Nollywood actress cum filmmaker, Mercy Aigbe Adeoti, has expressed her love for marriage and having a partner.

Naija News reports that the movie star, in a recent interview with her colleague, Bimpe Akintunde, said she never thought she would end up as a second wife.

She spoke against negative comments from critics about her marriage to Kazim Adeoti, questioning the state of their lives.

The thespian also revealed that her family opposed her remarriage due to her age, but she stood firm, knowing what she wanted.

Mercy Aigbe emphasised that people only discuss others when they are doing something notable or are well-known.

She said, “I love love, actually. What you said now, a lot of people do ask me, even some family members. They would be like, I’m close to 50 years old; what am I looking for? But I believe everybody knows what they want.

“What you want might be different from mine. I know what I saw, and I know what I wanted. I am the kind of person who loves to have a crown (husband) on my head and loves to be married.

“Maybe, if I’m still in my baby’s daddy’s house, I wouldn’t be known as Mercy Aigbe. Definitely people will talk when you do something good. If you are not known, you can’t be the topic. When I was young, I never thought my life would turn out this way.”

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of having character deficiency.
Naija News reports that Atiku made this known while responding to Wike’s statement of lying during the holy month of Ramadan regarding the process that led to the selection of the Vice Presidential candidate for the PDP in the 2023 election.

In a statement released on Saturday, through his Media Aide, Lere Olayinka, Wike responded to Atiku’s claim that a committee set up by the PDP had ranked the former Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, as the top choice for the party’s vice-presidential candidate.

According to Atiku, Wike was ranked second, with former Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel in third place. Atiku claimed that he picked Okowa based on the committee’s recommendation.

Olayinka strongly refuted Atiku’s account, questioning how a person who received only two votes could be ranked higher than someone who garnered 13 votes.

However, in a statement signed by Atiku’s Media Office, in Abuja, on Saturday, titled: “Learning Without Character Is Equal To Zero,” the former Vice President criticized Wike, stating that numbers are meaningless without good conduct and humility.

He further cited the current crisis in Rivers State, stressing that Wike’s conduct in recent times has made it clear he was unsuitable for the Vice Presidential slot.

The statement reads, “The attention of Atiku Media Office has been drawn to yet another emotional outburst disguised as a press statement from the camp of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, issued by his aide, Lere Olayinka.

“While we understand that bitterness often finds expression in misplaced aggression, we must remind Mr. Wike and his team that a bitter heart isn’t capable of charity, nor does it inspire unity, healing, or truth.

“Once again, facts have been twisted in a desperate attempt to rewrite history. Mr. Wike, through his spokesperson, claims that he had 13 votes from a committee set up to recommend a vice presidential running mate, while Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa had only two. Let us be clear: there are no laid down rules or laws on the selection process of a running mate. Committees, consultations, and recommendations are advisory in nature. The final decision rests solely and exclusively with the presidential candidate, in this case, Atiku Abubakar. It is a constitutional and strategic choice, not a popularity contest.

“Assuming, but not conceding that Wike had 13 votes and Okowa had 2 — just like universities confer degrees “in learning and in character” — one must ask: what is the worth of votes if character scores a zero? Leadership is not only about numbers; it is about temperament, dignity, and the ability to unify. A man may boast of numbers, but if his conduct lacks grace and humility, those numbers are empty.

“We make no apologies for choosing Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa as the running mate in 2023. That decision was based on a combination of intellect, composure, and statesmanship.

“We have been vindicated by Mr. Wike’s public conduct in Rivers state where he once served as governor and in Abuja since becoming FCT Minister, which has made it abundantly clear why he was unsuitable for the role of Vice President in a ticket meant to unify, not divide.

“We urge Mr. Wike and his social media spokesperson to resist the temptation to sermonize about religious piety during Ramadan and Lent, too, while simultaneously fanning the flames of discord. Let us not reduce sacred periods to a tool for petty political jabs.

“The task of rebuilding our party and our nation is a serious one. It is time to move beyond bruised egos and focus on what truly matters: the future of Nigeria and the wellbeing of its people!”

