A former Lagos State governorship candidate Funso Doherty has declared his intention to contest the 2027 Lagos governorship election under the African Democratic Congress.

The declaration was made on Friday at an ADC meeting and announced by ADC Vanguard, the coalition mobilization wing of the party, on X.

“With all humility, I would like to announce my candidacy to be the next governor of Lagos state,” Doherty said in a video clip shared by the group.

ADC Vanguard said the party had a strong candidate in Lagos in Doherty.

“Indeed the ADC (the main opposition party) has a strong and sellable candidate in Lagos State,” it posted.

Doherty’s declaration comes weeks after he resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party, where he had been a member since 2024.

In a resignation letter posted on his X handle on March 29, he cited a court ruling that nullified the PDP’s 2025 convention and deepened factional divisions within the party as the reason for his exit.

He argued that the judgment effectively handed leadership control to a faction aligned with figures backing the re-election of the ruling All Progressives Congress, a development he said he could not support.

“I will not be a party to sustaining this tragic travesty. The people of Lagos State, many of whom have waited far too long for meaningful improvement in their day-to-day lives from the actions of their government, deserve much better than that,” he said at the time.

Doherty had previously contested the 2023 Lagos governorship election under the ADC before defecting to the PDP.

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed sorrow over the bandit attack on Bagna and Erena communities in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, which claimed the lives of dozens of civilians and security personnel.

Atiku reacted to the incident in a statement shared via his official X handle on Friday.

“The tragic attacks on the Bagna and Erena communities, which claimed many lives including numerous security personnel, are profoundly heartbreaking.

“I extend my sincere condolences to the bereaved families, especially those of the fallen heroes, and urge the government to take more decisive action to protect civilians, facilitate swift relief efforts, and bolster support for frontline forces. May the departed rest in peace, and may
enduring peace return to our land.”

It was reported that no fewer than 61 bodies of security operatives and civilians killed in the attack had been recovered.

Residents in the area stated that the corpses were retrieved
from surrounding bushes days after the incident.

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Leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State have rejected the endorsement of the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, as the party’s candidate for the 2027 House of Assembly election.

The party leaders described the call by a former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rev. Peter Obadan, for Agbebaku to emerge as the sole candidate of the party undemocratic and driven by narrow  nterests.

Obadan had urged stakeholders across Owan to support Agbebaku, citing his relationship with constituents and contributions to the development of the area, as well as what he described as an inclusive leadership style.

He said Agbebaku had maintained stability in the House of Assembly and fostered a cordial working relationship with the executive arm of government, adding that the lawmaker had demonstrated commitment to the people of Owan West.

“Blessing has kept the House of Assembly in peace as never before and has related very well with the Executive, and I am sure Governor Monday Okpebholo is proud of him, and we are proud of him,” Obadan said, while calling on stakeholders to back the Speaker as the sole candidate for the constituency.

However, Owan West APC leaders faulted the endorsement, stating that the local government had not experienced satisfactory representation under Agbebaku.

In a statement issued on Friday and signed by party executives in the local government, including the Chairman of Chairmen, Osumah Raymond, the LGA Women Leader, Ayeni Iyabo, and the Chairman of Owan West LGA, Frank David, the leaders rejected the call for Agbebaku’s third-term bid.

They said the appeal by Obadan did not reflect the position of the APC leadership in Owan West and should be disregarded by party members and stakeholders.

“We categorically state that this appeal does not represent the position of Owan West APC leadership or the collective will of the party in the local government and must be disregarded by party faithful and stakeholders,” the statement partly read.

The leaders also alleged that Agbebaku’s actions during the last governorship election contributed to internal tensions within the party, claiming that some members were subjected to harassment and intimidation.

They further argued that Agbebaku had yet to fully align with the party’s structure at the ward and local government levels, insisting that he was not formally recognised within the APC leadership structure in Owan West.

“We therefore call on stakeholders and the general public to disregard the appeal made by Rev. Obadan, as it lacks legitimacy and does not reflect the stance of the party in Owan West,” the statement added.

Responding, Agbebaku maintained that he remained a bona fide member of the APC and loyal to the party.

“I am a bona fide member of the APC, and I remain loyal to the party,” he said.

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has
postponed its planned nationwide voter revalidation exercise until after the
2027 general election.

In a statement on Friday, Mohammed Haruna, INEC’s national commissioner and chairman of the information and voter education committee, said the decision was made at a meeting between the commission and resident electoral commissioners (RECs).

“Following deliberations, the commission resolved to postpone the exercise until after the 2027 General Election,” the statement reads.

Haruna said the voter revalidation exercise is aimed at strengthening the credibility of the country’s voter register by verifying and updating existing records.

According to him, the process is designed to “verify and review existing voter records, ensure the accuracy of personal data, eliminate duplicate and ineligible entries, and strengthen the overall integrity of the voter register.”

