Author: Hamza Rufai

FORMER Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Sunday said that his successor, Senator Uba Sani, is not his friend. El-Rufai, 65, who was instrumental to Sani’s emergence as Kaduna State governor in 2023, however, dispelled rumours of a rift between him and the governor. There were reports that the duo were at loggerheads following El-Rufai’s criticisms of the Federal Government’s policies and the Kaduna State Government. But speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics monitored by News Point Nigeria, the former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said both men were never friends. El-Rufai said, “I’ve not fallen out with…

THE National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has announced deadlines for the successful coordination of the 2026 Hajj exercise. News Point Nigeria reports that the detailed in a statement showing the critical timelines on its X account on Friday, signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saudi authorities will take place in November 2025, marking the official commencement of Hajj preparations. By January 4, 2026, all camp booking payments must be completed, and service contract packages confirmed. This will be followed by the February 1, 2026, deadline for uploading transport and accommodation contracts on the Nusuk Masar portal. The commission…

THE presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the 2023 general election, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has dismissed speculation about defecting to another political party, declaring that he remains committed to strengthening the NNPP ahead of the 2027 polls. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, Kwankwaso said he was aware of rumours that he would make a “critical decision” on his political future, but insisted the reports were false. “Let me use this opportunity to tell you that we have our party, and we are comfortable.…

THE Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has withdrawn his earlier claim that no binding agreement existed between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, acknowledging that the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement remains valid. In a statement issued on Friday made available to News Point Nigeria, the minister clarified that the 2009 pact remains the only valid and binding document to date. The clarification came after addressing reporters on Thursday in Abuja, dismissing ASUU’s position as being based on a draft, insisting that no agreement had ever been signed, a stance the union immediately challenged. According to the minister,…

BAUCHI State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed, has blamed the party’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election on its refusal to zone the ticket to the southern region of the country. Speaking on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today monitored by News Point Nigeria, Mohammed admitted that the party’s decision to throw the ticket open was a strategic blunder that cost it the presidency. “Life is always a learning process. When we did it [throwing the ticket open] in 2023, it was not a pleasant experience, and that was…

THE Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, on Thursday, distanced himself from partisan politics, saying his focus is on reforms and the revival of the nation’s oil refineries. News Point Nigeria reports that Ojulari made the remark while receiving a delegation of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), led by its President, Festus Osifo, at the company’s headquarters in Abuja. “I’m not hiding from anybody. I’m not a politician. I will have to learn a bit more about politics, but for me, it is a development plan,…

VICE President Kashim Shettima on Thursday presided over a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, as well as the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma. Also present were governors of Zamfara, Jigawa, Lagos, Anambra, Gombe, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Benue, and Ondo States, alongside the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, who represented the state government. While details of the deliberations…

FORMER Kano State governor and immediate past APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, is facing fresh scrutiny as the Kano State Government has launched an investigation into the alleged illegal sale of the multi-billion naira Nigerian Meat and Allied Products (NIMAP) Abattoir located in Chalawa Industrial Area. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has constituted an 11-member panel to probe the transaction, which allegedly saw the massive facility—built under the administration of former governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso auctioned off under Ganduje’s watch. The NIMAP abattoir, sitting on expansive land and designed to provide multiple services that would generate revenue and create…

A FEDERL High Court in Abuja has directed six commercial banks in Nigeria to furnish the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, with detailed financial records of bank accounts linked to activist, politician, and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, and his companies. News Point Nigeria reports that the order, issued by Justice Emeka Nwite on Monday, followed an ex parte application brought before the court by police counsel, Wisdom Madaki, on behalf of the IGP. The development marks a fresh chapter in the legal battles surrounding Sowore, a former presidential candidate and convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, who has…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that a total of 1,379,342 Nigerians completed their online pre-registration in the first week of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which ran from August 18 to 24, 2025. According to INEC’s CVR State Pre-Registration Report, released on Monday made available to News Point Nigeria, Osun State recorded the highest number of pre-registrations with 393,269 entries, representing 28.51 percent of the national total. Lagos State followed closely with 222,205 registrations (16.11 percent), while Ogun State posted an impressive 132,823 (9.63 percent). Other states with significant turnout included the Federal Capital Territory…

