comes as party governors increasingly distance themselves from Wike’s cross-party “Rainbow Coalition” strategy. The Adamawa Governor’s trip to Rivers State marks another round of high-level consultations between two longtime political allies whose relationship dates back to the G5 governors’ coalition that backed President Bola Tinubu in 2023.…

President Bola Tinubu is set to approve an upward review of the monthly pensions of retired Police officers, in a move aimed at improving their welfare and addressing long-standing concerns over poor retirement benefits in the Force. The President said the increment was part of his administration’s commitment to rewarding officers who dedicated their active years to securing the nation, adding that no personnel who served the country meritoriously should retire into hardship. Muhammad Dutse, Acting Managing Director of the Nigeria Police Force Pension, said Monday that a presidential committee set up by President Bola Tinubu is finalizing arrangements to…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said Monday that the voter register has surpassed 103 million names, a milestone reached after a three-phase registration drive that added more than 10.7 million new applicants ahead of the 2027 general elections. The announcement by (INEC) came at a closed-door strategic workshop with media executives in Abuja, where INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan outlined the commission’s technological upgrades, security measures and warnings against disinformation and vote-buying as the election countdown intensifies. INEC said its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, conducted in three phases, attracted 10,772,421 new registrants: 2,611,266 in phase one, 4,121,835 in…