Author: Festus Adeloye

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai has declared that he never betrayed former Vice- President and ex- presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.  El-Rufai made the remark while praying that opposition leaders like Atiku, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Rivers ex-governor Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola should join the Social Democratic Party, SDP. The former governor who recently dumped the All Progressives Congress, APC, for SDP, disclosed this while speaking with BBC Hausa Service. El-Rufai said: “What pains me is that the government we supported and had confidence in would do well, because we saw what…

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has warned former Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai to guard his utterances, saying that, contrary to his claim, there is no kidnapping gang within the NPF. The Kaduna Command of the NPF was reacting to El-Rufai’s post on his verified X handle where he alleged one of his former Commissioners, Malam Jafaru Sani, was abducted by “Uba Sani’s kidnapping gang,” claiming to be Police. In a statement by Kaduna Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan the Police said they have the legal, legitimate and constitutional right to arrest and investigate whoever is alleged…

Mark Carney was sworn in as Canada’s prime minister on Friday, taking charge of a country rattled by a breakdown in US relations since President Donald Trump’s return to power. The ruling Liberal Party overwhelmingly backed Carney to replace Justin Trudeau, betting his experience leading two central banks through historic crises will re-assure Canadians facing a potentially devastating trade war. “We’re going to get right to work,” he told reporters before taking the oath of office. The first cabinet meeting will be held following the swearing-in ceremony. Diplomatic sources told AFP he will make his first foreign trip as prime…

Hundreds of HIV doctors and researchers have called on the Trump administration to reverse its sweeping aid funding cuts, saying they are “doing catastrophic harm” to the global fight against AIDS. The United States has historically been the world’s largest donor of humanitarian assistance, but President Donald Trump has slashed international aid since returning to the White House less than two months ago. The cuts have had a huge impact on global efforts to combat HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and other health scourges, putting millions of lives at risk, humanitarian organisations have warned. An open letter to US Secretary of State…

Protesters under the aegis of Women for Change Vanguard took the lingering face-off between Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Kogi lawmaker, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, to the United Nations office in Abuja on Friday. Chanting solidarity songs and displaying several banners that read ‘We believe in actual victims of sexual harassment, not people who weaponise it’ and ‘The burden of proof lies with the accuser”, the protesters challenged Akpoti-Uduaghan to provide evidence of the alleged sexual harassment she accused Akpabio of. The protest comes barely 24 hours after the Kogi Central senator filed a contempt charge against Akpabio and others over her…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike never said he will blow up Nigeria if militants continue threatening to blow up oil pipelines, his media aide, Lere Olayinka has clarified. In a media chat on Wednesday, the Minister had warned militants to stop threatening to blow up pipelines whenever the federal government takes any decision or make an appointment that didn’t favour them. His words “Look, all of us know ourselves. You make an appointment of MD of NDDC, they threaten, they will blow pipeline. You make an appointment here, they threaten, they blow pipeline. What kind of…

Bruno Fernandes led Manchester United into the Europa League quarter-finals with a hat-trick to beat Real Sociedad 4-1 at Old Trafford on Thursday and 5-2 on aggregate. The first three goals on the night came via the penalty spot as Mikel Oyarzabal had slotted Sociedad into an early lead. However, Fernandes quickly restored parity and coolly scored again from the spot on 50 minutes. The Portuguese international then ensured United will face Lyon in the last eight by firing home his 15th goal of the season. Diogo Dalot rounded off the scoring in one of Ruben Amorim’s best nights since…

US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to impose 200 percent tariffs on wine, champagne and other alcoholic products from European Union countries, in retaliation against the bloc’s planned levies on US-produced whiskey. Trump has launched trade wars against competitors and partners alike since taking office, wielding tariffs as a tool to pressure countries on commerce and other policy issues. His latest salvo was in response to Wednesday’s unveiling by the European Union of tariffs on $28 billion in US goods in stages from April — measures that in turn retaliated against Trump’s earlier levies against steel and aluminium imports.…

The Labour Party has vehemently rejected Senator Nenadi Usman’s alleged bid to form an alliance with the party alongside her mentor and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. According to Obiora Ifoh, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Nenadi Usman’s attempt to transact with the Labour Party is ‘clearly criminal and must be resisted’. Ifoh, on Thursday, 13 March 2025, emphasised that Nenadi Usman is not a registered member of the Labour Party, despite joining in 2022 in support of the party’s presidential candidate. ‘Her name is still not on the party’s register, and she is not recognised by the party’s…

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has disclosed that he got the consent of former President Muhammadu Buhari before dumping the  the All Progressives Congress (APC).  The former governor, who announced his defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page on Monday, made the disclosure in a recent interview with BBC Hausa. El-Rufai who said he paid Buhari a visit last Friday and informed him of his decision to leave the APC added that Buhari is always in the know when he makes such decisions. “I left the APC with his full knowledge.…