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Jonathan Replies Atiku, Says: “I Was Not Naive, Didn’t Need To Be 100 Years For Presidential Seat”

By
Adesina Soyooye
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Atiku Abubakar and Goodluck Jonathan
Atiku Abubakar and Goodluck Jonathan

By Adesina Soyooye 

 

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has responded to the unprovoked jab thrown at him by former Vice President and perennial Presidential Aspirant, Atiku Abubakar.

 

Recall that Atiku, had, in an interview with Arise Television, described Dr. Jonathan as inexperienced and attributed Jonathan’s alleged challenges and mistakes as President to that. 

Atiku: “I know Jonathan very well. He is a decent young man, but also inexperienced and I believe that contributed to his inability to manage the affairs of the country, particularly, when he was faced with challenges.”

 

In what has been described as one of Atiku’s worst public outings in recent times, probably made in a bid to project himself as the best of all the Presidential Aspirants in the African Democratic Congress, ADC, he did not, also, spare the likes of Peter Obi, a  former two-term Governor and Labour Party’s 2023 Presidential Candidate, Aminu Tambuwal, two- term Governor and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, as well as Rotimi Amaechi, two- term Speaker of House of Assembly, two- term Governor and two-term Minister of Transportation, Rabiu Kwankwaso, two- term Governor, former Minister of  Defence and former Presidential Candidate.

 

Not a few Nigerians have expressed surprise at Atiku’s choice of words and language. 

 

Dr Reuben Abati, Arise Television’s Anchor, accomplished columnist, and former Presidential Adviser to Jonathan, has since dismissed Atiku as rude and arrogant. Abati, also, reminded Atiku that while he has, for years, been aspiring to be President, Jonathan had already been President of Nigeria, an office Atiku has still not occupied.

 

But in a decent and dignified response to Atiku,  Jonathan, while speaking in Abuja at the 2025 Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria’s Awards Ceremony, told Atiku that he did his best as President, and added that there is no President or Governor, no human being anywhere in the world, that does not make one mistake or the other. He also mounted a robust defence of his records.

 

Jonathan: “So not too long ago, a very senior politician said, ‘Oh, Jonathan was too young and probably that’s why he made mistakes.’

 

“If I made mistakes, yes, nobody who becomes a Governor or a President will say you did not make mistakes. Even when you promote yourself to the level of a god, you become a deity.

 

“All human beings must make mistakes. I became president in 2010 at the age of 53. I left in 2015 at the age of 58, and they say I was too young. Must it have been 100 years before I ran the affairs of the state?”

 

And defending  his decisions in office, he noted that while mistakes are inevitable, he did his best.

 

Jonathan pointed at Nigeria’s diplomatic achievements under his Government, especially, its election to the United Nations Security Council.

 

He said: “I’m talking to Diplomats, so I can say that during my period, I knew what I did for us to appear in the UN Security Council two times. If I were so naive, I don’t think I would have been able to navigate through that process.”

 

For the records, while Jonathan had been a Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President, Acting President, President, and presently, a very respected World Citizen, Atiku, politically, has only been a Vice President and a perennial Presidential Candidate.

RANKED 2026 Industry Dialogue Draws Africa’s Media Leaders

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Ranked Event

The 2026 edition of RANKED, Africa’s leading report on digital news media performance, will be officially unveiled on April 23, 2026, at Amber Residence, Ikeja, Lagos.

Published by SquirrelPR and organised by Squirrel Media Technologies in partnership with KT Communication, the annual report has become a key reference point for understanding media visibility, audience behaviour, and influence across the continent.

This year’s edition delivers a more expansive and nuanced analysis of the African media ecosystem, covering 13 countries across Anglophone and Francophone Africa, its widest geographic scope to date.

A key finding from the 2026 report reveals a decline in readership traffic across all markets tracked, pointing to shifting audience behaviours and increasing fragmentation in how content is consumed. Despite this trend, the report highlights a consistent rise in media influence, suggesting that authority, credibility, and audience trust are becoming more critical metrics than sheer traffic volume.

Beyond traditional traffic tracking, the latest edition introduces deeper performance indicators, including local versus foreign audience traffic by news outlet, domain authority rankings, and audience growth across key sectors. These additions provide a more holistic view of how media platforms are evolving and where influence is being built across Africa’s digital landscape.

The report will be officially launched at the event, making it available to media professionals, PR practitioners, and communication leaders seeking data-driven insights into the continent’s rapidly changing media environment.

Speaking ahead of the launch, James Ezechukwu, Co-founder of SquirrelPR, described the report as an essential tool for industry stakeholders.

