Author: Lekan Adeyeye

THE Independent National Electoral Commission has raised concerns over vote buying, political thuggery, fake news, and other logistical challenges ahead of the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for June 20, 2026. According to a post obtained from INEC’s X handle on Friday, the concerns were highlighted during a readiness assessment meeting held in Ado-Ekiti involving electoral officials, security agencies operating under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, and other key stakeholders reviewing preparations for the poll. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking during the meeting, the Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Bunmi Omoseyindemi, disclosed that the commission had intensified…

THE National Programme Manager for the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) under the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), Hamza Ibrahim Baba has highlighted the importance of agricultural investment and grassroots empowerment during the Farmer Money Stakeholders Engagement Programme held in Ondo State. News Point Nigeria reprots that the programme, organised and coordinated by the Government of Ondo State in collaboration with National Social Investment Programme Agency and Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), is aimed at expanding access to financial support and economic opportunities for farmers and small-scale agribusiness owners. The GEEP boss said it was a “distinct…

GRACE Ogunleye, the Vice Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, has regained freedom after she was abducted by gunmen along the Ipere–Iludun road. News Point Nigeria gathered that the council official was kidnapped on Wednesday while returning from an official engagement. Sources said Ogunleye’s vehicle was later discovered abandoned by the roadside, raising concerns about her whereabouts after the incident. Attempts to reach her through her mobile phone reportedly failed, as the line was said to have been switched off shortly after the abduction. It was further gathered that the vice chairman had earlier visited the Ilejemeje…

THE Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Josh Amupitan, has assured eligible voters in Ekiti State that their votes will count in the forthcoming governorship election scheduled for June 20. News Point Nigeria reports that Amupitan gave the assurance while leading National Commissioners of the commission on a readiness assessment visit to the state ahead of the election. During the visit, the INEC chairman formally presented the register of voters to political parties participating in the governorship poll. Describing the occasion as “very unique and important,” Amupitan said it was a rare privilege for Ekiti State to host…

OYO State Governor Seyi Makinde has declared that his administration will not surrender to terror following the abduction of students and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area of the state. News Point Nigeria reports that Makinde, who spoke to journalists in Ibadan on Monday, maintained that the state would not bow to intimidation. “We will not give in to terror. We will do everything possible to ensure that our children and their teachers are returned safely,” he stated. He said the state government remained committed to exploring every lawful means to secure the release of the abducted students and…

THERE was panic in Ondo State on Monday after suspected thugs reportedly disrupted the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary election in Akure by firing gunshots into the air. News Point Nigeria reports that the incident occurred at Ward 5 on Oke-Lisa/Amudipe Street in Akure South Local Government Area, where delegates had gathered to vote in the party’s primary election ahead of the 2027 general elections. Witnesses said the sound of sporadic gunfire caused widespread fear, with the noise reverberating across parts of the state capital and prompting many residents to initially suspect an armed robbery attack. Delegates who had lined…

FEMI Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, has opened up on the reason he fell out with Desmond Elliot, the lawmaker representing Surulere Constituency 1 at the Lagos State House of Assembly, linking the disagreement to the impeachment crisis involving former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa. News Point Nigeria reports that the  issue between the two politicians had long been discussed in political circles but became more public after Elliot declared his interest in seeking a fourth term in office. Responding to questions on whether there was a rift between him and Gbajabiamila, who had been regarded as one of…

GUNMEN suspected to be bandits on Monday stormed a residential estate in the Ijebu-Ode area of Ogun State and abducted three persons said to be members of the same family. News Point Nigeria reports that the Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the incident. It was gathered that the suspected gunmen, numbering about 15, invaded Ipojo Golden Estate in the Oke-Eri area of the town around 7 p.m., armed with sophisticated weapons. According to reports, the attackers forcefully gained entry into the residence, ransacked the building, and whisked away the three victims. The head of the affected family, Yesiru…

OSUN State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has approved the deposition of Oba Joseph Oloyede as the Apetumodu of Ipetumodu in Ife North Local Government following his conviction in the United States on tax fraud and money laundering charges. A statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Monday said Adeleke’s decision followed the receipt of a Certified True Copy of the Ohio court judgment convicting the monarch. According to Rasheed, the Osun State Executive Council had resolved last year that the Ministry of Local Government should write to the Ohio court to request a Certified True…

PANIC has gripped the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, following the discovery of the body of a 23-year-old student, Favour Olaniyi, in a bush near his off-campus residence. News Point Nigeria reports that Olaniyi, a student of the Department of Surveying and Geo-informatics, was found dead on Saturday along the North Gate area of the university. An empty bottle of a suspected toxic herbicide was reportedly recovered at the scene, raising concerns that the incident may be linked to suicide. The university’s Director of Corporate Communication and Protocol, Adegbenro Adebanjo, confirmed the incident in a statement on…

