Author: Gbenga Olaleye

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be unable to return to power in the 2027 general elections, citing what he described as poor and unfocused leadership within the opposition party. Wike made the remarks on Monday during his end-of-the-year media chat, where he openly criticised the PDP’s current leadership, accusing it of lacking commitment, direction and the capacity to take constructive advice. According to him, unless urgent steps are taken to reposition the party, the PDP risks further decline. The former Rivers State governor argued that the…

President Bola Tinubu has approved the cancellation of a significant portion of debts owed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) to the Federation Account, wiping off about $1.42bn and N5.57tn following a reconciliation exercise between both parties. The approval is contained in a document prepared by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and presented at the November meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC). The report, titled “Report of October 2025 Revenue Collection Presented at the Federation Account Allocation Committee Meeting Held on 18th November 2025,” was obtained by The PUNCH on Sunday. According to…

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has challenged a former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, to provide evidence to support his claim that he received N50bn from President Bola Tinubu following the January 2024 Ibadan explosion. Makinde had visited President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in January 2024 to submit a report on the explosion, which claimed five lives, injured 77 people and destroyed about 55 houses in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. However, Fayose, during an interview on TVC on Friday, alleged that Makinde received N50bn from the Presidency to manage the aftermath of the incident, adding that the…

No fewer than 141 Nigerian nationals have been arrested in Ghana over their alleged involvement in cyber-enabled financial crimes, including mobile money fraud, business email compromise and other online scams. The arrests followed a coordinated early-morning operation carried out by the Cyber Security Authority of Ghana in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service, National Security and the Ghana Immigration Service. The operation was conducted across key locations in Tabora and Lashibi, two suburbs in the Greater Accra Region. According to a statement issued on Saturday by Ghana’s Commissioner for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel George, the joint operation led…

The political landscape in Rivers State appears set for renewed intrigue in the coming year, following indications that the lingering crisis and the much-publicised peace deal between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara may be far from fully resolved. Fresh uncertainty emerged on Saturday when Wike announced that political activities in the state would formally resume from January 2026, a declaration widely interpreted as a signal that the fragile truce between rival political camps could face fresh tests. The FCT minister made the statement during a briefing with stakeholders from Ahoada East…

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has renewed its call on the Federal Government to privatise Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), urging that the process be transparently concluded by the first quarter of 2026. In a statement released on Saturday, PETROAN’s National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, said decades of public investment in the refineries have failed to deliver meaningful commercial output, describing the continued government ownership of the facilities as fiscally wasteful and counterproductive to the growth of the downstream petroleum sector. According to him, sustained public funding of…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has revealed that the 17 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) did so without consulting him, despite his longstanding influence in the state’s political affairs. Wike made the disclosure on Saturday while addressing lawmakers at the Assembly Quarters, admitting that the defection personally affected him. The former Rivers State governor is widely regarded as a key political figure in the state and a central player in the crisis that has engulfed the PDP in recent…

Nollywood actress and producer Allwell Ademola has reportedly died, sparking an outpouring of grief across Nigeria’s film industry and on social media. Entertainment sources said Ademola, aged 43, passed away on Saturday after reportedly suffering a heart attack at her residence before being rushed to hospital. As of the time of reporting, there has been no formal statement from her immediate family, but colleagues and associates within the film community have continued to share tributes, describing her death as a devastating loss. News of Ademola’s passing spread quickly online, prompting emotional reactions from fellow actors and fans who remembered her…

As Nigerian states head into 2026 with ambitious spending plans, weak internally generated revenue (IGR) is forcing many to rely heavily on federal allocations, borrowing and other non-recurring inflows to fund their budgets, raising concerns about fiscal sustainability, Sunday PUNCH reports. An analysis of appropriation bills and approved estimates across several states shows that only a few can finance a significant portion of their expenditure from IGR. In most cases, federally shared revenue from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) remains the largest and most predictable source of funding, complemented by value-added tax (VAT) distributions and, for oil-producing states, derivation…

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has announced plans to hold its national convention in mid-2026 as part of wider efforts to reposition the party ahead of the 2027 general elections. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed this on Saturday, saying the ADC is currently focused on nationwide mobilisation, expanding its membership base and strengthening its internal structures. According to him, these efforts are aimed at laying a strong organisational foundation before the next electoral cycle gathers momentum. Abdullahi explained that the party’s immediate priority is to build what he described as a “solid organisational framework” across the country.…