TRIBUTES AS POPE FRANCIS DIES AT 88 Pope Francis, whose time as head of the Catholic Church was noted for humility and outreach efforts to people of disparate backgrounds and faiths, has died at 88, the Vatican has confirmed. The Argentinian national was known as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, when he was elected the Catholic …

10TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WEAKEST IN NIGERIA’S HISTORY – TUNDE BAKARE Pastor Tunde Bakare, the presiding overseer of the Global Community Citadel Church, has raised an alarm that the country under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is descending into tyranny and brazen abuse of power. He also stated that under the watch of the President, the legislature a bastion of democracy is …

WHERE IS OUR PRESIDENT? BY SULEIMAN SULEIMAN Of course, everyone knows that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in France. He has been there since the second day of this month, just about three weeks now. That one is clear. What is unclear is precisely what Nigeria’s president is doing in a foreign country for three weeks, or who is in …

BABA-AHMED: FROM PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER TO CRITIC Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former political adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says based on current developments in the North, the region will no longer vote blindly or repeat the mistakes of the past. Baba-Ahmed, a former spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), stated this during an interview with journalists in Zaria at the …

CHINA TURNS TO NIGERIA, OTHER EMERGING ECONOMIES AS US MARKETS FREEZE Product manufacturers in China have turned their attention to Nigeria and other emerging markets following the imposition of trade tariffs on their products by the US President, Donald Trump. Trump, on April 2, slapped a 46% tariff on Vietnam and a 17% levy on the Philippines before paring those …

ABIA TEACHERS TO COMMENCE STRIKE OVER UNPAID SALARIES The Abia State Standing Committee of the Nigeria Union of Teachers has concluded plans to embark on strike action on Thursday over what they described as “stringent measures on teachers” by the state governor, Alex Otti. This decision follows deliberations held during an enlarged meeting of representatives from the national, state, and …

STOP PLAYING GOD, NIGERIA BECOMING A MAFIA STATE – BAKARE TELLS TINUBU Tunde Bakare, serving overseer of The Citadel Global Community Church, has asked President Bola Tinubu to accept advice and “stop playing God”. Speaking on Sunday during his state of the nation broadcast at the church in Lagos, Bakare said the president should implement a “coordinated programme” to steer …

SOME OPERATIVES OF SOLUDO’S SECURITY OUTFIT ARE ARMED ROBBERS, KIDNAPPERS – AIDE The Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on community security, Chief Ken Emeakayi, has lamented the alleged infiltration of criminally – minded people into the state’s newly established Agunechemba security outfit. Reacting to reports that some operatives of Agunechemba are now extorting people, using guns, Emeakayi said that …

ATIKU-PETER OBI ALLIANCE: SPECULATIONS STIR ABOUT POTENTIAL POWER-SHARING AGREEMENT As the 2027 presidential election approaches, speculations surrounding a potential alliance between former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have become the focal point of Nigerian political discourse. Atiku first hinted at the possibility of such an alliance in 2024 following what he described as …

I WAS TOTALLY DISPLEASED WITH ENUGU AIRPORT RUNWAY REPAIRS — KEYAMO Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has voiced his strong disapproval of the rehabilitation work carried out on the runway of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, describing it as substandard and unsafe. In a statement posted on his official X handle on Saturday, Keyamo announced …

I WAS TOTALLY DISPLEASED WITH ENUGU AIRPORT RUNWAY REPAIRS — KEYAMO Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has voiced his strong disapproval of the rehabilitation work carried out on the runway of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, describing it as substandard and unsafe. In a statement posted on his official X handle on Saturday, Keyamo announced …

NORTH CRYING UNDER TINUBU, WILL SOON DECIDE POLITICAL DIRECTION – EX-PRESIDENT’S AIDE Former Special Adviser on Political Matters to President Bola Tinubu, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said the North is crying under Tinubu’s administration. Baba-Ahmed said the North will decide its political direction because the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari made the region wiser. Making the remark in a viral …

ANGRY BENUE YOUTHS BLOCK GOVERNOR ALIA’S CONVOY There was unrest in Zaki Biam, Benue State, as angry youths vehemently rejected Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormen Alia, Ukum LGA Chairman Hon. Jonathan Modi, and other prominent indigenes from entering their community. Shouting “Go! We don’t need you here!”, the protesters blocked access and expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s presence and …

ANGRY BENUE YOUTHS BLOCK GOVERNOR ALIA’S CONVOY There was unrest in Zaki Biam, Benue State, as angry youths vehemently rejected Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormen Alia, Ukum LGA Chairman Hon. Jonathan Modi, and other prominent indigenes from entering their community. Shouting “Go! We don’t need you here!”, the protesters blocked access and expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s presence and …

HOUSE RENT WILL CONTINUE TO RISE UNLESS THERE IS URGENT REFORM The National President of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, Akintoye Adeoye, has warned that rent prices would continue to rise unless the government urgently addresses structural and economic challenges affecting the real estate sector. “Rent will continue to go up. And the reason is because of what …