Author: Sadiq Abdullateef

THE immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has said that while technology has remarkably enhanced the credibility and efficiency of elections in Nigeria over the last decade, it remains incapable of completely eradicating the flaws that continue to undermine the nation’s electoral integrity. Yakubu made this observation in a newly published 200-page book by the commission titled “Election Management in Nigeria: 2015–2025.” A copy of the publication, which chronicles INEC’s operations, achievements, innovations, and challenges during his two-term tenure, was obtained by News Point Nigeria. In the foreword to the book, Yakubu described…

SECURITY operatives at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MM2), Lagos, have intercepted and arrested two suspects attempting to board a domestic flight with a staggering sum of $6.1 million in cash concealed in multiple boxes. The suspects, identified as Mahmud Nasidi and Yahaya Nasidi by a source, who spoke to News Point Nigeria on condition of anonymity, were apprehended on Saturday during a routine security check while trying to board an Aero Contractors flight to Abuja. The source stated  that the arrested duo are brothers and sons of a popular businessman from the north, adding that the brothers, who…

IN a landmark act of compassion and justice reform, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted presidential pardon and clemency to 175 convicts and former convicts, including Major General Mamman Vatsa, Professor Magaji Garba, Maryam Sanda, and the late Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other Ogoni Eight. The beneficiaries of the President’s mercy include illegal miners, white-collar offenders, remorseful drug convicts, foreigners, and several inmates serving various prison terms across Nigeria. The clemency was granted following recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi.…

THE Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has unveiled a fresh set of strict health and vaccination requirements for all intending pilgrims participating in the 2026 Hajj exercise (1447 AH), reinforcing its longstanding commitment to public safety and disease prevention during the world’s largest annual religious gathering. In a new circular issued by the Saudi Ministry of Health sighted by News Point Nigeria, the Kingdom declared that only medically and mentally fit pilgrims who comply with a comprehensive vaccination regime will be granted entry permits for the sacred pilgrimage. The document outlines several medical conditions that will automatically disqualify any intending pilgrim…

IN late September 2025, a storm erupted in the global media space and one of its epicenters was Nigeria. United States Senator Ted Cruz took to his social media platform, X, to accuse the Nigerian government of enabling a “massacre” against Christians. Cruz claimed that 50,000 Christians have been killed since 2009, while 2,000 schools and 18,000 churches have been destroyed by so-called “Islamist armed groups.” “We are seeing a systematic erosion of Christian communities,” Cruz declared, pledging that his proposed Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 would hold Nigerian officials accountable. He described the ongoing violence not as…

FRESH revelations have emerged on how President Bola Ahmed Tinubu personally ordered the resignation of the former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, following allegations of certificate forgery that rocked his tenure. According to findings, the embattled minister’s exit was not voluntary but the outcome of a discreet directive from the President after multiple reports accused Nnaji of submitting forged academic and NYSC certificates during his ministerial screening in 2023. Nnaji, who claimed to have earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in 1985, was later accused of falsifying both his…

A FORMER Coordinator of the Tinubu Presidential Legal Team, Babatunde Ogala (SAN), has debunked social media reports alleging that the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), was a member of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s legal defence team during the 2023 presidential election petitions. Ogala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and prominent lawyer, described the claims as “false, misleading, and malicious fabrications” aimed at discrediting both the President’s lawful appointment and the integrity of the electoral commission. In a statement personally signed and made available to News Point Nigeria on Thursday, Ogala said…

FORMER member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Farouk Muhammad Lawan, has described his presidential pardon as a profound moment of rebirth and reconciliation with destiny, marking what he called “a divine reset” in his personal and political journey. News Point Nigeria reports that Lawan, who once represented Bagwai/Shanono Federal Constituency in Kano State, was among the 175 Nigerians granted a state pardon by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday, in a gesture the Presidency said was aimed at promoting “national healing, mercy, and restorative justice.” The former lawmaker, who gained national attention as chairman of the House of Representatives…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the conferment of national honours on 959 distinguished Nigerians and friends of Nigeria, in recognition of their exceptional contributions to national development, democracy, and humanity. News Point Nigeria reports that the announcement followed a meeting of the Council of State held on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, presided over by the President. Addressing State House correspondents after the meeting, the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office, Dr. Emanso Umobong, explained that the honours list was carefully curated after a rigorous screening exercise by the National Honours Committee, reconstituted in August 2021 under the chairmanship…

