Author: Hamza Rufai

A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja has, for the second time, restrained the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from holding its National Convention scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State, between November 15 and 16. The court also barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from supervising, monitoring, or recognising the outcome of the Convention, where national officers are expected to be elected. Justice Peter Lifu on Tuesday issued the fresh order while delivering a ruling in an application brought by a former governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido. Lamido had taken the party before the court, complaining that he was…

FORMER Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has recalled a period in the nation’s history when global powers particularly the United States held Nigeria in such high esteem that major policy decisions in Africa were never made without first informing Abuja. News Point Nigeria reports that Obasanjo made the statement on Monday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while addressing participants at the Presidential Youth Mentorship Retreat (6.0) organised by the Youth Development Centre of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL). Although he did not directly mention the ongoing diplomatic tension sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threat of military intervention in Nigeria,…

THE National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced a downward review of the 2026 Hajj fares for intending pilgrims across the country. News Point Nigeria reports that the move was after President Bola Tinubu, in October, through his Deputy Chief of Staff, Sen. Ibrahim Hadeija, directed NAHCON to reduce the cost of the 2026 Hajj fares that it had recently announced. A month before that, in September, the agency had announced its approved fares for the 2026 Hajj. In an update released by the Commission on Monday on X, pilgrims from the Borno and Adamawa zones will now pay…

FORMER Director-General of the Tinubu Support Groups and serving member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa, has officially defected from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring his full support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. News Point Nigeria reports that Jibrin’s return to the ruling party marks a significant realignment in Kano’s political landscape, coming barely two years to the next general elections. The federal lawmaker made the announcement on Sunday in Kofa, Bebeji Local Government Area of Kano State, where he was received by thousands…

THE Federal Government through the Ministry of Works has announced the approval of over N1.04 trillion for road projects across the country. News Point Nigeria reports that David Umahi, minister of works, in a statement issued to journalists at the weekend said that the Federal Executive Council of Nigeria, has in its meeting of 6th November 2025, approved the release of funds for projects including: 163km Sokoto–Badagry Coastal Superhighway Section 3 (Badagry – Ogun-Oyo border) worth N553 billion (N3.39 bn/km, full concrete) and Ota–Idiroko Section I at N98 billion & flyover at N23 billion. Also, Ijebu Igbo–Etapa–Owoyen Road 37 km…

THE People’s Democratic Party (PDP), led by the acting national chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, has elected Mao Ohabunwa as the chairman of its new board of trustees (BoT) for the party. News Point Nigeria reports that Ohabunwa was elected on Friday at a ceremony at the FCT minister’s official residence in Abuja. At the event, Isah Dansidi emerged as the secretary of the board. Speaking during the inauguration, Abdulrahman said the move is to restore true values to the party and regain public trust. “We have come together not merely to inaugurate a new board of trustees but to renew our…

VICE President Kashim Shettima says Nigeria’s security challenges require a united response, noting that violent attacks do not distinguish between religion, ethnicity or social status. News Point Nigeria reports that Shettima maintained that when a weapon is used by those threatening the nation’s peace, it does not differentiate between individuals and farmers and other civilians. He explained that the present administration met significant security problems on assumption of office, which has forced it to adopt a coordinated approach focused not only on addressing current threats but also on ensuring long-term peace and stability. Shettima, represented by the Deputy Chief of…

THE Senate has confirmed Dr. Kingsley Ude, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) from Enugu State, as a Minister of the Federal Republic. News Point Nigeria reports that his confirmation followed a screening session held on the Senate floor on Thursday. Born in 1978, Ude previously served as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Enugu State. During his screening, senators posed a series of questions touching on both national and international issues. Senator Abdul Ningi asked the nominee to share his opinion on the ongoing Trump threat, seeking his perspective on possible solutions. The question sparked a brief…

THE Senate has directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant regulatory bodies to strictly enforce the ban on the packaging of high-strength alcoholic beverages in sachet formats beginning December 2025. News Point Nigeria reports that the lawmakers further resolved that no additional extension should be granted beyond the current moratorium. The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong on the need to halt further extension of the phase out of of Alcoholic Beverages packaged in satchet formats. In his lead debate during plenary, Senator Ekpeyong reminded the…

NIGERIA may have forfeited more than $300 billion in crude oil revenue to theft, operational leakages and entrenched corruption over the years, an explosive Senate investigation has revealed. News Point Nigeria reports that the interim findings of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Oil Theft in the Niger Delta were presented on Wednesday by its Chairman, Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), exposing alarming lapses across the country’s oil production and export systems. According to the 40-page report, the losses described by lawmakers as “mind-boggling” stem from crude theft syndicates, illegal bunkering, sabotage, inaccurate measurement systems and large-scale revenue diversion. “The findings…

