The Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation has rejected the ₦8.9 billion allocation in the 2025 budget proposal to the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, describing it as inadequate.

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Kenneth Eze, announced the decision to reject the proposal when the Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, appeared before the committee to defend the ministry’s appropriation.

Eze stated that the decision to reject the budget is unanimous and had been adopted by all members of the committee.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance has increased the revenue projections for the Nigeria Customs Service from the proposed ₦6.5 trillion to ₦12 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

The committee also increased the revenue projection for the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation from ₦163.3 billion to ₦180 billion.

The decisions were taken when the heads of the two agencies appeared before the committee to defend the 2025 budget proposals and the revenue projections for 2025 fiscal year.

Nollywood actor Lateef Adedimeji has opened up on his denial of an alleged romantic relationship with Bimpe Oyebade-Adedimeji, years before their marriage. He also recounted the humorous story of how he proposed to his wife.

Speaking during an interview with Chude Jideonwo on the With Chude Podcast, the actor revealed that his wife thought he was joking as he proposed marriage to her over the phone.

Lateef Adedimeji stated that Mo Bimpe’s initial reluctance was because of his Islamic religion, and she feared that her father would not agree to that. He recalled:

“I called her and told her I wanted to ask her something, then I told her I wanted to marry her. She was just joking, like, ‘What is doing this one? Get out! I can’t marry a Muslim; are you okay? My daddy won’t even hear that.'”

 

The actor then arranged to meet her father and asked for her hand in marriage, and eventually, he agreed. He continued:

“Then I told her that we’d go see her dad, and I’d speak to him and calm him down. So we went to her village during one of their masquerade festivals, and towards the end, I asked to see her dad. I promised him that I’d take care of his daughter, and he said he’d pray and get back to me, and that was it.”

Though the couple consistently denied being an item for months before their wedding, fans had long suspected that the pair were together. Clearing the air, Lateef claimed he dated Mo Bimpe for about three months before their marriage and not as long as their fans perceived. He concluded:

“The proposal wasn’t planned because we just dated for like two, three months and then we got married.”

Lateef and Bimpe had the traditional leg of their celebrity wedding at Ijero-Ekiti in Ekiti State on Saturday, December 18. A Nikhai then followed on Wednesday, December 22, 2021, in Ikeja, Lagos State.

Some of the celebrities in attendance were Toyin Abraham, Kolawole Ajeyemi, Nkechi Blessing, Mercy Aigbe, Adunni Ade, Wumi Toriola, Femi Adebayo, Yetunde Bakare, Odunlade Adekola and Tunde Kelani.

Nollywood actor Saidi Balogun and his ex-wife, Faithia Williams, shared a heartfelt moment at their son Khalid Balogun’s graduation ceremony from the University of Lagos.

Khalid, who made his parents proud, graduated with a first-class degree, a feat that left both parents beaming with pride and gratitude.

Faithia Williams, visibly emotional, expressed her overwhelming joy at her son’s success, taking to social media to celebrate his academic achievement.

“I am so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude at the incredible achievement of my son,” she wrote.

In a touching video shared by Saidi Balogun, the actor reunited with his ex-wife at the graduation event, both clearly pleased to celebrate Khalid’s milestone together.

Expressing his profound joy, Saidi wrote:

“What joy is greater than this? I am proud of you, Khalid Ayomide Balogun @khalidgram__. You have made me proud today, so also, will your children make you proud? My son graduated with a 1st class!! Thank you, almighty Allah. Thank you for bringing joy back into my heart”.

This celebration comes at a poignant time for Saidi, who lost one of his daughters last year. Despite the grief, the actor expressed deep gratitude for the joy Khalid’s achievement has brought him.

The proud mother celebrated the milestone on Instagram, sharing a photo of Khalid alongside a heartfelt tribute.

Faithia praised his resilience and tireless dedication, describing the achievement as overwhelming and a moment of deep gratitude.

“Hmm, I’m short of words… Alhamdulillah! Alhamdulillah! Alhamdulillah!
My darling son, @khalidgram__ I’m overwhelmed with joy and gratitude as I celebrate your incredible achievement! You’ve worked tirelessly and persevered through the challenges, and today, you’ve emerged with a FIRST CLASS DEGREE from the University of Lagos’ Creative Department!

