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The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, 17 local government area chairpersons, councilors, and others have officially dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Agbebaku and other defectors were received into the APC by the party’s national secretary, Ajibola Bashiru, Governor Monday Okpebholo, and other chieftains of the leading party in a ceremony in Benin City, Edo State.
At the event, Okpebholo hailed the decamping politicians for their move, and said Edo State is on the path of progress with President Bola Tinubu’s support.
See photos from the event below:
The Oyo State Judiciary on Tuesday denied claims of salary deductions affecting magistrates and presidents of Grade A Customary Courts in the state.
The state judiciary labelled the allegations as false and misleading.
Reacting to concerns raised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ibadan Branch, the state judiciary, through its Chief Registrar, Mrs Olumide Ogunrin, insisted that no such deductions occurred.
The NBA had earlier issued a statement signed by its chairman, Ibrahim Lawal, alleging that the judiciary had tampered with the salaries of judicial officers, sparking concerns about the welfare of key players in the justice delivery system.
In its statement, the NBA emphasised the key role of magistrates and customary court presidents in grassroots justice, warning that any disruption to their duties could have far-reaching consequences.
The NBA also lamented the difficult working conditions faced by judicial officers, including a lack of transportation and poor infrastructure, calling on the governor to prioritise their welfare.
The association urged the state government to address the matter and provide clarity, especially in light of increased federal allocations.
However, the judiciary dismissed the claims as baseless, stating, “The allegation was misconstrued and misrepresented. It is hereby debunked in its entirety.”
The Oyo State Judiciary reiterated its commitment to supporting its workforce and ensuring the smooth dispensation of justice across the state.
David Frattesi struck the decisive goal in the 99th minute of extra time to seal Inter Milan’s dramatic 4-3 win over Barcelona in a Champions League semi-final thriller at San Siro on Tuesday, sending the Italians through 7-6 on aggregate.
Francesco Acerbi had earlier rescued Inter with a stoppage-time equaliser, cancelling out Raphinha’s late strike that looked set to fire Barcelona into the final.
Raphinha had completed a stunning second-half comeback with goals from Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo drawing the tie level after Barca trailed 2-0 at half-time.
Inter will now face either PSG or Arsenal in the final on May 31 at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
Defender Denzel Dumfries captured the chaos of the night when speaking to Amazon Prime: “A crazy match again! Seven goals today. It was incredible. We fought until the end; very proud of the way we fought today. Overall, I’m very happy that we’re going to the final.”
Goalkeeper Yann Sommer, named Player of the Match, was equally emotional in his post-match reflections. Speaking to Sky Italia, he said: “I’m very happy, we played an incredible match. Which save will I remember? The last one on Lamine Yamal; he is a great player and fortunately it didn’t go in. Many teams would have given up after going down 3-2 but we didn’t, and managed to come back.”
The rollercoaster nature of the game left even seasoned commentators breathless. Clarence Seedorf, the former Milan and Netherlands midfielder, summed it up: “I think we’ve had enough emotions today! In the first half Inter were supreme, but Barcelona came back, and Inter looked low on energy. But the thing that amazed me is they never give up, and who would have thought they’d be able to score such a late equaliser against Barcelona.”
Former England striker Wayne Rooney echoed the sentiment, highlighting Inter’s second wind in the dying stages: “Once Inter got the equaliser it looked like they were the team that were going to push. Barcelona ran out of ideas at the end. I’m not really quick to praise goalkeepers, but some of those saves Yann Sommer made were excellent.”
Among the heroes of the night was Davide Frattesi, who once again played the role of match-winner. Reflecting on the wild scenes, he exclaimed: “What happened? I don’t know! I celebrated so loudly that my head was spinning.”
He later added, drawing parallels to his earlier heroics in Munich: “After the game in Munich, I thought I would never experience anything like this again in terms of emotions. But that’s the beauty of football. It’s part of my career; I’ve always been the first to believe and the last to give up. This is a reward for my dedication and commitment. After it went 3-3, I told Marcus [Thuram] that we would go through.”
