Former Niger State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Jonathan Vatsa, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of betraying Nigerians, alleging that the party would be unable to win the 2027 general elections without rigging. Vatsa, who resigned from the APC last week after 13 years of membership, made the allegations on Tuesday while briefing journalists in Minna on the reasons for his departure. The former party chieftain described the APC-led administration as worse than military rule, arguing that the government had failed to deliver meaningful progress since taking power in 2015. He alleged that the party had…
Author: National Update
President Bola Tinubu has forwarded a bill to the Senate seeking to empower the Federal Government to enter into agreements with foreign countries for the transfer of convicted Nigerians to serve their sentences at home. The proposed legislation, the Transfer of Convicted Offenders Enactment and Enforcement Amendment Bill, 2026, seeks to amend the 2004 Act to create a legal framework for the transfer of convicted offenders between Nigeria and other countries under mutual agreements. The bill was contained in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio at Tuesday’s plenary. He referred it to the Senate Committee on Rules and…
President Bola Tinubu has asked the National Assembly to approve supplementary external borrowing of $20.52bn and €1.045bn for the 2026-2027 fiscal period, saying the money is needed to close Nigeria’s infrastructure funding gap. The request was read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Tuesday and referred to the Senate and House of Representatives committees on Local and Foreign Debts. Akpabio directed them to report back within one week, signalling a fast-tracked review. He said the request was not entirely new, as it had already been captured in the 2026 budget. In his letter, Tinubu said the facilities would…
The Senate has called for investigations into travel agencies suspected of involvement in human trafficking and for tougher regulation of tenants and short-let apartments. The resolutions followed a joint report by the committees on Diaspora and NGOs, Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Foreign Affairs, and Special Duties. The report dealt with the trafficking and abuse of Nigerians overseas, particularly in Libya. Presenting it, Senator Anthony Yaro, Vice Chairman of the Diaspora Committee, said the panels had consulted stakeholders and reviewed an earlier motion on trafficking in Libya. The Senate urged NAPTIP, the police, Immigration, the EFCC and other agencies…
The Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to empower the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria to award Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in clinical medicine, dentistry and related disciplines. The upper chamber also advanced proposed amendments to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) Act aimed at strengthening the agency’s institutional independence, operational autonomy and capacity to investigate transportation accidents. Both bills, sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, were considered during plenary at the National Assembly in Abuja on Tuesday. Leading debate on the medical college bill, Bamidele said the proposed legislation would expand the institution’s mandate…
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has demanded that the derivation fund for oil-producing states be raised from 13 to 50 per cent, and declared completion of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway non-negotiable. The demands were contained in a communiqué read by National Chairman Ambassador Godknows Igali after a Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee meeting held in Abuja and virtually on Tuesday. Board Chairman Obong Victor Attah and other South-South leaders attended. PANDEF said the 13 per cent minimum under Section 162(2) of the 1999 Constitution has not changed in over two decades. It urged the Federal Government, RMAFC…
The Director-General of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) National Campaign Council, Felix Hassan Hyat, has tasked party stakeholders on the need for grassroots mobilisation for Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election. Hyat gave the charge on Tuesday while receiving party stakeholders from Zone III, Kaduna South, at the APM Campaign Office in Abuja. His Senior Personal Assistant on Media Thompson Yamput quoted him to have called on Nigerians to support Makinde as a replacement for President Bola Tinubu. He argued that the country needed competent leadership to address worsening hunger, poverty and insecurity.…
Traders in Onitsha, Anambra State, have petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), demanding an investigation into alleged threats to their lives, the demolition of commercial buildings and a disputed takeover of shops at a market plaza. The traders, operating under the Association of Modebeb Traders, said a protracted dispute over property ownership and market leadership had subjected members to nearly two years of intimidation, disrupted businesses and raised fears for their safety. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Chief Okey Muojekwu, who represented the traders, alleged that some individuals involved in the dispute had exploited their claimed…
A civil society movement, Concerned Citizens for Nigerian Democracy (CCND), has warned that alleged political partisanship within electoral and security institutions could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections and plunge Nigeria into another political crisis. The group urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate allegations of political affiliations among some electoral personnel, while calling on the police to guarantee all political parties equal access to campaign venues. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, CCND co-convener, Barrister Kingdom Okere, said the survival of Nigeria’s democracy depended on the ability of institutions to conduct credible…
By Mohammed Manga, Public Policy Analyst In the old caravan routes that linked Kano to Timbuktu, the merchants had a rule the young ones learned early. They said: “Do not pay the singer to praise your goods; pay the weigher to weigh them truly.” For a praised bag may sell once, but a truly weighed bag brings the customer back for life. The elder merchants knew why. In a market where every stall shouts, the ear gets tired. But the hand that weighs honestly — that hand becomes the market itself. People may forget the song, but they never forget…