Category: PM News

African Democratic Party (ADC) has approved the constitution of its Rebranding and Constitution Review committees.

This was revealed by ADC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi on Tuesday in Abuja.

Abdullahi who was speaking with newsmen after the inaugural meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) said the constitution of Policy Advocacy and Membership Registration committees were approved.

‘The NWC also approved dates for the Ekiti and Osun primary elections. The Ekiti primaries will take place from Oct. 10 to Nov. 20. Osun will take place between November and December,’ he said.

Abdullahi further stated that in view of the fact that many of the states have only the chairmen in place, the NWC would put in place transition operational guidelines for the running of the party affairs ahead of the forthcoming congresses.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the NWC, Senator David Mark, the chairman of the ADC said the party’s vision goes beyond winning power in 2027.

According to him, the aim of the party is to build a lasting legacy that future generations can be proud of.

‘Our mission is not only to attain power in 2027; it is to leave a legacy which the future generations will be proud to inherit. We are in a marathon we must compete and win. Failure is not an option.’

‘I am alarmed by attempts, subtle and crude to bend the legislature and judiciary to the will of the executive. The ADC will defend the separation of powers, restore legislative and judicial independence, and strengthen oversight so that budgets serve the public interest, not private appetites.

‘We will end the culture of parallel budgets and extra-budgetary maneuvers by enforcing strict and transparent planning, timely appropriations, and rigorous auditing.

‘The judiciary must again be a refuge for every citizen. We will back an independent, efficient, and trusted bench-appointments on merit, transparent case management, time-bound rulings, and a bias for justice over empty technicalities.

‘Nigeria and Nigerians-will accept nothing less. The political class has too often served itself. We must change this outdated pattern. We must model a new attitude to leadership across every sphere-public, private, and civic. Let it be said of the ADC that we kept faith with the people, that we were steady under pressure, honest in our dealings, and relentless in delivery. We do not seek power for its own sake; we seek it to build a legacy worthy of our children.’

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has called for an amendment to Nigeria’s constitution that would transfer the power to appoint the chairman, commissioners, and secretary of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the presidency to an independent body.

IPAC National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, made the appeal in Abuja during a meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Review. He argued that placing the appointment process in the hands of an independent panel would guarantee the neutrality of INEC and boost public confidence in the country’s electoral system.

According to Dantalle, the proposed Independent Appointment Committee (IAC) should include representatives from all registered political parties, civil society organisations, the National Judicial Council (NJC), and members of the National Assembly from both majority and minority parties in the Senate and House of Representatives.

He also called for the abolition of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), proposing that INEC should be responsible for conducting all local government elections nationwide.

‘IPAC has consistently championed local government autonomy,’ Dantalle said. ‘Politics is local, and citizens should be empowered to participate in credible grassroots elections that are free and fair.’

Additionally, the IPAC chairman urged the government to reinstate financial support for political parties to ensure a level playing field for all, regardless of size or resources.

The proposal aligns with growing calls for reforms to strengthen electoral integrity and reduce executive influence over the conduct of elections in Nigeria.

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday inaugurated its 24th housing estate in Badagry, underscoring its resolve to close the state’s housing deficit and ensure affordable homes for residents across all income brackets.

Located in Ajara, the newly completed estate comprises 420 fully built housing units and stands as a major milestone in Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s housing agenda to expand access to decent and affordable accommodation for Lagosians.

During the project’s construction phase, the estate generated over 1,300 direct and indirect jobs, with more employment opportunities expected to arise from facility management and other services once residents move in.

Speaking at the unveiling, Governor Sanwo-Olu said the project reflected his administration’s belief that communities thrive when citizens have access to essential needs such as food, shelter, healthcare, education, and security.

‘When people have access to decent housing, it reduces poverty, improves public health, and builds safer, more cohesive communities,’ the governor said.

He noted that the project is part of a broader strategy to strengthen economic growth, boost infrastructure, and alleviate poverty.

‘Today, we are commissioning Phase I of this project, which consists of 420 housing units, all ready for occupation. Our administration has delivered 23 estates in six years, providing over 10,000 homes across all income categories and divisions of Lagos,’ he added.