The Senate has constituted an 18-member committee tasked with overseeing the activities of the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.).
The Senate President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, made this known during the resumption of plenary on Tuesday.
According to Akpabio, the committee was created in a bid to strengthen transparency and accountability in the state’s governance.
Akpabio named Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele as chairman of the committee.
He also highlighted the importance of the committee’s mandate, stating that its role is critical in ensuring effective legislative oversight in Rivers State.
Akpabio also hinted that the composition of the committee might be subject to review following further consultations.
The Senate President charged the committee to commence its oversight duties without delay, stressing the urgency of their assignment and reaffirming the Senate’s commitment to upholding democratic processes in Rivers State.
Members of the committee include Senators Adamu Aliero, Osita Izunaso, Osita Ngwu (South East), Kaka Shehu, Aminu Abass, Tokunbo Abiru, Adeniyi Adebire (Ondo), Sani Musa, Simon Lalong, Asuquo Ekpeyong, Adams Oshiomhole, Ireti Kingibe (Labour Party), Onyekachi, Idiat Adebule, Ide Dafinone, and Mohammed (APC, Jigawa), alongside the Clerk of the Senate
The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has unveiled a 10-year rescue plan aimed at reversing the decline in Nigeria’s electricity sector, with a strong focus on developing local capacity and revamping infrastructure.
Speaking at the opening of the Ministry of Power’s management retreat on Tuesday in Abuja, themed “Development of Ministerial Performance Management System (MPMS) for 2025”, Adelabu announced that the ministry will train at least 1,200 electrical engineers over the next decade to address the chronic manpower deficit plaguing the sector.
He said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will no longer tolerate excuses in the delivery of stable electricity, describing the sector’s revival as “non-negotiable” for the nation’s economic survival.
“The dearth of skilled professionals in the power sector is alarming. In the next 10 years, we must replace the lost generation of engineers. We must be intentional in building local capacity,” Adelabu declared.
The minister’s announcement comes a day after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a comprehensive roadmap to overhaul the sector’s infrastructure, which has long suffered from neglect despite the country’s abundant energy resources.
Adelabu revealed that an executive order is being drafted to enforce a “Nigeria First” policy in government procurement, prioritising local firms and home-grown expertise in the power sector.
“We cannot keep outsourcing our future,” he said, stressing the need to key into local resources, both in personnel and technology.
Acknowledging recent improvements in grid stability since January 2025, the minister challenged ministry staff to accelerate progress.
He warned that performance would now be subjected to quarterly reviews by the Presidential Monitoring Unit under the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU).
“When you are performing, don’t listen to negativity—just show Nigerians the evidence,” Adelabu urged, noting that citizens are increasingly sceptical after years of unmet promises.
He praised achievements recorded in generation, transmission, and distribution in the past 18 months, attributing them to teamwork and a shared commitment to delivering results.
Earlier in his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mahmuda Mamman, echoed the minister’s call for performance and accountability, saying promotions would henceforth be tied to measurable outcomes.
“Citizens will judge us by their meter readings, not our PowerPoints,” Mamman said.
He commended the Office of the Head of Civil Service for organising the retreat, which he described as a platform to deepen performance ethics and place citizens at the heart of the ministry’s goals.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that President Bola Tinubu is scared of the planned coalition of political parties being put together by him to challenge the president’s 2027 reelection.
Atiku, in a statement on Tuesday by his media office, noted that the panic in Tinubu’s camp has elicited desperate verbal attacks by the president’s spokespersons.
The former vice president was reacting to comments by the special adviser to the president on policy communication, Daniel Bwala, during a TVC media interview.
“The Atiku Media Office notes with utter contempt the disparaging remarks made by Mr Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Communication, during a recent interview on TVC.
“It is both ironic and pathetic that Mr Bwala — a political turncoat who once served as spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 presidential campaign — now presumes to lecture a statesman of global standing on matters of legacy, destiny, and retirement.
