A breakaway faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has named Dumebi Kachikwu its presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, as reported by Leadership Newspaper . The decision was reached Sunday at a National Convention in Abuja organized by the group under newly elected National Chairman Alhaji Abdulkadir Mohammed Bashir. The meeting took place a day before the Senator David Mark-led faction was set to conduct its own primary. The party remains split over leadership, with the dispute still before the courts. For now, INEC recognizes the Mark-led ADC. Kachikwu said he would focus his campaign on national unity, economic recovery, and inclusive governance. He described Nigeria as being at a defining moment and said the country needed leadership that could address insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment, and social division. “For too long, politics has served a few while most Nigerians bear the cost. That has to change,” he said. He pledged to push policies based on mer...

N igerian-American singer Mannywellz will release his 7-track EP Small Chops on June 5 through Vydia. The project comes with a trailer and cover art that introduce its sound and visual tone. The title refers to the Nigerian snack platter served before a main meal. Mannywellz calls the EP a musical appetizer for his next phase and says it will be his final EP in this rollout.  He produced the entire project himself. Small Chops blends soulful vocals and smooth grooves with storytelling shaped by his Nigerian roots and U.S. upbringing, landing in R&B and soul with an African pulse.  The trailer shows him playing piano and dancing through a house, set to a narration about sending a gift to someone unseen. Nigerian snacks feature throughout, tying the visuals to themes of identity and dual culture.  The release follows recent momentum for Mannywellz, including over 100 million streams worldwide and features on BET’s Next Up and Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Top 100. Watch Ep...

R angers International F.C. sealed the 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League title on Sunday with a 2-1 win over Ikorodu City F.C. at Lagos’ Mobolaji Johnson Arena. The victory gave the Enugu side a record-equalling ninth league crown, drawing them level with Enyimba F.C. as the most successful clubs in NPFL history. Captain Chidiebere Nwobodo scored in both halves to put Rangers in control. Ikorodu City reduced the deficit in the 58th minute when substitute Moses Ali capitalized on a mistake from goalkeeper Lucky Jimoh, but the Flying Antelopes held firm to close out the win. Heading into the final day, Rangers knew only a win would secure the trophy. Coach Fidelis Ilechukwu’s side delivered under pressure, seeing off a tense finish to claim the title. Rangers finished the season top with 68 points from 38 matches, one point ahead of Rivers United, who beat Katsina United 3-0 in their final game. The title is Ilechukwu’s second with the club. It also means Rangers will represent N...

Incident captured in viral video sparks outrage as Anambra Police Command remains silent on the matter A landlord-tenant disagreement in Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area, turned fatal this week after a baby allegedly died when a police officer’s blow meant for an adult missed and struck the child. The incident, which has drawn widespread outrage online, occurred after a landlord invited police officers to the tenant’s residence to resolve an ongoing dispute. According to eyewitness accounts shared by media personality Uche Nworah, the tenant was not at home when the officers arrived. Instead, they met a relative holding an infant. The situation escalated quickly. Witnesses say an officer attempted to slap the relative but missed, hitting the baby instead. The child fell and died shortly afterward. A distressing video now circulating shows the lifeless infant lying on a decorated mat. In the footage, a narrator speaking in Igbo describes what happened and pleads for the video to be ...

T he National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has destroyed counterfeit and unwholesome products worth more than ₦1.8 billion at the Kuje dumpsite in the Federal Capital Territory, according to a statement released on the agency’s official X page. The exercise targeted seized medicines, banned sachet alcohol, expired drugs, falsified chemicals and other hazardous items confiscated in Abuja and neighboring areas. Some items were also voluntarily surrendered by companies, NGOs, and the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria. Speaking at the site on behalf of the Director-General, Dr. Martins Iluyomade, Director of Investigation and Enforcement, said criminal networks are now using advanced cloning methods to replicate genuine products. He noted that the technique is making it harder for consumers to distinguish fakes from originals. Iluyomade added that the agency recently intercepted multiple containers of suspicious goods falsely declared to evade detection...

