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“We Struggle With Lawyers, Litigants To Board Okada” – Kwara Magistrates Lament Ordeal

By
Ayodele Oni
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Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State

By Ayodele Oni 

 

Magistrates in Kwara State have revealed the humiliation, deprivation and neglect they suffer in the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

 

They accuse the State Government of not taking care of them like other Judicial Officers.

 

According to the sources, judges of the superior courts, as well as top judicial administrators such as the Chief Registrar and Deputy Chief Registrar, have benefited from welfare improvements and vehicle allocations, while magistrates and Area Court judges continue to struggle.

 

“Most of us don’t own cars,” one of the magistrates said.

 

“Anytime the governor is distributing official vehicles, it is always judges of the High Court and other senior judicial officers that benefit. Magistrates are completely forgotten.”

 

Some of them who spoke accused the administration of subjecting them to poor welfare conditions, alleging that many of them earn less than N200,000 monthly and have been forced to rely on commercial motorcycles (Okada) as their primary means of transportation to court.

 

Two magistrates who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals described their situation as “humiliating” and “degrading,” saying they have repeatedly been excluded whenever the state government distributes official vehicles to judicial officers.

 

The magistrates alleged that Grade Level 1 magistrates in the state earn less than N200,000 monthly, a salary they said is insufficient for a judicial officer expected to maintain the dignity of the bench.

 

“Because our salaries are not up to N200,000, how do you expect a magistrate to buy a car? We come to court on Okada every day. It is humiliating,” the source added.

 

The judicial officers lamented that the situation has become particularly embarrassing because litigants, lawyers and members of the public address them as “Your Worship” and “My Lord” during proceedings, only to see them afterwards struggling to secure commercial motorcycles for transportation.

 

“Imagine concluding proceedings where everyone stands and addresses you as ‘Your Worship,’ then immediately after court you are struggling to board an Okada with litigants and lawyers watching. 

 

“It diminishes the dignity of the office and affects our confidence and productivity,” another magistrate told SaharaReporters.

 

The magistrates pointed out that the welfare challenges are not limited to the magistrates, but also affect many Area Court judges across the state.

 

They argued that the neglect is particularly unfair because magistrates constitute the first point of contact for most Nigerians seeking justice and handle a substantial portion of criminal and civil cases in the state.

 

“We are the judicial officers closest to ordinary citizens. Sometimes a magistrate handles more than seven different matters in a single day, yet our welfare does not reflect the workload we carry,” one source said.

 

According to the sources, the financial hardship and lack of official transportation have increasingly affected morale among lower-court judicial officers.

 

They called on the Kwara State Government to urgently review the salaries and conditions of service of magistrates and Area Court judges, warning that continued neglect could undermine the efficiency and dignity of the state’s justice delivery system.

 

“We are not asking for luxury,” one of the magistrates said. “We are asking for conditions that allow judicial officers to perform their duties with dignity and independence.”

CBN Appoints NDIC To Liquidate 46 Microfinance Banks

By
James Orji
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CBN Logo
Following the revocation of licences of some micro finance banks in the country, the apex bank has appointed the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC as the official liquidator.
The apex said its action is pursuant to Section 12 (2) of BOFIA 2020, and Section 55 (1 & 2) of the NDIC Act 2023.
On Wednesday, the Nigerian apex bank revoked operating licenses of 46 Microfinance Banks (MfBs) over weak asset positions.
According to the CBN, the licences withdrawals took immediate effect, in line with CBN’s powers under Sections 12 and 13 of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA), 2020.
The withdrawal was contained in a statement issued by CBN Acting Director, Corporate Communications Department, Mrs. Sidi-Ali, Hakama , who said some of the affected banks were battling to meet customers’ cash demsnds.
She stated that some MFBs insufficient have also  closed their operations without the apex bank’s approval.
“The revocation was approved by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, following the banks’ failure to meet the regulatory requirements for continued operation as licensed financial institutions,” the apex bank said in the statement.
The CBN said it remains committed to promoting a safe, sound and resilient financial system and will continue to take appropriate supervisory and regulatory actions, where necessary, to maintain public confidence in the Nigerian financial system.”
The affected MFBs include Merchant Microfinance Bank and Abia SME Microfinance Bank in Abia State, Janmaa Microfinance Bank in Kwara State, Busu Microfinance Bank and Bejin-Doko Microfinance Bank in Niger State, Gold Microfinance Bank, Chanelle Microfinance Bank, Safegate Microfinance Bank, and  Minji-Se Churchill Microfinance Bank in Rivers state.
Others are, Supreme Microfinance Bank, Creditville Microfinance Bank, MBAG Microfinance Bank, Verdant Microfinance Bank and Entrepreneur Microfinance Bank in Lagos State, Zain Microfinance Bank (formerly Dawakin Tofa Microfinance Bank), Bompai Microfinance Bank, Ajwa Microfinance Bank (formerly Gezawa Microfinance Bank), Now Now Digital Microfinance Bank, Minjibir Microfinance Bank.