Sanwo-Olu also revealed that four additional housing schemes are currently underway, including: Lagos State Housing Estate, Ibeshe Phase II (192 units), Egan-Igando Mixed Housing Scheme, Clusters 2 and 3 (587 units), Epe Housing Scheme, Ita Marun (112 units) and LagosHOMS Sangotedo Phase II, Eti-Osa (524 units).

The Badagry estate, the governor explained, is fully equipped with modern infrastructure such as well-paved roads, an efficient drainage network, water treatment plants, secure fencing, a gatehouse, sewage systems, ample parking spaces, walkways, and full electrification with transformers.

To make the homes more affordable, Sanwo-Olu announced that the government would subsidise prices and reserve 20 percent of the units for members of the Medical Guild, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (Lagos Chapter), and other public and private sector unions.

Public servants will also receive special rebates as a token of appreciation for their service.

Acknowledging that the government cannot meet housing demand alone, the governor reaffirmed support for private developers and investors through enabling policies and favourable regulations.

He also expressed full backing for the Tenancy Bill before the Lagos State House of Assembly, which seeks to protect both tenants and landlords while promoting mass housing development.

‘I encourage Lagosians to take advantage of available mortgage services to ease the burden of home ownership. We will keep building partnerships that make housing more affordable and sustainable,’ he said.

Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, described the Ajara Housing Scheme as a landmark project under the T.H.E.M.E.S Plus agenda, designed to make Lagos a 21st-century economy.

He noted that Phase I occupies part of a 18.9-hectare land area and consists of 35 blocks of 12-unit residential buildings, offering one-, two-, and three-bedroom semi-furnished apartments equipped with kitchens, wardrobes, and lighting fixtures.

According to him, Phase II will feature high-rise buildings of up to seven floors to optimise land use through vertical development and deliver more housing options for Lagos residents.

‘The Ajara Estate is a bold statement of this administration’s commitment to housing, infrastructure, and security. It is a model of sustainable urban development that embodies the spirit of a 21st-century Lagos,’ Akinderu-Fatai stated.

The Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Nigeria Customs Service, has listed 5,015 bags of foreign rice, equivalent to eight trailer loads, alongside 15 assorted used vehicles among the contrabands worth over ?1.2 billion it seized in the past within the last six weeks.

The Controller, Comptroller Mohammed Shu’aibu, disclosed this during a media briefing in Lagos on Tuesday.

Shu’aibu listed other items intercepted by Customs operatives to 143 bales of used clothing, two jumbo sacks of used shoes, and one sack of assorted worn apparel 390 bottles of codeine, 310 foreign-branded drugs, 19 cards of tramadol, and 210 used tyres.

He also said a 20-foot container with number ONEU 2419369 FTC, containing 752 cartons of calcium lactate, was also seized for false declaration.

According to him, the total Duty Paid Value of the seized goods stood at ?1.188 billion, underscoring the magnitude of the operations.

The Customs boss further revealed that 640 parcels of cannabis sativa, weighing 431.8 kilogrammes, and 460 jerrycans of petrol, totalling 11,500 litres, were also intercepted.

Other seized items included expired pharmaceuticals, footwear, and clothing recovered across border communities in Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, and Lagos states, highlighting the unit’s increased vigilance across the South-West.

The Customs’ boss also said four suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures and have been handed over to relevant agencies for investigation and prosecution.

Shu’aibu said the unit recovered ?39.2 million through demand notices issued against under-valuations between 1 Sept. 1 and Oct. 7.

He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to facilitating legitimate trade and supporting lawful businesses while maintaining strict enforcement of customs regulations.

Demonstrating inter-agency collaboration, Shu’aibu handed the seized drugs and cannabis to NAFDAC and the NDLEA for further investigation and disposal.

He reiterated the unit’s resolve to enforce the 2016 ban on the importation of foreign parboiled rice through land borders.

The controller warned smugglers to desist or face sanctions and commended Comptroller-General Bashir Adeniyi for his exemplary leadership.

