Former Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has revealed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was on the verge of dumping the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), signalling a major realignment within Nigeria’s political landscape.

Speaking during a live interview on Arise News Channel on Tuesday morning, monitored by our correspondent, Okowa disclosed that the 2023 PDP presidential flagbearer was preparing to exit the party amidst ongoing disenchantment with its internal crises and lack of strategic direction.

“I discussed the coalition with Atiku, who is on his way out of the PDP, before we moved to the APC,” Okowa stated, confirming growing speculation about Atiku’s future with the opposition.

Okowa, who recently defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) alongside Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and other key PDP stakeholders in the State, explained that the decision followed months of intense consultations and reflection on the party’s dwindling prospects.

“We had various levels of meetings with several stakeholders, and even consulted some of our leaders who are not politicians before we came to this decision,” he said. “It was not just a decision of the governor or myself. It was the consensus of a broader political family in Delta.”

He cited the PDP’s internal disarray marked by leadership tussles, lack of unity, and absence of a coherent electoral strategy as key reasons behind the mass defection.

“It does not seem that a viable vehicle has been confirmed for that coalition, nor does it appear that a coalition could build strength in such a short period,” he added, distancing himself from the proposed grand opposition alliance being spearheaded by Atiku.

The former governor also threw his weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s administration, advocating for a full eight-year tenure to maintain political balance and national stability.

“For the stability of this nation, it is best for us to have him complete his eight-year tenure. Then the presidency can move back to the North. I believe that is the right thing,” Okowa said.

Drawing from his time as a two-term opposition governor, Okowa noted the limitations faced when disconnected from federal power.

“We tried to do our best in the state. We could not lay our hands on a lot of things that would have benefited us at the federal level,” he said, justifying the move to the APC as a strategic effort to “reconnect Delta State with the corridors of power in Abuja” and attract federal investment and development opportunities.

Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, has firmly debunked allegations made by the newly elected President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Comrade Atiku Abubakar Isah, who accused him of leading thugs to disrupt the NANS inauguration in Abuja and threatening his life.

Isah had alleged in a phone interview with an online news platform that Seyi Tinubu attempted to stop the inauguration at The Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja, claiming the president’s son surrounded the venue with armed men, locked down the premises, and even stood outside his hotel room with the intention of murdering him.

But, reacting to the allegations on Tuesday via his official Instagram handle, Seyi Tinubu dismissed the claims as entirely baseless and defamatory. He wrote, “Enough is enough with these fake stories and defamation of my character.” The message was accompanied by a screenshot of the report, which he labelled as “fake news.” 

Sources close to the event said there was no credible evidence of Seyi’s presence at the venue, and guests reported no security breach or lockdown. Neither the hotel management nor law enforcement agencies confirmed any incident involving the president’s son. 

Meanwhile, Seyi Tinubu’s camp has signalled that legal steps may be taken if the defamation continues unchecked.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has sacked top officials of the national oil company, about 27 days after the exit of its erstwhile Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr Mele Kyari.

However, it was learnt that several other lower and middle class staff were also affected by the restructuring drive, which was first reported by an online newspaper yesterday.

Top among those departing immediately are the Chief Upstream Investment Officer, NNPC Upstream Investment Services (NUIMS), Bala Wunti.

NUIMS is the investment management arm of the NNPC. It manages the Nigerian government’s investments in the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry, plus its equity holdings in Joint Venture (JV), Production Sharing Contract (PSC), and Service Contract (SC) companies.

Besides, NUIMS, a powerful unit in the company, oversees the Nigerian Petroleum Exchange (NipeX), an electronic platform for contracting in the upstream sector.

Others who were affected by the sackings included: The Managing Director of the Kaduna Refinery, Ibrahim Onoja as well the Chief Compliance Officer and former Managing Director of NNPC Trading, Lawal Sade.

But a source who confirmed the development to THISDAY, sought to downplay it, describing it as ‘routine’ and stressed that a number of those who were asked to leave their posts were already on their way out due to retirement; “Some people with 18 months to retirement were giving the option of early exit, other were giving lump sums to go while some were promoted to fill the vacant positions.”

Some have however insinuated that some of the firings  had do with  their closeness to the former GCEO Kyari who was fired by the President early this month.  Wunti, for instance, was particularly close to Kyari when he held sway at the oil company. Aside from the top officials who were asked to leave, over 200 other employees were impacted, THISDAY understood.

Furthermore, Maryam Idrisu has now taken over as Managing Director of NNPC Trading, the unit responsible for all crude oil transactions, while Obioma Abangwu is now  Chief Liaison Officer for board matters.

Apart from recent changes in the leadership of the company, the last time a mass purge took place was in September 2023, when the NNPC announced the exit of several employees and some management staff.

At the time, the company, in a statement,  said the reorganisation was in line with its commitment to scale up its capabilities “through targeted talent management and equal opportunity for all Nigerians”, noting that only staff members with less than 15 months to retirement will be affected.

