Author: Gbenga Olaleye

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has embarked on a major retrenchment exercise that has seen around 800 employees dismissed, even as Nigerians continue to struggle with rising inflation, high living costs, and unreliable electricity supply. The mass layoff, which began on Wednesday, 5 November 2025, comes after months of internal restructuring within the utility firm, which supplies power to the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi, Niger, and Nasarawa States. Multiple sources within the company said that AEDC’s management had initially proposed to terminate the employment of 1,800 workers, but the number was reduced to 800 following tense negotiations with the National…

Thirty-one members of the United States Congress have commended President Donald Trump for reinstating Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), a classification reserved for nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom. The lawmakers described Trump’s decision as a “bold and moral step” towards confronting what they called an ongoing “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. Their commendation was contained in a joint statement released on Tuesday by Rep. Robert Aderholt, Chairman of the House Values Action Team, and made available to journalists on Thursday. According to Aderholt, Trump’s decision “rekindled hope among Nigeria’s Christian…

Former Presidential Adviser Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to personally address Nigerians following the recent threat by former U.S. President Donald Trump to authorise military action against Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians. In a strongly worded statement shared on his verified Facebook page on Thursday, Baba-Ahmed criticised the president’s continued silence on the matter, warning that it projects an image of weak leadership. “If President Tinubu truly has capable advisers and understands the weight of his office, he should have spoken to Nigerians by now. This is not the time for ministers or aides to issue…

The Federal Government, through the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), has announced the opening of applications for the Renewed Hope National Agricultural Mechanisation Programme (RHAMP), a flagship initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria’s agricultural landscape and improving food security. Launched in partnership with Heifer Nigeria, RHAMP seeks to empower a new generation of mechanisation service providers across the country, with a particular focus on women, youth, and agricultural mechanisation companies. According to a flyer shared on Thursday by Dada Olusegun, Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Social Media, applications are free and currently open on the official BOA website, https://boanig.com,…

The Senate has received an interim report from its ad hoc committee investigating crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, revealing that Nigeria may have lost more than $300 billion in unaccounted crude oil proceeds over the years. The report, presented on Wednesday by the committee’s chairman, Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), attributed the massive losses to entrenched corruption, poor regulatory oversight, and widespread sabotage across the oil sector. The committee, established earlier in 2025, was tasked with probing crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, illicit export operations, and alleged compromises within Nigeria’s petroleum and security agencies — a crisis that…

Former Kano State Governor and ex-Minister of Education, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, has vowed to remain active in politics for the rest of his life, saying his commitment to public service and credible leadership will never wane. Shekarau made the declaration on Wednesday during an interactive session with journalists held as part of activities marking his 70th birthday celebration in Kano. “I will remain within the political arena for life to continue to ensure credible leadership in the country,” he said. “So, the question of leaving politics does not even arise.” The former governor, who served two terms between 2003 and…

The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has agreed to consult his legal advisers before opening his defence in the terrorism charges brought against him by the Federal Government. Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, made the appeal again on Wednesday after Kanu repeatedly maintained that the seven-count charge against him was invalid under Nigerian law. Initially unwilling to proceed, Kanu eventually told the court that he would confer with his legal team, which includes Nnaemeka Ejiofor, Aloy Ejimakor, Maxwell Okpara, and Mandela Umegborogu. Following the development, Justice Omotosho granted an adjournment…

Nigeria’s Nobel laureate and literary icon, Professor Wole Soyinka, has said he is not yet ready to publicly assess the administration of President Bola Tinubu, citing the frequent misrepresentation of his comments in the media. Speaking during an interview with BBC News Yoruba published on Facebook on Tuesday, the globally acclaimed playwright and human rights activist explained that he preferred to take his time before making any public statement regarding the Tinubu government. “I have been asked that question by several people,” Soyinka said, speaking in Yoruba. “I don’t want to answer because it seems as if there’s nothing one…

The embattled National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, over an alleged violent invasion of the party’s national secretariat by suspended National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu. In the petition dated November 3, 2025, Damagum alleged that Anyanwu led a group of armed thugs to the party’s Wadata Plaza headquarters in Abuja in a bid to forcefully install a factional leadership. He claimed the invasion was coordinated with the backing of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and involved several suspended PDP officials, including Abdulrahman…

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Damagum, has called on party leaders and members to remain united and committed to the task of rebuilding and rescuing Nigeria, beginning from the opposition. Damagum made the call on Wednesday in Abuja during a meeting at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge, where he addressed members of the Board of Trustees and other senior party stakeholders. He said the PDP must demonstrate internal discipline and unity ahead of its planned national convention in Ibadan, which has been the subject of conflicting court rulings. READ ALSO: National Convention: Meet political giants…