Former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Kanu Agabi, yesterday urged the immediate repatriation of billions of dollars allegedly stashed abroad, warning that the present generation would fail in its duty if Nigeria’s looted wealth remained outside the country. Agabi made the call while delivering the keynote address at the public presentation of Electronic Evidence, Second Edition (With Evidence Act, 2011) and A Compendium of Cases on Electronic Evidence (Volume II, 2020–2025), authored by retired High Court judge, Hon. Justice (Professor) Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye. The occasion also featured the launch of the Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye Educational…
Author: National Update
A bid by the member representing Yagba East/Yagba West/Mopa-Muro Federal Constituency of Kogi State, Leke Abejide, to nullify the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under former Senate President David Mark suffered a setback on Thursday as the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed his suit for lacking merit. Justice Musa Liman held that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter because it bordered on the internal affairs of a political party, which are generally not justiciable. The judge further ruled that Abejide lacked the legal standing to institute the suit, having failed to demonstrate how his legal…
Jibrin Isah Echocho has lost his bid to reclaim the All Progressives Congress senatorial ticket for Kogi East after the party concluded its review of appeals arising from its May primary elections. Echocho, who sought a third consecutive term in the Senate, challenged the outcome of the primary, alleging that the election result was written at the Kogi State Government House rather than reflecting the actual votes cast. Following the primaries, 25 serving APC senators who lost their tickets petitioned the party’s Appeal Committee, citing various irregularities. After reviewing the petitions, the committee reinstated the candidacies of about four senators,…
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has appointed actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo as his spokesperson, in a move aimed at strengthening his campaign’s communication strategy ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Okonkwo announced the appointment on Thursday via his official X account, expressing gratitude to Atiku for the confidence reposed in him despite their recent disagreement over the choice of the party’s vice-presidential candidate. “I give God all the glory to be appointed by His Excellency Atiku Abubakar as his spokesperson. I thank him for the immense confidence reposed in me,” he wrote. He described Atiku as a leader who embraces dialogue…
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revoked the operating licences of 46 microfinance banks across the country, citing persistent regulatory infractions and failure to meet minimum requirements for continued operation. The revocation, which takes immediate effect from July 1, 2026, was announced in a statement issued on Wednesday by the apex bank’s Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi-Ali. According to the CBN, the decision was taken in line with Sections 12 and 13 of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA), 2020, following the approval of CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso. The regulator said the affected institutions failed…
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, permission to present evidence of her recent acquittal by a United Kingdom court in her ongoing legal battle to recover assets previously forfeited to the Federal Government. The ruling followed an application filed by Diezani’s counsel, Godwin Iyinbor, seeking leave of court to introduce fresh evidence arising from the judgment of the Southwark Crown Court in London, which discharged and acquitted the former minister of criminal bribery allegations on June 17. At Wednesday’s proceedings, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission…
The Presidency has provided a detailed account of how one Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew allegedly operated a fictitious government agency, insisting that claims linking the Office of the Chief of Staff to his appointment are false and contradicted by ongoing criminal investigations. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Adeyemi had been falsely presenting himself as the Director-General of a non-existent Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, also referred to as the Presidential Economic Advisory Council. According to the Presidency, concerns about the activities of the purported agency first emerged…
Professor Festus Uwakhemen Asikhia, the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) candidate for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Senate seat, has unveiled an ambitious legislative blueprint aimed at ending governance ambiguities in the nation’s capital, tackling multiple taxation and strengthening democratic institutions, while cautioning against what he described as growing judicial encroachment into Nigeria’s political space. Speaking in Abuja, the academic and politician argued that despite hosting the seat of federal power, FCT residents remain among the most politically disadvantaged citizens in the country because of structural gaps in governance and accountability. According to him, the absence of a state governor and…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has triggered fresh political realignments ahead of the 2027 general election after removing six senatorial aspirants and 19 House of Representatives candidates from its final nomination list submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The sweeping changes, approved by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), followed the review of petitions and recommendations made by the APC Primary Election Appeal Committee, signaling the party’s determination to resolve disputes arising from its recently concluded primaries before the close of nominations. A letter transmitting the revised list to INEC, jointly signed by APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has intensified preparations for the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, with 3,763 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices set for deployment across all polling units in the state. Addressing journalists in Osogbo on Wednesday, the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Oluwatoyin Babalola, disclosed that the commission has also received 80 per cent of the non-sensitive materials required for the election. According to her, a total of 3,763 BVAS machines will be deployed to the state’s 3,763 polling units for voter accreditation, while an additional 664 devices have been earmarked as…