Author: David Akonuche

JUSTICE Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned proceedings in the suit challenging the eligibility of former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election following the absence of both the plaintiff and his counsel in court. News Point Nigeria reports the the judge subsequently fixed May 15, 2026, for the next hearing and warned that punitive costs could be awarded against the plaintiff if there is another failure to appear before the court. During proceedings, counsel to the defendant, Chris Uche, SAN, drew the attention of the court to the absence of the plaintiff,…

THE Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has zoned the presidential ticket for 2027 to Southern Nigeria. News Point Nigeria reports that the development comes as the leadership of the party, including Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and others, is currently holding in Abuja for the national convention of the party. The convention is expected to rectify some of the recent decisions of the national executive committee of the NDC. According to the agenda made available to journalists, some of the issues on the table for discussion and resolution are zoning, ratification of the amended party constitution, and the election of national executives…

FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, have obtained the African Democratic Congress expression of interest and nomination forms ahead of the 2027 general elections. News Point Nigeria reports that another presidential aspirant, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has also picked up the form, pledging to prioritise security, job creation and the rising cost of living affecting millions of Nigerians. The National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed to this newspaper on Friday that the three aspirants had already obtained the forms. “Yes, the three of them (Atiku, Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen) have obtained the forms,” he…

FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan has challenged a suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, seeking to restrain him from contesting the 2027 presidential election. News Point Nigeria reports that Jonathan, through his lawyer, Chris Uche, SAN, told Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, shortly after the matter was called for hearing. Uche informed the court that a letter of conditional appearance, a notice of preliminary objection, a counter-affidavit, and a written address had been filed on May 5, praying the court to dismiss the case. He said they got information about the case through the media and…

A PRESIDENTIAL aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi, on Monday consulted former President Goodluck Jonathan on the state of the nation and the 2027 general elections. News Point Nigeria reports that Obi disclosed this after a closed-door meeting with the former president in Abuja. He led a delegation of South-East political leaders to the meeting, including serving and former lawmakers, as well as former Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa. Briefing journalists after the meeting, the former Anambra State governor said the visit was part of ongoing consultations ahead of the 2027 elections. “Notable South-East leaders have…

GOVERNOR Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has described the outcome of the 2023 general elections in the South-East as a “wrong national political calculation,” insisting that the voting pattern in the region was a “political accident” that will not be repeated in 2027. News Point Nigeria reports that Uzodimma made the remarks while hosting leaders of the Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, led by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, at the Government House in Owerri. The meeting, convened ahead of the party’s primaries, focused on strengthening unity within the APC in the…

THE Federal Government has criticised the coronation and activities of individuals styled as Eze Ndigbo (Igbo traditional rulers) in foreign countries, describing the practice as embarrassing. News Point Nigeria reports that the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, stated this while presenting the position of the government at a meeting of Imeobi, the highest decision-making body of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, held in Enugu on Thursday. In a statement signed by her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze, the minister said, “The situation has become a major embarrassment to the government, Ndigbo, Nigerians, and citizens…

THE Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said it plans to expand the National Grid, as it commences implementation of Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), including acquisition and clearing of Right of Way (RoW) for the reconstruction and upgrade of 138km Alaoji–Onitsha 330kV transmission line. News Point Nigeria reports that the project is being carried out in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), according to a Monday statement by the Company. The project will upgrade the existing single-circuit line to a 330kV double-circuit quad-conductor transmission line, significantly enhancing the grid’s capacity and efficiency. Compensation for Project Affected Persons (PAPs) was carried…

GUNMEN have killed Eze Josephat Ikegwu, the traditional ruler of Ishinkwo Community in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. News Point Nigeria reports that the monarch attacked and killed at his residence on Wednesday night, April 1, by yet-to-be-identified assailants. Sources within the community said the incident occurred at about 10:00 p.m. when armed men stormed the residence and shot the monarch through the window of his bedroom while he was resting with his wife. The Chairperson of Onicha Local Government Area, Ikechukwu Ogbuofia, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview. “Yes, I have heard of it. It is…

A FIRE outbreak has gutted the cold store of the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health, destroying vaccines and critical medical equipment worth hundreds of millions of naira. News Point Nigeria reports that the incident occurred in the early hours of Friday at Block 5, Centenary City, Abakaliki, significantly impacting the state’s immunisation infrastructure. Speaking during an on-the-spot assessment of the damage, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, lamented the scale of the loss, noting that the facility housed vital immunisation materials and solar-powered units used for vaccine preservation. Items destroyed in the fire include vaccines, vaccine carriers, cold-chain…

