***Interim Chair Nenadi Usman Says Judgment Restores Focus, Ends Leadership Distraction The Labour Party’s long-running leadership tussle may have reached its final bus stop as the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday threw out Julius Abure’s case against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), ruling that he is no longer the party’s National Chairman. In Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1523/2025, the court held it lacked jurisdiction and leaned heavily on the Supreme Court’s April 4, 2025 verdict (Appeal No. SC/CV/56/2025) that had already struck down all prior claims to Abure’s leadership. Reacting swiftly, Interim National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, PhD, declared the…
Author: National Update
The Labour Party’s festering leadership battle erupted anew after ousted national chairman Julius Abure secured an interlocutory order from a Nasarawa State High Court directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise his faction and upload its candidates for Saturday’s bye-elections. Justice Mustapha A. Ramat’s July 23, 2025 ruling in Suit No. NSD/LF.84/2024 handed Abure and ally Umar Farouk Ibrahim sweeping powers — including control of access codes for both the August 16 nationwide bye-elections and the February 2026 FCT council polls. The case resumes September 22 after INEC failed to appear in court. Senator Nenadi Usman’s interim leadership…
State Leaps from ₦27.5bn to ₦62.6bn, Fastest-Growing in Northern Nigeria By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, has been honoured with the 2025 Excellence Award on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) after steering the state’s local revenue from ₦27.5 billion in 2023 to an unprecedented ₦62.6 billion in 2024 — a leap of more than 200% in just two years. According to official reports, Jigawa posted the fastest IGR growth rate among the 19 Northern states and the FCT last year, outpacing states like Katsina, Niger, Bauchi, Kogi, and even Southern peers such as Osun, Ondo, Cross River,…
By: Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse The Civil Society and Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Christian Aid Nigeria have trained 50 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), women-led groups, and media practitioners in Jigawa State on budget education and transparency. The two-day capacity-building workshop, conducted through Prime Initiative under the Tax Justice and Governance Platform (TJ&GP), aimed to equip participants with the skills to present public demands and needs in state and local government budgets. Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of Prime Initiative, Comrade Muhammad Abdu Dutse, said the training was designed to help CSOs, women’s groups, and informal sector representatives analyze…
The Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, today hosted the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in Abuja for high-level talks aimed at driving trade-led growth, investment, and inclusive development. Director of Information and Public Relations, Mohammed Manga quoted Edun to have highlighted Nigeria’s recent macroeconomic gains; a stronger naira, easing inflation, and sovereign credit upgrades from Fitch and Moody’s as a platform for sustained expansion. He outlined an ambitious growth strategy anchored on export diversification, private-sector investment, and human capital development to deliver 7% GDP growth. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala…
By Umar Muhammed, Lafia The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has announced the relocation of the Nigerian Army’s Special Forces School from Buni Yadi, Yobe State, to the 4 Special Forces Command in Doma, Nasarawa State. Speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony of the new school on Friday, Oluyede said the move was a strategic step to provide an ideal environment for training Special Forces personnel with the skills and competences required for their unique missions. He explained that the relocation would ensure better preparation of troops to safeguard the nation’s territorial integrity in the face of…
***Commission Complies, Publishes Names for 12 States Despite Late Ruling The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed it will include Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidates in Saturday’s by-elections across 12 states, following a last-minute court order. In Suit No.FHC/ABJ/CS/1525/2025, the Federal High Court in Abuja directed the electoral body to list the SDP and its candidates for the polls. The party had initially been excluded after failing to submit a valid notice for the conduct of primaries — a process INEC said it could not monitor. INEC, while reserving its right to appeal, said it had “manually submitted” the…
***Launches ‘GO MERD’ Drive to Stop 2027 Rigging **Vows to Mobilise Millions, Deploy One Million Vote Defenders Nationwide The Obidient Movement has raised fresh concerns over the integrity of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, warning that there are “alleged positions” suggesting the polls might not even hold. n response, the movement has rolled out its most ambitious mobilisation drive yet, a nationwide operation to register millions of new voters, form disciplined voting blocs, and make election rigging “difficult, unattractive, and dangerous.” Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, National Coordinator of the movement, Tanko Yunusa, said the initiative, tagged “A New Nigeria is…
***Rallies Support Ahead of Saturday’s Crucial Bye-Elections National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prove that Nigeria can hold free, fair, and credible elections as the nation heads to the polls in 10 states this Saturday, August 16, 2025. In a goodwill message to ADC candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives, and State Houses of Assembly, the former Senate President declared that this weekend’s bye-elections are a test of INEC’s integrity. “All eyes are on the Commission,” Mark said pointedly. “A truly transparent exercise this weekend…
Abuja is set to play host to a wave of energy, colour, and camaraderie as the Scouts Association of Nigeria prepares for its annual jamboree, expected to draw 3,500 young scouts from across the country. Speaking at a world press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Chief Commissioner of the Scouts Association of Nigeria, Dr. Dave Paldopal Awuna, said the one-week event—scheduled for August 15–21, 2025—will welcome participants from all 36 states under the theme “Towards Peace and Unity.” According to Dr. Awuna, the jamboree aims to reignite national consciousness among Nigeria’s youth, promoting harmony across religious, cultural, and ethnic divides.…