Ridoola's blog

The INEC chairman insisted that the collation process will continue and that aggrieved parties should approach the court for a redress after the exercise. The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu has reacted to a call for his resignation by the coalition of three opposition political parties. Pulse reports that the coalition comprising the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) jointly held a press conference on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, where they accused Yakubu of compromising the ongoing results announcement. The parties said the Chairman's refusal to heed their calls that the results should be uploaded to the INEC Results Viewing portal (IReV) before they are announced at the collation centre as agreed in the guidelines for the election has eroded confidence in the process. But, responding to the accusations, Yakubu who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Rot...

A former Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Bamitale Oguntoyinbo, has called on Yoruba leaders and leaders of thought in Nigeria to caution former President Olusegun Obasanjo on his Monday call for cancellation of last Saturday Presidential and National Assembly elections. Oguntoyinbo, who was NOA Director in Ekiti from 2000 to 2002, made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti. He described Obasanjo as a beneficiary of democracy, which he did not work for. According to him, he should learn from other former Heads of State, who are now statesmen and supporters of democracy in Nigeria. “The tenure of Olusegun Obasanjo as the President from 1999 to 2007 was characterised with anti-democratic tendencies. “It was an era of imposition of candidates for elective positions, ticket hijacking and unconstitutional removal of governors at the state level,” he said. Oguntoyinbo , also Chairman, Oye Local Government area of Ekiti...

The United Nations on Tuesday appealed to all stakeholders to remain calm through the conclusion of the electoral process in just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria. UN Spokesperson, Stephanie Dujarric, in a statement, called on all political leaders and their supporters to ensure a peaceful atmosphere. He also called on them to refrain from any conduct, such as hate speech, misinformation or incitement to violence, that could undermine the electoral process and ultimately the peace and stability of Nigeria. “The United Nations reaffirms its solidarity and support to the people and Government of Nigeria.” Earlier in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Dujarric said UN would continue to support all Nigeria’s political parties to respect their commitments under their peace accord. All 18 registered political parties in Nigeria had signed a peace pact on the 2023 general elections coordinated by the National Peace Committee (NPC). The ...

The Anti Cultism and Kidnapping Squad (ACKS) of the Police Command in Cross River has arrested a notorious kidnap kingpin, five years after he was declared wanted. The SP Ogini Chukwuma led ACKS, acting through intelligence, had stormed the hideout of the kingpin, Kufre Etim, also called Romance, where he allegedly opened fire on sighting the team. He was injured in the gun duel with the police and was subsequently arrested. While he was arrested, other members of the gang escaped with various injuries. The state Commissioner of Police, Sule Balarabe , described his arrest as a victory for the police and the people of Cross River. “The notorious kidnapper has been terrorising the state and part of a neighbouring state for years, we are glad that he has been apprehended. “He has been on the wanted list for three years and we finally picked him up today, ” he stated. Romance name has been linked with several kidnap cases, armed robbery and killings in the state. He is said to be ...

The results collation exercise has witnessed some interesting developments since its commencement on Saturday. Another mild drama has occured at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja, venue of the ongoing collation of results for the presidential election held on Saturday, February 25, 2023. Pulse reports that the proceedings have witnessed several intermittent interruptions as agents of political parties and observers alike expressed their reservations over the unfolding developments. Recall Dino Melaye , an agent representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had created a scene on Monday when he disrupted proceedings after Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu turned down his request to review the result from Ekiti State. On Tuesday evening, another funny event also ensued when an agent of a political party, who identified himself as Solo Mohammed , accused the commission of not making provision for refreshments fo...

Despite Tinubu's lead, the winner has yet to be declared by the INEC. On Tuesday, February 28, 2023, there was a cheerful encounter between ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and former Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu. Jonathan, along with his delegation, paid a visit to Tinubu, who is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), at his residence in Abuja. What you should know: It's worth noting that Jonathan is currently the leader of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Election Monitoring Team for the upcoming general elections in Nigeria. Purpose of meeting: Accompanied by former Ghanaian President John Mahama, the former Vice President and one-time Governor of Bayelsa State held a meeting 72 hours following the conclusion of the presidential election, amidst complaints of over-voting, disenfranchisement, and falsified results. Collation and announcement so far: Despite Tinubu's lead, the winner has yet to be declared by the Indep...

