Author: Vincent Osuwo

The presidency has denied widespread reports claiming that President Bola Tinubu has sacked the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu. The rumours, which went viral early Monday, claimed that Yakubu had been dismissed from office and replaced by a certain Professor Bashiru Olamilekan in what was characterised as a “sweeping change” in the electoral body’s leadership. In response to the claims, O’tega Ogra, Senior Special Advisor to the President on Digital and New Media, called the story untrue and asked the public to dismiss it. “Disregard any fake news making the rounds about the replacement…

Nigerians have taken to social media to totally criticize the activities of some yet-to-be-identified Fulani herdsmen who were seen destroying a farmland. In a now viral video shared on social media, some Fulani herdsmen were seen destroying and uprooting farm produce from a cassava farm to feed their cattle. Our correspondent who observed the video clip noticed the herdsmen armed to the teeth, alone on the farm with their cattle, destroying the yet-to-be-harvested cassava produce. At the time they herdsmen were seen destroying the farmland, the owner of the farm was nowhere to be seen. The video clip comes amid…

Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command on Monday prevented demonstrators from entering the Lagos State Assembly complex, where they planned to present a memorandum outlining their demands. The Take-It-Back Movement, along with other civil society organisations, led the ongoing protest to raise attention to important national concerns, such as suspected abuse of the Cybercrime Act and what they termed a “state of emergency” in Rivers State. The demonstrators had previously assembled near the Ikeja Under Bridge, where they raised placards with various slogans to convey their concerns. They did, however, march to the state assembly complex, where they were…

In his first public appearance since the Supreme Court’s judgement on Friday, the Labour Party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, announced on Monday that there is no vacancy in the party. He issued the warning during a public conference held at the party headquarters prior to the National Executive Committee’s meeting. According to Abure, the Supreme Court was unambiguous in its decision on party supremacy, emphasising that party problems are the internal business of political platforms. The LP chair also criticised the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, and Governor Alex Otti, claiming they deserted the party. He…

Nasiru Abubakar Kigo, the Permanent Secretary of Cabinet Affairs in Kebbi State, has issued a public apology for making incorrect statements regarding the frequency of homosexuality and lesbianism in Sokoto and Kebbi states. During a Ramadan lecture in Birnin Kebbi, Kigo cited what he called “statistics” on the existence of gay and lesbian groups in the two states. However, investigations found that the data were wholly faked, causing uproar and resulting in disciplinary action from the state administration. The Kebbi State Government promptly suspended Kigo and recommended him to the State Council of Ulama for further investigation. At a press…

The #Take-It-Back protest took an ugly turn when Rivers State Command officers fired tear gas on the protestors in an attempt to disperse them. Organisers and supporters of the Take It Back Movement, civil society organisations, and the Niger Delta Congress converged at Isaac Boro Park in Port Harcourt, only to be greeted with opposition from Rivers State Police Command personnel. However, the police officers requested that they depart for another location. Still undeterred, the demonstrators began chanting solidarity songs and marching within the park before heading outside to the busy Aba Express Road. When the protesters reached the CFC…

Former US President Barack Obama has condemned President Donald Trump’s recent moves, accusing the present administration of censoring the media, targeting political opponents, and jeopardising institutions that foster diversity and free expression. Obama made the statements during a chat with Hamilton College President Steven Tepper, in which he expressed alarm about what he saw as troubling tendencies under Trump’s presidency. He specifically criticised the White House’s decision to deny the Associated Press access to critical West Wing rooms after the news agency refused to use the term “Gulf of America”, following Trump’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico. “It’s…

Palestinian militant group Hamas on Sunday said it fired rockets into southern Israel in response to what it called Israeli “massacres” of civilians in Gaza. According to Israel’s military, approximately 10 rockets were fired by Hamas, the most of which were intercepted. According to Channel 12 in Israel, one rocket targeted the southern city of Ashkelon. In Israel, emergency services reported that one person was injured by shrapnel, and videos showed smashed car windows and debris scattered across a street. Following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a “strong response”, according to a statement released by his office.…

A police manhunt is under way after three bodies were found in a residential building in a village in western Germany. The suspect fled when police operatives arrived at the scene in Weitefeld, Westerwald, and is on the run, a police spokesperson told the Germany Press Agency. According to the police, the victims were a family and included a 47-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy. Police urged residents in the surrounding area in Germany to stay at home and warned people not to pick up hitchhikers, local media reported. According to German publication Bild, a special task…

Amid coalition talks to oppose President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections gaining traction, northern stakeholders are urging southern candidates to sign a one-term agreement. A source participating in coalition negotiations, who asked for anonymity due to a lack of authority to speak on the subject, informed reporters that northern stakeholders are lobbying former Vice President Atiku Abubakar not to run. According to the source, most stakeholders feel that if all coalition leaders support a southern candidate, President Tinubu can be defeated. On March 20, the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku, the Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and former…