Alhamdulillah, My heart is bursting with pride and love for you, my darling son! As you embark on this new journey, I ask that you continue to be guided by faith, courage, and determination.

Hey Fam, please join me in praying for my son’s continued success, happiness, and fulfilment. May Allah bless him with wisdom, resilience, and prosperity on his path forward.” she wrote.

Faithia also called on her followers to join in praying for Khalid’s continued success and prosperity.

Omowunmi, the widow of Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has accused her late husband’s father, Joseph Aloba, of avoiding a Deoxyribonucleic Acid test to resolve the dispute surrounding the paternity of the son she had with Mohbad.

The Magistrates Court, during its sitting on July 9, 2024, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, directed both parties to explore an Alternative Dispute Resolution, leading to closed-door negotiations that also failed to yield an agreement.

Mohbad’s father had filed the suit to seek a DNA test for his grandson.

In a statement in October 2024, a representative of the family’s legal team, Monisola Odumosu, stated that Omowunmi had agreed to carry out the DNA.

Odumosu added that this was followed by the settlement terms drafted by both parties.

Subsequently, the court further ordered that the DNA test be conducted at a mutually agreed-upon laboratory or medical centre within Nigeria.

To ensure and ascertain the reliability of the test, the court further appointed some officers to supervise the process of the DNA test.

However, a letter from Salawu Akingbolu Chambers, Omowunmi’s legal representatives, signed by Kabir Akingbolu and dated January 9, 2025, stated that Omowunmi admitted to rejecting Mohbad’s father’s choice of the UCH Ibadan, while he also rejected her choice of Lagoon Hospitals.

Omowunmi added that they had suggested The Eko Hospital and Reddington Hospitals to demonstrate transparency, as stated in their letter of December 11, 2024. However, Mohbad’s father did not respond.

The letter read,  “We remain solicitors to the Respondent in the referenced suit and we have her express consent to write this letter to you.

“It would be recalled that we have exchanged a series of letters on the above but we seem not to be making any progress and it is sad. Suffice it to say that after we have duly responded to your letter dated December 5, 2024, which we received and acknowledged on December 9, 2024, we have patiently waited for your response but nothing of the sort to date.

“Although we objected to your choice of the UCH Ibadan because of the fact that the court itself observed for good reason that it is not proper after your client mentioned the same in open court.

“In the same vein, we have conceded all the same to your objection to us using Lagoon Hospitals even though no tenable reasons were given.

“Quite reasonably, in replacement, we chose two other hospitals which are: The Eko Hospital and Reddington Hospitals, just so for us to show that we absolutely have nothing to hide and this was contained in our letter of December 11, 2024.”

Omowunmi stated that, surprisingly, Mohbad’s father’s lawyer went on social media accusing her of not being ready for the DNA test.

 “To our utter surprise however, instead of you responding to our letter of the above-quoted date, we saw Mr. Taiwo Odumosu of counsel, whom we have profound respect for and counsel for the Applicant, saying on social media that we are the ones who are not ready for the DNA, whereas that is not the case, and we are by this letter denouncing any such misrepresentation Mr. Taiwo Odumosu of counsel must have tainted us with on the social media. As a matter of fact, we deserve an apology for such unhealthy allegations,” the letter added.

She also lamented that Mohbad’s father defamed her son on social media.

“Also, and most unfortunate is the fact that we saw the Applicant on social media about three weeks ago, defaming and maligning Master Liam, and quite in his usual manner, portraying him as a bastard and this is very unacceptable, especially as the court had asked him to go and conduct the DNA that he is now obviously and quite surprisingly running away from in an irreconcilable irony. Very laughable,” the letter continued.

Omowunmi threatened to carry out the DNA test independently if Mohbad’s father continued delaying the matter.

“We want to ask you to promptly take steps or advise your client to do all that may be necessary to ensure the timely conduct of the DNA so that we can make progress. If your client, however, chooses to continue in this tardy manner and rather prefers the empty social media hype for bad reasons, you will leave us no other option than to conduct the DNA ourselves and publish the same for the whole world to see. We shall inform the court of our position in this regard, “ the letter stated.

 In a response dated January 11, 2025, from Hillceetee Partners and signed by Emmanuel Oroko, Mohbad’s father denied the allegations, adding that Taiwo Odumosu never stated in any media interview that Omowunmi was not ready for the DNA test.

