Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has predicted that the 2027 presidential election may go into a runoff, with no candidate emerging as outright winner in the first round. Speaking on Sunday Politics on Channels Television, El-Rufai argued that President Bola Tinubu has “no pathway to victory” in 2027, insisting that at best, he would come third if the election is free and fair. El-Rufai, who was a major campaigner for Tinubu in 2023, said Nigerians will cast their votes based on performance, not political party labels or defections. “I was governor of Kaduna state; I was one of Bola…

Union Bank of Nigeria has completed its merger with Titan Trust Bank Limited, following a final approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The deal comes three years after Titan Trust acquired majority shares in Union Bank, one of Nigeria’s oldest and most respected financial institutions, in 2022. It also happens at a time Nigerian banks are racing to meet the CBN’s new minimum capital requirements ahead of the March 2026 deadline. Under the new arrangement, Union Bank has fully absorbed Titan Trust Bank’s operations and assets. The combined entity will now continue under the Union Bank brand, while…

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR, has expressed sadness over the demise of former Inspector-General of Police, IGP and immediate Past Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Solomon Ehigiator Arase, CFR.  In a statement on Sunday, Kalu extended his heartfelt condolences to the immediate family of the deceased, the current IGP, Kayode Egbetokun and the entire Nigeria Police Force, saying that Arase’s passing has left an unfillable void in the nation’s law enforcement community. Describing Arase as a dedicated former Police Chief, the Deputy Speaker said that his tenure was marked by…

A former Osun State lawmaker, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure the strict enforcement of the executive order reducing prices of essential drugs and medical equipment. Oyintiloye, who was a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council, said many Nigerians were still groaning under the high cost of medicines despite the directive issued in June 2024. The executive order had removed tariffs, excise duties and VAT on key medical consumables and equipment to lower production costs and boost local manufacturers. Speaking in a statement on Sunday, the former lawmaker for Obokun State Constituency expressed…

Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could run into major trouble in 2027 if it fields former President Goodluck Jonathan or ex-Anambra governor Peter Obi as its presidential candidate. In a lengthy post on his X account on Sunday, Keyamo said the opposition party has been struggling since it refused to zone its 2023 ticket to the South, a move he claimed cost it vital support in the South-South and South-East. He particularly pointed out that nominating Jonathan carries a constitutional danger tied to section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution…

The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Abia State chapter, has accused the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Cliff Agbaeze, of sidelining its members in the disbursement of the African Union Development Agency–New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) Smallholder Farmers Initiative. AFAN which also accused the Commissioner of generating fake farmers’ list as beneficiaries of the initiative, called for probe of the format adopted by the Ministry of Agriculture in generating the list of beneficiaries. Abia State one of the seven pilot states selected to implement the continental programme aimed at empowering smallholder farmers with access to finance, improved inputs, training…

North-East governors have raised alarm over looming floods, food shortages and worsening energy poverty in the region, urging urgent intervention from the Federal Government. The governors, under the North-East Governors’ Forum, issued the warning in a communiqué at the end of their 12th meeting held on Saturday in Jalingo, Taraba State. Forum chairman and Borno State governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, said forecasts from credible agencies point to a serious flood disaster in the coming months. “The Forum took into cognizance the forecast of credible agencies on climate risk and the impending flood disaster in the subregion. We call for proactive…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described Saturday’s local government elections in Rivers State as a success. Wike, who voted at his polling unit in Rumuepirikom, Obio/Akpor LGA, praised the exercise as smooth and in line with the Supreme Court’s directive that only elected councils can access funds from the Federation Account. The former Rivers governor said the polls were a vital step in strengthening grassroots democracy. “Now that the local government election is taking place, elected representatives will receive funds directly from the Federation Account. The Supreme Court has made it clear that there…

Alliance for Economic Research and Ethics Ltd/Gte has urged the federal government to tread carefully on its proposed ban of raw shea nut exports. The group warned that while the idea of promoting local processing is commendable, rushing into the ban could harm existing investments, disrupt export contracts, and threaten the livelihoods of thousands of farmers and traders across the country. Shea is a multi-billion-dollar industry, valued globally at about $6.6 billion, and Nigeria is one of the top producers. The sector is also crucial for rural economies, particularly women who dominate production and processing. In a statement signed by…

Lagos NLC Demands ₦150,000 Minimum WaThe Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos State Chapter, has called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to raise the minimum wage of workers in the state to ₦150,000, citing the rising cost of living in Lagos. Chairperson of NLC Lagos, Mrs. Funmi Sesi, made the demand on Thursday while reacting to recent wage increases announced by the governments of Imo and Ebonyi States. Currently, Lagos State pays a minimum wage of ₦85,000. But Sesi argued that this figure no longer reflects the realities of living in Lagos, where the cost of accommodation, transportation, feeding, and utilities is…