Author: Gbenga Olaleye

The Palace of the Alaafin of Oyo has denied claims by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, that he consulted Oba Akeem Owoade on the rotational chairmanship of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs. The denial was contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan by the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaye. The palace described the governor’s assertion as inaccurate, insisting that no such consultation ever took place. New Daily Prime earlier reported that Governor Makinde had, during the inauguration of the newly constituted Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs at the…

Three witnesses of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday admitted before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, that there were massive withdrawals from Kogi State Government House Administration bank accounts, but maintained that former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, was never a beneficiary of the transactions. The witnesses, Mshelia Arhyel Bata of Zenith Bank, Mohammed Hassan of Keystone Bank, and Gabriel Oche of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), testified for the prosecution in the ongoing trial of Bello and two others over alleged corruption-related offences. During their testimonies, the witnesses tendered various documents…

The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has dismissed reports suggesting that Value Added Tax (VAT) is being charged directly on bank transfers, clarifying that the 7.5 per cent tax applies only to service charges imposed by banks and not to the actual funds transferred by customers. In a statement issued on Thursday, the revenue agency described recent media reports claiming that VAT is being newly imposed on electronic transfers and other banking transactions as inaccurate and misleading. The statement was signed by Dare Adekanmbi, Special Adviser on Media to the NRS Chairman, Zaccheus Adedeji. According to the NRS, VAT has always…

Abba Abubakar, son of former Vice President and 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has defected from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), pledging to work towards the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027. The defection was formally announced on Thursday at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, where Abba, popularly known as “Abba”, was received by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin. He was welcomed alongside other senior APC leaders from the North-East geopolitical zone in what party officials described as a significant political realignment. Addressing party leaders and…

Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has disclosed that his administration has paid a total of N45.89 billion in accrued life and death benefits to 14,560 workers of the state and local governments between May 2023 and January 2025. The governor made this known on Thursday during the final batch of disbursement of N21 billion to beneficiaries in Katsina. The exercise marked the conclusion of a comprehensive payment programme aimed at clearing long-standing pension-related liabilities owed to workers and their families. Radda explained that the latest disbursement followed an earlier release of over N23 billion, which was flagged off in 2025…

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday inaugurated the new Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs in Ibadan, marking a significant step towards revitalising traditional governance and strengthening unity among the state’s royal institutions. The inauguration ceremony was held in the House of Chiefs Hall at the State Secretariat, Ibadan. The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, Arusa I, was named the inaugural chairman of the council and will serve a two-year term. However, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, one of the foremost traditional rulers in the state, was notably absent from the event. The inauguration followed…

The Kogi State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) has expressed confidence that it will exceed the achievements recorded under the NG-CARES 1.0 programme following the approval of additional financing for the implementation of NG-CARES 2.0. The General Manager of the agency, Chief Momoh Dauda, disclosed this during a two-day capacity-building training for members of Local Government Review Committees and Desk Officers, held in Okene on Wednesday. According to him, the new phase of the programme is designed to deepen social protection interventions and expand support for poor and vulnerable households across Kogi State. The Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and…

The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has disclosed that it approved and classified 1,185 films between January and December 2025, reflecting sustained growth and heightened activity in Nigeria’s film industry. The figure represents an increase from the 1,088 films approved in 2024, indicating a steady rise in film production and distribution across the country. The disclosure was made on Wednesday by the Director of Corporate Affairs of the board, Mr Ogbonna Onwumere, in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). According to Onwumere, the increase in film approvals underscores the vibrancy of Nigeria’s creative…

The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have signed a new agreement aimed at improving the quality of Nigeria’s university education system and ensuring long-term stability in the academic calendar. The deal formally replaces the controversial 2009 FG–ASUU agreement, which had been at the centre of repeated industrial actions and prolonged strikes over unresolved issues. The signing and official unveiling of the agreement took place on Wednesday at the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Conference Hall in Maitama, Abuja. The event was attended by key stakeholders in the education sector, including the Minister of Education, Dr…

The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, has disclosed that he has received threats to his life as a result of his role in driving Nigeria’s far-reaching tax reforms, underscoring the high personal and political stakes involved in restructuring the country’s fiscal system. Oyedele made the revelation in Abuja on Tuesday while speaking at a governance colloquium organised to mark the 50th birthday of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hajiya Hadiza Bala-Usman. According to him, attempts to overhaul Nigeria’s tax architecture inevitably attract resistance from powerful interests…