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has issued a summons to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and seven other parties over the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

The suit, filed under Suit No: FHC/PH/CS/45/2025, was brought by the Incorporated Trustees of Peoples Life Improvement Foundation, alongside Precious Elekima and Inanna Wright Harry.

The plaintiffs are challenging the legality of the emergency proclamation made by the President on March 18, 2025.

Others listed as defendants in the suit include the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the National Assembly, the Attorney General of the Federation, Rivers State Sole Administrator Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

In the originating summons, the plaintiffs raised several constitutional questions, including whether the President’s declaration of a state of emergency in the state was valid under Nigerian law. They argued that the action violates Section 305(3)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement Act).

They are also asking the court to:

• Restrain the state Sole Administrator from appointing caretaker committees for the 23 local government areas;
• Stop any appointments of commissioners or awarding of contracts;
• Bar the administrator from spending from the state treasury;
• Reinstate the suspended executive and legislative arms of the Rivers State Government;
• And grant a perpetual injunction restraining the President from further suspending any democratically elected officials in the state.

The court has given the defendants 30 days to file their responses. It warned that failure to do so may result in the court proceeding with the case in their absence.

Renowned Niger-Delta activist, Ann-Kio Briggs, has categorically stated that President Bola Tinubu’s suspension of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, was based on misleading and incorrect information.

In an interview with Vanguard on Saturday, Briggs accused the president of being misinformed and deceived by those around him.

“Not only was the president given wrong information, all along, the president has been lied to. It seems the president has never been to Rivers State, so he talks and listens to the people who claim they support him, as if Rivers State people and Ijaw do not support him, which is a big lie,” Briggs remarked.

She continued, emphasizing that the suspension was unjust and unfounded, citing the state’s House of Assembly complex, which she said was over 80% completed with payments already made by Governor Fubara.

“To have anchored the suspension on the claim that he destroyed the complex, which is not proved, and did nothing to provide an alternative place, is a lie,” she added.

Briggs also addressed claims that the suspension was due to insecurity in the state, calling these reports misleading.

She stated, “The president said there was a crisis in the state, indicating insecurity in Rivers State. That, too, was a lie. There was no insecurity. Under the circumstances in which we are operating – the governor of Rivers State is under suspension, all the appointments made by the governor have been cancelled, and new people are coming—it begins to agitate a reasonable person’s mind. If you say you are suspending him for six months, and assuming you revisit the issue, why are the people being removed?

“Not only was our money withheld and now given to the sole administrator, but you also removed people. When Fubara returns, he will remove all the people the sole administrator is putting there because what he is doing is dangerous.

“Why is this uncertainty being created in Rivers State? What have we done as a people? If the president looks back, he would see that everybody is saying he did the wrong thing; the only ones who say that what he did is right are those who claim to support him in Rivers. Are strangers the ones that will come in and deliver the president in 2027 if he is re-contesting for a second tenure? It cannot be.

“The president has been unjust and unfair. Nobody is infallible, so if the president acted based on wrong information, that is a great precedent. He should re-appraise and say he made the decision acting on wrong information, and based on that, the suspension is lifted. We will see him as a great president.”

Naija News reports that Briggs regretted that the president had not adhered to the rule of law in handling the political crisis in the state, adding that the sole administrator was going on with illegalities.

The activist stated, “By what is happening in Rivers State, it can be deduced that the rule of law in this instance has not been adhered to. The Supreme Court said the state should receive its money only when the governor presents a budget to the House of Assembly and it is approved. How did the president release Rivers’ money to a sole administrator against the law? We, the Rivers people, are angry.

“Secondly, we hear, but it is not proven, that the sole administrator is preparing to appoint local government chairmen. We ask where he derives the power to appoint local government chairmen. The Supreme Court has said local government chairmen should be elected, not appointed, or interim chairmen.

“If we have voted, and the Supreme Court said all that was null and void, and the governor removed all the chairmen we voted for, and now the sole administrator wants to appoint local government chairmen, where is the sole administrator getting his powers from? Who told him that he can come to Rivers State and handpick a local government chairman against the law?

