₦airaland Forum

A former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mustapha Lecky, has argued that Nigeria was neither legally nor technically prepared for real-time electronic transmission of election results, insisting that the demand was misplaced under the country’s current electoral framework.

Lecky made the remarks on Friday while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s current affairs programme, ‘Politics Today’.

His comments come amid intense public backlash against the Senate, which on Wednesday declined to amend Section 60 of the Electoral Act, 2022 to mandate the real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units to INEC’s Result Viewing (IReV) Portal.

Reacting to the controversy, Lecky maintained that calls for instantaneous transmission ignored the reality that Nigeria still conducts elections through manual voting.

“I think it doesn’t really make sense to me that we should be talking about instantaneous transmission of results live as it is happening from the polling area. It doesn’t make sense because we don’t do electronic voting anywhere,” he said.

According to him, electronic transmission of results can only logically follow the adoption of electronic voting, which Nigeria was yet to implement.

“Are we doing electronic voting? We are very far away from it,” he added.

Lecky explained that the electoral process requires results to be manually counted at polling units before any upload can take place, stressing that the existing system already ensures transparency.

“People are still coming with paper ballots. You have to count them for everybody to see, one by one, before you now fill out the form EC8A, which is the most important document that needs to be filled and signed by all the agents representing the parties,” he said.

He described demands for real-time electronic transmission of election results as “baseless,” noting that the country lacked the necessary technical infrastructure to support nationwide implementation, particularly in areas with poor or non-existent internet coverage.

“For electronic transmission, we are not ready. We are not technically ready,” Lecky stated.

The former INEC National Commissioner also cautioned that rushing into instant transmission without adequate safeguards could expose the electoral process to cyber threats, especially given Nigeria’s fragile digital resilience.

“We have to take the cue from even more mature democracies where these things are still evolving. So you can imagine our own fledgling democracy,” he said.

However, he urged INEC to continue improving the use of existing tools such as the IReV Portal and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), stressing that they should be made to function optimally.

“So what we need to do, I think, in terms of this transmission of results, is to rely on what is currently available and make sure it works perfectly—and it can work perfectly,” he stated.

Cristiano Ronaldo was told by the Saudi Pro League that "no individual -- however significant -- determines decisions beyond their own club," amid a dispute over transfer spending.

The Portuguese superstar, who turned 41 on Thursday, is unhappy with Al Nassr 's lack of activity in the January transfer window.

Sources have told ESPN that Ronaldo plans to boycott a second straight league game after not receiving a guarantee that the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) will make changes regarding the Saudi Pro League club's management.

However, Al Nassr are expecting Ronaldo to play Friday against Al Ittihad, sources said, after he failed to feature in a match Monday against Al Riyadh.

Ronaldo is unhappy with the PIF for failing to invest in the team in the winter window while rivals Al Hilal -- also 75% majority owned by the PIF -- brought in his former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad.

However, the league issued a statement Thursday evening pointing out the independence of all clubs to manage their finances as they see fit.

"The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: Every club operates independently under the same rules," a league spokesperson said.

"Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league.

"Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club's growth and ambition. Like any elite competitor, he wants to win. But no individual -- however significant -- determines decisions beyond their own club.

"Recent transfer activity demonstrates that independence clearly. One club strengthened in a particular way. Another chose a different approach. Those were club decisions, taken within approved financial parameters.

"The competitiveness of the league speaks for itself. With only a few points separating the top four, the title race is very much alive. That level of balance reflects a system that is working as intended.

"The focus remains on football -- on the pitch, where it belongs -- and on maintaining a credible, competitive competition for players and fans."

Transfer funds are understood to come not from the PIF but instead from a player acquisition fund.

The fund is overseen by the Saudi Pro League centrally and provides funding for clubs annually based on their size, with the country's big four -- Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al Ahli -- all believed to have received roughly the same amount before the summer transfer window opened last year.

Al Nassr spent big in that window -- bringing in João Félix and Kingsley Coman as well as re-signing Ronaldo on a new deal to June 2027.

That is understood to have used much of their player acquisition money until they receive their next tranche of cash before the 2026 summer window opens.

Al Hilal's signing of Benzema was financed separately by a private investor, something which Al Nassr could also have sought to do but did not.

Despite the uncertainty over his availability for Friday night's match, Al Nassr published a glowing birthday tribute to their star player on X on Thursday.

"The legend only grows. Your commitment, mentality, and leadership drive our dreams forward. Happy Birthday @Cristiano!" the Al Nassr post read.

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has resolved to petition the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies over claims suggesting interference in the judicial process.

The resolution followed comments attributed to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), in which he reportedly claimed involvement in engagements with justices of the Supreme Court during the 2019 Kano State governorship election proceedings.

Kwankwaso was quoted as saying that during the 2019 election dispute, he took Abba Yusuf—now Kano State governor—to see justices of the Supreme Court after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the election inconclusive.

The Supreme Court subsequently ruled in favour of Abdullahi Ganduje, affirming his election and dismissing Yusuf’s petition.

Kwankwaso reportedly made the remarks while addressing supporters following Yusuf’s recent defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Reacting to the comments, the NBA said its NEC deliberated on the matter after the remarks attracted widespread public attention.

In a statement shared on X by Etaba Agbor, Secretary of the NBA Young Lawyers’ Forum, the association said such claims, whether made directly or by implication, were capable of undermining public confidence in the independence of the judiciary and Nigeria’s electoral justice system.

“The National Executive Council noted that claims of this nature, whether made directly or by implication, are capable of eroding public confidence in the independence of the judiciary and the integrity of the electoral justice system,” the statement said.

The NBA said the scope of the proposed petition would not be limited to Kwankwaso alone but would extend to any individual who has made statements or public comments suggesting improper access to judicial officers or undue influence over judicial decision-making.

According to the association, the decision to petition security agencies does not amount to a presumption of guilt.

“The objective is to ensure that allegations of this gravity are subjected to thorough, impartial and professional investigation,” the NBA said.

It added that false claims of judicial interference are “dangerous and corrosive to constitutional democracy” and must be clearly repudiated, while stressing that where such claims are established to be true, accountability must follow in accordance with the law.

The NEC consequently mandated the National Executive Committee of the NBA to prepare and submit a formal petition to the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies, requesting a comprehensive investigation into all such claims.

The NBA reaffirmed its commitment to the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the integrity of the courts, noting that no individual is entitled to make claims that cast doubt on the judicial process without proper scrutiny.

Actress and filmmaker Toyin Abraham has responded to social media users who attempted to shame her after photos of her with President Bola Tinubu went viral, warning that those attacking her without cause will be publicly exposed.

Abraham, on X, stated she has screenshots and videos of confessions from people who tried to drag her online, insisting that as long as she serves God and her hands are clean, anyone who attempts to disgrace her will be put to shame.

She added that she has forgiven those who targeted her, but made it clear that the truth will come out.

The actress made the fresh submission in response to a social media user who hinted that statements against her were sponsored.

The popular filmmaker and actress took to social media to respond to critics who, according to her, launched a coordinated campaign to shame and ridicule her after the images surfaced.

Toyin warned that anyone who attacked her without cause would soon be exposed, stressing that she has evidence to back up her claims.

The actress revealed that she has screenshots, WhatsApp messages, Telegram chats, and even videos of people allegedly confessing to being paid to drag her online.


The 𝕏 user, identified as @mariolexxx, wrote: “The moment Toyin Aimaku pictures with Tinubu was drop in the group, they told us to be asking her for every comment section that “Wetin Tinubu tell you".

“Meself wey be mumu that time, i no allow Eni eleni to rest, any post from her, I don rush ask her “Wetin Tinubu tell you”.


In response, Toyin wrote:

“Even this recent one they munch everything to me that they said they should all call me Alabosi but guess what except I don’t serve a living GOD and my hands are not clean will they not be put to shame.

Anyone born from a woman through natural or cs birth that collected money to shame or drag me without doing anything, I say it again and loud except I don’t serve GOD and except my hands aren’t clean, trust me on this they will all be put to public shame.

All the telegram and Whatsap screenshots I have and videos of real confessions.”


She also clarified that while she has forgiven those involved, forgiveness does not mean she will stay silent. According to her, the evidence she has collected will eventually speak louder than speculation and ridicule.

Finally, Toyin addressed claims that her previous silence indicated guilt, explaining that she had chosen peace over engaging in public disputes until the situation became too distorted to ignore.

The federal government has clarified reports surrounding the presence of United States troops in Nigeria, stressing that their deployment is limited to intelligence support and training as part of ongoing cooperation to combat terrorism and insurgency.