IN what is seen as a major turning point for Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), its National Executive Committee (NEC) on Monday confirmed Ambassador Umar Damagum as the party’s substantive National Chairman while unanimously zoning the 2027 presidential ticket to the South. News Point Nigeria reports that the decisions were taken at the party’s 102nd NEC meeting held in Abuja, which was marked by intense deliberations and symbolic moments, including the brief suspension of proceedings to conduct Damagum’s swearing-in. The oath of office was administered by the party’s National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade. Damagum, who had…

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday commenced its highly anticipated 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, with party stalwarts, governors, and former ministers turning up in large numbers. News Point Nigeria reports that among the early arrivals were the party’s former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George, and former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, both of whom received a rousing welcome from party members and supporters gathered at Wadata Plaza. The meeting, scheduled to begin at 3pm, comes at a critical time as the PDP moves to reposition itself ahead of…

VICE President Kashim Shettima has revealed that Nigeria may require an estimated ₦1 trillion annually to fully sustain nationwide coverage of the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme. News Point Nigeria reports that the Vice President made the disclosure in Abuja over the weekend during the National Policy Forum on the Institutionalisation and Implementation of the Renewed Hope National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, organised by ActionAid Nigeria. Represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, Dr. Tope Fasua, Shettima stressed that the programme must not be seen as a financial burden but as a strategic investment in nation-building with…

THE 2023 Labour Party (LP) vice-presidential candidate, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, has dismissed the newly formed opposition coalition spearheaded by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying the group is “deceiving Nigerians” with claims that it can provide an alternative path to rescue the country from its present woes. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday monitored by News Point Nigeria, Baba-Ahmed insisted that the real hope for Nigeria lies in the partnership between him and his 2023 principal, Peter Obi, who has already signaled interest in contesting the 2027 presidential election. “They are deceiving us,” Baba-Ahmed declared while reacting to…

NASARAWA West lawmaker, Senator Ahmed Wadada, has officially resigned his membership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), citing prolonged internal crises within the party. The development was contained in a resignation letter addressed to the Chairman of the SDP in Tudun Kofa Ward, Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, and sighted by News Point Nigeria on Thursday. The letter, titled “Notification of Resignation from the Social Democratic Party (SDP)”, indicated that Wadada’s decision took effect immediately. In the letter, the Senator stated: “I am writing to inform you of my decision to resign as a member of the Social…

THE House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has summoned 11 electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) over an outstanding ₦2.6 trillion debt owed to the federation account. News Point Nigeria gathered that the resolution followed an investigative hearing on Wednesday chaired by Hon. Bamidele Salam, after lawmakers reviewed the 2021 Auditor-General of the Federation’s report, which flagged massive irregularities in Nigeria’s power sector. The Managing Director of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) Plc, Johnson Akinnawo, confirmed the liabilities while presenting documents before the Committee. According to NBET’s records as of September 30, 2020, the 11 Discos collectively owed ₦2.6…

THE African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly rejected the proposed salary increases for political office holders, describing the move as “an affront to the struggling Nigerian people” and evidence of government’s disconnect from reality. The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) recently revealed plans to review and raise the emoluments of the President, Vice President, governors, ministers, and other top government officials. The proposed increment has already sparked outrage among citizens and civil society groups. In a statement signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC National Publicity Secretary made available to News Point Nigeria, the party said the proposal…

MILLIONS of Nigerian telecom subscribers can heave a sigh of relief following President Bola Tinubu’s decision to abolish the planned five per cent excise duty on telecommunications services, a levy that had faced strong opposition since its introduction under the 2020 Finance Act. News Point Nigeria reports that the confirmation came on Tuesday in Abuja, where the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, announced that the tax, which had earlier been suspended, had now been completely removed. “The excise duty, it was the five per cent or so, that is no longer there,” Maida told…

NIGERIA’s 36 state governors have launched a new investment platform known as NGF Investopedia, aimed at attracting global and African capital to accelerate infrastructure development, generate employment, and boost inclusive economic growth. The platform was unveiled in Abuja on Tuesday under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). The compendium, which will be published every two years, will highlight investment-ready projects across key sectors while providing detailed analyses, incentives, and market insights for potential investors. NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, represented at the event by Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, described the initiative as a strategic…

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has dismissed the 2027 presidential ambition of his predecessor and political rival, Rotimi Amaechi, saying it is “dead on arrival.” Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday, monitored by News Point Nigeria, Wike said Nigerians would not give the former transportation minister a chance, either within his party or in the general elections. Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State and one-time APC presidential aspirant, defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in 2025 after losing to President Bola Tinubu in the ruling party’s 2022 presidential primaries. He is now seeking the ADC’s ticket…