Alleged Case Against Gbajabiamila: Adeyemi Doubles Down, Says “I am Not A Fraudulent Person” (Full Text Of His Statement)

By
The Source
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Femi Gbajabiamila and Adeniyi Adeyemi

 

By Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew

 

Femi Gbajabiamila should  remember that Nigerians are waiting for him to tell the truth about what he knows about Presidential Foreign Intevention Promotion Council and Presidential Economic Advisory Council. I will not be intimidated. I will not be discredited without response because you cannot beat a child and expect him/her not to cry. When pain is inflicted, a response is inevitable. I will not allow my name to be used as a convenient shield in a matter that Nigerians deserve full transparency

 

My dearest fellow Nigerians,

 

Relentless members of the Press,

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

I welcome you today not out of convenience, but out of necessity. I stand before you today under a cloud of public misrepresentation, institutional denial, and deliberate attempts to silence legitimate questions that concern matters of national interest.

 

Firstly, let me wish Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila a happy birthday. I’m aware today is his birthday. This press conference is also a birthday gift to him. While celebrating, he should remember that Nigerians are waiting for him to tell the truth about what he knows about Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

Let me be clear from the beginning: I will not be intimidated because intimidation I condone not. I will not be discredited without response because you cannot beat a child and expect him/her not to cry, when pain is inflicted, a response is inevitable. And I will not allow my name to be used as a convenient shield in a matter that Nigerians deserve full transparency on.

I will rather die as a MAN than to live as a Coward

 

On 11th June 2026, Hon. Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila issued a disclaimer distancing the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President from Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), alongside the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).

Executive Branch

My name has been drawn into this storm.

I reject outright any attempt to reduce this matter to simple denials without addressing the core questions that Nigerians are now asking.

The issue is no longer about personalities. It is about contradictions that demand answers.

This claim of Chief of Staff to the President, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila that he doesn’t know about the existence of the Agency is derisory because in the real world, he should cover his face in shame.

If Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, who is supposed to be the Chief of Staff to the President and also the administrative gateway to the Presidency, can make such an administrative error, by allowing the president to sign a document with fake agency in it, he should possibly resign his appointment nowwwwwww…….

 

Executive Branch

 

Let’s assume for one second that all what the chief of staff published were right, that the agency does not exist. Then how did the agency’s name get into the 2026 appropriation budget pages 50 and 51?

If the agency does not exist, yet found its way into the Nigerian national budget, what that means is that the entire 2026 appropriation budget is a fraud and should be discarded.

 

Geographic Reference

 

What the chief of staff to the president is now saying by his denial published in various national dailies is that our 109 Distinguished Senators, where we have seasoned administrators, former Governors and diverse professional experts are INCOMPETENT not to have discovered the fake Agency in the National Budget. What It means is that Our 360 reps members of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are rubber stamped, as they are being speculated.

This is not an emotional question. It is a procedural one.

Because the national budget does not emerge in isolation. It passes through multiple layers of technical drafting, executive coordination, ministerial inputs, budget office review, and finally legislative scrutiny by both chambers of the National Assembly where COS has meritoriously served for good 20 Years and rose from Minority to Majority leaders and Speaker for 4 years.

