Author: Lawrence Idoko

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has said he will personally inaugurate and lead the campaign machinery for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid in Abuja and Rivers State, signaling a consolidation of support from key political figures outside the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Wike made the declaration on Chikuku, a community along the Kuje-Gwagwalada artery in Abuja, following an inspection of the ongoing Phase Two dualisation of the Kuje-Gwagwalada road. He told reporters that political parties across the spectrum were already organizing their ranks, while supporters of the President from different platforms had “put our…

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has issued a sharp rebuke to advocates of restoring fuel subsidy, arguing that the policy entrenches inefficiency and corruption while diverting resources from productive investment. Speaking as the 2027 election cycle intensifies, Otti said anyone pushing for the subsidy’s return “does not mean well for the country,” even as he defended the Tinubu administration’s decision to remove it in 2023 despite the initial hardship. Otti, an economist and former banker, said he had long opposed fuel subsidies, including in a 2020 column during the pandemic when oil prices collapsed. He argued that subsidising consumption, rather…

Director-General of Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu has urged critics and supporters alike to judge President Bola Tinubu by the institutions he has built and the reforms he has driven, not by disputed chapters of his personal biography. In a commentary published this week, Audu invoked the political evolutions of Nelson Mandela and Ghana’s Jerry John Rawlings to make a broader point: “Consequential leaders are rarely defined by a single controversy, and history tends to weigh what they changed more heavily than where they stumbled”, she said. Audu’s intervention arrives as public debate continues over…

The Federal Government has launched an online shopping platform that will allow serving and retired military personnel, veterans and their families to purchase essential goods at discounted prices. Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume formally unveiled the Armed Forces Online Discount Shop in Abuja. The platform operates through Nigerian e-commerce company Konga. The initiative is designed to ease financial pressure on military households and expand welfare support beyond operational provisions, Akume said at the launch. “The welfare of those who serve our country is a responsibility that extends beyond the provision of operational capabilities,” he said.…

Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has said the 2027 presidential election in Abuja is effectively settled in favor of President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), crediting a surge in road construction and other infrastructure as the decisive factor. Speaking while inspecting major road corridors, including the long-delayed Apo-Karshi route and the Gwarinpa-Kubwa axis, Wike framed the administration’s delivery record as the central pitch to voters. He argued that the Renewed Hope Agenda has moved beyond rhetoric to “verifiable facts,” pointing to projects that directly affect daily commutes and commercial activity in the capital’s urban and satellite…

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released results for its 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (Internal) showing that 58.67% of candidates earned five credits or above including English Language and Mathematics, a key benchmark for university admission and employment. The Registrar of the council, Prof. Dantani Wushishi said a total of 1,378,048 candidates registered for the examination while 1,371,992 candidates sat for it. Announcing the results in Minna, Niger State, he said 804,948 (58.67%) candidates obtained  five credits and above (including English & Math) while 1,162,118 (84.70%) candidates obtained five credits and above (all subjects). The examination which took place…

The Federal Government has distributed tablets to 70 digital media managers as part of a strategy to broaden grassroots awareness of its vocational and entrepreneurship empowerment programmes. The initiative, unveiled by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (OSSAP-TVEE), aims to tighten the link between government interventions and the communities they are meant to serve. Dr. Abiola Arogundade, the presidential aide on technical, vocational and entrepreneurship education, said the handover was designed to give media practitioners first-hand knowledge of flagship schemes such as the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS)…

The Federal Government is shifting its economic focus from implementing painful reforms to turning early signs of stability into jobs, higher incomes and broader opportunities, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume said. Akume, speaking in Abuja as he unveiled plans for Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, said the next phase of President Bola Tinubu’s economic program would be judged by its impact on households and communities. “The task before us today, as leaders and citizens, is consolidation,” Akume said. “We must ensure that the gains from reform translate into better opportunities for ordinary Nigerians.” The anniversary theme “From…

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan has said the agency will activate intelligence operations to combat vote buying ahead of next year’s general elections, acknowledging that the practice has migrated beyond polling stations and now requires pre-emptive detection. Speaking at the sixth Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers (CARSPO) 2026 in Owerri, Imo State, Amupitan said vote buying had become “clinical,” with operatives no longer conducting transactions at polling units but arranging them elsewhere before election day. Amupitan said INEC would focus on intelligence gathering because “these things are done and planned before the election.”…

The Federal Government has concluded plans to recruit 4,000 social media influencers to showcase infrastructure projects completed under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Minister David Umahi disclosed this in Abuja, described the initiative, as a response to what he called a “social media war,” aimed at communicating the government’s achievements directly to Nigerians, especially young voters, ahead of the 2027 general election. Umahi said the plan while receiving a report from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on its independent inspection of federal road projects across Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna and Sokoto states. “We have to fight this social media war.…