NAFDAC Chief Regulatory Officer, Mr Taiwo Kareem, lauded Customs’ vigilance, disclosing that the intercepted drugs had expired between 2001 and 2023.

He cautioned Nigerians against purchasing medicines from roadside chemists, stressing the risks of consuming expired or counterfeit products.

Deputy Commander of Narcotics, NDLEA, Mr Nasir Bungudu, also commended Customs for their cooperation and promised to strengthen inter-agency collaboration.

A yet-to-be-identified motorcyclist was on Wednesday morning crushed to death by a truck after dropping his children in school along Oda Road in Akure, the Ondo State Capital.

According to the eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Kunle, said the speeding truck lost control and rammed into the motorcyclist.

He also confirmed that the incident occurred when the motorcyclist was returning home after dropping his children at school.

According to the eyewitness, the man died on the spot, leaving residents and passers-by in shock.

‘The man had just dropped his children at school and was on his way home when the tipper crushed him. It was a very sad scene,’ the eyewitness said.

The remains of the deceased were later taken to the mortuary, while the truck driver ran away.

When contacted, the Ondo state Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr Samuel Ibitoye and the Police spokesperson in the state, DSP Olushola Ayanlade, said they were yet to be briefed on the incident.

Uche Geoffrey Nnaji who resigned as Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology on Tuesday evening following controversies over his academic certificates has insisted that his resignation was not admission that he was guilty.

Rather, the Minister said he decided to quit the government because the unfounded allegations and media distortions are not only causing him personal distress, but distracting him from work.

Nnaji said this in a statement he signed in Abuja.

According to him, his resignation from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet is not an admission of guilt but a personal choice,

He noted that over the past week, an orchestrated, sustained campaign of falsehood, politically motivated, and malicious attacks were waged against him across print, electronic and social media platforms.

He said these unfounded allegations and media distortions not only caused personal distress, but distracted him from work.

According to him, he put in five decades building a reputation anchored on hard work, honour and service to humanity.

He said he could not, in good conscience, allow these distortions to cast a shadow over the noble objectives of the present administration.

‘My decision to step aside is therefore a personal choice, not an admission of guilt. It is a principled decision to respect the sanctity of due process and to preserve the integrity of the judicial proceedings currently before the court, ‘ he said.

Nnaji expressed optimism that in the end, justice will vindicate the just.

Tinubu accepts resignation

President Tinubu had on Tuesday accepted the resignation of Nnaji, following some allegations against him.

President Tinubu appointed Nnaji as Minister in August 2023.

He resigned on Tuesday evening.

In the letter of resignation, Nnaji said he has been a target of blackmail by political opponents.

President Tinubu thanked him for his service and wished him well in future endeavours, according to statement by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga

The Nigeria Police Force has suspended the enforcement of tinted glass permits across the country, following a court order halting the exercise.

Spokesperson for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the development during an interview on Africa Independent Television (AIT) on Wednesday.

According to her, the Force received an official court order directing it to stop the enforcement pending further judgment.

‘Information reaching me from the office of the PRO is that the order has been received and the enforcement of the tinted permit is now on hold pending the court’s verdict,’ Adeh said.

She added that the suspension would remain in place until the court delivers its decision on the matter.

‘We are waiting for the verdict. We are not against the courts, and we will continue to wait until we get a verdict,’ she added.

Addressing public concerns about the purpose of the tinted glass regulation, Adeh explained that the policy was introduced purely for security reasons, as criminals had often used darkened vehicles to evade identification.

‘The law was not made by us. We are enforcers. The policy was purely security-driven. Some criminals were using tinted vehicles to commit offences, making it difficult for law enforcement to identify suspects,’ she explained.

She also dismissed allegations that the policy was a revenue-generation scheme, clarifying that all payments for tinted permits are made directly into the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA), not to the police.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the Federal Government of attempting to cover up yet another scandal following the resignation of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji.

Nnaji stepped down on Tuesday after a Premium Times investigation alleged that he submitted forged academic and NYSC certificates to the Senate during his ministerial screening in 2023. Both the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the National Youth Service Corps reportedly disowned the documents.