 

So the question becomes unavoidable: at what point in this process did references to non-existent Agency allegedly enter the official record?

 

And if they are indeed present in official documentation, what does that imply about the integrity of the process that produced and approved those documents?

For President Bola Tinubu to append his signature to a budget that includes a non-existing agency according to his chief of staff, is an embarrassment to this hardworking government.

 

Executive Branch

 

My distinguished media practitioners, why do questions persist regarding administrative processes, budgetary lines, and institutional communications allegedly connected to this Agency if it doesn’t exist? The same acclaimed non-existent Agency has domiciliary account, pounds account and Treasury Single Account all domiciled in Central Bank of Nigeria. So, what COS is telling Nigerians is that the CBN

 Governor with His pedigree together with his 4 deputies, 16 capable directors and 5,300 staffs are clueless to not have detected a fraudulent document for opening of account? Is it even possible to open an account with fictitious documents in a commercial bank in Nigeria today, talk less of the CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA? Please note that the process of opening an account with CBN starts from Office of Accountant General of the Federation. Therefore, COS is telling The Accountant General of the Federation who possesses necessary qualifications and experience of 30 years, his pool of Directors, Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors and other Professional experts in his office ARE SIT DOWN LOOK CIVIL SERVANTS not to have detected forged documents?

 

Chaiiiiiii………O ma se ooooooooooooo….. Eni agboju okun le, ko jo ani agba.

Fellow Nigerians, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has brought shame and disrepute to the Civil Service by telling us that The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation of Nigeria who graciously approved 314 staffs to the said non existent agency is INCOMPETENT with her 94,511 staffs?

How did the Agency get an office space at the Federal Secretariat and operate for over a year? Abi SGF Office with 6 Permanent Secretaries and numerous Directors are driven by pot of soups?

 

Government

 

These are not trivial matters but questions at the sensitivity of governance, accountability, and public trust.

I am also compelled to address the attempt by the chief of staff to frame me as a fraudulent actor in this matter. That portrayal is not only false but deeply damaging to my person and reputation.

It has been alleged in certain quarters that there were attempts or considerations by the chief of staff to use security institutions in Nigeria to frame my diplomatic engagements as espionage or disloyalty. I categorically reject any attempt to criminalize lawful activity.

 

Politics

Now I want to put this out for clarity’s sake: the major rationale behind the disagreement between myself and the Chief of Staff is because he allegedly requested 48% of the take-off grant (#27,395,510,136) from the same agency which he denies it exists to which I rejected. After he collected a total sum of 400 Million by proxy with remaining balance of 200 Million to secure the said appointment.

 

Is the Chief of Staff open to examine all documents and communication trails in the President’s Office? Because I asked myself what could have happened for COS to issue that disclaimer when the President has Mr. BAYO ONANUGA, CHIEF SUNDAY DARE of this world, Mr. Daniel Bwala and retinue of media aides, was he pushed to do that, is there something pursuing him or he was under the influence of substance? I think this confirmed the general notion that the President has sidelined the COS because his cup is FULL due of his unscrupulous activities.

Geographic Reference

Let it be known: silence will not resolve this matter. Only truth will.

 

I, therefore, passionately appeal to Our Father President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for the immediate establishment of an independent investigative panel to:

Examine the mysterious death of Mr. Babatunde Tanimola who is the intermediary between myself and COS, who Police claimed he died through fire accident at an hotel in Utako, Abuja on 22nd of October 2025, a day after the COS petition was received by the Police.

Executive Branch

To kindly investigate several attempted assassinations to my life especially the one that occurred on Sunday 7th September 2025 along Abuja – Kaduna Expressway where I narrowly escaped. Several belongings, vital documents were carted away including my 2 phones which consisted a lot of information. I reported the case to the Police and Department of State Security. I was told the phones were tracked to Gombe State but an insider confided to me that there was an order from the above to refrain from taking any further actions.

