Author: Gbenga Olaleye

The Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has defended Nigeria’s newly gazetted tax laws, insisting that concerns raised by KPMG Nigeria stem largely from misunderstandings of policy intent or disagreement with deliberate reform choices rather than actual errors. In a statement issued on Saturday, Oyedele said the committee welcomed scrutiny and feedback but maintained that the majority of KPMG’s observations mischaracterised the objectives and structure of the new tax framework. “We welcome all perspectives that contribute to a shared understanding and successful implementation of the new tax laws,” the statement said. Oyedele acknowledged that…

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has assured Nigerians that the 2027 General Election will be free, fair, transparent and driven by technology, warning that the Commission will not tolerate misconduct in the electoral process. Amupitan gave the assurance in Lagos during the 2026 Induction and Strategic Retreat of the Commission, held from January 9 to 10. He said INEC was positioning itself to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving electoral environment and the growing expectations of the electorate. “We gather here today not merely as electoral administrators and leaders, but as…

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a 49-year-old man, Peter Adubi, in connection with the alleged defilement of a 13-year-old girl in Ibadan. The arrest was confirmed on Friday in a statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Olayinka Ayanlade. He said the matter was reported on January 8, 2026, at about 8:50 pm by the girl’s guardian. According to the police, the guardian became concerned after noticing unusual changes in the child’s behaviour. When approached for clarification, the minor reportedly disclosed that she had been sexually abused in 2022 while living with her mother in the…

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, has disabled its image creation and editing feature for non-paying users following intense backlash over the tool’s use to generate sexualised deepfake images of women and children. The decision comes amid growing international scrutiny of Musk’s social media platform X, where Grok is integrated, after reports emerged that users were exploiting the AI tool to create explicit and unlawful imagery. Some users allegedly generated images depicting women and children undressed and, in some cases, placed in sexualised positions. In a response to users on Friday, Grok announced the restriction via a post on X,…

The former vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has firmly dismissed reports claiming that he recently declared his intention to contest the presidency, describing such claims as a misinterpretation of his remarks. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, Baba-Ahmed clarified that he made no declaration of interest in the presidency and stressed that reports suggesting otherwise were inaccurate. According to him, his comments were taken out of context and amplified beyond their original meaning. “I never declared to contest the presidency two days ago,” he said unequivocally. “What I did was simply say…

The Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has formally petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of corruption and abuse of office against the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed. The development was confirmed in a statement released on Friday by the Dangote Group media team. According to the statement, the petition was submitted through Dangote’s legal representative at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja. This latest move follows Dangote’s earlier petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in which Ahmed was accused…

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and publisher of Ovation magazine, Chief Dele Momodu, has criticised supporters of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, popularly known as the Obidients, over what he described as divisive claims within the opposition coalition. Momodu faulted Obi’s supporters for repeatedly describing their principal as the “best” among all leaders within the ADC coalition and for insisting that he must emerge as the party’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general election. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Momodu said such rhetoric was dismissive of other prominent figures within the…

A member of the House of Representatives representing Ideato Federal Constituency of Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, has officially joined the Action Peoples Party (APP) as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections. Ugochinyere’s defection follows his recent voluntary withdrawal from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing prolonged internal crises and unresolved leadership squabbles. His move marks a significant political realignment, given his status as a serving federal lawmaker and a prominent voice in the National Assembly. Welcoming him into the party, the National President of the APP, Uchenna Kingsley Nnadi, described Ugochinyere’s decision as a significant boost for the…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that Nigeria’s democracy is under threat, describing the allegations as alarmist, ironic and reflective of the opposition’s dwindling political relevance. Atiku, speaking through his spokesman, Paul Ibe, on Tuesday, accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of deliberately weakening opposition parties and shrinking Nigeria’s democratic space. He warned that such actions could push the country towards a de facto one-party state. The former vice president also claimed that Nigerians have endured nearly three years of severe economic hardship under the Tinubu-led government, alongside policies and actions…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised the alarm over what it described as planned campaigns of calumny by politicians and groups with vested interests in suspects currently under investigation or facing prosecution by the commission. In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said intelligence available to the commission indicated that “a motley crowd of paid jobbers” had been recruited by disgruntled elements to orchestrate coordinated smear campaigns against the anti-graft agency. According to Oyewale, the planned attacks are being carried out mainly through sponsored media reports and commentaries aimed at undermining…