The African Democratic Congress, ADC, on Friday February 13, 2026, insisted that accountability must be evenly spread, due process visible, and justice perceived not to wear partisan colours.
The emerging opposition coalition platform’s cautionary note is coming against the backdrop of the alleged botched attempt by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, and the Department of State Service, DSS, to arrest the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai at the Abuja Airport on Thursday on his return from a Medical trip abroad.
The alleged attempted arrest of El-Rufai, one of the prominent promoters of the ADC, also, came amidst the apprehension, detention, and ongoing trial of some chieftains of the opposition platform, a development which has been perceived not by a few as smacking of growing political intolerance and intimidation.
In a statement on Friday, ADC’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, while condemning the attempted arrest of El-Rufai ,also described it as representing a troubling pattern in the orchestrated campaign targeted at undermining and silencing opposition voices.
According to the ADC, the botched attempt at arresting the former Kaduna State Governor, and the ongoing politically motivated arrest, detention and trial of some opposition elements are very much inconsistent with established legal procedures.
It warned that such actions have the potential to greatly undermine constitutional safeguards and democratic accountability standards.
This is as the party expressed serious concern about the respect for due process ,and the neutrality expected of security agencies and other law enforcement organs in the country.
Specifically, the opposition Coalition platform lamented the growing tendencies of the EFCC and others to allegedly deliberately target opposition figures in the discharge of their duties.
The party, while acknowledging that no individuals are above the law, however expressed concern over the troubling and growing pattern of selective justice, targeting opposition party members across the country.
The ADC warned that such growing and disturbing trend of double standard in the discharge of institutional responsibilities,will never help the war against corruption.
“Reports indicate that security operatives laid in wait for Malam El-Rufai at the airport with the apparent intention to effect an arrest .
“Yet no warrant was presented at the time of the attempted action, raising significant legal and constitutional concerns.
“If confirmed, this represents not merely a procedural lapse, but a dangerous signal that due process is treated as optional”, the ADC stated.
The Source further reports that immediate past Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, former Governor of Sokoto state Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, former Minister of Labour and Productivity Dr Chris Ngige, some Bauchi State Government officials and other opposition voices were of recent arrested and currently facing trials over sundry charges bordering on alleged money laundering,contract splitting and other corrupt practices
Not a few observers however see the obviously lopsided arrests, detentions and trials as smacking of a deliberate plot to cow opposition figures into submission .
Instructively, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors Forum Chairman, and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammad had of recent accused the Federal Government of using the instrumentality of the EFCC to harass him and others in the State over his refusal to defect to the All Progressive Congress APC.
Two Courts sitting in Abuja on Friday issued orders concerning the certificates of the Minister of Interior, Mr. Tunji Ojo.
There have been controversies over his secondary school certificate and his discharge certificate from the National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC).
The Federal High court sitting in Abuja granted a request by an activist, Mr. Emorioloye Owolemi to inquire into the academic qualifications of the current Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo
Justices Binta Nyako granted the permission while ruling in an ex-parte application brought before her by the social crusader, Owolemi.
Owolemi had approached the court to seek an order to inquire into Secondary School Certificate said to have been issued to the Minister by the West African Examination Council, (WAEC).
The activist predicated his request against Olubunmi’s Secondary School Certificate on the ground that there were discrepancies in the academic claims.
However, in another development, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik also of the Federal High Court in Abuja refused a similar request by the activist to inquire into the discharge certificate said to have been issued to the Minister by the National Youth Service Corps, (NYSC).
The activist through his lead counsel, Mr Philemon Yakubu, SAN, had argued a motion ex-parte brought pursuant to order 34 of the Federal High Court Civil Rules 2019, sections 1, 20 and 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 to seek for permission of the court to inquire into the legality or otherwise of the Minister’s NYSC discharge certificate.
Specifically, the activist applied for an order of mandamus to compel the National Youth Service Corps to supply to him, the information he requested in his letter of November 17, 2025 regarding the discharge certificate of the Minister of Interior in the custody of the organization.
Among others, the applicant also wants the NYSC to supply him monthly clearance records, where the Minister served before his alleged absconding, bank account details, and financial information submitted by the Minister through his 2006 NYSC registration and all monthly allowance payment logs, including dates, amounts, bank scheduled and the account to which payments were made.