PDP’s Lawal Umar has won the Kaduna Central Senatorial seat in Kaduna State with 225, 066 votes. Prof. Haruna Aminu, the Returning Officer for the distirict announced the result at the Magajin Gari Collation Center in Kaduna on Tuesday. Aminu declared Umar winner of the election having defeated his closest contender, Malam Abdullahi Dattijo of the APC who scored 182, 035 votes. Aminu also said Mohammed Sani of Labour Party, who came third scored 86, 510 votes and Ahmad Tijjani of New Nigeria People Party(NNPP), scored 24,395 votes. “Lawal Adamu Umar, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared winner and returned elected,’’ the returning officer said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), report that Kaduna Central Senatorial district comprises Birnin Gawri, Chikun, Giwa, Igabi, Kaduna North, Kaduna South and Kajuru Local Government Areas. ridoola.blogspot.com.ng

The Presidential Candidate of All Progressives Congress, Sen. Bola Tinubu, was announced the winner of Saturday’s presidential elections in Ogun and Oyo States, while Peoples Democratic Party Atiku Abubakar won Yobe and Gombe States. The State Collation Officer for Ogun State, Prof. Kayode Adebowale , while announcing the state results at the National Collation Centre in Abuja, said APC scored 341,554 votes; PDP 123,831 votes and Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP) scored 85,829 votes. Adebowale, who is also the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, gave the votes for ADC as 10,529; Accord- 1,153; AA -331; AAC-923; ADC-10,529; ADP -1,734 and APC-341,554. APGA got 934; APM 6,012A; 326; BP374; NNPP 2,200; NRM 542; PRP 356 S; 738; YPP-366 and ZLP-2,392. He put the states total registered voters at 2,688,305; accredited voters at 612,341; total valid votes at 580,124 and total votes cast at 611,448. Adebowale said that rejected votes also stood at 31,324 due to over voting and disruption ...

Sirika suggested that Tinubu keep the speech brief so that his supporters can retire early to bed. On Monday, February 27, 2023, via his Twitter handle, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, encouraged Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to draft his acceptance speech promptly as the 'president-elect'. Sirika suggested that Tinubu keep the speech brief so that his supporters can retire early to bed. He tweeted: “Notwithstanding the irritation in Lagos, Osun, Kano, Katsina, Yobe, Gombe and a couple others, ‘President-elect’ Sen Bola Ahmed Tinubu should write his acceptance speech now. “But your Excellency, please make it short, we will sleep early tonight. ‘Zero tension’. Alhamdulillah.” What you should know: This comes even as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to compete collation and announcements of 2023 presidential results. ridoola.blogspot.com.ng

Peter Obi came in second with 308,372 votes... The presidential election in Benue state was won by Bola Tinubu, who represents the All Progressives Congress (APC). The result was announced on Monday, February 27, 2023, by Faruk Kuta, the returning officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), at the INEC head office in Makurdi, the state capital. Why this matters: The governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom , had urged his state residents to vote Peter Obi , the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate for the 25 February election. The results: However, from emerging election results, Tinubu secured 310,468 votes, while Peter Obi came in second with 308,372 votes. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) received 130,081 votes, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) received 4,740 votes. The shares: Obi won 15 LGAs including Guma, where Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, hails from, while Tinubu secured eight LGAs. The official announcement of the winner is expect...

Governor Darius Ishaku and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senatorial candidate for Taraba South has lost his bid to the All Progressives Congress (APC ) candidate, Mr David Jimkuta. Announcing the results in Wukari on Monday, Prof. Adeyeye Solomon, the Returning Officer for the senatorial election, said Jimkuta scored 85,415 votes to defeat Ishaku who got 45,708 votes. The results from the various local government areas that make up the zone indicate that the APC candidate polled 17,607 votes in Donga Local Government Area while Ishaku clinched 10,492 votes. The APC got 13,087 votes as against PDP’s 8,092 votes in Ibi LGA, 22,246 votes against 4,098 votes in Ussa/Yangtu, 20,892 votes against 12,988 votes in Wukari and 11,581 votes against 9,640 votes from Takum. According to him, the APC candidate won in all the local government areas including the governor’s hometown of Takum. Meanwhile, the Senate Deputy Minority Leader, Sen. Shu’aibu Lau , has won his re-election bid for T...

