Author: Damilola

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has said the Labour Party (LP) remains resilient and influential despite the departure of its former presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Otti made the assertion on Saturday night while addressing members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) at a meeting in Abuja. Obi formally defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on December 31. While admitting that the party has experienced some setbacks, including the loss of lawmakers and interim national committee members through defections, the governor insisted that LP’s strength has not been diminished. “We regret the exit of our former leader and presidential…

Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti has been posthumously recognised by the Recording Academy, becoming the first African artist to receive its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. The historic honour was conferred at the 2026 Special Merit Awards held in Los Angeles on Saturday, January 31, just ahead of the main Grammy Awards ceremony. Members of Fela’s family—Yeni, Kunle, Shalewa and Femi Kuti—were present to accept the award on his behalf. Speaking at the event, Yeni Kuti thanked the Recording Academy for the recognition, saying she believed her late father would be proud of the moment. She also paid tribute to family members…

President Bola Tinubu has arrived back in Nigeria following a state visit to Turkey aimed at deepening diplomatic and strategic ties between both countries. The aircraft carrying the president touched down at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 8:55pm on Saturday. The Presidency confirmed his return in a short statement made available to State House correspondents on Saturday evening. Tinubu commenced the official visit on Tuesday, during which he held a series of bilateral engagements with Turkish authorities. A major highlight of the trip was his meeting with Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Discussions…

Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has ordered sweeping sanctions against the Amasiri clan in Afikpo Local Government Area, including the removal of traditional rulers, withdrawal of their staff of office, and the dissolution of all political and community leadership structures in the area. The governor also dismissed the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Prof. Amari Omaka, who hails from Amasiri, alongside other political appointees from the community. The decisive actions followed a violent attack on Okporojo in Oso Edda community, Edda Local Government Area, where four persons were allegedly beheaded, with their heads reportedly taken away by assailants said to be…

Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has called on Nigerians—both employers and individuals—to comply with the legal requirement of filing annual tax returns, warning that compliance levels across the country remain alarmingly low. Oyedele made the call during a webinar held for HR managers, payroll officers, CFOs and tax managers, organised in collaboration with the Joint Revenue Board and shared on YouTube on Friday. Addressing employers, he stressed the urgency of filing annual returns for employees, including projected staff emoluments. “In terms of filing returns, you need to file annual returns as employers…

The United States government has entered a shutdown after Congress was unable to approve legislation to finance federal operations, resulting in a lapse in appropriations. The shutdown took effect when lawmakers failed to pass a funding bill before the deadline, forcing federal agencies deemed non-essential to begin scaling back their activities. As a consequence, hundreds of thousands of government workers have been placed on furlough, while others have been instructed to continue working without pay. Despite the shutdown, essential services such as national security operations, air traffic control, and emergency response will remain functional. However, a range of public services—including…

Governor of Abia state, Alex Otti, has reaffirmed his loyalty to the Labour Party (LP), insisting he is still a card-carrying member of the party that brought him to office in the 2023 governorship election. Speaking against the backdrop of recent defections by opposition governors to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Otti noted that while political realities can change, his current position remains unchanged. The governor made the remarks during his monthly media briefing, where he addressed questions surrounding the ongoing leadership dispute within the LP. “We are on the right side. We have maintained that Abure’s tenure has expired,…

The Senate, through its Committee on Appropriations, has provisionally scheduled March 17 for the final debate and approval of Nigeria’s N58.47 trillion 2026 federal budget. The timeline was agreed during a special meeting of the committee on Friday. According to the schedule, committees of the Senate will review budget estimates between February 2 and 13, while a public hearing on the proposal is slated for February 9 to broaden stakeholder participation. Chairman of the committee, Solomon Adeola, said Professor Wasiu Adeoye of the University of Lagos will deliver a PowerPoint presentation at the public hearing. He also disclosed that March…

The Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced plans to challenge a Federal High Court ruling in Ibadan that declined its request for an order of mandamus. The court ruled that granting the application would amount to “sitting on appeal” over decisions of courts with equal jurisdiction — a verdict the faction said it had anticipated. In a statement issued by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, on Friday, the group said it had directed its lawyers to immediately file an appeal and take all necessary legal steps to defend its position. Despite the judgment, the…

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has given the federal government four weeks to fully implement pending agreements on pay, allowances and welfare conditions. The decision followed the association’s national executive council (NEC) meeting and scientific conference held in Jos, Plateau state, from January 25 to 29, 2026. In a communiqué signed by NARD president Mohammad Suleiman, the group commended President Bola Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima and other stakeholders for their engagement in resolving the issues. The NEC acknowledged the reinstatement of dismissed doctors at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, and praised the interventions of the ministry of labour…