“His sanctimonious pontificating, laced with bitterness and duplicity, betrays a desperate effort to curry favour with a floundering administration clearly shaken by the unstoppable momentum of the national coalition being galvanised by Atiku and other progressive leaders,” the statement said.
Atiku said he neither seeks nor requires validation from political opportunists like Bwala, who shed principles as easily as they change parties.
“Mr Bwala’s current relevance, if any, is owed entirely to the platform he once occupied under Atiku’s leadership — a fact that should breed humility, not arrogance.
“The Tinubu camp’s obsession with Atiku’s political future is no coincidence. If, as they claim, Atiku is a spent force, why the relentless smear campaign?
“Why the strategic allocation of presidential platforms to attack him? The answer is plain: Atiku Abubakar remains the single most formidable opposition figure in Nigeria, and the coalition he is forging represents a clear and present danger to the decaying edifice of the ruling party.
“This broad-based alliance, aimed at reclaiming Nigeria from economic collapse, institutional failure, and democratic erosion, has clearly rattled the ruling elite.
“No amount of historical revisionism or sanctimony can obscure the fact that Atiku has been a central pillar in Nigeria’s democratic journey since 1999, championing reform, restructuring, and electoral integrity when others chose complicity.
“Legacy is not defined by the trappings of office but by courage, consistency, and conviction. Atiku Abubakar’s legacy — as a unifier, builder, and patriot — is deeply etched in the consciousness of millions of Nigerians. It is impervious to the revisionist bile of yesterday’s defectors turned today’s defenders of dysfunction.
“We reaffirm, unequivocally, that the Waziri Adamawa remains focused and unshaken in his commitment to Nigeria’s future.
“He will not be distracted by political jesters masquerading as patriots. The rescue and rebuilding of Nigeria is a task of urgent national importance — far too important to be derailed by the petty ego trips of desperate presidential aides,” he declared.
The Federal Government may adopt a political solution in addressing the $220m data breach fine imposed on Meta by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
This is just as the Nigerian Data Protection Commission said on Tuesday that it plans to resolve the lingering data breach dispute with Meta Platforms Inc. through dialogue and collaboration.
The Chief Executive Officer and national commissioner of NDPC, Vincent Olatunji, said this at a one-day workshop for data protection officers in Abuja.
Olatunji said the commission’s approach was to engage organisations and seek amicable solutions rather than escalate matters unnecessarily.
“We are working with them (Meta) to see if we can resolve the issue. We don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. What we do today is to look at the issues — what do we need to resolve, and are they willing to do what is right? We have to look at political ways of solving it.”
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) had imposed a fine of $220m on Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, for multiple data privacy violations.
The FCCPC said the penalty followed a joint investigation with the NDPC into Meta Platforms’ conduct, privacy policies, operations and practices between May 2021 and December 2023.
In response, WhatsApp said it would appeal the fine and threatened to exit the country.
On April 25, the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal upheld the $220m fine the FCCPC imposed on Meta.
The Commission found that Meta Parties engaged in multiple and repeated infringements of the FCCPA (2018) and the NDPR.
These infringements included denying Nigerians the right to control their data, transferring and sharing Nigerian user data without authorisation, discriminating against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions, and abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies.
Meta had been fined for similar breaches in Texas ($1.5bn) and was only recently asked to pay $1.3bn for violating EU data privacy rules.
Elsewhere in India, South Korea, France and Australia, Meta had faced varying penalties for similar breaches.
However, the tech company responded with another threat to shut down the Nigerian operations of Facebook and Instagram.
In response, the FCCPC issued a statement telling Meta that its decision to quit Nigeria does not in any way absolve it from liability.
Speaking further, the data commission boss said plans are in place to resolve it and calm public anxiety.
“Even when you go to work, you see that there’s a right way to resolve issues. So, I’m sure we’re going to resolve it,” he added.
