Author: Drum Africa Correspondent
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked the public to disregard reports on the death of its Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu. A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi on Saturday said Yakubu is alive. The clarification was necessitated following reports that the INEC Chair had died in London. “Our attention has been drawn to a fake news narrative circulated by a section of the social media claiming the purported death of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu at a London hospital. The story first appeared on Monday, 9th December 2024. “We hereby appeal to…
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, says he has directed immediate payment of allowances to some Permanent Secretaries and other civil servants earlier disengaged by his administration. During his monthly press briefing on Friday night, Otti also revealed that his administration will ensure that all concerned will get what is due them. He highlighted ongoing efforts to enhance the state’s security architecture to tackle emerging crime trends in certain areas. The governor assured the people of the state, especially those returning from the diaspora, of their safety during the festivities. Additionally, Otti noted that Southeast governors are working collaboratively to address…
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Nwakuche Ndidi as the Acting Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service. In a statement released on Friday, Ja’afaru Ahmed, the Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Board, announced that Ndidi’s appointment will officially begin on December 15, 2024. His appointment comes after the conclusion of the term of the current Controller General, Haliru Nababa. The statement reads: “The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has graciously approved the appointment of Nwakuche Sylvester Ndidi as Acting Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service following the expiration…
Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has officially launched the National Economic Council’s (NEC) Ad Hoc Committee on National Electrification and the NEC Ad Hoc Committee on Polio Eradication. He stated during his Thursday inauguration at the Presidential Villa in Abuja that without resolving the power sector problem and guaranteeing that Nigerians have access to reasonably priced energy, including electricity, the country cannot hope for significant national economic progress. He called on the nation’s leaders to put aside their differences to address the issue in the electricity sector and take part in Nigeria’s rebirth as an industrialised nation. Referring to nations…
The Labour Party has taken legal action over the defection of six members of the House of Representatives from the party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). On Thursday, Akangbe Illiya, representing Jos South/Jos East in Plateau State, joined the APC, increasing the number of Labour Party lawmakers in the House who have defected. In a statement, Labour Party spokesman Obiorah Ifo condemned Illiya’s defection, calling it “quite unfortunate and condemnable.” While acknowledging that the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to freedom of association, the party emphasized that Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution clearly outlines the conditions under…
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted N500m bail to the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, in an alleged N80.2bn money-laundering suit. In a ruling on Friday, Justice Nwite said he was moved to grant the bail due to the show of understanding between senior counsels of the defence and prosecution teams. The court ordered the former governor to produce two sureties in like sum, who must own properties in Abuja and be verified by the registrar of the court. Additionally, the two sureties alongside Bello must deposit recent passport photographs to the…
The immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Friday, pleaded not guilty to 19 charges of money laundering amounting to ₦80 billion, brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). During the hearing at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, the prosecution, represented by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Kemi Pinheiro, informed the court of their decision to withdraw an earlier application for abridgement of the arraignment date, noting that the application had been overtaken by events. The defence, led by Joseph Daudu, SAN, did not oppose the withdrawal, and Justice Emeka Nwite granted the…
The Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has announced a Christmas Bonus of 150,000 for each civil servant in the state. The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Monday Uzor, made this known in a Facebook post on Thursday night. Uzor disclosed that the state workers would receive the bonus before 1 pm on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. “Every Worker in Ebonyi State service will receive ₦150,000 as a Christmas Bonus before 1 pm on Tuesday… Gov. Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru,” the post read. Recall that on October 27, the governor approved the payment of N75,000 minimum wage to civil…
The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has cautioned against the violation of the Supreme Court verdict on local government autonomy, vowing to deal with the erring council officials. Fagbemi gave the warning on Thursday in Abuja while speaking at a conference for judiciary correspondents. The AGF said governance at the grassroots has “suffered a lot” in the past but believes that with the enforcement of the verdict on local government autonomy, “life will come back to the local governments”. “People at the grassroots have suffered long negligence and it is enough. The government…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has made a proposal to scrap the requirement for Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) as the sole means of voter accreditation during elections in Nigeria, its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said on Thursday. According to him, the proposal is part of larger recommendations to be presented to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters before the 2027 election. Yakubu who announced this during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), explained that with the introduction of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the use of PVCs as sole means of identification for voter accreditation on…