Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

Former Kogi senator, Dino Melaye, has expressed regret for previously backing the All Progressives Congress, describing his past support as a mistake. He also expressed confidence in the African Democratic Congress to present a strong contender capable of unseating President Bola Tinubu in 2027. Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme aired on Friday, Melaye acknowledged his past alignment with the ruling party but said he had since turned a new leaf. “Once I was blind, now I can see. I regret in totality. “Just like you confess your sins daily in the Lord’s prayer, I ask for forgiveness.…

Unions in Nigeria’s aviation sector have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, over the prolonged delay in implementing a new salary structure for workers under the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency. In a joint letter dated July 31, the unions expressed frustration that, despite concluding negotiations with NAMA management over eight months ago, agreed salary adjustments remain unimplemented. The letter was signed by the General Secretaries of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, National Union of Air Transport Employees, Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, and the Amalgamated Union of Public…

President John Mahama of Ghana has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocols, saying there’s no place for xenophobia in Ghana. Mahama disclosed this while receiving President Bola Tinubu’s special envoy led by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu at the Presidential Palace, Accra, Ghana. This is contained in a statement issued on Friday by Dr Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Office of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria. The Ghanaian president reiterated his commitment to advancing the ECOWAS protocols, especially pertaining to…

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the United Kingdom’s (UK) Conservative Party, says she no longer identifies with Nigeria, her ancestral roots. In an interview on the Rosebud podcast anchored by Gyles Brandreth on Friday, Badenoch spoke candidly about her Nigerian heritage and personal identity. Badenoch said she has not renewed her Nigerian passport since the early 2000s, adding that she no longer feels connected to the country despite her ancestral roots. “I have not renewed my Nigerian passport; I think not since the early 2000s. I don’t identify with it [Nigeria] anymore; most of my life has been in the UK,…

Ondo State Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and some elders and leaders of the All Progressives Congress in the state, also known as the APC Leaders Caucus, have announced their endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term. The governor and the party chieftains at a meeting held at the Government House, Akure, the state capital, on Friday, also launched a group called ‘Ondo State for Tinubu 2027’ under which platform members of the party would work for the re-election of the President. Speaking at the meeting, Aiyedatiwa called for unity among members of the party and expressed optimism that…

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…