For many rural families in Kogi State, the promise of a good education runs into an empty classroom. That is the picture painted by journalist and publisher Prince Bolarin Friday Ogungbemi in an open letter to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo. He said public primary and secondary schools are “grossly understaffed” and urgently need teachers. Ogungbemi claimed the last recruitment in the state’s primary schools was in 2010. Since then, he said, retirements and other natural exits have steadily drained the system. Nothing has replaced the teachers who left. He asked rhetorically what the government can offer a rural parent who…
Author: National Update
The Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said Governor Hope Uzodimma remains its candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District election, despite a Federal High Court judgment ordering him to stop presenting himself as the party’s candidate. In a statement dated October 29, 2026, State Publicity Secretary Onwuasoanya FCC Jones, said the party was aware of “unverified reports” circulating on social media and being shared by “renowned opposition figures” about a purported change in its candidate. “His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, remains the candidate of our Party for Imo West Senatorial District, having won the…
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma to stop presenting himself as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Imo West Senatorial District election, scheduled for January 16, 2027. Justice Obiora Egwuatu gave the order in a judgment holding that Uzodimma did not win the APC primary of May 18, 2026, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored. The judge held that the evidence before the court showed former Imo governor Rochas Okorocha secured the majority of the votes cast at the primary. He ruled that Okorocha should be recognised and published…
Former Niger State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Hon Jonathan Vatsa has joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), barely two weeks after resigning from the All Progressives Congress (APC). Vatsa, a former state publicity secretary of the APC, was received on Wednesday at his Gulu Anguwan-Gulu Vatsa ward in Lapai Local Government Area. Ward Chairman Adamu Mohammed Baba issued him a membership card. The move ends speculation over his next step after he quit the ruling party, accusing it of betraying Nigerians’ trust. More than 200 supporters from the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defected with him.…
The defendant pleaded not guilty to 22 charges of alleged forgery, impersonation and fraud as the court fixed November 9 for trial. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has re-arraigned Adeniyi Adeyemi, who allegedly posed as Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, over a 22-count charge involving alleged forgery, impersonation and fraud linked to a purported ₦30.8bn government funding request. Adeyemi appeared before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The prosecution alleged that he used forged government documents to present the…
BY: Mohammed Manga, Public Policy Analyst In the old granaries of Sokoto, the keeper does not open the door at the first knock. When harmattan presses and neighbours gather with empty bowls, he listens, he measures, he remembers who borrowed last planting and returned seed with thanks. The young men urge him to pour. The old keeper smiles and says, “Hunger that comes today was planted many seasons ago. The grain we give today must also plant tomorrow, otherwise we will gather here again, and again.” So he gives, but while giving, he separates — a portion for pot, a…
The National Assembly has set December 2026 as its deadline to finish the remaining legislative steps toward establishing state police, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has said. Bamidele announced the timeline on Thursday after at least 30 State Houses of Assembly approved the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, 2026. He said that satisfies the constitutional threshold for amending the 1999 Constitution. He spoke to participants of Senior Executive Course 48 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Plateau State. “State police have moved from rhetoric to reality,” said Bamidele, who is also Vice Chairman of the…
***Demands Probe of alleged billions paid for ministerial appointments The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has demanded an independent investigation into allegations that some ministers paid billions of naira to secure appointments This is coming against the background of controversial remarks by Alwan Hassan, a spokesperson for the APC Presidential Campaign Council. The council also called on President Bola Tinubu, anti-corruption agencies and the National Assembly to establish the facts behind Hassan’s comments It warns that any evidence of payments for public appointments would raise serious questions about accountability and the integrity of government institutions. Speaking on Arise…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded an independent investigation into suspected artificial intelligence-generated photographs in the preliminary voters’ register, warning that unresolved irregularities could undermine confidence in the 2027 general elections. In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the group challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to explain how the photographs entered the database, who was responsible for the disputed registrations and whether the individuals involved collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). HURIWA urged INEC to trace the records, establish whether the anomalies resulted from technical…
By Hosea Parah, Abuja The Federal Government has honoured the Executive Chairman of Miden Systems Limited, Dr. Brendan Innocent Usoro, with the Excellence in Corporate Governance and Business Integrity Award for his commitment to ethical leadership, transparency and responsible business practices. Usoro received the award on Wednesday at the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) National Summit on Curbing Fake News and Misinformation in the Nigerian Media Space, held at NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja. The summit brought together media practitioners, government officials, corporate executives and other stakeholders to discuss strategies for combating misinformation and promoting responsible journalism. Speaking at the event, Usoro…