The clarification followed an announcement on Tuesday by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirming the deployment of a small team of American personnel to Nigeria.
Speaking in Dakar, AFRICOM Commander, General Dagvin Anderson, said the deployment was made at Nigeria’s request and was focused strictly on intelligence assistance.

“Our partnership with Nigeria is a great example of a willing and capable ally that requested unique capabilities only the United States can provide,” Anderson said.

However, the announcement sparked widespread speculation and concern over Nigeria’s sovereignty, prompting the Defence Minister, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd)to address the issue.

In a chat with the BBC, Musa explained that the US personnel were not combat troops but a small advisory team supporting intelligence gathering and training initiatives.

He did not disclose details regarding the size of the team, their arrival date, location, or duration of stay.

Recall that on December 25, 2025, the US military, in collaboration with the Armed Forces of Nigeria, conducted air interdiction operations across multiple locations in the North-West and North-Central regions as part of renewed international cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism.

Despite these assurances, the latest development has reignited public debate, with some Nigerians expressing fears that foreign troops’ presence could undermine national sovereignty.

Reacting to the concerns, the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the cooperation between Nigeria and the United States is strictly coordinated and does not compromise the country’s independence.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE Television on Wednesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, reaffirmed that US support in counter-terrorism efforts poses no threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty.

“What we know is that the US government and Nigerian authorities are working very closely to defeat terrorism in our country,” Morka said.

“Terrorism has brought immense pain and suffering to our people, with innocent citizens killed senselessly by these violent actors,” he added.

He said that President Bola Tinubu remains resolute in taking all necessary measures to eliminate terrorist threats and restore security across the country.

Dismissing suggestions that the collaboration amounts to foreign intervention, Morka said such concerns usually arise when host nations are excluded from decision-making processes, a situation he noted does not apply to Nigeria.

“That is not the case here,” he said. “This is a coordinated effort between the Nigerian government and the United States, with both sides fully involved in all decisions.”

According to him, any actions taken on the ground would reflect agreements jointly reached by both governments.

“Whatever is agreed at the table is what will be implemented,” Morka added, emphasising that the priority remains the protection of Nigerian lives and the defeat of terrorist groups.

An email correspondence reveals that two prominent Nigerians, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, were proposed as key guests for an “out of the box” dinner gathering with Jeffrey Epstein in 2018.

The email is dated 21 May 2018, a year before Mr Epstein’s arrest and death.

The emails were released on Friday as part of about 3.5 million files related to Mr Epstein, an American financier and convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019.

The heavily redacted documents reignited public debate, particularly because they reference interactions with prominent individuals.

The documents, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, also raise questions about selective redactions and the disparity between the number of files released and the total volume held by the US Department of Justice.

The US Department of Justice admitted to collecting about 6 million pages but released only 3.5 million.

Among the released records is an email thread between Mr Epstein and Nigerian-American business executive and investor, Jide Zeitlin.

Mr Zeitlin is an influential business executive who was Chairman and CEO of Tapestry, Inc., the New York-listed parent company of luxury brands Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman.

In the thread simply titled “Re:” Mr Epstein had requested a list of “two or three people that think out of the box” to gather for a “fun dinner” in June of that year.

To this, Mr Zeitlin placed two prominent Nigerian figures at the centre of what seemed to be a global power-broker circle.

Names of suggested guests

Mr Zeitlin, in his list, suggested Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s former finance minister and current Director-General of the World Trade Organisation and Mr Sanusi, also a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (2009-2014).

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala only resumed as head of the WTO in 2021 and had left office as Nigeria’s finance minister in 2015. She, however, held several international positions in 2018, including Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Mr Sanusi was Emir of Kano in May 2018.

Mr Zeitlin also suggested Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist and a controversial figure in global right-wing politics; Tony Blair, former UK prime minister; and Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the younger brother of the Qatari Emir, who also served as the secretary to the emir for Investment Affairs.

He further mentioned Tony Marx, the president and CEO of the New York Public Library (NYPL) and former president of Amherst College, alongside Niall Ferguson, a prominent and often controversial British-American historian and author.

Mr Zeitlin described Mr Marx as an “independent thinker, brilliant, fun,” and characterised Mr Ferguson as a “broad and well-informed thinker.”

He noted that the names represented “different levels of originality,” and added that he considered Mr Sanusi a particularly interesting choice for the gathering.

He referred to Mr Sanusi as “probably the most out of the box name” on the list.

Mr Zeitlin also suggested adding creatives to the mix, but did not name specific persons in this category.

However, it remains unclear what ultimately became of the party, as the correspondence does not confirm that invitations were formally extended to the dignitaries or that the proposed dinner took place.

Paul Nwabuikwu, media adviser to Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, stated that the WTO Director-General never had any interaction with Mr Epstein, either in relation to the proposed dinner or on any other matter.

He told PREMIUM TIMES that Mrs Okonjo-Iweala was unaware of, and did not receive, any invitation to attend Mr Epstein’s dinners or social gatherings.

“She was definitely not aware of it. She didn’t know him and had no contact with him. Epstein was a high-level influence peddler, and names were always floating around him,” Mr Nwabuikwu said.

Bashir Jentile, the spokesperson of the Kano emir, also said that he was unaware of any invitation to the emir to attend Mr Epstein’s dinner events.

Epstein’s Parties

The troves of documents detailing Mr Epstein’s activities showed that he organised numerous high-profile social events and gatherings, often involving influential figures from politics, business, and academia.

These gatherings were reported to have been attended by a rotating circle of influential and well-known figures, including Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Mr Bannon, Howard Lutnick, and others.

Key African figures also attended some of his gatherings.

The BBC reported that the newly released tranche of the document revealed that former South African President Jacob Zuma attended a dinner organised for him by Mr Epstein in London in 2010.

The emails also suggest that a “beautiful” Russian model attended the event.

A history of legal cases

While presence in these gatherings does not imply knowledge of or involvement in Mr Epstein’s crimes, his ability to convene such high-profile guests despite his conviction has been at the centre of public scrutiny.

Documents also show that even after Mr Epstein served time for procuring underage girls for prostitution in 2009, he hosted and received invitations to exclusive dinners with Silicon Valley’s most famous billionaires.

In 2005, police in Palm Beach, Florida, opened an investigation into Mr Epstein after a parent reported that he had sexually abused her 14-year-old daughter.

Police later received additional allegations from underage girls who said he sexually abused them at his mansion, with encounters often beginning as massages. Federal officials identified 36 girls whom Mr Epstein had allegedly sexually abused.
In 2008, Mr Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from girls as young as 14 and received an 18-month sentence.

Over the years, many allegedly exploited underage girls have accused him of abusing them at his homes in Manhattan, Palm Beach, Florida, and on a famous private island near St Thomas.

The island, called Little St James, is a 72-acre property located about two miles off the coast of St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, in the Caribbean.

Meanwhile, in 2015, British socialite and Mr Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was found guilty of facilitating the abuse of underage girls at the hands of Mr Epstein.

Mr Epstein, in the 1990s, posed as a friendly older sister and won their trust before forcing them into engaging in sexual acts.

Ms Maxwell was also accused of being present and even participating in some of the encounters.

In 2019, Mr Epstein was arrested again. He was then charged in the Southern District Court of New York with one count of sex trafficking of minors and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors.

Mr Epstein committed suicide in his prison cell while awaiting trial.

The Presidency has fired back at opposition politicians, especially the African Democratic Congress, ADC, after a global report named Lagos the world’s fastest-growing emerging tech ecosystem.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, celebrated the news on his verified X handle (@aonanuga1956), taking a direct swipe at critics.

“ADC must not read this,” he posted, warning that “desperate politicians, always on the lookout for negative statistics, will be unhappy that Tinubu’s Nigeria has recorded a global tech recognition.”

The ranking comes from Global Statistics’ list of the top 20 fastest-growing emerging technology ecosystems worldwide. Lagos claimed the number one spot, surpassing cities like Istanbul (Türkiye), Pune and Mumbai (India), and Belo Horizonte (Brazil) across Asia, Africa, and South America.

Onanuga positioned the accolade as a sharp rebuttal to what he called the opposition’s “persistent negative narratives” on Nigeria’s economy and governance.

The ADC has been vocal in criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s administration, particularly on economic reforms.

This recognition highlights Lagos’ booming startup scene, innovation drive, and rising influence in the global digital economy—positive news amid ongoing political sparring.

State governments are now to bear the cost of electricity subsidy, along with the Federal Government, President Bola Tinubu, has directed.

Vanguard gathered that funding for payment of the subsidy will now come from Power Assistance Consumers Fund, PCAF.

