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2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Coach Chelle Names 31 For Rwanda, South Africa Cracker

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Super Eagles
Super Eagles

By Akinwale Kasali

As the Super Eagles of Nigeria prepare for their 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against the Amavubis of Rwanda and the Bafana Bafana of South Africa, Super Eagles Coach Eric Sekou Chelle, has named a 31-man squad for the cracker.

Chelle has selected Team Captain, William Troost Ekong, First-Choice Goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, Defenders, Olaoluwa Aina and Calvin Bassey, Midfielders, Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi, and forwards, Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Simon Moses in a provisional list of 31 for next month’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.

Also in the squad is youthful goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt, defenders, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Bruno Onyemaechi.

In the midfield, Chelle named Raphael Onyedika, Frank Onyeka and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, as the attacking line up has Sadiq Umar and Nathan Tella.

Young defender, Benjamin Fredericks, rearguard mates, Felix Agu and Igoh Ogbu made the list.

Also in the midfield, Christantus Uche was also included,  while  forward Cyriel Dessers, who impressed at the 2025 Unity Cup Tournament that Nigeria won in London in the summer, was also invited.

Goalkeeper, Adeleye Adebayo, defender Chidozie Awaziem and forward Terem Moffi made a surprise return to the Super Eagles fold, as they also got invitations following their performances at their respective Clubs.

Fourth-placed Nigeria takes on Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Saturday, 6th September in a match-day seven encounter, before flying to Bloemfontein to confront South Africa in a potentially-explosive Matchday Eight encounter on Tuesday, 9th September.

Nigeria’s camp for the two crucial matches will open in Uyo on Monday, 1st September.

The 31 Super Eagles Players that are in the Provisional List for the Two Matches are:

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Adeleye Adebayo (Volos FC, Greece); Ebenezer Harcourt (Sporting FC)

Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Igoh Ogbu (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes FC, France); Felix Agu (Werder Bremen, Germany); Benjamin Fredericks (Dender FC, Belgium)

Midfielders: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (SS Lazio, Italy); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Christantus Uche (Getafe CF, Spain)

Forwards: Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Simon Moses (Paris FC, France); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Cyriel Dessers (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium); Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France); Adams Akor (Sevilla FC, Spain)

FG Clamps Down On 22 Illegal Tertiary Institutions

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Dr Morufu Alausa

By Akinwale Kasali

The President Federal Government has shutdown 22 fake Tertiary Institutions.

The National Commission for Colleges of Education, NCCE, stated that it  has discovered and closed down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating across the country.

This action became necessary after a nationwide inspection aimed at rooting out unauthorized institutions in the country.

During the operation, the Commission also carried out Audit of Staff and financial records in all 21 Federal Colleges of Education.

The Crackdown is part of a broader effort by the Federal Government to protect the integrity of the country’s education system.

President Tinubu had recently directed Education Regulatory Bodies, including the NCCE, the National Universities Commission, NUC, and the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, to take firm action against unrecognized institutions, often referred to as “certificate mills.”

He further stressed that the credibility of academic qualifications must be safeguarded.

At the 14th convocation of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, in Abuja the Director of University Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, the FG noted that various education agencies are working together to ensure quality standards.

These include the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The coordinated effort aims at preventing forgery and shutting down unapproved institutions in Nigeria and rejecting certificates from such schools abroad.

Kano Manufacturers Seek Alternative Power Supply

By
Ayodele Oni
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TCN - Transmission Line - Power

By Ayodele Oni

Tired of the epileptic power supply, manufacturers in Kano State have expressed readiness to bypass electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and source power directly from the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) to tackle the persistent power shortages affecting industries in the state.

The remark came during a visit by a 20-member delegation of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Kano Branch, to the Managing Director of NDPHC, Mrs Jennifer Adighije, in Abuja.

Leader of the delegation and Managing Director of Dala Foods, Kano, Mr Ali Madugu, appealed to the company to extend its Eligible Customer Programme to MAN members in the state.

“Our members have both the capacity and the willingness to procure power directly from NDPHC. Access to reliable electricity is critical for reviving industries and sustaining jobs in Kano State,” Madugu said.

Adighije, in a statement on Sunday, assured that the company was prepared to supply power directly to manufacturers under the eligible customer framework, provided regulatory approvals and infrastructure requirements were met.