Also, at the workshop, the NDPC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mastercard to consolidate data protection capacity in Nigeria.
Olatunji also said the federal government was committed to increasing the number of certified DPOs with the required skills to manage data protection.
He said the workshop would be beneficial to both Nigeria and Mastercard, adding that the country had tech-savvy youths who are digital natives ready to explore.
Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has denied allegations that he refunded over ₦500 billion to the state government as part of a covert arrangement to avoid prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Rumours had circulated across Delta State that the former governor secretly refunded the massive sum in an effort to avoid legal consequences, preserve political influence, and negotiate a possible soft landing with anti-graft authorities.
However, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olise Ifeajirika, Okowa dismissed the claims as false and baseless.
“It’s not true that my boss, Okowa, returned such money. The EFCC is at liberty to do its job,” Ifeajirika said.
“He (Okowa)was invited and shown documents, and he responded accordingly. The EFCC has been visiting Delta State and inviting people for questioning. We believe the investigation is still ongoing. Only when it is concluded and a case is established can issues of refunds or prosecution arise.
“There is no truth to claims of returning money to the Delta State Government or the EFCC,” he added.
Okowa and his predecessor and political mentee, Governor Sheriff Oborevwor rejected dumped the Peoples Democratic Party to join the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The move fuelled insinuation that Okowa was trying to evade prosecution by the EFCC.
Meanwhile, Oborevwori, on Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Delta governor, who arrived the Villa at about 3:45 p.m, unaccompanied, went into a closed-door session wih the President.
It was the first time he would meet Tinubu since his crossover from the PDP to the ruling APC.
On April 23, 2025, Oborevwori became the first sitting Delta State governor to defect from the PPDP since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.
In a dramatic political realignment, Oborevwori, his deputy, Monday Onyeme, commissioners, local government chairmen, and the PDP’s grassroots structures also defected to the APC following a closed-door meeting in Asaba.
Okowa, who served as the PDP’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, led the mass defection, signaling a major power shift in the South-South.
President Bola Tinubu has said his meeting with the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, alongside the Ekiti counterpart, Biodun Oyebanji, centred on meaningful discussions about the opportunities for sustainable growth in their states.
Naija News reports that Oborevwori, on Tuesday, arrived at the presidential villa at approximately 3:45 pm. This marked Oborevwori’s first encounter with President Tinubu since his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a post via his ? on Tuesday evening, Tinubu said his meeting with Oborevwori and Oyebanji was also about the critical challenges they are facing in their respective states.
Tinubu added that his administration remains committed to supporting and collaborating with state and sub-national governments to foster long-term development and growth throughout Nigeria.
He wrote, “Today, I met with the governors of Delta State and Ekiti State at the State House. We engaged in meaningful discussions about the opportunities for sustainable growth in their states and discussed the critical challenges they face.
“Our administration remains committed to supporting and collaborating with state governments and sub-nationals to foster long-term development and growth throughout Nigeria. I have long decided to take a bet on our dear country, Nigeria, and together, we must work tirelessly towards building a brighter future for all Nigerians. That is my Renewed Hope promise.”
African businesses can now access faster cross-border payments using Zendfx- ZendWallet’s USDT and USDC Stablecoin features
Admin
A fast-rising African cryptocurrency exchange, ZendWallet, has launched a new stablecoin payment feature, Zendfx.
This feature allows users to make easy global business payments using USDT and USDC.
ZendWallet has processed over $3 billion in transactions, with 95% of payments completed within 48 hours.
Now, with Zendfx, the platform is making cross-border payments quicker, more affordable, and more reliable using USDT and USDC.
Businesses across Africa can now make faster, simpler cross-border payments with ZendWallet’s new USDT and USDC stablecoin payment feature.
Through Zendfx, businesses can send payments directly from their Zend Business accounts in USD, EUR, CAD, or GBP to countries such as China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the United States of America, and 150 others.