Earlier in the month, President Bola Tinubu removed Kyari as the GCEO of NNPC, replacing him with Bayo Ojulari. He also dissolved the NNPC board and appointed a new 11-man board led by Ahmadu Kida as non-executive chairman.

Justice Olusola Adetujoye of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has convicted and sentenced Olaniyan Amos to 63 years in jail for multiple investment fraud.

Amos was convicted alongside his firm, Detorrid Heritage Investment Limited, on Monday.

They were prosecuted on 30-count charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibadan Zonal Directorate, bordering on obtaining by false pretences, an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.

This was contained in a statement by the Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, on Tuesday.

Count 21 of the charge reads, “That you Olaniyan Gbenga Amos and Detorrid Heritage Investment Limited on or about 18th of June, 2020, at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N995, 000.00 from Bada Titilope, when you falsely represented to him that the money is meant for registration and investment with Crime Alert Security Network with a promise of 30% return on investment in six weeks (30 working days), which representations you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of obtaining money under false pretence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.”

Another charge reads, “That you Olaniyan Gbenga Amos and Detorrid Heritage Investment Limited on or about 29th of January, 2020, at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N920, 000.00 from Onifade Isaac Olawale, when you falsely represented to him that the money is meant for registration and investment with Crime Alert Security Network with a promise of 30% return on Investment in six weeks (30 working days), which representations you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of Obtaining Money under false pretence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

Upon his plea, the EFCC Counsel, Sanusi Galadanchi, opened the case on February 17, 2022 and called eight witnesses, tendered several exhibits marked “Exhibits A to H” and closed the case on January 24, 2023.

At the end of the prosecution’s case, the defendant filed a “no case submission” but was thrown out as the defendant was ordered by the court to enter his defence.

Subsequently, the defendant opened and closed its case on October 17th, 2024, where the first defendant testified for himself and on behalf of the 2nd defendant as a lone witness.

The court, after the presentation of the defendants’ case, adopted the final written addresses of both parties as judgment was reserved till April 28th, 2025.

At the resumption of the trial on Monday, April 28, 2025, Justice Adetujoye convicted and sentenced Amos to seven years imprisonment on each count of 6, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23 and 24 but discharged and acquitted the defendant on 21 counts.

The court also ordered that the sentence should run concurrently and the convict must restitute the victims.

Amos was convicted and sentenced to seventy-five years imprisonment by Justice Bayo Taiwo of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan, for a similar offence on December 14, 2023.

The convict has two other ongoing trials before the Federal High Courts in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Another journey by the convict to the Correctional Centre began when he was arrested and arraigned before Justice Olusola Adetujoye on December 14, 2021, by the EFCC.

He swindled several individuals under the pretext of investment ventures that led to the loss of money to the tune of over N1 billion by investors.

Umar Damagun, the acting national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says the party’s national legal adviser has been directed to take legal action over the defection of Sheriff Oborevwori, governor of Delta, and other members to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Damagun addressed journalists in Abuja on Tuesday at the end of the party’s national working committee (NWC) meeting.

On Monday, Ifeanyi Okowa, former governor of Delta, and Oborevwori, his successor, alongside some stakeholders of the PDP in the state, formally defected to the APC.

Damagun said the party has decided to dissolve all the structures in Delta since the majority of the leaders have joined the APC.

The acting national chairman said the south-south zonal caretaker committee should oversee the affairs of Delta PDP pending the inauguration of an interim leadership.

“We also instructed the national legal adviser to recover our mandate that they have taken away,” he said.

“The fortune of this party cannot be left in the hands of our adversaries, so we will take legal action to retrieve those mandates.

“I want to use this opportunity to tell Nigerians that elections cannot be done by leaders but by people. I believe this (defection) should not weigh us down.”

Damagun urged PDP members to remain calm, adding that the 2027 presidential election is between Nigerians and the APC.

The federal government has declared Thursday a public holiday to mark this year’s Workers’ Day, celebrated annually on May 1.

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of interior, announced the holiday in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Tunji-Ojo commended Nigerian workers for their diligence and sacrifice, recognising their efforts as contributors to the country’s internal and external growth.

He reiterated the need for peace to drive industrialisation and economic growth and urged workers to imbibe the culture of innovation and productivity.

“There is dignity in labour; the dedication and commitment to the work we do is vital to nation-building,” the statement reads.

“This administration is fully committed to the security of life and property of every citizen and foreigner in the country.

“While wishing workers a happy celebration, the Honourable Minister urged Nigerians to keep hope alive as the present administration of President Bola Tinubu is committed to the Renewed Hope Agenda he has promised.”

The minister also encouraged workers to raise the bar of their trade, noting that it would improve governance and enable citizens to derive maximum benefit from the nation’s wealth and resources.

Emeka Okonkwo, the socialite better known as E-Money, was released on Tuesday night after hours of questioning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

E-Money was arrested on Monday night at his residence in the Omole area of Lagos and taken to the EFCC’s Abuja office for interrogation.

The arrest was linked to allegations of naira abuse and defacing foreign currencies, particularly for allegedly spraying US dollars — an act that violates the Foreign Exchange Act.

