Author: Festus Adeloye

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) yesterday said over six million Lagosians are to elect 57 council chairmen and 376 councillors in the Saturday Local Government Election. LASIEC Chairman, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (Rtd), said this while briefing reporters on the commission’s preparations for the poll. She cleared the air that the election will hold in the 20 Local Governments Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of the state. Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile said that out of the 19 registered political parties that expressed interest in the election, only 15 political parties would participate in the election. The…

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said claims by President Bola Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, that the opposition is plotting to topple the Federal Government before the 2027 polls is a ploy by the government to clamp down on opposition leaders. The ADC, in a statement by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described  Onanuga’s tweet, in which he made the allegation, as reckless. The opposition party noted that such “unsubstantiated claim signals a broader campaign of intimidation and repression against political opposition leaders by the Tinubu administration.” It called on the international community, democratic governments across the world, as well…

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has declared its readiness to conduct a free, fair, and credible poll across the state’s 57 local councils. Speaking on a television, the LASIEC Chairperson, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (Rtd) , affirmed the Commission’s preparedness despite taking office only a few months ago. “Though it is tough, considering the fact that we just came into office a few months back, we have, however, moved on very quickly with the job at hand,” she said. According to her, LASIEC has undertaken comprehensive stakeholder engagements across the state’s 20 local government areas and 37 Local Council…

The governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has dismissed the widely held belief that Fulani herdsmen were responsible for the wave of killings and kidnappings in the South-East region, stating instead that the majority of the crimes were perpetrated by Igbos. Soludo made this startling revelation during a town hall meeting with Anambra indigenes in the Diaspora, held at the Metro Points Hotel in New Carrollton, Maryland, United States. He said virtually all criminals arrested in the State since his assumption of office were Igbos. “99.99 per cent of kidnappers and other criminals arrested in the state since I…

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has organised a team of 97 lawyers to challenge what it calls the All Progressives Congress’s (APC) ‘false lawsuit’ against the interim leadership, which includes former Senate President David Mark and former Minister Rauf Aregbesola. The legal team, led by Barrister Mohammed Sheriff, made this known in Abuja on Tuesday, accusing the ruling APC of filing a suit using the names of individuals who are not members of the ADC. This comes after a stakeholders meeting in Abuja between Senator Mark, the ADC’s Interim National Chairman, and the party’s Kogi State branch. At the meeting,…

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, has joined his ancestors. The monarch, who ascended the throne in July 2024, died in the early hours of Monday, July 7, 2025, after spending a year on the throne. The demise of Oba Olakulehin, born July 5, 1935, is coming barely two days after celebrating his 90th birthday. Oba Olakulehin received the staff of office from Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde, on July 12, 2024, as the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland. He ascended the throne from the chieftancy rung of Balogun Olubadan, following the demise of Oba (Dr.) Moshood Lekan Balogun,…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says he chose to join President Bola Tinubu’s administration because he is confident it will deliver true dividends of democracy to Nigerians. Speaking on Sunday during a Thanksgiving service held to mark the successful completion of various project commissioning in the FCT, Wike expressed optimism that the current challenges facing the nation would soon be a thing of the past. He called on Nigerians to be patient with the Tinubu-led administration, noting that the president has made significant progress in just two years in office. “President Tinubu is truly committed to…

The Abuja division of the Federal High Court has ordered the Senate to recall the suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Justice Binta Nyako in her judgment described as “excessive”, the six-month suspension that was slammed on the lawmaker by the Senate. The judge who faulted the provision of Chapter 8 of the Senate Standing Rules as well as section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers & Privileges Act, declared both as overreaching. The court stressed that the two legislations failed to specify the maximum period that a serving lawmaker could be suspended from office. According to the…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has launched a scathing attack on opposition politicians who recently took control of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), dismissing them as a “gang of failed and expired politicians” with no credible solutions for Nigeria’s challenges. At his monthly press briefing on Thursday, Wike criticised key coalition figures, questioning their records and describing their new alliance as opportunistic. The opposition coalition leaders adopted and unveiled ADC on Wednesday as their platform to wrest power from President Bola Tinubu in 2027. The revived party is led by former Senate President Senator David Mark,…

Super Eagles legendary goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, is dead. Rufai, died on Thursday morning, July 3, 2025, following a protracted illness that had kept him out of the public eye for some years at the age of 61. Meanwhile, the family has yet to announce his death. Dodomayana, as he is fondly called, was widely regarded as of the best goalkeepers Nigeria has produced. During his playing career that lasted two decades, Rufai played in Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. He also represented Nigeria at two World Cups and as many Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. Rufai’s death comes on…