Others are, official NYSC documentation detailing the date, nature and status of the Minister’s alleged absconding and all internal memos, queries, disciplinary reports or correspondence issued in relation to the alleged absconding as well as registration, posting, deployment and service documents associated with the Minister’s 2006 service year.
However, Justice Abdulmalik after taking argument on the ex parte application declined to grant the request.
The judge held that the applicant did not indicate that he was acting in the public interest as required by law.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has disclosed that the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on February 20, 2024.
Two weeks after, the Election Umpire said the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on March 6, 2027.
Prof. Joash Amupitan made the disclosure on Friday, at a news conference in Abuja , the nation’s capital while announcing the timetable for the upcoming election next year
Foremost Yoruba Group, the Alliance for Yoruba Democratic Movements, AYDM, have expressed its support for the Bill before the United States of America Congress that seeks to designate Fulani militia as terrorists.
It would be recalled that five US Lawmakers are proposing the Bill, and have listed some persons for sanctions in connection with the Fulani Militia.
The indicted persons includes: former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Leader of New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Fulani Ethnic Normadic Militias, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN; and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.
In a joint statement, the AYDM, made up of 130 Pan Yoruba groups, the United Middle Belt Indigenous Peoples Congress, UMBIPC, TIV Congress, Supreme Egbesu Assembly, SEA, Niger-Delta Indigenous Peoples Congress, NDIPEC, Ijaw Peoples League, IPL, the Hausa Natives Congress, HANC and the Igbo National Association, INA, has lauded the proposal, describing the Bill as a “Godly intervention in the struggle of Nigerian Indigenous people to preserve humanity.”
The statement was signed by AYDM officials, Popoola Ajayi and Rasaq Arogundade; UMBIPC’s Abukar Onalo; Digifa Werinipre for SEA Sulaiman Aminu for HANC.
Others who signed were Tank Ibrahim, Douglas Ebibre and Mathew Donga.
The groups said the Fulani militia represents the most dangerous missile against democracy, rule of law and economic development in West Africa and the Sahel.
The groups urged the US Congress to include other names as sponsors of Fulani militia.
“We call on the US to include the names of the Sultan of Sokoto
Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, the 20th Sultan and Ahmad Abubakar Sheik Gumi on the list of those to be sanctioned or sought to appear before the International Criminal Court, ICC,” the Group said.
“The Fulani militia in 2014 was identified by the Global Terrorism Index as the deadliest terror group in the world.
“No fewer than 60,000 people have been killed by Fulani militia while millions have been displaced.
“The militia targets Christians and non-Fulani Muslims making the militia an ethnic group driven by the lust for blood and genocide.
“The Bill has confronted evil headlong. In Nigeria, the Fulani militia operates a brutal, merciless and spineless regime of terror.
“Children are killed, infants are butchered, pregnant women are raped and ripped of their unborn babies, young girls are raped sometimes in the mud while old and young people have their skulls shattered into pieces by Fulani militia that holds Nigeria and West Africa to ransom”, the Group said in a statement.
The Group said if the bill sails through, millions of West and Central Africans who are at the mercy and violent grip of terror control by Fulani militia would see a gleam of light in a long tunnel of enduring long night of misery and anguish.
The Group said the Fulani militia was emboldened and empowered by state institutions while many of their kinsmen are historically entrenched in strategic institutions.
They said the past eight years in Nigeria witnessed the capacity building of armed Fulani militia that has spread its vicious tentacles across Nigeria with acts of terror are carried out daily against innocent people.
It added that the latest killings in Worro in Kwara State were carried out by Fulani militias including the killing of 13 people at Ifelodun Local Government in Kwara State.
In the South West of Nigeria, four traditional rulers were killed by Fulani militia.
They said the Fulani are not only engaged in cold-blooded murder, they cause climate havoc through the burning down and violent destruction of economic trees across indigenous territories in West Africa describing the Fulani militia as a big threat to regional and global peace.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris has disclosed that the federal government has stepped up security in the nation’s North central region with the aim of flushing out terrorists and returning peace to communities.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Mohammed made the assertion on Friday in a statement in Abuja, the nation’s capital, saying the government has decided to intensify pressure on the terrorists by deploying more security personnel , including the Army forces, police, Forest Guards into vulnerable areas.
The Minister said this has become necessary following the recent attack on Kwara state by suspected Boko Haram terrorists. The magazine had earlier reported that no fewer than 75 persons, including women and children were killed by the terrorists, who also burned houses.