PCAF is a government-backed financial pool designed to subsidise electricity bills for low-income and vulnerable households to ensure affordability in the face of rising tariffs, thus improving energy access while stabilising the electricity sector by funding targeted support, instead of universal subsidies.

More than 18 states are currently operating their regulatory agencies, with others waiting in the wings to do same.

The states include Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Abia, Anambra, Imo, Kogi, Niger, Nasarawa, Plateau, Gombe and Jigawa.

Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, BoF, Mr. Tanimu Yakubu, who disclosed this at the opening of the 2026 Post-Budget Preparation using Government Integrated Financial Management System, GIFMIS, workshop, in Abuja, yesterday, said state governments that enjoyed the political benefits of electricity subsidy must also share in filling the gap created by subsidy and must not be left to the Federal Government alone.

He said in an address read on his behalf by the Director of Expenditure Social, Mr. Yusuf Muhammed:

“Mr. President has directed that we operationalise a clearer framework to share the cost of electricity across the federation, so the burden is not treated as an open-ended fiscal residual. I mean federal residual. Let me be direct.

“If you want a stable power sector, we must pay for the choices we make. When tariffs are held low cost, a gap is created. That gap is a subsidy, and a subsidy is a bill.

“In 2026, we will stop pretending that this bill can be left to the Federal Government alone, especially where the policy choice or the political benefit is shared across tiers of government. Mr. President directed us to invoke the electricity sector legal framework to make burden-sharing practical and transparent.

“This means subsidy costs must be explicit, tracked and funded, so they do not return as arrears liquidity crisis or hidden liabilities in the market. It also means that if any tier of government chooses affordability intervention, the responsibility must be clear, agreed and enforceable. This is not punishment. It is an alignment.

“When everyone carries a fair share of the cost, everyone also has an incentive to support cost effective, efficiency- targeted protection for the vulnerable, and empower market that can actually deliver for MDAs.

“The implication is simple, makes subsidies-related cost visible in your planning and submission. Do not push liabilities into the market as arrears or unfunded commitment. Support transparent rule-based attribution and financing of affordability decisions.”

The DG also said the President directed the BoF and the MDAs to enhance the dynamism of fiscal rules through a review of the Fiscal Responsibility Framework.

“Fiscal rules are not a slogan, they are the guardrails of government. Without guardrails, spending becomes impulsive, debt becomes casual, and the budget becomes a statement of intent, rather than a tool of delivery.

“But rules must also be smart. They must respond to volatility without collapsing under pressure. That is why the 2026 direction is not to abandon rules, but to modernise them, so they work in today’s Nigeria.

“Mr. President’s directive is to review the Fiscal Responsibility Framework to make it more dynamic and more enforceable. That means clearer fiscal anchors, better-defined escape clauses for genuine shocks, and a credible path back to compliance when those clauses are used.

“It means stronger reporting, tighter discipline around contingent liabilities, and a firmer link between the medium-term framework and annual appropriations.

‘’For MDAs, this changes the conversation. You will not only be asked what you want to spend. You will be asked how it fits the fiscal rules, how it affects sustainability, and what measurable results it will deliver,’’ he said.

According to the DG, in 2026, capital proposals must be delivery-ready and where appropriate, they must be finance-ready.

He said: “A long list of projects is not a development strategy. It is often a map of disappointment. What citizens feel is delivery —completed roads, reliable power, functional schools, working hospitals.

“So in 2026, we are moving decisively from naming projects to financing and delivering projects. This is where project financing becomes central. It is not a buzzword, it is a discipline. It means projects must be properly scoped, costed, sequenced and packaged to attract the right mix of funding—budget, PPPs, blended finance, guarantees, and counterpart resources where relevant.

“It means readiness: designs, approvals, procurement strategy, and an implementation time-table. It means bankability: a credible revenue or service-payment logic, risk allocation, and clear governance.

“It means prioritisation: fewer projects, better funded, better delivered. If we do this, the budget becomes a pipeline of completion, not a catalogue of unfinished work. That is the project-financing mindset Mr. President wants embedded across MDAs in 2026.”

NGF, STATE ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSIONS REVIEW DECISION

Reacting to the development yesterday, the Director of Media and Communications, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, Yunusa Abdullahi, said: ‘’We are reviewing the context and content of the information. We will not be making further comments on it.’’

Similarly, the State Electricity Regulatory Commissions, SERCs, in Lagos, Imo, Enugu, Ekiti, Oyo, Ondo, Edo, Niger, and Anambra yesterday held an emergency virtual meeting to review the situation and decide on appropriate steps to take.

A member, who pleaded to be anonymous, said: “We cannot make our official position known immediately. We are hearing it for the first time and currently meeting to review it. We need to understand the issue before responding or reacting to it.

“The government has taken appropriate steps in recent times to stimulate the development of the sector by deregulating activities, making the states to play active roles. But we need to interrogate the current decision and understand the implications on not only the states but also the entire power sector.”

STATES SHOULD PAY SUBSIDY AS ACTIVE PARTNERS — CPPE

On his part, Dr. Muda Yusuf, Chief executive officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprises, CPPE, said states should be ready to play active roles, including bearing subsidy burden as active stakeholders in the sector.

He said: “This model is not different from the model we had with the first subsidy. You know the first subsidy, all the states and local governments that had anything to do with FAAC allocation are paying for it because the NNPC which was supposed to be remitting to the federation account was not remitting, so all the states were paying for it.

“When the first subsidy stopped, NNPC was able to remit a lot more and the states were getting more revenue so I believe the same scenario is about to play out, with regard to electricity subsidy.

“The numbers are getting bigger and bigger by the day. The last time we were told that the GENCOs and the gas suppliers were owed about five trillion naira. The Federal Government had to issue a bond to that effect, that’s what we are seeing here and that was as at June or September last year.

Between then and now the figures will have gone up. So a subsidy regime that’s obviously difficult for the Federal Government alone to continue to carry is one that is not so sustainable but it’s not politically feasible to tamper with that subsidy regime as we speak.

“This is because the citizens are yet to recover from earlier reforms and the implications on their real income and on their welfare.

“We are in a pre-election year, so this is another cross the government will have to carry and they are closely connected from those who are supplying gas to those who are generating, down to those who are transmitting, as well as those distributing.

“This is a strongly linked and connected chain. And once there’s a break in the chain, electricity system goes down.

“However, it’s a sector that needs more rigorous reform, more fundamental reforms. But I am not sure those reforms can move as quickly as we desire, particularly at a time like this.

“This is a major policy concern. But for me, I think that decision is almost inevitable, given the rate at which electricity subsidy has been growing, because all the players have been talking about cost-reflective tariff and all of that, but I don’t think that is feasible at this time. That is a challenge.”

Prominent businessman and socialite, Obi Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana, has confirmed his appointment as the South-East Coordinator of the City Boy Movement, following the presentation of his appointment letter by Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu.

Iyiegbu disclosed the development in a post shared on his official Instagram page on Tuesday, saying Seyi Tinubu visited his residence on Monday night to formally hand over the certificate of appointment.

“Last night, my long-time friend and brother, Seyi Tinubu, paid me a visit at my home. We held great conversations about everything,” he wrote.

The Anambra-born entrepreneur said the meeting also afforded both men the opportunity to discuss issues of national interest.

Reacting to the mixed public reaction to his new role, Iyiegbu defended his decision to accept the appointment, stressing that change could only be achieved through participation and engagement.

“I’m fully aware of the varied reactions it has sparked. My belief remains firm: lasting change comes from constructive engagement, not standing apart,” he said.

Declaring his loyalty to the movement, the nightlife entrepreneur added:

“I’ve learned that influence is limited from the outside — so yes, here we are! I am a City Boy through and through, inside and out.”

He further assured that his appointment would not undermine his personal values, community work or leadership principles.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu is “a City Boy and a man of commerce,” noting that his focus in the new role would be to promote inclusiveness.

“All of us need all of us in order to achieve our national aspirations, and I am committed to carrying every Nigerian along in all that I do,” Iyiegbu stated.

He also called for tolerance and mutual respect among Nigerians, urging citizens to prioritise national development.

“Let’s respect differing views, keep conversations vibrant, and stay focused on building real value. The moment is now — we move!” he said.

Iyiegbu thanked his supporters for their goodwill and expressed commitment to working towards a more inclusive future.

The National Leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, is delaying his defection to the African Democratic Congress months after engaging with the party leaders due to lack of assurance that former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, will secure the party’s presidential ticket, Sunday PUNCH has gathered.

Highly credible sources within the Kwankwasiya Movement, the political group of the former Kano governor, and the ADC told
Sunday PUNCH that Kwankwaso’s defection was largely dependent on the arrangement.