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Hon. Jonathan Gaza, Member of the House of Representatives for Karu/Keffi/Kokona Federal constituency, as the winner of Saturday’s election for the constituency in Nasarawa. Prof, George Genyi, INEC Returning Officer for the election, declared Gaza who polled 60,265 votes as winner at the Keffi Zonal collation centre in Keffi Local Government Area of the state on Monday. Genyi said the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Bulus Ishaku, had 33,180 votes with that of the Labour Party, Mr Iliya Gambo scoring 29,665 votes while that of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr Auta Koro , polled 28,417 votes. “That Gaza Jonathan of the SDP, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared winner and is returned elected,” he said. Speaking after the declaration of the results, Mr Usman Enoch, SDP party agent for the election, expressed gladness over the victory and gratitude to the people ...

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cancelled results of 11 polling units in Kogi on Saturday, over thuggery and failure of a Presiding Officer (PO) to operate the BVAS correctly. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the results of 10 polling units were cancelled in Ofu Local Government Area (LGA) due to activities of political thugs, and a polling unit in Yagba East LGA due to ineptness of a PO. Dr Alhassan Abdulrahaman, the Collation Officer for Yagba LGA, on Sunday disclosed cancellation in his area, while presenting the results to the State Collation Officer, Prof. Wahab Egbewale (SAN), Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin. NAN reports that Abdulrahaman had barely finished his presentation, when Egbewale asked him whether any result was cancelled in the area and he answered in the affirmative. “ Yes Sir, we do have cause to cancel some results in Yagba East Local Government during last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections. “At...

After shedding tears and worrying about who is going home, the housemates were shocked to find out that they were all safe. After a rollercoaster week of stressing over wager presentations, tasks, and fake nominations , the 'Big Brother Titans' housemates spent all day overwhelmed with the pressure of the looming weekly Sunday evictions. One-half of the Royals, Ebubu, shed a few tears while in the garden. Later, the Royals told Biggie they were not feeling good because they were not used to being up for eviction during their diary session. Justin said the same thing during the Juvone eviction diary session. Unknown to them, Biggie had a surprise in store for everyone. After taking the housemates through a series of difficult questions from Lawrence, the South African co-host finally revealed it was a non-eviction week, meaning everyone was safe and no one had to go home. As expected, a huge relief came over all the housemates who hugged each other with smiles on their fac...

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday evening commenced the collation of presidential results from the 27 Local Government Areas of the state. The collation commenced amidst a peaceful protest by the Labour Party and Ohaneze Youth Council, who alleged a compromise in the outcome of the National Assembly elections conducted in Orlu Senatorial zone. The State Collation Officer, Prof. Charles Esimone , flanked by INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Sylvia Agu , had declared the collation of presidential results open at about 6;30pm. Esimone, who is presently the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, pledged to ensure a transparent collation exercise. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that as at the time of report, nine Local Government Areas have so far been collated and announced by the various collation officers before embarking on break as at 10:10pm. The Local Government Areas included Isiala Mbano, Isu, Nwangele, Ideat...

Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara has signed into law, the Bill establishing the state Anti-thuggery Agency. This is contained in a statement issued in Gusau on Sunday by the Press Secretary to the Governor, Jamilu Iliyasu. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Matawalle had in February 2022 issued an Executive Order setting up a committee to tackle thuggery, drug abuse and related offences in the state. The governor later forwarded a bill to the state House of Assembly for a law to establish the state anti-thuggery agency, which was passed by the lawmakers. The governor said the agency was established by his administration to complement the efforts of security agencies in curtailing thuggery related cases in the state. He added that the agency would also help to inculcate good morals in the youths towards a more decent society. According to the statement, the governor also assented to the amended law setting up the state Area Development Councils. He said the area develop...

Tanko said his biggest fears is that some people may want to cause mayhem in order to disrupt the election. Yunusa Tanko, the Chief Spokesman for the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, has said his principal, Peter Obi, will challenge the outcome of the ongoing presidential election if they suspect a foul play in the process. Tanko said this during an interview with The Punch where also talked about Obi 's chances of becoming the next Nigerian president. The former Anambra State governor was one of the frontline candidates going into the presidential election on Saturday, February 25, 2023, and the Campaign Spokesman believed he's the man to beat due to " the level of endorsements that " he got. Speaking on what will happen if Obi doesn't win the election, Tanko said his candidate would concede if the process is free, fair and credible. However, according to him, the party will explore every available legal means to challenge the results of the ele...