The minister stressed that the federal government has established a security offensive, code-named Operation Savannah Shield to flush out terrorists from the region, saying the plan is in support of President Tinubu’s declaration of State of Emergency on Security in the country.
He stressed that the president, has further demonstrated his unwavering commitment to safeguarding life and property by stamping out terrorism and other forms of insecurity across the country, adding that the war against terrorism will be Nigerian-driven, with support from friendly countries including the United States of America.
The statement:
The Federal Government of Nigeria is intensifying security operations across Nigeria’s North Central region to protect civilians in vulnerable communities, following cowardly terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of about 75 innocent villagers in Kwara State.
The renewed offensive, code-named Operation Savannah Shield, entails the deployment of military, police, and national forest guard units to reinforce security assets in the theatre. These forces are supported by enhanced intelligence capabilities and rapid-response protocols, operating under the expanded security mandate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, established when he declared a state of emergency on national security on 26 November 2026.
President Tinubu condemned the Kwara attacks as beastly, heartless, and emblematic of a doomed campaign by terrorists who deliberately target soft subjects. He has directed that the full weight of the State be brought against all actors threatening the peace.
With heightened deployments now underway in at-risk communities, President Tinubu is demonstrating an unwavering commitment to safeguarding Nigerian lives and upholding the fundamental right of all citizens to worship freely. Enhanced security around places of worship, including increased visible presence around churches on Sundays, is being implemented in close coordination with the local community and faith leaders.
Further strengthening the security architecture, the Nigeria Police Force has executed a large-scale redeployment of officers previously assigned to VIP escort duties nationwide. These personnel have been returned to core community policing functions, delivering measurable improvements in security presence across Kwara, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, and the Federal Capital Territory.
President Tinubu has consistently affirmed that Nigeria’s counter-terrorism operations will remain Nigerian-led and sovereignty-driven. Where appropriate and consistent with the nation’s interests, the Government welcomes broad cooperation, including from the United States and other partners on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, in support of objectives defined by Nigeria, and for Nigerians.
Mohammed Idris, fnipr
Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation.
The 19 Northern states in the country have no other option than supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reelection in 2027, according to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda who gave reasons.
The APC boss spoke yesterday in Nasarawa state at a solidarity rally organised by a group to appreciate President Tinubu and Governor of the state, Abdullahi Sule.
Yilwatda cited some ongoing legacy projects being done in the region by the president, such as railway, Dams, roads and others, saying those projects could become abandoned if the re-election bid of Tinubu is truncated.
The magazine reporst that some leaders in the region have mounted a campaign against Tinubu’s return to office, accusing him of abandoining the rgion after they massively voted for him in the 2023 presidential election.
But Yilwatda insist that the president has done very well for the region since he came to office three years ago, warning of the consequences should they chose to do otherwise.
“Mr. President has shown that Nigeria can be one. Mr. President has shown that Nigeria can be inclusive. He has shown that the government can be resolute. That is why we are here,” he said.
Adding, “We have a road from Sokoto to Badagry, and it is going to carry over 60 dams that will have water for irrigation. It will provide agriculture, electricity, and clean water. This is what Mr. President is providing for us in the North.
“Mr. President is providing railways, the rail line that will run from Abuja to Kano and to the Niger Republic. For all of us in the North, it simply means that we will become importers and exporters because the entire northern part of Sudan, Burkina Faso, and Chad will rely on us for their imports.
“All these projects are being done by Mr. President. That is why it will be a disservice to the North if we do not support him, because nobody may have the capacity to do those projects for us again. Supporting Mr. President is a must for the North because of what he has laid, what he is doing, and what he will do for the entire region.”
For instance, those leading the anti-Tinubu campaign in the north have accused him of favouring the south west, where he hails from with juicy federal appointments.
His political opponents from the region have also cited the insecurity in the region as one of the reason why he should not be returned.
But analysts insist that the problem of insecurity in the region predates the incumbent.
A former vice president, Atiku Abubakar says former governor governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose lied about the meeting he and Governor of Oyos state, Seyi Makinde had with Gen Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.), a former military head of state.
The meeting, the magazine reports, took place on Monday this week at the former leader’s Minna, niger State Hill Top Mansion.