There is currently a proposed alliance between Obi and Kwankwaso for a joint 2027 presidential ticket under the ADC.

According to top politicians familiar with the process, the plan was forged by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Sunday PUNCH learnt that a three-man committee set up by the ADC to interface with political bigwigs willing to join the party had met with Kwankwaso through a committee he also put in place.

A principal official of the ADC told our correspondent that the two committees met a few days ago in Abuja to finalise Kwankwaso’s defection.

According to the official, no final decision was taken due to unresolved issues at the meeting.

He, however, said both parties would reach a “strong conclusion in a week or two.”

“We’re closing in on Kwankwaso, and we will be happy to receive him. Our committee and his met a few days ago and they will meet next week to take, maybe, a strong decision and reach a strong conclusion. We’re still engaging, though there are some unresolved issues,” he added.

An insider in the Kwankwaso camp acknowledged the meeting but said the former governor might not defect “anytime soon.”

He disclosed that some northern leaders and Obasanjo had cautioned Kwankwaso against rushing to the ADC.

The loyalist added that the leaders specifically warned Kwankwaso not to defect until there was an assurance that Obi would receive the presidential ticket.

The source said, “Many things are playing out, and some northern leaders and Obasanjo are advising RMK (Kwankwaso) on his defection. As it is, it seems Kwankwaso is the bargaining strength for Peter Obi to get the presidential ticket in the ADC, and the card must be carefully played.

“Currently, ADC leaders are mounting pressure on RMK to join the party. Of course, he is interested, but we don’t want to play into the hands of some people rooting for Atiku’s presidency who have almost taken over the party.

“The picture we are seeing from outside is that Obi was lured into the party, and we don’t want to fall into that trap. The game ahead is that Obi will participate in the ADC presidential primary, and after losing to Atiku, he will be persuaded to take the VP slot. How far he wants to go on that, we don’t know.”

He noted that Obi and Kwankwaso’s camps had met with some key national leaders to galvanise support for the ex-Anambra governor’s presidential ambition.

The NNPP chieftain disclosed that without the conclusion of “wider consultations,” the defection might not take place.

“We are committed to seeing the South complete its eight years, which is only possible with Peter Obi’s presidency. People like Baba Ota (Obasanjo) also believe in that, and it is in that line that Kwankwaso can have a chance to contest the 2031 presidential election.

“RMK is still consulting, and until those consultations are concluded, nothing serious will happen. As it stands, Kwankwaso is Obi’s only strong bargaining chip for the ADC presidential ticket. Notwithstanding, politics is dynamic. A day is too long in the political arena,” he added.

The insider also confirmed that both Kwankwaso and the ADC committees met a few days ago and agreed to meet again in the coming week.

“Yes, the two committees met a few days ago in Abuja and they agreed to meet again. By next week, we should have a position,” he stated.

When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, declined to comment, saying he had no information about the matter.

He said, “I am not part of any committee speaking with Kwankwaso, so how would I know what you are talking about?”

He, however, described him as a strong political leader.

The spokesperson for the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, also declined to comment on Kwankwaso’s defection.

He said, “I’m not in possession of any useful information on what you’re asking, so I may not be able to comment.”

Lagos State Taskforce has launched a renewed enforcement drive along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road corridor, focusing on commercial motorcycles, traffic infractions and the removal of illegal roadside structures.

During the operation, more than 50 motorcycles were seized, while 10 vehicles were apprehended for various traffic violations.

Details of the exercise were shared on Sunday through videos posted on X by the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Jubril Gawat.

The footage showed taskforce operatives taking action against erring motorists, commercial motorcyclists and unauthorized structures along the route.

According to the update, the operation targeted violations such as illegal motorcycle operations, one-way driving and the erection of shanties within the coastal road corridor.

Several motorcycles, including a dispatch rider’s bike, were confiscated during the clampdown.

“Lagos State Taskforce has commenced enforcement against Okada operations, one-way driving and the removal of shanties along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road corridor,” the post stated.

“Over 50 motorcycles were confiscated for operating on highways in violation of Lagos State traffic laws, while 10 vehicles were arrested and will be charged to court for driving against traffic. Enforcement will continue,” the statement added.

The latest action is in line with ongoing environmental sanitation and traffic management measures earlier announced by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab.

In November 2025, Wahab confirmed that clearance operations were being sustained along the corridor to address environmental and safety concerns.

“Clearance exercises are ongoing at Lakowe, where illegal shanties, makeshift structures and roadside trading points obstructing drainage systems and pedestrian movement are being removed.

“Enforcement is also being extended to street traders and environmental sanitation offenders within the corridor,” Wahab had said in a post on his official X account.

The renewed enforcement comes against the backdrop of increasing public complaints over persistent one-way driving and reckless motorcycle activities in several parts of Lagos, despite the ban on commercial motorcycles on major highways.

State authorities insist that the operation is aimed at restoring order, enhancing road safety and safeguarding critical infrastructure along the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road project.

Fresh details emerged yesterday on how efforts by the presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to forge a political deal with Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, until recently regarded as Kano’s “beautiful bride” and a potential election-shaping force, eventually collapsed.

Courted for the perceived electoral value of his red-cap movement, Kwankwasiyya, the former Kano governor appears to be watching his political allure wane, leaving the leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) increasingly isolated and struggling to translate past dominance into present influence.

Sources familiar with the talks said engagements between Kwankwaso and President Bola Tinubu stretched across several months, with multiple meetings held, especially in Abuja.

At the outset, the presidency was said to have viewed Kwankwaso as a strategic bridge into Kano and parts of the North-west, particularly given NNPP’s performance in the 2023 general election.

However, top sources within the ruling APC told THISDAY last night that negotiations broke down over what they described as excessive and unrealistic demands.

According to sources, Kwankwaso sought control of up to 20 per cent of APC’s national structure, alongside a vice presidential slot and guarantees extending to the 2031 political cycle.

Senior APC figures said the requests immediately raised red flags as manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 polls gathered pace.

“Even President Bola Tinubu has not specifically asked for any percentage share of the APC. That demand for 20 per cent of the structure of the APC nationwide was a deal breaker. Besides, the vice-presidential position was never on the table.

“It was made clear to him that it was not vacant, and there was no basis for discussions around 2031 at this stage,” the impeccable source who was familiar with the negotiations told THISDAY.

Also, the Dr. Boniface Aniebonam bloc of the NNPP, yesterday, revealed that the decision by Governor Abba Yusuf to leave the party was due to Kwankwaso’s domineering attitude and alleged slavish intentions.

Reacting to comments by Buba Galadima on Yusuf’s defection, the National Vice Chairman North-west, Alhaji Sani Danmasani, in a statement claimed that Kwankwaso’s behaviour was unbearable, prompting Yusuf to seek “greener pastures”.

Although initially, the Kwankwaso/APC engagements were driven by the belief within the APC that the former Kano governor remained indispensable to the ruling party’s long-term electoral calculations, particularly in the North-west, in the build-up to the collapse of the deal, presidency strategists increasingly questioned Kwankwaso’s claim to absolute control of the state’s political machinery.

They envisaged that the growing friction between him and Yusuf, as well as signs of uncertainty within the NNPP over the governor’s long-term political future could be exploited.

It was no surprise then that negotiations soon ran aground on the scale of Kwankwaso’s demands.

According to senior APC sources, the NNPP leader’s demand for control of 20 per cent of the APC’s national political structure, stunned party leaders and was quickly deemed impractical.

[b]Beyond structural concessions, Kwankwaso also pressed for the vice presidential slot, despite the fact that the position had already been filled and was not subject to renegotiation.

Kwankwaso has also publicly confirmed this, saying recently that he would only join or defect to another political party if he was offered either the presidential or vice presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.

“He was clearly overreaching,” a top APC chief said.

According to those who spoke to THISDAY, even more striking to APC negotiators was Kwankwaso’s apparent focus on the long game.

[b]Kwankwaso was said to have sought assurances not just for immediate accommodation, but also for influence over the party’s succession plans, with an eye firmly on 2031.

To the presidency and APC leaders, the package of demands suggested a politician negotiating not as a prospective ally, but as a near-equal stakeholder in a party he did not build.

When no headway was made, Tinubu, initially open to engaging Kwankwaso as the presumed gatekeeper of Kano politics, then recalibrated his strategy.

Rather than expend political capital trying to woo an opposition leader with expansive demands, the president and APC negotiators were said to have turned their attention to consolidating ties with the Kano governor, betting that incumbency, federal leverage and direct engagement would yield better results than protracted courtship with Kwankwaso.

“That was the turning point. Once it became clear that Kwankwaso no longer controlled the entire Kano political space the way he claimed, especially with divisions between him and his erstwhile political godson, the presidency decided it made more sense to deal with the governor,” another source explained.

