The Police on Friday arraigned Activist Omoyele Sowore and 13 Others arrested in connection with last Monday protest in Abuja over continued detention of the leader of Independent People’s of Biafra, (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu.
Magistrate Abubakar Sai’l’d sitting in Kuje, Abuja, has granted bail to the human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore and some protesters arrested during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest on Monday.
Others granted bail are Aloy Ejimakor, lawyer to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu; his brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu and 11 others.
Magistrate Sai’I’d issued the bail order on Friday after the defendants were charged with unlawful assembly and disturbance of public peace.
The court granted the defendants bail in the sum of ₦500,000 each, subject to the condition that they present a verified National Identification Number (NIN).
The magistrate also directed the defendants to present their three-year tax clearance certificates and submit their passports to the court as part of the bail conditions.
Sowore was arrested on Thursday by the Police at the premises of the Federal High Court in Abuja after meeting with Nnamdi Kanu, while others were picked up on Monday during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow.
Ahead the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP National delegates Convention slated for next month, Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has accused the state governors elected on the party’s platform of deliberately working to bury the party.
The National Convention is expected to hold in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital between November 15 and 16.
But, Wike said he doesn’t care if the Convention holds or not insisting that the right thing should be done for the party to get out of its current crisis.
The minister who blamed the governors to be behind the leadership crisis rocking the party , said the governors have hijacked the party for their won selfish gain by blocking out other major stakeholders in the PDP.
Wike spoke amid accusations against him that he’s working with some other aggrieved members of the party to stop the Convention from holding. The minister has further sparked controversy after allegation that he’s trying to block Taminu Turaki, as the consensus candidate of 19 PDP Northern states to become the next National Chairman of the party.
The magazine has earlier reported that Governor Ahmad Fintiri of Adamawa state announced the choice of Turaki on Thursday, stating however that the party will not block other aspirants from contesting the position.
Wike however said he’s not the problem of the party as being alleged, saying the governors should be blamed for not doing the right thing to move the party forward, adding that the governors have blocked other key stakeholders from participating in the affairs of the party, asking, for instance why “the National Organising Secretary” and a former “governorship candidate”of the party was sidelined when Governor Fintiri and his ilks made the decision to pick Turaki, a former minister as the Consensus Candidate for the PDP National Chairmanship position.
“The way the governors are doing they will bury the party. Why do you exempt the PDP National Organising and a former governorship candidate” when choosing Turaki, he said.
“Are you saying because I’m not a governor, you want to hold a stakeholders meetings and you exempt me.”
He said the APC is not behind the problem facing the party as being alleged. “Is it APC that made them to take the wrong decision. What’s there, you mean I will sit down and some governors will make some decision and expect me to follow/ Follow who?
“You have to show leadership, you have to show commitment.”
He said it’s wrong for some people to continue to blame him for the problem in the party, saying the blame game has not achieved anything thing “till today”.
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa state has disclosed that aspirants for various national offices in the 2025 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Elective National Convention, NWC, will be screened next Tuesday, October 28.
The governor, who is also the chairman of the party’s NWC said the screening will take place at the National Convention Organizing Committee, NCOC, Secretariat Conference Hall, Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Fintiri was quoted in a statement as saying any appeal arising from the screening has been slated for Thursday, October 30.
Fintiri said “To this effect, Monday, 27th October, 2025 has been approved as the last date for the submission of already completed Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms by all aspirants to the NCOC Secretariat.
“All aspirants, critical stakeholders and Party members should note the dates and be guided accordingly.”
The magazine reports that the screening will take place two weeks before the PDP National Delegate Convention slated for November 15 and 16.
There’s however a dark cloud hovering over the National Convention as analysts expressed doubts on whether it will still go ahead, because of the court case instituted by some angry members of the party purportedly trying to stop the Convention from holding.
Justice James Omotosho of the Abuja High Court who’s handling the case has promised to ensure that a judgment is delivered on October 31, two weeks before the Convention.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, Zonal Secretary, North Central Adamu Mohammed Yakubu has expressed shock that Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT is still a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP despite the fact that he’s working for the ruling party.
The APC chieftain has now invited the FCT Minister to join the ruling party, saying as the minister he’s supposed to be the APC leader in the nation’s capital.
According to him “the minister of the Federal Capital Territory under an administration of a party is automatically the leader of that party. That is where we are getting an issue.”
