THE Shawwal crescent moon sighted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on Thursday, April 20. Therefore, Thursday would be the last day of the holy month of Ramadan in the holy cities. It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court on Wednesday called on all Muslims in all parts of the Kingdom to sight the crescent of the month of Shawwal 1444, on Thursday evening, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. On the other hand, Eid Al-Fitr celebrations marks the end of the month-long fast. Eid Al-Fitr is traditionally celebrated with large gatherings for worshippers to pray and break their…
Author: Hamza Rufai
THE Executive Secretary of the National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC), Prof. Benjamin Abakpa, has been suspended over alleged misappropriation of fund. This is contained in a letter signed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Andrew David Adejo. The letter directed Prof. Abakpa to hand over the affairs of the office to the most senior director in the commission. Spokesperson of the NSSEC, Fatima Bappare, who confirmed the development, explained that Prof. Abakpa was accused by the board members of administrative ineptitude, financial misappropriation and lack of synergy, hence he was asked to go on suspension to allow…
THE Zamfara State Governor-elect Dauda Lawal has constituted a 60-member Transition Committee as he prepares to take office. The office of the Governor-elect, in a statement signed by Sulaiman Bala Idris on Wednesday, disclosed that the committee is charged with the responsibility of liaising with the outgoing Administration of Governor Bello Matawalle ahead of the May 29th swearing-in of the new government in the state. Former Inspector General of Police, MD Abubakar CFR, will Chair the Committee, while Dr. Hamza Mohammed will serve as Secretary. Also, the committee includes the former Head of Service Zamfara State, Mujitaba Isah Gusau; Col.…
TWO workers were feared dead and six others injured at a construction site at Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja, after a structure collapsed on Wednesday. News Point Nigeria reports that, four persons were said to have been rescued alive, while six were fatally injured as search and rescue operation continues. The rescue operation is being carried out by a joint team of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Fire Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Police, among others, including volunteers. Confirming the incident in a telephone chat, Director General of the Federal Capital Territory FCT…
A FEDERAL High Court in Abuja has refused to grant the request of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to remove Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, on account of his unlawful defection from the party to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). News Point Nigeria reports that, Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo in a judgment in a suit instituted by APC held that a similar request on a similar subject matter had been voided by the Court of Appeal in several judgments. Justice Ekwo said that since the judgments of the Court of Appeal holding that governors cannot forfeit their seats on grounds…
ALL National Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday had a closed-door meeting at the commission’s national headquarters in Abuja over Adamawa supplementary governorship election. INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye said the Commission will release a statement on the meeting shortly. The meeting is coming barely 24 hours after the electoral umpire directed its Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa Ari, to stay away from all activities of the electoral umpire and the election in state. The INEC REC had on Sunday stirred controversy when at about…
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has directed one of its Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barr Hudu Yunusa Ari, to stay away from all activities of the electoral umpire and the election in Adamawa State. Mr Yunusa Ari who was the REC for the gubernatorial election in Adamawa State, stirred controversy on Sunday morning when he announced Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the polls, a move that was not within his constitutionally given authority. Asides from the announcement being an usurpation of the Returning Officer’s office, Barr Ari doubly-erred in that he…
GOVERNOR Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State has approved and released the salaries of workers in Borno State for the month of April 2023 to enable them to celebrate Sallah. He has also approved the release of N20 billion for the payment of gratuities to workers. Eid-el-Fitr is expected to hold by the weekend. A statement by the governor’s media aide, Isa Gusau, said workers across the state have started receiving credit alerts for their salaries. “Governor Zulum has always argued that payment of salaries does not count as an achievement since salaries are debts owed workers for their services,…
THE People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the arrest of the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa Ari. PDP in a statement on Sunday by its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, said the declaration of Aisha Binani as winner of the Adamawa State Governorship election while the collation was ongoing, is illegal. He stated that such move is seen as usurping the duties and powers of the Returning Officer, Prof Mohammed Mele. “The PDP also demands for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mallam Hudu Yunusa Ari, for making such illegal declaration in…
CANDIDATE of the Peoples Democratic Party, Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki, has won the Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency supplementary election in Sokoto polling 47,317 votes. Dasuki was declared winner of the election Sunday morning. He defeated the incumbent representative and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Hon Kokani Bala Kebbe, who scored 34,282 votes. Dasuki, a former commissioner of Finance in Sokoto, represented the Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency from 2015 to 2019 during which he chaired the House Committee on Navy.
SENATOR Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko has emerged victorious in the Sokoto North Senatorial Seat supplementary election held on Saturday. With a total of 141,468 votes, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate defeated his closest rival Dan’iya Manir Muhammad of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 118,445 votes. The results were announced by the returning officer, Prof. Ibrahim Magawata, after the poll held in 185 polling units that were previously cancelled.