He added that the exercise would also give registered voters the opportunity to confirm and correct their personal details where necessary.

The commissioner said, “INEC remains committed to the conduct of free, fair, credible, and inclusive elections.”

The nationwide revalidation was scheduled to begin on April 13 as part of efforts to update the voter register ahead of the 2027 elections.

However, on April 5, the commission asked all RECs to suspend publicity and arrangements for the planned exercise pending further directives.

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Zenith Bank Plc managed to absorb the shock of a deep plunge from asset trading gains of N1.10 trillion in the previous year to a loss of over N63 billion in 2025. How the bank was able to tide over the revenue loss that big and shield its bottom line from being hit sums up its earnings story in 2025.

Trading gains of N1.10 trillion accounted for 27.7 percent of the bank’s gross earnings in 2024 and the plunge into a loss position in 2025 depicts the high volatility of earnings to which the bank and the banking industry as a whole is subject.

Zenith Bank’s audited financial report for the full year ended December 2025 shows the first trading loss in more than a decade coming after two preceding years of huge trading gains. In two years to 2024, the bank raked in more than N2 trillion in asset trading gains – more than the sum of its trading gains for 10 years to 2022.

The boom reversed in 2025 and the strong growth in non-interest earnings recorded over the two preceding years overturned to a drop of 63 percent from N1.10 trillion to close at N405 billion.

The bank’s management had to look elsewhere to make up for the huge revenue loss and interest earnings came to the rescue. Interest income from lending and investing activities of the bank rolled in N3.67 trillion, marking additional inflow of N952 billion in the year.

The figure represents an increase of 35 percent in the year against single digit increases in loans and advances and investment securities. This means a significant increase in asset yield, as the average interest earned per naira of loans and advanced grew from 27 percent to an all-time peak of over 35 percent over the review period.

Interest income therefore more than compensated for the disappointing performance of trading activities and accounted for an increase of 5.6 percent in gross earnings to N4.19 trillion at the end of 2025.

The good performance of interest income reflects some gains in overall credit quality standard of the bank with write backs on a number of asset classes during the year. A major slowdown in net impairment charges on financial assets was recorded in the year from 60.4 percent rise in 2024 to 13 percent increase to N742 billion in 2025.

The same ability to keep up the top line was recorded in defending the bottom line despite the revenue constraint. The bank applied cost saving to free earnings good enough to keep profit from losing the height attained the previous hear.

The biggest cost saving centre in the year is cost of funds, which slowed down drastically from a rise of 143 percent in 2024 to an increase of 4 percent in 2025. Customer deposits grew more than two and half times faster at 10.8 percent to N24.32 trillion, meaning that on the average, cost of funds declined.

The management of interest income and expense relationship in the year – stretching out earnings and squeezing cost, provided the room to dress up the bank’s bottom line performance.

Interest expenses were reined in while interest income grew close to nine times faster to permit an impressive growth of 52.7 percent in net interest income. To that was added further cost saving from net loan impairment expenses that slowed down from 60.4 percent growth in the preceding financial year to an increase of 13 percent to N742 billion in 2025.

Zenith Bank’s management succeeded in reducing significantly the proportions of interest earnings claimed by both interest expenses and loan impairment charges. These two steps powered a surprising growth of 77 percent in net interest earnings after loan loss expenses, which closed at N1.90
trillion for the year.

The increase represents additional income of N825 billion,  which provided the much needed room to level up the drop in non-interest earnings and absorb operating expenses without hurting profit volume. However, cost saving could not be extracted from operating expenses – which grew by over 23 percent to N1.04 trillion, more than four times the increase in gross earnings.

Operating cost margin therefore increased from 21.3 percent in 2024 to 24.8 percent in 2025, yet one of the lowest cost margins of the bank in many years. The increase in operating cost margin lowered profit margin from
26 percent in the previous year to 24.8 percent in 2025, the lowest net profit
margin in three years.

In effect, all the cost savings managed to cover revenue disappointments and cost increases, leaving after tax profit flat at N1.04 trillion.

Zenith Bank closed the 2025 operations with earnings per share of N25.32, slightly up from N25.15 per share in 2024. The directors have announced a final cash dividend of N8.75 kobo per share in addition to an interim cash dividend of N1.25 paid in the course of the financial year.

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A 2015 senatorial candidate in Borno State, Babagana Habeeb,
has been sentenced to 10 years immprisonment by the Abuja Federal High Court forselling petrol to Boko Haram terrorists.

The politician was convicted on Friday by Justice Peter Lifu on a one-count charge of aiding and abetting terrorism in the country brought against him by the Federal Government.

Habeeb, a fuel dealer in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State,
had, upon his arraignment on the one-count charge, admitted guilt of selling fuel to the terrorists.

He, however, claimed that his fuel station attendants may have been responsible for the sales.

The politician, while kneeling down in the dock for almosone hour his trial lasted, pleaded passionately with Justice Peter Lifu to b lenient with him.

