As the race for Imo State Government House gradually gathers momentum, the political calculations are already being shaped around familiar names, established structures and candidates with years of experience in the state’s political arena. Then comes Charles Obinna Chiemenem. He does not yet possess the political weight of the biggest names being discussed for 2027. He does not command the most recognisable political machinery. And he is certainly not the candidate most observers would immediately place at the front of the pack. That, however, may be precisely what makes his emergence worth watching. Chiemenem is entering the conversation as the…
Author: National Update
Former Chief of Staff to the Imo State Governor, Hon. Uche Nwosu, has called for a comprehensive overhaul of the traditional Igbo apprenticeship system to make it more responsive to the demands of the modern economy. Nwosu, who spoke at the 2026 Igbo National Convention in Canada, described the apprenticeship system as one of the most powerful expressions of Igbo enterprise, ingenuity and communal responsibility, saying it had historically helped produce entrepreneurs, business owners and employers across the South-East. Speaking on the theme, “Rebuilding the Igbo Apprenticeship System for a New Generation,” Nwosu said the traditional system, popularly known as…
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has challenged the Nigerian Army to translate its renewed emphasis on professionalism and discipline into strict respect for constitutional rights during internal security operations. The rights group, while commending the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, for unveiling a new operational direction centred on professionalism, troop welfare, discipline and public confidence, said the success of the doctrine would ultimately be measured by how soldiers conduct themselves in communities where they are deployed. In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, on Sunday, HURIWA said the Army’s…
Suspected bandits have abducted the Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Hon. Nura Umar Bungudu, after attacking his residence in Bungudu town and killing four security personnel. The gunmen reportedly stormed the chairman’s residence in the Zango area late Thursday night, overpowering the security team attached to him before taking him and members of his family away. A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said two police officers and two vigilantes were killed during the attack. According to the source, the security personnel engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle but were eventually overwhelmed by…
The Bola Tinubu administration is facing mounting criticism in the United States over its handling of violence against Christians, with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz accusing the Nigerian government of deploying public relations and lobbying to deflect scrutiny over the country’s worsening security crisis. Cruz’s allegation followed revelations that Nigeria engaged a Washington-based public affairs and lobbying firm in a reported **$9 million contract** to communicate the government’s efforts to protect Christian communities and strengthen its engagement with U.S. policymakers. The development has triggered a fresh diplomatic and political controversy, with critics questioning why substantial resources are being committed to international…
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has accused the Presidency of attempting to inflate the significance of a reported letter from United States President Donald Trump to President Bola Tinubu, alleging that the correspondence was being deployed to create a favourable political narrative for the administration. Frank challenged the Presidency to publish the full document and establish its authenticity, arguing that the reported correspondence, as described, amounted to little more than a diplomatic acknowledgement of security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States. He rejected any suggestion that the letter constituted an endorsement…
The election of Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, as President of the Nigerian Bar Association has triggered fresh expectations for reforms that will strengthen the legal profession, improve lawyers’ welfare and restore public confidence in the justice system. The NBA Lawyers in the Media Forum, while congratulating Badejo-Okusanya on her emergence as the 33rd president of the association, said her administration would assume office at a time when the legal profession faces critical questions over access to justice, the independence of the Bar and the welfare of practitioners. In a congratulatory message signed by the forum’s Chairman, Ustadh Adam O. Adedimeji,…
Member of the House of Representatives, James Abiodun Faleke, has called for a stronger political alliance among leaders in Kogi State, saying internal divisions and partisan interests must not be allowed to undermine the state’s development. Faleke, who represents Ikeja Federal Constituency of Lagos State, made the appeal when he received a delegation of stakeholders from the Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, led by Prince Yomi Kolawole, in Abuja on Friday. The meeting, which brought together political and community stakeholders from Kogi West, centred on the need for greater cooperation among leaders and more effective mobilisation of resources and opportunities for the…
Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently improve the remuneration and welfare of military personnel, warning that expanding the Nigerian Army without adequately motivating its personnel could undermine the effectiveness of the security architecture. Ndume, who represents Borno South in the National Assembly, made the call while commending Tinubu for approving the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions and the recruitment of 28,000 additional personnel. He said the government must complement the expansion with better pay, training, equipment and ammunition, stressing that the success of the initiative would depend not…
The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has delivered a major setback to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in its prolonged financial restrictions against businesswoman Aisha Achimugu, declaring the continued freezing of 124 bank accounts linked to her an abuse of court process and a subversion of the rule of law. In a unanimous judgment, a three-member panel of the appellate court discharged and vacated the ex parte order obtained by the EFCC more than 15 months earlier to freeze the accounts of Achimugu and several corporate entities associated with her. The court also overturned the…