Akwa Ibom’s political landscape has been roiled in recent days by swirling rumors and unverified claims targeting Senate President Godswill Akpabio, sparked by his relative by marriage, Mrs. Patience Ibanga Akpabio. The allegations, sensational and damaging, threatened to overshadow even the former governor’s critics. But on Friday, a respected voice rose above the noise. Chief Nse Ntuen, who has known Akpabio for over five decades, stepped forward with a firm defense. “Let me be clear: Godswill Akpabio is not a killer. These stories are malicious, baseless, and reek of personal bitterness,” Ntuen declared. A former chairman of Essien Udim Local…
Author: National Update
At the just-concluded Ministerial–Legislative Retreat on Solid Minerals Development, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan issued a powerful caution that reverberated through the room: Nigeria must not allow its solid minerals sector to repeat the mistakes of the oil industry. The retreat, which brought together the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, alongside Senator Ekong Sampson, former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and other key policymakers, served as a rare platform for open dialogue between the executive and legislature on how to shape the nation’s next frontier of economic growth. For Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, the conversation went far…
By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse As part of activities marking the 2025 World Food Day, the Catalyzing Strengthened Policy for Healthy Diets and Resilience (CASCADE) project organized a vibrant food exhibition and cooking demonstration for women farmers in Jahun Local Government Area of Jigawa State. This year’s celebration, held on October 16 under the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future,” focused on promoting sustainable food systems and tackling hunger and malnutrition across communities. Speaking during the event, CASCADE’s Health and Nutrition Technical Officer, Gara Alheri, described World Food Day as a global reminder of the collective…
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja Vice Chancellor of Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, has tasked graduating students of the University to be good ambassadors of the institution as they go into the wider world to explore and exploit opportunities. Professor Akinwumi gave the charge at the 9th Convocation Ceremony of the institution held at its permanent site in Felele, Lokoja, on Saturday. The Vice Chancellor admonished the graduands to hold fast to the values learned from the institution as the world they are about step into is according to him, filled with challenges and limited opportunities. He urged them…
***Unveils model state electoral law ***warns parties against double candidacy By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja The Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) has unveiled a new draft of the State Independent Electoral Law, setting the stage for a legal framework that will guide the conduct of the 2026 local government elections in the state. Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Mamman Eri, presented the reviewed law to election stakeholders at a weekend meeting in Lokoja, saying the move was aimed at aligning the state’s electoral process with the provisions of the National Electoral Act, 2022. Eri explained that the Commission was guided…
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in the 2023 Kogi State election, Alhaji Yakubu Muritala Ajaka, has taken a swipe at former Governor Yahaya Bello, describing his recent political moves ahead of 2027 as “a tired charade designed to fool no one.” Ajaka, in a statement on Sunday, said Bello’s attempts to rebrand himself politically were “nothing more than a performance for relevance,” insisting that the people of Kogi have moved past “the era of deceit and intimidation.” “It is unfortunate that Yahaya Bello still thinks Kogites can be misled by his old tricks,” Ajaka said. “Our people are…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed deep concern over what it describes as a flagrant abuse of prosecutorial powers by the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), following reports that he directed a fresh reinvestigation into the Lekki land grabbing case currently pending before a competent court. HURIWA said the move represents a gross violation of due process and a direct affront to judicial independence, warning that it undermines the sanctity of the courts and erodes public confidence in the rule of law. The case in question, HURIWA explained, involves the…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly criticized the recent ruling by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which upheld the Nigerian Medical Association’s assessment that IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is fit to stand trial. Describing the judgment as a “judicial robbery” and an act of political persecution, the NationaHURIWA accused the Federal Government, via the Presidency and the Attorney-General’s Office, of orchestrating a campaign to destabilize the South East. HURIWA questioned the constitution of an NMA panel to assess Kanu’s health, arguing that no other politically exposed individual has faced such scrutiny…
The Coalition of Southern Groups (CSG) has condemned in the strongest terms planned protests calling for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), scheduled for October 20, 2025. In a statement issued on Friday, CSG National Coordinator Aare Oladotun Hassan described the protests as a “premeditated deceit and evil agenda” aimed at blackmailing the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government. The group aligned itself with the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), which had earlier voiced similar opposition. CSG accused activist Omoyele Sowore, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former presidential candidate Peter Obi,…
The Federal Government, state governments, and Local Government Councils (LGCs) shared a total of N2.103 trillion from the Federation Account for the month of September 2025, the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has announced. The distribution came from a gross revenue of N3.054 trillion, the FAAC said in a communique signed by the Accountant General of the Federation, Shamsudeen B. Ogunjimi. Under the allocation, the Federal Government received N711.314 billion, the States got N727.170 billion, while Local Government Councils received N529.954 billion. Oil-producing states also received N134.956 billion as derivation revenue, equivalent to 13 percent of mineral revenue. The committee…