Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has inaugurated a new state security supervisory committee to tame insecurity in the state. Soludo’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, disclosed this in a press statement on Wednesday. Opara described the move as a decisive step and a testament to the governor’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of residents in the state. According to him, the committee, comprising representatives from various government agencies, traditional rulers and local government leaders, is tasked with registering and monitoring the activities of the units of Agunechemba, among other responsibilities. He said, “This collective…

The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja has dismissed the petition filed by the Action Alliance and Adekunle Omoaje against the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission. In its judgment on Wednesday, the three-member tribunal struck out the petition, describing it as lacking merit and frivolous. AA and Omoaje had challenged Okpebholo’s victory in the September 21, 2024, governorship election, alleging corrupt practices and non-compliance with the Electoral Act. They argued that the APC candidate did not secure the majority of lawful votes and that INEC’s declaration of Okpebholo…

President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep grief over the passing of Alhaji Abbas Sanusi, the Galadiman Kano and a senior kingmaker in the Kano Emirate. Sanusi, who died at 92 after a prolonged illness, is survived by many children and grandchildren, as stated by Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President’s spokesman, on Wednesday. Among his children is Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, the Kano State chairman of the All Progressives Congress. President Tinubu described the late Sanusi as a significant pillar of the traditional institution, whose contributions to its survival and development would be remembered beyond the Kano Emirate and the state itself.…

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Tuesday received a rousing homecoming by her supporters and residents of the Ihima community of Kogi despite the state government’s ban on rallies and processions. As early as 8 a.m, her supporters from the five local government areas of Kogi Central that Senator Natasha represents gathered at the Ihima community of Okehi Local Government Area (LGA) to welcome the lawmaker. Several local musicians took turns entertaining the people that attended the celebration while they awaited the arrival of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. It did not, however, take long before the embattled Senator arrived at the place in…

A former Osun State lawmaker, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to look into the plights of contributory pensioners in the country. Oyintiloye, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the appeal in a statement on Tuesday in Osogbo, the state capital. The APC chieftain said delayed or non-payment of pensions, inadequate funding, and corruption within the pension scheme has led to hardship and financial stress for pensioners. Oyintiloye said that since 2004 when the Federal Government enacted the Pensions Reform Act(PRA 2004) which introduced the contributory pension scheme, pensioners had not been treated fairly,…

The National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) says that with Dangote Refinery and others coming on board, Nigerians should expect a crash in the price of premium motor spirit, better known as petrol.  The product was sold for less than ₦200 per litre before the removal of subsidy; it currently sells for around ₦930 per litre, depending on the area. However, the Director-General of NIPSS, Ayo Omotayo, said while the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu’s administration has led to a hike in the cost of the essential item, better days are ahead for the country.…

The Chairman of Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State, Amoka Monday, has imposed a curfew across the council area, citing security concerns following a ban on political rallies and unregulated public gatherings. In a statement personally signed by the chairman on Monday, he declared that the curfew was necessary to maintain peace and order in line with the directives of the Kogi State Government and the state’s Commissioner of Police. “The curfew, which takes immediate effect, restricts movement and gatherings in designated areas. “Anyone found loitering or assembling in restricted zones without clearance from the relevant authorities will be…

The Democratic Party has sued the Trump administration over an attempt to impose sweeping changes on the election systems, including requiring citizenship proof to register to vote and limiting mail-in ballot counting. In a lawsuit filed Monday, the Democratic Party asked a federal court to block the executive order, which prevents states from counting mail-in ballots that arrive after election day. The president’s directive also requires proof of citizenship to be presented — through documents such as a passport — when registering to vote. “The President does not get to dictate the rules of our elections,” said the lawsuit filed…

The police have asked Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan to cancel her planned Sallah rally in Kogi State’s Central Senatorial District. Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, stated this in a statement released on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP William Aya. According to the statement, Dantawaye said the rally goes against the state government’s recent ban on political gatherings, which was announced on Monday. The statement reads, “Following the intelligence report on security threats in Kogi State and the subsequent ban on all forms of rally and procession by the Kogi State Government, the Nigeria Police Force, Kogi…

A governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Henry Ikoh, has assured the people of Abia State that his leadership will ensure reduction in the level of poverty currently facing the people. Ikoh, who is a former Minister of State for Science and Technology, also assured that his government, if elected, will make the creation of job opportunities top priority. According to him, Abia State deserves more than average performance as being witnessed under the current administration. Addressing a delegation of APC supporters and Muslim faithful, who paid him a visit during the Eid-el-Fitr celebration,…