Author: Press Room

Before his unannounced visit to the Presidential Villa recently, there were tell-tale signs that the 2023 Lagos State governorship candidate, Adediran Olajide, popularly known as Jandor, was on his way back to the arms of his first love, the All Progressives Congress (APC). KEHINDE OLATUNJI reports that the days ahead will affirm this suspicion and its implications for the PDP in the state. The fact that there was no collective post-mortem on the party’s performance in the 2023 governorship election, which he came a distant third, must have compelled Mr Olajide to blame the Obidient wave caused by the…

  Tosin Oyediran The Lagos State Government has issued an early warning that the state will experience above-normal rainfall amounts in the first peak of the 2025 rainy season, with a delayed cessation extending into December. Speaking at the Seasonal Climate Prediction press briefing in Alausa, the state Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed that the forecast indicates a “longer-than-usual rainy season, beginning in late March and ending in early December.” This, he revealed in a post on X on Sunday. “The rainy season is expected to start as early as the last week of March,…

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has reiterated his commitment to governance, emphasising that his focus is on serving the people who elected him rather than engaging in unnecessary discussions. The governor made this statement during an Iftar dinner with Kaduna Social Media Influencers at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on Saturday. While he did not directly explain the context of his remarks, they come just days after his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai, accused him of using the police to harass his loyalists. El-Rufai had made the allegation last week following the arrest of his supporter, Jafaru Sani, who had served as…

•Governor’s supporters urge Wike, lawmakers to embrace peaceRivers State House of Assembly has accused the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, of frustrating the implementation of the Supreme Court’s judgment, especially the aspect requiring him to re-present the 2025 Appropriation Bill to the lawmakers. The Assembly called on members of the public to compel the governor to sincerely follow the established due process in presenting the appropriation bill instead of playing to the gallery; whipping up public sentiment with a motive to demonise the lawmakers. The Chairman, House Committee on Information and the spokesperson of the House, Dr Enemi Alabo George,…

The Fulani community in Plateau State has dismissed a viral allegation that it was planning to attack certain communities in Barikin Ladi, Mangu, Bokkos, and Bassa council areas of the state. The claim had it that meetings had reportedly held at various locations, including a mosque in Mahanga, to coordinate the said attacks during Ramadan. In a statement yesterday, Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Yusuf Ibrahim Babayo, said: “We condemn these spurious and unsubstantiated allegations in the strongest terms. These baseless accusations undermine our integrity, perpetuate harmful stereotypes, and stigmatise our community. “We believe…

• Tinubu’ll face opposition from Southeast, South-South, says ex-IPAC chief• Okonkwo: I’ll support fresh Southerner, Northerner willing to use four years• No amount of gang up can stop Tinubu’s re-election, says Oyintiloye• Yakasai rallies Northern support for Tinubu’s administration Despite the presidency’s disclaimer at the weekend that President Bola Tinubu is focused on governance and not interested in 2027 talks, the country appears divided into two halves – those for the president’s re-election and those opposed to his second term in office. The rumblings within the polity gained some traction last week when former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai…

•Fuel marketers decry closure of stations at border towns, citizens demand more Nigerian goods Less than two years after President Bola Tinubu removed the fuel subsidy in Nigeria, the effect of the decision is now being felt deeply by neighbouring Niger Republic. Also, findings by THE PUNCH on Sunday from fresh data sourced from the National Bureau of Statistics indicated that trade between Nigeria and Niger Republic surged by 82 per cent in 2024 despite ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two countries. This came as oil dealers raised concern about the closure of filling stations at border towns, stressing that…

Chairman of Epe Local Council in Lagos State, Surah Olayemi Animashahun, has denied allegations against her administration by a group, Epe Young Professionals. The group had accused Animashahun of multiple cases of misconduct, including financial mismanagement, plagiarism and unauthorised sale of government property. Animashahun, while refuting the claims in a statement, yesterday, insisted that the allegations were baseless, politically motivated and orchestrated to distract governance in Epe. Also, the council chairman, denying the plagiarism claims, said that a quotation she used in a report, and being attributed to former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, is a widely recognised…

Damilola Aina   The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu, has revealed that three teaching hospitals have received significant solar power interventions to reduce skyrocketing energy costs. He also noted that 20 Federal Universities were beneficiaries of the interventions. Abba revealed this when he welcomed the Committee of Chairmen Governing Councils of Federal Polytechnics across Nigeria, led by Senator Barnabas Gemade, during a courtesy visit to discuss the urgent need for solar power intervention in federal polytechnics. A statement by the agency on Sunday said discussions were focused on accelerating the National Public…

State governors have outlined ambitious plans to boost capital expenditure in states to address the infrastructure deficit in their various domains. The governors have earmarked N17.51tn to fund capital projects in their 2025 budgets. They had earmarked N11.34tn to fund similar projects in 2024 but could not secure sufficient funds, as the states recorded a deficit of N3.98tn last year. This indicates that the sub-nationals plan to spend N28.85tn on infrastructure upgrades to boost economic development in two years following the improved revenue allocations from the Federal Government. Recall that statutory allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee to the…