The Guild of Interfaith Media Practitioners Nigeria (GIMP-Nigeria) has appealed to religious leaders, political actors and citizens to avoid inflammatory rhetoric capable of widening Nigeria’s religious fault lines, following remarks attributed to Islamic cleric, Sheikh Yahaya Jingir, concerning Christians. The Guild, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Abdulkarim Abdulmalik, described the reported remarks as “unfortunate and provocative,” warning that reckless religious pronouncements could fuel mistrust and further strain relations between communities. Abdulmalik said religious leaders had a particularly important responsibility to promote peace and mutual understanding in a country as religiously diverse as Nigeria. He argued that Islamic history…
Author: National Update
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, Prince Adebayo Adewole, has challenged President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to demonstrate their commitment to peaceful elections by ensuring that political violence is met with arrests and prosecution, rather than speeches and peace accords. Adewole’s intervention comes amid heightened political tension in Osun State, where he alleged that violence, intimidation and the alleged deployment of state institutions for political purposes were creating an atmosphere capable of threatening the 2027 general elections. For the SDP candidate, the warning signs extend beyond what happens at polling stations. He argued that…
The latest confrontation between the Senate and the Federal Ministry of Finance over unresolved findings in the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) audit has exposed a deeper problem than accounting discrepancies: the government’s difficulty in tracing the movement and final destination of petroleum revenues across its own institutions. At the centre of Thursday’s hearing was an uncomfortable question: How can the Federal Government account for billions of dollars in oil-related transactions when the agencies that executed or received the funds are not providing the records needed to reconcile them? That question became particularly pointed when the Permanent Secretary of…
Human rights lawyer and constitutional affairs expert, Chidi Odinkalu, has raised a strong alarm over the proposed NGO Regulation Bill before the National Assembly, describing it as potentially the most far-reaching restriction on civic life to be considered since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999. Odinkalu said the bill, which has passed first and second readings and is currently before a committee of the House of Representatives, could fundamentally alter how civil society organisations, community groups and other non-governmental entities operate in Nigeria. The House Committee on NGOs is expected to hold a public hearing on the proposed legislation…
The Nigerian Navy has rescued 13 kidnapped victims in Kogi State and arrested six suspected drug dealers in Rivers State in separate operations aimed at disrupting criminal activities across the country. The victims were rescued on Monday, August 10, along the Itobe–Anyigba Highway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State during a joint operation involving the Navy, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force and local vigilantes. The operation was launched following reports that several people had been abducted along the highway. The security team, however, came under attack from the suspected kidnappers during the rescue operation, leading to casualties among…
Nigeria’s youth empowerment drive must move beyond speeches and handouts to create jobs, businesses, innovations and sustainable solutions, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, has said. Orelope-Adefulire made the call at the 2026 iHEAL Global Youth Impact Forum in Abuja, where she challenged young Nigerians to see themselves not as passive recipients of government interventions but as critical drivers of the country’s development. Represented by her Special Assistant on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication, Desmond Utomwen, the presidential aide said Nigeria’s large youth population could become one of the country’s greatest development…
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of treating Saturday’s Osun State governorship election as a “do-or-die affair”, alleging that the ruling party is determined to secure victory at all costs. The allegation came amid mounting controversy over remarks attributed to Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East Senatorial District, in which he was allegedly heard telling supporters to “go and kill” members of the Accord Party ahead of the August 15 election. The ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the allegation on Wednesday while speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time, insisting that Fadahunsi’s statement…
The battle for the soul of the All Progressives Congress in Abia State has taken a fresh turn, with the party leadership moving against two of its prominent members over their open support for Governor Alex Otti ahead of the 2027 election. The Abia APC State Working Committee has handed Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Chris Nkwonta a 14-day deadline to publicly apologise for remarks the party considers damaging to its electoral interests. The decision followed a meeting of the SWC, led by its chairman, Chijioke Chukwu, in Umuahia on Wednesday. Kalu, a former governor of the state and serving…
The countdown to Saturday’s Osun State governorship election has taken a troubling turn, with allegations of violence, threats, political arrests and voter intimidation increasingly overshadowing the campaign for the state’s top political office. Across the political divide, parties and civil society organisations are trading accusations over the conduct of politicians and security agencies, raising fresh concerns about whether voters will be able to approach the ballot box without fear or coercion. The tension escalated on Wednesday when Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East, was questioned by the police over a viral video in which he was allegedly heard threatening members…
The kidnappers of the Chairman of Jezco Group, Chief Sir Joseph Ezeokafor, have reportedly raised their ransom demand from N700 million to N1.5 billion, deepening fears over the fate of the septuagenarian businessman. The abductors, who initially demanded N700 million from the family, were said to have later increased the ransom by more than 100 per cent after establishing contact with Ezeokafor’s relatives. A source familiar with the development disclosed on Wednesday that the family had initially agreed to the N700 million demand as part of efforts to secure the businessman’s safe release. However, the kidnappers reportedly changed their demand…