In a dramatic political shift, all House of Representatives members from Delta State elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have officially defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, made the announcement during plenary on Tuesday, confirming the mass defection of the Delta PDP caucus. This development coming on the heels of a similar move by former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the incumbent Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who both announced their defection to the APC during a stakeholders’ meeting in Asaba. The wave of defections…
Author: National Update
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has hinted that the ruling party may offer a political lifeline to former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso—describing him as a “struggling fish in need of water”—amid growing signs of desertion from his political base. Speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting with the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Ata, at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, Ganduje implied that Kwankwaso could be absorbed into the APC for the sake of political survival and regional unity. “When a fish is running out of water,…
***Demands Educational Overhaul The dismal performance in the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has drawn sharp criticism from former presidential candidate Peter Obi, who has described the outcome as a national emergency requiring urgent intervention. Reacting to the result breakdown released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Obi warned that the mass failure reflects the systemic collapse of Nigeria’s education sector. Of the 1.9 million candidates who took the exam, only about 420,000 scored above 200 — a staggering 78% scored below average. “This is not just about bad results; it’s about a failed system,” Obi wrote…
As Nigeria battles fresh waves of insecurity, political distrust, and economic hardship, a new book is set to challenge the conscience of the nation. Being True to Myself, the deeply personal and politically charged memoir of Alhaji Sule Lamido, will be launched on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Abuja—bringing together some of the country’s most influential elder statesmen. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who wrote the foreword, will attend the launch as Special Guest of Honour. Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), will chair the event, while former Senate President and ex-PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, will review…
By Muhammed Ogwu Danjuma, Lafia Tragedy struck Agyaragu community in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Sunday as five children were confirmed dead after suffocating inside an abandoned vehicle. The children, aged between 6 and 10 years, were said to have entered the unserviceable vehicle parked in a residential compound, where they later died from lack of air circulation. Confirming the incident, the Publicity Secretary of the Migili Youth Association, Mr. Samuel Akala, said the community was thrown into deep grief when the lifeless bodies of the children were discovered around 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. According to Akala,…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has cautioned the Presidency against dismissing the honest economic critique offered by Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), describing the official response as petty, misleading, and out of touch with the harsh realities millions of Nigerians currently endure. HURIWA said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration appears to be living in denial over the deepening poverty ravaging the country, warning that politicising legitimate economic concerns is a dangerous path. “The truth is painful, but it must be acknowledged,” HURIWA stated. “Nigerians today are choking, starving, and dying from poverty-induced…
Nigeria’s Economic Management Team (EMT) has mapped out a bold path for accelerated and inclusive growth, as Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, declared that the country’s reform momentum is yielding concrete results. At a high-level EMT strategy session in Abuja, Edun highlighted early signs of macroeconomic stability, including stronger fiscal revenues, a narrowing budget deficit, and the recent international credit rating upgrade — a move he described as “a vote of confidence in Nigeria’s economic reforms.” “The data is encouraging. Our foreign reserves have risen to $23 billion, the exchange rate premium has dropped…
In a bold and transformative move that could redefine Nigeria’s economic future, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a sweeping ban on the importation of foreign goods that can be produced locally—signaling the beginning of a historic shift from dependency to self-reliance. Announced after Monday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, the directive is the cornerstone of a new policy dubbed the Renewed Hope Nigeria First Policy. At its heart lies one message: Nigeria will no longer outsource its growth. “This is not just a procurement policy—it’s an economic revolution,” declared Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation. “We are…
The Federal Ministry of Finance has strongly denied allegations that it awarded contracts amounting to N13 billion without due process, describing the claims as “false, malicious, and designed to distract from critical economic reforms.” The rebuttal followed an online publication not in the National Update, which alleged that the Ministry, under the leadership of Minister Wale Edun and Permanent Secretary Lydia Shehu Jafiya, approved multiple high-value contracts between February and June 2024 in violation of procurement laws. In an official statement issued on Sunday, the Ministry stated that all contracts within the specified timeframe—including those linked to the high-profile Presidential…
President of the Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio has allegedly withdrawn from the presidential panel set up to investigate sexual harassment allegations made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The development was revealed on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme hosted by Seun Okinbaloye. The panel, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, was constituted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to probe the claims brought forward by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central in the Senate. While no official reason has been given for Akpabio’s withdrawal, the move has sparked public speculation. Many observers saw the panel as an opportunity for transparency, as well…