The Labour Party (LP) has criticised its 2023 Lagos governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, for defecting to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), warning that his action reflects “political haste” at a time when patience and strategy are most needed. In a statement signed by Interim National Publicity Secretary, Prince Tony Akeni, the party said Nigeria’s democratic future rests not on defections but on forging a formidable coalition capable of breaking the grip of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027. “The path of wisdom chosen by our 2023 presidential flagbearer, Mr. Peter Obi, is clear—remain firmly with the Labour Party…
Author: National Update
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja A transport expert has warned that Nigeria risks sinking deeper into an endless cycle of road carnage unless urgent reforms are made to its transport policy and urban planning. Professor Musilimu Adeyinka Adetunji, delivering the 30th Inaugural Lecture of the Federal University Lokoja (FUL), said Nigeria’s obsession with automobiles and chaotic city planning is fuelling deaths, pollution, and economic waste. “Enough is enough. Nigerians cannot continue to live in perpetual mourning over recurring road crashes. The time has come to redesign our cities and rethink our transport system,” he declared. Citing World Health Organization figures, Adetunji…
By Umar Muhammed, Lafia In Nasarawa State a new era is unfolding — one that many have described as the Age of Renaissance. At the center of it is Governor Abdullahi Sule, whose leadership has earned him both national and international recognition as a model of good governance. Like his predecessor, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, hailed as the architect of modern Nasarawa, Sule is being celebrated as the engineer of continuity and innovation. His tenure has been marked by people-oriented policies, legacy projects spread across the state, and an unyielding commitment to peace and stability. Observers point to his transparency,…
Tension gripped commuters on the Okene–Lokoja federal highway on Saturday after armed men in military camouflage ambushed an 18-seater bus, killing a bystander and abducting three passengers. The attack, which occurred around 3:00 pm at Aku village in Adavi Local Government Area, saw the assailants open fire on the Toyota bus (Reg. No. Benue DAP 325 LG), forcing it to a halt. In a swift counterattack, operatives of the Kogi State Vigilante Service (KSVS) and six local hunters engaged the gunmen in a fierce shootout. While the kidnappers fled into the forest with three captives, the bus driver and three…
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse The Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE) has energized Jigawa State’s civil society and government actors with a renewed push to tackle climate change, strengthen governance, and boost social and economic resilience. Over 65 participants—including CSO leaders, government officials, traditional rulers, religious figures, and academics—completed a three-day intensive training at Pyramid ASSA Hotel in Kaduna. The workshop armed them with practical tools in coalition-building, conflict resolution, advocacy, data monitoring, and citizen engagement. PACE Jigawa Team Lead, Muiz Adeniran, said the initiative distilled 28 development challenges into two priority areas for collective action: “By equipping…
Nigeria’s Super Eagles snatched a crucial 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Uyo on Saturday to keep their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification hopes alive, thanks to a decisive second-half goal from Tolu Arokodare. Introduced after the break, Arokodare wasted no time, tucking home Ola Aina’s pinpoint delivery in the 51st minute to hand Nigeria the lead in a tense Group C clash at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium. Rwanda fought back fiercely, carving out chances and forcing goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali into a string of vital saves that kept the visitors at bay. Nigeria, meanwhile, looked dangerous on the counter, with…
***Says President Counterfeits What He Cannot Buy or Control Human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of deliberately creating a parallel version of the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, to advance his political interests. Farotimi, who is also the National Secretary of Afenifere, alleged in a series of posts on his verified X handle that the President has a “pattern of fabricating institutions whenever he cannot buy influence or secure legitimacy.” “Tinubu has his own specially created schools, his own bishops, and now his own iteration of Afenifere,” he wrote. “Everything Tinubu cannot purchase or…
***Says Europe’s Stability Tied to Africa’s Giant The European Union (EU) has declared Nigeria’s destiny inseparable from Africa’s rise and Europe’s stability, warning that the choices of today’s leaders and youth will echo far beyond the continent. Ambassador Gautier Mignot, Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, told a leadership conference in Abuja that “Nigeria is too big to fail, too strategic to ignore. If Nigeria rises, Africa rises. If Nigeria falters, the world feels it.” Describing Nigeria as Europe’s most trusted partner in Africa, Mignot revealed that the EU accounts for 26 percent of Nigeria’s foreign trade…
Nigeria’s fate will not be secured by oil or minerals but by a radical shift in national mindset, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has declared in a powerful call to action for the country’s leaders. Speaking at the National Leadership Conference 2025 in Abuja, UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. Elsie Attafuah, warned that unless Nigeria breaks free from “business as usual,” it risks squandering its vast human potential. “If the mind is trapped, the nation is trapped. If the mind is free, the nation soars,” she said, urging political, business and civic leaders to ignite a new culture of trust,…
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deepened in Cross River State, as stakeholders from the central senatorial district have openly rejected the influence of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, and endorsed Tim Ekawu as their candidate for the September 27 state congress. At a caucus meeting on Thursday, party leaders in the central zone declared their support for Ekawu, stressing that Wike, now a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has no authority to dictate the affairs of the PDP. The move comes a day after the southern senatorial district caucus also rallied…