“The Ranked report has evolved into an invaluable resource for media relations and communications professionals across Africa. In an environment where traditional metrics are no longer sufficient, this report provides clarity on what truly drives influence and visibility. It helps practitioners move beyond assumptions and make more strategic, data-driven decisions in how they engage with the media,” he said.

The event will feature an expert-led panel session with prominent industry voices, including Muyiwa Matuluka, CEO of Techpoint Africa; Rasheed Bolarinwa, Head of Communications at Polaris Bank; Damilola Bright-Ukwenga, Communications Manager, ScribeTribe Africa; and Olufemi Ajasa, Online Editor of Vanguard Newspaper, among others.

The session will explore the theme: “The Reality of Digital Media Performance in Africa: Navigating the Future Through Data and Tools.”

Ilaro Raid: Police Uncovers Cult Network,  Recover Weapons

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Cult Networks uncovered during Ilaro Raid

By Akinwale Kasali

Following an intelligence report, operatives of the Ilaro Division of the Ogun State Police Command have dismantled a suspected Cult Network in a swift operation.

The operation led to the arrest of four suspects linked to assault, armed robbery and unlawful possession of firearms.

The suspects, identified as Samson John, 25, Olufowora Michael, 28, Odeh Samuel Ejeh, 25, and Olajide Jeremiah, 28, were apprehended following a distress report lodged at the division, triggering an immediate tactical response by the police.

Police authorities disclosed that the incident dates back to April 16, 2026, when the complainant reported that earlier in the day, at about 1pm, a gang led by one of the suspects, stormed his residence in Ilaro and launched a violent attack.

The attackers reportedly assaulted the victim, issued threats with dangerous weapons including an axe, and forcefully dispossessed him of his mobile device, identified as an iPhone 14 Pro Max, before fleeing the scene.

Acting on credible intelligence and deploying rapid response strategies, the police tracked down the suspects and effected their arrest in a coordinated operation that underscored growing vigilance within the command.

A search conducted on the suspects led to the recovery of a locally made pistol, an axe, suspected traditional charms, and the stolen iPhone, all of which have been secured as exhibits in the ongoing investigation.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the development, noting that the operation reflects the command’s renewed resolve to clamp down on cultism and violent crimes across Ogun communities.

Further investigations have since been escalated to the State Criminal Investigation Department, where the suspects are currently in custody as detectives intensify efforts to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang.

Commending the operatives for their professionalism, the Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, reaffirmed the Command’s zero tolerance for criminality and vowed that perpetrators of violent acts would face the full weight of the law.

The Ogun State Police Command urged residents to remain alert and cooperative, stressing the importance of timely intelligence in crime prevention, while reiterating its commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the State.

“There Is Plot To Prolong My Detention” – El-Rufai

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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Nasir El-Rufai
Nasir El-Rufai



By Suleiman Anyalewechi 

 

With his second bail application billed for ruling today, Tuesday April 21, 2026, by a Kaduna state High Court, detained former Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai has alleged that there are subtle and orchestrated plots to rope him into a case he knows nothing about and use it to prolong his stay in custody.

 

El-Rufai who is facing inter-agency investigations and prosecutions over multiple charges bordering on alleged money laundering, diversion of public funds and security related Offences has been in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, since February 18, when he was granted bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

 

The anti-graft Commission had, last month, arraigned El-Rufai before a Federal High Court Kaduna and a Kaduna State High Court. 

 

The Federal High Court granted him  bail on April 14,2026, but his bail application at the High Court,was re-scheduled for ruling on Tuesday , April 21 ,after it had suffered postponement twice.

 

But in a statement, Muyiwa Adekeye, spokesperson for the former Kaduna state Governor, raised an alarm over what he described as a coordinated and orchestrated attempt to smear his reputation and prolong his ordeal by linking him to an alleged attack on one of the prosecution witnesses.

 

While vehemently distancing himself from any link to the said attack, El-Rufai described the ingenious ploy to drag his name into the incident as not only malicious, but a witch-hunt. 

 

Referencing a report in the The Nation Newspaper of April18, 2026 , captioned “El-Rufai’s trial: Gunmen invade  principal witness’ home”,  El-Rufai alleged that the said publication contains  “innuendos suggestive of a plot to frame him”.

 

According to him, the publication which had claimed that a witness in his ongoing alleged corruption trial  reported an  attack on his residence, and linking same to his role as a witness,  amounts to a deliberate witch-hunting exercise and a ploy to injure his reputation.