A masterstroke, the shift appeared to have effectively stripped Kwankwaso of the bargaining power that once made him attractive. His inability to deliver a unified Kano bloc, combined with what APC leaders described as an inflated sense of indispensability, weakened his negotiating position.

According to the sources, the president and his people positioned the APC to Yusuf as a more stable and predictable platform for him, amplifying doubts about Yusuf’s second-term prospects within Kwankwaso’s NNPP.

NNPP Bloc: Kwankwaso’s ‘Slavish’ Intentions Forced Yusuf Out

Meanwhile, the Dr. Boniface Aniebonam-led NNPP has revealed that the decision by Governor Yusuf to leave the party was due to Kwankwaso’s domineering attitude and alleged slavish intentions.

Reacting to comments by Galadima on Yusuf’s defection, the National Vice Chairman North-west, Danmasani, in a statement claimed that Kwankwaso’s behaviour was unbearable, prompting Yusuf to seek “greener pastures”.

The NNPP chief stated that Yusuf’s move to the APC was not driven by selfish motives, but rather a desire to escape Kwankwaso’s suffocating leadership style. The party accused Kwankwaso of attempting to impose his will on others, leaving Yusuf with no choice but to leave.

The NNPP leader described Kwankwaso as the mastermind behind the betrayal, who violated the trust of the party’s founder, Aniebonam. The statement alleged that Yusuf’s efforts to reconcile differences within the party were thwarted by Kwankwaso’s arrogance and greed, forcing the governor to seek alternative political shelter

On Buba Galadima’s interview on Arise News Television, Danmasani added: “The cross over of Yusuf to APC is affecting Galadima and Kwankwaso so much that the bitterness and pain are evident in their speeches.

“What is striking in the details of Galadima’s expression during the session on Arise TV were his experiences, travelling by road from Enugu airport to Umuawulu town in Anambra, hometown of NNPP Founder, Aniebonam. He got to Anambra by 2.a.m to meet Aniebonam for the purposes of getting a political platform for Kwankwaso and others against the 2023 general election.

“Incidentally, Yusuf who is a prime beneficiary of the risky trip to Umuawulu is the one found to have betrayed the NNPP family to join their enemy, a former governor of Kano state and APC stalwart, Ganduje. Galadima and Kwankwaso crying foul of betrayal of trust were the same people, who were favoured at no cost to use the NNPP platform to contest elections in 2023.

“They were the same people, who betrayed Aniebonam, and fought to hijack the party he founded in 2001. They are still fighting to hijack the structure of the NNPP without conscience, yet calling Yusuf a betrayer.

One begins to wonder why Kwankwaso and Buba Galadima are crying foul and disturbing the peace of the society as if they do not know that God acts differently?” he stated.

The party, therefore, stated that rather than continue to lament over Yusuf, Kwankwaso and his group should seek the face of God and ask for forgiveness from those they betrayed.

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, and the National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, engaged in an argument over the party’s ideological direction.

Bwala, in a post via 𝕏, criticised Abdullahi, citing two recent public engagements in which the ADC’s Spokesman was asked to explain the party’s ideology.

According to Bwala, during the first exchange, Abdullahi said the party leadership was still considering it.

In another appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme on Wednesday, Bwala claimed that Abdullahi appeared confused, evasive and confrontational when pressed again on the same issue.

Bwala linked the controversy to Abdullahi’s recent book, ‘The Loyalist’, arguing that readers might find it challenging to identify depth or direction in the book if its author, who also serves as the party’s official spokesperson, cannot clearly articulate the ADC’s ideological foundation.

He wrote, “The other time, they asked Bolaji, the ADC spokesperson, about the ideology of the ADC. He said they were still thinking about it. Today, they asked him again, and he became confused and started picking a fight. Lol. Association for a wild goose chase.

“He came with a book on “loyalist”, but how can readers be convinced there is substance in the book when the author can not even define the ideology of the party he was appointed to speak for? If the spokesperson doesn’t know the ideology of the party, then it points to one of two things: either the incompetence of the spokesperson or the visionlessness of the party.”

In response, Abdullahi knocked Bwala while clarifying the ADC’s ideology, saying,

“@BwalaDaniel, sorry, what is your rank in the hierarchy of government spokespersons again? The ideology of the ADC is very clear: putting the welfare and wellbeing of Nigerians at the centre of governance.

Your party claims to have a “social welfare” ideology, but in reality, it appears to be promoting an ideology of mass poverty, mindless looting, and banditry.

“And you speak about my book? This is not about motivational speaking o. My advice to you Brother Daniel is to read before you comment. Reading will not kill you.”

Bwala also hit back at Abdullahi, saying,

“So why didnt you say it on air when you were asked? Rather than ranting and fighting you could have simply said that on air? Abi you went back and read it in your book and return here on social media to garbage out? It is called “jenjemi” i.e “expo” Who wrote the book for you abeg?

By the way, what you just stated here in your tweet is by no means an ideology, but a wishful thinking; Your confusion is confusing people ohh.”

The Nigerian Naira continued to record gain against the US dollar during the midweek trading session with the currency dropping below N1,400.

On Tuesday, the local currency hit monthly highs in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM), where the exchange rate settled at about N1,400.66 per dollar.

But the appreciation continued yesterday when the currency settled 1,394, the highest gain in recent times.

The currency had already made significant gains in the previous session, ending at N1,401.2/$.
The parallel market, also known as the black market, responded more calmly amid the official foreign exchange market’s quick gains.

Analysts observe that the local currency premium decreased compared to naira volatility, even though the difference between the official and parallel rates still exists.

The naira has continued to appreciate in early 2026, keeping the momentum it established in 2025 (the naira enjoyed a decade high performance of 7%-9% against the USD in 2025).

“The dollar’s supremacy is cracking, and markets are building an escape route,” warns the CEO of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations according to a report.

The warning from Nigel Green of deVere Group comes as a sell-off in the US dollar has gained momentum after President Donald Trump says he isn’t concerned by the currency’s dramatic falls in recent days, as fears in currency markets intensify over the president’s erratic policymaking.

The uptrend in Nigeria’s currency at the official market is not unconnected to the continued rise in the country’s foreign reserves, which stood at $46.04 billion as of 26th January 2026. The naira has recorded gains in the past two trading days at the currency market.

Nigerians living in Brazil have accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigerian airline, Air Peace, of deceiving them with what they described as a fraudulent promise of direct flights between Lagos and São Paulo, a development that has now left many of them stranded and financially distressed.

The aggrieved Nigerians, who spoke to SaharaReporters, said the much-publicised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reportedly signed between the Nigerian government and Brazil in August 2025 raised high expectations within the Nigerian community in South America, particularly around the promise of a direct Lagos–São Paulo air route to be operated by Air Peace.

However, several months after the agreement was celebrated by government officials and widely circulated in the media, nothing has materialised.
One Nigerian resident in Brazil told SaharaReporters that the entire arrangement was deceptive from the outset.

“The Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Tinubu government with Brazil in August is a big scam and they just gave us, Nigerians living there, a false hope. It was all a lie,” the Nigerian resident in Brazil said.

“Particularly, the aspect of Air Peace flying direct flights between Lagos and Sao Paulo. Before they came to Brazil to deceive us, Nigerians were spending up to $1,500 to go from Nigeria to Brazil.

This was because there was no direct flight. We always move through Addis Ababa, South Africa and Europe to come to Brazil.

“The Air Peace Chairman gave us a false hope when he brought his flight that time. He promised us that the flight would start properly in November 2025 and he would reduce the flight price by 50% because it is a direct flight of about 6 to 7 hours.”

According to the source, assurances from government representatives and the airline prompted many Nigerians in Brazil to postpone their travel plans, while others began preparing for business trips to Nigeria in the belief that cheaper, faster direct flights were imminent.

“A lot of us believed them; this made us plan our trips ahead. We have a lot of business to do in Nigeria so we thought the government was sincere about what they told us,” the source said.

Instead, months after the promised November 2025 timeline, there has been no flight, no official statement, and no explanation from either Air Peace or the Nigerian government.

“Now we are stranded. We are close to February now and Air Peace has not done anything. There is no communication about it. Many students are stranded here without any official response from either the government or Air Peace,” the source added.

Members of the Nigerian community in Brazil say the situation has placed severe financial and emotional strain on them, especially students and small business owners who had arranged their affairs around the anticipated direct route.

Some disclosed that they turned down alternative travel options, expecting the promised cheaper direct flight, only to find themselves unable to afford current connecting flights whose prices remain high.

