By Johnbosco Agbakwuru ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Governor Dikko Umar Radda of Katsina State on his 57th birthday, describing him as a committed progressive, seasoned economist and grassroots administrator. Tinubu said Radda’s life of service had continued to inspire young people, noting that since assuming office on May 29, 2023, the governor […]

The Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom has announced plans to refund £50 to applicants who paid a £70 administrative fee for the ongoing passport intervention exercise. The refund will effectively reduce the administrative charge paid by the affected applicants to £20, the fee previously approved for similar intervention exercises. The commission announced the […]

According to him, Tinubu spent about 16 years building a political base and played a significant role in bringing former President Muhammadu Buhari into an alliance ahead of the 2015 presidential election.

the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss the suit accusing President Bola Tinubu of submitting forged certificates in aid of his qualification to contest for presidency.

The pioneer director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Albert Horsfall has died at the age of 84.

Ibe said prominent figures on the AD side included Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Chief Adebayo Adefarati.

‎By Boluwaji Obahopo, Lokoja.‎‎Members of the Coalition of Kogi East Youths Association on Wednesday converged at the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja to protest what they described as the deliberate marginalisation of their region in the ongoing creation of additional political wards across Kogi State.‎‎The protesters, who gathered in significant numbers, expressed outrage that the Kogi East senatorial district – which they claim has the highest population and voter turnout in the staten- has been excluded from the proposed ward expansion exercise, while the less populated Kogi West and Kogi Central regions have benefited.‎‎Addressing journalists and a representative of the INEC Chairman, the leader of the association, Isaiah Davies Ijele, called out Professor Joash Amupitan, the INEC Chairman who hails from Kogi State, urging him to address the perceived injustice.‎‎“We are here to express our anger and dissatisfaction for our brother, father and uncle, Professor Joash Amupitan, the INEC Chairman, over the deliberate marginalisation of Kogi East in the ongoing addition of wards to regions in the state,” Ijele stated.‎‎The youth leader cited population figures from the 2006 national census—the most recent official census conducted in Nigeria—arguing that Kogi East’s demographic weight should have placed it at the forefront of consideration for additional wards.‎‎“Since the last census conducted in 2006, there hasn’t been another exercise of it. And Kogi East produced 1.3 million persons out of the 3.4 million produced by the state,” he added.‎‎Ijele further argued that the region consistently produces the highest number of votes during every general election cycle, insisting that this alone warrants its prioritisation over other regions in the state.‎‎Another member of the association, Gideon Isah urged Amupitan to resist any pressure or inducement from political actors in Kogi State, “The INEC Chairman should make sure injustice doesn’t stand under his watch. We applauded him for the last election in Osun, he shouldn’t spoil that record. He should make sure the good name is upheld, because we’re proud of him as one of our own from Kogi State. ‎“Kogi East is too large to be marginalised; Kogi East is too big to be undermined; and so we’re here in our numbers to tell the INEC Chairman and everyone in this headquarters that we will not be marginalised,”‎‎The association presented three key demands to the electoral commission, “Suspension of any ward creation exercise that excludes Kogi East;Public disclosure of the criteria, data and constitutional basis used in proposing new wards across Kogi State;‎Conduct of a transparent, fair and inclusive review of the ward creation exercise to ensure Kogi East receives equitable consideration based on population, voter distribution and geographical reality.”‎‎ The Director of Security at the commission, Indidi Okafor who received the youth acknowledged the protesters’ grievances and commended them for their law-abiding approach to expressing their displeasure.‎‎“We thank you so much for coming over here to express your anger in a law-abiding manner. The commission has heard you and we promised to convey your message to the Chairman once he arrived,” Mrs Okafor stated.‎‎The commission officially acknowledged receipt of the association’s letter and issued a copy of the acknowledgement to the delegation leaders.‎‎…Ajaka Distances Self from Protest.‎‎Former Kogi Governorship candidate, Murtala Yakubu Ajaka has dissociated himself from the protest over the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing reports linking him to the action as false and misleading.‎‎In a statement signed by his Head of Media and Public Communications, Prince Tijani Dauda which was made available to newsmen, Ajaka said he neither authorised, sponsored, directed, commissioned nor coordinated the protest.‎‎The statement was issued in response to a publication by a group identified as “Igala Vanguard,” attributed to one Engr. Lawrence Ankpa, which allegedly linked Ajaka to the demonstration over proposed delineation of wards and polling units in Kogi State.‎‎The statement reads apart, “For the avoidance of doubt, Alhaji Murtala Yakubu Ajaka did not authorize, sponsor, direct, commission or coordinate the protest”.‎‎It added that attributing the actions of independent citizens to Ajaka was an attempt to mislead the public and drag his name into an issue with which he was not connected.‎‎Ajaka’s media aide also defended the right of citizens to engage in peaceful protests, stressing that Igala youths did not require the permission of any political actor to assemble and express concerns about issues affecting their communities, representation and future.‎‎The statement questioned why citizens who independently chose to speak out on matters affecting them should automatically be associated with Ajaka.‎‎It further accused unnamed individuals and groups of using fictitious associations and pseudo-identities to engage in character assassination, political manipulation and the spread of unsubstantiated allegations.‎‎The statement warned those allegedly operating behind such platforms to stop using Ajaka’s name for political propaganda, blackmail and manufactured controversies.‎‎It challenged anyone with allegations against Ajaka to come forward openly, using their real names and presenting facts and evidence that could withstand public scrutiny.‎‎The statement, however, clarified that Ajaka holds the Chairman of INEC and the Commission in high esteem.‎‎According to it, Ajaka respects the constitutional responsibilities entrusted to the INEC Chairman and remains confident that the Commission will continue to discharge its duties with fairness, professionalism and regard for the law.‎‎The statement urged the public to disregard the alleged false attribution and be guided accordingly

Former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye has warned the Federal Government against inviting, arresting or interrogating African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar over a corruption petition before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Manchester United have banned 685 ticketing accounts and sanctioned or warned a further 464 supporters following a summer-long crackdown on ticket misuse and touting.

The 36-year-old joined Watford as a free agent after training with the Championship club for the past month, following his spell with Qatari side Al-Sailiya.