“If a governor has been suspended, we hear that the picture of our governor has been removed from the Government House. That is something that will agitate the people of Rivers State. Fubara is not fired; he is on suspension, and everybody has said the suspension is illegal.

“In all that is happening in Rivers State, it is only the president who can bring answers to all the questions. As of now, reasons have shown that there are no facts to suspend the governor of Rivers State. There was no insecurity and blowing up pipelines in Rivers State, and the companies have said nothing was blown up. When you look at all these things, some people do these things to pin everything on the governor. If you know Rivers State, you will understand that the level of calm in the state now is because the suspended governor is a man of peace, and his followers toe the path he has shown them.

“I call on the president to consider all these and let peace reign. We cannot have two governors in this state. The sole administrator should stop seeing himself as the governor of Rivers State; he is not.”

Briggs stressed that the people of Rivers State felt as if they were under military rule rather than civilian governance.

She concluded, “The interpretation of the Rivers people themselves is that they are under military rule in a civilian and democratic dispensation. Boko Haram has sacked many people in Borno State; yet, they are not under military rule. Why should we be under military rule?”

Private oil depots across Nigeria have raised the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, to ₦900 per litre this weekend.

Naija News reports that the hike is attributed to the rising prices of crude oil and other global market factors, impacting the cost of refining and distribution.

A weekend check by Vanguard revealed that major oil marketers, including Rainoil, Prudent, A.Y.M Shafa, and Mainland, have increased their depot prices to ₦900 per litre.

This price surge is expected to lead to an upward adjustment of pump prices when petrol reaches the filling stations.

The price of crude oil, a key feedstock for refining, has risen from $70 per barrel to $75 per barrel, placing additional financial strain on refineries, including the $650,000-barrel per day Dangote refinery.

The increase in crude oil prices has caused the refinery to face higher operational costs, impacting the country’s overall pricing structure of petrol.

According to Vanguard, the Dangote refinery, a major player in Nigeria’s oil sector, did not load trucks based on the country’s Naira-for-Crude program over the weekend, as it continued to lift crude oil via ships charged at dollar rates.

This pricing strategy is crucial for covering the refinery’s increased operational costs, particularly as a significant portion of the crude oil it processes is sourced from the international market in dollars.

Petroleumpriceng.com noted that the situation has put additional pressure on oil marketers, including MRS and Ardova, who are now sourcing their ship supplies in dollars.

This has resulted in an inevitable increase in pump prices, with independent retail outlets in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria selling petrol between ₦930 and ₦950 per litre.

The site further stated, “The inability of the federal government to resolve all issues that hinder the execution of the Naira-crude policy will keep petrol prices rising.”

In a related development, the Major Energies Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) reported that the landing cost of imported petrol had increased by ₦88 per litre in just one week.

MEMAN’s daily energy bulletin, issued on March 26, 2025, indicated that the cost had risen from ₦797 per litre last week to ₦885 per litre this week.

MEMAN also acknowledged the ongoing instability in the market, stating, “As the market stabilizes, challenges will arise, and resistance from those accustomed to price control is inevitable. But with robust regulation, industry collaboration, and public transparency, Nigeria can fully realize the benefits of this transformation.”

The association expressed confidence that a well-functioning, deregulated market would attract more investment, improve operational efficiency, and create a more competitive landscape benefiting both businesses and consumers.

Former Rivers State Head of Service, George Nwaeke, has denied claims by his wife, Florence, that he was kidnapped.

Nwaeke stated that contrary to her assertion, he is safe in Abuja where he had gone to voluntarily report himself to security agencies over developments in Rivers State.

In a video released in the early hours of Saturday, the former HoS dismissed his wife’s claim as false, suggesting that she had been misled and given a script to read.

“I am in TRANSCORP Abuja. I arrived this morning from Port Harcourt to meet security agencies and report myself, as well as the troubling events happening in Rivers State. I resigned as Head of Service on Monday because of these developments,” he said.

Addressing his wife’s claims, he added, “I just saw a video of my wife trending. She was told I had been kidnapped and given a script to read. I want to make it clear — I am not kidnapped. I am in Abuja, working.

