Author: Lawrence Idoko

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,…

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has countered former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his recent claims on the Federal Government’s fuel subsidy policy, describing the claims as misleading and inconsistent with facts. Keyamo said Atiku’s position on subsidy removal and management misrepresents the policy direction of the current administration. The Minister accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of being driven by resentment over his 2023 election loss, escalating a political dispute over the government’s new fuel-pricing policy. Keyamo said in a statement posted on X that Atiku’s attacks on President Bola Tinubu were not principled opposition…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared Kingsley Chinda as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Rivers State’s 2027 governorship election, keeping the lawmaker and ally of Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike in the race despite continuing legal challenges. INEC included Chinda in its final list of 19 governorship candidates for Rivers State, a decision that resolves—at least for now—one of the more closely watched eligibility disputes ahead of the polls. Chinda, who represents Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, became the APC candidate after the party’s May 21 primary. He was the sole aspirant…

The Independence National Electoral Commission, INEC, has excluded the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidates in Ogun and Gombe states from its final roster for the February 2027 elections, leaving the opposition party without a listed standard-bearer in both states and deepening uncertainty over its tickets. INEC published final candidate lists Saturday that omit Ladi Adebutu, the PDP’s candidate in Ogun, and Isa Ali Pantami, who emerged as the party’s Gombe candidate after a fresh primary. Neither list includes a PDP governorship candidate or running mate. The Ogun list contains 13 governorship candidates, but Adebutu and his running mate do not…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike has ordered security agencies and the Development Control Department to immediately demolish unauthorized beer parlors in the upscale Asokoro district, citing intelligence about potential security risks. Wike issued the directive after meeting with the Federal Capital Territory police commissioner and the director of the Department of State Services. He said the administration acted to prevent criminal activity before it could spread. “We have been told of some security threats originating from somewhere leading towards Asokoro, where some individuals are attempting to establish unauthorized beer parlour businesses,” Wike said. “We will not allow…

Anxiety is mounting in various political camps across the country as governorship and House of Assembly aspirants will today know their fate on whether they will be cleared to contest the forthcoming off-cycle elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to resolve lingering uncertainty over the eligibility of dozens of governorship and state-legislature candidates when it publishes its final list of contenders on Saturday, following a Supreme Court ruling that tightened rules on party membership and primary participation. The Electoral body must publish the names and addresses of all nominated candidates at least 60 days before the February…