“We are committed to partnering with the manufacturing sector to drive industrial growth, create jobs, and enhance socio-economic development. Within the provisions of the eligible customer framework, we are ready to work with MAN in Kano to make this happen.”

She explained that improvements in plant availability had strengthened NDPHC’s capacity to meet industrial demands, noting that the revival of facilities such as the Omotosho and Alaoji plants would further boost supply.

Adighije recalled that NDPHC planned to commercialise about 200 megawatts of its stranded 2,000 megawatts capacity by the end of 2025, blaming low electricity uptake by DisCos for stifling the company’s operations.

The meeting also featured presentations from NDPHC’s Executive Director of Corporate Services, Commercial and Strategy, Mr Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, and Executive Director of Networks, Mr Bello Babayo Bello, who outlined modalities for MAN Kano to access direct supply.

Benue PDP Flays Gov Alia’s “Misrule, Incessant Sack Of Political Office Holders

By
Ayodele Oni
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Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State

By Ayodele Oni

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Benue State has stated that the weekend resignation of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Aondona Dajoh, is part of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s misrule and reckless vendetta against  perceived enemies.

The party has, therefore, called on the people of the State and other Nigerians to recognize the grim reality unfolding under the Hyacinth Alia-led APC Government in our state.

Dajoh reportedly submitted a handwritten letter of resignation on Sunday.

According to the party, in a statement on Monday, barely two years in office, Governor Alia has reduced governance to a theatre of perpetual fights, reckless vendettas, and ceaseless instability.

‘”His administration is defined not by service to the people, but by relentless quarrels with allies, institutions, and stakeholders.”

The statement, signed by the  Publicity Secretary,  Benue State, Tim Nyor, remarked that: “From the outset, Governor Alia chose confrontation over collaboration.

“Rather than uniting Benue, he opposed his benefactor, Senator George Akume, and other respected political leaders, senators, and representatives whom he contemptuously labeled ‘Ubokoti Stakeholders.’

“These are the men and women who stood with him at the moment of ascendancy; yet he has chosen arrogance over gratitude, burning bridges where he should be building consensus.

“Not satisfied, the governor turned his hostility against his own party, forcefully attempting to hijack the structures of the APC by illegally removing Austin Agada as state chairman. This brazen move, condemned even by members of his party, exposed his hunger for absolute control and his disdain for internal democracy.

“Governor Alia’s war path did not stop there. In a most reckless and unconstitutional attempt, he sought to sack the Chief Judge of Benue State, a respected son of Kwande, simply because the Judiciary would not bow to his whims.

“Though his ill-fated attempt was defeated, it revealed his deep contempt for the rule of law and separation of powers.

“Governor Alia’s cruelty extended into his own cabinet. The Secretary to the State Government, also from Kwande, was disgracefully branded a “thief” and thrown out.

“The Chief of Staff followed, tossed aside without reason and dismissed without honour. Commissioners have been sacked at will, as though governance were a circus of vendettas.

“Most shocking of all, the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly was removed under the governor’s influence, plunging the legislature into needless turmoil and further destabilizing the state.

“The PDP decries this tragic descent into chaos. Political stability is the bedrock of performance.

Benue State is pathetically burdened under the Alia administration with challenges among which are economic hardship, insecurity, zero transparency and accountability etc.

“These are the mountains that demand climbing, the battles truly worthy of a governor’s courage. To neglect them and elect to invest time and resources in petty feuds is not only folly; it is also betrayal. This is not leadership; it is misrule of the highest order. A government consumed by quarrels cannot deliver development.

“As a party, we caution Governor Alia that power is fleeting and history unforgiving. If he continues on the path of reckless strife, he will be remembered not as a builder of Benue but as its destroyer, a tragic byword for wasted opportunity and squandered goodwill.

“The Peoples Democratic Party reaffirms its solidarity with the suffering masses of the state. Governor Alia may choose strife, but the people of Benue will choose progress. He may choose vendetta, but we shall choose vision.”

2027: ADC Will Shock The World- Atiku Vows

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Atiku Abubakar
Atiku Abubakar

Atiku Abubakar, a former Nigeria’s vice president says those suggesting that he will drop out of the 2027 presidential election should perish the thought.

