Author: Lawrence Idoko

Minister of Works Dave Umahi has said the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is being built with reinforced concrete pavement intended to last 50 to 100 years with minimal maintenance, part of a broader effort to reduce the country’s costly pattern of repeatedly rebuilding asphalt roads. The Minister stated that the technology is central to the government’s strategy for major freight corridors, where heavy trucks and coastal conditions accelerate road deterioration. “We are talking of a 50-to-100-year guarantee for reinforced concrete pavement, with low maintenance,” he said. Work on the 55-kilometre second section of the highway is advancing, with the concrete pavement…

Minister of Works Dave Umahi has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will sweep all five states in the South-East in the 2027 presidential election, declaring that he is personally working to make it happen. Umahi, a former Governor of Ebonyi State and senior member of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) said Tinubu’s administration had improved the region’s federal representation and infrastructure, reversing grievances that helped fuel opposition support in 2023. “My faith is telling me we will win the five states,” Umahi said in an interview with Channels Television’s Sunday Politics. “The president is going to harvest a lot…

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Sunday welcomed a group of prominent opposition politicians into the All Progressives Congress (APC), portraying the defections as evidence of growing support for Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda and a boost for the party ahead of the 2027 general elections. The reception took place at the People’s Square at the Katsina Government House during Shettima’s one-day official visit to the state. Addressing party supporters, the vice president linked the influx of new members to Radda’s performance in office and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s support for the governor. “Katsina is for Dikko Radda, it is not…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will outline its final preparations for the 2027 general election at a high-level briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, as the country enters the last 100 days before presidential and National Assembly voting. INEC said Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, will lead a combined World Press Conference and National Stakeholders’ Meeting starting at 10 a.m. at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre (BAT-ICC) in Abuja. Attendance is by invitation only, with accredited media and guests required to present invitation cards or accreditation badges at security checkpoints. The commission said the session will be broadcast…

The youth wing of Labour Party (LP) has begun consultations on a proposed political alignment with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and allied pro–President Bola Tinubu groups, a move that could position the faction to support Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027. The initiative followed a virtual meeting on Oct. 2 attended by Labour Party National Youth Leader Prince Kennedy Ahanotu, five zonal youth leaders and 32 state youth leaders, according to a statement posted on the party’s X account and signed by Edo State youth leader Ken Omusi. Participants discussed the party’s direction amid its prolonged internal crisis and…

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has recorded measurable reductions in transport fares through the deployment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles, according to the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI ) & Electric Vehicles (EV). The current reach of the initiative in the FCT is to be expanded to cover more routes. The PCNGI & EV said CNG-powered commercial vehicles are already operating on a number of Abuja commuter routes at significantly reduced fares on the strength of its partnership with transport operators. The fare for Area 1–Gwagwalada is now ₦900 as against the former N1500 while the fare from…

In a twist ahead of the 2027 presidential election, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and convener of the Alternative Movement in Ogun State, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has commenced mobilisation of non-indigenes in the state to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, describing the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda as inclusive and beneficial to all Nigerians irrespective of tribe or origin. He made the call during meetings in Abeokuta with representatives of non-indigenous communities, including Igbo, Igede, Tiv, Calabar, Edo, Arewa and Igala groups. He also addressed members of the Ilupeju Egba Tile Toko Hunters Association. Showunmi asked the…

As campaigns for the January 2027 presidential election gather momentum, former Niger Delta agitator and businessman High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo has thrown his weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid with a rally in Taraba State, donating 25 vehicles to boost mobilization and grassroots campaign for the President across the state. Tompolo, who is the grand patron of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, said Tinubu’s economic and political reforms needed more time to take effect. Tompolo, who was represented at the event in Jalingo by High Chief Kestin Pondi, said Taraba was benefiting from the administration’s…

The September 24 Supreme Court ruling has threatened party tickets as the apex court’s interpretation of the Electoral Act and party constitutions means tickets already issued by major political parties could be invalidated if parties fail to comply strictly with the new conditions set by the court. The Supreme Court’s decision reaffirmed the requirement that political parties submit verified membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at least 21 days before a primary, congress or convention. Only individuals listed on the register submitted to INEC may vote or contest in the relevant party process, according to legal experts.…

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said the National Assembly would remain a “worthy partner” to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, arguing that its economic reforms are producing results and that security conditions have improved. Akpabio led a delegation of federal lawmakers, including Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, to visit Tinubu at his Lagos residence as part of events marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary. He said the legislature would continue to provide legal support for the president’s economic and development agenda. “We believe he’s doing well,” Akpabio said after the visit. “These reforms are working and, as far as we are concerned, insecurity…