By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to yield to political pressure before the 2027 elections. He stressed that Nigerians must be allowed to freely choose their leaders. Obi spoke during a thank-you tour in Ogugu, Kogi State, after High Chief Peter Ameh was nominated as the NDC’s Kogi East senatorial candidate. He emphasized that the credibility of the elections depends on INEC’s ability to resist manipulation and ensure every vote is counted. He also highlighted that the responsibility for credible elections does…
Author: National Update
By Friday Idachaba A German electrical engineering expert, Prof. Ralf-Dieter Rogler, has urged Nigeria to make massive investments in power generation, transmission, distribution and specialised engineering education to address its persistent electricity crisis. Rogler, Chair of Switchgear Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft (HTW) Dresden, Germany, made the call at the weekend while delivering a Distinguished Public Lecture at the Federal University Lokoja (FUL). The lecture, titled “Comparison Between the Nigerian and German Electrical Grid: Lessons and Challenges to the Nigerian University System,” was held at the university’s Felele Campus. Rogler said Nigeria’s installed generation capacity…
The presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, says Nigerians are increasingly demanding a government that delivers security, jobs, functional schools, working hospitals and economic opportunities rather than excuses. Obi made the declaration after a series of political engagements across Kogi, Benue and Enugu states, where he met party supporters, community stakeholders, traders and residents. In Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Obi, alongside the NDC’s Kogi East senatorial candidate, High Chief Peter Ameh, engaged stakeholders and party faithful on the challenges confronting their communities. He said the concerns raised by citizens reflected the depth of…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Dutse/Kiyawa Federal Constituency, Aminu Wada Abubakar, has identified roads, water supply, healthcare, education, agricultural infrastructure and youth development as priority areas for federal intervention if elected. Abubakar unveiled the agenda while meeting PDP stakeholders from the 22 wards that make up the constituency. He said his legislative representation would focus on attracting federal projects with direct economic and social benefits to constituents. Among the projects he identified as priorities are the rehabilitation and construction of key rural and inter-community roads to improve movement of people and agricultural produce. Abubakar also pledged to pursue…
A US-based political lobbying firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, has broken its silence over the deletion of a social media post announcing the reported appointment of its leader, Dr Karl Von Batten, by US President Donald Trump. The firm said the post was deleted after it was contacted by the White House over alleged complaints from the Nigerian government concerning Von Batten’s reported appointment. In a statement on its verified X account on Saturday, the firm claimed that Nigerian officials had repeatedly contacted the White House about the appointment. The firm said it did not intend to trigger what it described as…
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has vowed to launch an independent probe into the reported ₦33.75 billion cash transfer meant for 3.29 million vulnerable Nigerian households. Atiku said the reported discrepancies surrounding the funds raise serious questions about the government’s handling of money appropriated to cushion the impact of the economic hardship facing millions of Nigerians. In a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said he would assemble financial, audit, technology and public-accounting experts to trace the funds and establish whether they actually reached…
The Federal Government is under fresh scrutiny over its cash-transfer programme after the Auditor-General for the Federation said officials failed to provide key records proving that ₦33.75bn paid to 3.29 million vulnerable households reached genuine beneficiaries. The 2024 Annual Report on Non-Compliance/Internal Control Weaknesses said payment vouchers lacked full beneficiary details. It added that the Remita statement needed to match recipients with the National Social Register and National Beneficiary Register was not presented for audit. The auditors further said attempts to obtain the Remita records were obstructed and denied by accounts staff of the National Cash Transfer Office, frustrating verification…
By Abdulmalik Abdulkarim There is a dangerous assumption in Nigerian political discourse: that the North is a single electoral constituency waiting to be captured by whoever produces a Northern running mate. The reality is far more complicated. Northern voters are diverse, politically conscious and increasingly concerned about the tangible consequences of government policies. They want security. They want food on the table. They want jobs, functioning schools, roads, electricity and opportunities for their children. This is precisely why Kashim Shettima matters to the All Progressives Congress (APC). His greatest political asset is not that he can magically deliver Northern Nigeria…
A police corporal attached to the Dambam Division of the Bauchi State Command, Yusuf Aliyu, has resigned from the Nigeria Police Force over alleged unresolved salary access issues. Aliyu, Force Number 524180, said he had been unable to access his salary for two years despite repeated efforts to resolve the problem. In a resignation letter dated August 30, 2026, and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police through the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, the corporal said his resignation would take effect on September 30. Aliyu said his salary had been processed and reflected in the system but that he had…
The Federal Government has launched a new funding program worth ₦2.5 billion for student entrepreneurs in Nigeria. This initiative, known as the “Next Moonshot Initiative,” will offer equity-free grants of up to ₦50 million each to 50 selected ventures focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Applications opened this week and will close on September 30, 2026. Adebayo Onigbanjo from the Federal Ministry of Education emphasized that the government aims to find 50 outstanding student-led businesses across Nigeria. The first cohort of this program received an overwhelming response, with nearly 18,000 applications from various institutions. Only 45 ventures were…