Reacting in a post on X on Wednesday, Atiku described the resignation as an ‘attempt to whitewash a national disgrace,’ saying Nnaji should have been dismissed and prosecuted instead of being allowed to ‘quietly exit through the backdoor.’

He wrote, ‘The resignation of Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has once again exposed the deep moral crisis in this government. What should be a matter of national shame is now being disguised as a voluntary resignation-an attempt to whitewash yet another scandal that typifies the forgery-ridden character of this administration.

‘Let the truth be told: Uche Nnaji should not have been allowed the courtesy of resignation. He should have been summarily dismissed and prosecuted for deceit and falsification. By permitting him to quietly exit through the backdoor, the government has again demonstrated that it is an assembly of forgers, impostors, and morally bankrupt individuals masquerading as public servants.’

Atiku also criticised the Department of State Services (DSS), saying it cleared Nnaji despite glaring discrepancies in his credentials, while it had previously screened out former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai over ‘security concerns.’

‘What makes this even more embarrassing,’ he added, ‘is that the same DSS which screened out El-Rufai is the very agency that cleared Uche Nnaji.’

The PDP chieftain linked the controversy to what he called a ‘pattern of deceit that begins from the very top,’ referencing past controversies surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s academic and identity records.

Atiku further called for an independent probe into the credentials of all Federal Executive Council members, including the President, insisting that Nigerians deserve to know the truth about those in power.

‘Until this cleansing is done,’ he said, ‘Nigeria will continue to sink deeper into moral decay, economic ruin, and global embarrassment.’

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by four more days.

The extension, announced after the Commission’s Third Quarterly Meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners in Abuja, pushes the exercise deadline from Wednesday, October 8, to Sunday, October 12, 2025.

According to a statement signed by the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, the decision followed a review of field reports showing impressive turnout and improved participation across the six Area Councils.

‘As of 7th October 2025, a total of 55,346 new voter registrations had been recorded in the FCT, comprising 38,528 online pre-registrations and 16,818 completed physical registrations,’ the statement read.

Eta-Messi described the turnout as ‘a reflection of growing civic awareness and the impact of bringing voter registration closer to the grassroots.’

She reaffirmed that the online pre-registration portal remains suspended in the FCT, urging pre-registered voters to complete their process in person at designated centres in line with the Electoral Act 2022.

INEC also warned against multiple registrations, describing it as a punishable offence under the law.

The electoral umpire encouraged eligible residents yet to register or those seeking to transfer their registration within or into the FCT to take advantage of the extended timeline.

The list and addresses of all registration centres, according to the Commission, remain available on its website and social media platforms.

Meanwhile, campaigns have kicked off ahead of the FCT Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.

A total of 68 elective positions, six chairmanship and 62 councillorship seats will be contested across Abuja Municipal, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwali, and Abaji councils.

Seventeen political parties are fielding candidates, following the final list published by INEC last month.

The Senate on Wednesday swore in two newly elected senators, Joseph Ikpea and Emmanuel Nwachukwu, representing Edo Central and Anambra South senatorial districts, respectively.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio presided over the ceremony while the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Ojo, administered the oath of office and allegiance to the new lawmakers.

The swearing in follows recent by elections conducted to fill two vacant Senate seats, one previously held by Monday Okpebholo, now Governor of Edoe and the other by the late Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah, who died in July 2024.

Akpabio in his remarks congratulated the new senators and reminded that they have been called for national duty.

Akpabio urged them to focus their representation on the generality of Nigerians and not their political parties.

He urged them to imbibe the contents of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended and the senate standing rules to be acquainted with the workings of the senate.

Nwachukwu polled 90,408 votes to defeat his closest rival, Chief Azuka Okwuosa, of the All Progressives Congress, who scored 19,847 votes.

Sen. Ikpea of All Progressives on his part was declared winner of Saturday’s by-election for the Edo Central Senatorial District in Edo.

He polled 105,129 votes to defeat his closest rival, Joe Okojie of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), who scored 15,146 votes.