Author: Opalim Lifted

President Bola Tinubu may secure re-election in the 2027 presidential election despite widespread public dissatisfaction with his administration, according to The Economist. In a report published on October 1, Nigeria’s Independence Day, the British publication examined the factors that could shape the 2027 contest, including Nigeria’s security crisis, the impact of economic reforms, opposition fragmentation, religion and voter turnout. The Economist noted that Tinubu’s apparent confidence was surprising given the challenges facing his administration. “On the face of it, Mr Tinubu’s cool is surprising,” the newspaper wrote. Complicated Electoral Dynamics According to The Economist, Tinubu’s confidence may have more to…

Obafemi Hamzat, the Lagos governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has promised to end arbitrary levies in the state if elected governor. Hamzat, who is currently the Lagos deputy governor, made the pledge on Thursday during an appearance on The Platform, an Independence Day programme organised by Covenant Christian Centre. He said his administration would ensure businesses can start, survive and grow without being weighed down by unauthorised charges. “What we will do is to make sure that any levy that is unauthorised, that is not known, that even we can’t track, must go,” Hamzat said. Hamzat promises…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says it incurred N11.2 trillion in costs to protect Nigeria’s oil and gas assets in 2025, with the Federal Government expected to reimburse the expenditure under an approved framework. The amount was disclosed in the company’s 2025 audited financial report under “other receivables from federation”, covering advance payments to the federation and costs incurred to secure the country’s oil and gas assets. According to the report, the arrangement allows NNPC to incur security-related expenses to protect national oil and gas infrastructure and subsequently recover the costs from the federation as energy security expenses.…

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has approved a petition by the family of late Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, seeking a fresh investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. Mohbad died on September 12, 2023, under circumstances that sparked widespread public concern and calls for a thorough investigation. In a statement dated September 29, 2026, the family’s lawyer, Oladayo Ogungbe, confirmed that the police investigation was ongoing despite the recent dismissal of a separate lawsuit by the Federal High Court in Abuja. According to PUNCH, Ogungbe said the family submitted its petition to the IGP…

President Bola Tinubu has said his administration cannot erase Nigeria’s decades-long economic challenges in four years, but can change the country’s trajectory and build an economy that lifts millions out of poverty. Tinubu made the remarks in his Independence Day address on Thursday, as Nigeria marked its 66th anniversary. The president acknowledged that millions of Nigerians continue to struggle with the cost of food, education, healthcare and transportation, saying the difficulties predated the reforms introduced by his administration. “We cannot erase in four years what accumulated over generations. But we can change its course,” Tinubu said. “We can build an…

President Bola Tinubu will address Nigerians at 7am on Thursday, October 1, as the country marks its 66th Independence Anniversary. The broadcast was announced by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement issued on Wednesday. Onanuga advised television and radio stations, as well as other electronic media outlets, to link up with the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) for the live broadcast. The address will mark Tinubu’s fourth Independence Day broadcast since he assumed office on May 29, 2023. Nigeria gained independence from…

President Bola Tinubu has signed into law the 2025 Appropriation (Amendment) (No. 4) Bill, extending the implementation period of the budget from September 30 to December 31, 2026. Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy to the president, said in a statement issued on Wednesday that the assent followed the “swift passage” of the amended bill by both the Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday. Onanuga said the extension would give ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) more time to complete ongoing capital projects. “It ensures that funds already appropriated are fully put to work for Nigerians, without…

Public servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) have threatened a three-day warning strike from Friday, October 2, if the Federal Government fails to reduce petrol prices to N500 per litre and approve a new wage award. The council also wants the government to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage of at least N500,000 from 2027. In a statement issued on Tuesday, JNPSNC National Secretary Gbenga Olowoyo, who is also General Secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), said the council’s September 30 deadline remains in force. Public servants demand N500 petrol price The…

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones allegedly linked to a cyber-fraud operation involving Chinese nationals and Nigerian youths. Justice Deinde Dipeolu made the order following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The Commission told the court that the phones were acquired with proceeds of alleged unlawful activities and were used in internet fraud. The application was filed under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and Section 44(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution. EFCC Links Phones to Cyber-Fraud Facility In an affidavit…

South Africa has summoned US Ambassador Brent Bozell to explain what its foreign ministry described as “undiplomatic conduct”, marking the third diplomatic reprimand since he took up his post nine months ago. The senior foreign ministry official confirmed the development to AFP on Wednesday, saying Bozell was summoned on Tuesday after publishing a strongly worded opinion piece accusing the South African government of “hostility”. The ambassador had also given a series of critical interviews with South African media. “He was called in to explain his undiplomatic conduct,” the official said, describing the latest summons as Bozell’s third diplomatic reprimand since…