The former number two citizens disclosed on Sunday that he’s in the race of the presidential election coming up in the next two years, and will not listen to the calls on him by not a few Nigerians to give up his ambition to vie for the 2027 election.

One of his spokesman, Tunde Olasunle, while quoting the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said Abubakar will not concede the presidential race to anyone.

Olasunle said his principal is poised to galvanise the support of other opposition leaders in the country in the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to save the country from the misrule of the administration of Bola Tinubu and its “accompanying deceit, the loss of values, the mega-scale, unimpeded thievery and the absolute lack of accountability.”

He said Abubakar is not prepared to compromise his ambition  to rescue the country, noting that his new party, ADC will create an upset in the next election, adding that the party’s strength cannot be measured using it  recent loss in the  bye-election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC across the country.

The ruling APC, the magazine reported, recorded a landslide victory in the off-season election.

The former PDP presidential candidate however insisted that “ADC is leading a potent mass movement which will shock the world. We will upstage the status quo in a way which will leave doubters dumbstruck.”

Abubakar had recently dumped the PDP after he joined the ADC, the party adopted by some key opposition leaders in the country, to contest the next election, in their quest to dislodge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC from power.

Also in the ADC are presidential hopefuls such as Peter Obi, the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Rotimi Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers state, who appear ready to slug it out with Abubakar, to win the party’s sole presidential ticket.

Meanwhile, not a few Nigerians insist that the presidential ambitions of the three key opposition figures will affect the ADC chances of wining the next election.

Sultan Backs Obasanjo, US, Says Justice “Purchasable Commodity” In Nigeria

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Sultan of Sokoto, Dr Sa'ad Abubakar

The Sultan of Sokoto,  Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has noted that court judgment in the country is now a matter of cash and carry.

The respected traditional ruler said it has now become elusive for the poor in the country to get justice, which he said is now the exclusive preserve of the rich who have have enough to purchase positive judgment for  themselves.

Sultan Abubakar spoke on Sunday during  the 2025 Nigerian Bar Association, NBA,  Conference held in Enugu over the weekend, saying the nation’s judicial system has been highly compromised.

While the innocent poor are being punished, he said, the rich who commit crime against the country are allowed to go scot-free because they have the wherewithal to compromise the system.

According to him, the NBA must ensure that the rule of law is upheld in the country, adding that once this is done the political crisis ravaging the country will be easily addressed Abubakar: “Today in Nigeria, justice is increasingly becoming a purchasable commodity.

“The poor are becoming victims of miscarriage of justice, while the rich commit crimes and walk the streets scot-free.”

He urged NBA to ensure that the situation is resolved to the benefit of everyone, rich or poor, government or citizens.

“You are resolving to uphold the highest principles of the rule of law to ensure that everyone, including those in power, is subject to and accountable under the law. If we are able to do this, we would have addressed the core of the crisis of governance in this country,” the Sultan of Sokoto noted.

Instructively, Abubakar’s remark comes on the heels of a scathing criticism of the nation’s judiciary by The United States, U.S, Department of State and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who had last week issued separate condemning the corruption in the Nigerian justice system

Obasanjo and US indicted the judiciary, saying  corruption, inefficiency, and political interference have seriously affected the delivery of jsutice in the country.

While the US in its 2024 Human Rights Practices Report released on August 12, catalogued troubling evidence of Nigeria’s declining rule of law to include arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, corruption in high-profile prosecutions, and weak enforcement of labour and child protection laws., obasanjo said the nation’s court have now become the “courts of corruption”.

The former Nigerian leader made the assertion in his new book, ‘Nigeria: Past and Future’, published by the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, where he lamented the “steady decline of the judiciary’s integrity”.

“The reputation of the Nigerian judiciary has steadily gone down from the four eras up till today. The rapidity of the precipitous fall, particularly in the Fourth Republic, is lamentable,” he wrote.

He stressed that justice had become commodified in Nigeria, with dangerous consequences for the nation’s stability.

“The great fear of most well-meaning Nigerians and good friends of Nigeria is that where ‘justice’ is only available to the highest bidder, despair, anarchy, and violence would substitute justice, order, and hope.

“I went to a state in the North about ten years after I left public office. Next to the government guest house was a line of six duplex buildings.