 

“Any objective reader would recognise the clear intent behind these statements: to smear Malam Nasir El-Rufai’s reputation , jeopardise his pending bail application at the Kaduna state High Court ,and implicate him in serious capital offences” Adekeye stated .

 

While maintaining that he has no connection with the said attack, El-Rufai informed that he has directed his legal team to consider the filing of defamation proceedings against the newspaper outfit .

 

For the records, The Nation Newspaper is owned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ,whose Government El-Rufai has consistently alleged is persecuting him due to his membership of the opposition Coalition platform, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and for holding contrary political views.

Kano Emirate Tussle: Sanusi, Bayero To Know Fate In 2027… Nigerians React To Long Adjournment

By
Ayodele Oni
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Aminu Bayero and Sanusi Lamido
Emirs Aminu Ado Bayero and Mohammad Sanusi II

By Ayodele Oni 

 

Parties in the legal tussle over the Kano Emirate seat will wait till 2027 to know their fate. 

 

On April 20, 2026, the Supreme  Court adjourned till April 19, 2027, to continue its hearing in the matter.

 

This unprecedented long adjournment by the Apex Court, has attracted reactions from a number of Nigerians.

 

At the proceedings on Monday, the Supreme Court heard the preliminary arguments from the parties involved in the matter before the announcement of the adjournment.

 

The suit, which has drawn widespread public and political attention, is about the contentious leadership structure of the Kano Emirate.

 

According to reports, the move to fix the date one year after, suggests that the Court may be preparing for an extensive legal consideration of the matter, as Nigerians are eager to hear the latest development on one of the most closely monitored Traditional Institutions in the country.

 

Instructively, the hearing would be coming up after the 2027 general elections scheduled to hold in February. 

It is not known how much, if any, 

the political  realignment will have on the case.

 

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf  who as a member of the  New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), deposed Emir Bayero, and re-enthroned the earlier deposed Sanusi as Emir, has since dumped the NNPP for the All Progressives Congress, under which Government Sanusi was deposed and Bayero enthroned. Unconfirmed sources insist that the APC, the ruling Party at the centre, and Governor Yusuf’s new party, is solidly behind Bayero.

 

In mixed reactions to the new date, Nigerians queried the long adjournment, saying it has again demonstrated possible interest by Government in the matter.

 

Etaredafe questioned why it was adjourned for a year:

“Please, does anyone know why it was adjourned for a year? I know the elections might be a factor, but I doubt the judge will cite that as the reason. 

 

“I am curious to know the reasoning behind this lengthy adjournment. I have never seen anything like this before.”

 

Kanoblog urged one of the Traditional Rulers to step down.

“I think it’s time for one of them to step back and accept that he is not a king. 

 

“If they truly care about what they have built together in their family, then they should not allow its reputation to be destroyed.

 

“They are all intelligent people who understand the value of life and culture, so they should not let the legacy their parents left for them be ruined.”

 

Engr Shaibu raises concerns that the ruling will come after the general elections.

“Exactly two months after the 2027 election. Okay na. Dem go soon blackmail person to influence election.”

 

Honourable Balo alleged that the president’s interest in the state was the reason for the adjournment. He said:

 

“The president needs the state ahead of 2027, and any judgment that doesn’t favour any of them may cause a crisis for the state, and the president’s chances will be limited. 

 

“After the elections are over, anyone the court judgment favours the president won’t care much.”

ACF Rejects Amnesty For Terrorists; Demands “Overwhelming’ Force To Defeat Them

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has urged the federal government to be cautious in granting amnesty to repentant terrorists, using the Rwanda and Sri Lanka models as an example.

ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof. T. A. Muhammad-Baba, Leadership Newspapers reports, quoting him as saying that the terrorists should be prosecuted in court, where they will face their victims as penance for the crime they have committed against the country.

The ACF spokesman spoke amidst divisions among Nigerians over federal government’s amnesty policy for repentant terrorists. Not a few Nigerians, particularly leaders from the northern part of the country have condemned the programme, describing it to be very premature when terrorism has not been totally defeated.

ACF made the remark few hours after the insurgent group, Boko Haram issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian government, threatening to execute 416 captives—mostly women and children—unless its demands are met.

The terrorists are demanding N6 billion ransom for the captives.

The development also comes following last weeks graduation of over 700 repentant terrorists under the Federal Government’s De-radicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration Camp under Operation Safe Corridor.

The Northern apex  social group said the federal government has placed the cart before the horse by not ensuring the total defeat and surrender of the terrorists before granting them amnesty.

