The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has thrown its 2027 presidential ticket open to the South, while retaining its national chairmanship in the North — a move party leaders say is designed to steady the opposition and restore balance ahead of the next general elections. The decision was the highlight of the PDP’s 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held Monday in Abuja. The gathering also settled one of the party’s long-running uncertainties by confirming Ambassador Iliya Umar Damagum as substantive national chairman, after two years in acting capacity. He will lead the party until its national convention slated for November…
Author: National Update
By Ehichioya Ezomon As a people, Nigerians – and especially politicians – have practically lost all sense of shame. Otherwise, members of the opposition parties would’ve buried their heads in ignominy for their woeful defeats across the 13 states that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted by-elections on Saturday, August 16, 2025. In a decisive routing, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) first claimed 12 of the 17 legislative constituencies: all seats contested in Adamawa, Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kogi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba, including one seat each in three opposition states of Adamawa, Kano and Taraba. The opposition constituency…
By Ehichioya Ezomon When you’re hungry and angry, you lose concentration and comprehension. If you’re angry and hungry, you lose self-confidence and esteem. If your anger and hunger is driven by hubris, you lose emotional control, and say and do things preposterous. This is the stage former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, finds himself so early in the race for 2027 General Election. Declaring for president – and vowing to “remove” from power President Bola Tinubu and his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) – Amaechi claims to co-form a Coalition of Opposition Politicians (COP) plying…
By Fred Itua In every society that has dared to dream of greatness, education has always been its cornerstone: the sacred forge upon which the minds of children are tempered into citizens, innovators, leaders, and custodians of tomorrow. Yet, in Edo State, like most states in Nigeria, that forge had over time grown vulnerable to cracks: the mercantilist excesses of school systems preying on the wallets of parents; the shallow theatre of graduation carnivals for toddlers barely out of nappies; the endless merry-go-round of ever-changing textbooks designed to enrich publishers while impoverishing families; and the narrow definition of education as…
Former Jigawa State Governor and founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Sule Lamido, has sounded a stark warning that Nigeria’s democracy may be on the brink of collapse if internal party intrigues and attempts to shield powerful figures from accountability continue unchecked. In a strongly worded statement posted on his Facebook page, Lamido alleged that some PDP state chairmen were recently summoned by “powerful lords of Nigeria” and directed to resist disciplinary action against Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, and his loyalists. He described the move as a dangerous plot capable of hastening the PDP’s…
Prominent citizens at the weekend sounded the alarm that Nigeria is “bleeding to death in silence,” as killings and forced displacements reach levels comparable to global conflict zones. In a hard-hitting joint statement, the group — which includes former Aviation Minister Osita Chidoka, journalist Kadaria Ahmed, ex-Minister Nuruddeen Muhammad, business leader Tonye Cole, and other civic and political figures — said the scale of violence demands extraordinary action. Citing Amnesty International, they noted that 10,217 Nigerians have been killed in violent attacks over the past two years — nearly matching civilian deaths in Ukraine’s ongoing war. Benue State alone recorded…
A major drug trafficking syndicate operating at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) has been busted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), after its activities led to the wrongful detention of three Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. The syndicate, led by 55-year-old kingpin Mohammed Ali Abubakar, alias Bello Karama, had planted illicit drugs in bags secretly tagged to the names of the unsuspecting pilgrims who were travelling for lesser hajj earlier this month. The three victims — Mrs. Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mrs. Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Mr. Abdulhamid Saddiq are still in detention in Jeddah after Saudi authorities…
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja A coalition of Igala socio-cultural organizations has called on Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, to deploy drone technology in tackling the menace of bandits, kidnappers, and ritualists hiding in the state’s forests. The Igala Cultural and Development Association (ICDA) and Ukomu Igala Organization (UIO) made the appeal in a joint statement issued after an emergency meeting on Monday in Lokoja. Signed by Elder David Abuka and Col. Tijani Musa (rtd), the statement urged the governor to strengthen existing security operations by supporting the military with drones for aerial surveillance and ground operations. The coalition noted…
While many Nigerian youths feel trapped by unemployment and economic hardship, comedian Obinna Daniel Chibueze-Madu ESQ., popularly known as MC Medica, sees creativity as the escape route. The law graduate from the University of Benin, who was called to the Bar in 2016, chose comedy over legal practice, not as a defeat, but as a pathway to survival and impact. “Law gave me knowledge, but comedy gave me life,” he said through his media manager, Fidel Castro. “In today’s Nigeria, your skill is what keeps the lights on.” For Medica, comedy is more than entertainment; it is both livelihood and…
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kaduna State has firmly rejected former Governor Nasiru Ahmad El-Rufai’s claim that the party’s structure in the state has “collapsed” into the African Democratic Congress (ADC). In a statement released by Adamu Idris, Kaduna State SDP Chairman, the party said El-Rufai’s assertion, made on 23 August 2025 at a political gathering, is “misleading” and does not reflect reality. According to the party, only a handful of El-Rufai’s loyalists—who had temporarily joined the SDP during his short-lived involvement—left alongside him. “Nothing of the sort claimed by El-Rufai has happened,” the statement said. “The authentic SDP…