To access Zend Fx, businesses must sign up on ZendWallet.com and complete the KYB verification on a ZendBusiness account.
Once verified, they can fund their accounts with USDT or USDC and execute transactions swiftly.
Payments require an invoice for verification and are processed within 24 to 72 business hours.
Users must also provide essential beneficiary details, including SWIFT codes, for accurate fund transfers.
Zend Fx’s key highlights include multi-currency transactions, a minimum payment threshold of $1,000, and a maximum limit of $1,000,000 per transaction.
According to the CEO, Elujoba Adedamola, “Businesses in Africa often face challenges with cross-border payments due to restrictions and high fees. Zendfx addresses this issue by offering a reliable and clear payment method using stablecoins,” he said.
The feature improves international transactions, removing the complexities of traditional banking while ensuring compliance through the Know Your Business (KYB) verification process.
ZendWallet’s move signals the growing use of stablecoins in Africa’s financial ecosystem, providing businesses with more flexibility and better ways to make cross-border payments.
For more details, read the full blog post here or visit ZendWallet.com.
[Nairametrics]
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The European Union (EU) in partnership with the United Nations and the Federal Government of Nigeria has launched three projects aimed at strengthening health services, social protection and community resilience across the country.
The launching which took place at the Sokoto State Government House, drew high-level participation from the EU Ambassador, Gautier Mignor who led ambassadors of Sweden, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Finland, Belgium, Denmark and Germany to the event.
Sokoto State governor, Ahmed Aliyu, who was represented by his deputy, Idris Gobir said the projects launched in the state include Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health (SARAH), Supporting Sustainable Social Protection Systems in Nigeria (SUSI), and Support for Protection, Assistance, and Durable Solutions.
Governor Aliyu said the projects are not only timely but also perfectly aligned with the developmental priorities of his administration.
“These initiatives are directly aligned with our government’s 9-Point smart innovative Agenda, particularly in the areas of healthcare, social welfare, and protection for the most vulnerable members of our society,” the Governor said.
Prominent on the delegation include UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate; Country Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Dr. Vanessa Phala; UNFPA Resident Representative, Dr. Gifty Addico and Country Director of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Pierre Mendiharat.
The €60 million projects, which are designed to tackle key challenges affecting millions of Nigerians, particularly in underserved and vulnerable communities, will be implemented between 2024 and 2027.
At the launch, the EU Ambassador reaffirmed the EU’s deep commitment to equity and inclusion.
“The EU is proud to invest in Nigeria’s future through programmes that leave no one behind-whether it is better healthcare, livelihood support, or social protection,” Mignor said.
In a same vein, the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Munduate, emphasised the importance of resilience and system strengthening.
“Social protection is a vital mechanism for reducing poverty and promoting inclusive development. And through SARAH, we are improving healthcare access for girls and mothers. Together with the EU, ILO, UNFPA, and DRC, we are helping Nigeria build strong systems that protect every child,” Munduate said.
DRC’s Pierre Mendiharat added that the programmes were community-driven, with action plans based on local priorities to ensure lasting and inclusive solutions.
At the Sultanate Council, Mignor told the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar of the EU’s determination to partner with the Sultanate, while stressing the Council’s role in addressing humanitarian challenges in Nigeria.
The Sultan expressed optimism that the high-powered delegation comprising eight other Ambassadors from EU member states in Nigeria, sends strong message against those who paint the country in the bad light.
He assured that the religious and traditional leaders will work hand-in-hand with the state government to ensure the successfully implementation of the projects.
[Leadership]
The recent terrorist attacks in Benin have become a troubling signal: the threat of terrorism is no longer confined to the Sahel region. Jihadist groups are expanding their reach — if previously they concentrated on Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, now countries further south are under attack.
While the member states of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) are enhancing coordination and strengthening military cooperation, ECOWAS unfortunately shows political passivity, failing to offer effective support to those now facing terrorists head-on. As a bloc focused primarily on political goals, ECOWAS has proven incapable of acting as a real military alliance, especially in times of crisis. A former Beninese serviceman has also spoken out on the attacks and condemned ECOWAS’s lack of support.