To compel the Chief of Staff to produce all the official documents he has signed since assumption into office for Forensic Analysis because he who alleged must prove and he who comes into equity must come with clean hands.

 

To compel the Chief of Staff to step aside pending the outcome of the panel because he has been using his office to intimidate people including media houses.

To review budgetary references and institutional records

Question all relevant actors

Publish findings transparently.

Such a panel should include credible civil society organizations and international organizations.

The purpose is clarity: not denial versus counter-denial.

If I am wrong, let an independent process prove it. If Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila is right, let it confirm it.

To civil society, media, religious and traditional institutions: your engagement matters.

To Nigerians: focus on facts, not distractions.

Pages 50 and 51 of the 2026 appropriation budget are cited as proof.

 

I remain willing to cooperate fully with any lawful inquiry.

I will not accept being silenced or discredited.

Let the investigation speak. Let the documents speak. Let the truth emerge.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Geographic Reference

Thank you all.

Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew

FG Hails Suspension Of Strike By Teachers In Oyo

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Oyo Teachers Protest

By Ayodele Oni

 

The Federal Ministry of education has revealed that its intervention facilitated the resolution by the Nigeria Union of Teachers strike in Oyo state.

 

Government welcomed the suspension of the teachers’ strike in Oyo State, describing the resolution of the industrial action as a triumph of dialogue and collaboration that will allow thousands of pupils and students to return to uninterrupted learning.

 

The Ministry of Education said the breakthrough followed sustained engagements involving the Federal Ministry of Education, the Oyo State Government and the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) at the national, zonal and state levels.

 

The ministry noted that the collaborative efforts paved the way for teachers to resume classroom activities, restoring normal academic activities across the state.

 

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the resolution underscored the shared commitment of all stakeholders to place the welfare and future of Nigerian children above every other consideration.

 

“I am glad to report today that the strike has been suspended. Teachers are now returning to school to educate their students.

 

“This is the result of our collaboration and coordination with the leadership of the National Union of Teachers and the Government of Oyo State,” Alausa said.

 

The minister commended Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, for what he described as exemplary leadership in resolving the dispute through dialogue rather than confrontation.

 

He also praised the National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, the union’s Zonal President, Comrade Hassan Ajibola Fatai, and the leadership of the Oyo State wing of the union for demonstrating statesmanship and putting the interests of learners first.

 

According to the minister, the successful resolution reinforces the importance of constructive engagement in addressing challenges within the education sector.

 

Alausa reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that every Nigerian child has uninterrupted access to quality education despite the security challenges facing parts of the country.

 

He stressed that efforts by criminal elements to disrupt education through violence and intimidation would not deter the government from pursuing its education agenda.

 

“Our children will remain in school, and we will continue to educate them. We will not succumb to terror.

 

“This administration remains resolute in confronting insecurity with every available resource and ensuring that our schools continue to serve as safe places for teaching and learning,” he stated.

 

The minister also paid tribute to teachers across the country, describing them as critical partners in national development whose dedication and resilience continue to shape future generations.

 

He said their sacrifices remain invaluable to the growth and sustainability of Nigeria’s education system.

 

The ministry reiterated its commitment to working closely with state governments, teachers’ unions, security agencies and other stakeholders to strengthen school safety, encourage dialogue and protect every child’s right to uninterrupted, quality education in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Court Affirms Mark, Aregbesola Authentic Leaders Of ADC

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola

By Ayodele Oni

 

Relief has come the way of the African Democratic Congress, (ADC), as a Federal High Court in Abuja affirmed the leadership  headed by Senator David Mark, dismissing a suit challenging the appointments of Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s national chairman and national secretary.

 

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Musa Liman struck out the suit filed by House of Representatives member, Rep. Leke Abejide, describing it as lacking merit.

 

The court upheld the preliminary objections raised by the ADC, its former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, agreeing that the case was not one the court had jurisdiction to entertain.

 

Justice Liman held that the dispute concerned the internal affairs of the party and was therefore non-justiciable.

 

The judge further ruled that Abejide lacked the legal standing to institute the suit, having failed to demonstrate that his rights had been violated by the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.

