Author: Lawrence Idoko

Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) Senator Abdulaziz Yari has declared that President Bola Tinubu’s notable achievements across key sectors will form the cornerstone of his re-election campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections, citing infrastructure and benefits delivered to ordinary Nigerians. Yari, a former Governor of Zamfara State, made the remarks Wednesday in Abuja after President Tinubu inaugurated the APC Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the January 16, 2027, election. “Our campaign is going to be centred on what you have done and what you are going to do in the future,” Yari said, describing the message he…

The Benue State Government has sealed two private schools over alleged violation of the state’s textbook policy and victimisation of pupils, warning proprietors against exploitative practices in the education sector. The Executive Secretary Benue State Education Quality Assurance and Examinations Board (BEQAEB), Dr Terna Francis disclosed Tuesday in Makurdi following a court order on the Proprietor and locking the premises. He said the schools violated a government policy intended to let parents reuse textbooks and buy approved titles from outside bookstores rather than purchase them exclusively through school management. The enforcement action follows complaints that pupils whose fees had been…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained its decision to exclude the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates in Gombe, Isa Pantami, and in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, from its final list of candidates for the February 6 2027 governorship elections. In a statement by its spokesperson, Mohammed Haruna, INEC said the decision stemmed from their political parties’ failure to comply with the membership register requirements under Section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026, and were ineligible to sponsor candidates in the elections. He said INEC applied the sections of the law after it won the case challenging the application…

Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have uncovered underground tunnels at a suspected drug hideout in Asaba Delta State, believed to be used for concealing illicit substances. The NSCDC said its Commandant’s Patrol Team raided the property at Fallingwater Colehouse, Yahweh Close, off Akara Junction, along the 74 Junction, Asaba Specialist Hospital axis. Operatives spent three days attempting to enter the building before using a blowtorch to cut through its roof. Speaking, Public Relations Officer of the command, DSC Anthony Akachukwu said inside the tunnel, operatives found multiple panels and layers of reinforced iron doors, as well…

The Federal Government has assured workers in tertiary institutions that it will no longer default on signed agreements, pledging timely implementation to ensure industrial harmony across campuses nationwide. Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa said in Abuja Tuesday that the government would fulfill its obligations under the 2026 agreements, which cover allowances for academic and non-teaching staff. “We will fulfil our part of this historic agreement,” he said at the agreements’ unveiling, adding that “Public confidence will depend on the obligations we honour after this ceremony.” The agreements include the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, known as CARTA or CATA, for…

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…