Against this backdrop, AES emerges as a phenomenon of its time — a regional alliance created in direct response to real threats. The alliance’s primary mission is the fight against terrorism, and for that reason, its member armies are actively building their capabilities: training personnel, modernizing military equipment, and boosting combat readiness. This is critical, as jihadist groups use advanced weaponry and rapidly adapt to changing conditions.
According to a military expert, the situation in Benin is dire. “Benin’s army today resembles Burkina Faso’s in 2015 or Mali’s FAMA in 2011. Aside from a few elite units protecting key sites, the rest of the army is in a fragile state. I was there in 2019, 2020, and 2021 — their weapons are outdated, and they lack critical combat experience,” he said anonymously.
The Sahel’s experience proves that without stronger armed forces and political resolve, there is no way to stop the spread of terrorism. Benin needs not only support but a new approach to regional security.
[TheCable]
Valentine Ozigbo, an All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship aspirant in Anambra State, has declared that the Labour Party, LP, is not what people think it is.
Ozigbo disclosed that LP is almost dying and soon people will start seeing mass defections from the party.
Featuring on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Ozigbo alleged that most elected members of LP want to seek reelection from other platforms.
He said: “I joined APC from Labour Party and I will make my case very clear, I didn’t just leave Labour Party, I made analogies of what I think about these parties in Nigeria.
“You got to do your checks and take certain decisions for posterity, for the future.
“Labour Party is not exactly what people think they are, it’s almost in its dying days and overtime, people are going to see this – how people are leaving the party.
“There is hardly any elected member of the party that I have spoken to that is intending to run for his election under the same platform, so Labour party for me is in the past.
“I took a decision to go into APC not because I’m here to justify all the actions of APC, I’m here rather as a catalyst for change, if this is the only option we have today; then some good people need to go in there and become an agent of change, I want to see myself as one of those agents and that’s why I moved.
“When I moved, it became the trending topic of the time, even up till now. For anybody to say I went into APC without supporters is very laughable. Nicholas moved into APC a month before me and nobody said anything, but since I joined, I’m already adding value to APC.
“My moving into APC changed the trajectory. There are allegations that maybe Mr. President wants Soludo to come back because he sees him as an opponent of Peter Obi.
“Even if that is correct, it’s an inferior proposition, Soludo must have gone to whoever to say APC is weak and his problem is Labour. So support me in APGA so that I will come back because you don’t want Labour to win Anambra State.
“APC is weak, Labour is strong, by me leaving Labour to join APC, it is strong today – and this is why I’m fighting this battle – if you go to the real people in APC, they will understand the battle that I’m fighting, they won’t want this type of deal where Soludo is APGA in the afternoon and APC at night.
“So he creates a confusion where you are not strengthening the party or helping anybody, so if you want to be a man, be a man and if you want to be a woman, be a woman.
“If Soludo wants to be APGA, be APGA – APGA is in the past.”
[DailyPost]
The United Kingdom is reportedly preparing to impose new visa restrictions on Nigerian, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan nationals as part of an aggressive effort to reform its immigration system and curb visa abuse.
According to a report by The Times, the UK Home Office has identified citizens from these countries as among the most likely to overstay their visas and later seek asylum—a move that grants them permanent residency rights if approved.
In response, officials said the affected nationalities may soon face tougher requirements when applying for student or work visas.
“Our upcoming Immigration White Paper will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system,” a Home Office spokesperson said.
The Home Office said it is building intelligence systems to identify individuals likely to exploit the visa system early in the process.
“We keep the visa system under constant review, and where we detect trends which may undermine our immigration rules, we will not hesitate to take action,” the statement added.
The full details of the proposed visa changes will be released later in May as part of the UK’s long-awaited Immigration White Paper.
[TheNation]