He urged Wike to resign from the PDP immediately and join the ruling APC, so that he can give the party effective leadership in the Territory, adding that the party is happy that the minister has replicated what he did as Governor of Rivers State in the FCT following his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“We are appealing to him to look at the possibility of coming to our party. He should come and be the leader of the APC in the FCT.
“PDP now is on life support. Very soon, they will announce its death. Wike is the only life support holding the party, and when he comes to the APC, the death of PDP will be announced.
“He has made this administration proud with the complete transformation of the FCT, which no administration has ever done, and we are ready to give him 100 percent loyalty if he decides to join us,” Yakubu said.
Since his appointment in 2023 by the president, Wike has been hanging between the PDP and the APC, judging from the fact that he’s reported to be in charge of the two parties in his state, Rivers where he currently holds the ace as far as power in concerned.
The minister has further irked his critics after he vowed to work for the re-election of President Tinubu in 2023, despite the fact that his party will sponsor a candidate for the election. The minister is said to be at the middle of the protracted leadership crisis rocking the PDP even as the party remains unsure whether its National Convention slated for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo state will still hold due to the court case instituted by some members, believed to be loyal to the minister against their party.
Key opposition leader in Nigeria, Peter Obi has described as unacceptable the recently released IMF list of fastest growing economies in Africa in which the country is conspicuously absent.
Some countries in Africa such as Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Republic of Benin and Rwanda made the list released by the global financial body.
Reacting in a post he shared on his verified X handle, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party lamented that Nigeria is not on the list, citing bad governance, corruption as some reasons why the country missed out of the list.
According to him, the chosen African countries made the list by by investing in critical areas such as education, healthcare and pulling people out of poverty, areas he said the government of Nigeria has not taken as priorities.
He stressed that the countries capture in the IMF list are not richer than Nigeria in terms of human and natural resources but that Nigeria has simply failed to manage her resources for the benefit of her people.
Obi: “I have read with keen interest the recent IMF report listing Africa’s fastest-growing economies, and I cannot help but reflect on Nigeria’s absence from that list.
“These nations are not richer than us in natural resources, but they have become richer in discipline, leadership, and commitment to improving their people and their human capital.
“They are growing their economies through investing in critical areas of development education, healthcare and pulling people out of poverty, while ensuring fiscal prudence and stability.”
“We must return to the basics: production over consumption, human capital over patronage, and governance over politics.”
He explained that Nigeria has what it takes to lead other African countries if she can tackle corruption, encourage production and share the nation’s wealth equitably among her people.
“Nigeria has all it takes to not just be amongst the fastest growing economies, but to lead them. What we need is competent and compassionate leadership, one that sees governance as a call to service, not as a transaction for criminal acquisition of unearned wealth. Let us recommit ourselves to building a nation that values transparency, productivity, and shared prosperity.
“With the right leadership and collective will, Nigeria can once again become the pride of Africa. If smaller nations can grow their economy through discipline and commitment to clear policy direction, then the giant of Africa must awaken,” Obi stated.
“Credibility is a fragile thing. It takes years to build, but only seconds to lose”- Unknown
For me, Prof Joash Amupitan took the first wrong step by his appearance at the swearing-in ceremony. With his enviable curriculum vitae as a silk lawyer, outstanding teacher, and administrator, he would have avoided coming out first in Agbada, reminding us of the corrupt and flamboyant politician he is expected to tame by conducting an impeccable election for Nigerians. Some might say it doesn’t matter but a good and serious dancer always shows it by their first step.
Dear Professor, Since your name was mentioned for the most turbulent job in the country, you have been receiving floods of greetings. Even before your resumption, some may have even offered you houses in London and America for your children for the dirty job they want you to do. The kind of inducement that will come to you will require God’s grace to resist, but it is a booby trap ostensibly to destroy all that you have already achieved.
Your job is risky, capable of wrecking all you have achieved in your life’s struggle. The highest position in Nigeria is the President of the country, a seat currently occupied by the man who appointed you, Bola Tinubu. The most important person today, politically speaking, is you. Why are you more important than the President? Because he will depend on you to keep his own job, and that’s where your problem lies. Under your watch as a human resources manager for a company called Nigeria, those who employed you would expect you to aid in the recruitment of a CEO of the company who is not qualified, and who didn’t pass the recruitment interview for the job? They would want you to facilitate the recruitment of a CEO whose credentials and background are such that he would be begging both the courts and the security agencies not to release his records to you for observation. They would not want you, to profile the next CEO looking out for competence, character, capacity, and commitment to the job? This is the job you have taken, a dicey job that can ruin you and your entire family before God and the Nigerian people. If you can say to hell with the Nigerian people as your predecessor, Prof Mahmoud, ostensibly did, will you say that to your creator who indeed has provided for you to this level? That is why you need prayer warriors around you not undertakers who will be promising to serve your greed.
