By Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko Reading about the recent mayoral by-election in Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, I was fascinated by the successful candidate’s description of her politics as “non-tribal.” Her remarks offer an important lesson for Nigeria as the country prepares for the 2027 general election. As widely reported by the British media, Labour Party candidate Bev Craig won the mayoral by-election to succeed Andy Burnham after he stepped down to contest the office of Prime Minister. Craig grew up in Greenisland, outside Belfast, Northern Ireland, before moving to Manchester to study Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester.…
Author: National Update
The controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) is heading for a decisive moment as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has completed its investigation, while the House of Representatives says it will this week unveil its findings before submitting a final report. The twin developments come nearly a month after President Bola Tinubu directed the anti-graft agency to unravel the circumstances surrounding the controversial council and determine whether it was legitimately established or fraudulently operated. Sources familiar with the investigation disclosed that the ICPC has concluded interrogations of key suspects, including the…
At least 1,932 people were killed across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states between April and June 2026, underscoring the persistent human toll of the Northeast conflict despite a significant decline in bomb and improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, a new United Nations report has revealed. The figures are contained in the 2026 Second Quarter Humanitarian Access Snapshot released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which assessed humanitarian conditions across the three insurgency-hit states. While the report recorded notable improvements in explosive-related violence, it warned that intensified military offensives against non-state armed groups triggered fresh…
The Senate on Monday threatened constitutional sanctions against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and several other government agencies after they failed to appear before the Senate Public Accounts Committee probing billions of naira in oil and gas revenues captured in the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) audit reports. The absence of the agencies brought the opening session of the high-profile investigation to an abrupt halt, prompting angry lawmakers to accuse them of undermining the National Assembly’s constitutional oversight powers and frustrating efforts to promote transparency…
The Kebbi State Police Command has insisted that no ransom was paid to secure the release of abducted High Court Judge, Justice Faruk Bunza, as security agencies intensify efforts to arrest those behind his abduction. The command confirmed on Monday that the judge regained his freedom after spending about a week in captivity following his abduction from his residence in Bunza Local Government Area. In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, said although the kidnappers demanded ransom during the period of captivity, the command maintained its policy against negotiating or paying criminals. He said police operatives,…
ActionAid Nigeria has challenged the Federal and State Governments to rethink how public funds are spent, arguing that Nigeria’s development crisis is driven less by a shortage of resources than by misplaced budget priorities. The organisation said governments must shift spending away from luxury, prestige projects and bloated official expenses toward investments that directly improve citizens’ lives, insisting that every naira should produce measurable social impact at a time millions of Nigerians are battling economic hardship. The position followed President Bola Tinubu’s recent call on governors to stop constructing unnecessary flyovers in areas without traffic congestion and instead focus on…
“Poverty does not create disbelief. But it creates the marketplace where faith can be bought and sold. When stomachs are empty, the loudest voice is not the most truthful — it is the one with bread”. BY GARKUWAN GASKIYA _ His Highness, the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has issued a warning that should keep every leader in Northern Nigeria awake at night. He said poverty in the region now poses a direct threat to the survival of Islam. His reasoning was blunt: poverty exposes people to religious manipulation and conversion. When people are hungry, he implied, faith becomes…
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has expressed concern over what he described as a disturbing pattern of controversial deaths across the country, calling for independent and transparent investigations to prevent a culture of impunity. Falana warned that the increasing number of high-profile deaths surrounded by unanswered questions risks eroding public confidence in Nigeria’s justice system if authorities fail to conduct credible investigations. In a statement on Monday, the senior lawyer urged the Inspector-General of Police to personally take over investigations into the death of Mary Habila, a young woman who died under controversial circumstances…
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday declined a request by the Department of State Services (DSS) to terminate the defence of African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, opting instead to grant him another opportunity to present his case despite allegations that his legal team had repeatedly delayed proceedings. The DSS had urged Justice Mohammed Umar to foreclose the defence after Sowore’s counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), sought an adjournment, citing delays by the court registry in processing documents required to examine a subpoenaed witness from the DSS. Prosecuting counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), argued that the latest request…
Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of embracing praise while vilifying critics, saying the government’s response to recent comments by Cardinal John Onaiyekan reflects an intolerance for dissent. In a statement on Monday, Dalung argued that the Presidency and its supporters applauded Pastor Enoch Adeboye when he defended the Tinubu administration on insecurity, but questioned the motives of Onaiyekan after the Catholic cleric voiced concerns over insecurity, poverty and governance. According to him, the contrasting reactions reveal a troubling pattern in which supportive voices are celebrated while critical opinions…