Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Wednesday declared that President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the National Assembly had failed what he described as Nigeria’s accountability test, citing the controversy surrounding the 2026 Appropriation Act. In a strongly worded statement, Frank alleged that reports of inflated budgetary allocations, fictitious projects and questionable expenditures had further undermined public confidence in the Federal Government’s commitment to transparency, fiscal discipline and responsible management of public resources. According to him, the budget controversy has become a defining measure of the administration’s commitment to accountability, insisting that…
Author: National Update
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Tuesday turned its internal crisis into a broader indictment of Nigeria’s political culture, declaring that the criminal prosecution of its expelled former National Chairman, Shehu Musa Gabam, is a deliberate attempt to demonstrate the standard of accountability it intends to institutionalise if it forms the Federal Government in 2027. In a blistering address to journalists at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, SDP National Chairman, Professor Abubakar Sadiq Gombe, said the party had chosen the difficult path of subjecting its own former leaders to criminal investigation and prosecution rather than shielding them because of…
The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Assembly Legislative Aides Support Group (ANALAG) has formally launched a nationwide mobilisation campaign for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the return of APC federal lawmakers in the 2027 general elections, setting an ambitious target of mobilising at least 36 million supporters across the country. The group said it plans to enlist a minimum of one million supporters in each of Nigeria’s 36 states, leveraging the extensive grassroots networks of legislative aides attached to members of the National Assembly. Speaking at the inauguration of the mobilisation drive in Abuja on Wednesday, the…
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has intensified its legal battle over its leadership and the 2026 Osun State governorship ticket by asking the Court of Appeal in Abuja to suspend the execution of a Federal High Court judgment which it alleges conflicts with an earlier decision of the Supreme Court. In the appeal, the party is seeking an interim order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from implementing the June 24, 2026 judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, pending the determination of its substantive appeal. According to court documents filed by the SDP, the judgment delivered by Justice…
The Senate on Tuesday demanded an urgent overhaul of Nigeria’s mining safety regime following the deadly coal mine collapse in Kogi State that claimed about 20 lives, warning that weak regulation, unsafe mining practices and poor worker protection have turned many mining sites into death traps. The Red Chamber said the recurring fatalities in the solid minerals sector underscore the urgent need for stricter enforcement of mining regulations, improved safety standards and stronger protection for workers operating in one of the country’s most hazardous industries. The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Isah Jibrin (Kogi East)…
The Senate on Tuesday advanced a sweeping legislative proposal to strengthen the regulatory powers of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), as lawmakers seek to modernise Nigeria’s legal framework for regulating food, medicines, medical devices and other products with implications for public health. The bill, sponsored by Senator Suleiman Sadiq, scaled second reading and proposes the repeal of the Food, Drug and Related Products (Registration, Etc.) Act and the Food and Drug Act, replacing both laws with a unified and more comprehensive legal regime tailored to emerging healthcare technologies and evolving global regulatory standards. Leading…
The Senate on Tuesday passed a landmark bill to repeal and re-enact the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) Act, clearing the way for the country’s insurance regulator to be renamed the Insurance Regulatory Commission (IRC) in a move aimed at strengthening oversight of the sector and bringing Nigeria’s regulatory framework in line with global best practices. The proposed legislation, titled the Insurance Regulatory Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2026, was approved after the Senate adopted the report of its Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions. Presenting the report, Chairman of the committee, Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru (APC, Lagos East), said the…
The Labour Party (LP) has intensified efforts to market its 2027 presidential ticket, with its leadership declaring that the pairing of Dr. Chibuzo Sunday Okereke and Hajja Bintu Konto embodies the party’s vision of inclusive leadership, gender equity and compassionate governance. At a strategic meeting between the National Working Committee (NWC) and the vice-presidential candidate in Abuja on Tuesday, party leaders presented the Okereke-Konto ticket as a departure from Nigeria’s traditional political culture, arguing that it reflects Labour Party’s commitment to broadening women’s participation in national leadership. National Chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, said the nomination of Konto was a deliberate…
By Abdulkarim Abdulmalik In international politics, nations often find themselves balancing economic interests against moral convictions. History has repeatedly shown that this balance is rarely easy. Yet, from time to time, a government chooses a path that suggests some principles cannot be negotiated, regardless of the cost. Recent reports that U.S. President Donald Trump warned Spain to align more closely with Israel or risk facing trade consequences have once again brought this age-old dilemma into sharp focus. Whether viewed as a diplomatic warning, a negotiating tactic, or economic pressure, the reported message carried an unmistakable implication: political choices could have…
Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, has uncovered widespread absenteeism among senior civil servants after a surprise inspection of the State Secretariat in Dutse revealed that several offices belonging to top government officials were still under lock and key at about 11 a.m. The unannounced visit, which has sparked widespread reactions following the circulation of a viral video online, showed the governor moving through ministries, departments and agencies, only to find many offices deserted, with only a handful of messengers and security personnel on duty. The inspection formed part of Governor Namadi’s statewide monitoring tour aimed at strengthening accountability, improving public…