Author: Damilola Olufemi

Primate Elijah Ayodele, leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has rejected claims that he attempted to extort N150 million from the Minister of Power, Bayo Adelabu, insisting the amount is insignificant to him. Ayodele spoke on Sunday during a church service at Oke Afa, Lagos, where he reacted to a report detailing Adelabu’s petition to the Department of State Services (DSS). In the petition, the minister accused the cleric of blackmail and demanding money for “spiritual intercession” ahead of the Oyo State governorship race. Adelabu, who has contested the Oyo governorship twice and is eyeing another attempt in 2027,…

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday participated in the 68th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, but delegated Vice President Kashim Shettima to head Nigeria’s official delegation. This marks the first time Shettima is leading Nigeria’s delegation to an ECOWAS summit held on home soil while the President remains in the country. No official explanation was given for the decision. Tinubu, who served as ECOWAS chairman from July 2023 to July 2025 before handing over to Sierra Leone’s President Julius Bio, opted to assign the role to the…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has selected former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, Bola Oyebamiji, as its consensus candidate for the forthcoming Osun State governorship election. Oyebamiji’s emergence was formalised at the party’s primary held in Osogbo after two aspirants, Kunle Adegoke and Senator Babajide Omoworare, moved a motion endorsing him as the party’s flagbearer. The motion was subjected to a voice vote by the chairman of the APC governorship primary committee and Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, and received overwhelming support from delegates. READ ALSO: Lagos APC hails state’s security model Declaring the outcome, Okpebholo said, “By…

A humanitarian group, Equipping The Persecuted, has raised concerns over an alleged plan to carry out coordinated attacks in parts of northern Nigeria on Christmas Day, a claim the Presidency has swiftly played down as questionable and potentially fear-inducing. The warning was issued by the organisation’s founder, Judd Saul, during a roundtable meeting organised by the International Committee on Nigeria and the African Jewish Alliance. The event, held on Wednesday in Washington DC, was chaired by former US congressman Frank Wolf and attended by Congressmen Riley Moore and Chris Smith, Senator James Lankford, members of the US Commission on International…

Countries battle for final spots in World Cup playoffs ‎ ‎By Boluwatife Kehinde ‎ ‎With six spots still up for grabs in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, teams and nations around the world are keeping their dreams alive. While 42 of the 48 competing nations are already confirmed, the tournament field won’t be finalized until March 2026. ‎ ‎The remaining places will be decided through playoffs: 12 European group runners-up and four top-ranked Nations League group winners who didn’t finish in the top two of their qualifying groups will compete. ‎ ‎These 16 teams will be divided into four paths,…

The Supreme Court has overturned the clemency granted to Maryam Sanda and affirmed the death sentence earlier handed to her for killing her husband, Bilyamin Bello. Sanda was originally convicted on January 27, 2020, after an Abuja High Court found that she stabbed Bello to death during a dispute at their Maitama residence in 2017. She was sentenced to death by hanging and remained in Suleja Correctional Centre for nearly seven years. Her sentence was later reduced to 12 years by President Bola Tinubu. The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), defended the presidential pardon at the time, saying…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced a nationwide protest scheduled for December 17, citing what it described as the worsening security crisis across the country. In a notice circulated to state councils on December 10, following its NEC-in-session meeting held on December 4, the union condemned the escalating attacks by bandits and kidnappers. It highlighted the November 17 abduction of female students from a boarding school in Kebbi State as a particularly troubling example. The NLC criticised the reported withdrawal of security personnel from the school before the attack, calling the development a “dastardly and criminal” action that must…

The Senate on Thursday received the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper from President Bola Tinubu, officially setting the stage for work on the 2026 federal budget. In his letter to the upper chamber, Tinubu said the document meets statutory obligations and provides the fiscal foundations for drafting the 2026 Appropriation Bill. He noted that the MTEF/FSP spells out the economic assumptions, revenue outlook, and spending priorities that will guide the country’s fiscal policy over the next three years. Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North) read the President’s communication during plenary and encouraged lawmakers to…

Ghana’s economy grew by 5.5% in the third quarter of 2025, buoyed largely by stronger performances in agriculture and services, according to data released by the national statistics office on Wednesday. The latest figures, however, reflect a slowdown compared to the revised 7.0% recorded in the same period last year, with the industrial sector expanding by just 0.8%. Government statistician Alhassan Iddrisu attributed the weaker industrial output to subdued activity but noted that other sectors remained resilient. Agriculture saw an 8.6% boost, supported mainly by fishing and crop production. The services sector which includes finance, insurance, trade and education also…

The United States House Appropriations Committee has renewed its warning about rising religious persecution worldwide, placing Nigeria at the centre of its concerns. In a statement shared on its official X handle, the committee vowed that the U.S. “will not look away as innocent lives are stolen,” emphasising that safeguarding religious freedom remains a cornerstone of its National Security and Related Programs (NSRP) bill. “Directed by @POTUS, Appropriators led an on-the-ground mission to inform a report on Christian persecution in Nigeria and guide policy recommendations,” the committee noted, adding that “religious freedom and atrocity response are central to our NSRP…