He claimed to have two wives and six children, and that he had not been allowed to see or communicate with any member of his family for more than 10 years he had been in detention.

The Federal Government lawyer, Mr David Kaswe, vehemently opposed the plea of the convict for leniency, adding that the logistics support accorded to the terrorists had led to the deaths of several people and rendered others homeless.

Kaswe admitted that the convict had spent more than 10 years in detention and insisted that he should be given 20 years’ imprisonment.

The lawyer maintained that Boko Haram would not have been able to use their motorcycles to launch attacks on innocent people and escape into the bush if no one had sold fuel to them

In his judgment, Justice Peter Lifu held that there was no evidence that the convict was a member of Boko Haram or trained on weapon handling, adding that the sole accusation against him was the sale of fuel to rhe terrorists.

The judge also held that the claim of spending more than 10 years in custody by the convict was not debunked by the prosecution.

Justice Peter Lifu subsequently sentenced the defendant to 10 years’ imprisonment.

He, however, ordered that the jail term should start from the date of the arrest and detention of the convict.

The judge ordered that the convict be immediately released upon signing of his release warrant to enable him to go for extensive
rehabilitation.

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U.S. Vice President JD Vance is en route to Islamabad, Pakistan, where he will lead high-stakes talks with the Iranians as part ofefforts to broker peace since a ceasefire was struck on Tuesday.

Vance boarded Air Force Two moments ago on Friday and is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on Saturday.

“We’re looking forward to the negotiation. I think it’s going to be positive,” the vice-president told reporters on the tarmac ahead of
his departure.

“As the president of the United States said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re certainly willing to extend the open hand. If they’re going to try to play us, then they going to find that the negotiating team is not that receptive.”

He noted that President Donald Trump had given “clearguidelines” on the negotiations but did not give details.

Vance is the highest-ranking US official to enter negotiations with Iran since 1979.

Over the past year, the US negotiating team has been led by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, and Steve Witkoff, US envoy.

Kushner and Witkoff are among the delegation led by Vance.

It is not strange that Islamabad is hosting the negotiation talks. Pakistan has acted as an intermediary between Iran and the US over the last few weeks, passing messages between the two.

It is trusted by the Gulf countries, US, and Iran, with which it shares a border and regularly refers to its “brotherly” relationship with the Islamic Republic.

Trump has described Asim Munir, head of Pakistan’s armed forces, as his “favourite” field marshall and said he knows Iran “better than
most”.

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A fire broke out on Thursday at an external warehouse facility operated by Nigerian Breweries Plc in Aba, Abia State, but was quickly brought under control with no injuries or fatalities recorded.

The company confirmed that the affected site was a leased warehouse located opposite its Aba brewery, primarily used for storing empty plastic crates.

In a statement filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Friday, Nigerian Breweries Plc said its emergency response team, supported by government agencies, the Oris Group, and members of the host community, successfully contained the blaze.

The impact of the fire was limited to the empty crates stored at the facility. Operations at the main Aba brewery, including production, logistics, and sales, remain fully unaffected and stable.

“Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire,” the company said. “No injuries or fatalities were recorded.”Nigerian Breweries Plc reiterated its commitment to the highest standards of safety across all its facilities.

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Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, on Thursday presented 40 brand new SUVs to traditional rulers in the state as he charged them to create a peaceful and investor-friendly atmosphere in their domains.

The governor made the presentation during the first statutory meeting of the Ogun State Council of Obas for 2026, held at the Oba’s Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Abiodun expressed concern over reports of hostility towards investors by some communities, particularly in Yewa South, Ipokia, and Ijebu North areas, warning that such attitudes could derail the state’s economic progress.

“These investors are bringing in significant capital that will transform our economy, create jobs for our people, and improve livelihoods. They must be welcomed and supported,” the governor said.

He stressed that traditional rulers have a critical role to play in ensuring peace and cooperation, urging them to work closely with their subjects to position Ogun State as a preferred investment destination.

Abiodun further warned that his administration would not tolerate any actions capable of discouraging genuine investors, describing such behaviour as unacceptable.

On security, the governor called for increased vigilance by traditional rulers and residents, urging them to promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.

He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts at tackling national security challenges while noting the need for local collaboration to sustain Ogun’s relative peace.

The governor also cautioned monarchs against indiscriminate land allocation and involvement in land disputes, describing land as the state’s “oil” that must be managed with transparency and integrity.

He issued a stern warning to landlords against renting properties to criminals, stating that any building used for unlawful activities would be demolished.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ganiyu Hazmat, said the meeting was convened to address critical issues of security and development while strengthening ties between the government and traditional institutions.

The Chairman of the Ogun State Council of Obas and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, commended Governor Abiodun’s developmental efforts and assured the council’s continued support for policies aimed at economic growth and stability.

The donation of the 40 SUVs is expected to enhance the administrative efficiency and community engagement of the traditional rulers.

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