Beyond the immediate hardship, the sources said the episode reflects a long-standing pattern of unfulfilled promises by successive Nigerian administrations regarding direct air connectivity between Nigeria and Brazil.

“This is not the first time the Nigerian government would do such a thing. I have been in Brazil for over three decades. Each government always comes with the false hope of giving us direct flights to Nigeria. But what made this one by Tinubu’s government so worrisome is that the government celebrated it so much,” another source said.

The MoU signing in August was widely publicised by the Tinubu administration as a breakthrough in strengthening Nigeria–Brazil relations, with aviation cooperation portrayed as a key component.

Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest private airline, was repeatedly mentioned as the carrier expected to operate the route.

However, nearly six months later, there is no evidence of ticket sales, flight schedules, regulatory approvals, or any public update on the supposed Lagos–São Paulo service.

Repeated attempts by SaharaReporters to obtain comments from Air Peace and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, regarding the status of the promised route were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

Mynd44:
So it isn't about misgovernance.

Wow

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to delivering transformative infrastructure with far-reaching socio-economic benefits as construction continues on the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, a flagship project under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

The Super Highway is one of the four (4) Legacy Road Projects being embarked upon by the present Administration.

Speaking on the National Media Tour and Commissioning of Emergency/Intervention Project in Kebbi State on Tuesday, 21 January 2026, the Director, Information and Public Relations, Mal. Mohammed A. Ahmed, revealed that the tour was organised to enable stakeholders, the media, and the general public to directly assess the scale, quality, and progress of ongoing works – particularly sections of the superhighway with significant impact on communities in Kebbi State.

It is also intended to gauge public perceptions on the provision of road infrastructure by the Federal Government, he added.

The Federal Controller of Works, Engr. Ishaya Vandu, explained that the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, which runs from Ilelah-Sokoto to Badagry-Lagos, traverses Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos States, and is designed to stimulate national integration and economic development.

Describing the project as a “dream come true,” Engr. Vandu recalled that the highway was first conceived during the administration of the late President Shehu Shagari, and is now being brought to reality under the leadership of President Tinubu, many decades after. According to him, significant construction milestones have been achieved.

These include the commencement of Continuous Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP) works between Kilometre 177 and Kilometre 170, covering a full-width, three-lane, dual-carriageway with a central median over a seven-kilometre stretch. Earthworks have progressed up to Kilometre 135, while site clearance is ongoing on the remaining 17 kilometres between Kebbi and Sokoto States.

He further disclosed that soil stabilisation works, using lateritic materials mixed with stone and cement, have been completed over approximately 25 kilometres, with reinforcement works currently ongoing. Additional construction teams are also working from Kilometre 348, where about 10 kilometres of site clearance have already been done. He expressed optimism that substantial progress would be recorded before the second quarter of the year.

Reacting to the quality of work, the Immediate Past Chairman, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Kebbi Branch, Engr. Adamu Idris, described the project as exceptional, noting that despite his years of professional experience, he had not seen a road project of such grandeur and quality.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Kebbi Branch, Engr. Muhammed Nadeem Abdullahi, praised the project as “truly a superhighway,” commending the President for his foresight and urging the contractor to sustain the current pace and standard of work.

The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Kebbi State, led by Comrade Mansir Isah, applauded the Federal Government for the project, noting its positive impact on local communities, particularly in job creation for residents.

In his remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the President (SSA-P) on Community Engagement (North-West Zone), Hon. Abdullahi Tanko Yakasai, dismissed claims circulating on social media that the project was non-existent, stressing that the reality on the ground clearly contradicts such narratives.

He commended President Tinubu’s courage and determination in reviving a project conceived over four decades ago to connect Northern and Southern Nigeria, enhance economic activities, and promote national coexistence.

Hon. Yakasai also highlighted key features of the State Super Highway, including solar-powered street lighting to enhance safety and security, construction of dams and rail infrastructure along the corridor to support agriculture, electricity generation, commerce and trade, as well as the efficient movement of people, goods, and services.

He noted that the Kebbi axis, spanning more than 250 kilometres, is the longest section of the alignment and is already generating employment and other economic opportunities for the host communities.

During the tour, three Emergency/Special Intervention road projects were also commissioned. They include the Repairs of Flooded Washout Embankments and Desilting of Blocked Drains along the Jega–Koko–Yauri and Malando (Nigeria-Niger Republic Border-Route A1) in Kebbi State, commissioned by Comrade Mansir Isah, member of a Civil Society Organisation (CSO).

Also commissioned was an Emergency/Special Intervention project, which addressed damages caused by floods along the Birnin Kebbi–Argungu–Kaniyaka (Kebbi-Sokoto State Border) Road, as well as the Rehabilitation of Flood-Affected Sections (Bunza–Kamba) along the Kalgo–Bunza–Kamba Road in Kebbi State.

The Federal Ministry of Works reiterated its untiring commitment to ensuring quality, durability, and timely delivery of all road infrastructure projects nationwide, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration of enhancing infrastructure and transportation as enablers of growth.

Signed

Mohammed Abdullahi Ahmed
Director, Information and Public Relations.
23 January, 2023.

The Senior Special Assistant on Social Media to Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Salisu Yahaya Hotoro, has stated that the public would soon know those who truly betrayed the people of the state.

The aide stated this on Facebook on Wednesday, adding that the people of Kano would soon know those who are truly committed to protecting their interests.

He listed several past cases, including issues linked to Novemed, foreign scholarships, alleged land racketeering, contracts involving alum and other chemicals for water treatment, and the purchase of water facility equipment.

He said such matters contributed to the current controversies surrounding party leadership.

Hotoro further stated that those now accusing others of “betrayal ” were doing so to conceal actions they could not openly explain to the public.

“Since they cannot come out to tell the world what they did, we will tell the world, so that the people can judge between us and them,” he wrote in Hausa.

Recall that the former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, endorsed January 23 as “World Betrayal Day”.

He made the remark while addressing supporters at his Miller Road residence in Kano, saying the idea originated from a social media post that described Governor Yusuf’s exit from the New Nigeria Peoples Party as betrayal.

The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has donated two state-of-the-art mobile clinics to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to strengthen its rural health programme.

The mobile clinics, donated under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Health Support Programme, were formally presented at a ceremony held today at the Headquarters of the Nigerian Customs Service in Maitama, Abuja.

According to a press statement by Caroline Embu, Director, Information and Public Relations of NYSC, the Taraba State Government also received one mobile clinic at the event.

The statement said Senator Tinubu, who spoke at the occasion, commended successive batches of Corps Members for being drivers of the NYSC health interventions, adding that the donation of the mobile clinics would support the numerous medical outreaches of the Scheme, especially under its Health Initiative For Rural Dwellers (HIRD).

The First Lady added that her visit to Taraba State last year necessitated the donation of a mobile clinic to the State Government to complement its healthcare delivery efforts.

She said there was a need to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people, irrespective of ethnic, party, or other affiliations.

“Love on wheels represents care in motion, to strengthen healthcare delivery beyond hospital wards, improve access, shorten response time and support flexible and reliable health services, especially in emergencies and underserved areas through professional healthcare givers,” she added.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, described the First Lady’s gesture as a timely and strategic intervention that would significantly expand the HIRD.

General Nafiu said the Renewed Hope Initiative’s philosophy, anchored on the belief that “health is not a privilege but a right,” aligns perfectly with the NYSC’s mandate and ongoing efforts to deliver free healthcare services to underserved communities.

He explained that since the launch of the HIRD programme in 2014, NYSC medical personnel had provided free primary healthcare, maternal services, malaria testing, health education and disease prevention campaigns to more than four million Nigerians nationwide, with an average of about 360,000 beneficiaries annually.

He disclosed that in 2025 alone, over 6,300 corps medical personnel, including more than 2,300 doctors, were deployed to remote areas to improve access to healthcare.

He said the two new mobile clinics would greatly enhance operational capacity by allowing the NYSC to reach more communities simultaneously and treat tens of thousands of additional beneficiaries.

“What has been done today has renewed the hope of millions of Nigerians,” he said, adding that the donation should be seen not just as support, but also as a challenge to the Scheme to do more in extending government presence and quality healthcare to those who need it most.

Minister of Works Engr. David Umahi has disclosed that the North-West geopolitical zone has the highest number of projects under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, securing 48 out of the 260 special intervention projects being executed nationwide.

This was revealed yesterday in Kano during an inspection of ongoing and completed federal road projects by the minister who was represented by the senior special assistant to the president on community engagement, Abdullahi Tanko-Yakasai.

Tanko-Yakasai said the intervention projects, spread across Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and Kaduna states, underscored the president’s commitment to address infrastructure gaps and drive economic growth in the region.

