Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani

MAX Air aircraft 5N-ADM on an Hajj flight to Niamey, Niger Republic is stranded in the city’s airport due to the ongoing military coup in the country. News Point Nigeria reports that, the aircraft, a b-747-400 landed in Niamey at 2140z (22:40 local time) with 360 Nigerian pilgrims onboard. Captain Maitama Kabo was in command of the 18 crew onboard. More details shortly…

THE national vice chairman (North West) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, has resigned. Lukman, a member of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) in a letter dated July 26 and addressed to the party’s acting national chairman, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said he resigned because the atmosphere in the party is at variance with the vision of its founding fathers. He had said it would be suicidal to replace Senator Abdullahi Adamu, former National Chairman of the ruling party with ex-Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. The resignation letter reads in part: “I hereby kindly resign my position as…

THE Nigeria Police Force says there is no going back on its decision to withdraw mobile police personnel from VIPs in the country. This is coming a week after the Force denied withdrawing mobile police force from top personalities in the country after a leaked memo stated so. In the aftermath of the denial, there were insinuations in some quarters that the police lacked the will to implement the policy. However, reacting in a statement on Monday, the Force Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the decision of the police on the withdrawal remained unchanged. “The Nigeria Police Force hereby addresses recent…

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has insisted that there is no crisis in the party despite the recent resignation of its National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu; and National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore. In a statement on Saturday by APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the party said contrary to reports of deepening crisis, “the APC stands as one strong, dynamic, resilient and progressive party”. According to the APC, the resignation of the two leaders showed the party’s level of institutional maturity and quality of its leadership which place the best interest of the party first and above personal egos and ambitions. The…

THE Bauchi State Local Government Service Commission has sacked six traditional rulers for allegedly dabbling in partisan politics. News Point Nigeria reports that the affected traditional rulers are from Bauchi and the Katagum Emirates of the State. This was disclosed in a statement on Thursday by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Bauchi State Local Government Service Commission, Nasiru Dewu. “The Local Government Service Commission has approved the dismissal of six traditional rulers from Bauchi and Katagum Emirate Councils based on partisan politics, misconduct, illegal forest reserve encroachment and felling of trees, misappropriation of public funds and insubordination which is contrary to…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the Infrastructure Support Fund (ISF) for the 36 states of the Federation as part of measures to cushion the effects of the petrol subsidy removal on Nigerians. This was disclosed in a statement on Thursday by the presidential spokesman, Dele Alake, saying the approval followed the monthly meeting of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in Abuja. The new Infrastructure Fund will enable the states to intervene and invest in the critical areas of transportation, including farm-to-market road improvements; agriculture, encompassing livestock and ranching solutions; health, with a focus on basic healthcare;…

JUSTICE Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja, has threatened to issue a warrant of arrest against the suspended Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, over his failure to appear in court to explain the circumstances surrounding the $53 million judgement debt arising from the Paris Club refund. Justice Ekwo, who ordered Emefiele to appear on the next adjourned date, said he was minded to exercise restraint in the proceeding to give the ex-CBN boss an opportunity to explain himself. The development occurred following an intervention by the counsel to Emefiele, Audu Anuga, who prayed for…

NATIONAL Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Senator Iyiola Omisore has resigned, News Point Nigeria gathered. His resignation followed Sunday night’s resignation of the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu. News Point Nigeria had reported that, some sources within the party hinted that Senator Adamu is said to have resigned along with the National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore last night. This newspaper confirms that Omisore resigned an hour ago after he was shut out of the emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting of the ruling party. Omisore, who was among the early callers at the meeting…

SENATOR Abubakar Kyari, Deputy National Chairman (North) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has emerged as acting National Chairman of the ruling party. This follows the resignation of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the party’s national chairman. In line with the party’s constitution, if a national chairman resigns, the deputy national chairman from the zone would take over in acting capacity. Kyari led some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) into a meeting currently taking place at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja amid tight security. Those who came in with Kyari were: Deputy National Chairman (South), Emma Enukwu;…

SENATOR Abdullahi Adamu was notably absent as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s National Working Committee (NWC) met in Abuja on Monday. News Point Nigeria had reported that, Adamu tendered his resignation last night. Credible sources confirmed to this newspaper that Adamu, who emerged as the national chairman at the party’s national convention held in March 2022, has sent his resignation letter to the Presidential Villa, Abuja ahead of the return of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the African Union (AU) meeting in Kenya. One of the sources said Adamu, a former governor of Nasarawa State, sent the resignation…