 

He also noted that the lawmaker did not exhaust the ADC’s internal dispute resolution mechanism before approaching the court.

 

Justice Liman resolved all three issues raised in the substantive suit in favour of the defendants.

 

On the legality of the emergence of former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s leaders, the court ruled that their appointments complied with the relevant laws and the party’s constitution.

 

According to the judge, the decision by Chief Ralph Nwosu to hand over the party’s leadership to Mark did not violate the ADC constitution.

 

The court also held that the disputed July 2, 2025 meeting was merely a stakeholders’ meeting that preceded the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on July 29, 2025, where Mark and Aregbesola formally emerged as the party’s leaders in an exercise monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

 

Justice Liman consequently declared that the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as the ADC’s national chairman and national secretary was valid and in compliance with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act, 2026.

 

The court also awarded costs of ₦2 million each in favour of all the defendants, to be paid by Abejide.

 

In addition, Justice Liman ordered Abejide’s counsel to pay ₦10 million in costs in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.

 

Abejide had filed the suit to challenge the leadership of the ADC under Mark.

 

In the originating summons marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1637/2025, filed on February 15, Abejide sued the ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Senator David Mark, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the first to fifth defendants.

 

Among the reliefs sought, the lawmaker asked the court to nullify the July 2, 2025 handover of the party’s leadership by Nwosu to Mark and Aregbesola as interim national chairman and interim national secretary, arguing that the process was unlawful and unconstitutional.

 

He also sought perpetual injunctions restraining Mark and Aregbesola from presenting themselves as leaders of the party, as well as an order preventing INEC from recognising them in those capacities.

 

Abejide argued that their appointment did not comply with the requirements of Section 82 of the Electoral Act, 2022, among other claims

NIPSS Repels Another Attack

By
Ayodele Oni
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Police at NIPSS Office

By Ayodele Oni

 

For the second time within a month, the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru-Jos, Plateau state, was again the target of an armed incursion late Wednesday night.

 

This will be the second attempted breach of its security perimeter in recent weeks as Security personnel at the Institute successfully repelled the latest attack, which occurred on 1 July 2026.

 

According to a statement signed by Dr. Osime Samuel, Head of Public Affairs at the Institute, unidentified armed assailants engaged security operatives in a gun duel, but were forced to retreat, following a swift and coordinated response.

 

One attacker was neutralised, while others escaped with injuries.

 

This incident follows an earlier attack on the institute, during which armed individuals similarly attempted to force their way into the facility.

 

That attempt was also thwarted, but three security personnel were killed prompting an immediate review and reinforcement of security protocols around the Institute.

 

NIPSS confirmed that despite the renewed assault, its perimeter remained uncompromised.

 

Participants, staff, residents and all facilities are safe, with no disruption to academic or administrative activities.

 

Security agencies have intensified efforts to track down the fleeing suspects from both incidents.

 

Surveillance and other proactive measures have been further strengthened within and around the Institute to prevent future breaches.

 

Reassuring the public, NIPSS emphasised that the safety of lives and property remains its highest priority.

 

The Institute commended the professionalism of the security operatives and urged the public to disregard misinformation capable of causing unnecessary anxiety.

Presidency’s Defence Of Gbajabiamila: “There Are More Questions Than Answers

By
The Source
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0
Femi Gbajabiamila and Adeniyi Adeyemi

By Solomon Dalung

 

“You are asking Nigerians to believe that one private citizen woke up one morning, invented a Presidential Agency, forged his own appointment, secured office space inside the Federal Secretariat, recruited staff, held meetings with diplomats, corresponded with Government institutions, allegedly opened a CBN account through official channels, and if the official budget documents are anything to go by, the same  “non-existent Agency found  its way into the Appropriation Act with an allocation running into billions”

 

I just read the statement issued by Bayo Onanuga on behalf of the Presidency, which supposedly trying to put a defence for the Chief of staff, Gbajabiamila.