  T he Academic Staff Union of Universities has rejected the Federal Government’s proposal to phase out university courses considered irrelevant to Nigeria’s economic future.  According to a report by News Digest , the union made its position known during a press briefing in Bauchi on Wednesday. ASUU Bauchi Zonal Coordinator Comrade Namo Timothy said the proposal was misguided and insisted that every programme offered in Nigerian universities plays a role in national development and personal growth. Timothy noted that subjects often described as less practical, such as philosophy, religious studies, linguistics and fine arts, help students develop creativity, communication, critical thinking and digital literacy. He also rejected the claim that graduates of the social sciences and humanities are responsible for rising unemployment, pointing out that joblessness affects graduates across all fields. He said reducing the problem to “irrelevant courses” ignores the deeper economic...

P resident Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Prof Segun Aina as the next Registrar and Chief Executive of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB.  The announcement came on Thursday through a statement from Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy. Aina will officially take over when Prof Ishaq Oloyede’s tenure ends on July 31, 2026. At 39, Aina is set to become the youngest person to head the board in its history. He will turn 40 in July. From Lecture Halls to National Exams Aina is a Professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. For the past 15 years, his work has focused on helping public institutions shift to stronger digital systems, with a special focus on education and examinations. He has already worked behind the scenes with bodies like NECO and NABTEB, advising them on how to improve their ICT infrastructure and reduce exam malpractice through better technology. Officials say his background ...

R ivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has withdrawn from the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Rivers State. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Fubara said the decision followed consultations with his family, friends, and associates.  “I have decided to withdraw from the APC governorship primaries. I will support whoever emerges as the candidate of our party,” he said. Fubara stated that the peace and stability of Rivers State should come before individual interests. He thanked his supporters for their backing and said his recent silence on the matter was deliberate. “My silence was guided by the interest of the state and its people,” he said. Quoting a local proverb, he added, “Not everything a hunter sees in the forest is spoken of in the marketplace.” The governor also thanked the APC for the platform given to him and acknowledged President Bola Tinubu’s support. He said he would continue to serve as governor until the end of his tenure. Background Fuba...

  T he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency [NDLEA] has shut down a large Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine cartel operating from a hidden lab in an Ogun State forest, arresting 10 suspects including three Mexicans and the alleged ring leader. NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa told journalists in Abuja on Wednesday that the operation led to the recovery of methamphetamine and precursor chemicals worth over N480 billion. He called it the biggest meth bust in Nigeria’s history. According to Marwa, operatives of the agency’s Special Operations Unit carried out coordinated raids in Ogun and Lagos after months of intelligence work. The main target was a secret production lab in Abidagba forest, Ijebu East Local Government Area. “Through a clinical, simultaneous operation, we dismantled a sophisticated transnational syndicate run jointly by a Nigerian drug cartel and their Mexican partners,” Marwa said. “They were manufacturing industrial-scale quantities of highly lethal drugs on our soi...

D esmond Elliot has withdrawn from the APC primary for the Surulere 1 House of Assembly seat, saying his supporters were being intimidated at the polling venue. The Lagos lawmaker announced his decision on Wednesday at the Paddington mini stadium on Western Avenue, where the party was holding its primary election.  Elliot, who made the switch from acting to politics, told party members that he had pleaded with electoral officials several times to let his supporters into the venue. According to him, the requests were ignored. “They’ve been intimidating and stopping us in all zones,” he said. “I’m officially stepping down from this race. This is my ward, and my people are outside waiting.” He noted that many of his supporters were kept out of the venue despite repeated appeals. After the announcement, his supporters held a short peaceful protest before leaving the stadium with him.  Elliot said he chose to walk away to avoid any unrest, adding that no election should cost lives....