At the core of Nigeria’s problem over time is poor and inadequate political leadership which is largely due to the improper recruitment model fertilised by corrupt and greedy electoral bosses in the country
Your profile mirrors you as a man who paid his dues professionally and in your career. As a lawyer, you have risen to the silk bar of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN. As a teacher, you are a professor and a deputy Vice-Chancellor of one of the highly rated universities in the country. Family wise you appear to be happily married with four children.
Author: Ike Abonyi
With this type of background, your future and that of your children were guaranteed, even without this, your new job. In other words, you are not a hungry man but it may be too early to determine if you are a greedy man.
The man who gave you this job, President Bola Tinubu himself, confessed that the reason he chose you out of the lot contending and lobbying for it is because of your impeccable credentials. Pray that he would not be the person to destroy it.
But all the eulogies notwithstanding, Nigerians are no longer carried away by credentials but by what the person becomes in office. Ten years ago, when Prof Yakubu Mahmoud was appointed, his credentials were immaculate, but ten years later, he is enrolled in the black book of history as the most corrupt electoral officer ever.
Out of the 13 National Electoral bosses that served this country from independence, starting with Chief Eyo Esua, Prof Mahmoud is leaving the stage indisputably as the worst of all. You are coming in as the 14th INEC Chairman with a blank sheet to write your own story.
As a political reporter for many decades, I have been part of the nation’s electoral bosses from Prof Eme Awa to date and I will recommend you take your time to study why some failed and others succeeded. It would help you a lot.
Prof Awa did not stay long before relinquishing the job when those who appointed him wanted to twist his hand against his principle between 1987 to 1989, his successor Prof Humphrey Nwosu tried his best to live by his principle and didn’t have it easy but he left a name that places him in the positive aspect of the history book. Prof Attahiru Jega wasn’t too wonderful but he was lucky to have the commission tilt towards the then public opinion, plus having a civil President who was conscious of public opinion and the rule of law.
In your case, you are not too lucky, the man who gave you this job is a grab-and-run man who believes that the end justifies the means.
When providence provides you with a job that challenges you to do good and get God’s blessings or do evil and wait for the repercussions, the choice will be yours. Your predecessor chose the latter and is working away with unprecedented wealth and other dubious privileges but under the permanent curse of Nigerian voters. I will advise you, therefore, to study thoroughly these past INEC Chairmen and find out why some floundered while others made appreciable progress.
What would be agitating your mind now is how to accomplish your goals and come out clean? In other words, you will be looking out for the Strategic Imperatives for Sustaining Electoral Integrity and Public Trust.
My advisory note will outline critical areas requiring proactive attention to sustain the integrity of the national electoral process, reinforce public confidence, and ensure operational readiness for the 2027 elections. Your focus must be on continuous institutional strengthening, technological resilience, and transparent stakeholder engagement.
Your advocacy from day one must be stringent, transparent, and non-partisan in selection criteria for all senior electoral appointments (Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners, etc. This may be beyond you because most of them are appointed by politicians, but you must insist on the process being merit-based and demonstrably free of political affiliation to buttress the perception of neutrality for public trust.
The staff you are inheriting is largely corrupt, and you must continually review and strengthen internal control mechanisms to prevent undue influence, address staff misconduct swiftly, and ensure all decisions adhere strictly to the electoral law and established guidelines. As a seasoned lawyer, both in theory and practice, you know the vital importance of playing by the rules.
One area where previous electoral bosses were roped in is in the area of funding. The government funding you would want to take their pound of flesh, therefore you must from day one push for financial autonomy for the commission, ensuring timely and adequate funding not only for elections but also for continuous operations, research, and capacity building.