“When I was Head of Service, my wife was not involved in my official duties. That script she read is null and void. I am safe and sound. I will report myself to the appropriate security agencies because Abuja houses their headquarters, and I feel safer making my report here.”

Florence, in an emotional interview on Friday, expressed deep concern over her husband’s whereabouts following his resignation.

She revealed that after his arrival in Abuja, he called to confirm his safe landing.

However, her fears grew after seeing an online interview with him, which she found suspicious.

“I said, ‘That is not my husband. That is not my husband,” she recalled.

She shared her desperate attempts to contact him, saying, “I sent him a message: ‘Are you under duress? Have they kidnapped you? Talk to me now. Why are you not responding?’ But he didn’t reply. His numbers are not going through. Nigerians, help me!”

Florence raised the alarm after Nwaeke publicly accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of orchestrating the bombing of the Rivers State House of Assembly in 2023 to prevent his impeachment.

Nwaeke alleged that he witnessed a bag of money being handed over to the former Assembly leader, Edison Ehie, now Fubara’s Chief of Staff, to attack the Assembly Complex along Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.

Former Housemate of the Big Brother Naija Show, Beauty Tukura, has revealed that she and her colleague, Neo Akpofure, ended their relationship for valid reasons.

Naija News reports that Beauty, while speaking on a recent episode of the Toke Moments podcast, compared their romance to that of the American power couple, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky.

The former Miss Nigeria stated that their relationship was beautiful while it lasted but failed to disclose the reason for the breakup of their relationship.

The reality star added that she is not currently interested in a romantic relationship and emphasised that she would never date publicly again.

She said, “The reason why we broke up, I think it was valid. We were Rihanna and A$AP [Rocky] while it lasted. It was a beautiful relationship.

“I am not interested in men right now. I will never date publicly again. The next man I will post will be my husband.”

After several public appearances, Beauty and Neo sparked relationship rumours in late 2023.

By 2024, speculation had arisen that their relationship had ended.

Meanwhile, BBNaija star, Queen Mercy Atang, has expressed anger about the vile messages in her husband’s DM after rumours made rounds that they had broken up.

Naija News reports that the reality TV star, in a post via her Instagram page on Sunday, said some ladies stormed her husband’s page to badmouth her while others offered themselves to replace her as his wife.

While explaining her predicament with online trolls, Queen said she now understands why some people say marriages should be keptlow-keyy because the internet is not a safe space.

The political turmoil in Rivers State reached a new level of drama on Friday, as Florence Nwaeke, the wife of former Head of Service George Nwaeke, made a desperate plea for help after her husband’s controversial interview and sudden disappearance.

Late on Friday, Mrs. Nwaeke expressed her deep concern over her husband’s safety, revealing that she had lost contact with him after he had arrived in Abuja earlier in the day.

In an emotional outburst, she told journalists she feared her husband’s life was in danger.

“When he got to Abuja, he called that he had landed. I said, ‘Thank God’,” she recounted. “The next thing I saw tonight: people were calling me and said he got an interview. I said, ‘What interview? Interview for what?’ Not until I saw things flying on the internet that he granted an interview. What happened? I said, ‘That is not my husband. That is not my husband.’”

In her distress, Mrs. Nwaeke sent her husband a series of messages, asking if he was under duress or had been kidnapped.

“I sent him a message. I said, ‘Are you under duress? Have they kidnapped you? Talk to me now. Why are you not talking to me?’” she explained, visibly shaken.

Her emotional appeal intensified as she called on Nigerians for assistance: “Oh, Jesus, help me. Nigerians, help me. My husband is in trouble. My husband is in trouble. My husband is in trouble. My husband is in trouble,” she cried, showing the messages she had sent her husband.

Naija News reports that Mrs. Nwaeke’s plea came hours after her husband, George Nwaeke, granted an exclusive interview in which he made serious allegations against Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

In the interview, Nwaeke accused the governor of planning to support Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed in the 2027 presidential election.

He also alleged that Governor Fubara had met with and encouraged militants to carry out attacks on oil facilities and other state assets.

In another emotional video, Mrs. Nwaeke called on Governor Fubara to intervene and help locate her husband. “Governor, help me. My husband is in trouble,” she pleaded. “He is in trouble,” she reiterated, adding that her husband had resigned under duress.