Following the meeting, the Ekiti former helmsman had claimed that Abubakar had a deal with Makinde that he will be his running mate, if he picked the African Democratic Congress, ADC presidential ticket for 2027 presidential election.
Reacting, in a statement by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president described Fayose claim as fabricated and tissues of lies.
He stressd that Fayose’s claim was a ‘shameless’ concoction by him, a ‘political gossip’ and cheap propaganda.
Fayose had claiemd that part of the deal Abubakar had with Makinde include that the Oyo governor will provide N10 billion during the presidential campaign, and that the duo has scheduled another meeting for ‘Dubai’ where the agreement will be finalised.
But Abubakar said this is not true describing Fayose’s claim as “bear parlour” gossip.
Below, the full statement:
“Our attention has been drawn to a reckless and malicious fabrication titled “Between Atiku and Makinde, Untold Story of What Happened in Minna Yesterday,” Shaibu wrote, adding that the entire publication was a “shameless concoction.”
The statement further read:
“Let it be stated clearly: the entire publication is a shameless concoction – a tissue of lies stitched together by a serial purveyor of political gossip whose relevance survives only on controversy, distortion, and cheap propaganda.
“At no time did former Vice President Atiku Abubakar engage in the imaginary horse-trading described in that laughable script.
“There were no negotiations over vice-presidential tickets. There were no discussions about A10 billion contributions. There were no zoning manipulations. There were no delegate-delivery guarantees.
And there is certainly no clandestine “Dubai meeting” on any such agenda.
“The attempt to drag other political actors into this fabricated beer parlour tale does not elevate its credibility; it merely exposes the desperation behind it.
“His Excellency Atiku Abubakar’s political engagements are broad-based, principled, and national in scope – not the narrow, transactional theatrics invented in that publication.
“Atiku Abubakar does not transact politics in secrecy, bribery, or transactional desperation as mischievously and irresponsibly portrayed. He remains focused on principled engagement and national redemption – not backroom theatrics designed by attention-seekers. We advise the public to treat the publication with the contempt it deserves.”
Will the retired Justice of the Supreme Court, The Honourable Justice Musa Muhammad Dattijo, stand up for recognition.
Justice Dattijo deserves a standing ovation for defending his integrity. He has lived to his reputation while still in service. He was, by all accounts, a no-nonsense Judge. Blunt. Disciplined. Incorruptible.
I first picked interest in him when he retired from the Supreme Court in 2023. His valedictory speech was unputdownable. It was “da bomb”. He pulled no punches, spared neither the Judiciary nor the Executive.
Since his retirement, he has held his fire in check. He has been quiet. Just enjoying his retirement from the stressful, energy sapping, and often thankless job.
Nigerian Judges go down in history as the most insulted, the most disrespected.
I know quite a couple of them – serving and retired. Respectable. Polished. Deep. Incorruptible. Brilliant.
While I served on the Police Service Commission as a Federal Commissioner, for 10 unprecedented years, I had the privilege of working with three of them – retired Supreme Court Justices, as Commissioner-colleagues at different times. They came across as some of the best even when compared with their colleagues in other climes. I learnt quite a lot from them, and at a point, toyed with the idea of going back to school to read law. But adult education “come no too shack me” again. I could be a spectacle, the joke of young people. Watching some of them in my house “performing magic” with all kinds of appliances, I suddenly feel too old, illiterate, uneducated and lost – no matter how much I try to cover up.
But in Nigeria, who cares about incorruptible Judicial Officers. They dump all of them in one basket and abuse them silly. Any riff-raff could wake up from a drunken slumber to insult them, to abuse them, and call them names. Thieves. Corrupt. And often without proof.
I always wonder why they fail to defend themselves in the face of the many false allegations leveled against them. I took it up one day with the Supreme Court Justices I worked closely with. They explained. I failed to understand. I have a different temperament. So, even if I had agreed with them, it is difficult to understand why, even after retirement, they keep quiet in the face of brazen lies against them from, especially, politicians.
Politicians praise them to high heaven when they rule in their favor, but scream “tainted ruling, bought judgment” when they lose.
Yet, they keep quiet, no defence.
But enters the Honourable Justice Dattijo. He has just been dragged out from retirement by Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
You, of course, know the irrepressible Kwankwaso. Two-term former Governor of Kano State. Former Defence Minister. Former Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP. Founder of the Kwankwasiyya Movement. Former political godfather of a Governor. And now, an estranged political godfather to a serving Governor. Too many “formers”! But no matter. In Nigeria, you must recognize most people as “former this and former that”, else, they take offence.
