Amid renewed xenophobic attacks and rising anti-immigration tensions in South Africa, **Air Peace> has completed the evacuation of 801 stranded Nigerians in a series of humanitarian flights coordinated with the Federal Government. The three airlift operations, conducted over the past month, culminated on Thursday with the evacuation of 268 Nigerians aboard the airline’s Boeing 777-200 aircraft, marking the largest phase of the emergency repatriation exercise. In a statement issued on Saturday, the airline’s spokesman, Efe Osifo-Whiskey, said the latest evacuation followed two earlier missions that returned 262 Nigerians on June 11 and another 271 on June 30. According to the…
Author: National Update
As concerns mount over worsening food insecurity across northern Nigeria, the 2027 presidential candidate of the **Nigeria Democratic Congress** (NDC), Peter Obi, has argued that the country’s deepening hunger crisis is the consequence of policy failures, insecurity and years of neglect of the agricultural sector. Obi’s intervention follows a warning by the **World Food Programme** that more than 17 million people in nine northern states could face acute food insecurity, with millions of others across the country vulnerable during the current lean season. In a statement posted on his X account on Saturday, Obi described the situation as a national…
In a major shift towards technology-driven elections, the **Independent National Electoral Commission** has introduced a self-service voter registration platform that will allow eligible Nigerians to register using their personal digital devices, while extending the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise by two weeks. The commission said the new digital initiative is designed to remove barriers to voter enrolment and improve access to registration services as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections. Announcing the decision in a statement on Friday, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the CVR exercise, earlier scheduled to…
Questions over patient safety and medical accountability have come to the fore in Gombe State after the family of Mrs. Barira Alhassan accused the **Gombe State Specialist Hospital** of failing to explain how she allegedly lost a kidney following a Caesarean section, even as the hospital firmly denies carrying out any procedure involving the organ. The controversy has drawn public attention not only because of the woman’s allegation but also over claims by her family that her medical records could not be produced when they sought clarification, prompting calls for an independent investigation. Barira, a mother of 10, said she…
Fresh concerns over religious representation have surfaced within the All Progressives Congress in Niger State, with a prominent party chieftain warning that the party’s Muslim-dominated lineup for the 2027 elections could alienate Christian voters and threaten its electoral dominance. Former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Jonathan Vatsa, said the outcome of the APC’s recent primaries has reinforced longstanding complaints of political exclusion by Christians, arguing that the party risks paying a heavy political price unless it deliberately addresses what he described as a widening imbalance in the distribution of elective offices. Speaking with journalists in Minna on Saturday, Vatsa…
The planned withdrawal of most United States military personnel from a joint counterterrorism operation in Nigeria has sparked fresh concerns over the country’s security architecture, with the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) warning that terrorist groups could exploit the development to stage a resurgence unless Nigerian authorities act swiftly. The rights group said the drawdown of American forces comes at a delicate moment when insurgent attacks, kidnappings and assaults on rural communities remain a major security challenge despite recent military gains. In a statement issued on Friday, HURIWA cautioned that any reduction in military pressure could provide extremist…
By Mati Ali The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declared that all internal processes arising from its governorship primary in Jigawa State have been concluded, signalling the end of post-primary disputes and the commencement of preparations for the 2027 general election. The party said its governorship candidate, Alhaji Sabo Mohammed Nakudu, CON, alongside its candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives, has received the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nomination documents from the party’s national and state leadership, marking the completion of its nomination process for the 2027 polls. The development, according to the party, closes the chapter on…
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress(ADC) for the 2027 general election, Atiku Abubakar, has given President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a seven-day ultimatum to order an independent investigation into the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC). In a statement issued on Friday by his media office, Atiku said the Presidency must address what he described as contradictions surrounding an alleged ₦27.4 billion allocation in the 2026 budget to the PFIPC, which the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, has reportedly maintained is not a recognised government agency. According to Atiku, “Allocating ₦27.4 billion to an…
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has criticised the Federal Government’s allocation of recently approved N3.9 trillion road infrastructure projects, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of once again sidelining the South-South despite the region’s central role in sustaining Nigeria’s economy. Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, PANDEF National Chairman, Godknows Igali, flanked by members of the group’s Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee, described the distribution of the projects as “troubling and shocking,” saying the oil-producing region was “grossly shortchanged.” While acknowledging the Federal Government’s decision to commit substantial resources to road infrastructure, the forum argued that the allocation…
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 general election, Peter Obi, on Wednesday made an unannounced tour of voter registration centres in Anambra State, using the visit to rally Nigerians to register to vote ahead of the 2027 general election. Obi, who described voter registration as the foundation of democracy and good governance, visited the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) centres at the Civic Centre, Nibo, and Nrijiofor Primary School, Nri, shortly after arriving in the state. The former Anambra State governor interacted with prospective voters, commended those already participating in the exercise, and urged millions…