Author: Hamza Rufai

THE Nigerian Senate has issued a three-week ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to clarify glaring discrepancies amounting to a staggering ₦210 trillion in its audited financial records, spanning a seven-year period between 2017 and 2023. News Point Nigeria reports that the directive was given by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Tuesday during a public hearing held at the National Assembly in Abuja. The lawmakers, visibly concerned by what they described as “alarming and unverifiable” figures, demanded a comprehensive, reconciled explanation from the company within 21 days. At the center of the controversy are questionable…

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has defended the appointment of Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, as its new national chairman, amid widespread criticism and concern from opposition parties over his previous role with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). News Point Nigeria reports that Yilwatda’s emergence was ratified during the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the ruling party, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday, July 24, 2025. He replaces former chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, who stepped down on health grounds. The former academic, who once lectured engineering at the Federal…

AN escalating humanitarian crisis has claimed the lives of at least 652 severely malnourished children in northern Nigeria within the first half of 2025, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Friday. The international medical charity warned that the malnutrition emergency in the region has grown far worse than anticipated, driven by drastic cuts in foreign aid, rising insecurity, and crippling economic conditions. “Northern Nigeria is currently facing an alarming malnutrition crisis. Unfortunately, 652 children have already died in our facilities since the beginning of the year due to lack of timely access to care,” MSF said in a statement. MSF…

THE National Executive Council meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ended, with the party fixing its national elective convention for November 2025. At the meeting which held in Abuja on Thursday, the party fixed November 15 and 16, 2025 for the convention in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. “NEC approved the year 2025 Elective National Convention Schedule of Activities and Timetable. Under the approved Timetable, the Elective National Convention to elect the next set of National Officers of our Party will hold on Saturday, 15th to Sunday, 16th November, 2025 in Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital, a communique…

THE Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC), has approved the elevation of 57 legal practitioners to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). At its 169th plenary session held today in Abuja, the LPPC, under the distinguished Chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, approved the elevation of 56 advocate appointees and a single appointee under the academic category. Only two female legal practitioners were conferred with the rank this year; they are the Chairman of the NBA 2024 Annual General Conference Planning Committee, Mrs Oyinkan Badejo-Okusanya and Mrs Chinyere Ekene Moneme. Other names on the…

THE House of Representatives has commenced its annual recess, adjourning legislative activities till September 23. The motion to proceed on the two-month break was moved, seconded, and unanimously adopted by members during plenary. Speaker Abbas Tajudeen announced the decision during the closing session on Wednesday, July 23, at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja. This customary break, a regular feature of the National Assembly’s legislative calendar, allows lawmakers to dedicate time to constituency activities, oversight functions, and personal engagements. Speaker Abbas encouraged members to utilise the period to reconnect with their constituents, address local concerns, and monitor ongoing federal projects…

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should zone its presidential ticket to the South in 2027 in the spirit of equity, fairplay and justice, one of the founding fathers of the party Prof. Jerry Gana said yesterday. He also said that for the opposition party to grow, emphasis should be on youth inclusion. Gana, a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT), spoke on why the party should return to the vision of the founding fathers during the Consultative Conference held at the Nigeria Airforce Conference Center in Abuja. Party elders were locked in sober reflection on the fate and future…

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has once again reduced the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS), lowering it from N895 to N890 per litre, marking the second reduction within one week. News Point Nigeria reports that the fuel stations operated by NNPCL across Kubwa Expressway, Gwarimpa, and Wuse Zone 4 in Abuja have already adjusted their pumps to reflect the new rate. This price drop comes shortly after an earlier adjustment last week, signaling a possible trend of marginal reductions as part of broader market shifts. In a competitive move, retail partners of Dangote Refinery including AP…

THE Senate on Wednesday formally received four lawmakers who have defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), further strengthening the party’s hold on the upper chamber. The defectors include: Senator Ekong Samson (Akwa Ibom South), Senator Etim Bassey (Akwa Ibom North East), Senator Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), and Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central). The Senate subsequently relaxed its rules to allow the presence of some high-profile APC officials, including the party’s National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru; Chairman of the APC in Osun State, Tajudeen Lawal; members of the House of Representatives, and former…

FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised concerns over perceived threats to opposition leaders, warning that any threat to Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, must be seen as a threat to all democratic actors. This reaction follows a contentious warning issued by Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, who insisted that Obi must inform his government and obtain security clearance before entering the state. The debate was further intensified by the backing of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who reinforced Okpebholo’s stance during the inauguration of the revamped Edo Line Transport Company in Benin City.…