GOVERNOR Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State is leading Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani with 434 votes in the ongoing supplementary election. The governor, who is seeking a second term, contested the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while his rival is of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Fintiri was leading with 31,249 votes before the March 18 exercise was declared inconclusive. In the rerun holding across 20 of the 21 Local Government Areas of the state, 10 LGAs had been declared as of the time of filing this report. So far, Fintiri has polled 4,292 votes, while…
A SUSPECTED ballot box snatcher has been shot dead by soldiers on patrol at Bajida polling unit 001, Fakai Local Government Area of Kebbi South. The yet-to-be-identified man was reportedly shot dead while he was attempting to snatch a ballot box from officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the ongoing supplementary elections in the state. According to eyewitnesses in the area, the deceased was a member of the proscribed Yansakai, a local volunteer vigilante group. He was said to have intruded into the polling unit claiming to be a security agent. He was alleged to have attempted…
NIGERIA’s inflation rate rose to 22.04% in March 2023 compared to February 2023 headline inflation rate which was 21.91%. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released on Saturday, the March 2023 inflation rate showed an increase of 0.13% points when compared to February 2023 headline inflation rate. The CPI measures the rate of change in prices of goods and services. “In March 2023, the headline inflation rate rose to 22.04% compared to February 2023 headline inflation rate which was 21.91%,” the NBS stated. “Looking at the trend, the March 2023 inflation rate showed…
THREE suspected kidnappers have been killed in the Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. The suspects were gunned down on Friday after a gun duel with operatives of the Nasarawa State Police Command. During the gunbattle, a kidnap victim – Ezekiel Luka – of Taraba State was rescued, barely 24 hours after he was abducted by his captors. Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Ramhan Nansel, disclosed this in a statement obtained by News Point Nigeria. Nansel, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said police operatives received information on Thursday that suspected kidnappers blocked the Assakio-Sabon Gida Road in…
THE Presidency on Monday said the appointment of service chiefs is not subject to ethnic balancing and the federal character principle. Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, insisted that his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari has the prerogative to appoint those he feels are competent and can do the job of securing Nigeria against terrorist and bandit attacks. “Don’t subject security to ethnic balancing, don’t subject security to federal character,” Adesina said on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme monitored by News Point Nigeria. “In fact, the constitution that prescribes federal character even gives the President some prerogatives that he can appoint on his…
PROFESSOR Onje Gye-Wado, a former deputy of Nasarawa State, who was abducted on Thursday night, has been released after a ransom of N4 million. News Point Nigeria had reported how the professor of law was kidnapped from his country home in Rinza, near Wamba, headquarters of Wamba local government area of the state. His kidnappers had demanded a ransom of N70 million, but the family negotiated from N2 million and later N3.5 million, eventually paying N4 million before he was released. A family source told this newspaper, “The kidnappers collected the ransom near Mada Hills Secondary School in Akwanga, with…
AT least three persons were killed while six others sustained injuries after two vehicles collided along Abuja -Kaduna highway. An eyewitness, Saidu Ibrahim, said the incident happened at Mararaban Ida village, on Saturday morning. He said the accident involved a Toyota Highlander with registration number KWL 198 KA and a Volkswagen golf with registration number MKA 89 ZY. Ibrahim said the driver of the Highlander which was coming on speed from Kaduna axis dangerously overtook vehicle and collided with the Golf car coming Abuja axis. “The golf driver was coming from Abuja axis fully loaded with orange and other fruits…
– Betara Vows To Defy Zoning Outside North-East FORMER acting national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and governor of Yobe state, Mai Mala Buni on Wednesday, threw his weight behind the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Idris Wase as the race for the speakership heightens. As Buni spoke, another aspirant for the speakership position, Hon Muktar Betara has vowed to fight on even if the position is not zoned to his north east geopolitical region. Betara who spoke through a statement issued by his campaign group, Betara National Patriotic Mandate said he was aware…
‘North-Central Will Go For Consensus Candidate Based On Experience’ AS the battle for the Speakership of the House Of Representatives heats up, Kwara State governor, Abdulrahaman Abdulrazak has reiterated that the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is neutral and has no preferred candidate. According to Gov AbdulRazak, the All Progressives Congress’ Governors will meet tomorrow, Wednesday to discuss ways forward on the leadership tussle of the 10th National Assembly. Gov AbdulRazak made the remark when the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase paid him a courtesy call at the Kwara Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, Tuesday. The governor said, “We in the north…