 “Your letter dated January 9, 2025, with the above caption has been shown to our Mr Taiwo Odumosu and upon his instructions, we respond as follows.

“Mr Odumosu wishes to inform you that there was no time during his media interaction that he mentioned that your client ‘was not ready for the DNA’. What he was saying, which has been misinterpreted, was that the hospitals had yet to respond to enquiries on their readiness to conduct the test. We heard your client express sentiment in that respect after the media interaction.

“Mr Odumosu has absolute respect for your office and your client. He would not in any way derogate the professionalism and maturity both law firms have exhibited so far while the case lasted.”

Oroko, however, announced through the letter that their chambers would cease representing Mohbad’s father in the matter.

“This response is necessary as a courtesy to your good self and to set the record straight as our chambers no longer represent the Applicant, “the letter stated.

The National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s key agency for data dissemination, is still reeling from a cyberattack on its official website, which occurred on December 18, 2024.

As of January 14, 2025, the website remains inaccessible, raising doubts over the timely release of its much-anticipated Consumer Price Index and inflation data, typically published on the 15th of each month.

The hack came just days after the NBS released its controversial Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey, which revealed that Nigerians paid an estimated N2.3tn in ransom within a year.

The sensitive nature of the report has fuelled speculation about a possible link between the survey’s release and the cyberattack.

Following the breach, the NBS took to its official X (formerly Twitter) account to confirm the incident, assuring the public that efforts were underway to restore the website.

The agency advised users to disregard any information from the compromised platform until the situation was resolved.

Despite these assurances, the prolonged downtime has disrupted access to critical economic data, sparking concern among policymakers, analysts, and investors who rely heavily on the bureau’s statistics for decision-making.

In a related development, the NBS has announced plans to introduce three new indexes in its monthly CPI.

The new additions are expected to be part of the rebased CPI.

The continued inaccessibility of the NBS website, however, casts doubt on how this critical report will be disseminated.

NBS spokesperson Joel Ichedi did not immediately respond to calls and WhatsApp messages from our correspondent on Tuesday.

However, he earlier told The PUNCH that the delay in restoring its website was due to a thorough investigation of the incident and the extended holiday period, which has hindered timely recovery efforts.

He assured the site will soon be accessible to Nigerians as efforts are ongoing to restore it.

The PUNCH earlier reported that the National Bureau of Statistics has earmarked N35m in its 2025 budget proposal for “Capacity Building on Cybersecurity and Data Centre Management.”

In addition to the cybersecurity allocation, the NBS’s 2025 budget proposal includes several other projects aimed at improving its operational efficiency, modernising infrastructure, and enhancing service delivery.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Marketing Research Association recently pledged to develop private-sector alternatives to ensure the availability of economic data in situations like this.

The association emphasised the importance of diversified data sources to mitigate the impact of disruptions from official agencies.

As the NBS battles with the attack on its website, The PUNCH observed that the Central Bank of Nigeria has moved its Monetary Policy Committee meeting previously scheduled for January 27 and 28, 2025.

The updated calendar on the apex bank’s website showed that the committee will meet five times this year, with its first meeting slated for February 17 and 18, 2025.

The Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday convicted and sentenced an Arabic teacher, Oladosu Sakiru, to 21 imprisonment for attempting to sexually assault a 13-year-old female pupil.

The trial judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi, sentenced Sakiru following his guilty plea to the amended two counts of attempted sexual assault by penetration and indecent treatment of a child.

Oshodi, in his judgment, reprimanded the convict for breaching the trust the parents of the survivor had in him for enrolling their children in the Islamic school.

The judge held that the evidence before the court deduced a pattern of predatory behaviour as the convict subjected the survivor to inappropriate touching and forced himself on her.

According to him, when the convict was confronted with his action, he sought refuge in the often-repeated phrase, “It was the work of the devil.”

Oshodi held that religious leaders, and teachers such as the convict, held a sacred place in society and when such individuals broke the trust placed in them by preying upon children, the court must respond with appropriate severity to reflect society’s condemnation and deter others from committing similar acts.

“As an imam and an Arabic school teacher, you occupy a position of significant trust, that trust extended not only to the 13-year-old child, the one you victimised but also to her parents and the entire community who look to you for spiritual and moral guidance.

“You betrayed this trust in the most deplorable manner,” he said.

