The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has expressed reservations over the proposed implementation of State Police, urging lawmakers and the Federal Government to ensure adequate safeguards are in place before the reform takes effect. In a statement released on Friday, the coalition’s Acting National Chairman, Chief Peter Ameh, described the Senate’s passage of the constitutional amendment bill establishing State Police as a significant development in Nigeria’s security framework. However, he warned that the reform should not distract from the urgent need to strengthen the Nigeria Police Force. Ameh argued that successive governments have failed to adequately recruit, equip, and…
Author: National Update
A High Court sitting in Lokoja has affirmed the appointment and installation of Alhaji Mathew Opaluwa as Attah Igala, dismissing in its entirety a suit challenging his ascension to the revered throne of the Igala Kingdom. In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, Justice Etsu Muhammad Umar ruled that the appointment of Dr. Opaluwa by the Kogi State Government was consistent with the customs, traditions and established succession processes of the Igala people. The suit was instituted by Abdullahi Adejo Aliyu Obaje, who sought to invalidate Opaluwa’s emergence on the grounds that only direct biological sons of previous Attahs are qualified…
A closed-door meeting between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in Kano has fueled fresh speculation about evolving political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections. The meeting, which took place Thursday night during Obasanjo’s visit to Kano State, brought together two influential political figures whose roles could prove significant in shaping the emerging opposition landscape. Although neither side disclosed the details of their discussions, political observers view the engagement as part of a growing wave of consultations among key actors ahead of the next electoral cycle. Kwankwaso’s media aide, Saifullahi Hassan, confirmed the meeting in a…
A Federal High Court in Lokoja has nullified the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reverse all actions taken pursuant to an earlier judgment that recognized the party. The ruling, delivered on Friday, set aside the court’s previous judgment in Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025, which had directed INEC to register the NDC as a political party. With the latest decision, the court effectively returned the NDC to its pre-registration status, meaning the party currently lacks legal recognition and cannot participate in electoral activities as a registered political party. The case arose from…
The Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has endorsed the creation of State Police as a necessary component of Nigeria’s security reform agenda but has cautioned against its implementation before the conclusion of the 2027 general elections. Reacting to the recent passage of the State Police Bill by the Senate, Obi described the development as a historic and potentially transformative step toward addressing the growing inadequacies of Nigeria’s highly centralised policing structure. According to him, the increasing complexity of security threats across the federation—including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, violent crime and…
The legal battle over the deregistration of five political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), suffered a slight delay on Thursday as the Court of Appeal in Abuja adjourned hearing in the matter until July 7, 2026. The appellate court shifted the hearing after lawyers involved in the case requested additional time to file and exchange their briefs of argument following the recent transmission of the record of proceedings and judgment from the Federal High Court. At the resumed sitting, counsel to the Accord Party, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), informed the three-member panel that certified records of the lower court’s…
A member of the House of Representatives, Amobi Godwin Ogah, has been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja following an order of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court over allegations of criminal defamation and false declaration. Justice Yusuf Halilu ordered the lawmaker’s remand after he was arrested and brought before the court in connection with an ongoing criminal case filed by the Federal Government. According to a warrant of commitment dated June 24, 2026, Ogah, who represents Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State, will remain in custody pending further proceedings in the matter, which is scheduled to…
The Labour Party has described the Senate’s passage of the State Police Bill as a major milestone in Nigeria’s quest to overhaul its security framework, urging state governments to support what it called a long-overdue reform aimed at bringing policing closer to the people. The party said the proposed legislation offers an opportunity to address longstanding weaknesses in the country’s centralized security structure, which many observers blame for the slow response to rising cases of banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes and other security threats across the country. In a statement issued on Thursday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Eluma Asogwa,…
Senator Representing Osun East, Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi has launched a sweeping attack on Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration, accusing it of incompetence, poor management of Osun State’s resources, and failure to address insecurity ahead of the August 15 governorship election. Speaking in Abuja, the Osun East lawmaker said the state was blessed with abundant mineral resources but had failed to benefit from them because of weak leadership and unchecked illegal mining. “Apart from oil, Osun is still one of the richest states in terms of mineral resources. But excessive illegal mining is being encouraged by the leadership’s incapability to harness the…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended an electoral officer allegedly linked to the recent unauthorised disclosure of voter information, as investigations by security agencies and data protection regulators continue. The development was disclosed on Thursday by Mohammed Haruna, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, during a fireside chat on the recently concluded Ekiti governorship election organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) in Abuja. The controversy emerged after voter registration details belonging to actor and politician Emeka Ike surfaced online during a dispute arising from a political party…