Rountrip

Bello Matawalle, a former Zamfara governor and current Minister of State for Defence, has emerged as the clear frontrunner in an early opinion poll assessing potential candidates for the 2027 gubernatorial election in Zamfara State. The online survey, conducted by northern research group Arewa Trend, showed that 87 percent of respondents would prefer Matawalle to return as governor, while incumbent Governor Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled just 13 percent. Arewa Trend said the poll, carried out between June 15 and 30, drew over 40,570 voluntary responses from active internet users across Zamfara’s 14 local government areas, including young voters, professionals, students, and civil servants. The survey, though not nationally representative, gives early insight into the mood of electorate in the state. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the research group said voters overwhelmingly rated Matawalle higher on key governance metrics such as security coordination, inf...

The Energy Governance Alliance (EGA) has commended the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for generating a record N12.25 trillion in revenue in 2024, describing it as a testament to the commission’s regulatory reforms and strategic leadership under Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe. In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its Executive Director, Dr Kelvin Sotonye William, the alliance said the revenue achievement marked a watershed moment in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, affirming NUPRC’s central role in repositioning the upstream industry for value creation, fiscal accountability and national development. The figure, disclosed in the commission’s newly released 2024 Annual Report, represents a 182.25 percent increase from the N4.34 trillion generated in 2023. It also significantly surpassed the 2024 forecast revenue of N6.93 trillion by over N5 trillion. “The Energy Governance Alliance welcomes the stellar performance of the NUPRC, under the visionary stew...

A 32-year-old Nigerian, Temitope Sekinat Idris, is said to be in trouble over allegation of being a lesbian. Temitope, a former staff of the Lagos State Government and a physically challenged, was said to have been sacked over her alleged lesbianism, as same sex relationship is against the laws of the country. The lady has since escaped arrest by the Nigeria Police Force as her case as been reported for prosecution and it was gathered that her whereabouts are unknown at the moment. A source in the Nigeria Police revealed that Temitope was relieved of her job by the Lagos State Government as she became a negative influence on other female members of staff of the state government. We were also informed that her sex status was the cause of the separation between her and her husband. "The issue caused crisis between her and her husband because the man caught her with his sister and it was also discovered that she was having sex with some females in the neighborhood and as such, her hu...

The Senate had said it is set to begin probe of Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) as the protest of public interest lawyers to the National Assembly enters day two. The lawyers stormed the National Assembly, Tuesday, calling on the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to immediately suspend and prosecute Farouk Ahmed. The lawyers cited grave allegations of corruption, abuse of office, and conflict of interest against Ahmed. In the petition signed by Samuel Ihensekhien Jnr and three others, they also demanded that the National Assembly commence an immediate investigation, recommend Ahmed's immediate sack and suspension, and arrest. Senator Kawu Ismaila, Chairman, Senate Committee on Oil and Gas who received the petition on behalf of the Senate promised to liaise with other members of the committee and investigate the agency. "One of our constitutional rights is to do oversight. We will look ...

A group of 500 public interest lawyers has stormed the Presidential Villa and National Assembly with a petition demanding the immediate sack and prosecution of Ahmed Farouk, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). The lawyers cited grave allegations of corruption, abuse of office, and conflict of interest against Farouk, including the alleged diversion of over $5 million of public funds to finance his children's education in elite institutions in Switzerland and India. Led by Samuel Ihensekhien, they also accused Farouk of employing his son, Faisal Ahmed, in Oando PLC, a private entity directly under NMDPRA's regulatory oversight, constituting a clear conflict of interest. The petitioners further alleged that Farouk has fled the country to evade arrest and is hiding on a private island in the United States, an act they described as "cowardly" and indicative of guilt. " It is alleged that M...

By Philip Agbese The seeds of greatness are often sown in the fertile soil of community, nurtured by the collective efforts of individuals who dare to dream big. For Rt. Hon. Abubakar Kabir Bichi, it was always about the people. Their stories, struggles, and triumphs have guided his journey as a leader, inspiring him to build bridges, empower lives, and create opportunities that have transformed the landscape of Bichi Federal Constituency and beyond. Recently, his commitment to public service and education was recognised with an honorary degree from the Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State, another proof of his outstanding contributions to the development of education in his constituency and beyond. This achievement is a fitting tribute to a leader who has dedicated his life to the service of others. On a crisp October 2, 1981, a future leader was born in the ancient town of Bichi, Kano State. Rt. Hon.Bichi's journey began with a spark of curiosity, fuelled by his education at ...

A civic watchdog group, the Citizens Alliance for Rule of Law and Justice (CARoLJ), has condemned former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), over his recent criticism of the Bola Tinubu administration, describing his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as an act of “political desperation dressed in borrowed morality”. In a statement issued in Kaduna on Sunday and signed by the group’s president, Aminu Jallo, CARoLJ said Malami’s remarks accusing the current government of neglecting security and plunging Nigerians into poverty are not only ironic but deeply insulting to the intelligence of Nigerians who lived through “his era of constitutional vandalism and legal impunity”. “Abubakar Malami presided over one of the darkest periods in Nigeria’s legal history. To hear him now speak of justice, equity, and national renewal is to witness a man attempting to whitewash a legacy drenched in d...