Says repeated fires, demolitions threaten unity, livelihoods, and investor confidence The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed deep concern over what it described as a disturbing pattern of fires and demolition exercises affecting markets and commercial hubs largely populated by Igbo traders in Lagos, warning that the trend risks fanning ethnic tension and undermining national stability. The rights group’s statement came in the wake of Tuesday’s inferno at the Alaba International Market, Ojo, which destroyed shops and warehouses containing goods worth billions of naira. The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service confirmed its personnel were on the…
Author: National Update
BY: Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko “Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it a hundred times.” – Mark Twain with a hard truth on addiction recovery. “Addiction is just a way of trying to get at something else. Something bigger. Call it transcendence if you want, but it’s a rat in a maze. We all want the same thing. We all have this hole. The thing you want offers relief, but it’s a trap.” – Tess Callahan with one of our favorite drug addiction recovery quotes.” Even with unexpected encumbrances and the vicissitudes of undulating politics in contemporary Nigeria, the nation’s counter…
**Senate receives president’s request for confirmation ***Screening slated after Lagos retreat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated Dr. Bernard Mohammed Doro from Plateau State as a minister to replace Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, who recently vacated his seat in the Federal Executive Council following his emergence as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The president’s request for Senate confirmation was conveyed in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Wednesday. In the letter, Tinubu cited Section 147(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the president to appoint ministers subject to Senate approval. “In…
As Nigeria Tilts Toward One-Party Rule Amid Mass Defections Nigeria’s political landscape may be on the brink of a seismic realignment as top political heavyweights — former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi — are reportedly considering a return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if Sule Lamido, the former Jigawa State Governor, emerges as the party’s national chairman. The development comes at a time when Nigeria’s multi-party democracy appears increasingly fragile, with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) tightening its grip through a wave of defections by PDP governors, lawmakers, and…
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, has dismissed recent allegations of payroll irregularities, insisting that the current management under Rector, Prof. Salisu Ogbo Usman, did not perpetrate any fraud but rather uncovered and reported a payroll scam that dates back to 2014 — six years before the present administration assumed office. In a statement signed by Uredo Omale, Director of Public Relations and Protocol, the institution described the reports circulating in some online platforms as misleading and unfair, stressing that they misrepresented the facts already established before the Kogi State House of Assembly. “The issue began in 2014…
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja Kogi State lawmakers have raised the alarm over the worsening state of the Lokoja–Koton Karfe–Abuja highway, describing it as a “national lifeline in ruins” and urging the Federal Government to immediately remobilize contractors to site before more lives are lost. The call, made through a resolution of the Kogi State House of Assembly, reflects growing frustration across communities and motorists who ply the corridor daily. The road, a major gateway linking the North and South, has suffered years of abandonment despite its strategic importance to trade, security, and national mobility. Leading the charge, Hon. Idrees Aliyu…
***Issues Formal Notice of Election By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja The Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) has announced that local government council elections across the 21 local government areas of the state will hold on Saturday, October 17, 2026. The Chairman of the Commission, Hon. Mamman Nda Eri, made the announcement on Wednesday in Lokoja during a stakeholders’ meeting with political parties, civil society groups, and members of the Commission. Eri said the decision was in line with constitutional provisions and the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the publication of a Notice of Election not later than 360 days before…
Niger Insecurity: Bago Rules Out Negotiation, Urges Citizens to Defend ThemselvesNiger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has ruled out any form of negotiation or ransom payment to bandits terrorising communities across the state, declaring that his administration will confront the worsening insecurity head-on. The governor, who spoke during a condolence visit to Rijau and Magama local government areas following recent deadly attacks, said engaging bandits or paying ransom would only embolden them and turn kidnapping into a lucrative enterprise. “I will not negotiate with bandits. I will not pay ransom,” Bago vowed. “The moment we start paying, they will open…
***Reaffirms Backing for George Moghalu The Obidient Movement has dismissed as false and misleading reports claiming it has endorsed Governor Chukwuma Soludo for a second term in office, reaffirming its unwavering support for Mr. George Moghalu ahead of the 2025 Anambra governorship election. In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Dr. Yunusa Tanko, the Movement’s National Coordinator, the group described the purported endorsement as “fraudulent, unauthorized, and a calculated attempt to mislead the public.” “The Obidient Movement has not endorsed, authorized, or supported any candidate other than Mr. George Moghalu, who was earlier endorsed by His Excellency Peter…
The Federal High Court in Abuja will on October 31, 2025, deliver judgment in a suit seeking to halt the planned National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over alleged breaches of the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act. Justice James Omotosho fixed the date on Tuesday after hearing final arguments from lawyers representing both the plaintiffs and the defendants. The suit was filed by three senior PDP officials — Hon. Austin Nwachukwu (Imo Chairman), Hon. Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia Chairman), and Turnah Alabh George (South-South Secretary) — who are challenging the legality of the party’s forthcoming convention slated…