Author: Gbenga Olaleye

Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has strongly cautioned the political support group ADC Vanguard against attributing fabricated statements to him. In a post shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, El-Rufai stated unequivocally that while he maintains active platforms for expressing his opinions, the remarks recently circulated by ADC Vanguard did not originate from him. “Dear ADC Vanguard, please stop fabricating statements and attributing them to me. I have my own social media accounts where I can share my views and opinions,” he wrote. “I am going to disown the statements you created and attributed,…

A prominent figure within Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dominic Alancha, has expressed concerns that a potential alliance between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Anambra State Governor Peter Obi could significantly undermine the party’s chances in the 2027 general elections. Alancha shared his views during an interview on Politics Today, a current affairs programme aired on Channels Television, where he noted that such a coalition would represent a formidable challenge to the APC’s electoral strength. According to NewDailyPrime, on 2 July 2025, key opposition leaders, including Atiku, Obi, former Senate President David Mark, as well as former ministers…

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dr. Ibrahim Mani, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of orchestrating widespread vote buying during the recent by-elections across several states. Speaking during an interview on Trust TV, Dr. Mani claimed that the ruling APC engaged in more voter inducement than any other party, citing observations made by ADC monitors deployed to various polling units during the elections. “In most of the places we monitored, it was the ruling party that benefited more from vote buying. And in Kano, the ruling party in the state also bought votes,” he alleged. Dr.…

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has provided reasons for granting an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to freeze the bank accounts of Mele Kyari, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, marks a significant turn in the ongoing investigations surrounding Kyari, who has faced increasing scrutiny since his dismissal earlier this year by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Under the court order, funds amounting to ₦661,464,601.50 held across three accounts with Jaiz Bank have been frozen. The…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has cautioned Nigerians against hastily labelling the ongoing Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) probe of former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, as politically motivated. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Wike stressed that investigations by the EFCC are a routine part of governance and do not always signal political targeting. “People should stop claiming that Tambuwal is being witch-hunted because he belongs to the opposition,” Wike said. “Many Nigerians have been invited or investigated by the EFCC, and it does not always mean politics is involved.” Wike referred to…

A growing rift between two prominent Yoruba traditional rulers has sparked fresh controversy, as the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, openly dismissed a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, regarding a disputed chieftaincy title. The Alaafin had demanded that the Ooni withdraw the recently conferred title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland from Ibadan-based businessman Chief Dotun Sanusi, branding the act a direct affront to his authority and the sanctity of the traditional institution. However, in a sharp response, the Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, described the ultimatum as an “empty threat” stemming from a “dead…

A prominent legal practitioner, Pelumi Olajengbesi Esq., has waded into the recent controversy surrounding the conferment of the title Okanlomo of Oodua on Chief Dotun Sanusi by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. The lawyer described the alleged ultimatum issued by the Alaafin of Oyo to the Ooni as “gratuitous, constitutionally unsound, and an affront to Yoruba heritage.” He argued that the move to challenge the Ooni’s decision was both historically and legally untenable. According to Olajengbesi, the Ooni acted well within his lawful and cultural prerogatives. “In law, we ask whether an action is intra vires—within lawful…

With just one month remaining before the six-month emergency rule in Rivers State expires, the camp of suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara has started the countdown to his anticipated return on 18 September 2025. Jerry Omatsogunwa, the governor’s media aide, said that residents of Rivers State are eagerly awaiting Fubara’s comeback, hopeful that he will resume the “good work he was doing” before the suspension. “Expectations for the governor’s return are very high,” Omatsogunwa said. “He had been doing wonderfully well as head of the Rivers State Government. Several key projects were underway, including the multi-billion-naira Port Harcourt Ring Road, which spans…

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has directed all Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs) to immediately stop accepting or processing equity contribution applications from seven Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs) due to their alleged failure to comply with the commission’s housing loan guidelines. In a circular dated 11 August 2025, signed by Obiora Ibeziako, Head of Benefits and Insurance Department at PenCom, the commission instructed PFAs and PFCs to suspend dealings with Jigawa Savings & Loans Limited, FHA Mortgage Bank Limited, Delta Trust Mortgage Bank Limited, AG Mortgage Bank Limited, Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank Plc, First Trust Mortgage…

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has commended Nigeria’s security agencies for their recent success in capturing two top leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group. The arrests were announced last Saturday by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu. According to Ribadu, the operation, conducted between May and July 2025, was a high-risk, intelligence-led counter-terrorism effort that resulted in the capture of Mahmud Muhammad Usman, the self-styled Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeria. Usman coordinated various terrorist sleeper cells and orchestrated high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies, while al-Nigeri led the group’s “Mahmudawa” cell operating around Kainji National…