Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has restated readiness to provide leadership for the All Progressives Congress in Osun State and work hard for the party to return to power. The state will be going to polls on August 8, 2026 to elect another governor with the incumbent, Ademola Adeleke, expected to run on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party. However while speaking at the inauguration and award ceremonies organised by Iron Ladies Group, an association within in Osun APC in Osogbo on Thursday, the ex-Osun state governor, who was represented at the event by the…

Victor Ukaogo In the ever-evolving landscape of Nigerian politics, few figures have emerged as both a beacon of hope and a source of contention as Benjamin Kalu. As the current Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kalu has become a significant player in Nigeria’s political arena, often positioning himself against the entrenched interests of what many have come to label the “Yesterday Men.” This term refers to the older generation of politicians who cling to power and influence, often prioritizing personal gain over the collective good. Kalu’s rise represents a challenge to these established figures, as he seeks to…

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday conferred the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu. The conferment came during Tinubu’s State of the Nation address at the special joint sitting of the National Assembly to mark Nigeria’s June 12, 2025 Democracy Day celebrations. It will be recalled that Kalu was previously awarded the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by President Tinubu in his national broadcast on October 1, 2024, to commemorate Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day. The President’s decision to…

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday said he takes pleasure in seeing opposition parties in disarray and has no plans to help them organise themselves. “Political parties fearful of members leaving may be better served by examining their internal processes and affairs rather than fearfully conjuring up demons that do not exist. “For me, I would say try your best to put your house in order. I will not help you do so. It is, indeed, a pleasure to witness you in such disarray,” Tinubu said during his State of the Nation address at a joint session of the National Assembly…

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday says he will welcome Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) whenever he chooses to officially join.  Speaking during the commissioning of the Arterial Road N16 and other infrastructure in the Katampe District of Abuja, President Tinubu commended Wike’s contribution to governance and light-heartedly referenced the minister’s signature tune from his previous political rallies. “We have somebody—Nyesom Wike—he is not a member of my party (APC), not yet. “But the day he changes his mind and registers with the progressives, we will welcome him. Because we will enjoy…

The Labour Party (LP) faction led by Julius Abure has accused Peter Obi, former presidential candidate, of orchestrating the crisis in the party. Umar Ibrahim, the LP national secretary in Abure’s camp, made the claim while responding to Obi’s recent interview. Obi had said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) infiltrated the party, triggering the crisis within its ranks. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ibrahim accused Obi of misleading Nigerians on the actual cause of the party’s crisis, noting that nearly all political parties are grappling with one form of internal conflict or the other. “We sincerely hope that…

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dele Momodu, has tackled President Bola Tinubu for referring to some Nigerians as busybodies. Tinubu, on Tuesday, urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, not to be distracted by “busybodies and naysayers” but to focus on his mandate to transform the nation’s capital. However, Dele Momodu, in an interview with Channels TV on Wednesday, picked holes in President Tinubu’s comment. According to the PDP chieftain, it is now looking like Tinubu and Wike are co-leading the country. He said, “The President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has held Lagos…

Chess player and founder of Chess in Slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya, has defended his recent visit to President Bola Tinubu in Lagos, insisting that the gesture was “not political” and should not be interpreted as “an endorsement” of the Nigerian president.  Onakoya, who recently set a second Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon—playing non-stop for 64 hours in Times Square, New York—came under heavy criticism shortly after photos of his meeting with Tinubu surfaced online. Many Nigerians, especially on social media, questioned the optics of the visit, arguing it contradicted his advocacy for slum children amid widespread economic…

Former Minority Leader of the Abia State House of Assembly, Hon Chijioke Chukwu has urged the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, RT. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu to ignore selfish politicians asking him to declare future political ambitions when he is concentrating on building legacies and fulfilling his electoral promises to his constituents. Hon. Chukwu while reacting to the call by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu on the Deputy Speaker to declare his ambitions ahead of 2027 General Elections described the statement as uncharitable and a decoy to distract the Deputy Speaker from his efforts in repositioning the APC for…

Former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Chief Nduese Essien has denied joining the All Progressives Congress (APC) with Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State. Essien stated this in clearing the air over his presence at the Government House, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, venue of Governor Eno’s defection to the ruling APC. Addressing Journalists concerning his presence at the ceremony on Tuesday in Eket, the elder statesman debunked the claim, explaining that he was at the defection ground in solidarity with the governor who, according to him, is vested with the constitutional rights to take decisions best on…