But it is Kwankwaso’s last recognition as estranged political godfather of a serving Governor that dragged Justice Dattijo out.
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso
Here is how.
It began when the relationship between Kwankwaso and his political godson, Governor Abba Yusuf, began to go sour. Both politicians have not made public why they fell out. But from the grapevine, the story is that Yusuf was just a Governor in name; that everything revolved around Kwankwaso; and that the Governor had to look for a way to remove himself from bondage. That hurt, for reasons.
In 2023, Kwankwaso fought the political battle of his life to snatch victory for Governor Yusuf. Yusuf defeated the candidate fielded by then incumbent APC Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje. That defeat was a life saver for Kwankwaso who had suffered all kinds of humiliation in the hands of his former subordinate, Ganduje. Defeating Ganduje’s candidate gave Kwankwaso a political life line. It woke him up from a political graveyard.
The two men were very close political allies. During Kwankwaso’s second coming as a Governor, he picked Ganduje as his Deputy Governor. Before then, he was Kwankwaso’s Special Assistant, (or was it Adviser) when he was the Minister of Defence.Then, from being Deputy Governor, he succeeded Kwankwaso as Kano State Governor.
Opinion was divided as to how he succeeded Kwankwaso. In Nigeria, Governors never allow their Deputies to succeed them in office. Some people said Kwankwaso was forced to hand over to Ganduje; that he worked against Ganduje. And that’s how come I, unknowingly, almost, courted Kwankwaso’s trouble.
Yours sincerely was ignorant of the undercurrents. So, a few months after Ganduje was sworn into office, I was on my way to Abuja when I saw Kwankwaso at the Protocol Lounge of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos. Full of admiration that he “picked” his Deputy, Ganduje, to succeed him, I greeted him very warmly, and heaped praises on him for picking his Deputy as his successor. I now forget if he was as warm as I was. I guess I was just carried away, coupled with the fact that a number of his Security Aides (Police) who recognized me as a Commissioner on the PSC, were busy paying me compliments. But as I walked back to my seat, one of his Police aides followed me, and whispered nervously: “Madam, ah, no mention that man (Governor Yusuf) name to Oga again. Haa, they no good oooo.” I was, therefore, not surprised when Ganduje started showing Kwankwaso real pepper, even barring him, literally, from visiting Kano.
This man, Kwankwaso, was a former Governor, former Defence Minister, a serving Senator at the time, yet, his State Governor, who was his Deputy, before then, was his Adviser, barred him, literally, from even visiting his Senatorial zone! The powers some Governors wield is obscenely incredible.
I understood how bad the situation was when one day, a group of Kwankwaso loyalists came to the PSC (at the time) to report the State Commissioner of Police for allegedly being partisan. “Tell him to be careful and face his job”, they said.
On a visit to Kano, we took the case up, but were shocked by the CP’s response. He appealed (begged, actually) to us to let the situation remain. Meaning: Kwankwaso should, in the name of God, keep off the State. “Why?”, we chorused. He nervously explained that there could be a bloodbath. And he was doing everything to avoid that. Tactically, we let go.
You can then imagine how relieved and thankful to Allah Kwankwaso was when his Candidate, Yusuf, swept away everything Ganduje in 2023. In 2026, to Kwankwaso’s shock, Governor Yusuf simply handed back Kano to Kwankwaso’s adversaries, along with a cane to flog him silly.
I would give an arm to know if Kwankwaso managed to sleep for even an hour the day Governor Yusuf defected to the APC. What I can confirm is that he went berserk. He declared the day as “The World’s betrayal day”. No wonder he was afflicted by the diareah of the mouth. He talked and talked and talked.
Honourable Justice Musa Muhammad Dattijo
Some defections actually can hurt more than the others. One of such is the defection of former Delta State Governor, and PDP’s Vice Presidential candidate in 2023 Dr Ifeanyi Okowa. One of the main reasons for which the PDP is in a deep coma today is Okowa. If Atiku had picked then Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, who desperately wanted to be his running mate, instead of Okowa, PDP would still have been very alive now. Okowa knew the role his candidacy played, and yet, he “dishonorably” dumbed the Party. The PDP did not drag him. But in Kwankwaso’s case, he suddenly forgot that in Nigeria, most politicians are “food is ready politicians.” And Kwankwaso is not innocent when it comes to defection. He defected from PDP to APC, from APC back to PDP, and from PDP to NNPC. And, he betrayed President Goodluck Jonathan who encouraged him to go back and contest for the Governorship of Kano State after he was defeated in his second term bid. He won, on that second trial, but that did not stop him from betraying Jonathan. He defected to the APC and was one of those who saw to it that Jonathan lost in 2015.