However, the court sentenced Sakiru to 14 years imprisonment on count one and seven years jail term on count two.

Oshodi held that the jail terms should run consecutively and that the convict’s name should be registered in the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.

Earlier, the defence counsel, Mr. Nelson Onyejaka, in his allocutus, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.

Onjejaka told the court that the convict was a first-time offender and that he had two wives to take care of.

He prayed to the court for leniency in sentencing his client.

The state prosecution counsel, Ms Bukola Okeowo, however, prayed the court to sentence the convict accordingly.

Okeowo told the court that the convict committed the offences between February and March 2022, on Odusanmi  Street, Mushin, Lagos.

The convict had pleaded not guilty when he was initially arraigned on March 17, 2023.

During the trial, the prosecution called two witnesses (the survivor and her father) through whom compelling evidence was given against the convict.

The prosecution, however, approached the court on September  6, 2024, that the convict had opted for a plea bargain which necessitated the amended charge.

According to the prosecution, the offences committed violated Sections 135 and 262 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

…It encourages youths to embrace criminal acts for money

…You’ve role to play in stopping this, Soludo tasks churches

…Parents, traditional rulers, churches are to blame

ENUGU —IGBO is known for hard work and strong entrepreneurial spirit. They work hard for their wealth. They are not lazy and do not encourage laziness, hence they celebrate genuine wealth acquired through hard work and visible means of livelihood.

Celebrating questionable wealth is not an Igbo culture. It is therefore disappointing that today in Igbo land, questionable wealth is celebrated and adored without anybody, including the government, the church, families, and the society at large, raising questions. This, perhaps, is one of the things that fuel the security crisis in Igbo land; the drive for easy money at all costs by the youths. The question is; what has gone wrong?

You have a big role in changing the situation —Soludo tasks churches

Addressing Anglican Bishops last week during their retreat held at the All Saints’ Cathedral Onitsha, Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, charged them to include the matter in their agenda as the church can help to find the solution for the problem.

“We now have a society where we celebrate something for nothing; where even in Christianity, we now preach that you can have a crown without a cross. We tell people that you can have wealth without work, that God is a money-doubler, only pay your tithe and you go and lie down and cover yourself with a blanket; God will multiply it 10 times.

“We no longer tell people about responsible Christianity, no, it is the hard one. If you tell them no cross, no crown, you will not be a popular one. It is when we tell a young apprentice ‘you will become a billionaire by the end of the year,’ he will say, ‘I claim it,’ how? All those roadside churches and pastors preaching all these warp theology and Christianity are deceiving the people.

“The youths, by 9:00am, are in the beer parlour drinking beer and they expect to build skyscrapers tomorrow, how? We want to hold people accountable. If you have wealth, like displaying all manner of obscene wealth and nobody asks what you do for a living? “A society where you no longer ask people what they do for a living is a society that has no future. Even the ministers of God do not ask. We celebrate wealth without work and if the church continues to celebrate this, a society gets what it celebrates,” Soludu said and urged the bishops to have the matter as one of the issues for discussion.

Bishop Sunday Onuoha of the Methodist Church and co-chair, of Interfaith Dialogue and Peace Forum expressed worry over this ugly attitude and called on institutions of the ethical compass in Igbo land to stop it. The cleric regrets that even the pulpit managers are involved in this to the surprise of the masses.

“We have a young generation that has been provoked and the moral compass has collapsed. Key institutions of ethical compass must stop celebrating flamboyant life, and arrogant display of wealth.

“Our young people sit back in the church with pain when the pulpit managers promote and celebrate the wealthy people of questionable character. Young ones in the community watch with agony when people of dubious means are given chieftaincy titles; they even watch when men of evil backgrounds get elected into public offices because they can buy their way through.

“The young people are hungry and angry and unfortunately, they resort to unethical ways of life because men who should be the role model are publicly rewarding questionable life-styles,” Onuoha said, noting that integrity is of great value.

We should go back to our customs, traditions —Ebonyi Monarch

The traditional ruler of Nkaliki Echara Unuhu autonomous community, Ebonyi State, Ezeogo Sunday Oketa advocates a return to the original customs and traditions of the Igbo as part of the solution. He blames the get-rich-quick syndrome, ritual killing, kidnapping, armed robbery, Yahoo, and other criminal activities destroying Igbo land on the abandonment of Igbo culture and proliferation of churches as well as exposure to social media.

