Author: Hamza Rufai

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed a total budget of N873.78 billion for the conduct of the 2027 general elections. News Point Nigeria reports that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, presented the proposal on Thursday during a budget defence session before the joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters at the National Assembly. The session was chaired by Senator Simon Bako Lalong and the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Adebayo Balogun. Presenting the commission’s proposal, Amupitan disclosed that preparations for the 2027 polls had already commenced in compliance with statutory…

AN APC Chieftain and a political ally of Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has strongly refuted claims contained in a recent article authored by Dr. Umar Ardo, describing the publication as malicious, defamatory, and politically motivated. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Thursday, Umar Dauda Duhu, a lawyer and APC party leader, responded to an article reportedly circulated on a WhatsApp platform, Adamawa Vanguard, in which Ardo allegedly made claims concerning Governor Fintiri’s political future and ongoing legal matters. Duhu said he felt compelled to respond as a concerned stakeholder, insisting that the allegations contained in…

THE Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Ahmed Lawan, has called for the full and timely implementation of Nigeria’s defence budget, warning that delays could undermine the country’s security efforts. News Point Nigeria reports that Speaking during a budget defence session where the Minister of Defence presented the ministry’s 2025 performance and 2026 budget proposal on Wednesday, Sen. Lawan assured that the Senate is committed to ensuring the armed forces receive the necessary resources to carry out their duties effectively. “We are prepared on this side of government to ensure that our armed forces are given the resources…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved the participation of licensed Bureau De Change (BDC) operators in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM), allowing each operator to purchase up to $150,000 weekly in a move aimed at improving liquidity and stabilising the retail forex segment. The directive was conveyed in a circular dated February 10, 2026, and signed by the Director of the Trade and Exchange Department, Dr Musa Nakorji sighted by News Point Nigeria. The circular was addressed to authorised dealer banks and the general public. According to the apex bank, the policy is designed to ensure adequate…

THE national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Wadata Plaza, Abuja, remained locked on Monday as the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, postponed its planned reopening and takeover of the facility amid lingering administrative and security processes. News Point Nigeria reports that the Wike-backed faction, operating under a National Caretaker Committee, explained that its absence from the party secretariat was not due to police resistance, but rather ongoing procedural and security reviews being conducted by law enforcement authorities ahead of the reopening. Speaking to this newspaper, the National Publicity Secretary of the…

THERE is ongoing jubilation in the Nigerian Hajj industry after the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Professor Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan, was forced to resign. Multiple staff of the commission who spoke to this newspaper said Mr Pakistan’s exit would go along way in saving the Hajj commission and the industry at large. The NAHCON workers expressed their  happiness Hajj chief’s exit even though it came after office hours. Some of them said they would organize walima (party) to thank Allah for the embattled cleric’s exit saying his one and half year’s stint…

PROTESTERS on Monday converged on the entrance of the National Assembly in Abuja for the “Occupy National Assembly” protest. News Point Nigeria reports that the protest is against the backdrop of the Senate’s position on the electronic transmission of election results. There was a heavy security presence at the scene, with personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Although the Senate has issued several clarifications over reports that it rejected electronic transmission of results, the protesters insist that lawmakers must be explicit by including the phrase “real-time electronic transmission”…

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned of possible nationwide protests and election boycotts over what it described as confusion and contradictory positions by the Senate on amendments to the Electoral Act, particularly regarding the electronic transmission of election results. News Point Nigeria reports that the labour union accused the Senate of undermining public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process by failing to clearly state whether electronic transmission of results would be mandatory. “The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) expresses deep concern over the confusion and contradictory narratives emerging from the Senate regarding the amendment to the 2022 Electoral Act, particularly on…

THE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Professor Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan, has concluded plans to spend N15.2 billion on 1,549 2026 Hajj officials he appointed without any approval from President Bola Tinubu. This newspaper reliably gathered that the data of the 1,549 Hajj officials arbitrarily appointed by Pakistan, and without budget, have been uploaded into the Saudi Arabian NUSUK platform for visa processing. Saudi Arabian authorities have fixed 8 February 2026 as the deadline for the 2026 Hajj data capturing and uploading. The Hajj commission chairman, insiders at the Hajj House and Presidency…

THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said that supporters of President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State do not need the backing of a sitting governor to mobilise support for the President ahead of the 2027 elections. News Point Nigeria reports that Wike made the remark on Saturday in Port Harcourt during the inauguration of the headquarters of the ‘Renewed Hope Ambassadors.’ He commended Desmond Akawor, the coordinator of Rivers’ Renewed Hope Ambassadors, for his mobilisation efforts, noting that the state would work actively to support the President’s re-election. Wike said, “Let me sincerely thank the…

