Author: Damilola

Founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, has dismissed reports that Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf resigned from the party, insisting that the governor only withdrew from the Kwankwasiya Movement led by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. Aniebonam made the clarification on Saturday while reacting to widespread media reports suggesting that the governor had dumped the NNPP. He argued that Yusuf’s resignation letter was not addressed to the recognised leadership of the party but to an individual associated with the Kwankwasiya Movement in Kano. “The NNPP NWC does not recognise the Kwankwasiya Movement ward chairman as chairman of…

Nigeria’s national electricity grid suffered its first collapse of 2026 on Friday after power generation plunged to zero megawatts (MW), according to data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO). Figures from the system operator show that electricity supply across the country was completely disrupted, with load allocation to all 11 electricity distribution companies dropping to zero by about 1 p.m. The affected distribution companies include Benin, Eko, Enugu, Ikeja, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Abuja, and Yola, all of which recorded zero power allocation during the outage. The latest incident adds to a troubling pattern of grid failures.…

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said the president aligns with the position of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the leadership structure in Rivers State, insisting that Governor Siminalayi Fubara remains the party’s leader in the state. Bwala’s comments come amid escalating political tensions in Rivers, where the state House of Assembly has initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara, while the rivalry between the governor and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, continues to intensify. Earlier this month, the APC National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, declared that governors naturally lead their parties at the state level, urging…

The Nigerian government has reversed the nomination of former governor of Kebbi State, Usman Dakingari, as Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Turkey. The withdrawal comes less than 24 hours after the announcement of new diplomatic postings. In a statement issued on Thursday night, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said President Bola Tinubu had approved the appointment of four ambassadors-designate from the list of over 60 nominees confirmed by the Senate in December. According to the announcement, Kayode Are, former director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), was named ambassador-designate to the United States; Ayodele Oke, former head of the National Intelligence Agency…

The United States has called on Nigeria to take more robust and decisive steps to safeguard Christian communities, warning that recent attacks highlight the need for stronger security measures. US Secretary for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, made the call during a high-level US–Nigeria working group meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, where officials discussed joint strategies to curb violence, strengthen counterterrorism efforts, investigate attacks, and ensure accountability for perpetrators. Hooker said the dialogue focused on reducing killings, abductions and forced displacement of Christians, particularly in north-central Nigeria, while improving cooperation between both countries. She acknowledged progress made by the Nigerian…

Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Calvin Bassey have been selected in the official Team of the Tournament for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) unveiled the tournament’s Best XI on Wednesday, recognising the standout performers of the competition. Osimhen played a key role in Nigeria’s campaign, scoring four goals and recording two assists as the Super Eagles secured a bronze medal — their ninth third-place finish in AFCON history. Lookman emerged as one of the tournament’s most influential attackers, finishing with the highest number of goal contributions. He netted four…

The identities of 177 worshippers kidnapped during coordinated attacks on three churches in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State have now been made public. Gunmen struck the churches on Sunday, abducting congregants during services. Addressing journalists in Kaduna, the Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Rabiu, challenged those behind the reports to provide names and verifiable details of the victims, insisting there was no official record of such abductions. The police position triggered widespread backlash, including from Christian Solidarity Worldwide–Nigeria (CSW-N), which accused security agencies of frustrating independent verification. The group said soldiers blocked its team from accessing the affected community…

The Nigeria Police Force has acknowledged that more than 100 worshippers were abducted by gunmen in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, reversing an earlier denial issued less than 24 hours after the incident. Gunmen had attacked three churches in the community on Sunday, carting away an estimated 167 worshippers. The following day, however, the Kaduna State Police Command dismissed the reports, describing them as misinformation allegedly spread by “conflict entrepreneurs” bent on disturbing the state’s relative calm. At a press briefing in Kaduna, the state Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Rabiu, had challenged those circulating the…

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has struck out a lawsuit filed by Samuel Anyanwu in which he sought judicial recognition as the national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Justice Mohammed Umar dismissed the case on Tuesday after Anyanwu’s counsel, U. C. Njemanze-Aku, informed the court that his client’s tenure as national secretary lapsed in December 2025. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/254/2025, had asked the court to bar the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Umar Damagum, who was PDP national chairman at the time, from recognising or acting on any communication from the party that did not…

Leader of the UK’s Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, has sharply criticised United States President Donald Trump over his renewed push to acquire Greenland, describing the move as akin to “international gangsterism”. Speaking in parliament on Tuesday while addressing Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Davey labelled Trump “the most corrupt president the United States has ever seen” and warned that Britain’s current response to Washington was dangerously weak. Trump has recently intensified efforts to persuade European allies to back his plan to buy Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, which is a NATO member. As part of the pressure campaign, he announced…