A SENATE probe into the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL)’s alleged failure to account for over ₦210 trillion between 2017 and 2023 hit a roadblock Tuesday as the company’s Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Bayo Ojulari, failed to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts for the fourth time. Ojulari, who was expected to address the committee on the massive financial discrepancies, was instead represented by the Chief Financial Officer, Dapo Segun, who cited a last-minute presidential summons as the reason for the GCEO’s absence. The excuse, communicated in a letter dated July 22, 2025, and read by…

SENATE President Godswill Akpabio has extolled former President Muhammadu Buhari as a leader who served Nigeria without mismanaging the nation’s treasury. Akpabio, who stated this at an expanded Federal Executive Council meeting in honour of Buhari in Abuja on Thursday, said even the former president’s critics would agree that he did not embezzle public funds while in office. He said, “And let us be honest, he was tough. He was a soldier who did not flinch under fire, a leader who did not flee from responsibility, and above all, a Nigerian whose loyalty to this nation was never up for…

THE Federal Capital Territory High Court,  said on Thursday, that the international passport of the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, was not in its custody but in the custody of the Federal High Court, Abuja. At the resumed hearing of the alleged money laundering case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against the former governor, Justice Maryann Anenih held that the court would have considered the application for the release of the defendant’s travel document if it were to be in its custody. She said even if the request to retrieve the international passport were…

THE headline inflation for June 2025 moderated to 22.22 per cent relative to the May 2025 headline inflation rate of 22.97 per cent. This was disclosed by the National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday. According to the latest Consumer Price Index report released by the Bureau, the year-on-year figure reflects a 0.75 percentage point decline from the previous month and a significant 11.97 percentage point drop when compared to June 2024, which recorded an inflation rate of 34.19 per cent. The decline in annual inflation is being recorded against the backdrop of a rebased index, with 2024 as the new…

THE Nigeria Police Force has commenced disciplinary proceedings against 151 senior officers over various allegations of misconduct and ethical breaches, in a move to reinforce accountability and professional discipline within its ranks. The review commenced on Monday, July 14, and will conclude on Friday, July 25, 2025, at the IGP Smart Conference Hall, Force Headquarters, Abuja. The officers, selected from commands and units nationwide, are appearing before the Force Disciplinary Committee (FDC) over alleged violations ranging from professional misconduct to breaches of internal regulations. The Force Disciplinary Committee is the police’s internal body responsible for investigating cases involving senior officers…

THE body of Nigeria’s former President Muhammadu Buhari has departed the United Kingdom and is now on its final journey home to his birthplace of Daura in Katsina State, where he will be laid to rest later today. Buhari’s remains were flown out of London on a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft in the early hours of Tuesday morning, following final diplomatic and medical formalities. He was accompanied by a federal delegation led by Vice President Kashim Shettima and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, among other top government officials. The late former president passed away at…

FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan and former Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo, on Monday visited Vice President Kashim Shettima and his delegation in London as they paid tribute to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari. Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, disclosed this in a statement he signed on Monday titled ‘Jonathan, Akufo-Addo Visit VP Shettima In London, Pay Tribute To Buhari’. The former president succumbed to a prolonged illness at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, at a London Clinic, according to his family. Buhari had travelled on June 28 for follow-up care but…

THE National Assembly has suspended legislative activities in the Senate and the House of Representatives until Tuesday, July 22, 2025. The postponement of plenary in both legislative chambers was announced by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, in a statement on Monday. According to Ogunlana, the suspension of plenary was to honour former President Muhammadu Buhari, who died on Sunday, July 13, 2025, in London, United Kingdom. “In honour of his legacy and service to the nation, I am directed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to inform all members…

SENATOR Muhammad Umar Jibrilla Bindow, former Governor of Adamawa State has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing the late Nigerian leader as a father figure, mentor, and towering symbol of integrity in public service. In a statement personally signed and released in Yola on Saturday following the confirmation of the death of the former President, Bindow said he received the news with “profound sadness” and extended his condolences to the entire nation. “I received with profound sadness, the news of the demise of His Excellency, former President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, this afternoon. “The pain…

THE Senate has said that it cannot reinstate Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan until it considers the contents of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the court judgement in the case involving her and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Sen. Yemi Adaramodu, stated this in an interview with the press on Sunday in Abuja. This newspaper reports that the senate had, on March 6, suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months amid the sexual harassment allegation she had made against Akpabio. The suspension came after a recommendation from the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of…