The Senate on Wednesday blocked a motion to investigate the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council after Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin ruled that lawmakers should await the outcome of the ongoing investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission. The decision came after a prolonged exchange between Barau, who presided over plenary, and Senator Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu (Kano South), who sought an inquiry into how the council, which the Presidency has publicly disowned, received over ₦1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act. Rising under Orders 9 and Rule 9(c) of the Senate Standing Orders, Kawu argued…
Author: National Update
The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to pay ₦10 million in damages to former Minister of Power, Dr. Olu Agunloye, for publishing what it described as a false and defamatory report linking him to a non-existent “$6 billion fraud.” In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, Justice Peter Kekemeke held that the anti-graft agency acted maliciously when it published on its official website and X (formerly Twitter) handle the headline: “EFCC Arraigns Agunloye Over $6 Billion Fraud.” The court ruled that the publication misrepresented the…
Senator Suleiman Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila has insisted that the Senate must launch its own investigation into the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), arguing that the National Assembly cannot abdicate its constitutional responsibility by relying solely on President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Speaking after the Senate declined to debate his motion on Tuesday, the Kano South lawmaker said the legislature owes Nigerians answers on how the controversial agency was captured in the national budget and whether public funds were released to it. According to him, the executive’s investigation cannot…
**Say ex-officers are dying in poverty after serving Nigeria A nationwide showdown is looming between retired police officers and the Federal Government as thousands of former personnel have concluded plans for a coordinated peaceful protest to pressure President Bola Tinubu to sign the bill removing the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). The retirees, operating under the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF), said the protest—codenamed “No Retreat, No Surrender”—would continue until the President assents to what they described as the Police Pension Total Exit Bill, arguing that the current pension system has condemned many ex-officers…
The Senate on Tuesday distanced itself from the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), declaring that it has no petition before it and therefore no basis to investigate or intervene in the dispute. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, said the controversy remains an executive matter until a formal complaint is brought before the National Assembly. Speaking with journalists after plenary, Adaramodu stressed that the Senate cannot act on media reports or allegations circulating in the public domain. “The Senate has no petition before it on the matter. The allegations…
The Obidient Movement has accused former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, of avoiding critical questions about President Bola Tinubu’s handling of insecurity and the economy by resorting to what it described as ethnic politics and fear-based rhetoric. In a statement issued on Monday, the movement faulted Sheriff’s remarks during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television, saying he failed to respond directly to concerns over worsening insecurity, rising inflation and economic hardship, opting instead to revive discussions about the Nigerian Civil War and launch attacks on Peter Obi. According to the group, the interview reflected what it described…
The President of the Senate, Godswill Obot Akpabio, on Tuesday challenged lawmakers to place Nigeria’s interest above partisan politics, intensify legislative efforts to address insecurity and deliver laws that directly improve the lives of citizens as the National Assembly resumed plenary after its recess. In a strongly worded address to senators, Akpabio said the country faces mounting security and economic challenges that require lawmakers to demonstrate courage, patriotism and unwavering commitment to national service. He reminded senators that although Parliament had been on recess, the demands of governance never ceased, noting that lawmakers remained actively engaged with their constituents while…
The Niger State House of Assembly has passed a vote of confidence on Governor Umar Mohammed Bago and the Niger State Pilgrims Welfare Board following what lawmakers described as a hitch-free and well-coordinated 2026 Hajj exercise. The resolution came after the House considered and adopted the report of its Standing Committee on Religious Affairs, which commended the state government and the board for ensuring the welfare of the state’s 2,281 pilgrims throughout the pilgrimage. The committee’s report, presented during Tuesday’s plenary by its Chairman and member representing Agaie Constituency, Hon. Muhammad Etsugaie, attributed the success of the exercise to Governor…
President Bola Tinubu has launched a sweeping crackdown on the alleged impersonation of the Presidency after the discovery of a fake presidential council that reportedly operated using forged government documents and false claims of presidential authority. The President has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the activities of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and submit its findings within 30 days. The directive, contained in a statement issued Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described the PFIPC as a fictitious organisation with no…
The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has launched a new digital TaxPortal aimed at simplifying tax payment, improving compliance and expanding the Territory’s revenue base through technology-driven tax administration. The Acting Executive Chairman of the FCT-IRS, Mr. Michael Ango, unveiled the platform on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ engagement with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Abuja, describing the initiative as a major step towards modernising tax administration in the nation’s capital. According to him, the TaxPortal provides taxpayers with a one-stop digital platform where they can register, file tax returns, make payments and access other tax-related services without…