CONTEMPT CHARGE: NATASHA AKPOTI HEADS TO APPEAL COURT, CITES MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a formal appeal before the Court of Appeal in Abuja, challenging the judgment of the Federal High Court, which found her guilty of contempt and imposed a ₦5 million fine alongside a public apology. The appeal, dated, targets the July 4 decision of Justice …

I FABRICATED RAT INFESTATION AT VILLA TO COVER BUHARI’S ILLNESS — GARBA SHEHU Former presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu has revealed that the widely reported story about rats invading President Muhammadu Buhari’s office in 2017 was intentionally fabricated to shift public attention from concerns over the president’s health. The disclosure is contained in Shehu’s newly published memoir, According to the President: …

NNPCL BOSS, OJULARI, CONTEMPLATES SELLING NIGERIAN REFINERIES Bayo Ojulari, the group chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, says it is becoming a ‘bit more’ complicated to revamp state-owned refineries. On November 26, the NNPC said the Port Harcourt refinery had officially commenced crude oil processing, but the refinery shut down in May for maintenance. …

TRUMP’S VISA CLAMPDOWN LINKED TO NIGERIA’S REFUSAL TO HOUSE ASYLUM SEEKERS Nigeria’s refusal to accept asylum seekers from the United States is partly responsible for the recent visa restrictions imposed on the country by President Donald Trump, TheCable can report. TheCable understands that the talks are part of broader demands from the Trump administration, which are currently being negotiated. Diplomatic …

FUBARA’S SUSPENSION IN ORDER, CONSTITUTIONAL – SHETTIMA The Office of the Vice President has noted with stern concern the gross misrepresentation of the remarks made by His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, during the public presentation of the book, “OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block,” by Mohammed Bello …

THE NORTH WILL ALWAYS STAND FOR THE NORTH – SHETTIMA Some of you are paying more attention to a lesser issue of what Shettima said yesterday, but forgot about the key and underlying lesson. Shettima indirectly told you that the North will always stand for the North. Goodluck, planned everything as the president to remove Shettima as Governor of Borno …

US MISSION IN NIGERIA REPLIES FG ON US VISA RELATED ISSUES The U.S. Mission Nigeria wishes to address misconceptions about the recent reduction in visa validity for most nonimmigrant U.S. visas in Nigeria and other countries. This reduction is not the result of any nation’s stance on third-country deportees, introduction of e-visa policies, or affiliations with groups like BRICS. The …

WHY I SHARED FOOD AT AN EVENT – PETER OBI The 2023 presidential candidate for the Labour Party, Peter Obi has explained his reasons for sharing food for guests at the birthday celebration of Reverend Father Morris in Orlu, Imo State. Recall that social media had been set agog after the photos and videos of the former governor were seen …

BUHARI GOVERNMENT HUNTED MY ALLIES AFTER 2015 ELECTION – JONATHAN Former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Thursday, said shortly after his tenure ended in 2015, the succeeding administration — led by President Muhammadu Buhari — targeted several key officers in his government. Jonathan remarked in Abuja, during the public presentation of a memoir titled “OPL 245: Inside Story of the $1.3bn …

LG AUTONOMY: AFTER ONE YEAR, NOTHING HAS CHANGED One year after the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement that granted financial autonomy to local governments, the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration has yet to enforce the ruling, as state governments under the leadership of governors continue to have control over the councils’ coffers. As the third tier of government, local governments are …

US PRESSURING AFRICANS TO ACCEPT VENEZUELAN DEPORTEES – FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, on Thursday disclosed that the United States (US) is mounting pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelan deportees. Tuggar revealed that some of these Venezuelan deportees are prisoners in the US. He made this disclosure while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today. …

SEN. DINO MELAYE, 5,733 OTHERS BECOME CERTIFIED LEGAL PRACTITIONERS A former member of the Nigerian Senate, Sen. Dino Melaye has been called to bar, making him a duly certified advocate of the Nigerian Supreme Court, ABUJAPRESS reports. He was among the 5,734 presented for call to bar in Abuja on Wednesday, a figure said to be the highest in the …

GOVERNORS GET ₦4.5TRN LG FUNDS One YEAR AFTER SUPREME COURT RULING Exactly one year after the Supreme Court granted full autonomy to the 774 local government areas, the Federal Government has continued to channel allocations through state governments. An analysis by The PUNCH shows that state governors retained control of council allocations totalling N4.5tn, defying the landmark judgment that mandated …

NO ONE CAN CHASE US OUT OF PLATEAU, IT’S OUR STATE too’ – FULANI YOUTH LEADER VOWS A Fulani youth leader in Plateau State, Hamisu Garba, has insisted that any attempt by natives to forcefully intimidate and chase them out of the state will not work as they are also citizens of the state. Hamisu, who spoke in an exclusive …

ONE KILLED, AK-47, VEHICLES RECOVERED AS POLICE, SUSPECTED ESN MILITANTS CLASH IN ANAMBRA A fierce two-hour gun duel broke out early Tuesday morning between police-led joint security forces and suspected members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) at the Ekwulobia Roundabout near the flyover in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State. According to a security situation report filed by …