Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has questioned the inclusion of ₦6.44 billion in the 2026 Federal Government budget for what was described as a “Special Presidential Support Group for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers,” despite Nigeria’s reported elimination from the qualification campaign months earlier. Dalung described the budgetary provision as one that raises serious concerns about accountability and transparency in the management of public funds, insisting that Nigerians deserve a clear explanation from the government. In a statement, the former minister said that having served as Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports, he was familiar with…
Author: National Update
A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Jigawa State and former member of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Musa Sule Dutse, has resigned from the ruling party, accusing its leadership of orchestrating a flawed reconciliation process designed to sideline certain aspirants. Sule, who represented Dutse State Constituency in the Jigawa State House of Assembly from 2015 to 2023, announced his resignation in a letter dated July 15, 2026, addressed to the APC Chairman of Kachi Ward in Dutse Local Government Area. In the letter, he said his decision to leave the party was informed by what…
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has seized on the lingering leadership controversy at the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) to launch a fresh attack on the Tinubu administration, arguing that the dispute reflects a deeper crisis of governance and administrative coordination. Atiku said the confusion surrounding the agency’s leadership has reinforced concerns about what he described as a pattern of policy inconsistencies, institutional disorder and weak governance under President Bola Tinubu, urging the President to reconsider any ambition to seek re-election in 2027. In a statement issued by his Senior Special…
An Abuja High Court has ordered the permanent forfeiture of assets worth more than N8.9 billion linked to businesswoman Aisha Achimugu, handing over the properties to the Federal Government. The ruling, delivered on Thursday by Justice Jude Onwugbuzie of the High Court in Apo, followed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking a final forfeiture order over the assets. Among the properties forfeited are jewellery valued at N4.645 billion, 11 luxury vehicles estimated at N4.293 billion, $50,000 in cash and N30 million in cash. The court held that the assets should be permanently relinquished to the…
A civil society organisation, Defence for Democracy (DFD), has intensified pressure on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to drop former Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, as its prospective governorship candidate in Enugu State, warning that his ongoing forgery trial could undermine the party’s chances in the 2027 election. The group urged the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) and influential party stakeholders, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to rally behind Chief Samson Chukwu Nnamani, whom it described as a credible alternative capable of retaining Enugu for the party. DFD’s renewed appeal follows…
President and Chief Executive Officer of BelemaOil Producing Nigeria Limited, Engr. Tein Jack-Rich, has been honoured at an event marking the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States, in recognition of his contributions to strengthening business partnerships involving American companies. According to a statement, the recognition was presented during an award ceremony held in Washington, D.C., as part of the US 250 celebrations. The event was reportedly organised by Eric Trump. The organisers said the award recognises international business partners whose investments and collaborations have contributed to the growth and expansion of the United States economy and its…
The close of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) candidate nomination portal for the 2027 general election has triggered fresh political disputes, with parties divided over compliance, legal battles, requests for extensions and accusations of misinformation. While the Accord Party appealed for additional time to conclude its internal disputes, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) rejected reports suggesting they failed to submit their presidential tickets before the deadline. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on its part, dismissed allegations that it was using the courts and INEC to weaken opposition parties. The expiration of the nomination window…
The Senate Public Accounts Committee has given the external auditors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) one week to provide a detailed explanation for over ₦210 trillion in unreconciled entries contained in the company’s audited financial statements, insisting that firms that certify public accounts must also defend them. The directive was issued on Wednesday after a heated session chaired by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, during which lawmakers rejected repeated attempts by the auditors to shift responsibility to NNPC Ltd. for explaining the figures. At the centre of the probe are ₦107 trillion recorded as receivables and ₦103 trillion…
The Labour Party (LP) has dismissed claims that it failed to submit the names of its presidential and vice-presidential candidates before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) closed its nomination portal, describing the reports as false and deliberately misleading. In a statement issued on Tuesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Eluma Asogwa, the LP insisted it complied fully with INEC’s nomination timetable, stressing that the names of its presidential, vice-presidential and National Assembly candidates were successfully uploaded within the stipulated deadline. According to the party, its presidential and vice-presidential candidates were uploaded on July 10, 2026—four days before…
Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, has criticised Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia over the worsening security crisis in the state, saying sympathy visits and cash donations to victims cannot substitute for decisive action to protect lives and communities. Moro, who represents Benue South Senatorial District, raised the matter on the floor of the Senate under Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders, describing the recent wave of killings in his constituency as an issue of urgent national importance. He said about 20 people, including children, were killed by armed attackers across several communities within 72 hours, insisting…