P eter Obi has been cleared to run for president under the Nigeria Democratic Congress [NDC] in the 2027 general elections. The party’s National Screening Committee confirmed his eligibility on Wednesday, a day after the screening exercise in Abuja.  Chairman of the committee, Senator Sam Egwu, who is also a former governor of Ebonyi State, said Obi met all the requirements set out in the party constitution, the Electoral Act, and the 1999 Constitution as amended.  “After reviewing his documents and responses, we are satisfied that Peter Obi has complied with all necessary conditions,” Egwu said in a video posted on the party’s official X account. “He is therefore cleared to participate in the presidential primaries on a date to be announced later.” Speaking after the exercise, Obi said the process took more than two and a half hours. He explained that the committee examined his academic certificates, NYSC credentials, and age declaration, and also asked about his plans for Ni...

A truck driver has been jailed for 13-and-a-half years after smuggling £7.2 million of cocaine hidden in a shipment of Kim Kardashian’s Skims clothing. According to BBC report, officers stopped Jakub Konkel’s lorry at Harwich International Port in Essex on 4 September and found 90kg of cocaine concealed in the trailer doors. The 40-year-old had transported the drugs as part of a legitimate delivery of Skims products from the Netherlands. Konkel, of Kartuzy in northern Poland, pleaded guilty to smuggling Class A drugs at Chelmsford Crown Court. Judge Richard Wilkin said he acted as a “willing driver,” collecting the drugs from an industrial estate in Belgium and driving them to Hook of Holland for a ferry to the UK. He was paid €4,500 (£3,918) for the job. The court heard that officers became suspicious of how Konkel was driving a lorry carrying 28 pallets of clothing. An x-ray revealed the modified trailer doors, and a phone linked to the operation was set to wipe itself after 18 hou...

T he Anambra State House of Assembly has dismissed reports that it recently passed a new burial law, calling the claims false and misleading. According to a Champion Newspaper report, Franklin Osankwa, Special Adviser to the Speaker’s Office, said the clarification was in response to a Punch Newspapers headline alleging that the state had banned cows, goats, and other condolence gifts at funerals. “For the record, this publication is false, misleading, and a gross distortion of facts,” Osankwa stated. He clarified that the 8th Assembly has not introduced, debated, or passed any burial legislation. The regulatory framework being referenced was enacted in 2019, before the current Assembly was inaugurated, and no amendments have been made since. Osankwa described the attribution of a non-existent law to the present Assembly as unprofessional and a tactic to generate traffic and public outrage. He urged media outlets to treat journalism as a public responsibility rather than a tool for c...

  T he US government has temporarily lifted a visa bond requirement for football fans from five African countries attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The State Department announced Tuesday that citizens of Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Tunisia who have purchased valid World Cup tickets and registered on the FIFA Pass system will no longer need to pay the $5,000–$15,000 refundable bond. The exemption applies only to those who booked through the system, which has been open for expedited visa appointments since April 15. The bond policy was introduced last year for travelers from 50 countries with high visa overstay rates and security concerns. World Cup players, coaches, and staff were already exempt. “The United States is excited to organise the biggest and best FIFA World Cup in history,” said Mora Namdar, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs. “We are waiving visa bonds for qualified fans who bought World Cup tickets.”  Namdar described the waiver ...

T ax administration in Nigeria is getting a major overhaul as the federal government launches a single Taxpayer Identification number to replace the fragmented system that has long frustrated individuals and businesses. The Nigeria Revenue Service announced the rollout of the unified Tax ID via its official X account, saying it will serve as the sole identifier for all tax dealings across federal, state and local levels in partnership with the Joint Revenue Board. The move is backed by Sections 6, 7 and 8 of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act of 2025. For years, taxpayers have had to manage different numbers depending on the level of government they were dealing with. The practice led to duplicate paperwork, conflicting records and delays in processing. Under the new system, every taxpayer will now use one number for life for registration, filing returns and making payments. Officials say the change is designed to simplify compliance and cut down on administrative friction. By consoli...