BARELY 24 hours after News Point Nigeria exclusively reported that three eminent Nigerians were being considered for the position of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National Council of State has formally approved the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new electoral umpire’s helmsman. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented the nomination of Professor Amupitan, a respected academic and legal luminary from Kogi State in Nigeria’s North-Central region, during the Council’s meeting held on Thursday at the State House, Abuja. The appointment follows the expiration of the two-term tenure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who had…

THE Federal Government of Nigeria and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have expressed sharply contrasting positions following recent allegations by United States Senator, Ted Cruz, who accused the Nigerian government of enabling the “massacre” of Christians across the country. News Point Nigeria reports that Cruz, while introducing the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act before the US Senate, claimed that government officials in Nigeria were “ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by insurgents,” and called for sanctions against officials allegedly complicit in such acts. The Texas lawmaker further alleged that Christian communities were being targeted, displaced, and…

A FRESH twist has emerged in the ongoing dispute between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), as some of the engineers recently sacked or suspended by the refinery have accused the company of victimisation and unfair redeployment to unrelated business units within the Dangote Group. The affected engineers, who spoke to News Point Nigeria on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the company was punishing them for joining PENGASSAN, despite earlier assurances that workers were free to unionise. They expressed displeasure over alleged…

AN investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Bello Umar, on Wednesday told the Federal High Court, Abuja, how Olugbenga Obadina, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Almond Projects Limited, allegedly received ₦2.1 billion from the Office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), without executing any contract. News Point Nigeria reports that testifying before Justice James Omotosho, Umar, who appeared as the first prosecution witness (PW-1), detailed how the payment was traced to Obadina’s company in multiple bank transactions despite the absence of any legitimate contract with the NSA’s office. The ongoing trial…

THE Federal Government has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to suspend its proposed nationwide strike, assuring that it is working diligently to address the union’s outstanding demands and grievances. News Point Nigeria reports that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the appeal during a press conference held in Abuja on Wednesday, where he confirmed that discussions between the government and the university lecturers’ union were ongoing and progressing steadily. Alausa disclosed that the Mahmud Yayale Ahmed-led Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee had been reconstituted and inaugurated to accelerate dialogue with all academic…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially accepted the departure of Professor Mahmood Yakubu as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the expiration of his second and final tenure, marking the end of a decade-long leadership that oversaw two general elections and several landmark reforms in Nigeria’s electoral system. News Point Nigeria reports that in a statement on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the President expressed appreciation to Professor Yakubu for his years of service to Nigeria and his role in deepening the nation’s democratic process. “President Tinubu…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has accepted the resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, following a storm of controversy surrounding allegations of certificate forgery and academic misrepresentation. The development comes barely 48 hours after News Point Nigeria exclusively reported that Nnaji was on the verge of resigning after court documents and official records from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) disowned the degree certificate he claimed to possess. Confirming the development on Tuesday, the Presidential Spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said the President had accepted Nnaji’s resignation “in good faith” and thanked him for his service…

PROFESSOR Mahmood Yakubu has handed over to May Agbamuche as the Acting National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), News Point Nigeria gathered. The development, which marks a major shake-up in Nigeria’s electoral leadership, was confirmed on Tuesday at the ongoing meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) held at the INEC Headquarters in Abuja. Professor Yakubu’s  two- term 10-year tenure is schedule to end in November as he has led the Commission since 2015. He formally announced his exit on Tuesday and  handed over to Agbamuche-Mbu, urging management staff and commissioners to extend their full support to her…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has summoned an emergency Council of State meeting and a Police Council session for Thursday, October 9, 2025, as part of renewed efforts to address Nigeria’s growing insecurity and review the nation’s internal security framework. The high-level meetings to be held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja will bring together former Presidents and Heads of State, state governors, former Chief Justices of Nigeria, and top security officials, marking one of the most significant gatherings of national leaders under Tinubu’s administration. According to a statement issued on Monday by the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs…

FORMER Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor (rtd), has described the 2022 Abuja–Kaduna train abduction as one of the most harrowing and challenging episodes of his military career, admitting that the tragic incident stretched Nigeria’s security architecture to its limits. Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” on Monday night monitored by News Point Nigeria, the retired general reflected on the turbulence of his tenure, saying the attack on the passenger train near Katari, Kaduna State, was a defining moment that demanded every ounce of his experience and leadership. “For me, during the time I was…

LESS than 24 hours after News Point Nigeria exclusively published an in-depth investigation exposing discrepancies and inflation in the 2026 Hajj fare announced by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered an immediate review and downward adjustment of the fare. The President directed NAHCON to come up with new, affordable Hajj fares within 48 hours. The directive was conveyed by Vice President Kashim Shettima during a meeting with the management and board members of the commission at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday. According to the Vice President, the President’s order followed concerns raised…