“Igbo are independent people who struggle hard to feed themselves. Igbo are like the Jews who were created with special intelligence and gifts. They are hard-working people and engage in genuine businesses. That culture followed us until recently when things fell apart and the centre could no longer hold. Our children today indulge in many evils and criminal things just to get quick money.

“The solution is to bring back those cultures destroyed by Western culture. What we are passing through today is our sin of abandoning our original customs and traditions,” the monarch said.

Govt, the church, family and community are responsible —Prelate

The Rector, of Alive Theological Seminary of Nigeria, Owerri, Bishop Emmanuel Uzoma attributes the problem to moral decadence in almost all facets of society and notes that churches, communities, families, and governments share in the blame.

“There is moral decadence in the entire society and this is the fallout. I blame almost all sectors, the church, community, family, and government. Many churches don’t preach the undiluted gospel of morality but dwell on messages of prosperity.

“Communities celebrate wealth by conferring traditional titles on those who acquired money, irrespective of the means. Governments have failed to provide jobs due to corruption in the system. So, everyone is culpable. To retrace our steps, we must redirect our priorities and begin reorientation. The media have a lot to do in this aspect,” he said.

A retired NIPOST staff, a native of Umuodu village, Owerri, Murphy Emeto frowns at the practice, saying it is alien to Igbo culture and tradition.

“What is playing out in our cherished Igbo land is not only most uncomfortable and unfortu-nate but completely alien to Igbo custom and tradition.

“Today, the quest for quick money is in vogue, with the youths committing all types of evils to make money. And the ugly practices have taken a frightening dimension, including human trafficking and kidnapping for ransom. The fear now is that organ harvesting is taking centre stage.

“I must remind us that the famous Otokoto uprising in Owerri was a frontal attack on the nouveau riche with questionable wealth. The protest was spontaneous. Our greedy youths must be very careful. Our leaders should wake up and tackle this ugly trend.””

Parents no longer give attention to their children —Prof. Opata

In his contribution, a professor of African Fiction, Damian Opata said the Igbo society is in a period of moral crisis due to inadequate moral training of children. He further said that the lack of sanction for social deviants further propels more youths into a get-rich-quick mentality.

“The Igbo, like many other societies in the world, are going through a period of moral crisis. First, there is almost a total breakdown of parenting. In very many instances, both parents are either working or trading or engaged in various types of businesses. As such, most parents do not spend much time with their children. This means that many children are no longer grounded in the moral and ethical codes of society.

“Secondly, many parents are not concerned about how their children make money. There are instances where parents take their children to learn yahoo yahoo from successful yahooists. Another factor is the flashy and expensive lifestyle of some rich individuals. The youths know that some of these people did not make money in a legal conventional way and they are celebrated by society. These attitudes provide an excuse for many youths to do anything to get money,” he said.

Reacting, Chief Gabriel Ndubuisi, a community leader in Umudioka, Dunukofia Council of Anambra State said: “We need to start changing the mentality of the new generation. Some of the people being adored in society do not have tangible business. Imagine a situation whereby someone does not have a visible means of livelihood, but parades the town with so many expensive cars and he is hailed whenever he is seen.”

Parents and religious leaders have failed in their roles —Cleric

The National Secretary of the Church of God Seventh Day, Nigeria, Evang. Okechukwu Ukaegbu condemns this and said: “It is a manifestation of the loss of norms and values of the society. The society worships wealth. Youths now see wealth as the most important thing in life. Nothing matters but wealth.

“What is happening is best explained as a situation where society has lost its norms and values. Today, the improvement in technology is being used for internet fraud. Parents and religious leaders have failed woefully in their roles. We now worship wealth no matter how it is acquired. So, our youths have imbibed the new ‘culture’ to pursue wealth at all costs. Parents are now encouraging their children to engage in internet fraud to make money. Some students have dropped out of school to pursue wealth; what is the future of our society? We are doomed unless we retrace our steps.”

It is time to reflect on who we are —Ohanaeze chieftain

The former state Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Professor Chidi Osuagwu blames the situa-tion on the erosion of morals.

“That is what happens when you are in a state of anomie. The Igbo are subsumed in a Nigeria that is totally in disarray; in a state that is interested in the destruction of the Igbo. The time has come to know who we are. The Igbo is hurt but not destroyed totally. It is time to reflect.”

