Author: Farouk Abbas

Say ‘It’s Proof Kogi Central Has Abandoned Natasha’ Vow To Proceed With Recall, Finetune Process CONSTITUENTS of Kogi Central Senatorial District have thanked the Independent National Electoral Commission for validating 208,132 (43.86 per cent) signatures in the petition submitted for the recall of the suspended lawmaker representing the District in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The constituents, who are registered voters of Kogi Central, noted that, though they had mobilised more than the 50 per cent plus one threshold of registered voters and submitted their petition with full documentation, the validation of 43.86 per cent by the Commission still…

THE Nigeria Customs has described a recent report on the tenure extension of Comptroller-General, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR as false and misleading. In a press statement monitored on X on Wednesday, national public relations officer, Abdulahi Maiwada, stated that appointments and tenure extensions for the position of Comptroller-General of Customs are made solely at the discretion of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. According to him, such an extension will be within the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and other relevant regulations governing public service appointments. “As of this moment, no such directive has been…

THE Kogi State Government has asked security agencies to hold Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central District responsible should any violence erupt in the North Central state. In a statement on Tuesday, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, blamed the female senator for holding her homecoming rally despite the ban placed by the Governor Usman Ododo administration. “She should be held accountable for her blatant attempts to incite violence and cause unnecessary tension,” Fanwo said. The commissioner also said the female lawmaker allegedly has “plans to use her visit to stir trouble and violence in Kogi Central Senatorial District”.…

SENATOR Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Tuesday received a sallah homecoming from her supporters and residents of the Ihima community of Kogi despite the state government’s ban on rallies and processions. As early as 8am, her supporters from the five local government areas of Kogi Central Senatorial District that Akpoti-Uduaghan represents gathered at the Ihima community of the Okehi Local Government Area (LGA) to welcome the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker. Several local musicians took turns entertaining the people who attended the celebration while they awaited the arrival of the female lawmaker It did not, however, take long before the embattled senator…

THE National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) says that with Dangote Refinery and others coming on board, Nigerians should expect a crash in the price of premium motor spirit, better known as petrol. The product was sold for less than ₦200 per litre before the removal; it currently sells for around ₦930 per litre, depending on the area. However, the Director-General of NIPSS, Ayo Omotayo, while the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu’s administration has led to a hike in the cost of the essential item, better days are ahead for the country. “With the removal…

POLICE authorities in Kogi State have asked organisers of a homecoming rally for Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to cancel it. In a statement on Tuesday, the spokesman of the Kogi Police Command, William Aya, hinged the warning on an “intelligence report”. “The call for cancellation becomes necessary, noting that intelligence reveals that some hoodlums plan to hijack the process and cause a disturbance of peace in the State. The Command cannot afford to jeopardize the existing peace the State is currently enjoying,” the statement read. Aya said, “In view of the security threat received on the planned rally, the Kogi State…

ANTI-GRAFT agencies and the Office of the Auditor- General for the Federation (OAGF) have been asked to beam their searchlights on the financial records of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON). The House of Representatives urged the bodies to carry out comprehensive external audit of the commission, including the N90 billion federal subsidy for the 2024 hajj operations. Specifically, the Green Chamber, which could verify the authenticity of the list provided to it by the commission, directed the anti-corruption agencies to probe NAHCON’s claim that it sponsored 1000 officials from the subsidy. The recommendation followed the adoption of the…

THE Nigerian military on Sunday blamed “violent” protesters who opened fire at security forces for clashes at a protest in Abuja that left 12 dead. The protest, held Friday in Abuja by the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), saw supporters of the banned Shiite movement gather for Quds Day, which is marked around the world with pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Eleven protesters and one soldier were killed, according to a government intelligence report seen by News Point Nigeria. Amnesty International’s Nigeria branch said soldiers fired live rounds at protesters as a form of crowd control — events the military disputed. “The protesters…

THE National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, warmly congratulates the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria and across the world on the joyous occasion of Eid-Al-Fitr, marking the successful completion of the holy month of Ramadan. Dr. Ganduje rejoices with all Muslims for the spiritual renewal and discipline attained during the sacred month of fasting, prayer, and devotion to Almighty Allah. He urges the faithful to uphold the virtues of piety, selflessness, and compassion that Ramadan represents, while also extending love and kindness to one another, especially the less privileged in society. As Nigeria continues on…

THE Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy has joined  Nigerians in celebrating the President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as he marks his 73rd birthday on Saturday, March 29th, 2025. Minister Hannatu Musa Musawa described the President as a visionary leader who has demonstrated unwavering commitment to the development of the nation’s creative sector. She eulogized his administration’s outstanding support in promoting Nigeria’s vibrant creative sector, adding that the ministry has witnessed significant support in promoting Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage. “As the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, I am honored to acknowledge President Tinubu’s instrumental…

