Author: Drum Africa Correspondent
As the constitution review process gains momentum, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, CFR, has asked Nigerians to rally behind the Reserved Seats Bill, urging his colleagues to vote in favour of its passage. He said that the move will help shore up Nigeria’s low percentage of female representation in government, currently standing at less than 4%, and increase it to at least 10%. Kalu made the plea while giving his remarks at the Australian High Commission Reception and Film event in Abuja to celebrate National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observerance Committee (…
Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna, has denied allegations that he gave money to bandits, saying instead that his administration has built houses for victims of banditry in the state. The governor spoke on Thursday in an interview on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme. Sani recalled that when he assumed office as the governor, critics accused him of trying to pay bandits to solve the insecurity challenge in the state. “I told them that a man who fought for justice and freedom of the downtrodden cannot sit down with bandits,” he said. The governor said just two weeks ago, he…
The Ghanaian government has issued a warning against protests targeting Nigerians living in the country. The warning comes amid rising tensions after a weekend protest by local traders who demanded the expulsion of Nigerians from the Gold Cost country, citing alleged criminal activities and cultural clashes. The protesters, who carried placards and other items, alleged that Nigerian were causing problems and were involved in criminal activities. During a two-day visit to Ghana, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s minister of state for foreign affairs, met with Samuel Ablakwa, Ghana’s foreign minister, to address concerns about the safety of Nigerians and their businesses in…
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Omotenioye Majekodunmi as the new Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC). Majekodunmi succeeds Nkiruka Madueke, the pioneer head of the agency, appointed by the President in June 2024. Her appointment was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga. “Majekodunmi is a climate finance expert and environmental lawyer with over 17 years of experience, and has worked extensively with global and national institutions on renewable energy, carbon markets, and climate governance,” Onanuga said. “She previously served as the NCCC’s Financial Adviser and has played a key role in…
The Presidency has denied the claim that President Bola Tinubu’s administration offered ministerial appointments to the Former National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Okey Nwosu to stop the ADC from joining an opposition coalition. Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Tinubu, described the claim as “false and baseless” in a statement posted on Wednesday via his X account. Nwosu had, during the ADC’s 99th National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting on Tuesday, alleged that the government approached him with an offer of three ministerial positions, one for himself and two for his nominees, in exchange…
A founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, has claimed that if Peter Obi returns to the PDP, he will defeat any candidate from the North in the 2027 presidential election. Gana made the claim during an interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time on Wednesday, amid ongoing speculations about Obi’s potential return to the PDP despite his recent engagements with the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Obi, who was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, left the PDP in May 2022 to pursue his bid under the LP. “The…
Nafi’u Bala, a former governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Gombe, has declared himself as the national chairman of the party. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday night in Abuja, the former national deputy chairman of the ADC accused the David Mark-led leadership of unlawfully taking over the party and breaching its constitution. Bala said “bonafide” party members will challenge the alleged takeover of the party in court. “We wish to draw the attention of all members of our great party and Nigerians at large, to the ongoing acts of political hooliganism being perpetrated by some…
Popular Nigerian musician, Innocent Idibia known popularly as Tubaba has married his new lover, Natasha Osawaru in a private wedding ceremony, in Abuja. The low-key event, according to report, was attended by close family members, with videos circulating online showing the couple posing with their traditional wedding cake. Recall that this development comes months after 2Face engaged the serving Edo State lawmaker in February 2025, just days after publicly announcing his separation from his wife, Annie Macaulay Idibia. The marriage has since sparked widespread conversation on social media, with many fans expressing mixed reactions to the singer’s latest move. 2Baba’s…
Patients groan as nurses in government hospitals across Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), withdraw their services to press home their demands, as the nationwide seven-day warning strike by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) enters its second day. The union had earlier, on July 14, 2025, issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding immediate intervention to avert a total healthcare shutdown. Recall that key demands of the nurses are the upward review of shift allowance, adjustment of uniform allowance, creation of a separate salary structure for nurses, increase in core duty allowance, mass employment…
The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining robust ties with the Republic of Ghana, including people-to-people relations. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made the commitment on behalf of the government during her ongoing two-day visit to Ghana. The Special Assistant on Communication and New Media to Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Magnus Eze, in a statement made available to news men, said the minister is in Ghana to address the situation of Nigeria-Ghana citizens’ relations and meet with relevant stakeholders at both ends, including the President of Ghana, the country’s Foreign Minister, traditional rulers, and Nigerians resident in…