Technology innovation was supposed to facilitate a free and credible election, but in the 2023 poll, the commission used glitches to deliberately muddle up issues. If you really set out to make a positive difference you must work towards operational efficiency and technological resilience by maintaining a comprehensive audit and stress-test schedule for all election technology, eg voter accreditation, result transmission, etc. You must prioritise the continuous audit and cleanup of the National Register of Voters to eliminate duplicates, underage voters, and records of deceased persons, enhancing data accuracy and public trust in the figures.
One notable area the commission always fails is in the area of logistics especially on election days. That entails that you must revamp logistics planning, especially for difficult-to-reach areas, to ensure early deployment of materials and personnel. Collaborate closely with security agencies to develop a security master plan that guarantees the safety of electoral officials, materials, and voters without intimidating the electorate.
Politicians deliberately create tension that affects the commission’s operation, to be able to manage them, ensure stakeholders’ engagement through continuous dialogue, establish a structure, and year-round engagement platforms with political parties, civil society organisations (CSOs), security agencies, the media, and development partners. Use these forums to communicate planned reforms, receive feedback, and address concerns proactively.
Voter education is also necessary to reduce voter apathy. This can be done through various voting instructions utilising multiple languages and channels, to counter misinformation/disinformation, especially in the digital space, and educate citizens on the electoral legal framework and their rights.
All the above narratives are just a reminder because as a law teacher and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, you should know what is required in law for the conduct of a credible election except to draw your attention to the importance of maintaining
independence and impartiality in all decisions, ensuring equal treatment of all political parties and stakeholders. Ensure transparent processes and procedures, fostering trust and confidence in the electoral system. And upholding the highest standards of integrity, avoiding conflicts of interest, and ensuring the security of electoral processes and consistency in decision-making especially in electoral laws and regulations. If you remain mindful of these considerations, challenges, and best practices, and put God ahead of all, you can effectively lead the Electoral Commission and ensure credible, transparent, and peaceful elections. May God be your guide.
The Police Service Commission says it will look into the bribery allegations against AIG Emmanuel Aina by a group of protesters who stormed its Corporate Headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.
The protesters carrying placards and operating under the umbrella body of centre for Human Rights and Advocacy in Africa Network (CHRAAN) demanded a probe of the AIG whom they accused of abuse of Office.
“The Commission wishes to state that it will look into the complaints and ensure that justice is served to both parties. The Commission insists that it will continue to hold the Police accountable for its actions and inactions but enjoins Nigerians to also give the Police the required support and Cooperation to give off its best”, a statement signed by its Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani said.
He said the Commission has since launched a whistle blowing Policy and called on Nigerians to feel free to blow the whistle on official corruption in its activities and on the institutions it has oversight control.
The National Economic Council, (NEC) Ad-hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft Prevention and Control has raised an alarm over massive looting of the nation’s solid minerals.
Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma, who chairs the committee, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after the 153rd NEC meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.
Uzodimma revealed that the mandate of the committee has been expanded as part of the government’s efforts to curb resource theft and increase revenue from Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
“The National Economic Council Ad-hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft Prevention and Control, which I chair, presented an interim report today to the Council.
“NEC received our report with satisfaction and expanded our Terms of Reference to now also take interest in solid minerals, because our solid minerals are being mined and stolen and not adding to national revenue.”
According to him, the expanded role would enable the committee to coordinate with the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and other federal and subnational institutions to combat widespread illegal gold mining and other forms of mineral smuggling that have deprived the country of much-needed foreign exchange.
“Going forward, our committee, working with other government agencies, will look at how to ensure that the revenue of the country arising from solid minerals like gold and other forms of solid minerals are not allowed to be stolen.”
NEC’s Ad-hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft Prevention and Control was first established under former President Muhammadu Buhari in August 2022.
It was reconstituted under President Bola Tinubu in December 2023 with Uzodinma as chairman.
Uzodimma explained that through what he called a “collaborative approach” involving regulators, operators, and the security forces, the committee had helped raised daily crude oil production to over 1.7 million barrels per day in the past 22 months.
“Before May 29, 2023, when President Bola Tinubu was sworn in, our crude oil production was around 700,000 to 800,000 barrels a day.
“Working with stakeholders, the regulators, operators in the industry, and the Navy, we were able to involve all the governors of crude oil-producing states and raise different security organisations.
“You would agree with me that as I speak, daily production is now in excess of 1.7 million barrels a day, and cases of pipeline vandalism and vandalisation of oil assets have also been on the decline.