He spoke at the site of the Economic City, Bichi, where the federal government completed Phase I and II of a 1.5-kilometre access road awarded in January 2024 and delivered in October 2024. The project, he noted, was executed as a special intervention to enhance economic activities within the industrial city.

The minister’s representative also inspected the Kano Northern Bypass, a 37.8-kilometre dual carriageway project being constructed by CCECC.

According to project engineers, the bypass—designed with multiple bridges—will divert traffic away from Kano metropolis, improve regional connectivity and significantly reduce travel time between the North-East, North-West and North-Central zones.

Tanko-Yakasai further disclosed that the road projects were being built with reinforced concrete shoulders and medians to guarantee durability of up to 50 years.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Community Engagement (North-West), Abdullahi Tanko-Yakasai, stated this in Gusau, Zamfara State capital, on Tuesday, when he led the national media tour team for an inspection of the Zaria-Gusau-Sokoto dual carriage way project.

The national media tour team comprised the director of information and public relations at the Federal Ministry of Works, Muhammed Ahmad, and representatives from national media houses.

The team also comprised Bukola Odeyemi, the Senior Special Assistant to the Works Minister, Dave Umahi, and other officials of the Federal Ministry of Works.

The media tour team inaugurated an emergency road repair project in the Gidana Dawa area and an access road to the federal secretariat in Gusau, the Zamfara capital.

Mr Tanko-Yakasai said the dualisation of the Zaria-Gusau-Sokoto highway, which spans Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, and Sokoto States, by the Tinubu administration would boost the region’s economic growth.

He added that the road project was of strategic importance to economic growth, trade, and security in the North-West.

“President Tinubu is passionate toward ensuring massive infrastructural development in all parts of the country, particularly the North-West.

“We really appreciate Mr President for executing these projects in our region,” he explained.

He commended the contractors handling the projects and urged them to comply with all contractual agreements and ensure a speedy and quality job.

Mr Tanko-Yakasai added that Mr Tinubu deserves the support of the people of the North-West by executing legacy projects that would guarantee the region for hundreds of years.

Responding, the controller of the Federal Ministry of Works in charge of Zamfara, Kasimu Yusuf, described the visit as a welcome development.

Mr Yusuf said the contract for the dualisation of 372 kilometres of the Zaria-Gusau-Sokoto highway was awarded by the federal government in 2023, with a 48-month duration.

He said the contact was categorised into four sections, saying, “Section one covers Zaria in Kaduna State to Sheme in Katsina State, while section two covers Sheme in Katsina State to Gusau in Zamfara.

“Section three covers Gusau to Colony–Talata Mafara in Zamfara, while section four covers Talata Mafara, Zamfara, to Sokoto.

“The 86.1 kilometres of the section two segment of the project have achieved 52 per cent completion, while the 93.7 kilometres of section three have achieved 14 per cent completion.”

According to him, the contractors handling the project are executing a quality job and working in line with the contractual agreement with the Federal Government.

The warning and surge in US military presence comes almost two weeks after Donald Trump urged Iranian protesters - thousands of whom have been killed by the regime's forces - to keep demonstrating and promised that "help is on the way".

"This military ‌build-up - we hope it is ‌not intended for real confrontation - but our military is ready for the worst-case scenario. This is why everything is on high alert in Iran," said the Iranian official, speaking ‌to Reuters on condition of ⁠anonymity.

The official went on to say: "This time we will treat any attack - limited, unlimited, surgical, kinetic, whatever they call it - as an all-out war against us, and we will respond in the hardest way possible to settle this."

Mr Trump said on Thursday that the US had an "armada" heading toward Iran but hoped he would not have to use it, as he renewed warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear programme.

"If the Americans violate Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity, we will respond," said the Iranian official.

He declined to specify ‌what an Iranian response might look like.

The US military has periodically sent additional forces to the Middle East at times of heightened tension, moves often seen as defensive.

However, the US military staged a major build-up last year ahead of its launching airstrikes against Iran 's nuclear programme in June.

Another build-up was seen in the Caribbean towards the end of last year before the US launched military action against Venezuela and captured the country's president Nicolas Maduro.


Iran may try again to obtain nuclear weapon

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has published a new national defence strategy, which included analysis on Iran.

The document warned Iran may attempt to obtain a nuclear weapon, something it has accused Tehran's leaders of attempting before.

The document also said Iran had "the blood of Americans on its hands" and pledged US support for Israel.

It read: "Although Iran has suffered severe setbacks over recent months, it appears intent on reconstituting its conventional military forces.

"Iran's leaders have also left open the possibility that they will try again to obtain a nuclear weapon, including by refusing to engage in meaningful negotiations."

It added: "Nor can we ignore the facts that the Iranian regime has the blood of Americans on its hands."

The document stated Iran "remains intent on destroying our close ally Israel, and that Iran and its proxies routinely instigate regional crises that not only threaten the lives of American service members in the region but also prevent the region itself from pursuing the kind of peaceful and prosperous future that so many of its leaders and peoples clearly wish for".

The house of representatives says reports of a minority caucus an ad hoc committee reviewing the tax reform laws and issuing an interim report do not represent a formal parliamentary process.

Last Friday, the minority caucus committee, chaired by Afam Ogene, an Anambra lawmaker, said it discovered “illegal” alterations in the gazetted copies of the tax reform laws.

Ogene, chairman of the seven-member committee set up by the minority caucus to probe the alleged alterations, said a review of the acts showed that different versions were in circulation.

He added that preliminary findings, based on a comparison of the certified true copies (CTCs) released by the house and the gazetted copies, indicated that the laws had been altered.

However, in a statement on Sunday, Akin Rotimi, spokesperson of the lower chamber, said only the house sitting in plenary or the speaker has the authority to constitute an ad hoc committee with parliamentary status.

“No political caucus, whether majority or minority, possesses the procedural authority to establish a committee that carries the status of a parliamentary body,” Rotimi said.

“Any action taken by a caucus in this regard is therefore non-binding, informal, and without legal or institutional consequence.”

Rotimi said any committee set up outside the prescribed procedures “lacks institutional recognition” within the house.

According to him, any interim or final report produced by a caucus-led body “cannot be laid before the house, cannot be received as a parliamentary document, and does not form part of the official legislative or oversight record of the national assembly”.

He said the reported action of the minority caucus was inconsistent with parliamentary norms and capable of misleading the public, especially as issues around the tax laws had already been addressed through established legislative processes.

Rotimi also recalled that in December 2025, the house constituted a bipartisan ad hoc committee following concerns raised by an opposition lawmaker over multiple documents presented as official gazettes.

He said the committee will submit a report to the house after its assignment, adding that the national assembly has gazetted tax laws and issued copies.

“The national assembly has also formally disowned and debunked any unofficial documents in circulation, reiterating that only the gazetted versions and duly certified copies issued by the national assembly constitute authentic legislative instruments,” Rotimi said.

He warned that the creation of a parallel caucus-led committee and the circulation of purported interim findings could deepen public confusion on an issue that had been “institutionally resolved and overtaken by events”.

Rotimi said the house remains committed to transparency and accountability but stressed that such goals must be pursued strictly within constitutional and procedural limits.

“For the avoidance of doubt, only committees constituted by the House in plenary or by the speaker have parliamentary authority,” he added.

Less than 24 hours after resigning from membership of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has sacked his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Sunusi Surajo.

Surajo, a former Chairman of the Madobi Local Council and a strong ally of Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has been replaced by former Special Adviser to former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Mustapha Bakwana, the new appointee, previously served as political adviser under former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

The decision comes against the backdrop of strained relations between Governor Yusuf and Senator Kwankwaso, including disputes over alleged coercion of officials during the defection process and questions of loyalty ahead of future elections.

Although the reason for Surajo’s sacking was not yet clear, a social media post by Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, the spokesman for Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, confirmed the development.

While Surajo’s sacking may signal a major cabinet reshuffle, Governor Yusuf is opting for a large realignment with fresh power blocs in the ruling party.

In a letter of resignation addressed to the Chairman of his Diso-Chiranchi Ward, Gwale Local Government Area, Yusuf cited deepening internal crises and the need to safeguard the broader interests of the people of Kano as the major reasons for leaving his former party.

He pointed to persistent internal disputes and legal challenges that have continued to unsettle the party’s structure nationwide. According to the Governor, these internal disagreements have widened divisions and weakened cohesion within the party.

But the governor was not alone in dumping the NNPP, as 44 council chairmen, 22 members of the state house of assembly, and 8 federal lawmakers declared total loyalty and pledged to join the governor in the ruling party.

The impending defection, however, has divided the Kwankwasiyya loyalists, with members of the cabinet, including the commissioners and key political appointees, tearing apart.

