Author: Citynews

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has ordered the arrest of the Managing Director of Hartland Nigeria Limited over the company’s failure to complete an 11-kilometre section of the Benin-Onitsha Expressway despite receiving about ₦14 billion from the Federal Government. CityNews reports that Umahi gave the order on Friday during an inspection of the expressway. Expressing anger over the road’s poor condition and the contractor’s failure to deliver the work, Umahi said the government had reached an agreement with Hartland to use the funds to complete the 11km stretch from Summit Junction to a bridge, including channelisation and hydraulic structures, but the contractor…

An internal disagreement between promoter of the National Brands Development and Made-in-Nigeria Special Project Office, George Nwabueze, and some directors in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) may have triggered the controversy surrounding the status of the project. According to Saturday PUNCH, multiple officials in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, claimed that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was misled into treating the initiative as an unauthorized government agency. The officials alleged that a disagreement between Nwabueze and…

Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme and Dr Ayo Abdulrahaman have taken charge of the Nigeria Football Federation Secretariat and the Nigeria Premier Football League respectively, as the National Sports Commission moved to ensure continuity in football administration following the resignation of the federation’s top officials. The National Sports Commission endorsed Ikpeme, until then Deputy General Secretary, to oversee the NFF Secretariat as interim General Secretary, with Dr Ademola Olajire, formerly Director of Media and Communications, stepping in as interim Deputy General Secretary. The appointments followed Thursday’s resignations of Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau as President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr Mohammed Sanusi as…

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) in the 2027 general election, Donald Duke, has warned opposition parties against contesting the election separately. . Duke, a former governor of Cross River State, said defeating President Bola Tinubu would require the opposition to overcome personal ambitions and unite behind a common political strategy. Speaking in an interview with Symfoni TV, the former governor argued that the incumbent president naturally enjoys institutional advantages that opposition candidates cannot ignore. He said the influence of the presidency over key state institutions makes it unrealistic for opposition parties to assume they can individually…

The 2027 presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s renewed push to expand Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) infrastructure. He, specifically, described the move as a belated response to a transport and cost-of-living crisis reportedly worsened by the administration’s policies. Atiku, through his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, faulted the Federal Government’s reported conversion of about 120,000 vehicles to CNG, arguing that the figure represented less than one per cent of the estimated 14 million vehicles on Nigerian roads. He described the figure as evidence of what he called the administration’s…

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State  Governor Peter Obi are among the major opposition figures expected to meet in Abuja on Monday, August 31, as efforts to build a stronger alliance ahead of the 2027 general election. The meeting will be convened by the G100 at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja. It is expected to bring together leaders and key stakeholders from six opposition political parties for discussions on how they can work together ahead of the next presidential election. The summit is coming at a time when opposition parties are under pressure to overcome their differences and avoid…

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state has rejected claims of growing opposition to President Bola Tinubu in the North ahead of 2027 general elections. This was just as he asserted that the president could secure between 70 and 80 per cent of votes in Kaduna State in the forthcoming presidential election. Sani made the declaration during an interview on Channels Television’s  Politics Today, where he addressed the emerging political alignments and contest for influence ahead of the 2027 elections. The governor described the narrative of a northern backlash against Tinubu as largely driven by political propaganda and social media activities, insisting that it…

Former Minister of Power and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Bayo Adelabu, has opened up on why he decided not to challenge the outcome of the party’s primary in court or through an internal appeal. Adelabu, in a statement issued in Ibadan on Thursday, said his decision was motivated by the need to preserve peace, unity and stability within the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections. He stressed that his decision should not be interpreted as an admission that he lacked evidence or conviction to contest the process, insisting that his ambition to govern Oyo…

Justice Friday Ogazi of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to produce detained Lagos social media influencer and businessman, Afolabi Kazeem Michael, popularly known as “KC Luxury”. CityNews reports that Justice Ogazi ordered his arraignment after the social media influencer had allegedly spent 14 days in the agency’s custody without being formally charged. The court also directed the anti-narcotics agency to respond within five days to the fundamental rights application challenging the continued detention of Afolabi and show cause why he should not be released or admitted to bail. Justice Ogazi…

By Babafemi Ojudu I commend the Nigerian Bar Association for inviting Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to participate in its Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt. Here is a young man who commands the attention and following of millions of Nigerians, particularly young people, in a deeply troubled country. Whether one admires him, dislikes him or disapproves of his methods, he has become an important voice in our national conversation. Surely, one of Nigeria’s foremost professional bodies should be interested in understanding the phenomenon he represents. Is the objection that he is unconventional?…