Newly emerged documents have brought to light allegations against Karl Von Baten, also known as Ikemefuna Okeke, who is accused of perjury related to conflicting claims about his birthplace in US official records. Atiku Abubakar hired Washington-based firm Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. for $1.2 million annually to boost his image in the US, with Fabiyi Oladimeji of the African Democratic Congress signing the contract. This engagement was registered with the US Department of Justice under FARA. The core controversy involves Okeke’s US documents, where he allegedly claims to have been born in the US in one record, but his naturalisation documents…
Author: Abiola
Podium Reporters obtained intelligence revealing that powerful oil cartels, whose lucrative subsidy racket was dismantled by President Bola Tinubu in 2023, have finalised plans to pour a staggering $2 billion into Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential campaign. Sources close to the cartel say they are “ecstatic” at the prospect of returning to their old, self-serving business model; provided the former vice president delivers on their key demands. At a closed-door meeting with representatives of the ADC presidential candidate in Abuja about two weeks ago, Atiku made a startling admission that he is financially stranded and desperately needs major backing for what…
The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned until September 28, 2026, a suit filed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar seeking to disqualify President Bola Tinubu from the 2027 presidential election. Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), filed the suit with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1888/2026, listing Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants. The suit is centered on allegations that Tinubu submitted a forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate to INEC. Atiku alleged in an affidavit that the certificate submitted bore the name “Tinubu…
Nigeria’s GDP expanded by 4.43% year-on-year in Q2 2026, up from 4.23% in Q2 2025 and 3.89% in Q1 2026. First-half growth reached 4.16%, compared to 3.68% in the same period of 2025. Expansion is increasingly broad-based: 27 subsectors recorded above 3.0% growth in Q2, up from 23 a year earlier. Manufacturing grew 3.24% (more than double 2025’s 1.60%), agriculture rose 4.39% (from 2.82%), and the services sector the largest driver expanded 4.60% (from 3.94%). The naira appreciated over 12% between H1 2025 and H1 2026, boosting the economy by roughly 17% in U.S. dollar terms. This trend, sustained alongside…
Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has formally joined an all-opposition coalition aimed at defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections. The PDP officially endorsed the G-100 initiative, a coalition of opposition figures working to build a unified front. National Chairman Kabiru Tanimu Turaki stated that the party’s participation is anchored on transparency and egalitarianism. The PDP confirmed it attended the inaugural G-100 summit on August 31, 2026, signalling its readiness for a single opposition platform. At the Abuja summit, six political parties including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Allied Peoples Movement…
Police officers in Lagos State on Monday fired tear gas at pensioners who had gathered at the Lagos House in Ikeja to protest unpaid pension increases, wage awards, and other outstanding benefits.
Former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has officially resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), effective immediately, in a blistering exit letter that pulls no punches. In a resignation letter dated August 31, 2026, addressed to his Ward 4 chairman in Brass LGA, Sylva announced his departure after consultations with family, close associates, and political allies. The former governor, who positioned himself as a founding stalwart of the party, lamented that the APC has completely abandoned the core principles it was built upon. Sylva made it crystal clear that he cannot stomach a…
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has declared that he will sell off the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) if elected president in the 2027 general elections. The former vice president made the pledge during a town hall meeting with business leaders in Lagos on Saturday. Atiku argued that privatising the apex bank would improve efficiency, reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, and attract foreign direct investment. He dismissed warnings from financial experts, insisting that “we cannot continue to run critical institutions the same way and expect different results.” His proposal has, however, drawn sharp rebuke from economic…
Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has hit back at human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) over the latter’s criticism of his invitation to the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt. Falana had questioned the NBA’s decision to invite VDM as a panellist on a national security session, arguing that such discussions should feature individuals with established expertise. Reacting in a social media video on Friday, VDM accused Falana and other critics of classism, stating: “The problem these people have is that the son of a nobody was invited to come…
In a shocking social media meltdown, Bashir El-Rufai has publicly eviscerated his brother, Bello El-Rufai—a sitting member of the House of Representatives representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency with a series of scathing posts that have sent Nigerian Twitter into a frenzy. The younger El-Rufai did not hold back, branding his brother a “useless excuse” and alleging substance abuse. “I have a useless excuse for a brother, with his bony ass face coated with an unknown white substance around his nostrils every night,” Bashir wrote. He added: “That is your Member in the House, representing a whole populace. but prefers alcohol…