A credible source told The Guardian that the Deputy Governor, Comrade Aminu Abdulssalam Gwarzo, is aligning with Kwankwaso and will not part with Governor Yusuf.

Efforts to verify the authenticity with the Deputy Governor’s spokesperson, Ibrahim Garba, were unsuccessful, as his phone line was switched off.

However, the deputy governor has failed to join the governor at three consecutive public functions at Government House. He has been cited at Kwankwaso’s residence attending several solidarity engagements.

Other cabinet members who have yet to leave NNPP include the Commissioners for Science and Technology, Dr. Yusuf Kofar-Mata; Special Duties, Nasiru Garo; Sports, Mustapha Kwankwaso; Internal Security, AVM Ibrahim Umar; Humanitarian, Adamu Aliyu Kibiya; and Women Affairs, Amina Abdullahi.


Meanwhile, Kwankwaso has directed his loyalists to prepare for a serious political struggle ahead of 2027, just as he vowed to stand firm on the side of his supporters and promised not to substitute their interests for monetary value.

Addressing loyalists at his Miller Road residence, Kwankwaso pleaded with his supporters to renew their faith in the ideology of Kwankwasiyya and resist any attempt to be bought over with money bags.

"Everyone knows the difficulty of raising funds for a movement. We are proud of you because you are loyal. We are always praying to God for the strength to continue the good work we are doing.

“Be strong and persevere. In this state of ours, we need people like you who are like-minded and progressive in their ideology, not people who will take money and move to the East. You are giving me courage, honestly.

“If not for this kind of doggedness, even I would have been sold. Maybe I would have been caught up in the ideology of the capitalist who doesn’t care about the common poor man.

Let us continue to work hard and gain the attention of our families, friends and neighbours, and let them understand that fighting for freedom is not easy,” Kwankwaso appealed.

The Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, on Saturday, said that the interim report by the Minority Caucus Ad-hoc Committee on alleged alterations in the Tax Reforms Acts has been overtaken by events, following the release of the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the laws.

According to the committee’s preliminary findings, a comparison of the Certified True Copies released by the House with the earlier gazetted versions confirmed that alterations had been made, particularly to the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025.

The committee’s report indicated that at least three different versions of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act were in circulation, while the directive to “align” the Acts with the Federal Government Printing Press pointed to “procedural anomalies” that illegally encroached on the legislative powers of the National Assembly.

Agbese, while reacting to the report, argued that the leadership of the National Assembly had already taken decisive steps to address all concerns surrounding the discrepancies in the gazetted tax laws.

Agbese said the House, under the leadership of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, in collaboration with the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, had ensured the public release of the authentic versions of the four tax reform Acts as passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President.

According to him, the release of the Certified True Copies effectively resolved the issues raised over alleged alterations, restored public confidence and reaffirmed the independence and authority of the legislature.

“The concerns raised regarding discrepancies in the tax laws have already been comprehensively addressed by the House leadership. With the release of the Certified True Copies of the Acts, there is now clarity as to what was passed by the National Assembly and signed into law,” Agbese said.

He noted that the Speaker had also directed an internal verification process to ensure that only the authentic versions of the laws were in circulation, stressing that this action demonstrated the commitment of the House to transparency, due process and the protection of democratic institutions.

Agbese added that the proactive steps taken jointly by the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly showed that the legislature was united in safeguarding its constitutional role and preventing any erosion of its law-making powers.

While acknowledging the right of lawmakers to raise concerns in the interest of accountability, the Deputy Spokesperson maintained that the corrective measures already implemented made further controversy unnecessary.

“The House has acted swiftly and responsibly. The leadership did not wait for public pressure to mount before taking action. The release of the Certified Acts has settled the matter and ensured that Nigerians are guided only by the correct and lawful versions of the tax reforms,” he said.

Agbese assured Nigerians that the House of Representatives would continue to work with the Senate and relevant institutions to strengthen legislative processes and prevent a recurrence of such issues in the future.

The presidency had on Thursday evening announced the posting of four ambassador-designates, among whom was Dakingari, saying the appointments were made “out of the 68 confirmed by the Senate last December”.

Kayode Are, former director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), was appointed Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to the United States.

Ayodele Oke, former director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), was posted to France; Amin Dalhatu, former ambassador to South Korea.

However, the presidency withdrew Dakingari’s posting barely 24 hours after the announcement.

The withdrawal raised questions about how a name not confirmed by the senate could be presented as part of the list.

Under the constitution, the senate confirms ambassadorial nominees submitted by the president by name, not by vacancy or post-confirmation substitution.

Once confirmation is concluded, the list of approved nominees is deemed final.

However, the presidency’s statement suggests that Dakingari’s posting flows from the senate’s confirmation exercise.

The list transmitted to the senate by President Bola Tinubu in December was screened, debated and approved by the upper chamber.

That list comprised 34 career ambassadorial nominees, 31 non-career nominees and three earlier cleared names.

The confirmed career nominees included Abubakar Musa Musa and Mohammed Idris, who are both from Kebbi state.

However, the non-career nominees from Kebbi were not listed among the confirmed names.

Dakingari’s name did not appear on the list acted upon by the senate.

Thirty-four of the confirmed nominees are career ambassadors, while 30 are non-career ambassadors.

The development has sparked concerns about legislative legitimacy and the integrity of official records.

Observers say the issue is not about the timing or destination of postings, but whether senate confirmation is being misrepresented.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has assured Nigerians that all amendments to the Electoral Act will be concluded in time for the 2027 general election.

Akpabio was responding to questions raised by the AdvoKC Foundation, a civil society group.

The Senate President’s assurance was conveyed through his Special Adviser on Constitutional Matters, Dr. Monday Ubani (SAN), in response to calls by the foundation for the Senate to reconvene from recess and urgently prioritise the Electoral Bill 2025.

Addressing reporters, Ubani said the Senate would take up the Bill immediately upon resumption from its recess on January 27.

The Senate President’s aide expressed confidence that the legislative process would be completed swiftly.

According to him, the Senate leadership is working towards the passage of the Bill and securing presidential assent by the first week of February.

The lawyer noted that the timeline is critical, given the legal requirement for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Notice of Election at least one year before the polling day.

“With the House of Representatives having already passed its version, the process is approaching its final stages,” Ubani said. “Once the Senate resumes, they will certainly pass it.”

The assurance comes after AdvoKC Foundation raised concerns over the Senate’s decision to go on recess, despite the time-sensitive nature of the Electoral Bill.

The group warned that failure to pass the amendment before INEC issues its Notice of Election would compel the commission to conduct the 2027 general election under the existing 2022 Electoral Act.

The foundation argued that such a development would undermine critical reforms, weaken INEC’s preparedness, and further erode public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system.

In a statement, AdvoKC Foundation described the Electoral Bill 2025 as one of the most far-reaching reform efforts in recent years.

The civil society group highlighted some of the Bill’s provisions, such as early release of INEC funding, mandatory audited accounts, NIN-based voter registration, clearer election timelines, early voting, and expanded voting rights for inmates.

Ubani acknowledged that the 2022 Electoral Act revealed significant shortcomings during the 2023 general election, particularly in the areas of election litigation and result management.

He listed real-time electronic transmission of results as the most critical reform, saying it would drastically reduce manipulation at collation centres and provide a reliable audit trail for judicial review.

The Senate President’s aide explained that the proposed amendment seeks to prevent election petitions from being dismissed on technical grounds by allowing documentary evidence to be tendered by a single collation officer or legal representative, rather than requiring witnesses from every polling unit.

Welcoming the Senate’s assurance, AdvoKC Foundation stressed that the focus must henceforth shift from intent to implementation.
The group recalled that despite the national importance of the Bill, the Senate skipped the consideration of its Electoral Bill, SB 903, even after the committee report appeared on the Order Paper on December 3, last year.

The Senate later proceeded on recess until January 27, leaving a narrow window for harmonisation, passage and presidential assent.

According to the foundation, the delay contrasts with the speed at which other priority Bills were passed, underscoring that urgency is a matter of choice.

“We urge Senate President Akpabio and the leadership of the 10th National Assembly to reconvene without delay and pass the 2025 Electoral Act Amendment Bill in the interest of our democracy,” the foundation said. “The nation is watching. The responsibility lies with the Senate.”

Ubani added that the Senate leadership planned to engage media and judiciary correspondents after the Bill’s passage to ensure widespread public understanding of the new provisions.

For AdvoKC Foundation, the assurance places the Senate firmly on record, with the coming weeks set to determine whether or not the commitment will translate into action or delay electoral reforms at the expense of Nigeria’s democratic credibility.