Author: Aminu Imam

2027: “It’ll be hard to sell northern candidate to southern voters” – Amaechi warns ADC

Aminu Imam
Amaechi on North

…Pledges loyalty to party’s flagbearer Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has cautioned the African Democratic Congress (ADC) against fielding a northern presidential candidate in 2027, warning that it may be difficult to convince southern voters to support such a move. Speaking in Kano on February 12, 2026, Amaechi said the party must carefully weigh regional dynamics ahead of the general election, stressing that the current balance of power in the country cannot be ignored. “It will be hard to get the South to give up…

Read More

“I’ll resign if Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Rd project fails quality test” – Umahi vows

Aminu Imam
Umahi vows

Minister of Works, David Umahi, has vowed to resign if the ongoing Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Road project is found to be substandard, declaring his readiness to subject the work to independent testing.  Umahi stated this while defending his budget before a joint session of the 10th National Assembly on Wednesday. During the session, questions were raised over the award of a section of the project to a company some legislators described as unknown and previously associated with generator sales. Adams Oshiomhole demanded to know why the contract was taken from an established…

Read More

“BVAS doesn’t require Internet on election day” – Yakubu

Aminu Imam
Yakubu on BVAS

Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has clarified that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) does not require internet connectivity to function on election day. Yakubu explained that voter accreditation using BVAS is conducted offline, stressing that the device is designed to verify voters through fingerprint and facial recognition without relying on internet access. According to him, connectivity is only needed later for the transmission of election data to INEC’s Result Viewing (IReV) portal. He made the clarification amid recurring concerns and public debates…

Read More

“Kano govt. writes FG seeking to stop Kwankwaso from coming to Kano” – Buba Galadima

Aminu Imam
Buba Galadima on KNSG

A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has alleged that Kano State governor, Abba Kabir-Yusuf, wrote to the Federal Government seeking to stop the party’s national leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, from coming the state. Galadima made the allegation during an interview yesterday, while reacting to reported moves by the United States Congress to impose a visa ban on Kwankwaso over allegations of Christian persecution. “We are aware that the Kano State Government has written to the Federal Government trying to prevent Kwankwaso from coming into…

Read More

Senate makes U-turn on e-transmission after heated plenary

Aminu Imam
Senate makes U turn

…Allows digital upload with manual backup The Senate yesterday reopened the door to electronic transmission of election results, reversing its earlier decision that excluded the provision from the Electoral Act amendment, following a tense and rowdy plenary session. At an emergency sitting, the upper chamber rescinded its approval of Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2026, and re-amended the law to permit electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IREV).  However, the amendment stops short of making…

Read More

2026 Budget: FG to borrow again, as Senate flags ₦25.27tr deficit

Aminu Imam
FG to borrow again2

Nigeria will continue to borrow to plug its widening budget deficit, the 10th Senate has confirmed, amid mounting concerns that rising debt and weak revenue mobilisation could push the country toward fiscal distress. At a public hearing on the 2026 Appropriation Bill in Abuja, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Solomon Adeola, disclosed that the proposed 2026 Budget projects total expenditure of ₦58.47 trillion against expected revenue of ₦33.19 trillion, leaving a deficit of ₦25.27 trillion. Debt servicing alone is estimated at ₦15.90 trillion. Adeola said borrowing had…

Read More

“ADC won’t zone 2027 presidential ticket”, el-Rufa’i declares

Aminu Imam
el Rufa'i declares

Former Kaduna State governor and senior figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nasir el-Rufa’i, has announced that the party will not zone its presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election, insisting that all aspirants will be allowed to compete freely. Speaking in an interview programme, el-Rufa’i said the ADC had resolved to reject zoning, consensus arrangements or forced withdrawals, stressing that credible and transparent primaries would determine its flagbearer. “We will not have zoning. We will not force anyone to step down. Everyone will be given the opportunity…

Read More

Yiaga Africa, others urge INEC to issue notice for 2027 election

Aminu Imam
Yiaga Africa

Civil society organisations (CSOs) have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue the election timetable and schedule for the 2027 election in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 without further delay. The organisation also urged the 10th National Assembly to harmonise the Bill seeking to amend the 2022 Electoral Act and transmit it to the President for assent within two weeks. The organisations argued that the delay in concluding work on the Bill introduces uncertainty that may compromise preparation for the 2027 general election.…

Read More

Livestock Sector Reform: FG selects Kwara as pilot state for ranching policy 

Aminu Imam
FG selects Kwara state for ranching

The Federal Government has designated Kwara State as a key pilot location for its newly-developed ranching policy, part of broader livestock and agricultural reforms aimed at reducing farmer‑herder conflicts and modernising livestock production across the country.  Under the initiative, the government plans to establish national communal ranches in selected states  including Kwara  to provide structured environments where cattle and livestock can be reared in designated ranch facilities rather than through traditional open grazing.  The pilot ranching policy is designed to support a transition away from open grazing, a longstanding source…

Read More

U.S. eyes North for drone-refueling hub to monitor Sahel insurgencies

Aminu Imam
US eyes North

On Monday, February 9, 2026, reports emerged that the United States is in advanced negotiations with the Nigerian government to establish a dedicated drone refueling and logistics outpost in Northern Nigeria.  This strategic move, which follows the arrival of a “small team” of U.S. military officers in Abuja last week, is designed to restore American Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities that were severely degraded following the 2024 withdrawal from Air Base 201 in Agadez, Niger. Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, confirmed that the new…

Read More