***Says Azikiwe’s Ideals Offer Blueprint for National Renewal Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, has called on Nigerians to rekindle the spirit of patriotism, education, and public service as the driving force for inclusive growth and national renewal. She made the call on Friday in Abuja while receiving the delegation of the 6th Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe Annual Memorial Lecture and Award Committee, led by former Niger State Governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu. Dr. Uzoka-Anite said the ideals championed by Nigeria’s first President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, remain a moral compass for leadership and development. Director of information and public…
Author: National Update
***⁴Uzoka-Anite: “Trust and technology are expanding real access for Nigerians.” The Federal Government has restated its commitment to deepening financial inclusion through stronger digital identity systems, mobile-led innovation, and growth-friendly regulation that empowers everyday Nigerians. The Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, made this known at Semafor’s Next 3 Billion Tour, held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, on Thursday. The high-level dialogue — organised by Semafor in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — gathered policymakers, investors, and civil-society leaders to accelerate inclusion and connectivity across emerging economies. The Abuja event follows the New York edition…
With Nigeria’s new electoral umpire, Professor Joash Amupitan, stepping into an office clouded by distrust, rights advocate and former National Human Rights Commission Chairman, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, has issued a sobering warning: “Resist political capture — or risk losing the soul of INEC.” Speaking on Politics Today on Channels TV, Odinkalu described the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as “a territory ruled by political principalities,” cautioning that the new chairman must summon courage to reclaim the institution from entrenched political interests. “INEC is a very lonely place. Every major politician has a plant in the commission,” Odinkalu said. “Before the…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s latest military shake-up, describing it as “incomplete and politically tainted” for leaving out what it called the weakest link in Nigeria’s security chain — the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. In a fiery statement on Friday, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, accused President Tinubu of placing “ethnic loyalty above national interest” by retaining Egbetokun despite what the group termed “an alarming breakdown of internal security” across the country. “If anyone should have been shown the door immediately, it’s the Inspector-General of Police,” Onwubiko said. “Under his…
President Bola Tinubu has announced a major shake-up in Nigeria’s military leadership, signaling a renewed focus on strengthening national security and enhancing the professionalism of the Armed Forces. General Olufemi Oluyede takes over as Chief of Defence Staff, succeeding General Christopher Musa. Major-General W. Shaibu has been appointed Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke becomes Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral I. Abbas steps in as Chief of Naval Staff. Chief of Defence Intelligence Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye retains his post. The President expressed gratitude to the outgoing service chiefs for their dedicated service and leadership, while…
Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the North-West zone have rejected the reported endorsement of former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as the region’s consensus candidate for national chairman ahead of the party’s November national convention. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday night, the PDP National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, who spoke on behalf of the zone’s stakeholders, described the endorsement as unilateral and lacking legitimacy. On Wednesday, the Chairman of the PDP National Convention Organising Committee and Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, announced that Turaki had been adopted as the consensus choice…
Human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore was re-arrested by the Nigeria Police Force on Friday, shortly after securing bail from a Magistrate Court in Kuje, Abuja—a move that has reignited the debate over civil liberties in Nigeria. Sowore, alongside 13 others including Prince Emmanuel Kanu, brother of detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, had been granted bail for charges tied to the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest. Despite meeting all court conditions, eyewitnesses said police officers forcibly removed him from the court premises and transferred him to Kuje Correctional Centre without presenting a fresh remand order. Authorities claim Sowore faces a…
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has condemned the arrest and detention of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, describing the action as an attack on democracy and a sign of Nigeria’s regression into dictatorship. In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, Frank said Sowore’s arrest by the police was “unlawful, unjustifiable, and a dangerous affront to the constitutional rights of citizens.” “We strongly condemn this reckless act as an assault on democracy, freedom of speech, and the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.…
Nigeria’s new electoral umpire, Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), has indicated that his appointment as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is not by accident but a divine call to service — one he intends to fulfil by safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s elections. Speaking on Thursday at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, shortly after being sworn in by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the law professor struck a tone of humility and conviction. “I am here for a purpose. If I had a choice, perhaps I wouldn’t have come. But God is moving this country, and my coming…
HURIWA Urges Judiciary to Resist Political Manipulation, Endorses Turaki as PDP ChairmanThe Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has endorsed former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as the consensus candidate for the National Chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing him as a patriotic statesman whose integrity, experience, and loyalty position him to lead the party toward unity and national relevance. Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko National Coordinator, HURIWA on Thursday, hailed Turaki’s emergence as a beacon of hope for the PDP, which is striving to rebuild itself as a credible democratic alternative. The rights group noted…