Following his release, the businessman took to his Instagram page to share a video of himself in a regal setting.

“No tension, everywhere good. I see all your love and support. God bless you all,” he captioned the post.

The clip featured a gospel song playing in the background, with lyrics expressing gratitude: “Thank you for saving me, thank you, my Lord”.

Pascal Okechukwu, another socialite better known as Cubana Chief Priest, also celebrated E-Money’s release on Instagram.

“My brother don fall out, To God be the glory,” he wrote.

At least 26 people have been killed as a truck hit an improvised explosive device in Nigeria’s restive northeast.

The blast on Monday killed men, women and children in Borno State, near the border with Cameroon, according to the military and residents. The region has been plagued for decades by armed groups including the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram, with violence flaring up in recent days.

“Twenty-six people died in the blast, comprising of 16 men, four women and six children,” a military officer speaking on condition of anonymity told the AFP news agency, adding that three further passengers were severely injured.

Borno State police offered no immediate comment.

The International NGO Safety Organisation, which provides security to foreign nongovernmental organisations in northeast Nigeria, said in an internal memo seen by the Reuters news agency that vehicles moving between the towns of Rann and Gamboru Ngala hit an IED.

“I took part in the funeral of the 26 people killed in the explosion; most of them were burned beyond recognition,” Akram Saad, a resident of the nearby town Rann, told AFP.

A video showed rows of bodies in white plastic bags laid on the floor of the morgue at Rann’s general hospital.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. But Abba Amma Muhammad, whose mother was killed, blamed the incident on Boko Haram.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has directed the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) to refund consumers who have spent their own money on transformers, poles, cables, and other electrical infrastructure.

This directive was issued during the FCCPC Electricity Consumer Forum held in Ota, Ogun State. The Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice-Chairman of the Commission, Tunji Bello, represented by FCCPC official Mrs. Bridget Etim, emphasized that it is not the responsibility of consumers to provide electricity infrastructure, and any such expenditures must be reimbursed by the distribution company.

During the forum, held in the Ilogbo, Oju-Ore area of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government, various community leaders from local development committees expressed frustration over IBEDC’s alleged neglect of their complaints. The Zonal Chairman of the Ado-Odo/Ota CDC, Olatunji Onaolapo, criticized IBEDC’s perceived indifference, stating that despite numerous letters, the company had not responded to community concerns.

“In Itele Ota alone, residents have bought about 80 transformers without any contribution from IBEDC,” Onaolapo said. “Even after paying for energisation, we still have to beg IBEDC to come and install the transformers they should have provided in the first place.”

In response, Abdulrasaq Jimoh, IBEDC’s representative in Ogun State, claimed that the communities erred by purchasing equipment without formally notifying the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

However, FCCPC’s Etim countered this claim, stating that IBEDC has a duty to escalate such investment plans to the regulator on behalf of the communities. She cited Jos Electricity Distribution Company as an example, noting that it refunded consumers for similar investments without prior approval from either NERC or FCCPC.

“We are not going to accept that excuse,” Etim said. “For any future investments made by consumers, IBEDC must ensure refunds are provided. Prior cases may not have been well documented, but going forward, the process must be followed.”

She urged communities to inform the FCCPC of any planned investments in electricity infrastructure to ensure proper documentation and facilitate refunds through energy credits.

In her presentation of the EVC’s opening remarks, Etim highlighted that the three-day forum was organized under Sections 17, 127, 130, and 151 of the FCCPA 2018. The goal, she said, was to bridge the gap between electricity consumers and service providers.

“Electricity is more than a commodity — it’s a critical service that supports daily life, businesses, and economic progress,” she said. “The sector still faces major issues, including poor metering, billing errors, and inadequate infrastructure, which must be addressed through open dialogue and collaboration.”

She added that the forum offers a non-confrontational space for consumers to understand their rights and for IBEDC representatives to address complaints on the spot, in line with FCCPC’s mandate to ensure practical, accessible, and responsive consumer protection.

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has approved the appointment of 168 political aides to reinforce the machinery of government and improve service delivery across the state.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Governor’s Media Adviser, Mukhtar Gidado, revealed that the appointments span multiple roles, including Principal Special Assistants, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants, and Personal Assistants.

Naija News gathered that the appointments include five Principal Special Assistants tasked with Political and Community Relations, with one specifically assigned to handle Pension Matters.

Additionally, the list features one Senior Special Assistant on Labour Matters, 60 Special Assistants focusing on Political and Community Relations, and 63 Personal Assistants in the same category.

Gidado emphasised that the appointments align with the administration’s goals of promoting inclusivity and ensuring that the diverse interests and aspirations of Bauchi’s residents are reflected in governance.

He noted that most of the appointees are seasoned political officeholders with vast experience at various levels, carefully selected based on their merit, political experience, and leadership qualities.

Governor Mohammed congratulated the newly appointed aides and urged them to approach their duties with dedication, loyalty, and a focus on people-oriented governance.

He expressed confidence that these new appointments would help build on the administration’s existing achievements and drive sustainable development in the state.