“The governor pointed to the buildings and stated that they belonged to a judge who put them up from the money he made from being the chairman of election tribunals,” Obasanjo said.

Declare State Of Emergency In Katsina,  Zamfara States – ADC Urges Tinubu

By
Akinwale Kasali
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

By Akinwale Kasali

Following the massacre of dozens of worshippers and villagers in Malumfashi, Katsina State, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a State of Emergency in Katsina and Zamfara State.

Bolaji Abdullahi, Publicity Secretary of the ADC on Sunday issued a statement, and  described the killings as evidence of Nigeria’s failing security system and linked them to a broader wave of attacks across Katsina and Zamfara that have claimed over 140 lives in just two months.

It demanded that a State of Emergency should be declared in both States by the President Tinubu administration, and called for a full review of Nigeria’s national security architecture.

The statement reads, “In view of the foregoing, ADC therefore calls for an immediate declaration of a State of Emergency in Katsina and Zamfara States until the government is able to stem the tide of bloodshed in those places and restore some order,” Abdullahi stated.

The Party further criticised the decision by the Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to hold a political meeting in Zamfara State shortly after the killings, describing it as insensitive to the victims and their families.

It highlighted that in Malumfashi 30 worshippers were shot dead in a mosque during dawn prayers, while 20 villagers were burnt alive in their homes.

The ADC stated the attacks follow similar massacres in Zamfara, where dozens were killed, including hostages murdered even after ransom was paid.

“The entire villages have reportedly been ransacked and dozens abducted”.

The ADC called on the Federal Government to act immediately, warning that President Tinubu’s international engagements are meaningless if citizens remain unprotected at home.

The party also noted the lack of direct condolence or assurances of safety for survivors, calling it a failure of leadership.

“It is disheartening to note that instead of confronting these urgent national tragedies with the seriousness that they demand, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu continues to jet-set across the world, chasing photo-ops, while his people are dying in dozens at home.

“We wish to remind Mr. President that diplomacy abroad is meaningless if safety and security at home cannot be guaranteed.

“It is equally appalling to note that President Tinubu has not made a direct statement of condolence to family of the victims or given the assurance of safety to those still alive.

“This negligence would have been unthinkable in those countries that the President loves to visit,” the statement read in part.

The party further warned that recent advice from the Chief of Defence Staff for citizens to learn self-defence underlines the need for systemic reforms.

“This evil act epitomises the horrors that Nigerians have been forced to endure under this administration.

“It is also a damning proof of the total collapse of our national security architecture, which has prompted even the nation’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to ask citizens to learn how to defend themselves,” Abdullahi concluded.

HURIWA Denounces Mass Killings In Imo

By
Ayodele Oni
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Emmanuel Onwubiko - HURIWA Boss

By Ayodele Oni

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) has charged the Imo state Governor, Hope Uzodinma, to seek  measures to stop  killings of Imo citizens.

The charge is coming as tension builds up in Amakohia-Ubi community in Owerri West Local Government Area of the state following a deadly attack by suspected armed Fulani herders, which left one vigilante leader dead while others remain missing or wounded.

HURIWA also asked the state police Commissioner to brief state citizens about how far the police have gone in apprehending the gunmen that invaded three communities in Arondizuogu in Ideato North Local Government Area and slaughtered over two dozens of the citizens.

Specifically, the Rights group recalled that the Imo State police spokesperson had specifically identified the group from which the armed attackers belonged, but wondered why for over three weeks the police have made no breakthrough in their investigation.

In a statement signed by the Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, declared that “We demand accountability on the part of the police whose duty it is to maintain internal security and to prevent the killings of innocent citizens of Imo state.”

HURIWA, which lamented that armed Fulani insurgents masquerading as herders have been allowed free passage to many communities in the State which has resulted in deaths, destruction, barbarism and frustration of farmers.

“The law enforcement agencies in Imo State must be made to live up to their legal duties to the citizens, otherwise the people should be allowed to find alternative way of defending themselves.

“The security agents have consistently disappointed by not preventing bloodletting violence that have been unleashed by different armed non-state actors.”

HURIWA stated that it is totally unacceptable that the Imo State government, which recently directed herders to stop roaming around the streets and strictly comply by the law has been unable to enforce these relevant laws to check the menace of invasions of farms by armed herders.