Jonathan endured without lamentations. But Kwankwaso couldn’t endure Yusuf’s defection. He has cursed and cursed. Lamented and lamented until his mouth ran over. His tongue and mouth crossed the red line. And, in one reckless moment, he said what nobody of his status, and in his right senses would say.
Kwankwaso looked all of us in the eyes and told us, publicly, that to make Yusuf Governor of Kano State in 2019, he took the then candidate to the homes of all Supreme Court Justices. Cases which involve Governorship and Presidential election results end up at the Supreme Court. So, in simple elementary language, what Kwankwaso meant was that he took Yusuf to the homes of the Supreme Court Justices to ask them to influence the outcome of the case before them; that he went to corrupt the Justices. By so doing, and by shamelessly making it public, Kwankwaso has shamed Nigeria before the civilised world. He has told the world that it is as easy as ABC to visit Justices of Nigeria’s highest Court and corrupt them, and so, influence the outcome of any case before them.
This is an outrage. Yet, I see no outrage coming from the Judiciary; the National Judicial Council has said nothing; the Nigerian Bar Association has said nothing, and most important, the retired Supreme Court Justices who were in office in 2019 have said nothing; have not deemed Kwankwaso’s statement damaging enough to challenge him.
Questions then:
Are they guilty? Is Kwankwaso right? Did they play host to him and then Candidate Yusuf? If so, what did they discuss with them? What promises did Kwankwaso make to them? What was in the bag for them?
But enters the Honourable Justice Dattijo to distance himself from the scandal. He spoke because he was a serving Justice of the Supreme Court in 2019. Others have been tight-lipped. He has denied ever playing host to Kwankwaso and Yusuf. He has challenged Kwankwaso to tell the world when and where he and Yusuf visited him. But, for emphasis, he said he was speaking for himself only, not for his brother-Justices.
“I speak only for myself. I was a serving Justice of the Supreme Court at the time and never held such a meeting with Kwankwaso or Governor Abba Yusuf. My intervention is not intended to defend or indict anyone else. It is simply to clarify that I was not part of any such engagement”, he said in a statement.
Questions are: why are other retired Justices not talking? Why have they not challenged Kwankwaso? Why are they allowing Kwankwaso to get away with this terrible dent on their reputation?
A couple of years ago, a retiring Senator Muhammad Bulkachuwa, openly, in the Senate Chambers, revealed how he abused his position as the husband of the then President of the Court of Appeal, the Honourable Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, to help his colleagues who had election cases at the Court of Appeal. After the initial “gra-gra”, nothing happened. He got away with the damning allegation. Till date, the Senator and his wife are sitting pretty, enjoying their retirement benefits and their “high profile status” in the society.
One can go on and on. We have seen a number of our leaders brazenly lie against others in the name of politics. In Edo State during one Governorship Election, a high profile national leader labeled a candidate a thief, a cultist, a murderer and more. He knew he was lying, but he said them all the same, and kept repeating them. A couple of years later, he swallowed his vomit, and said he was just playing politics. In more civilized climes, that would have been the end of his political career. But here, nothing happens. It is why, in the Entertainment industry, our actors and actresses make all kinds of damaging allegations in the social media against one another – witch, wizard, blood sucker, juju “patrioniser” who blocks the progress of others. And worse. All, without proof. It is the reason some “content creators get away with murder”. Nobody cares.
But back to Kwankwaso and his allegations against Supreme Court Justices who he said he met in their homes in 2019. He should come forward and say more. The Supreme Court Justices who were in service in 2019 should speak up. They should challenge Kwankwaso for proof. The NBA, the NJC, should be interested. What Kwankwaso owes Nigeria is proof. He cannot drag the Justices of the Supreme Court in the mud with such a weighty allegation and behave as if nothing happened. He cannot make a laughing stock of Supreme Court Justices and behave as if it is nothing, as if it is the usual. All the Supreme Court Justices in 2019, still serving or retired should get together and challenge Kwankwaso. If he had a slip of the tongue, he should clarify and publicly apologize. Otherwise, they should sue Kwankwaso for everything he has got, unless they have something to hide. The first step is to toe Justice Dattijo’s line. Then, follow it up with a barrage of law suits.