 

However, I think the Presidency’s statement was clearly intended to shut down public scrutiny. Ironically, it has achieved the exact opposite. It answered some questions, but in doing so, it exposed even bigger ones.

 

Let us assume, for a moment, that every allegation against Prince Adeyemi is true. Even then, the statement leaves glaring gaps that no amount of rhetoric can paper over.

 

You are asking Nigerians to believe that one private citizen woke up one morning, invented a presidential agency, forged his own appointment, secured office space inside the Federal Secretariat, recruited staff, held meetings with diplomats, corresponded with government institutions, allegedly opened a CBN account through official channels, and if the official budget documents are anything to go by, the same “non-existent” agency found its way into the Appropriation Act with an allocation running into billions.

 

If that is truly what happened, then this is no longer just the story of an alleged fraudster. It is also the story of spectacular institutional failure. Either government systems were astonishingly easy to deceive, or there are questions that still have not been answered.

 

The statement conveniently glosses over the budget issue. That silence is deafening.

 

How does a fictitious agency appear in the national budget? Budget allocations do not descend from heaven. They pass through ministries, the Budget Office, executive review and legislative approval. Who introduced the line item? Who processed it? Who signed off on it? Who failed to ask whether the agency even existed?

 

Those are not political questions. They are governance questions.

 

Then there is the issue of the Federal Secretariat office. Offices inside government complexes are not roadside kiosks. How was the space obtained? Under whose authority? How long did it operate? Who interacted with the occupants? Who looked the other way?

Solomon Dalung
Barr Solomon Dalung

Again, silence.

 

Then comes the most curious part of the story.

 

The Presidency says the very person allegedly identified as the link between Adeyemi and the purported appointment, Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, had died in a hotel fire just five days before Adeyemi’s arrest.

 

That is an extraordinary detail. Yet we are given almost nothing beyond it.

 

Was there an autopsy? Was there a coroner’s inquest? What did investigators conclude about the fire? Were his electronic devices, communications and financial records examined? If he was central enough to be named in the statement, why is the public expected not to ask what became of the investigation into his death?

 

These are not conspiracy theories. They are the obvious questions any serious investigator would ask.

 

The Presidency wants Nigerians to focus exclusively on whether Adeyemi is an impostor. Fair enough. The courts will determine that.

 

But the Presidency cannot ask the public to ignore the conduct of government institutions in the same breath.

 

This is bigger than one man.

 

If the Council was fake, explain how it entered the budget.

 

If the appointment was forged, explain how government systems repeatedly interacted with the supposed beneficiary.

 

If official channels were deceived, explain where the safeguards failed.

 

If there was no insider involvement, show the documentary trail that proves it.

 

Accountability does not begin and end with charging one individual. It also requires explaining how the machinery of government appeared to validate, accommodate or fail to detect what is now described as a complete fabrication.

 

The public deserves more than a carefully written press statement. It deserves answers backed by records, timelines and evidence.

 

Until those answers are provided, this matter is far from settled.

