The Presidency has challenged former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to explain how he would fund his proposed fuel subsidy plan if elected president in 2027. The government said any decision to restore petrol subsidy must clearly state its cost, funding source and legal basis. Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the position known in a statement on Friday. Onanuga said Atiku had the right to propose a different economic policy but argued that Nigerians must know the full implications of returning to fuel subsidy. He said the previous subsidy system placed a heavy…
Author: National Update
Police in Kaduna State have rescued 75 people kidnapped by suspected bandits in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area. The victims, including men, women and children, were travelling in commercial buses when they were attacked at Folwaya Village on Wednesday. Police spokesman, Mansir Hassan, said the command received information about the incident from the local branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers. He said the suspected kidnappers took the victims into a forest and hid them in a cave in a mountainous area. According to Hassan, police operatives moved to the area after receiving the report. He said the…
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his comments on the former vice president’s plan to review the removal of fuel subsidy. Tinubu had described Atiku’s proposal to restore fuel subsidy as a sign of “serious ignorance” of governance and the economy. The President made the remark on Thursday while receiving Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Reacting through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of worsening the economic hardship faced by Nigerians. Shaibu said the removal of fuel subsidy, combined with exchange-rate…
Senator Saliu Mustapha, representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with immediate effect. Mustapha, who is also Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development, announced his resignation in a letter dated August 14, 2026, addressed to the APC Ward Chairman of Gambari Ward 1, Ilorin East Local Government Area. The senator said his decision followed careful reflection and consultations with his constituents and other stakeholders. Mustapha, a founding member of the APC, said he joined the party because of its commitment to good governance, unity and service…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November 2026 as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections. The exercise will test the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other electoral equipment, while helping the commission identify and fix possible problems before the elections. INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Friday when a delegation from the Canadian High Commission, led by Chargé d’Affaires David Sproule, visited the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. Amupitan said the mock exercise was one of five major priorities adopted by the commission ahead of the 2027 polls. He…
Indigenes of Ikangba, Imodi, Imosan and Agoro communities in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State have appealed to the state government to intervene in a prolonged dispute over land ownership. The communities made the call on Friday during a press conference at the residence of the Baale of Ikangba. They urged the government to examine the different court judgments and documents being presented by parties and establish the rightful ownership of the disputed land. The communities also called on the police, DSS and the state Anti-Land Grabbing Task Force to investigate allegations of threats, harassment and destruction of property…
The National Chairman of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has predicted that President Bola Tinubu will lose the 2027 presidential election if the poll is free and fair. Baba-Ahmed made the claim while speaking on a television programme, saying Nigerians who are unhappy with the government should be allowed to express their views through the ballot. “If it is a credible, free and fair election, I assure you Tinubu will lose,” he said. He argued that the opposition does not necessarily need a formal coalition to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Baba-Ahmed cited the recent Osun…
Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has said his interest in the presidency is driven by the need to tackle Nigeria’s major national problems, especially insecurity and poverty. Adebayo said he was not seeking political office for personal wealth, recognition or career advancement. He argued that some of Nigeria’s biggest challenges can only be effectively addressed by the Federal Government because they require the use of national institutions and resources. The SDP candidate said a state governor could not, on his own, reorganise the armed forces or coordinate security operations across different parts of the country.…
The Registrar of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, has been elected Vice-President of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA). The development came as Nigeria secured the right to host the 2027 AEAA Conference in Abuja from August 16 to 20, 2027. According to a statement by NECO’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Azeez Sani, the decisions were taken at the 42nd General Assembly Conference of the AEAA in Arusha, Tanzania. Sani said Wushishi’s election followed his service on the AEAA Executive Council as representative of the West African sub-region. He said the election…
Presidential aspirant of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Arc. Dr. Peter Agada, has drawn a line on the growing calls for political alliances ahead of the 2027 general elections. Agada, a former Labour Party presidential aspirant, said he would not support a coalition whose only purpose was to remove an incumbent government and take over power. He said any alliance seeking his support must first present a clear programme for solving Nigeria’s economic and social problems. Speaking ahead of the YPP substitution primary scheduled for Friday, August 21, Agada said Nigeria needed political parties driven by ideas and policies rather…