Author: Hamza Rufai

THE Senate has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct by-elections to fill the vacant seats in Edo Central and Anambra South Senatorial Districts. Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced this during plenary on Tuesday, officially declaring the vacancies. The upper chamber had declared the Edo Central seat vacant in 2024, following the inauguration of Monday Okpebholo as Governor of Edo State in December, after his election. Similarly, the Anambra South seat has remained unoccupied since the passing of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in July 2024. INEC had previously stated in January 2025 that it was awaiting a formal request…

THE Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has rescued kidnapped victims in separate operations in Adamawa and Bayelsa States, reaffirming its commitment to tackling organized crime and ensuring public safety. According to a statement on Monday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police executed coordinated rescue efforts that led to the safe return of victims without any ransom payment. Adejobi said the police rescued a Special Assistant to the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), who was kidnapped on March 7, 2025, in Ayakoro Community, Ogbia Local Government Area. The statement reads in part: “Acting…

THE United States Department of State has attributed recent challenges Nigerians face applying for US visas to a partial systems outage. Press Officer, Office of Public and Congressional Affairs, Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Jennifer Johnson, made this known in response to an inquiry made by The PUNCH. This newspaper had been inundated with reports of glitches faced by Nigerian visa applicants who particularly lamented that the US Embassy failed to interview those scheduled for appointments, as part of the visa application process. Responding to the situation, the State Department spokesperson, on Saturday, acknowledged the issues but…

THE House of Representatives has initiated moves to strip the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its powers to regulate and register political parties in Nigeria. A bill seeking to establish an independent authority for the registration, regulation, and funding of political parties in Nigeria passed a second reading at the flood of the House on Thursday The bill, which is co-sponsored by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, and Edo lawmaker, Marcus Onobun, seeks to remove political parties’ registration and regulation from INEC The proposed legislation also seeks the establishment of the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal which shall determine disputes between…

THE Senate has suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghen for six months over her dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio. “That the Senate do suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months for her total violation of the Senate Standing Rules (2023 as amended for bringing the presiding officer and the entire Nigerian Senate to public opprobrium,” Senate President Godswill Akpabio said while reading out the recommendations of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct. Despite efforts by some senators to mitigate the suspension period to three months, the Senate, in a majority vote, sustained the initial decision However, the lawmakers…

THE Senate is considering the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months. This follows investigations from the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, which cited her for total violation of Senate rules. According to the committee’s recommendation read by its Chairman, Senator Neda Imasuen, her suspension will take effect from March 6, 2025. It also recommended that her office will be locked, and she will be barred from accessing the National Assembly premises during the suspension period, her salaries and those of her legislative aides will be withdrawn. She will be prohibited from representing Nigeria in any…

THE operational crisis at NLNG Limited continues to deepen as the outage at its Bonny Island facility drags on, with natural gas supplies plummeting by a staggering 80 per cent, a new report by Bloomberg has stated. The report noted that the required gas supply has dropped by 80 per cent and only 20 per cent of the company’s needs are being met by available facilities. This development, which has worsened in recent weeks, is a threat to the nation’s revenue streams and its projected 2025 dividends of N727bn, a 113 per cent growth from N346bn last year. Vandalism and…

GOVERNOR Nasir Idris of Kebbi has approved a reduction in official working hours for civil servants in the holy month of Ramadan. The approval is contained in a statement issued by Alhaji Awwal Manu-Dogondaji, the Commissioner for Establishment, Pension and Training in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday. According to the statement, civil servants in the state will now work from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays. It added that normal working hours would resume after Ramadan. Manu-Dogondaji urged citizens to remain steadfast in prayers for lasting peace and stability…

THE Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) has explained that it is still unable to implement the Supreme Court ruling on direct allocation to local government areas because the majority of them have not been able to provide bank accounts. It said only the 25 local government areas of Delta State, out of the 774 local government areas in the federation, have met the requirements for direct allocation. FAAC last week held its meeting, during which it shared N1.703 trillion to the federal, state, and local government areas as January 2025 revenue. However, it maintained the status quo of paying both…

THE National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has charged the Muslim ummah to remember the poor, vulnerable, and marginalised as they observe the holy month of Ramadan Ganduje, in a felicitation statement by Edwin Olofu, his chief press secretary, on Sunday in Abuja, said, “Ramadan is a time for spiritual rejuvenation, introspection, and renewal, and we pray that Allah (SWT) grants us the strength and wisdom to observe the fast with devotion and sincerity.” The APC Chairman further stated, “As we embark on this 30-day journey, we urge all Nigerian Muslims to remain steadfast in…