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has extended voting in the presidential and national assembly elections in Cross River to Sunday, February 26. This was disclosed in a statement signed by Mrs Anthonia Nwobi, Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, on behalf of Prof. Gabriel Yomere , the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Cross River. According to Nwobi, the extension became necessary for the presidential and national assembly election to hold in areas of the state where it could not hold on the original date of Feb. 25 “The extension to Sunday was for the exercise to hold in polling units and wards in Cross River that election did not take place, including Bakassi Local Government Area, Dayspring 1 and 2 as well as Qua Island. “Voting in the affected areas will resume by 8 am and end at noon. “All stakeholders, including members of political parties, Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), Observers, the press, INEC ...

There were reports of thugs interfering with some polling units in the state. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has threatened to cancel election results of crises-ridden areas during the presidential and National Assembly elections in Kogi. Dr Hale Longpet , Kogi Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), sounded the warning while reacting to the crises that erupted in some Local Government Areas while Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja. There were reports of thugs interfering with some polling units in Anyigba and Dekina in the Kogi East and Mopa in the Kogi West as well as parts of Kogi Central, where voting materials were allegedly carted away by thugs. "You know the electoral law says that where there are disruptions to the process, the result will be cancelled, the very particular units' results will be cancelled. "The issues initially were only in the Kogi East and Central but I can't tell exactly where and where in the...

The party was hosted by South Africa's Ms Cosmo. Ahead of the weekly Saturday party , the housemates received high-school-themed outfits for the fun occasion. After getting glammed up, they turned up on the dance floor with South Africa's Ms Cosmo on the wheels of steel. Here are some highlights from the party: Ms Cosmo brings the roof down The DJ was exceptional, playing the right combination of Afrobeats, Hip hop and Amapiano. The housemates loved it and fans online also raved about her. She clearly understood the assignment. Love is in the air Looks like a lot of housemates were feeling the love as some couples shared kisses on the dance floor. Thabang and Nelisa kissed. Then, Yemi and Khosi had a moment. Thabang the stepper As usual, Thabang was ready to party , dishing out interesting moves every step throughout the party. He was joined by Blue Aiva. The bros vibe together During the party, Kanaga Jnr and Yemi bonded by dancing together and serving interestin...

The Vice Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Kashim Shettima, has won his polling unit in Lawan Bukar Ward of Maiduguri. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Shettima scored 126 votes out of the 156 total votes cast at the unit. Atiku Abubakar of PDP scored 22 votes, while the remaining presidential candidates, including Peter Obi of Labour Party and Rabiu Kwankwaso of NNPP, scored zero votes. The Presiding Officer, Mr Suleiman Shehu , who announced the result, said eight ballot papers were invalid. ridoola.blogspot.com.ng

Katsina State police have detained 15 suspected party agents for allegedly plotting to tamper with the outcome of the presidential and national assembly elections scheduled for today, Saturday. Details: According to SP Gambo Isah , spokesman for the Katsina police command, the suspects were carrying a number of electronic devices, laptop computers, and other tools when they were apprehended. SP Gambo, on the other hand, stated that additional investigation into the case is ongoing and that the findings will be made public in due course. “We invited experts and they are doing their work on the system to ascertain actually what is in the place because of its sensitivity,” SP Gambo said. ridoola.blogspot.com.ng

INEC said this year's election results will be declared swiftly compared to what obtained in previous elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) has promised Nigerians that results of the presidential and national assembly elections of today, Saturday, February 25, 2023, will be announced in record time. This was disclosed by the commissions' Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu , while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday, February 24, 2023. “ I just want to say that we will ensure that result declaration will be done speedily. I can’t put a finger on the number of days or number of hours it will take but it will be done speedily. “We are aware of the anxiety and the need for us to conclude the process quickly. It will be concluded quickly ,” Mahmood said. Speaking on the effect of the current cash crunch in the country on the elections, the INEC Chairman said not all the operations of the commission that were paid through cash by the Central Bank ...