Dalung, a Lawyer,  was a former Federal  Minister for Youths and Sports

2027: Rep Boasts APC Will Remain in Power 

By
James Orji
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0
Yusuf-Adamu-Gagdi
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Navy, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, has expressed confidence that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will retain power in the 2027 general election, declaring that he has never imagined the ruling party losing an election.
Speaking on Channels TV programme, Gagdi said the APC’s nationwide political activities and grassroots mobilisation had placed it well ahead of all opposition parties.
“I have never, in my political imagination, thought that my party APC will lose election,” he said.
The lawmaker maintained that the ruling party had remained politically active across the country while opposition parties lacked visible structures and strategies.
“You have seen APC’s activities in the last one year across Nigeria, in the four angles of Nigeria where our political activities is ten times the political activities of any opposition political party in Nigeria.”
“So who is supposed to talk to another person about planning to win election?”
Gagdi dismissed claims that only opposition politicians were preparing seriously for the 2027 contest.
“You think Bola Tinubu and the APC are not trying to win elections in 2027?”
He argued that there was little evidence that opposition leaders had developed a credible plan to challenge President Tinubu.
“What are the opposition doing? What are the opposition planning or doing?
“I have not seen, with the activities of opposition, those you mentioned, Peter Obi or Atiku, I have not seen any effort being put in place by them to unseat or defeat the President come 2027.”
The lawmaker further accused some opposition politicians of politicising Nigeria’s security challenges.
He said, “By the time we keep drifting to a perspective of playing politics with the security and lives of the people of this country, it will be unfortunate.”
“We must collectively be patriotic. We must be united against terror.”
According to Gagdi, constructive criticism of government was necessary, but should not be motivated by electoral calculations.
“We should commend government where government needs to be commended and equally draw a line where government needs to make adjustment.”
“But when we escalate the mistakes not with the view of calling the attention of government to adjust its deficiencies, but with the view of trying to play politics and get political advantage, God will ask us at the end of the day.”
While acknowledging that insecurity remains a serious national concern, Gagdi insisted that the Tinubu administration had made genuine efforts to address it.
“I will not refuse to tell you here that the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did make efforts towards solving the security problem.
“Promising to fix the security problem and putting effort toward fixing the security problem should be recognised.”
He urged Nigerians and political leaders to place patriotism above partisan interests.
“What can we collectively do to make sure Nigerians sleep and snore? These should be the major things we should be talking about, and this should be what the opposition should be thinking.”

Atiku Appoints Okonkwo As Spokesperson

By
James Orji
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0
Kenneth Okonkwo
Kenneth Okonkwo
The 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC Atiku Abubakar has appointed Kenneth Okonkwo, as his spokesperson.
The development comes few weeks after Okonkwo said he was no longer speaking for the ADC candidate, accusing the party of marginalizing the south east, by appointing a former governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi as Abubakar’s running mate.
Amaechi has yet to publicly accepted the position.
Sharing on his verified X on Wednesday, Okonkwo, a Nollywood star-turned politician said Abubakar has appointed him his official spokesman, despite his earlier criticism of him and the party, over their decision to chose Amaechi to run with the former vice president in 2027.
Okonkwo: “I give God all the glory to be appointed by His Excellency Atiku Abubakar as his Spokesperson. I thank HE AA for the immense confidence reposed in me.
“Rather than pick offence against any of his associates for expressing genuine reservations of any action taken, HE AA always opts for dialogue and compromise that will engender solution to problems.”

Abductors Of Niger Electoral Commission Staff Make Fresh Demand Of N300m, 9mths After

By
Ayodele Oni
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0

By Ayodele Oni

 

Despite spending nine months in Kidnapers’ den, the hope of early release of the abducted Permanent Commissioner of the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), Barrister Ahmed Mohammed is uncertain, following fresh demand for N300 million by his abductors.

 

Already his family has reportedly paid a ₦40 million ransom,  but his abductors refuse to release him.

 

Barrister Ahmed was kidnapped on September 29, 2025, along the Mokwa–Ibbi Road in Borgu Local Government Area while travelling to Minna on an official assignment.

 

His abduction occurred about four weeks before the state’s local government elections held on November 1, 2025.

 

According to a family member who spoke anonymously, the kidnappers contacted the family again on Monday, June 29, 2026, to ask whether they were prepared to meet the new ransom demand.

 

“They call almost every day. It was only yesterday (Tuesday) that they did not call. We are appealing to the Niger State Government to come to our aid and secure his release.

 

He was kidnapped while on an official engagement of the Niger State Government,” the source said.

 

The family disclosed that it could not afford the fresh ₦300 million demand, having already exhausted its resources after paying the initial ₦40 million ransom.

 

A close friend of the victim, Ayuba Abubakar, said the family has done everything within its means to secure Barrister Ahmed’s freedom since his abduction.

 

“We understand that the abductors have made demands, and we are also gravely concerned by reports that Barr. Ahmed’s health is seriously deteriorating.

 

“On behalf of his family, colleagues and well-wishers, I appeal for the urgent intervention of the Niger State Government and the support of all relevant security agencies to ensure his safe and immediate release,” he said.

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