THE Gombe State Government is committed to maintaining its status as one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria, as various security agencies in the state took possession of operational and surveillance vehicles donated by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON. Speaking after a ‘Show of Force’ exercise, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Col. Abdullahi Bello (rtd), stated that following the formal inauguration of the vehicles at the recently concluded 2nd Gombe State Security Summit, all vehicles have now been officially handed over to their designated security agencies. “From today, these vehicles are in the custody of their…

A FORMER Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) General Maharazu Tsiga (rtd) on Friday regained freedom from his kidnappers after spending 22 days in captivity. A source confirmed to News Point Nigeria on Friday night that Tsiga has been released. He said General Tsiga is receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital for security reasons. The gunmen led by notorious bandit kingpin Babaro had demanded N250m for Tsiga’s release. But it is unclear if any money was paid for his freedom. Government officials and security agencies including the Katsina State Police Command were yet to comment on Tsiga’s…

FORMER President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to his Kaduna residence after spending nearly two years in his native Daura, Katsina State, where he retire to since he left office in May 2023. One of his former media aides, Bashir Ahmad, disclosed this on X yesterday, saying after completing his eight-year tenure, Buhari opted for a quiet life in his hometown and largely stayed out of active political discussions, focusing on private engagements. He said Buhari was accompanied by Vice President Kashim Shettima and other dignitaries, which included Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, and his Kaduna State counterpart, Uba Sani;…

OLUFEMI Oluyede, Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General has approved an increase in the daily Ration Cash Allowance for Nigerian Army personnel from N1,500 to N3,000, effective from the end of March. News Point Nigeria reports that Oluyede made this announcement on Thurdsday while addressing officers and soldiers of the 81 Division at the 9th Brigade Parade Ground in Ikeja, Lagos, during his visit to inspect ongoing projects in the division’s area of responsibility. Expressing concern over the previous N1,500 allowance, he assured troops of his commitment to improving their welfare. Beyond feeding allowances, Oluyede acknowledged the housing challenges faced…

THE Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Ways and Means Advance has accused the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) of frustrating its investigation into the N30 trillion Ways and Means Advance and the Anchor Borrowers’ programme under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. The committee made the accusation after receiving an interim report from its consultants at a meeting where they expressed frustration over the bank’s failure to provide crucial documents required for the probe. The committee, which was inaugurated a year ago by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, stated that the delay has significantly stalled progress on the investigation. Chairman of the committee,…

SENATOR Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio for allegedly defaming her. The suit was filed before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on Tuesday with Akpabio and his senior legislative aide Mfon Patrick listed as second to third defendants. In the suit, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan through her lawyer, Victor Giwa, referred to Akpabio’s words published by his aide on his Facebook page with the title, “Is local content committee of the senate NATASHA’s BIRTHRIGHT” where he stated that the claimant thought being a lawmaker is all about pancaking her face and wearing transparent outfits to the…

THE Senate has commenced a two-day public hearing on proposed tax reform bills, bringing together key stakeholders from the nation’s economic and financial sectors. Among those in attendance are the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, the Group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, members of the Federal Executive Council, heads of relevant agencies, and the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, among others. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, assured that the process would…

VICE President Kashim Shettima has charged governors of the 36 states of the federation to prioritize human capital development of their citizens over politics. He gave the charge during a meeting of the Steering Committee of the Human Capital Development Programme at the State House Abuja. The Vice President noted that the path chosen by Nigeria in the 21st century can only be determined by the strength of the nation’s workforce, the education of its children, and the well-being of communities across the country. According to him, “We must go beyond plans and policies. Implementation must be swift, targeted, and…

SENATE spokesman, Yemi Adaramodu, on Friday, faulted the action of his colleague, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, over a seating arrangement dispute in the hallowed chamber. Natasha, who represents Kogi Central under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had on Thursday, refused to use the seat allocated to her, citing Order 10 of the Senate Standing Rules, which protects the privileges of members. At the height of the situation, Senate President Godswill Akpabio called on Senate security to walk the female lawmaker out of the chambers, but fellow lawmakers’ intervention saved the situation from degenerating out of hand. Reacting to the incident during an…

A MILD drama erupted in the Senate on Thursday as Senate President Godswill Akpabio ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove Senator Natasha Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, from the chamber. The drama started after a report by Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno, who informed the Senate that Senator Natasha had refused to relocate to a new seat assigned to her. Chief whip added that the reassignment was intended to close gaps left by two defecting opposition senators who joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the minority party Citing Order 24, Monguno highlighted his authority as Chief Whip and referenced Order…