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has replaced Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, with ex-Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, as Chairman of the National Convention Central Coordination Committee ahead of the party’s March 27 and 28, 2026, convention. Disclosing this in a statement via X on Friday sighted by News Point Nigeria, the National Secretary of the APC, Surajudeen Basiru, said Uzodimma, who was earlier named to lead the committee, would now serve as treasurer. The ruling party also expanded the membership of the committee from 73 to 90 members in a move aimed at accommodating more party stakeholders. Basiru…

THE visit of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, to Nigeria has triggered fresh controversy within the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) after the visiting minister failed to visit the commission’s headquarters, despite elaborate preparations allegedly costing millions of naira. Dr. Al-Rabiah arrived in Abuja on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, and was received at the airport by officials of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs alongside some NAHCON board members. Instead of proceeding to the Hajj House, the Saudi minister headed straight to the Foreign Affairs Ministry headquarters in Abuja’s Central Business District, where…

SENATOR representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh, has clarified that the Senate unanimously approved electronic transmission of election results in the proposed Electoral Act amendments, contrary to public reports suggesting lawmakers endorsed only a “transfer” of results. Umeh spoke on Thursday while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today monitored by News Point Nigeria amid growing public outrage over reports from the Senate’s consideration of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. He explained that the legislative process on the amendment was extensive and deliberate, involving first and second readings, zonal public hearings, consultations with stakeholders, and reports from a joint…

SENATOR Enyinnaya Abaribe has insisted that the Senate approved the electronic transmission of election results in real time, dismissing media reports suggesting otherwise and saying his integrity is at stake over the issue. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking at a media briefing at the National Assembly on Thursday, accompanied by 13 serving senators, Abaribe asserted that the Senate did not pass the “transfer” of results as contained in the 2022 Electoral Act, but rather approved the electronic transmission of results, stressing that the distinction is deliberate and important. “I am concerned about reports in the media, and that is…

THE House of Representatives has constituted a bipartisan Conference Committee on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill to harmonise areas of disagreement between the versions of the legislation passed by both chambers of the National Assembly. News Point Nigeria reports that the development was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the spokesman of the House, Akin Rotimi, who said the decision followed a directive from the leadership of the House. According to Rotimi, the constitution of the committee was conveyed through an internal correspondence from the Clerk to the House of Representatives, Dr Yahaya Danzaria, in line with parliamentary…

THE Senate has passed the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Reenactment) Amendment Bill 2026 through the third reading. News Point Nigeria reports that it, however, rejected a proposed amendment to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the bill, which sought to make the electronic transmission of election results mandatory. The rejected provision would have required presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the IREV portal in real time, after the prescribed Form EC&A had been signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by candidates. Instead, the Senate adopted…

FORMER Chairman of the now-defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, has been hospitalised after he reportedly slumped outside his office on Tuesday in Abuja. News Point Nigeria reports that the incident was confirmed in a statement issued by his media assistant, Emmanuel Nweke, who said Maina collapsed while attempting to gain access to the office premises. According to the statement, Maina lost his balance on a staircase, fell, struck his head and briefly lost consciousness before help arrived. “The incident occurred following complications from an untreated knee injury, which caused him to lose balance and fall, resulting in…

PASSAGE of the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026, again remained inconclusive on Tuesday as the Senate stalled on a decision after spending over four hours considering the report of a seven-member ad hoc committee behind closed doors. News Point Nigeria reports that the upper chamber had commenced deliberations on the consolidated report of the committee, which was constituted last week to collate and harmonise lawmakers’ contributions on the Electoral Act 2022 (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026, before dissolving into a closed-door session to review the documents. However, upon reconvening, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, declined to comment…

THE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Professor Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan, has spent over N44.93 billion without President Bola Tinubu’s approval during the 2025 Hajj operation, investigations have shown. This investigation series is the outcome of weeks-long thorough analysis and review of official financial documents obtained from the Hajj commission that include the 2025 Proposal Hajj Budget, 2025 Approved Hajj Budget, 2025 Hajj Budget Performance, 2025 Hajj Weighing and Flight Manifest, Visa Numbers and Cost of 2023- 2025 Hajj, 2025 Makkah Accommodation Report, 2025 Masha’ir Report, Vouchers, Vote Books, Cashbooks, Financial Statements, among others.…

FORMER Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that he earned hundreds of millions of naira from salaries, allowances and traditional gifts, as he moved to stop the interim forfeiture of several properties seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). News Point Nigeria reports that Malami made the disclosure in a fresh legal challenge against the anti-graft agency, which had earlier secured a court order for the interim forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to him and two of his sons. On January 6, Justice Emeka Nwite of the…