Residents expressed their readiness to vote for their preferred candidates on election day. Security has been beefed up at the Municipal office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Karu, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in preparation for Saturday's elections. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 11 military vehicles on patrol made a stop over at the office, which caused some minutes of gridlock, prompting motorists to divert to other routes. Also, several police officers were seen patrolling the vicinity, while some men of the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) were equally seen in and around the vicinity. Meanwhile, the office was a beehive of activities as materials were being sorted and dispatched to Wuse, Gwarimpa and other wards under the municipal. Several vehicles were seen as late as 8:30 pm carrying materials from the office to the various voting points. NAN reports that expectations were high among business operators and residents as many ...

Who's going to come out on top and win Nigeria's most valuable political seat? 87.2 million Nigerians have the opportunity to fill 470 federal seats today. ***** 06:10 am: When will voting start? Voting will commence at 8:30 am in polling units all over Nigeria, and end at 2:30 pm, but whoever is already accredited and on the line to vote by the time of the deadline will still be allowed to vote. Voting starts at 8:30 am on election day 06:07 am: How many Nigerians will vote? There are 93.5 million Nigerians on the national voters' register but 6.3 million of them have not collected their Permanent Voter's Card (PVC) in time to vote today. This leaves the number of voters eligible to vote at 87.2 million , the highest ever for any Nigerian election. Nigeria's voters' turnout rate has been sliding down since 2003, but there are high hopes of an impressive turnout today. The turnout rate in Nigerian elections has been going down since 2003 06:05 am: ...

The National Council on Privatisation (NCP), has approved the sale of a NITEL/MTEL Property located at number 3-5, Moloney street, Tafawa Balewa Square, Onikan, Lagos State. This is contained in a statement signed by Chidi Ibeh, Head of Public Communications, Bureau of Public Enterprises(BPE) in Abuja on Friday. Ibeh said the property was one of those listed for sale by the Liquidator of NITEL/MTEL Non-Core assets at the cost of N2.5 billion. “ Meanwhile, the property is presently encumbered by the activities of illegal occupants and the Lagos State Government has promised a harmless takeover of the property.” He said the NCP chaired by the Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo , granted the approval at its second meeting for 2023 held on Tuesday. It would be recalled that NITEL was incorporated in 1984 but formally commenced operations in 1985. NITEL was jointly owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria with 93.3 per cent share and First Bank of Nigeria Plc with 6.7 per cent. However...

With just under 24 hours left, Nigerians are on the brink of determining their next leader. People in Nigeria who do not possess Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been advised to refrain from going to polling stations during Election Day, as only those who hold valid PVCs will be permitted to cast their votes. The advisory issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday, February 23, 2023, in Abuja, noted that on election day, only the PVC would serve as a means of identification, with INEC's dedication to utilizing the Bimadal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for accrediting voters and uploading election results to the Result Viewing Portal (IReV). The commission’s Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye said: " As Nigerians go to the polling units on Election Day, we want to point out that it is a mandatory provision of the Electoral Act that every citizen who wants to vote in the coming election must have a PVC...

4rain gifted with an amazing Afro house music performance in the fortress of Cidade Velha, located in Cabo Verde, was set to be a truly special experience. Combining the electronic and contemporary sounds of Africa, 4rain has crafted a performance that drowned upon the city's cultural and historical heritage. With a passionate commitment to their craft, 4rain is sure to captivate audiences and leave them with an unforgettable experience. Cidade Velha is an important place in the history of slavery, as millions of slaves were sold here. It was here that the destiny of each slave was determined, whether they would become Americans, Caribbeans, or inhabitants of Central or South America. Afro house sounds, creating a unique experience for listeners, under the watchful eyes of the mayor of the city of Cidade Velha, and former Minister of Foreign Affairs José Brito: "Just before the show, he gave me a tour of the castle and told me the whole story of the city. I was very moved....

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has declared Friday as half-working day for all the state civil and public servants to prepare for Saturday Presidential and National Assembly elections. The half-working day is to allow public and civil servants who may need to travel to where they would perform their civic responsibilities on Saturday. This is contained in a circular signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Olubanwo Adeosun . The circular, which was addressed to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies as well as the State House of Assembly and other extra-ministerial departments, stated that Makinde directed that all government offices should close by noon on Friday. The governor said that the directive excepted staff covering essential services and are expected to remain at their duty posts. According to circular, the declaration of Friday as half-working day is in tandem with the governor’s commitment to deepening democracy and good governance. The circular read...

