By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Dr Patrice Motsepe, has announced plans to review CAF regulations and improve the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system following incidents at the final of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025. Motsepe disclosed this in a statement published on the CAF website on Friday,30January,2026 saying the decision came after the controversial final and subsequent rulings by CAF’s judicial bodies. The move aims to protect the integrity, reputation, and global competitiveness of African football. “I am absolutely determined, and the CAF Executive Committee (EXCO), as…
Author: Abimbola Ogunaike
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has disclosed that enrolment in public schools across the state has risen from 117,000 to over 300,000 within one year, attributing the increase to reforms introduced by his administration in the education sector. The Governor made the disclosure on Thursday, 29 January, 2026 during the January edition of his monthly media briefing, “Governor Otti Speaks to Abians,” held at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Umuahia. The details were contained in a statement issued on Friday, 30 January, 2026, by his Chief Press Secretary, Njoku Ukoha. According to Otti, the…
By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has given domestic airlines a seven-day ultimatum to integrate a mandatory special needs assistance option on their ticket reservation platforms. The move aimed at improving access for passengers living with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility was issued in a directive on Friday, 30 January, 2026, in a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr Michael Achimugu. He explained that airlines are required to allow passengers to request assistance at the point of booking across all ticket sales channels, including online platforms and telephone reservations.…
Efon political leaders have rejected moves by Ekiti State Physical Planning Commissioner, Karounwi Oladapo to impose a chairmanship candidate on the local government on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) without consultation with the stakeholders. Expressing surprise at the attempted personalisation of power and influence, they urged Governor Biodun Oyebanji to pay attention to the brewing nomination crisis in Efon local government ahead of the council polls. Karounwi, an APC stalwart, was said to have arranged for the controversial endorsement of an aspirant, Ifetade Ola, without consultation with other party leaders, including Chief Joseph Alake, stakeholders’ leader;…
The United States and Nigeria have taken a significant step to deepen commercial relations with the U.S.-Nigeria Commercial and Investment Partnership (CIP), a five-year initiative aimed at boosting trade, investment, and private sector growth. The partnership was highlighted at a ministerial meeting in Lagos co-chaired by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Commercial Service Bradley McKinney and Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole. The meeting brought together government officials and private sector leaders to review proposed reforms from the CIP Working Groups on Agriculture, Digital Economy, and Infrastructure. The Working Groups presented strategies intended to…
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Nigerians to imbibe the enduring qualities of courage, resilience, unity and politics of cooperation exemplified by the late Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, while consciously eschewing bitterness, acrimony and divisive tendencies in national life. The President made the call on Thursday, 29 January, 2026, through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, who represented him at the 2026 Samuel Akintola Memorial Lecture and the 60th Remembrance of the former Premier of Western Nigeria, held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan. President Tinubu, who was the Special Guest…
By Segun Adewale, Bauchi Khamis Musa Darazo, a known loyalist of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has strongly condemned ongoing political plots aimed at unseating the President, describing such moves as selfish, undemocratic, and dangerous to political stability of Nigeria. Speaking to journalists yesterday in Bauchi on recent political developments, Darazo said any attempt to gang up against President Tinubu for personal or sectional interests amounts to a political crime against the Nigerian people, who freely conferred a constitutional mandate on the President through the ballot box. According to him, opposition driven by personal ambition rather than genuine concern for national…
By: Josiah Daji The return of Hon. Yakubu Adamu, PhD, has sent a clear and resonant message across the political landscape of Bauchi State, reigniting conversations about leadership, resilience, and the future of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the state looks toward 2027. Dr. Adamu’s reappearance on the political scene comes after a period of detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations bordering on financial matters. At the time, the development was widely interpreted by supporters as politically motivated, with claims of witch-hunting by opposition elements and alleged internal saboteurs within the PDP. While the…
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has expressed appreciation to the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and its Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, for supporting the State Government, which contributed significantly to the success of the burial ceremony of the late State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo. The Governor made the remark during the burial ceremony of the late Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. He commended the NDDC for supporting the State Government and ensuring that the solemn occasion was conducted with dignity and honour. Ogbuku, who…
The Chairman of Alimosho Local Government, Hon. Akinpelu Ibrahim Johnson, has called on all stakeholders to unite in protecting children in conflict with the law by fully embracing the Diversion Programme, a child-centred justice initiative focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment. He made this call during a Stakeholders’ Advocacy Meeting on the Diversion Programme for Children in Conflict with the Law, organised by the Bureau of the Public Defender, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, held at the Alimosho Conference Hall, Akowonjo. The meeting which was in collaboration with UNICEF brought together representatives of the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, community leaders,…