She further claimed that her husband was being forced to confess to things he had no knowledge of, and that his resignation was a result of pressure to avoid further conflict. “He is being forced to confess to things he knows nothing about. He resigned to avoid trouble,” she said.

President Bola Tinubu has stated that former chairman of defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC), Prof Humphery Nwosu would be remembered for his commitment to a democratic Nigeria.

President Tinubu stated this during the funeral service for the late Professor at St. Mark’s Anglican Church, Ajalli, Orumba North local government area of Anambra State on Friday.

Tinubu who was represented at the funeral by the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, described Prof. Nwosu as a statesman whose sojourn on earth was full of impact and inspiration.

He urged all lovers of his democratic ideals to imbibe the culture of industry, integrity, patriotism and support for the ideals of democracy which were the hallmarks of his public service.

President Tinubu, in a statement by the Special Adviser Media to the Minister, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, consoled with the family, government and people of Anambra State on the departure of the former NEC chairman.

“As we mourn the death of Prof Humphery Nwosu, we are invited to celebrate him for his profound accomplishments and personal fulfilments as a public administrator, political scientist, and academics icon.

“We are urged to reflect on his democratic ideals and his sense of commitment to a democratic Nigeria. These are the hallmarks of his life and times that will be cherished beyond this generation,” Tinubu said.

He expressed the unwavering commitment of his Renewed Hope administration in revolutionising the development of the critical sectors of the economy that would stimulate economic growth and national development.

“May I assure Nigerians that the fragile economy we inherited is now alive and on a path of sustainable growth. We have overcome the worst. Our democracy is growing, and I assure Nigerians that my administration will continue to deepen the democracy benefits for the good of all Nigerians,” he assured.

In his remarks, Anambra State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo said Nwosu would be remembered as an electoral umpire that introduced Option A4 voting, Open Ballot system and conducted one of the freest and fairest general elections in Nigeria’s history.

He urged his family, community, and associates to continue to work to sustain the values that depict his life and times.

The suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has dismissed allegations levelled against him by a former Head of Service (HoS) of the state, George Nwaeke, about masterminding the crisis in the state.

Naija News reports that Nweke had credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in the state with averting total chaos and economic sabotage.

Addressing journalists on Friday in Port Harcourt, Nweke accused Fubara of being the architect of the recent political turmoil in the state.

He alleged that the governor orchestrated the destruction of public assets and had ulterior motives that could have plunged the state into anarchy.

Nweke also clarified that his resignation was voluntary and not due to dismissal or external pressure.

In response, Fubara, in a statement he signed personally on Saturday, described Nwaeke’s comments as laughable and urged Nigerians to disregard them.

The statement reads, “My attention has been drawn to a press briefing by the former Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke aired on Channels Television on Friday the 28th of March 2025.

“Ordinarily, I would not have responded to his claims, but to correct the erroneous impression such allegations may create in the minds of the people, and the disaffection it is bound to cause in the state and the country.

“First, on the claim that he was aware of my discussions and plans to support Bala Mohammed’s alleged 2027 presidential bid, it is laughable that Dr. Nwaeke would be part of any high level political meeting as Head of Service, much more sitting in my alleged night meetings with Bala Mohammed and militants like he claimed. Howbeit, none of such meetings ever held.

“The truth is that the whole world knew when the Bauchi State Governor, as Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum visited the State, and there was nothing secret about the It is also ludicrous for Dr. Nwaeke to claim that he was aware of my meetings to encourage attacks on oil pipelines and other National assets in the State, as there was no time I held any meeting with militants or any criminal group to destabilise the State.

“It is on record that I have been at the forefront preaching peace in the State even in the face of obvious provocations. The truth is that Dr. Nwaeke has been compromised, and whatever he is saying is only aimed at fulfilling his promise to those who may have paid or coerced him to lie against me. I call on all well meaning Nigerians and the good people of Rivers State to disregard everything said by Dr. Nwaeke as they are mere desperate attempts to discredit me and my administration, and undermine the peace process by Mr. President.”