A brewing legislative rift escalated on Wednesday as members of the House of Representatives openly criticized the Senate for failing to act on 146 bills transmitted for concurrence, some of which have lingered without attention since 2024. During plenary presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, lawmakers took the unprecedented step of stepping down two Senate-sponsored bills in protest—sending a clear signal of frustration over what they describe as legislative non-reciprocity. The tension flared when Minority Leader Hon. Kingsley Chinda was called to second a Senate bill seeking to amend the Federal Orthopaedic Hospital Management Act to establish a new hospital…
Author: National Update
***Slams Tinubu’s Vanity Tour to St. Lucia Elder statesman and founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Sule Lamido, has reaffirmed his loyalty to the party he helped build, vowing to fight internal saboteurs and collaborate with a broad coalition to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—all without defecting. In a fiery interview in Abuja, the former Foreign Affairs Minister declared: “The PDP is sick, but I will not leave it. I will stay and fight. If we all run, the vultures will inherit the carcass.” He also launched a blistering critique of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent visit…
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse In a bold move to reinforce hygiene and public health standards, the Jigawa State Government has revived the traditional house-to-house health inspection system, locally known as “Dubata Gari,” as part of renewed efforts to sustain its Open Defecation Free (ODF) status. Announcing the initiative in Dutse during the launch of a two-day orientation workshop for environmental health workers, the Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Nura Ibrahim Kazaure, said the inspections will serve as a practical tool to monitor household sanitation and ensure the use of toilets. The training, organised by the Jigawa State Environmental…
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse The Executive Chairman of the Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Professor Haruna Musa, has ordered the suspension of four Local Government Education Secretaries over their alleged complicity in shielding absentee teachers. The sweeping disciplinary move is to restore accountability in Jigawa’s basic education system, The affected officials are from Kirikasamma, Auyo, Miga, and Maigatari Local Government Areas. Alongside their suspension, the salaries of 239 teachers have also been withheld pending further investigation. Speaking to journalists in Dutse, Professor Musa said the decision followed numerous complaints from concerned parents and guardians about teachers who had…
By Muhammed Danjuma Ogwu, Lafia The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nasarawa State, Dr. Aliyu Bello, has dismissed his purported suspension by the APC executive in Gayam Ward, Lafia Local Government Area, declaring that he remains the legitimate and authentic state chairman of the party. Speaking during a telephone interview with our correspondent on Wednesday in Lafia, Dr. Bello described the action by the ward-level executives as unconstitutional, null, and void. He insisted that only the state executive committee — the highest decision-making organ of the party in the state — has the authority to remove or…
Former Senate President David Mark has formally resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing the party’s deep internal crisis and failure to uphold the values on which it was founded. The resignation, submitted to the PDP national secretariat on Monday, marks the end of a political era. Mark, one of the founding members of the party and a respected elder statesman, said the PDP no longer reflects the principles of unity, discipline, and national interest that once defined it. “The soul of the PDP is lost. What remains is a shell weakened by infighting, self-interest, and absence of leadership,”…
Top leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have begun rallying support for a broad-based opposition coalition aimed at unseating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general election. Led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, and ex-Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, the PDP stalwarts held a high-level meeting in Abuja on Tuesday to fine-tune plans for the coalition and mobilize party members nationwide. In a communiqué signed by David Mark, the leaders urged all “well-meaning PDP members and patriotic Nigerians” to join the coalition, emphasizing that the alliance would be built on unity, security,…
Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, on Monday made a bold case for global financial reform and stronger international cooperation, as he represented the country at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Sevilla, Spain. Speaking at a high-level roundtable on domestic public resource mobilization, Edun spotlighted Nigeria’s sweeping economic reforms, stressing the need for a rebalanced global finance system that reflects the challenges and aspirations of developing nations. Director of Information and Public Relations, Mohammed Manga in a statement, quoted the Minister thus, “In today’s evolving global landscape, self-reliance…
By Ahmed Rufa’i | Dutse The Federal University Dutse (FUD) in Jigawa State has grown exponentially in its 13 years of existence, increasing its academic programmes from just five at inception in 2011/2012 to 45 programmes by 2025. Vice Chancellor Professor Abdulkarim Sabo Muhammad made this known on Tuesday during a pre-convocation press briefing held at the university’s Senate Building. He also announced that the combined 8th and 9th Convocation Ceremony will take place on July 5, 2025, with a total of 4,277 graduates set to receive degrees. “Student enrollment has surged from 202 in our maiden session to over…
By Friday Idachaba | Lokoja Kogi State has been ranked the 5th lowest in domestic debt among Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), according to the latest report released by the Debt Management Office (DMO) as of March 31, 2025. The milestone reflects a sharp and commendable drop in the state’s debt burden—from ₦121.81 billion in Q4 2023 to ₦20.38 billion—a reduction of over ₦101 billion in just one fiscal quarter. State Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiwaju Asiru Idris, who disclosed this in Lokoja on Tuesday, said the achievement is a direct outcome of…