Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

The leadership of the Labour Party has denied reports circulating that its 2027 presidential ticket has been zoned to the South-East geo-political zone. In a statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party stated that it has not and will not zone any of its positions to any geographical zone or individual. Recall that the party on Sunday issued a statement titled “2027: Labour Party still available for Ndigbo to realise presidency – Abure”, which fuelled speculation that its presidential ticket has been zoned to the South-East. Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, had flown…

Vice President Kashim Shettima has described the departed leader of the Yoruba Socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, as an advocate of an equitable and progressive Nigeria. Adebanjo died on Friday, February 14 at the age of 96. In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, on Monday, the Vice President described Adebanjo as “a living bridge that connected us to the foundational struggles of our democracy. Shettima hailed Adebanjo’s extensive contributions to Nigeria’s democratic journey, from his role as the Organising Secretary of the Action Group to his leadership in the National Democratic…

Popular Nollywood actress Regina Daniels has deactivated her Instagram account, fueling speculation surrounding rumours that her husband, billionaire businessman and politician Ned Nwoko, has allegedly welcomed a child with her senior colleague, Chika Ike. Social media has been abuzz with claims that Nwoko, who is married to six wives, Regina being the youngest, has secretly welcomed another child. The rumours gained traction after Chika Ike recently announced her pregnancy, sharing maternity photos that sparked both congratulatory messages and controversy. Adding to the speculation, Regina, known for publicly supporting her husband’s political career, was noticeably silent on his recent defection to…

The Edo State Government has confirmed 13 deaths from an outbreak of Lassa fever in the state. Stephenson Ojeifo, the director of public health at the State Ministry of Health, gave the update during an interview with reporters on Sunday in Benin. According to him, three cases of Mpox, otherwise known as Monkeypox, were also recorded, though with no fatalities. Mr Ojeifo said since the outbreak of Lassa fever was declared on 30 December 2024, the state had recorded 83 confirmed cases out of 378 suspected cases. “So far, we have 83 confirmed Lassa fever cases, with 13 deaths. “Seven…

Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has urged the new General Officer Commander (GOC) of the 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu, Major General Oluyemi Olatoye, to intensify efforts to end the persistent sit-at-home protests enforced by non-state actors in the Southeast. Governor Nwifuru gave the charge during Major General Olatoye’s courtesy visit to Government House, Centenary City, Abakaliki, where he also called on security agencies to introduce a reward system to boost the morale of their personnel. “I am confident that you are familiar with the security challenges in the Southeast. God has been with us, alongside the dedicated military…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has issued a 48 hours ultimatum to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to reverse the newly announced hike in Automated Teller Machine, ATM, transaction fees, calling it “unlawful, unfair, unreasonable, and unjust”. SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, in an open letter dated February 15, 2025, urged CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso to immediately reverse the policy. Recall that CBN in a circular dated February 10 announced that ATM withdrawals made at machines outside a bank’s branch premises will now attract a N100 charge per N20,000 withdrawn, while withdrawals at shopping centres, airports and…

The United States will temporarily shut its Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos on Monday, 17 February 2025, in observance of Presidents’ Day. This was disclosed in a post on X by the diplomatic mission. It assured the public that normal operations would resume the following day. “The U.S. Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos will be closed on Monday, February 17, 2025, in observance of Presidents’ Day. We will resume normal operations on Tuesday, 18 February 2025,” the mission said. The Presidents’ Day is observed in the United States annually on the third…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has intensified its enforcement efforts against the sale of illicit and counterfeit pharmaceuticals, sealing over 3,000 shops within the Idumota Open Drug Market in Lagos in the first week of operations. This was made known in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday by NAFDAC. During the raid, officials uncovered alarming violations, including vaccines stored in dilapidated, unventilated rooms sealed with iron sheets, posing severe health risks. Large consignments of banned and dangerous drugs were also discovered, including Analgin injections, diverted HIV antiretroviral drugs, and expired medicines slated…

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has told one of the frontline aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, to drop his ambition of unseating Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo. Okonkwo, during the inauguration of the new APC secretariat in Awka, last week Saturday and at different fora, had boasted of unseating Soludo, if given the APC ticket, insisting that only he has the capacity to govern Anambra in the next dispensation. Reacting to Okonkwo’s comments in a press statement issued on Saturday (Today), the National Coordinator of APGA Media Warriors Forum, Chinedu Obigwe, said that…

Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has been invited to join the Steering Committee of the Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organization (PCWTO), a significant development that will enable Nigeria to benefit from African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) global trade policies and boost trade across Africa. The invitation was extended by Martin Chungong, Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), in a letter dated February 12, 2025 and addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, PhD. Kalu who is also…