Ahead of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly Elections, 65 deregistered political parties under the Forum of Political Parties in Lagos State (FPP), have endorsed the APC Presidential Candidate, Senator Bola Tinubu. Chief Kolawole Ajayi, the Lagos State Chairman of the Forum and two-time Chairman of the Lagos State Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) disclosed this at a news conference on Thursday in Lagos. Ajayi , who promised that the group would deliver over 400,000 votes for Tinubu , said that members of the forum had unanimously endorsed Tinubu for president of Nigeria. He said that the choice and decision of the forum to pitch their tent and support Tinubu’s ambition was hinged on the candidate’s inspiring pedigree in both private and public life. According to him, Tinubu has maintained the highest rectitude in leadership, with much interest in effective building and utilisation of human and material resources to attain unprecedented development, which he exemplifie...

Nigeria is winning its fight to end illicit drug trafficking, the Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Chief Olusegun Runsewe, has said. Runsewe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja that efforts being made by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has reduced consumption and trafficking of illicit drugs in the country. He said there is the need for Nigeria to maintain its presence globally in socio-economic development, saying its image and integrity would encourage investors. The D-G said retired Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Marwa, Chairman of the NDLEA, has led major arrests, raiding hideouts and bringing those guilty to justice, saying this was impressive. ”For one to know the cultural and investment value of any country, a visit to the correctional institutions would reflect the kinds of crime committed by citizens. “Today, I want to publicly commend Gen. Marwa for his efforts. Do you know that two years ago, at every airport,...

James Brown's 24th birthday celebrations have left everyone in awe, from a Beyonce-inspired outfit to the unveiling of a new house. Popular Nigerian media personality James Brown celebrated his 24th birthday in style. The popular celeb brought his family to tears as he surprised them with his new house. Apparently, Brown had kept his plan away from his family, shocking them when he informed them that he was now a landlord. In the video posted on his YouTube page, James Brown could be seen with his siblings as he took them to his new luxury mansion. Some of those who couldn’t believe the story broke down in tears while rolling on the floor. He wrote, “How I surprised my family with the house I gifted myself for my 24th birthday." James Brown channels inner Beyonce. For his birthday this year, James Brown had a Beyonce-inspired photo shoot. He uploaded a video of himself wearing Beyonce-type silver attire. In the video, Beyonce's song "Break My Soul" fr...

Spotify’s partnership with FC Barcelona is birthing another exciting moment as the streaming giant shares new playlists curated by two of the football club’s star strikers, including Nigeria’s own Asisat Oshoala . Spotify is continuing to bring the FC Barcelona partnership onto the platform creating a direct link between players, fans and the music they love. Fans are now able to listen to Matchday playlists from both the men’s and women’s teams which showcase the music selections that motivate and inspire the players to perform on game day. Following Pedri and Alexia Putellas ’ playlists, star strikers Robert Lewandowski and Asisat Oshoala have created their own playlists with music they like to listen to ahead of matches. The two playlists will be accessible on the FC Barcelona official Spotify page as My Matchday Songs by Lewandowski & My Matchday Songs by Oshoala. Fondly known to Nigerian and Barcelona Femeni fans by her nickname, “Agba baller”, Oshoala is one of the most ...

Police are investigating some governors and individuals whose utterances are considered to have incited riots over the naira redesign policy of the CBN. Inspector-General of Police, Mr Usman Alkali, made this known in Abuja on Wednesday while fielding questions from State House correspondents. He was accompanied to the news conference by the Attorney-General of Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami , at the end of Wednesday’s National Security Council meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari . Alkali said those found guilty would definitely be prosecuted. He maintained that the police were not in position to prosecute culpable governors because they enjoyed immunity. Govs. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun and Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, had openly condemned and denigrated the implementation of the naira swap policy. They asked people in their states to continue to spend the old N500 and N1000 as legal tenders. “We all know why the governors have...