Chief Azuka Okoroigwe heapedthe blame on the traditional rulers and churches. He also named musicians who eulogize rich people irrespective of how they made their wealth . Such actions, he said, make the younger ones feel that since they are accepted in the society by the leaders, there is nothing wrong in making money through any means.

A 23-year-old man, Prince Nyerovho, has been arrested in Sapele, Delta State, for allegedly stabbing his 65-year-old father to death after consuming a synthetic drug known as “Colorado.”

The tragic event, which occurred on Sunday in the Amukpe area, has left the community in shock.

According to family sources, Prince has a history of addiction to synthetic cannabinoids, also known as “Spice.”

His drug dependency reportedly destabilised him and led to repeated violent episodes. In one instance, he allegedly attempted to strangle his mother.

According to family source, “This isn’t the first time Prince has exhibited violence under the influence of drugs. His addiction had spiraled out of control, making him unpredictable. His mother did her best to help, but the financial burden was too much to bear.”

Prince’s mother, who reportedly sought assistance from rehabilitation centres in Benin City, Edo State and a mental health facility in Sapele, eventually ran out of resources.

Prince on the faithful day had, after consuming Colorado, reportedly demanded N5,000 from his father. When the old man refused, Prince’s temper escalated. His father locked himself in his room to avoid further conflict, but this act only enraged Prince further.

Prince reportedly broke down the door to his father’s room. His younger sister, who attempted to intervene, was injured in the chaos. “She tried her best to stop him, but he wouldn’t listen,” a neighbour recounted. “It was terrifying.”

Neighbours, alerted by the commotion, rushed to the scene and found Prince’s father lying lifeless on the floor, having been fatally stabbed. His younger sister had raised the alarm, leading to the intervention of the community.

By the time the police arrived, neighbours had subdued Prince and handed him over to the authorities. The father’s body was transported to the mortuary for an autopsy, while Prince was taken into custody pending further investigation.

The Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, has enjoined Nigerians to reject the All Progressives Congress, APC, at the polls come 2027 because the administration has failed to address the menace of insecurity over the years.

The CUPP specifically queried the Federal Government’s perceived failure to address the nation’s security challenges which have become a source of concern to citizens, local and foreign investors.

Spokesperson of the CUPP, Mark Adebayo, said: “This condemnation follows the recent massacre of 40 farmers in Borno State by the Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, on January 12.”

Adebayo described the incident “as a tragic example of the government’s inability to protect its citizens.”

The CUPP highlighted the escalating insecurity across various states in Nigeria, with thousands of lives lost and millions displaced due to terrorist attacks and kidnappings.

He accused the ruling APC of neglecting its duty to safeguard the nation’s security, despite significant investments in counter-terrorism efforts.

The CUPP spkesman called for a radical overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture, emphasizing the need for a government that can effectively combat insecurity.

He asked Nigerians “to reject the APC in the 2027 elections, warning of dire consequences if the current administration remained in power beyond that year.”

Adebayo expressed condolences to the families of the victims and called for a decisive action to restore peace and stability in the country.

Former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, has formally resigned his membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to focus on a newly established platform, the Northern Star Youth Empowerment Initiative (NSYEI), recently launched at Arewa House, Kaduna.

Bafarawa, who served two terms as Governor of Sokoto State, presented his resignation letter to the PDP National Chairman, Umar Damagun, dated 8 January 2025. The letter was officially received by the party’s national office on 13 January 2025.

In the letter made available to journalists in Sokoto, Bafarawa explained that his decision to leave the PDP was to avoid a conflict of interest between his party membership and his leadership of the youth empowerment NGO co-founded in late 2024.

“I will now focus my attention on creating awareness for youth entrepreneurship and empowerment initiatives aimed at making them self-productive, reducing redundancy, and fostering self-reliance,” Bafarawa stated.

He extended his goodwill to the PDP, saying, “I wish the People’s Democratic Party and its leadership the very best in all their future endeavours.”

Expressing gratitude for his time in the party, Bafarawa added, “I appreciate the opportunity given to me to contribute my quota to the development of the party as a card-carrying member.”

Until his resignation, Bafarawa was a key figure in the PDP, providing strong support for Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal’s successful re-election bid in 2019 after parting ways with his political mentor and godfather, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako (Sarkin Yamman Sokoto).