Politics

TINUBU ASSURES OKONJO-IWEALA OF NIGERIA’S SUPPORT ON REAPPOINTMENT AS WTO DIRECTOR GENERAL President Bola Tinubu has assured the reappointed Director General of the World Trade Organization, WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria’s continued support. Tinubu gave the assurance while congratulating Okonjo-Iweala on her unanimous re-election as WTO DG. Okonjo-Iweala made history in 2021 as the first African and first woman to …

TAX REFORM BILLS PASS SECOND READING IN SENATE AS HOUSE OF REPS GOES INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION The Senate on Thursday passed for second reading the four controversial tax reform bills transmitted to it by President Bola Ahned Tinubu.This followed a lead debate on the bills presented by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) and debated by senators during …

HOW POLICE KILLED 24 ENDBADGOVERNANCE PROTESTERS, DETAINED OVER 1200 OTHERS INCLUDING MINORS, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: The Amnesty International, global human rights advocacy organisation, has said that the Nigeria police force used excessive force against protesters during the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests between August 1-10, 2024, and killed at least 24 protesters in Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa and Niger states. Amnesty International …

TAX REFORM BILLS: NIGERIANS EARNING BELOW ₦‎1M ANNUALLY EXEMPTED FROM INCOME TAX Barring last-minute changes, the Senate will pass the controversial Tax Reform Bills today, exempting those earning below N1 million per annum from the tax net. Vanguard gathered that most lawmakers who were initially opposed to the bills have changed their position following clarifications given by the Federal Government’s …

WIKE, FUBARA ACCUMULATE HUGE DEBTS FOR RIVERS GOVT The Rivers State government under the administration of former Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara, accumulated debts from N5,225,575,493.20 to N213,902,344,833.33 within a period of 12 months. The 2023 audit report of the state revealed that the state entered 2023 with …

Pro-Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa, who was arrested in Finland for alleged terrorism-related activities, is scheduled to face charges in May 2025 potentially, according to Finnish authorities. A Senior Detective Superintendent at Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation, Mikko Laaksonen, confirmed to The PUNCH via email on Tuesday that the district court had set May 2025 as the deadline for prosecutors to …

NORTH MUST NOT TEAR NIGERIA APART – GOWON Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (Retd), has warned that following early agitation for power to return to the northern part of the country, the region must not tear the country apart. Gowon therefore urged northern elites to champion causes that serve the collective interest of Nigeria rather than narrow regional …

SUPREME COURT GIVES FINAL VERDICT ON AUTHENTIC APGA NATIONAL CHAIRMAN The Supreme Court of Nigeria has upheld the leadership of Sylvester (Sly) Ezeokenwa as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). The judgment, delivered on Wednesday, also imposed a ₦20 million fine against Edozie Njoku for filing a frivolous suit at the FCT High Court in Bwari. …

AHEAD OF 2027, ATIKU, OBI MULL NEW POLITICAL PARTY. The presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, are in talks to adopt a new political party ahead of the 2027 polls. Sources reveal that Abubakar and Obi met recently, where they discussed plans to adopt a new …

BREAKING: EFCC ARRESTS YAHAYA BELLO The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has finally arrested the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, as he honoured the invitation of the Commission over alleged misappropriation of funds. Bello went to the anti-graft agency’s office with his lawyers on Tuesday morning. This followed the Supreme Court judgment which dismissed the suit …