Author: Gbenga Olaleye

An aide to Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, Darlington Orji, has declared that the ongoing impeachment move against the governor will not succeed, insisting that the allegations levelled against his principal lack merit. Orji asserted during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show, arguing that there was no truth to the claims of misconduct and financial misappropriation raised by the Rivers State House of Assembly against Governor Fubara. According to him, the impeachment process is fundamentally flawed and would ultimately collapse, as similar attempts in the past have been dismissed by courts for failing to follow due process. “I can tell…

Mustapha Shu’aib, a prominent ally of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has officially resigned from the NNPP. Shu’aib announced his decision in a statement in which he said he was seeking to explore a new political path and broaden his impact in public service. He explained that the move followed extensive consultations with political associates, community leaders and supporters across his constituency. A former candidate for the Bida North Constituency seat in the Niger State House of Assembly, Shu’aib was the youngest contestant in the 2023 general elections, a factor…

The crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State deepened on Friday as the State Working Committee (SWC) rejected its purported dissolution by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), insisting that it remains the legitimate and lawful leadership of the party in the state. In a statement signed by the Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, and obtained in Osogbo, the SWC dismissed the NWC’s decision as invalid, assuring party members that the PDP’s structures in the state were still intact and fully operational. “The party’s structures in the state remain lawful, intact and fully operational,” the statement read.…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has paid glowing tribute to a former Governor of Osun State and its first Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, as he marks his 87th birthday, commending his enduring contributions to Nigeria’s democracy and political development. In a statement issued on Friday, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, described Akande as a statesman whose lifelong commitment to public service and progressive politics has left an indelible mark on the nation’s political history. According to the party, Akande’s career reflects extraordinary dedication to Nigeria’s political growth and democratic evolution, particularly his role in the formation…

The Federal Government has announced a ban on sand mining within a 10-kilometre radius of the River Niger, citing the need to protect the structural integrity of the First and Second Niger bridges. The Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this on Friday in Asaba, Delta State, during the inauguration of the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) monitoring centre for the Second Niger Bridge. He said the decision was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) as part of broader measures to safeguard critical federal infrastructure across the country. According to the minister, unregulated sand mining activities around the River Niger pose…

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…