Author: Gbenga Oluranti Olaleye

The Director of Lands for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chijioke Nwanwkoeze, has clarified that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has failed to pay ground rent for its national secretariat for 28 years, amounting to N7.6 million. Nwanwkoeze made this statement on Wednesday, March 19, in Abuja while addressing the press regarding the ongoing controversy surrounding the revocation of the PDP’s land title for its national secretariat. This follows a decision by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to revoke the land title for the PDP secretariat, which is located in the Central Area of Abuja. The revocation was formalised in…

According to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the naira appreciated by 0.16 percent to 1530.52/$ at the close of trading on Wednesday, March 19, from 1532.93/$ in the previous session. The naira traded as high as 1545/$ and reached a low of 1500/$, which was lower than Tuesday’s figures. In the parallel market, CardinalStone Research reported that the naira remained unchanged at 1,585.00/$, causing the spread for speculative traders to widen. Analysts noted that the gap between official and parallel market rates had narrowed to about 3.07 per cent from 3.40 per cent earlier in the week.…

Nigerian social media personality and commentator Isaac Fayose has weighed in on the Rivers State controversy, pointing fingers at former President Olusegun Obasanjo for the country’s democratic woes. In a video posted on his Instagram page on Wednesday, March 19, Fayose claimed that Obasanjo laid the foundation for the problems plaguing Nigeria’s democracy today, including election rigging, ballot box snatching, and godfatherism. He stated, “All the bad things happening in our democratic system today were started by Obasanjo. Obasanjo derailed this democracy. That is why you can see rigging of elections, snatching of ballot boxes and Godfatherism now, because it…

The Federal Government has defended President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, calling it a timely move aimed at preventing a potential crisis in the state. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, made the statement on Wednesday, March 19, while addressing State House correspondents at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja. “We are about two years into the administration in the state, Now, when do you think the President should have intervened? Should it have been when everything had been destroyed? I don’t think so,” Fagbemi said. He added, “I…

Senate President Godswill Akpabio paid a visit to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, at his Abuja residence on Tuesday evening, just hours after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State. The visit was confirmed by Wike’s spokesman, Lere Olayinka, who shared the news on X (formerly Twitter). Olayinka posted, “The Uncommon Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during his visit to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in his residence today.” At the time of reporting, no official statement had been released regarding the specific agenda of the meeting. However, Akpabio’s visit came at…

Just one day after declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State, President Bola Tinubu has met with Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas, the newly appointed sole administrator tasked with overseeing the state’s governance. Ibas arrived at the Presidential Villa at approximately 12:48 pm (local time) for the crucial meeting, which comes amid a tense political crisis in the oil-rich state. On Tuesday, March 18, Tinubu declared the emergency measure, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months. In a national broadcast,…

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as the Sole Administrator for Rivers State following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu, for six months. This move comes in the wake of a state of emergency declared in Rivers to address the ongoing political unrest. Admiral Ibas, a seasoned military officer with an extensive career in the Nigerian Navy, was previously the 22nd Chief of the Naval Staff, a role he held from 2015 until his retirement in 2021. His new appointment places him at the helm of governance in the state,…

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has voiced strong support for President Bola Tinubu’s decision to impose a state of emergency in Rivers State, deeming it an essential step towards restoring stability to the region’s turbulent political environment. In a statement released on Tuesday, March 18, by the Ministry’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Matawalle emphasised the significance of this decisive move in addressing the ongoing political crisis, which has hindered the effective governance and welfare of the people of Rivers. Matawalle reflected on President Tinubu’s address regarding the state of emergency, acknowledging the gravity of the…

Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his family members are reportedly being held hostage at the Government House in Port Harcourt by a contingent of heavily armed soldiers, sources have revealed. The incident took place on Tuesday night, shortly after President Bola Tinubu invoked Section 180 of the Nigerian Constitution to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State. The state of emergency follows a rapidly escalating political feud between Governor Fubara and lawmakers loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike, who recently initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara. These actions appear to be an attempt to settle political scores following a fallout between…

On Tuesday, March 18, the Nigerian Senate passed for first reading a bill aimed at amending the Nigerian Data Protection Act of 2023, with the goal of compelling major social media platforms and independent bloggers to establish physical offices within Nigeria. Titled “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Nigerian Data Protection Act, 2023, Mandating the Establishment of Physical Offices within the Federal Republic of Nigeria by Social Media Platforms, and for Related Matters, 2025,” the bill was introduced by Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta State. The proposed amendment requires platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, WhatsApp,…