Author: Lawrence Idoko

The House of Representatives panel on petroleum resources has lauded President Tinubu, the management of National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited and contractor Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) citing gains in crude recovery and improved pipeline security in the Niger Delta. The Committee also recommended that the federal government extend PINL’s pipeline-surveillance contract after dismissing allegations of financial mismanagement and improper conduct against the company and its managing director, Osahon Okunbor, as unsubstantiated. Host Communities Committee Chairman Dumnamene Dekor announced the resolution Tuesday after lawmakers adopted a subcommittee report on a petition filed against PINL by the Niger Delta Oil-Producing Communities…

A prosecution witness has alleged that former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai set aside $600,000 to influence anti-graft officials probing his administration’s alleged financial misconduct during his eight-year tenure. Segun Kayode, a forensic investigator with the State Security Service and the prosecution’s first witness made the allegation Tuesday testifying before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court in Kawo. He said $500,000 was designated for officials of the anti-graft agency, while another $100,000 was intended for an intermediary. Kayode said forensic audio recordings captured discussions involving El-Rufai and several suspected associates about efforts to frustrate an EFCC investigation…

Director-General National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control ( NAFDAC) Professor Mojisola Adeyeye has debunked viral social-media videos alleging widespread fake and substandard foods as exaggerated and often untrue, acknowledging the agency lacks the manpower to police the country’s vast food supply alone. Speaking at the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST)’s 50th conference in Lagos, she said “Nigerians have to be careful regarding what they see posted on social media.” She said many online videos accusing businesses of selling unsafe products were taken out of context or lacked evidence. “Many of those videos seen on social…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, has challenged former Governor of Rivers State and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, to account for a $10 million fumigation project executed during his administration. Wike threw the challenge during a media chat on Tuesday, while responding to questions on why he has been critical of Amaechi. He denied that he was targeting the former governor, saying Amaechi should expect public scrutiny because of his ambition to become Nigeria’s vice-president. “You can’t just want to run for a position without anybody telling you the past. So, let Nigerians…

Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Kudirat Kekere-Ekun warned judges on Monday against close ties with political parties as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections, saying the judiciary must preserve “absolute impartiality” in the election disputes likely to reach the courts. Speaking at the Supreme Court’s ceremony opening the 2026/2027 legal year, the CJN said electoral litigation would attract intense political pressure and public scrutiny. The CJN warned judges and judicial officers to steer clear of partisan politics, stressing the need to preserve the independence and integrity of the judiciary. Judges, she said, must avoid political associations or any…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike declared Monday that he would coordinate President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election effort in the FCT and Rivers State, formalizing an unusual cross-party alliance that brings opposition politicians into the president’s campaign orbit. At a stakeholders’ meeting of the Rainbow Coalition in Abuja, politicians from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) agreed to work together for Tinubu’s second term. Several PDP National Assembly candidates publicly backed their APC counterparts, a sign of the alliance’s reach beyond the presidential contest. Wike, a former Rivers State governor who…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the final list of 19 candidates cleared to contest the 2027 governorship election in Taraba State, following the conclusion of party primaries and the verification of candidates’ credentials. Agbu Kefas, who won the last election on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket before defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), will seek a second term as the APC candidate. A former Senator, Emmanuel Bwacha, once the APC’s standard-bearer, now carries the PDP flag, while former Senator Abubakar Tutare will run for the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The party switches have inverted…

President Bola Tinubu will on Tuesday flag off the reconstruction and dualisation of the 376km Lambata–Bida–Mokwa–Makera–Kontagora federal highway in Niger State, a project the Presidency says is aimed at boosting connectivity, agriculture and commerce in the North-Central region. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central) Dr Abiodun Essiet, in a statement described the project as a major infrastructure initiative with the potential to improve connectivity and expand opportunities for communities along the corridor. The ceremony, scheduled for October 13 at 12 noon, will be attended by the Minister of Works David Umahi, the Governor of Niger…

The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) has set the field for the 2027 presidential election releasing a final list of 18 candidates and running mates that includes President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Gov. Peter Obi. The list contains the names, parties, and running mates of candidates cleared to contest the February 2027 presidential poll. INEC published the list under the signature of its secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, confirming that candidates from 18 parties will compete in the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections. President Bola Tinubu will seek re-election on the…

The Federal Government has issued a strong warning to hotel owners across the country ahead of the 2027 general elections, cautioning them against allowing their facilities to be used for activities that could undermine the electoral process. The government warned that any hotel found to be complicit in election-related offences would face sanctions. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi issued the warning at the JAGZ Hospitality Conference in Ibadan, Oyo State, telling operators to tighten security, maintain accurate guest records and cooperate more closely with law-enforcement agencies. He was represented at the event by Fernandez Marcus-Obiene,…