To think that Kwankwaso, a man who has publicly admitted to visiting Justices of the highest Court in the land in order to influence the outcome of a case before them, is actually aspiring to be Nigeria’s President? Well, this is Nigeria. So, why not? This is the shame of a nation. No, it’s worse than that – if you ask me. Enough.
The operations of mobile telecommunications giants, Globacom were on Thursday, February 12, 2026 disrupted following the sealing of its offices in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia state and Umuahia, the State Capital over unpaid taxes and statutory levies.
The sealing of the offices by the authorities of the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue, ABIRS, was sequel to a High Court order which empowered the agency to take steps to recover over N4 billion in unpaid and unremitted taxes and levies by Globacom.
In a statement from its spokesperson Emelle Akunna Loveth, the revenue board informed that the offices which were closed on the strength of an Abia state High Court, Umuahia, will only be unsealed when the Communication outfit settles its indeptedness.
According to the board, the Court had, on January 14, 2026, in its ruling ordered Globacom to pay into the Abia state coffers the sum of N4,048 ,748,880, representing accumulated and unremitted Right of Way (RoW), withholding taxes and other statutory levies covering the period between 2010 and 2022.
The Court similarly directed Globacom to pay a 10 per cent annual interest on the main sum, beginning from the date of the commencement of the taxes to the day the entire liability is liquidated.
“Under the Abia state Tax ( Codification and Consolidation) Law, 2020, the revenue board has been empowered to go beyond just sealing the offices.
“The Court order allows ABIRS to seize goods, chattels, and premises belonging to Globacom within the State.
“The sealing of the offices was a lawful measure strictly in compliance with the Court order”, Loveth stated.
While emphasizing its readiness to engage in meaningful dialogue to resolve the impasse, the board warned that it may be forced to take further action, including the disposal of the company’s assets to recover the debt, should Globacom fail to comply within the next 14 days.
The joint committee of the national Assembly, has approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) annual allocation.
The promise came on Thursday at the defence of N873.778 billion for the conduct of the 2027 general elections by INEC.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, had presented the Commission’s 2026 budget proposal and projected 2027 election costs before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters.
He clarified that the N873.778 billion estimate is separate from INEC’s proposed N171 billion expenditure for 2026 operations, which covers by-elections, off-cycle polls, and routine activities.
Amupitan noted that the projected election cost excludes a fresh request by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) seeking increased allowances for Corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff.
According to him, the election budget is structured across five components: N379.748 billion for operational costs; N92.317 billion for administrative costs; N209.206 billion for technology; N154.905 billion for capital costs; and N42.608 billion for miscellaneous expenses.
He explained that the estimate was prepared in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires the Commission to submit its election budget at least one year ahead of the polls.
On the 2026 fiscal plan, Amupitan pointed out that the Ministry of Finance issued INEC a budget envelope of N140 billion, but the Commission is proposing N171 billion in total spending — comprising N109 billion for personnel, N18.7 billion for overheads, N42.63 billion for election-related activities, and N1.4 billion for capital expenditure.
He argued that the envelope budgeting system is unsuitable for INEC’s operations, citing the need for flexible funding to address urgent electoral demands.
He also identified the absence of a dedicated communications network as a major operational gap, noting that building one would strengthen accountability for technical failures.
Speaking at the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole said external agencies should not dictate INEC’s budgeting framework given the sensitivity of its mandate, urging lawmakers to align funding with the Commission’s actual requirements.
Similarly, House of Representatives member Billy Osawaru called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided by the Constitution, with full and timely releases to support effective planning.
The Joint Committee subsequently approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Commission’s annual allocation. It also indicated it would review the NYSC’s request for about N32 billion to raise allowances to N125,000 for Corps members engaged during elections.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Lalong, assured lawmakers would work closely with the Commission to ensure adequate support for the 2027 polls.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, pledged legislative backing but cautioned INEC against overpromising on deliverables.
He recalled that during the last general election, assurances were given about real-time result uploads to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal.
“Meanwhile, the IREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.