A MEMBER of the House of Representatives representing Tangaza/Gudu Federal Constituency of Sokoto State, Sani Yakubu, has raised alarm, saying jihadists from Niger Republic, Mali and Libya and the local bandits operating in Tangaza Local Government of the state have imposed a tax on farmers in the area. Yakubu, who disclosed this while presenting a motion at plenary yesterday, said Tangaza/Gudu Federal Constituency was surrounded by two forests; Tsauna Forest that stretches over to Gwadabawa, Illela and Niger Republic and Kuyan Bana Forest which also stretches to Gudu and Niger Republic. Revealing that the terrorists within the areas had joined…

VICE President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday said the Tinubu-led administration was committed to educating the girl child to position them as key contributors to national development. “President Bola Tinubu is fully and unequivocally committed to the girl-child education and gender empowerment initiatives,” Shettima said when he received a delegation from the United Nations led by the UN Deputy Secretary-General and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, Mrs Amina Mohammed, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The State House Director of Information, Office of the Vice President, Olusola Abiola, revealed this in a statement he signed on Wednesday titled ‘Tinubu…

A TOTAL of six students scored 01 in the 2023: National Common Entrance Examinations conducted by the National Examinations Council, The PUNCH reports. The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Andrew Adejo, made this known while giving a breakdown of scores in Abuja on Wednesday. Adejo said, “A total of (72,865) pupils registered compared to 71,738 for 2022 with Lagos State having the highest number of 18,644 and Taraba with the lowest of 102. With 38,801 female registrants against 34,064 males, we are making progress with bridging the gender parity; Sixty nine thousand, eight hundred and twenty nine…

AS Nigerians await the ministerial list of President Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore has hinted at the possibility of the President merging some ministries. The APC chieftain, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday monitored by News Point Nigeria, said the size of the President’s cabinet will be between 36 and 42. “The Constitution says a minister per state, that is 36 and one per zone making 42, at the prerogative of the President. So it can either make 36 minimum or 42 the highest,” he said. “We are still…

GOVERNORS elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are holding their maiden meeting as a forum at the Akwa Ibom State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja. Some of the governors who have already arrived at the venue of the meeting are Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Bassey Otu (Cross River). According to the director general of the PDP governors forum, the governors are expected to discuss the state of the nation, especially recent developments in the country, politically, socially, and economically. Former Benue Gov,Samuel Ortom was also present, having…

A FEDERAL High Court, Abuja, on Monday, stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from prosecuting the suspended Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari, over his declaration of Aisha Dahiru, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, as governor in the March 18 poll. Justice Donatus Okorowo made the order after Mr Michael Aondoaka, SAN, counsel to Dahiru, moved the ex-parte motion to the effect. In the ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/935/2023, the APC candidate in the poll, sued INEC, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and another as respondents. Aondoaka while moving the motion on Monday, argued that until the…

THE Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, in a landmark judgment, has ordered the disclosure of the spending details of about USD$5 billion Abacha recovered funds by the governments of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.” The court ordered the government of President Bola Tinubu to “disclose the exact amount of money ‘stolen’ by General Sani Abacha from Nigeria, and the total amount of Abacha money recovered and all agreements signed on same by the governments of former presidents Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan and Buhari.” The judgment was delivered last week by Justice James Kolawole…

A FORMER governor of Zamfara State and senator representing Zamfara West, Abdulaziz Yari, is being grilled by operatives of the Department of State Services. The reason for his detention and interrogation is not clear yet. According to a source close to the lawmaker, Yari reported at the office of the secret police after plenary on Thursday. The source claimed that he escorted the lawmaker to the DSS office to honour its invitation. “Senator Yari is still in the DSS custody, but he should be out soon in sha ’Allah. He went to their office himself after the plenary. I escorted…

THE Presidency, on Thursday, said President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial list is not ready. The Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, made this known during a briefing with journalists at the State House in Abuja. Alake urged Nigerians to disregard the rumours surrounding the awaited ministerial list. “About the ministerial list, there is no iota of truth in all of those things,” Alake said. “When the President is good and ready, you will be the first to know about his intentions.” “I can tell you all of those things you’ve been reading in the…

GOVERNOR Agbu Kefas of Taraba State on Wednesday announced the reduction of university school fees by 50 per cent to cushion the current hardship in the country. A statement by his Spokesperson, Emmanuel Bello, said the governor made the decision known at the Taraba State University where he said quality education remained his main priority. Kefas said he had since declared a state of emergency in the education sector. According to him, I am committed to free education at the primary and secondary school levels. Many of the University students expressed joy at the development, saying the reduction in fees…