Vice Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has threatened legal action against Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, demanding a retraction and apology over alleged defamatory comments made against him. In a formal legal notice issued through his lawyers and made public by his media aide, Hon. Saifullahi Hassan, Kwankwaso warned that he would seek N10 billion in damages if the cleric fails to retract the statements within 24 hours. The letter, dated June 11, 2026, accused Primate Ayodele of making “false, malicious and defamatory” remarks during a public sermon that…
Author: National Update
The Senate on Tuesday formally welcomed four newly elected lawmakers into its ranks, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio charging them to make the Nigerian Constitution and Senate Standing Orders their daily guide as they begin their legislative journey in the Red Chamber. The lawmakers—Olaka Nwogu Johnson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing Rivers South-East, Francis Dayo Faduyile of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Ondo South, Asogwa Ikeje Israel (APC, Enugu North), and Halilu Danladi Envulu-Aza (APC, Nasarawa North)—were sworn in following their victories in the National Assembly bye-elections conducted last Saturday. Administering the oath of office and allegiance…
A carefully coordinated 24-hour legislative manoeuvre by the Senate leadership and the Presidency on Wednesday delivered the passage of President Bola Tinubu’s State Police Bill, fast-tracking one of the most consequential constitutional reforms in Nigeria’s democratic history. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, scaled First Reading, Second Reading, Committee of the Whole and Third Reading within a single legislative day, compressing what would ordinarily be an extended constitutional amendment process into less than 24 hours. The accelerated passage followed a combination of executive lobbying, behind-the-scenes consultations, a prolonged closed-door session and the deployment…
Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Luqman Bakare as its substantive Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, effective June 8, 2026, subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The appointment was disclosed in a notice to shareholders and members of the public by the bank, which stated that Bakare succeeds Mrs. Ngozi Chukwu, who had been serving as Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. According to the bank, Bakare brings more than 35 years of professional experience across the banking, manufacturing, and oil and gas sectors in Nigeria. Prior to…
The Peter Obi Media Office has pushed back against the Presidency’s response to the former presidential candidate’s call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider resigning over worsening economic conditions, insisting that the issue at stake is leadership accountability rather than politics. In a statement issued Tuesday and signed by its spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr, the office accused the Presidency of sidestepping the central concerns raised by Obi and focusing instead on constitutional arguments and political attacks. According to the statement, Obi’s comments were driven by concerns over rising poverty, economic hardship, insecurity, and what it described as the declining…
By Mati Ali The governorship primary election conducted by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Jigawa State remains one of the most transparent, peaceful, and democratically coordinated internal electoral exercises in the party’s recent history. Across the 27 local government areas of the state, party members participated in a process that culminated in the emergence of Senator Sabo Mohammed Nakudu as the ADC governorship candidate for the 2027 general election. From accreditation to voting, collation, and final declaration of results, the exercise was conducted under the supervision of party officials, security agencies, electoral monitors, and accredited stakeholders. The outcome was…
Nigeria’s legal system is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation, driven less by statute books alone and more by the disruptive force of technology. At the centre of this shift is the growing body of jurisprudence on electronic evidence — an area that continues to redefine how courts interpret truth in the digital age. Against this backdrop, the forthcoming scholarly engagement with the works of Justice (Prof.) Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye offers more than an academic event. It represents a timely interrogation of how Nigerian law is adapting to evidence that now lives on servers, smartphones, and digital networks rather than in…
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International Nigeria (TI-Nigeria) have expressed deep grief over the passing of Daily Independent Newspapers Group Business Editor, Sylvester Enoghase, describing his death as a significant loss to Nigeria’s media and accountability space. In a condolence statement, CISLAC Executive Director and Head of TI-Nigeria, Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said Enoghase was more than a journalist, noting that he was a principled professional committed to truth, ethical reporting, and public-interest journalism. Rafsanjani said the late journalist, who also served as Labour Editor of Daily Independent, distinguished himself through consistent and insightful coverage of…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally transmitted a constitutional amendment bill to the Senate seeking the establishment of state police, setting the stage for what could become one of the most significant security reforms since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule. The proposed legislation, read on the floor of the Senate by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Tuesday, aims to decentralise the country’s policing structure by allowing states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force. The move marks a major shift from Nigeria’s long-standing centralised policing system and follows years of debate over…
The outcome of the Ekiti State governorship election may have settled the contest for political office, but allegations of vote buying and concerns over voter participation have reignited debate about the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process. Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured a decisive victory, polling 319,224 votes to defeat his closest rivals across the state’s 16 local government areas. While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) described the election as largely peaceful and credited the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for improving accreditation, election observers and civil society groups raised concerns about…