“Letting armed terrorists to disrupt farming activities is antidote to mass hunger and starvation in the near future which Imo state government must implement effective deterrent mechanisms to stop the destruction of farms in Imo state especially by herders.

HURIWA stressed the urgent need for efficient security measures to be activated to protect the citizens who have suffered several sustained violence by gunmen and herders.

“The dead, wounded, and missing persons are all members of our community vigilante group. Monday Nwaozuzu was killed by the herdsmen, while others are still missing or wounded.”

HURIWA emphasised that the communities remain on edge as residents continue to flee, fearing further attacks from the rampaging herders.

It urged the state government to clearly inform the citizens about the security preventive measures that the administration has put in motion to check these incessant attacks on communities by armed Fulani herders.

Benue Assembly Tussle: Dajoh Resigns, Emberga Emerges As New Speaker

By
Ayodele Oni
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Hyacinth Dajoh - Benue State Speaker

By Ayodele Oni

Finally, the Speaker of the 10th Benue State House of Assembly,  Hyacinth Dajoh, has reportedly resigned from his position.

In a handwritten letter addressed to the Clerk of the House and signed by him, Dajoh said his resignation was made “in good faith and in the best interest of the state.”

Recall that late last week, there was a failed attempt to remove the Speaker, after which four lawmakers believed to be behind the move were suspended.

In his place, Berger Alfred Emberga has been elected as the new Speaker of the State House of Assembly.

Dajoh has reportedly stepped down amid tension and uncertainty.

Report say the Speaker, who has been at loggerheads with the state governor, has yet to personally comment on his purported resignation.

After his resignation, report indicate that the Assembly held an emergency sitting to formalise acceptance of his resignation and elect a new Speaker.

In the alleged resignation letter, Dajoh expressed gratitude to his colleagues for the opportunity “to be the first among equals,” while pledging continued commitment to his duties as a legislator representing Gboko West State Constituency.

The report claimed that Dajoh uploaded the resignation letter to his Meta timeline with the caption, “Let there be peace.” However, a check on his official Facebook page showed no such post.

The resignation reportedly came ahead of Monday’s plenary, which was expected to deliberate on his possible removal.

Berger Alfred Emberga replaces  Hyacinth Dajoh, who resigned from the position in a handwritten letter addressed to the Clerk of the Assembly on Sunday.

Emberga emerged as Speaker during an emergency session of the 10th Benue Assembly convened on Sunday, August 25, 2025, to fill the leadership vacuum created by Dajoh’s resignation.

Ekiti: APC Backs Gov. Oyebanji’s Threat To Sack Disloyal Appointees

By
Ayodele Oni
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Biodun Oyebanji - Ekiti State Governor

By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it Backs Governor Biodun Oyebanji over his threat to sack disloyal aides as the governorship primary draws nearer.

The primary election, during which candidate that will fly the flag of the party will be picked, comes up in October this year.

Governor Oyebanji had last week, warned ward chairmen and members of the party against entertaining aspirants such as Kayode Ojo, among others in their wards and localities.

The Governor declared that “Can you work in Glo and take salary in MTN? I’m still waiting to see any party members, chairman, to open his door to other aspirants, I’m still waiting.

“I want to see the local government chairman and ward chairman that will open their door for such a person. I’m waiting.

“Those of you that are on the platform and collecting money from the government but still supporting oppositions because of the money you are collecting from them, we are coming for you. We are not tolerating any nonsense again in this party, it is what you do you will eat from, no more sentiments.

APC spokesman in the state, Segun Dipe, reiterated in a statement on Sunday that “My people, Happy Sunday to all.

Please let us stop mixing apple and orange together. Much as we all belong to the same party, we are not all in the government.

“Mr. Governor was not talking to the party people, he was talking to those in his government that he personally appointed. He is right to have asked those who can’t defend the government they’re working for to resign or get removed.

“This is the normal standard. If you’re not in his government, you’re free to do as you wish. But please allow those in BAO’s government to also defend the government they work for.

“Those of us Party Exco know him as the leader of the Party and his government our Party’s government, which we must defend. He is constitutionally entitled to a second term in office.

“Any other person is also entitled to contest against him, but without bringing down our party or the government raising the banner of our party. However, everything will crystalise come October 2027.  Know this, know peace.”

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