Author: Opalim Lifted

Former African Development Bank (AfDB) president Akinwumi Adesina has offered to contribute to Nigeria’s development in any capacity President Bola Tinubu considers appropriate, insisting that he is not seeking a public appointment. Adesina spoke to journalists on Tuesday after meeting Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he formally informed the president of the completion of his 10-year tenure at the bank. He said the meeting also provided an opportunity to brief Tinubu on the AfDB’s achievements during his leadership, including its financial support for Nigeria. “It’s customary and it’s required that I come back home to tell His…

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has declared his support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, saying the benefits delivered to the state justify his backing. Sani said he was prepared to put his life on the line for Tinubu because the president’s interventions had benefited Kaduna State rather than him personally. The governor made the remarks during an interview with Trust TV’s Daily Politics, where he highlighted federal appointments, new universities, road projects, a proposed light rail system and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses as key achievements. Asked whether he could take a bullet for Tinubu because of…

Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, says states seeking to establish their own police forces must demonstrate the capacity to pay officers regularly and provide continuous training before the services begin operations. Gbajabiamila spoke on Monday during a session on security, stability and economic resilience at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit. He said states must demonstrate their ability to sustain policing beyond the initial costs of purchasing vehicles, uniforms and other equipment. “A state taking on policing must be able to sustain the service after the initial purchase of vehicles and uniforms,” he said. “Regular pay and…

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani says he has never spoken ill of his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai, despite the reported breakdown in their relationship. Sani made the statement during an interview on Trust Television’s Daily Politics, aired on Tuesday, insisting that he still holds El-Rufai in high regard despite his ongoing detention and trial. “Honestly speaking, I have no problem with him. If you listen to me carefully, I’ve never said anything bad about him, and I will never say anything bad about him,” the governor said. El-Rufai is facing trial over allegations of money laundering and conversion of public property.…

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has declared Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the leader of the Rainbow Coalition, urging members to unite under a common leadership. Fubara made the declaration while addressing supporters at the unveiling of the coalition’s candidates in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, where Wike was present. The governor asked coalition members to stop identifying different political figures as their leaders, describing Wike as the “leader of the Rainbow Coalition” and his “Oga”. According to Fubara, some members who supported him during the political crisis in Rivers State still maintained separate leadership…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has uploaded the preliminary voter register to its online platform, allowing Nigerians to access their registration details ahead of the 2027 general election. In a statement on Monday, Mohammed Haruna, chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, said the online publication followed the physical display of the preliminary register nationwide from October 9 to 15, 2026. According to Haruna, the exercise gave registered voters an opportunity to inspect their details and submit claims and objections in line with Section 19 of the Electoral Act 2026. “In accordance with section 19 of the Electoral…

President Bola Tinubu has asked the National Assembly to approve a supplementary external borrowing plan of $20.52 billion and €1.04 billion for projects and programmes across several sectors. Tinubu’s request was conveyed in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Tuesday. In the letter, the president said the proposed borrowing would support infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, education, water supply, security, employment generation and financial management reforms. He said the plan was designed to accelerate economic growth and address the country’s infrastructure funding gap. “The total facility for the projects and programmes under the borrowing rolling plan is…

A Lagos court has sentenced former banker Christopher Jackson Edeh to 39 years in prison over a N2.7 billion fraud case prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, delivered the judgment on Tuesday, after finding Edeh guilty on nine counts of fraudulent false accounting and unauthorised access to a computer system. The EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 prosecuted the case. N2.7bn Fraud: How the Banker Operated Edeh was arraigned on February 28, 2024, over allegations that he altered the bank account details of several customers and government-related…

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has assured the people of Ijebuland that a new Awujale will emerge before the end of his tenure on May 29, 2027. Abiodun gave the assurance on Tuesday at the Ogun East Senatorial District stakeholders’ meeting in Ijebu-Ode, where he also projected significant economic growth for the district through oil exploration and the proposed Gateway Deep-Sea Port. The governor said his administration was committed to ensuring a peaceful and acceptable process for selecting the next Awujale, acknowledging the traditional institution’s importance to the cultural heritage, unity and identity of Ijebuland. He urged residents to remain…

A nurse has been killed and another health worker seriously injured in an attack on an Ebola response team in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. The attack occurred on Saturday in Bafwasende, Tshopo province, eastern DR Congo, while the team was responding to an Ebola alert. The WHO condemned the incident, warning that violence against healthcare personnel threatens efforts to contain the outbreak and protect vulnerable communities. The organisation’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and its Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Yakub Janabi, called for the protection of healthcare workers and others…