“We are determined to ensure that crude oil production and gas are properly preserved for the benefit of our citizens. Now, with this new directive, we will also protect our gold and solid mineral assets.”
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has charged the Continent of Africa to rise above foreign aids.
The FCT minister declared that “We must remember that no one can do as much for us as we can do for ourselves, and that in this world of concrete interests, there is no free lunch and no lasting handout.”
Wike spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the 2025 innovative African conference with the theme Reimaging Africa’s leadership and investment.
In his keynote address, Wike pointed out that “Africa must now rise above aid, rediscover her strength, and rebuild her institutions. Let us therefore reimagine investment, reclaim our self-reliance, and reposition Africa not as a continent waiting for benevolence, but as a continent prepared to lead.
“The future of global prosperity will be written here on African soil, by African hands, and for the glory of Africa and all humanity.
“Reimagining Africa’s leadership and investment is not merely an intellectual exercise; it is an urgent call to action. Our continent can no longer afford incremental change; the time has come for transformational change.
“Let me be clear: Africa’s future will not be given to us. We must build it. And we must build it now.
“The future I see is an Africa where leadership is rooted in service and integrity, not in privilege and power; where investment fuels inclusive growth, lifting millions from poverty into prosperity; where youth and women stand at the forefront driving innovation, creativity, and governance.
“I see an Africa where infrastructure becomes the great equalizer, connecting communities and economies; and where Africa speaks with one voice, not as 55 fragmented states, but as one dynamic continent reimagined, renewed, and resolute in purpose.
“History will not remember what we merely dreamed for Africa; it will remember what we did for Africa. It will judge us not by our rhetoric, but by our actions and results.
“Africa today stands at a historic crossroads. On one hand, we are endowed with immense natural wealth, fertile lands, vibrant cultures, and the youngest population in the world.
“We are a continent of extraordinary promise, alive with creativity, innovation, and a deep cultural heritage that has shaped humanity itself.
“Yet, on the other hand, we continue to grapple with weak institutions, infrastructural deficits, widespread unemployment, poverty, and recurrent governance failures that have constrained our progress.”
President Bola Tinubu, has urged the new chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to serve with integrity and beyond reproach.
The President also emphasized that the governorship election on November 8, 2025, in Anambra State will serve as a litmus test for the new leadership of the electoral commission.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President, (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, stated that the president gave the charge on Thursday in Abuja, while swearing in the sixth substantive chairman of the INEC, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN).
At the ceremony held at the State House Council Chamber, President Tinubu pointed out that “Your nomination and the subsequent confirmation by the Senate are a testament to your capacity and the confidence reposed in you by both the executive and the legislative arms of government.
“This significant achievement marks the beginning of a challenging, yet rewarding journey, and I trust that you will approach your responsibility with the highest level of integrity, dedication and patriotism,” the President said.
President Tinubu noted that the country had been on a path of democratic governance and learning since 1999, with notable achievements in the strengthening of various institutions.
“Our democracy has come a long way in 25 years. We have consolidated and strengthened our democratic institutions, particularly in electoral systems, through innovations and reforms.
“We have learned a great deal along the way and have improved significantly from where we were many years ago. We must now remain committed to the principles that underpin democracy in a complex and multifaceted society.
“The electoral process is a vital part of a democracy that grants the people the exclusive right to choose their leaders and shape their future. To ensure that our democracy continues to flourish, the integrity of our electoral process must be beyond reproach.
“It is important that our elections are free, fair and credible. We must consistently improve our electoral process, addressing the challenges of yesterday and innovating for today and tomorrow.
“To maintain public trust in the election, electoral integrity must be protected. All aspects of the process – from registration to campaigning, the media access, voting and counting should be transparent, non–violent and credible.
“No electoral system is flawless, but since elections are vital to a nation’s future, it is essential to continually strengthen electoral institutions, ensuring that they are robust, resilient and safeguarded against artificial setback.
“I therefore charge you, Prof Amupitan, as you take on this important assignment to protect the integrity of our electoral process and strengthen the institutional capacity of INEC.
The swearing-in ceremony follows the Senate’s confirmation of the INEC Chairman’s nomination on October 16.
Amupitan succeeds Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure as INEC Chairman ran from 2015 to 2025.
The 58-year-old academic outlined his plans to reform Nigeria’s electoral system, strengthen institutional independence, and rebuild public trust in the commission at the screening.
