Author: Gbenga Olaleye

Cracks have continued to widen within the Rivers State House of Assembly as two more lawmakers publicly called on their colleagues to withdraw the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu. The lawmakers, Barile Nwakoh, who represents Khana Constituency I, and Emilia Amadi of Obio/Akpor Constituency II, appealed during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Wednesday. Their intervention comes barely two days after two other Assembly members broke ranks to advocate restraint and dialogue, signalling growing internal opposition to the impeachment move. Earlier in the week, Sylvanus Eyinna Nwankwo, the Minority Leader of…

by: Gbenga Olaleye & Aleem Ismaeel Senior members of Nigeria’s Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have expressed cautious optimism mixed with deep scepticism over the Federal Government’s newly negotiated agreement with university lecturers, warning that salary levels, implementation gaps, and political interference could continue to destabilise the nation’s higher education system. Speaking in separate interviews, Dr Nwogu Godwin of the Department of Adult Education at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) and the FUOYE ASUU Chairman acknowledged some positive developments in the agreement. Still, he stressed that longstanding structural issues remain unresolved. Dr Godwin noted that trust between ASUU and…

The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, has said Nigeria no longer needs passive graduates but active, solution-driven citizens capable of addressing the country’s social, economic, and developmental challenges. Hamzat remarked on Tuesday in Osogbo, Osun State, while delivering a speech as chairman of the occasion at the 15th convocation lecture of Fountain University, Osogbo. He was represented at the event by the Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Mr Layode Olanrewaju. Speaking against the backdrop of persistent concerns that many school leavers are ill-prepared for the realities of today’s labour market, the deputy governor urged graduating students to…

The Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Dr Zacch Adedeji, has sought to allay widespread public fears surrounding Nigeria’s newly implemented tax laws, insisting that neither the old tax regime nor the new one empowers any authority to tax money sitting in Nigerians’ bank accounts. Adedeji clarified on Tuesday during a programme on Journalists’ Hangout, aired on TVC, amid growing anxiety and rumours that the tax reforms, which took effect on 1 January 2026, would allow automatic deductions from personal or corporate bank accounts based on transfers, savings balances, or transaction narratives. “Whether old tax law or new…

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has intensified efforts to broaden its political base ahead of the 2027 general election, calling on former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and other prominent political figures to join the party. The call followed the inauguration of the party’s North-East Zonal Congress Committee, which the ADC described as part of a renewed drive to strengthen its internal structures, promote internal democracy, and reposition itself as a viable national alternative. The development was disclosed in a communiqué issued on Tuesday by the factional National Chairman of the ADC, Mr Nafiu Gombe, after the…

A Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has nullified Wole Oluyede’s nomination as the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary election. Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Babs Kuewumi upheld the complaints of irregularities raised by one of the aspirants, Funso Ayeni, over the conduct of the party’s primary election. Ayeni had approached the court to challenge the process, alleging that the list of approved delegates was unlawfully altered on the day of the election, a development he said undermined the integrity and credibility of the exercise. In his…

A civil rights organisation, Citizens’ Gavel, has called for the immediate release of 52 students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State, who were remanded in custody following a protest against rising insecurity in the area. The students were arrested after a demonstration in Ekpoma, the headquarters of Esan West Local Government Area. The protest, which began on Saturday as a peaceful march to draw attention to increasing cases of kidnapping, robbery, and killings around the university community, reportedly later turned violent. Following their arraignment on Monday, the police’s actions have attracted widespread criticism from rights groups and concerned…

Two additional witnesses on Tuesday testified before the Federal High Court in Abuja in the ongoing trial of five men accused of masterminding the deadly attack on St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, on 5 June 2022. During the proceedings, the Department of State Services (DSS) also tendered additional documentary exhibits, which the trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, admitted without objection from the defence. The five defendants are standing trial on a nine-count amended charge bordering on terrorism and related offences. They are Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and…

Nollywood filmmaker and actor Funke Akindele has further cemented her status as one of Africa’s most influential figures in cinema after her latest film, Behind The Scenes, crossed the ₦2 billion mark at the box office, becoming the first Nollywood production to achieve the milestone. The record-breaking feat was confirmed on Monday by the film’s distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, in a post on X. According to the announcement, Behind The Scenes has now grossed a total of ₦2,103,039,706 in ticket sales since its release. FilmOne described the achievement as historic, stating that the film had “officially broken and shattered records” by…

Security has been significantly reinforced at the Kano State Government House amid growing speculation that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf may be planning to defect from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). NEW DAILY PRIME reports that heightened security was observed on Monday at the main entrance and surrounding areas of the Government House, with combined teams of security personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) deployed at strategic points. Access to the premises was subject to rigorous checks, including strict identification procedures, as operatives monitored movements…