Recall Proocess’ll Deepen Democracy, Put Lawmakers On Their Toes THE Campaign for Democracy has said that the actions taken by the suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, since the “avoidable” crisis began a few weeks ago, have put Nigeria’s image on trial before the global community. The foremost Civil Society Organisation expressed concern that, rather than addressing the core issues surrounding her suspension within the framework of Nigeria’s democratic institutions, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan chose to “engage in a campaign of calumny against the Senate as an institution.” In a statement on Thursday, signed…

THERE mild tension as Police are currently investigating a case of alleged infiltration of the National Assembly by Russia’s KGB (Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti), the former Soviet security agency. The Police headquarters had invited Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi, for questioning following a petition by his colleague, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to that effect, it was learnt. According to the petition dated March 5, Senator  Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on six months suspension from the Senate had asked the police to investigate the claim by her counterpart from Kogi West that the KGB had infiltrated the National Assembly, thus posing a…

– Say, ‘She’s Now A Paper Weight In Kogi Central’ THOUSANDS of Kogi Central constituents have unanimously thrown their weights behind the ongoing recall process for the suspended Senator representing the District in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, saying no amount of falsehood and propaganda can derail the process. The constituents noted that it had become clear that her being in the Senate was an error, adding that they were determined to correct that error. The over 10,000 constituents, from the five local government areas in Kogi Central, under the platform of Kogi Central Grassroots Movement, spoke through a…

THE Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening cultural ties with Uganda. The Minister, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa made this known on Tuesday in Abuja, when a 27-man delegation comprising senior military officers from Uganda paid her a courtesy visit. The Minister said that the collaboration is part of Nigeria’s broader strategy to promote pan-Africanism and foster greater regional integration. Minister Musawa who was represented by the Head of Department, Cultural Industries and Heritage, Rev. Canon Anamah N.U.B, Ph.D stated that Nigeria and Uganda have a long-standing relationship which dates back to…

THE Organised Labour has strongly condemned the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, warning that it may be forced to take decisive action that could disrupt national economic activities if the proclamation is not reversed within a reasonable timeframe. The threat was contained in a statement jointly signed by the Rivers State Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Alex Agwanwor; State Chairperson of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Ikechukwu Onyefuru; and Chairperson of the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC), Chuku Emecheta. The labour unions raised concerns about the legality, economic impact, and consequences of the federal government’s…

ACTIVIST, and pro-democracy advocate, Comrade Okpe Sylvanus, has lauded the decision of constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District to recall the embattled Senator representing them at the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The activist, in a video that has now gone viral, said these were the electorate of Kogi Central and that, going by their constitutional rights, they also had the power to recall her at anytime. In the four minutes, 36 seconds video, he lambasted the suspended Senator over what he described as her mischievous allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The activist said, as a lawyer, a Senator…

KOGI West indigenes, on Sunday, said the unstable and embarrassing conduct of the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, had shown that her call for periodic drug tests for senators was apt. The indigenes said the embattled senator’s advice was in order, considering the fact that her conduct since she refused to obey a simple sitting arrangement rule at the Senate, had truly called for a drug test to ascertain if she was free from the influence of substance. The constituents were responding to a statement by the embattled Senator, where she called for…

THE Senator Representing, Kogi West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Sen. Sunday Karimi, has said that the current happenings in the Senate involving the lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, have vindicated former Governor Yahaya Bello. Senator Karimi noted that, as a key player in the National Assembly, he could comfortably say that the former Governor could, afterall, not have been blamed for what Akpoti-Uduaghan blamed him for in the state prior to the National Assembly elections. The Kogi West Senator, who spoke to journalists in Lokoja, in reaction to the face-off between Akpoti-Udaughan and Senate President Godswill…

‘Action Shows You Have Realised You’re As Good As Gone’ KOGI Central indigenes have described the recent court injunction obtained by the embattled lawmaker representing the Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from receiving a petition for her recall, as a sign that “she has realised that she is as good as gone.” According to the constituents, who cut across the five local government areas of the Senatorial District, once intentions are not pure, individuals are bound to commit irreversible blunders, “which is the case of Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan, even in the construction of her court…

THE Supreme Court has nullified the judgements of the Court of Appeal and Federal High Court which sacked Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). A five-member panel of the apex court held that the issue of who is the National Secretary of the PDP borders on the internal affairs of a political party which is not justiciable. Justice Jamilu Tukur, who delivered the lead judgment of the Supreme Court, consequently struck out the judgement of the trial court delivered in October 2024 and also set aside the majority judgement of the court of appeal…