Author: Hamza Rufai

THE House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly in support of the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Rivers and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months following the political crisis that had rocked the state. Two days after the move, Tinubu wrote to the National Assembly, seeking their approval for the emergency rule declaration. The Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbass read the president’s letter during a plenary session on Thursday.…

THERE are strong indications that the 2022 Electoral Act will be amended to reinstate statutory delegates in political party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections. Senate President Godswill Akpabio made this known while addressing the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja on Monday. Akpabio described the omission of statutory delegates from party primaries in the 2022 Electoral Act as a costly mistake that must be corrected before the next round of elections. Speaking on the need for the amendment, the lawmaker said, “There were defects in the last Electoral Act that need to be addressed. In…

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has slammed Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna State, accusing him of lashing out at the party due to personal grievances following his failure to secure a ministerial position in President Bola Tinubu’s administration. El-Rufai, in an interview with BBC Hausa at the weekend, claimed that he and his allies had hoped that President Bola Tinubu would replicate his achievements in Lagos at the national level but failed woefully. El-Rufai explained that despite concerns about Tinubu’s alleged certificate forgery from Chicago State University during the 2023 presidential election, they backed him, believing he could…

UNITED States President Donald Trump has ordered the dismantling of government-funded news agency, Voice of America (VOA), accusing it of promoting biased media reports. “Voice of America has been out of step with America for years. It serves as the Voice for Radical America and has pushed divisive propaganda for years now,” FOx News quoted a senior White House official as saying. Last Friday, Trump signed an executive order to dismantle seven government offices, including the United States Agency for Global Media, the parent company of VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. “The non-statutory components and functions of the following…

STATE governors have launched a fresh push against the planned disbursement of federal allocation to the local government councils in a renewed bid to delay the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict on LGA autonomy. Some of the governors, during a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, last Tuesday, kicked against payment of the LG allocation through the Central Bank of Nigeria, citing the need to address the multi-billion dollar debts allegedly incurred by the councils. Presidency officials said the governors used the opportunity of the Iftar dinner to lobby the President and renew negotiations on…

THE Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) says the agency is ready to work in line with its mandate by recovering the accumulated debts of over N455 billion owed by Arik Air Limited (in receivership), and other sister companies belonging to Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide, the promoter of Arik. Speaking in Lagos at the weekend, Jude Nwauzor, head of Corporate Communications Department at AMCON, said Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide, who is the promoter of Arik Air, Ojemai Investment Limited, and Rockson Engineering Nigeria has been uncooperative towards the agency concerning loan recovery. Nwauzor said the agency will not be discouraged by the smear campaign…

FORMER Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai said he and his allies had hoped that President Bola Tinubu would replicate his achievements in Lagos at the national level but failed woefully. El-Rufai explained that despite concerns about Tinubu’s alleged certificate forgery from Chicago State University during the 2023 presidential election they backed him, believing he could transform Nigeria as he did Lagos. “What pains me is that the government we supported and had confidence in would do well, because we saw what Tinubu did in Lagos despite his challenges,” El-Rufai told BBC Hausa in an interview on Saturday. “We all know…

SENATE President, Godswill Akpabio, and the lawmaker representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan would appear before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions (SCEPPP). This is according to the Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Onyekachi Nwebonyi, who appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today monitored by News Point Nigeria on Friday. He stated that other lawmakers too would narrate to the committee what they know regarding the alleged case of sexual harassment levelled against Akpabio by Natasha. “All the parties involved would appear before the Committee, including the Senate President. He would come and…

POPULAR entertainer, Obinna Simon better known in the entertainment industry as MC Tagwaye has joined the Social Democratic Party(ADP). Tagwaye, as he is popularly called, was a member of the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign team in the 2023 general election. He joined former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai who also left the APC for the SDP. In a statement he personally signed on Friday, he said his decision stemmed from a deep-seated conviction that the APC had deviated from its original ideals and no longer committed to the welfare and progress of the Nigerian people. According to him,…

THE House of Representatives on Thursday approved significant amendments to the four tax reform bills sent to the National Assembly in October by President Bola Tinubu. The bills are the Nigeria Tax Bill, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill and Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill. The amendments approved by the lower chamber at the plenary session on Thursday presided over by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen addressed contentious issues such as inheritance tax, Value Added Tax (VAT) rate and distribution formula, and also the clause on continuous funding of TETFUND, NASENI, and NITDA from the development levies fund. This…