STUDENTS of the University of Ibadan are currently staging a peaceful protest over the shutdown of basic amenities on campus, following the ongoing strike by the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU). News Point Nigeria reports that the students are calling on the Federal Government to meet the legitimate demands of the striking union in order to end the industrial action. The protesting students took to the streets within the campus in Ibadan, demanding the restoration of essential services such as electricity, water, and other basic necessities, which are largely managed by non-academic staff. They lamented the hardship caused by the strike,…

RESIDENT of Eda Oniyo Ekiti in Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State were thrown into panic on Tuesday night after gunmen attacked a Christ Apostolic Church during a church programme, killing the pastor and abducting an unspecified number of worshippers. News Point Nigeria reports that the attack reportedly occurred around 8:30 pm at the church located on the outskirts of the community. Sources said the assailants, who arrived in large numbers and were heavily armed, invaded the worship centre while activities were ongoing. Eyewitnesses said the attackers shot the pastor dead before forcing several worshippers into a nearby forest.…

NIGERIA’s opposition political landscape took a dramatic turn on Saturday as a broad coalition of parties resolved to bury longstanding differences and rally behind a single presidential candidate to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections. News Point Nigeria reports that the decision, formally tagged the ‘Ibadan Declaration’, emerged as the defining outcome of a high-stakes national summit of opposition parties held on April 25, 2026, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, marking what participants described as a decisive moment in the country’s democratic evolution. Parties that participated in the summit included the Peoples Democratic…

FORMER Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has arrived in Ibadan for a high-level summit of opposition political leaders hosted by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde. News Point Nigeria reports that his arrival adds to an already formidable gathering of political heavyweights in the city, including former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola. The summit, currently underway in Ibadan, has attracted a wide spectrum of opposition stakeholders from across the country, reflecting a growing momentum among political actors outside the ruling bloc. Deliberations at the meeting are expected to focus…

THERE was pandemonium in Ilara-Mokin, a community in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State, following the death of a middle-aged woman identified as Oluwasola Adebayo, who slumped and died while accompanying her child to a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) centre. Eyewitnesses said the deceased had taken her daughter to the centre for the ongoing UTME when the incident occurred. News Point Nigeria gathered that she reportedly complained of weakness shortly after arriving at the junction before collapsing unexpectedly. Efforts to revive her were unsuccessful, and she was confirmed dead on the spot. Her child was said to have…

THE Ekiti State Police Command has commenced an investigation into the death of three persons following a stampede at a hotel in Ikere Ekiti. A source told News Point Nigeria that the incident occurred during an after-convocation party organised by students of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti, which held its second convocation ceremony on Saturday. It was gathered that the situation turned chaotic during the party, leading to a stampede that resulted in fatalities. Confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Command, SP Sunday Abutu, said the…

OGUN State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has approved a one-day weekly off-duty arrangement for public servants, alongside a ₦10,000 transport allowance as palliatives for three months, commencing this month. This was disclosed in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the State Head of Service, Kehinde Onasanya, who said the measure is aimed at providing relief to the state’s workforce following the hike in fuel prices and its impact on transportation and the cost of living. “The gesture of government is aimed at further easing the burden on the workforce, who now face increased challenges commuting to work,” he said.…

RESIDENTS of Akure, the Ondo State capital, may have narrowly escaped a major security breach following a police operation that led to the arrest of six suspects over an alleged plot targeting key government facilities. News Point Nigeria reports that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Adebowale Lawal, disclosed to journalists on Thursday that the operation was conducted on April 15, 2026, based on credible intelligence regarding a suspected criminal network operating across multiple states. According to him, officers acted promptly on the intelligence, moving to the identified location where the suspects were apprehended before any planned attack could…

AN OGUN State governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, on Saturday, debunked the report that she is only in the gubernatorial race to use it to bargain for either the slot of deputy governor or ministerial appointment. News Point Nigeria reports that Obasanjo said that such a report is nothing but cheap lies and propaganda insisting that she is in the race to succeed Governor Dapo Abiodun in 2027. The daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo equally stressed that her governorship campaign is anchored on public goodwill rather than financial strength. Speaking in Abeokuta, while featuring…

ONDO State Police Command has arrested three people involved in two different cases of assault and abduction of traffic police officers in Akure, the state capital. The spokesperson of the Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, made this disclosure in a statement he made available to journalists on Saturday. According to a statement sent to News Point Nigeria, the first incident occurred on April 3, 2026, when one Olopade Abraham, while driving a Toyota vehicle, in the company of one Emmanuel Taiwo, disobeyed traffic lights at Cathedral Junction, Akure. Jimoh stated further that a female senior traffic warden, Oliniju Kehinde, attached to…