THE Senate, on Wednesday, suspended the confirmation of ministerial nominee, Kingsley Udeh (SAN), citing the absence of a mandatory security clearance required before his appointment can be approved. News Point Nigeria reports that Udeh, nominated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to represent Enugu State in the Federal Executive Council, was scheduled for confirmation during plenary on Wednesday. However, Senate President Godswill Akpabio explained that the legislative chamber would not proceed without official security vetting from relevant agencies. “The confirmation of the minister-nominee would have been next on the list, but we need security clearance,” Akpabio announced. The delay comes barely…

THE Department of State Services (DSS) has dismissed 115 personnel as part of its ongoing internal reforms aimed at strengthening professionalism and integrity within the Service. Disclosing this in a statement sighted by News Point Nigeria on Tuesday via its X handle, the secret police said the dismissals took place over a period of time and were part of broader efforts to sanitize its ranks. It also warned members of the public against dealing with individuals who have been dismissed but continue to pose as active operatives. “In addition to earlier disclaimers on the duo of Barry Donald and Victor…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has written to the Senate requesting the screening and confirmation of Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Ude, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) from Enugu State, as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. News Point Nigeria reports that the letter conveying the President’s request was read on the floor of the Senate by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s plenary. Following the announcement, Senator Akpabio referred the nomination to the Committee of the Whole for further consideration and subsequent screening. The development follows the resignation of former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, from Tinubu’s…

THE Chadian government has ordered the immediate closure of its border with Nigeria, citing heightened security concerns and intelligence suggesting movement of armed groups in the Lake Chad region following escalating geopolitical tensions. News Point Nigeria reports that multiple military sources in N’Djamena confirmed to counterterrorism analyst Zagazola Makama on Monday that President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno directed a total lockdown along the Chadian–Nigerian boundary. The move follows intelligence reports that terror elements operating in northern Nigeria may attempt to escape into Chadian territory amid fears of possible United States military operations in parts of West Africa. Security agencies have…

TENSION heightened on Monday at the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Wadata Plaza, Abuja, as a faction allegedly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, attempted to take control of the party’s secretariat. News Point Nigeria reports that the move is the latest escalation in the deepening crisis rocking the opposition party, which has faced internal division since its defeat in the 2023 general elections. The Wike-aligned faction recently announced the appointment of Muhammed Abdulrahman as the acting National Chairman, following retaliatory suspensions exchanged between both camps. Earlier, the Umar Damagum-led National…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its total readiness for the Anambra State Governorship Election scheduled for Saturday, 8th November 2025, assuring citizens and stakeholders of a peaceful, transparent, and credible process. News Point Nigeria reports that INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, gave the assurance during a high-level inspection visit to the Commission’s state office in Awka, ahead of the Stakeholders’ Meeting coming up on Monday, 3rd November 2025. “Our responsibility is to the people of this nation. We are fully prepared to deliver an election that is fair, credible, and reflective of the people’s will,” Prof.…

FORMER Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has criticised both the Federal Government and the National Assembly for failing to take early diplomatic action to avert Nigeria’s reclassification by the United States as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged persecution of Christians. The U.S. designation followed a declaration by former U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday via his Truth Social platform, where he alleged that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria,” ordering that the country be placed on the watchlist for what he termed “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.” Under U.S. law, any nation designated a CPC…

THE leadership crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has escalated dramatically, with factional suspensions tearing further into the opposition party’s already fragile structure. News Point Nigeria reports that On Saturday in Abuja, a faction of the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC), led by National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu, announced the suspension of the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and five other top officials, a move that signals deepening internal hostilities ahead of the party’s November elective convention. Anyanwu, who appeared before journalists flanked by loyal NWC members, declared that Damagum had been suspended for “incompetence, financial misconduct, and…

Applauds Umahi’s Hands-On Approach To Project Delivery THE Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has acknowledged what it described as impressive road infrastructure projects by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Coalition, which rated the current administration “very good” in the area of road infrastructure, said it came to the conclusion after a painstaking assessment of work done in various sectors of the Nigerian economy in the last two years. The foremost opposition voice disclosed this in a press release, signed by the Coalition’s National Spokesperson, Mark Adebayo, on Saturday in Abuja, after an inspection of the Abuja-Lokoja-Benin…

SENATOR representing Kaduna South Senatorial District, Barr. Sunday Katung has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). A statement signed by the Senator sent to News Point Nigeria on Saturday attributed his decision to a genuine desire to serve his constituency better. The development comes barely 24 hours after the Federal High Court, Abuja, stopped the PDP from holding its 2025 national convention. See full statement below: A New Chapter: A Message of Unity and Purpose Dear Friends and Political Associates, The past few weeks have been incredibly demanding yet profoundly reflective moments of…