Kalu had earlier claimed that Ikpeazu is mobilising support for the APC presidential candidate in Abia State. Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has debunked the claims made by the Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, that he will support the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, during the election slated for Saturday, February 25, 2023. Recall that Ikpeazu is a member of the five aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors, popularly knowns as G-5, who have vowed not to work for their party's presidential torchbearer, Atiku Abubakar , in the upcoming election. Other members of the G-5 include governors Nyesom Wike , Seyi Makinde , Samuel Ortom , and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Rivers, Oyo, Benue, and Enugu States respectively. While it seems from all indications that Wike might be backing Tinubu , Ortom on the hand has publicly declared his support for the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi . However, the duo of Ikpeazu and ...

" We are hearing that our Governor...suddenly decided to form an alliance with Muslim – Muslim ticket..." The Labour Party, LP, in Rivers State has criticized Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state for allegedly supporting the Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Bola Tinubu. During a briefing with journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, the National Vice Chairman, South South of the Labour Party, Favour Reuben , accused Wike of acting out of self-interest. What Labour Party's chieftain said: Reuben argued that Wike's previous descriptions of the APC as cancer and the PDP as malaria meant that he should have sought a cure for these " deadly diseases " in the form of Peter Obi instead. In his words: “We are hearing that our Governor (Wike, who few years back declared our state as a Christian State because he was running for election, has made a U-turn overnight and suddenly decided to form an alliance with Muslim – M...

Four governorship candidates in Abia have blamed the socio-economic woes and gross underdevelopment of the state on bad governance. They spoke on Tuesday at a special town hall meeting organised by the Justice, Development and Peace/Caritas Foundation for political office seekers in the state. The event, which took place at the Mater Dei Cathedral Secretariat, Umuahia, was attended by the Governorship Candidates of the Labour Party and African Democratic Congress, Dr Alex Otti and Bishop Sunday Onuoha, respectively. The other governorship candidates in attendance were Chief Mascot Kalu and Akym Onyekwere of the Action Peoples Party and Action Alliance, respectively. The candidates took turn to speak on the deplorable condition of the state, citing the dilapidation in infrastructure, unimaginable unemployment and poverty rate and humongous debt profile of the state. They attributed the situation to greed and ineptitude of past and present administrations and pledged to reverse ...

Apple Music has announced Afrofusion singer-songwriter, Pawzz real name David Tokuma Dekor as the latest featured artist in its Up Next artist development program in Nigeria. “It’s a real honour for me, a young kid from Nigeria’s middle-belt, to be selected as Apple Music's Up Next artist. I can't express how grateful I am to Apple Music for their love and support for my music. It just brings so much validation to my journey, the years of sacrifice and striving to achieve my dreams. I couldn’t be happier or more ecstatic about this,” he tells Apple Music. Born and raised in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria, Pawzz has been working diligently for several months alongside distribution and label services company, Freeme Music, in order to fully realise his artist potential. Now, with a clear focus on leveraging his individuality, Pawzz is determined to make a positive impact on the youth through his music, by teaching them to embrace their authentic selves. His debut EP ' Prezz Pla...

More than 800 Nigerians died in the riots that followed the 2011 presidential election. The 2011 presidential election is notorious for being one of the most violent in Nigeria’s electoral history. Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’ s death in 2010 paved the way for his vice-president, Goodluck Jonathan , to succeed him and run for his own first term, as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Goodluck Jonathan was untouchable in the 2011 presidential election Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), who wouldn’t take no for an answer after losses in 2003 and 2007, appeared on the ballot again for the third consecutive presidential election. Muhammadu Buhari lost another presidential election that enraged his supporters who rioted in the northern region A former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu , was a notable candidate on the ballot as the flagbearer of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), but he finished a d...

The numbers show that 2022 was a great year for Nigerian movies at the box office. Last week, Funke Akindele-Bello's 'Battle on Buka Street' became the highest-grossing Nigerian film of all time. This title was previously held by her 2020 release 'Omo Ghetto: The Saga', which raked in N636 million. With this new record, we take a look at the top 10 highest-grossing Nollywood movies of all time: 'Battle on Buka Street' - N640M Data from the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) shows that the comedy-drama earned N646,532,267 and counting after spending only nine weeks in theatres. With this latest achievement , Akindele proves once again that she is the queen of the box office. The 2022 release follows the story of two half-sisters who have been rivals for a while. Their rivalry intensifies when they both set up their food businesses on the same street. Directed by Akindele and Tobi Makinde, the cast includes Akindele, Mercy Johnson, Nkem Ow...