Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has issued a blunt challenge to President Bola Tinubu — use the full powers of the state to end insecurity or resign. Speaking at the 2025 National Electoral Reform Summit in Abuja, Adebayo accused the government of hiding behind insecurity to loot public funds while citizens continue to die needlessly. “To that problem,” he declared, “President Tinubu can either use the bullets to kill the terrorists or use the pen to resign.” According to him, Nigeria’s security failures stem not from military weakness but from political corruption and…
Author: National Update
Former Education Minister and #BringBackOurGirls co-convener, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has issued a sharp rebuke of Nigeria’s electoral and judicial systems, lamenting that the nation’s democracy has degenerated into “a battle of court judgments instead of the will of the people.” Speaking at the National Electoral Reform Summit 2025 in Abuja, Ezekwesili said Nigeria’s democracy is in “moral and institutional crisis” and can only be saved through sweeping reforms that restore independence, credibility, and public trust in the electoral process. “Our democracy has been distorted into what I call courtroom democracy — where elections are increasingly decided in courts rather than…
***Says Those Who Killed Buhari’s Electoral Reform Now Cry for Change Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has urged Nigerians to stop waiting for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) or the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to fight for electoral reform, insisting that both institutions “no longer exist in the way they used to.” Speaking at the National Electoral Reform Summit in Abuja, Amaechi said only citizens’ sustained pressure and participation can compel politicians to deliver genuine reform. “Will government give you reform? No. Don’t wait for NLC or NANS — they no longer…
***As NUJ Honours Him Governor of the Year on Agriculture Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State says his administration is on a mission to turn farming into enterprise, a driver of jobs, wealth, and industrial growth. This is just as the state pushes toward becoming Nigeria’s new model for agricultural transformation. The governor spoke in Dutse after receiving the Governor of the Year Award on Agriculture and being decorated as Grand Patron of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Jigawa Council. His chief Press secretary, Hamisu Muhammed Gumel, in a statement indicated that the award was presented by NUJ’s national…
Nigeria’s digital and technology stakeholders have endorsed the proposed National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill 2025, hailing it as a major step toward a robust legal framework for digital governance, innovation, and socio-economic growth. Speaking at a Public Hearing convened by the Joint Senate and House Committees on ICT, Cybersecurity, Digital and Information Technology, stakeholders emphasized the need to clearly define institutional roles to prevent overlaps and regulatory conflicts. Barrister Yunus AbdulSalam (SAN), Legal Adviser for the Network of Advocates for Digital Reporting (NADIR), praised the Bill for modernizing Nigeria’s digital governance and regulating emerging technologies. He, however, cautioned that…
For the second time, a Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from holding its 2025 National Convention, scheduled for November 15–16 in Ibadan, Oyo State. The court also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from supervising, monitoring, or recognizing the outcome of the convention. Justice Peter Odo Lifu, ruling on an application by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, said the restriction was necessary because the PDP failed to comply with relevant laws for conducting the convention. Lamido, a founding member of the party, had claimed he was denied the opportunity to purchase…
By Janet Sam The Christian Care for Widows, Widowers, Orphans and the Aged (CCWA) has called on government agencies, corporate organizations, embassies, and well-meaning individuals to support its 2025 Annual Convention and Exhibition, scheduled for Saturday, November 15, 2025, at the Women Development Centre, Abuja. Founded 33 years ago by Professor Deborah Ajakaiye, CCWA has impacted thousands of lives across Nigeria through skill empowerment, education, healthcare, and emotional support. After a seven-year hiatus due to insecurity and funding challenges, this year’s convention, themed “Embracing the Forgotten,” aims to reunite and celebrate over 125,000 widows and orphans under the organisation’s care.…
The Pentagon has received contingency plans for potential air operations in Nigeria — from intelligence support to carrier-based strikes — after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the Defense Department to “prepare to intervene” to protect Christians there, The New York Times reports. The options, provided by U.S. Africa Command at the request of Defense officials, outline three levels of involvement — “light,” “medium” and “heavy” — each spelling out progressively deeper U.S. military action on Nigerian soil and in the surrounding region. Under the most robust “heavy” option, planners describe deploying a carrier strike group to the Gulf of Guinea…
In a political move set to reshape Kogi State’s landscape, all opposition leaders from Imane District, Olamaboro LGA, have formally rejoined the All Progressives Congress (APC), signaling a new chapter of unity and collaboration. The grand event, which took place on Sunday, was hosted by Hon. Ogwu Alhassan, Zonal Chairman of APC for Kogi East, who received the decampees on behalf of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo. He described the return of the leaders as a milestone for both democracy and the APC’s growth in the state and nation. “The APC has come to stay,” Alhassan said. “All returning members will…
By Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko Around the 22nd of January 2022, Mr. Earl Timothy, a thinker penned a piece on the redefination of Leadership vis-a-vis analysing leadership values from the perspective of the new normal and then he posed a significant question thus: what is the new leadership approach? This profoundly excellent thinker then gave the following views: “Over the past months, a new leadership style has begun to appear. This new practice to leadership reflects the uncertainty of the pandemic epoch, and it comes with two elements that seem conflicting but bring them all together. First is the capability to…