Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

The All Progressives Congress governors, under the aegis of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, have acknowledged the resignation of the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, describing it as a natural step in the party’s ongoing evolution. In a communiqué issued after their two-day strategic meeting in Benin City, Edo State, on Saturday, the governors indicated that this leadership change aligns with the party’s broader commitment to internal reforms and adaptation. The Chairman of the PGF and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, who read the communiqué at the close of the meeting, emphasised the forum’s dedication to strengthening party cohesion…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has destroyed 30 hectares of cannabis sativa, otherwise known as Indian hemp, plantation in a forest in Odukpani local government area of Cross River. The state commander of the NDLEA, Mrs Rachel Umebuali, said this during an interview on Saturday in Calabar. She said that some suspects were also arrested in connection with the destroyed plantation, expressing worries that the locals were protecting the drug marchants. Umebuali said that 163.9kg of cannabis sativa seed was recovered from the plantation. She added that a total of 6,716.8 kg of illicit drugs were…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the four tax reform bills into law. President Tinubu signed the law in his office at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday, in the presence of relevant stakeholders from across the arms of government. The new laws include the Nigerian Tax Law, the Nigerian Tax Administration Law, the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Law and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Law. Earlier on Thursday, President Tinubu had explained that the laws would be unifying Nigeria’s fragmented tax system, removing redundant overlaps, boosting investor confidence, enhancing transparency, and promoting coordinated efforts across all levels. He also…

Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed September 22, for hearing in the suit on the authentic National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The judge fixed the date for a definite hearing of all motions against the suit filed by the embattled National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, based on the agreement of the parties. The matter which was coming before Justice Umar for the first time, had earlier been fixed for judgment by Justice Inyang Ekwo before the plaintiff brought an application for amendment of his original process. Anyanwu had originally sued the Independent…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed August 16 for the conduct of 16 constituency bye-elections in 12 states of the Federation. Accordingly, the commission stated that it would deploy 30,451 officials for the exercise. The commission also announced the resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration CVR nationwide from August 18. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at the second regular consultative meeting with political parties. Yakubu noted the perennial complaints by opposition parties that incumbents often deny them access to state facilities, including public media, saying going forward, the commission would work with…

President Bola Tinubu has declined to sign the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Bill, 2025, into law. The decision was conveyed in a letter read on the floor of the House of Representatives on Thursday, during plenary. Citing Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Tinubu explained that the bill’s provision allowing the NDLEA to retain part of the proceeds from drug-related crimes conflicts with current financial regulations. According to the President, all proceeds of crime are paid into the government’s Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account. Disbursements to any recovery agency, including the NDLEA, can only be made…

In a bid to strengthen peace and security in Africa, the Deputy Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has proposed a fundamental reorientation of the security partnership between Africa and the European Union. Kalu made the proposal at a meeting with Ms. Ingeborg Ter Laak and Mr. Benjamin Oppermann on the sidelines of his series of engagements at the European Union (EU) Parliament in Brussels, Belgium on Wednesday. LaaK is a member of European Parliament as well as Vice Chair of the Delegation to the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and of the Delegation to the…

Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo, a former senator and ex-governor of Kwara State, is dead. According to family sources who spoke to TheCable, Adebayo passed away early Wednesday morning in Abuja. He was 84 years old. Born on February 24, 1941, in the Igbaja community of Kwara State, Adebayo served as governor of the state in 1983. He also served as Minister of Communications from 2003 to 2006 and was elected as a senator in 1979 on the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). Adebayo was a member of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which played a key role in…

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has voiced strong opposition to the federal government’s proposed plan to establish cattle ranches in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, describing it as a threat to indigenous land rights and cultural identity. In a statement released by its spokesperson, Comrade Emma Powerful, the group expressed concern that the proposed policy could result in the displacement of the Gbagi people, whom they identified as the original inhabitants of the FCT. The group likened the plan to the previously suspended RUGA settlement initiative and warned that it could trigger land ownership disputes and community tensions if…

Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, has thrown jabs at a former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, over his political troubles with President Bola Tinubu, suggesting El-Rufai is now suffering the consequences of abandoning a former minister, Rotimi Amaechi. At the same time, Ndume warned that if Tinubu fails to address Nigeria’s challenges, he too may dump the ruling All Progressives Congress. The lawmaker, who was the Director-General of the Rotimi Amaechi Presidential Campaign, spoke during an appearance on Arise News on Tuesday. He used the platform to both criticise the current administration and reflect on the fallout between El-Rufai and…