Author: New Daily Prime

The South-South zonal chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has given controversial social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), one week to apologise to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, following disparaging comments made in his recent video. The APC issued this demand in a statement by the Zonal Organising Secretary, Blessing Agbomhere, which was released on Sunday, April 27.  The statement followed a viral three-minute video in which VDM criticised Akpabio for representing Nigeria at the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican on 20 April 2025. In the video, VDM called…

Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North, has called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to leave behind what he described as the “old habits” of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), following the governor’s recent defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In a statement issued after Oborevwori’s move, Senator Nwoko welcomed the decision but emphasised that genuine transformation must accompany the shift in political allegiance.  He urged the governor to abandon the political practices that, according to him, contributed to the PDP’s decline in Delta State. “Leave behind the politics of survival and step into the politics of legacy. No one…

Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State has categorically denied rumours suggesting he is planning to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC), reaffirming his unwavering loyalty to the ruling party. In a statement released on Sunday by his Chief Press Secretary, Ahmed Idris, the governor described the speculation as “ridiculously malicious” and attributed it to “uninteresting political comedians” intent on causing political instability. Reacting to reports linking him with a proposed coalition allegedly spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governor Idris stated: “I am made in APC, by APC, and for APC.” “For the avoidance of doubt, I am…

Four additional Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) have joined the legal defence team of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), ahead of the resumption of his trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The trial is scheduled to resume before Justice James Omotosho on Monday, 29 April. The newly appointed legal practitioners include Prof Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), Emeka Etiaba (SAN), Mela Audu Nunghe (SAN), and Dr Joseph Akubo (SAN). Their inclusion was disclosed by Kanu’s Special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, in a formal notice to the court, as well as to Kanu’s family and supporters. “UPDATE:…

Dr ‘Niyi Sunmonu is an Associate Professor of Atmospheric Physics in the Department of Physics & Engineering Physics of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria and he is the National President of the Congress of University Academics, CONUA.  In this exclusive interview with The New Daily Prime, he speaks on several issues, including how the congress was registered as an academic staff union in the Nigerian university system. Excerpts. Can you tell us about the registration of CONUA? Sunmonu: It was a very tortuous task. CONUA started the registration process in May 2018 after more than 700 academics were expelled…

The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has strongly condemned the scheduling of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, which has placed students in precarious situations by assigning examination times as early as 6.30 a.m. Given the prevailing security challenges in the country, the student body said the decision is both inconsiderate and dangerous. The body spoke through the National President, Comrade Olushola Oladoja and the National Public Relations Officer, Comrade Samson Ajasa Adeyemi in a statement they endorsed on Sunday. READ ALSO: JAMB announces no extension for 2025 UTME registration deadline “It…

Pope Francis’s coffin departed the Vatican aboard a white popemobile on Saturday, following a moving funeral ceremony held at St Peter’s Square. Thousands gathered along the route, offering prayers and final tributes as the cortege made its way to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where the late pontiff will be laid to rest. St Peter’s Square saw tens of thousands of mourners on Saturday, paying homage to the Catholic Church’s first Latin American pope and a lifelong advocate for the poor. Many faithful had queued overnight to secure a place at the funeral, which drew dignitaries from across the…

Nigerian journalist and publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, has sharply criticised President Bola Tinubu, accusing him of employing heavy-handed tactics to coerce opposition figures into joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, April 23, Momodu asserted that fear, rather than ideological alignment or genuine loyalty, was the primary driver behind the increasing wave of defections to the APC. “I’m not surprised, Okowa’s defection isn’t shocking given the recent harassment he faced,” he remarked.  Momodu was referring to former Delta State governor and 2023 vice-presidential candidate for the Peoples…

The Governing Council of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, has officially dismissed a senior lecturer, Dr Usman Aliyu, following allegations of sexual harassment involving a married postgraduate student, Mrs Kamila Aliyu. The decision was revealed in the university’s official newsletter, ATBU Herald (Vol. 39 No. 5, 22 April), following the institution’s 96th regular council meeting, which was held on 11 April 2025. According to the publication, which was obtained by our correspondent on Thursday, April 24, the Governing Council approved Dr Aliyu’s dismissal based on the findings of the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee, which concluded that the academic was…

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has announced that a forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) will soon begin. Edun made this known during the Nigerian Investor Forum, held alongside the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC. He stated that the recent changes in NNPCL’s leadership were part of wider efforts by the Federal Government to examine and reform the company. While addressing global investors, including representatives from J.P. Morgan, Edun outlined key reforms introduced by the administration of President Bola Tinubu to revive the economy and build investor…