Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

Former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of paying opposition leaders N50 million each to undermine Nigeria’s democratic process. Atiku disclosed this at a national conference on strengthening democracy, organized by various civic organizations in Abuja on Monday. He, however, cautioned that Nigeria’s democracy was at risk of collapse if urgent action wasn’t taken. According to Atiku: “I want to say it here publicly. I met with a political party leadership in the present opposition, and they told me flatly that this government gives them N50 million each. “If we are not…

Remedy Yange, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Benue state, has been found dead on a street in Lagos two weeks after another was shot and killed by a suspected Yahoo boy in Onitsha, Anambra. A video that began circulating online on Monday shows that the latest death victim, who was not in uniform, slumped and died in an undisclosed part of Lagos on Sunday, an incident confirmed by the EFCC. The video showed his lifeless body surrounded by sympathisers, including police officers who coordinated a search of his bag. It was discovered through his…

The Sokoto State Government has launched the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project, aimed at improving educational outcomes for adolescent girls in the state. Governor Ahmad Aliyu, who launched the project on Monday at the Government House in Sokoto, said it was part of the state’s broader agenda to transform the education sector. The governor explained that the AGILE Project would focus on enhancing access to education, life skills training, and financial support for adolescent girls. In his address the commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education Professor Ahmed Ladan Ala commended the Governor for his commitment shown…

A retired director in the Procurement Department, Ministry of Aviation, Musa Odiniyan on Monday told the Federal Capital Territory High Court that Al Buraq Global Investment was not qualified for the contract awarded for the repairs of Katsina Airport by the Ministry under Hadi Sirika’s leadership. Odiniyan is the fifth prosecuting witness in the trial of the former Minister of Aviation. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting Sirika and three others, Fatima Hadi Sirika, Jalal Sule Hamma, and Al Buraq Global Investment, on six amended charges bordering on contract fraud to the tune of N2,825,032,220.97. A statement by…

A retired military officer, Major General Bamidele Johnson Olawumi (Rtd.), has issued a strong rebuttal to comments credited to Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who alleged that retired military generals are behind illegal mining activities in Nigeria. In remarks reported in the media, Oshiomhole said, “Those involved in illegal mining are people in high places, including retired generals. These are not unknown people. They are well-known people with private armies who protect their illegal mining sites.” The statement has drawn widespread criticism, particularly from retired officers who feel targeted by the sweeping generalization. Reacting in a detailed statement, General Olawumi described Oshiomhole’s…

Some members of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State have expressed dissatisfaction with the election of Mojisola Meranda as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, following the removal of Mudashiru Obasa over allegations of misconduct and financial misappropriation. Meranda, formerly the Deputy Speaker, was elected Speaker on January 13, 2025, after lawmakers voted out Obasa, who has denied the allegations. A faction within the party representing Lagos West, Progressives Alliance, criticised the decision to shift the Speakership to Lagos Central, calling it an act of “injustice” against Lagos West, which they noted accounts for half of the…

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been drawn against Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania in Group C for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. The AFCON group stage draw was held at Mohamed V National Theatre in Casablanca on Monday. The African countries were divided into six groups of four teams to battle for the preliminary stage of the competition. The top two teams from each group will automatically qualify for the knockout. The best four third-placed teams will also get second-round slots. The Super Eagles will play Tunisia for the first time since the Carthage Eagles defeated Nigeria…

Nigeria’s former president, Muhammadu Buhari has given insight into his health conditions since he left office on May 29, 2023. Buhari while describing Nigeria a challenging country to govern said that since leaving office his health has improved Speaking at an All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ meeting at Government House, Katsina State, the former president said he was often subjected intense criticism as Nigeria’s president., His words, “Those outside the corridors of power do not understand the complexities and difficulties facing Nigeria. ”My health has improved since leaving office. People who visited me told me I look better than before,”…

By Sam Hart In the last week, the media space have been awash with news of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu engaged in a series of activities in the United Kingdom. Keen watchers of unfolding socio-political developments will no doubt admire the dexterity of Kalu in representing Nigeria so elegantly at the global stage. Kalu’s mission to the United Kingdom, tagged: UK-Nigeria Strategic Legislative Dialogue, was an opportunity to engage in interactions with various layers of the United Kingdom socio-political actors and explore opportunities for further mutually beneficial cooperation and bilateral engagements. From the Lancaster…

Timileyin Ajayi, the suspected murderer of Salome Adaidu has pleaded not guilty to the killing of the National Youth Service Corps member who died a few weeks ago at his residence. The Nasarawa State Police command had arrested him on January 12 and charged him to court for culpable homicide punishable with death. According to the Police, the suspect pleaded not guilty to the killing of Salome Adaidu when he was arraigned before Justice Simeon Aboki at Court 2 in Lafia on Monday. The Officer-in-Charge, Legal, of the Nasarawa State Police command, Stanley Nwaforagu, told newsmen after the court proceeding…