A MASSIVE wave of coordinated political messaging swept across Nigeria’s digital space on Wednesday as thousands of users on X (formerly Twitter) rallied behind former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, urging the African Democratic Congress to adopt him as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections. News Point Nigeria reports that the online mobilisation, driven by hashtags such as #Amaechi2027, #AmaechiBuilt, and #NigeriaDecides, dominated Nigeria’s trending charts for hours, reflecting a growing digital push to influence opposition politics ahead of the next election cycle. The trend gained traction through coordinated posting patterns, influencer amplification, and sustained engagement across different…

GOVERNOR Charles Soludo says Anambra State is the safest in the country, with no incident in the last four months. News Point Nigeria reports that the governor also revealed that the state has cleared over 60 criminal camps and restored normalcy to eight local governments that were under siege from criminal elements. Speaking in a live media chat at the state capital in Awka on Friday, Soludo said the state had seen people flock for the festive season. ”It is safe today to say, Anambra, we claim to be the safest from all statistics, that within three to four months,…

ANAMBRA State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has relieved all political appointees in his administration of their duties, directing them to hand over to Permanent Secretaries or the most senior civil servants in their respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies. The directive comes a day after the governor’s second-term inauguration. According to a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Nwabufo Nwankwo, the affected appointees are to complete the handover on or before the close of work on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, to relevant officials who will oversee affairs pending the…

THE abducted traditional ruler of the Ndufu-Alike community in the Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Ezeogo Francis Igwe, has been killed by his kidnappers. News Point Nigeria reports that Igwe, the father of the former deputy governor of the state, Kelechi Igwe, was kidnapped on Sunday, March 1, 2026, while on his way to church in the Ndufu-Alike community. The armed men riding on a motorcycle intercepted his vehicle, forced him out, and whisked him away to an unknown destination. The Police Public Relations Officer of the Ebonyi State Command, Joshua Ukandu, stated that the monarch was killed…

THE Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a man suspected of being behind the recent attack on the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, in Benin City, the Edo State capital. News Point Nigeria reports that Obi, a former governor of Edo State, Chief John Oyegun, and several chieftains and members of the opposition All Democratic Congress (ADC), were attacked on February 24 by armed men who fired several gunshots shortly after the party’s meeting in the state. Shortly after the attack, one Udeme Monday Stephen was alleged to have posted on his X account…

GUNMEN have kidnapped Mr Francis Igwe, the father of a former Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Dr Kelechi Igwe. News Point Nigeria gathered that the elderly man was abducted on Sunday morning while on his way to church in his Ndufu-Alike community. Community sources disclosed that Igwe was driving when armed men riding a motorcycle intercepted his vehicle. The assailants allegedly double-crossed him, forced him out of his car, and whisked him away on their motorcycle to an unknown destination. The Chairman of Ikwo Local Government Area, Sunday Nwankwo, confirmed the incident, adding that the council was working with security…

JUSTICE Peter Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama has struck out a suit filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) against Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. News Point Nigeria reports that the ICPC had filed a three-count charge of alleged forgery against Ozekhome on January 16, 2026. The Attorney-General of the Federation later took over the case on January 26. At the last hearing, counsel to the Attorney-General, Rotimi Oyedepo, stated that the case would be prosecuted with the highest standard of efficiency, diligence and due process. However, during…

THE Ebonyi State Government, working with the Nigerian Police Force, has confirmed the rescue of five male children at various locations across the state. The police spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, on Sunday confirmed to News Point Nigeria that the operatives of the command played a vital role in getting the boys off the street. He noted that the children were handed over to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for further investigations and possible reunion with their parents. “Operatives of the command rescued the five male children at various locations across the state. They have been handed over…

NIGERIANS continue to await the verdict of world football governing body, FIFA, over a petition submitted by the Nigeria Football Federation, alleging that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during last November’s 2025 World Cup African play-offs. News Point Nigeria Sport reports that FIFA’s decision, earlier reported to be announced after the body’s meeting on Monday, has yet to be released and is now expected on Tuesday (today). African football fans, especially Nigerians, continue to await the ruling, given that the outcome could potentially reinstate the Super Eagles into the intercontinental play-offs in Mexico later this month, where one of the…

AN Enugu State High Court has ordered the British government to pay a total of £420 million in compensation to the families of 21 Nigerian coal miners who were killed by colonial authorities during a workers’ protest in 1949. News Point Nigeria reports that the court ruled that each family is entitled to £20 million as compensation for what it described as an unlawful and extrajudicial killing that violated the victims’ fundamental right to life. Justice Anthony Onovo, who delivered the judgment on Thursday, held that the massacre of the miners at the Iva Valley coal mine in Enugu was…