OPERATIVES of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have intercepted $1,154,900 and SR135,900 undeclared foreign currency at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano State. NCS spokesman, Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday. He said the seizure was made recently during a routine baggage check on an inbound passenger, Hauwa Ibrahim Abdullahi, who arrived on Saudi Airline Flight No. SV401 from Saudi Arabia. According to Maiwada, during the physical examination of the passenger’s luggage conducted by NCS Officers, the undeclared currency was discovered concealed within palm-date fruit packs locally referred to as Dabino. He stated that…

THE complaint laid by Senator Natsha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the United Nations Inter parliamentary conference in New York on Tuesday has continued to attract reactions. The Kogi Lawmaker had taken her case before the global institution for them to prevail over what she says is an injustice meted on her. After listening to her complaint, the IPU told Senator Natasha that it will take necessary steps to address the complaints she brought to the union after listening to the other side. The Nigerian Senate has however replied to Senator Natasha’s complaint to the IPU through a letter written by the Senate…

THE price war in the downstream oil sector intensified on Tuesday as major oil marketers moved to offer a lower price against the gantry loading cost of N825 per litre set by Dangote Petroleum Refinery. This development followed a revelation by marketers that the landing cost of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) imported into Nigeria has dropped to N774.72 per litre. Marketers said the continued price plunge may lead to a reduction in the pump prices of PMS to about N800 per litre. Dealers said the N774.72 per litre landing cost, which factors in various expenses including shipping, import duties, and…

THE Senate has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct by-elections to fill the vacant seats in Edo Central and Anambra South Senatorial Districts. Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced this during plenary on Tuesday, officially declaring the vacancies. The upper chamber had declared the Edo Central seat vacant in 2024, following the inauguration of Monday Okpebholo as Governor of Edo State in December, after his election. Similarly, the Anambra South seat has remained unoccupied since the passing of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in July 2024. INEC had previously stated in January 2025 that it was awaiting a formal request…

THE Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has rescued kidnapped victims in separate operations in Adamawa and Bayelsa States, reaffirming its commitment to tackling organized crime and ensuring public safety. According to a statement on Monday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police executed coordinated rescue efforts that led to the safe return of victims without any ransom payment. Adejobi said the police rescued a Special Assistant to the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), who was kidnapped on March 7, 2025, in Ayakoro Community, Ogbia Local Government Area. The statement reads in part: “Acting…

THE United States Department of State has attributed recent challenges Nigerians face applying for US visas to a partial systems outage. Press Officer, Office of Public and Congressional Affairs, Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Jennifer Johnson, made this known in response to an inquiry made by The PUNCH. This newspaper had been inundated with reports of glitches faced by Nigerian visa applicants who particularly lamented that the US Embassy failed to interview those scheduled for appointments, as part of the visa application process. Responding to the situation, the State Department spokesperson, on Saturday, acknowledged the issues but…

THE House of Representatives has initiated moves to strip the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its powers to regulate and register political parties in Nigeria. A bill seeking to establish an independent authority for the registration, regulation, and funding of political parties in Nigeria passed a second reading at the flood of the House on Thursday The bill, which is co-sponsored by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, and Edo lawmaker, Marcus Onobun, seeks to remove political parties’ registration and regulation from INEC The proposed legislation also seeks the establishment of the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal which shall determine disputes between…

THE Senate has suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghen for six months over her dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio. “That the Senate do suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months for her total violation of the Senate Standing Rules (2023 as amended for bringing the presiding officer and the entire Nigerian Senate to public opprobrium,” Senate President Godswill Akpabio said while reading out the recommendations of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct. Despite efforts by some senators to mitigate the suspension period to three months, the Senate, in a majority vote, sustained the initial decision However, the lawmakers…

THE Senate is considering the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months. This follows investigations from the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, which cited her for total violation of Senate rules. According to the committee’s recommendation read by its Chairman, Senator Neda Imasuen, her suspension will take effect from March 6, 2025. It also recommended that her office will be locked, and she will be barred from accessing the National Assembly premises during the suspension period, her salaries and those of her legislative aides will be withdrawn. She will be prohibited from representing Nigeria in any…

THE operational crisis at NLNG Limited continues to deepen as the outage at its Bonny Island facility drags on, with natural gas supplies plummeting by a staggering 80 per cent, a new report by Bloomberg has stated. The report noted that the required gas supply has dropped by 80 per cent and only 20 per cent of the company’s needs are being met by available facilities. This development, which has worsened in recent weeks, is a threat to the nation’s revenue streams and its projected 2025 dividends of N727bn, a 113 per cent growth from N346bn last year. Vandalism and…