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The Rivers State Government has explained that its annual ₦100,000 Christmas bonus is disbursed to all civil and public servants on the state payroll, including pensioners and public office holders, as part of an established festive season payment practice. The clarification was issued by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr. Honour Sirawoo, in a statement on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, responding to public interest in the recently pro

Nigeria’s Federal Government has reassured citizens that the new tax reforms scheduled to begin on January 1, 2026 will not give authorities licence to automatically withdraw funds from individuals’ bank accounts, addressing widespread public concern ahead of the implementation of the consolidated tax regime. Taiwo Oyedele, chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, made the assurance during a televised end-of-year programme, 2025 In Retrospect:

Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State and the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has formally defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), marking a significant realignment in Nigeria’s opposition politics ahead of the 2027 general elections. Obi announced his decision on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, during an event held at the Nike Lake Resort in Enugu State, where political allies and supporters gathered for the occasion. Addr

Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have rejected and returned a N100,000 Christmas bonus that was credited to their personal bank accounts on the instructions of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, saying the payment lacked legislative backing and violated established financial procedures. In a statement on Tuesday signed by Hon. Enemi Alabo George, Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Petitions and Complaints, the lawmakers said they received alerts on December

The Peoples Democratic Party has faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission over the exclusion of its governorship candidate from the list of contenders for the 2026 Ekiti State election, accusing the electoral body of bias and vowing to seek judicial intervention. In a statement released on Tuesday on X by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP described INEC’s action as “yet another confirmation of the biased disposition of the c

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed that Nigeria’s new tax laws will take effect as scheduled, dismissing calls for any delay amid public debate over the recently enacted reforms. In a State House press statement released on Tuesday, the President said all tax laws already in force since June 26, 2025, as well as those billed to commence on January 1, 2026, “will continue as planned,” describing the reforms as a critical step in reshaping the country’s fiscal future. Tin

Nigeria’s Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, be held in custody at the Kuje Correctional Centre while his bail application is pending, in a development that marks a key moment in a high-profile money laundering case. Malami was arraigned on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, alongside his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and their son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, before Justice Emeka Nwite of t

Nigeria’s food and drug regulator has raised an alert about the circulation of counterfeit contraceptive products in several major markets across the country, warning that the fake items pose serious public health risks and urging consumers and stakeholders to be vigilant. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said in a public alert (No. 042/2025) issued on Monday that it received credible information from DKT International Nigeria, the aut

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the provisional list of candidates for the June 20, 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, but the candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was absent from the compilation released on Monday at the electoral body’s headquarters in Ado-Ekiti. Among the names displayed were contenders from 12 political parties, including the incumbent governor from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and nominees of sev

Nigeria’s national electricity grid collapsed on Monday afternoon, plunging much of the country into near-total darkness and leaving power supply at critically low levels nationwide. The system failure occurred around midday on Monday, and by early evening had reduced distribution load to a fraction of normal operating levels, highlighting persistent vulnerabilities in the country’s power infrastructure. Data from electricity distribution companies showed that only the Ibadan

The Peoples Democratic Party has launched a scathing response to comments credited to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accusing him of openly aligning with the ruling All Progressives Congress while still laying claim to PDP membership. In a statement issued on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the PDP said Wike’s recent end-of-year media chat, where he described himself as the “number one supporter” of the p

The Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has pushed back against concerns that the newly signed tax laws will worsen conditions for Nigeria’s aviation industry, insisting that the reforms are designed to ease costs for airlines rather than deepen their challenges. In a statement issued on Monday via his verified X handle on behalf of the Committee, Oyedele acknowledged that airlines are under pressure from multiple taxes, levies

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised serious constitutional concerns over what he described as discrepancies in the gazetted version of the Tinubu Tax Act, warning that any law published in a form different from what was passed by the National Assembly is legally invalid. In a statement issued on Sunday via his official X handle, Atiku reacted to the Senate’s confirmation that the version of the tax law gazetted by the executive did not reflect what lawmakers appro

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has departed Lagos for Europe as part of his end-of-year schedule, ahead of an official engagement in the United Arab Emirates. In a statement released on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, it was disclosed that the President left the country on December 28 and will proceed to Abu Dhabi in early January to attend the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit. According to the statement, Preside

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has dismissed claims that he received ₦50 billion from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after the January 2024 Ibadan explosion, challenging his critic to substantiate the claims. Former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose made the assertion during a television interview, prompting a sharp response from Makinde’s camp that disputes the narrative and questions the credibility of the accusation. Fayose, appearing on TVC’s Journalists Hangout on Friday, sa

Peter Obi has condemned the latest bombing in Zamfara State, describing the attack as heartbreaking and a grim reminder of Nigeria’s worsening security crisis. In a statement posted on his official X handle on Sunday, the former Labour Party presidential candidate said he received the news of the Zamfara bombing only hours after it occurred, noting that it came just days after a similar attack in Borno State, at a time when families should have been “gathered in peace, celebr

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday took part in the grand finale of the 2025 Eyo Festival in Lagos, marking a rare presidential presence at one of the state’s most revered cultural events. The participation was confirmed in a statement released by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. The colourful celebration held at Tafawa Balewa Square drew traditional institutions, dignitaries and thousands of revellers to the historic venue.

Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League table with a 2-1 victory over Brighton at the Emirates Stadium. Goals from Martin Ødegaard and a Georginio Rutter own goal in the first half gave the Gunners a two-goal lead, before Brighton pulled a goal back through Diego Gómez early in the second period. A key moment in the match came from Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, who made a crucial save to deny a powerful effort from Brighton attacker Yankuba Minteh, helping to maint

Manchester City moved to the top of the Premier League table with a 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest, secured by a late goal from Rayan Cherki in the 83rd minute. The victory extended City’s league winning run to six matches and temporarily placed them one point ahead of Arsenal in the title race. Forest took an early lead when Tijjani Reijnders scored shortly after half-time from a Cherki assist, but Forest responded with an equalizer through Omari Hutchinson before Cherki’s dec

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu, has visited the Sultan of Sokoto at the monarch’s palace in Sokoto State, underscoring efforts to engage traditional leadership amid heightened security operations in the region following recent joint counterterrorism airstrikes by the United States and Nigerian forces. The courtesy visit on Friday brought the military’s top officer to the seat of the Sokoto Caliphate, reflecting a broader effort to reinforce rel