Author: bibncollar

A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) communication team in Ghana’s Ashanti Region, Hon. Rashid Salifu, has launched a blistering attack on former Ambassador to Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Said Sinare. Speaking on Rome Radio, Salifu accused Sinare—an influential figure within the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC)—of betraying both his personal integrity and the interests of Ghana’s Zongo communities in blind loyalty to former President John Dramani Mahama. According to Salifu, Sinare’s recent frustration over his exclusion from ambassadorial appointments—allegedly being replaced by his cousin, actress Kalsoume Sinare—reflects his waning influence within the NDC and has sparked…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared his intention to lead President Bola Tinubu’s campaign ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Speaking on Monday in Abuja, Wike strongly hinted that he would take a prominent role in the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign structure, particularly in Rivers State and the FCT. When asked directly if he would spearhead the APC’s presidential campaign, Wike responded, “I’ve said this before. Is it because I’m part of Asiwaju’s presidency that you’re asking again? Of course, I will lead his campaign in Rivers State. You want me to say…

The Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) has revealed that 805 candidates from 10 political parties will contest in the upcoming local government elections scheduled for November 1, 2025. NSIEC Chairman, Engr. Mohammed Jibrin Imam, made the disclosure in Minna during the official flag-off of election campaigns. He confirmed that political parties have been cleared to begin public campaigns, which will run until October 31, 2025. Giving a detailed breakdown, Imam said 69 candidates are vying for Chairmanship positions, 66 for Vice-Chairmanship, and 670 for Councillorship seats across the 25 local government areas of the state. The 10 political parties…

More than 20 farmers were killed and over 50 villagers abducted during a brutal bandit attack on Mani community in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State over the weekend. The tragic development was disclosed on Monday by security analyst Bakatsine via a post on X (formerly Twitter). According to him, a military aircraft deployed to counter the attack mistakenly struck local vigilante members instead. “Yesterday, bandits attacked Mani community of Maru LGA in Zamfara and killed over 20 farmers. More than 50 persons are still in captivity. A military aircraft that came for protection mistakenly fired on vigilantes,” Bakatsine…

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of an armed robbery gang and recovered two vehicles believed to have been stolen during their criminal operations. Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement released on Monday in Awka. According to Ikenga, the arrests were carried out by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, following actionable intelligence. The suspects—identified as Monday Onoja, Sanusi Muhammed, and Kenneth Nwokpu, aged between 27 and 32—were apprehended on May 30 in Agukwu-Nri, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state. Their arrest was based on information obtained…

Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended the issuance of blockwork visa quotas to Nigeria and 13 other countries, including several African and Asian nations. According to the Kingdom’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the affected African countries are Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tunisia, and Morocco. The suspension also applies to Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The blockwork visa allows Saudi employers to recruit a predetermined number of foreign workers. Once approved, employers can apply for work visas for specific candidates under the allocated quota. This policy shift will impact both new and pending applications for…

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, has launched a comprehensive initiative aimed at reducing the alarming rates of maternal and child mortality in Kebbi State. The plan was introduced at a five-day workshop held in Birnin Kebbi under the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII). Speaking at the event, Hajiya Amina Abubakar, who represented the ministry, disclosed that Kebbi currently records the highest maternal mortality rate in Nigeria. She listed 11 local government areas—including Fakai, Suru, Argungu, Augie, Sakaba, Shanga, Koko/Besse, Bagudo, Arewa, Dandi, and Danko Wasagu—as high-priority zones in urgent need of…

Introduction The introduction of a bill in the House of Representatives seeking to amend the Electoral Act 2022 to make voting compulsory for eligible Nigerian citizens represents a significant development in Nigeria’s electoral jurisprudence. The bill proposes, inter alia, to criminalize failure to vote in national and state elections, prescribing penalties of a fine not exceeding ₦100,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both. This legal memorandum appraises the proposed legislation through the lens of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), relevant statutes, judicial pronouncements, and international legal standards to which…

01 June 2025 ➖➖ AN OPEN LETTER OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY To: (1). The President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, National Assembly Complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja, FCT, Nigeria. (2). The Speaker, House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, National Assembly Complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja, FCT, Nigeria. Cc: His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja *RE: THE FARMERS-HERDSMEN CRISIS IN NIGERIA: A CALL FOR URGENT CREATION OF TWO SPECIAL STATES EXCLUSIVELY FOR FULANI HERDSMEN AND SETTLERS WHO DO…

Leadership is hard… great leadership is very unique! Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown especially in our very peculiar country where both the leaders and the led seem to be working at cross-purposes. This is understandable. Sadly, in Nigeria, responsible and responsive leadership is in very short supply. Leaders prove to be insensitive, neither obligated to the people nor the national constitution and other laws of the land. Beyond textbook definition, two recent developments in the polity need to be cited as practical examples of responsible and or responsive leadership. First is the withdrawal of the compulsory voting…