Author: Gbenga Olaleye

A compliance officer with the United Bank for Africa (UBA), Abimbola Williams, on Wednesday told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama that a total of ₦640 million was withdrawn from the Kogi State Government House account within just six days in 2019. Testifying as the third prosecution witness (PW3) in the ongoing corruption trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, Williams revealed that the withdrawals were made via 64 separate cheques of ₦10 million each, issued between 31 July and 6 August 2019 by Abdulsalami Hudu, the then Chief Accountant of the Government House. Bello, Hudu, and…

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has assured Lagos residents that the proposed Lagos Tenancy Bill, currently before the State House of Assembly, is designed to create a fair and transparent rental system, balancing the rights of both landlords and tenants. Speaking during the inauguration of the Sunny Ajose Housing Estate in Ajara, Badagry, on Wednesday, the governor said the bill was developed to address long-standing housing conflicts and promote a more equitable housing landscape in Nigeria’s commercial capital. “Everybody wants to be a landlord. But you must also have tenants who can survive and pay rent,” Sanwo-Olu said. The governor stressed that…

Just hours after vacating office as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has been ordered to be arrested by the Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, over alleged contempt of court. The order, issued on 7 October 2025, by Justice Funmilola Demi-Ajayi, directs the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, to arrest Yakubu and initiate contempt and committal proceedings within seven days of the ruling. The legal action was instituted by the Action Alliance (AA) over INEC’s alleged failure to fully comply with a court judgment delivered earlier this year in suit number…

Local government officials across Oyo State have called on Governor Seyi Makinde to join the 2027 presidential race, citing his transformational leadership and governance record as key reasons Nigeria needs his kind of leadership at the national level. The appeal was made on Tuesday during a solidarity rally held at the Oyo State Government Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan. The rally was attended by hundreds of political appointees, including secretaries to local governments, chiefs of staff to council chairmen, supervisory councillors, and special assistants from all 33 local government areas of the state. The event was officially acknowledged in a statement…

Segun Showunmi, former spokesperson to Atiku Abubakar during the 2019 presidential election, has criticised the growing decline in professionalism within Nigeria’s broadcast media, calling for urgent intervention by regulatory bodies and the Ministry of Information. In a strongly worded post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday night, titled “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: WHEN BROADCASTERS BECOME THE STORY”, Showunmi condemned what he described as a disturbing trend among television anchors who, in his view, prioritise provocation over ethical journalism. “When television anchors abandon professionalism for provocation, it becomes the duty of the station’s management to call them to order,” he wrote.…

Former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Iyiola Omisore, has declared his intention to contest the party’s ticket for the 2026 Osun State governorship election, expressing strong confidence in his chances. Speaking in Osogbo on Tuesday, Omisore stated that he believes over 90 per cent of APC members in the state would support his bid during the party’s primaries scheduled for later this year. According to the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Osun State governorship election will be held on 8 August 2026, while party primaries are to take place between 24…

Embattled Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, made a return to the Senate on Tuesday, marking her comeback after a six-month suspension. Her return coincided with the resumption of plenary by the red chamber following a 10-week annual recess, which began on 24 July 2025 and was originally scheduled to end on 23 September 2025. However, the Senate resumed slightly behind schedule, with plenary proceedings presided over by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, as Senate President Godswill Akpabio was notably absent at the time of reconvening. Despite Akpabio’s absence, legislative business resumed in full swing, with a high turnout of…

The Omoluabi Progressives, a political group loyal to former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola, has accused the Federal Government of illegally disbursing local government allocations in Osun State to individuals it described as “illegal” chairmen aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC). In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, the group warned against the spending of six months’ worth of local government funds recently released by the FG, claiming the allocations were unlawfully transferred into the accounts of persons not legally recognised. Speaking at a press conference in Osogbo, the chairman of the group, Mr Isha Adesiji, said the…

ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu will preside over a meeting of the Council of State on Thursday, where he is expected to present the names of potential candidates to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This development comes as part of a broader agenda to be discussed at the meeting, which includes pressing national issues, institutional appointments, and governance reforms. The President is also scheduled to chair a separate Police Council meeting on the same day. That session will focus on advancing discussions around the creation of state police forces and address key…

The Federal Government has announced the commencement of a comprehensive verification exercise for all civil servants across the country and in federal establishments abroad, starting from October 16 to November 14, 2025. The exercise, which will be conducted in partnership with Philips Consulting and other human resource firms, is aimed at updating personnel records, identifying skills gaps, and supporting strategic workforce reforms within the federal civil service. This was disclosed in an internal memo titled “Verification Exercise” and signed by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Dr Didi Walson-Jack. The memo, obtained by our correspondent on…