It said the terrorists are being pampered while the victims have been left on their own, asking, What of the victims? What happened to them?

The group said the federal government should have ensured that forgiveness is left to the victims of terrorism, who have the right to decide whether they want to forgive the terrorists or not., saying the terrorists must face the law before any other thing.

“This amnesty, these deals and so on with terrorists and bandits, in the first place, when you want to do that, there has to be accountability. What of the victims? What happened to them? The wrong was done to the state represented by the government, but the harm was inflicted on individuals, people, and families. What is their fate? It has been tried in Rwanda, but in Rwanda, the terrorists are taken before a Special Court and made to confess their sins, and they are confronted by their victims. And it was up to the victims to forgive or not. And if they don’t forgive, the law would take its course”

It noted that the amnesty programme is being carried out without adequate consultations with all necessary stakeholders, saying other countries who had faced insurgency ensured that the terrorists were only pardoned after they have been totally defeated.

“Now, when you do this kind of thing, in the first place, we don’t have enough details. The federal government just announced something. You know, who has wronged these people? And what of the unfortunate victims of their activities who have nothing? You go into a village, you burn, you loot, you kill, you maim, you rape. What for? Innocent people. Look, I think we have to go back to the experience of other countries first. Sri Lanka faced an insurgency, but the government ensured overwhelming success. When the insurgents realised they could not succeed, the peace process began. I would love to see this in Nigeria.”

It urged the federal government to use overwhelming force to defeat the terrorists before contemplating amnesty, adding that “the final person who will forgive is not the government, it’s the victim.”

ACF: “I would love to see a situation where the government shows unequivocally that it will prevail with overwhelming force to discharge its duties to citizens. And then we can talk about other non-kinetic measures. But that is, we don’t have enough details. We worry about the victims. We worry about the nature of a reorientation that these bandits and terrorists were put through.

“No details. So, in short, we urge extreme caution, one. Two, we add that the interests of victims should be taken into consideration. And the final person who will forgive is not the government, it’s the victim. If they so wish. There has to be retributive justice. You just cannot carry arms. It’s not even against the state. It’s against the people.  We don’t have enough details. What can one say? We just express our opinion about it, and that’s all.”

Not a few Nigerians have raised alarm that some terrorists who have received amnesty, later went back to join Boko Haram and ISWAP, particularly those of them who were reported to have been recruited into the military.

The federal government has, however, denied recruiting repentant terrorists into the nation’s Armed Forces.

2027 General Elections: Tinubu To Pay N100m As APC Waits To Rake In Billions Of Naira From Aspirants… Releases Timetable

By
Ayodele Oni
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President Bola Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu

By Ayodele Oni 

 

Aspirants for elective positions on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), ahead of 2027 general elections,  can now advance their ambition as the party on Monday, released the timetable and schedule of activities for the General Elections.

 

According to the schedule signed by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Muhammad Argungu, sale of forms to all aspirants, has begun since Monday at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.

 

It will be rounded off on May 2.

 

Argungu stated that the screening of all aspirants will hold between May 6 and May 8.

 

The schedule shows that the primary election for all categories of the aspirants will begin with the presidential on Friday, May 15; the House of Representatives, Monday, May 18 and the Senate, Wednesday, May 20.

 

The primaries for the State Assembly will hold on Thursday, May 21, while those for the Governorship will hold on Saturday, May 23.

 

The schedule further shows that the election petition for all the aspirants will commence on Monday, May 18, with the Presidential, and will be rounded off on Monday, May 29, with the Governorship.

 

According to the schedule, aspirants contesting for the State House of Assembly will pay N1 million for the expression of interest and N5 million for the nomination form.

 

Aspirants for the House of Representatives will pay N1 million for the expression of interest form and N9 million for the nomination form, while aspirants for the Senate will pay N3 million for the expression of interest and N17 million for the nomination form.

 

Aspirants for governorship will pay N10 million for expression of interest and N40 million for nomination form, while those contesting for presidential will pay N30 million for expression form and N70 million for the nomination form.

CBN $1bn Monthly Diaspora Remittance Target On Course- Cardoso

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Yemi Cardoso - CBN Governor

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Yemi Cardoso, has urged commercial banks in the country to provide enabling environment for Nigerians living abroad to remit more foreign currencies into the country. This is to ensure that the $1 billion monthly target diaspora remittance by the CBN is met by the end of the year.

The CBN governor made the call during engagements at the 2026 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund, IMF, and the World Bank in Washington, United States, were he said the ongoing economic reforms in the country has boosted investors confidence in the country.

