Lawmakers elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, in southwestern Nigeria, have endorsed Governor Ademola Adeleke for a second term, even though he is seeking re-election on the Accord Party platform. The endorsement was announced ahead of the Osun State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, August 8, 2026. The decision was contained in a communiqué issued after a stakeholders’ meeting held in Osogbo, the state capital, on Sunday, February 15, 2026. The communiqué was read by Senator Lere Oyewumi, the Deputy Senate Minority Leader in Nigeria’s Senate, which is part of the country’s National Assembly, the federal…
Author: Oluwadara Akingbohungbe
Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna State in north-west Nigeria, has written to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) seeking an explanation over claims that the agency plans to procure a toxic chemical substance. In the letter dated Friday, January 30, 2026, and addressed to Nigeria’s National Security Adviser in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, El-Rufai said he wanted “clarification and reassurance” about reports circulating among opposition figures that the security office was considering the importation of thallium sulphate. El-Rufai posted the letter on Sunday, February 15, 2026, on X, the social media platform formerly known as…
Nyesom Wike, Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has said he will support only candidates who align with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda in the Federal Capital Territory’s area council election set for Saturday, February 21, 2026. Wike spoke in Abuja, Nigeria, late on Saturday, February 14, 2026 (West African Time, WAT, GMT+1), during a public ceremony marking the 60th birthday of Senator Sandy Onor, a Nigerian senator and academic from Cross River State in southern Nigeria. According to Wike, party labels will not determine his choices. He said his backing would go to any candidate he believes supports Tinubu’s…
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has sent condolences to traders and residents of Kano State in northern Nigeria after a destructive fire swept through Singer Market in Kano city. The food market caught fire on Saturday evening, Saturday, February 14, 2026, and the flames continued into Sunday morning, Sunday, February 15, 2026, in West African Time (WAT, GMT+1), leaving significant damage in their wake. In a statement from the presidency, the President said he had already contacted Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to obtain a situation report on the incident and described the development as tragic. The statement noted…
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will pay an official visit to Adamawa State in northeastern Nigeria on Monday, February 16, 2026, less than 48 hours after making a similar visit to Kebbi State in northwestern Nigeria. The State House said the trip will last one day and will include the inauguration of completed projects as well as meetings with senior government officials and traditional rulers. Activities are expected to take place in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, and Jimeta, a major nearby district. Among the projects listed for inauguration is the eight-lane Galadima Aminu Road, which links Gimba and the…
In a deeply disturbing video that has gone viral on social media, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has issued what many Nigerians are describing as direct death threats against officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 general elections. Speaking in what appears to be a campaign-style address, Obi declared: “In that polling booth, in 2027, if they don’t count it, we will count the person.” The chilling statement, widely interpreted as a threat to physically harm or eliminate INEC presiding officers and collation officials who refuse to manipulate results in his favour, has…
The African Democratic Congress Youth Wing, operating from its secretariat at the party’s National Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, has issued a formal statement to the general public and the media to clarify its position on recent comments credited to Mr Peter Obi. In the statement dated Saturday, 14 February 2026, the group said it is “distancing itself” from Mr Obi’s recent statements, stressing that it does not support or identify with the remarks. The youth wing added that it maintains its own independent position on national matters. The ADC Youth Wing said it remains committed to the values of the…
Former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has rejected an allegation by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai that links him to the disappearance of Nigerian activist Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata. The response was contained in a statement signed by Muhammad Garba, a former Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs in Kano State. Garba described the allegation as reckless and baseless, and said it was a political move that tries to shift responsibility for a case that occurred in Kaduna State, northern Nigeria. Garba said Dadiyata lived and worked in Kaduna State and was known for criticising the…
Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has called for a full investigation into claims of wire-tapping made by Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna State in north-western Nigeria. Onanuga made the call in a post on X on Friday, February 13, 2026, reacting to comments El-Rufai made during an interview on Arise Television Prime Time. In the interview, El-Rufai alleged that Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, ordered his arrest after what he described as a failed attempt to detain him at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Nigeria’s…
At the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told Nigeria’s Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, that Nigeria should take a leading role in Africa’s campaign for a restructured global order, arguing that the country is positioned to help the continent gain greater global influence. Guterres made the remarks on Friday, February 13, 2026, during a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the 39th African Union Summit. The African Union is a 55-member organisation that convenes African leaders and senior officials to shape common policies and respond to regional challenges. During the discussion, the…