The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that it lacks the power to sanction politicians engaging in premature campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections. INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, made this known on Wednesday at a stakeholders’ roundtable on early political campaigns in Abuja. He said section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 prohibits campaigns earlier than 150 days before polling, but the law provides no penalty for offenders. “Quite correctly, Nigerians expect INEC, as registrar and regulator of political parties, to act in the face of the brazen breach of the law on early campaign. However, the major challenge…
Author: Naijalee
Three police officers were killed on Wednesday morning when gunmen attacked a security checkpoint in Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State. According to local sources, the incident occurred in the border town, which shares a boundary with Kwara State. The assailants reportedly stormed the checkpoint and engaged the police in a fierce gun battle. “The attackers came for their guns, which they carted away. Three officers died in the exchange of fire,” a source said. Videos show vehicles allegedly used by the attackers as they fled the area. Earlier on Wednesday, bandits launched an overnight attack on…
With the November 8 governorship election approaching, the campaign of Nicholas Ukachukwu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has received a boost following the endorsement of the “Anambra 50 Billionaires” group. Led by a businessman known as Mighty Mighty from Umuchu, the group paid a solidarity visit to Ukachukwu at his Osumenyi home, pledging full support for his candidacy. The group described Ukachukwu as a proven entrepreneur with the vision to reposition Anambra as Nigeria’s leading trading hub. “You rose from nothing to become a global business icon. Anambra needs an established entrepreneur like you to reposition our state,”…
The Federal Government has gazetted Nigeria’s new tax reform laws.This brings into effect the sweeping fiscal changes signed by President Bola Tinubu in June.The publication of the reforms was confirmed on Wednesday in a statement issued by Kamorudeen Yusuf, Personal Assistant on Special Duties to the President.The laws cover four key legislations: the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act 2025, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act 2025.Highlights of the reforms include the exemption of small businesses with turnover below ₦100 million and assets under ₦250 million from corporate tax, a potential…
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has declared that he will remain in office for another six years, insisting that his tenure as governor is far from over.Alia, who was elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the declaration while addressing supporters.This was made public via a video clip shared on Facebook on Wednesday by his social media aide, Asorta James.The governor recounted receiving a brief letter from a citizen, believed to be of Tiv origin, encouraging him to continue with his mandate. “Someone sent a letter to me, and it was just a one-liner letter, and…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised fresh concerns over the mounting of campaign-style billboards and posters by politicians across major cities, warning that such actions amount to a violation of the Electoral Act.INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Board of The Electoral Institute (TEI), Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, sounded the warning on Wednesday in Abuja during a stakeholders’ roundtable on the challenges of premature political campaigns.According to him, early campaigns are increasingly disguised as gestures of “appreciation” or “philanthropy” and are now visible through billboards, social media promotions, and public gatherings.In recent weeks, campaign posters projecting President Bola…
The abductors of passengers from an 18-seater New Edo Line bus and a Toyota Camry along the Owan–Auchi Road have reportedly demanded ₦15 million ransom for each victim still in captivity. The incident occurred on 5 September 2025, when gunmen intercepted the vehicles and forced several passengers into the bush. Although the Edo State Police Command later rescued 16 of the abducted passengers, others remain in the hands of the kidnappers. Among those still held is Gloria Ikhaghu, who was returning home after her father’s burial rites in Okpekpe, Etsako East Local Government Area. A family member, who spoke under…
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has declared that more state governors and lawmakers will join the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general election to strengthen President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. Yilwatda made the comment during the 12th expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the APC in Bayelsa state, where the party endorsed Tinubu as its sole presidential candidate for 2027. Represented by Emma Eneukwu, APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Yilwatda said the president’s performance in governance is drawing opposition figures to the ruling party. His words: “More governors and lawmakers are still on their way…
The Labour Party (LP) has urged Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to stop President Bola Tinubu’s borrowing plans. According to the opposition party, Nigeria’s debt profile under the Tinubu-led administration has reached a dangerous level. The Debt Management Office (DMO) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) data show that the country’s public debt rose from N121.7 trillion in December 2024 to N149.39 trillion by March 2025. This represents a debt-to-GDP ratio of 52 percent, far above the 40 percent ceiling set by Nigeria’s fiscal laws. Despite this, Tinubu is seeking approval for a fresh…
Tension broke out on Tuesday during a meeting of princes in Ipetumodu, Osun State, following calls for Governor Ademola Adeleke to declare the stool of the Apetumodu vacant after the conviction of Oba Joseph Oloyede in the United States. Oba Oloyede, the 27th Apetumodu, was recently sentenced to over four years in a U.S. prison for COVID-19 loan fraud. He was also ordered to forfeit assets and pay more than $4.4m in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. The meeting, held at the palace and presided over by the Asalu of Ipetumodu, Chief…
Former Rivers State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tonye Cole, has faulted the conduct of the just-concluded local government elections in the state.Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Tuesday, Cole said the exercise could have been handled more transparently and inclusively.“I don’t agree with the way the elections were done,” he said. “I feel that we could have done it differently. It could have been done better, with a more holistic approach of engaging people and ensuring they understand that this process affects their ultimate well-being.”Cole warned that undermining democratic processes could pose dangers for…
Former Anambra Governor, Peter Obi, has condemned the actions of state-backed security outfits in Anambra following the killing of traders, including a pregnant woman, in Onitsha. In a statement posted on X, Obi expressed concern over the worsening security situation in the state, highlighting incidents of brutality by groups meant to protect citizens. He called for a thorough investigation, accountability, and a reorganisation of these outfits to ensure professionalism and prevent further oppression. He said, “At a time when our nation is grappling with serious security challenges, it is very worrisome that state-backed outfits, created to improve security, are instead…
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the National Assembly of mortgaging Nigeria’s future by endorsing what it described as President Bola Tinubu’s “unchecked borrowing spree”. In a statement on Tuesday signed by Bolaji Abdullahi, its national publicity secretary, the ADC criticised Speaker Tajudeen Abbas for retracting his earlier remarks on Nigeria’s debt profile. The party said Abbas’s initial admission that the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio had risen to 52 percent was a “rare moment of honesty” but added that his retraction showed “political cowardice and legislative complicity”. “The Speaker’s statement offered a momentary flicker of the truth, only to be…
The Obidient Movement has cautioned the Federal Government against introducing a proposed five 5% surcharge on fuel, warning that such a policy would further impoverish Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship. The reaction follows an announcement by the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, who disclosed that the levy was part of President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform agenda aimed at improving road infrastructure and reducing logistics costs. In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its National Coordinator, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, the group described the plan as “a policy built on noble…
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday confirmed that he held a meeting with key stakeholders of the opposition coalition at his Abuja residence.POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the former presidential candidate disclosed the engagement via his social media handles, noting that attendees included Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar (rtd.), Senator Halliru Jika, and Senator Sulaiman Nazif Gamawa, all from Bauchi State.“Today, I held a meeting with stakeholders of the coalition from Bauchi State, including Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, Senator Halliru Jika, and Senator Sulaiman Nazif Gamawa, at my residence in Abuja,” he wrote.The meeting comes barely 24 hours after…