Cardoso noted that  the CBN’s target of achieving $1bn in monthly remittance inflows remains strongly on track, stressing that banks must play a critical role in ensuring that Nigerians in the diaspora can seamlessly send funds home through formal financial channels without hindrance.

The CBN governor stated that improved policies and reforms in the foreign exchange market, coupled with ongoing efforts to enhance transparency and efficiency, has created a conducive environment for more diaspora remittances.

He stressed that simplifying remittance processes, reducing transaction costs, and improving customer experience for Nigerians abroad would make the goal realisable.

“The target is achievable, but it requires the active participation of banks in leveraging the opportunities provided by the current reforms,” Cardoso said.

The CBN Governor had stated last year, June 2025, that Nigeria is edging closer to a historic milestone in foreign inflows, projecting that diaspora remittances will hit $1 billion monthly by 2026.

He made the disclosure  at the 18th Annual Banking and Finance Conference of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

According to him, the bank has taken deliberate steps to build confidence among Nigerians abroad, including working with leading commercial banks such as Access Bank and Zenith Bank on international outreach.

“By next year, our projection will be a billion dollars a month of diaspora remittances. As far as we are concerned, we have done everything to enable that to happen,” Cardoso said, adding  that monthly remittance inflows, which stood at $250 million at the start of the reforms, had risen to $600 million after surpassing the $500 million mark in 2025.

Police Move To Rescue 15 Abducted Boat Passengers Along Calabar/Oron Waterways

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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Nigerian Police

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Akwa Ibom and Cross River   Police Commands said they have launched concerted ,and coordinated response to locate and rescue  15 passengers abducted by suspected pirates along Calabar/Oron Waterways.

The inter-command rescue efforts are sequel to a marching order from the Assistant Inspector -General of Police AIG Zone 6, Auwal Musa, for the deployment all available logistical and human equipment to ensure the swift release of the victims.

The source reports that suspected pirates on Friday, April 17, 2026, ambushed, attacked and whisked away over 20 persons aboard a passenger boat while heading from Calabar to Oron.

The Police has however put the number of victims at 15.

Most of the kidnapped victims were, allegedly, students and candidates on their way to write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination UTME.

In a statement on Monday April 20, 2026, from its spokesperson Timfon John, the Akwa Ibom State Police Command informed that it is  already working in synergy with its Cross River state counterpart to carry out the rescue order from the AIG.

The Command stated that a combined team of crack Marine and Tactical operatives and intelligence assets, with the capacity to dominate the waterways and adjourning creeks, have been deployed to track down the suspected hoodlums ,and effect the safe release of  the victims.

“Acting on the directive of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police Zone 6, the Commissioner of Police Akwa Ibom State Command, Baba Mohammed Azare, has ordered sustained  intelligence-driven operations, including coordinated patrols, surveillance, and targeted raids across identified criminal hideouts within the maritime corridor.

“The Commissioner of Police reaffirmed the Command’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the safe rescue of all abducted persons and bringing the perpetrators to justice”, John stated.

In the same vein, the Cross River State Police spokesperson, Eitokpah Sunday Akata, confirmed that the Command is collaborating with its Akwa Ibom State counterpart, to ensure that the victims are rescued unhurt and the masterminds held accountable.

He emphasized that coordinated and intelligence-driven operations are already underway, with operatives combing all identified hotspots in search of both the victims and the hoodlums.

The Source further reports that the AIG had earlier directed the two sister Commands to temporarily set aside jurisdictional limitations, operational boundaries and take all necessary measures to ensure swift ,and safe rescue of the victims ,as well as hunt down the perpetrators.

Gbenga Daniel Locked Out Of Meeting As Gov. Abiodun Moves To Sack Him From Senate

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Gbenga Daniel and Dapo Abiodun

By Akinwale Kasali

Governor Dapo Abiodun has been endorsed by Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ogun East Senatorial District as its Senatorial Candidate in 2027.

In a gestapo move, Senator Gbenga Daniel was locked out of the hall and refused entry along with his supporters.

Governor Abiodun was named  their consensus candidate for the 2027 Senatorial election, meaning that Senator Gbenga Daniel has forfeited his position.

The decision was reached at a zonal stakeholders’ meeting attended by party leaders and key political figures from the district.

The action of disallowing Daniel entry into the venue led to controversy.

This development heightened tensions within the party structure in the zone.

Addressing his supporters outside the meeting venue, Senator Daniel rejected the outcome, insisting that any decision reached without his participation would not be binding.

Though the APC leadership is yet to comment on this development,  many have queried Governor Abiodun’s desperation in becoming the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District.

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