A public affairs commentator, Hon. Nkemakonam “Olman” Nwonwu, has called on Nigerians to stop reacting with surprise or anger to the changing political positions of some prominent commentators, arguing that many have developed a pattern of aligning with interests that benefit them.

In a statement shared under the Olnationz platform, Nwonwu cited figures such as Kenneth Okonkwo, Daniel Bwala, and Reno Omokri as examples of individuals whose public positions, according to him, often change depending on prevailing political interests.

He argued that rather than allowing such statements to shape public opinion or provoke emotional reactions, Nigerians should approach political commentary with caution and evaluate every claim based on facts and evidence.

According to Nwonwu, the country’s future should be guided by integrity, accountability, and credible leadership rather than by “loud voices” whose positions appear to shift for convenience.

He further warned that giving excessive attention to what he described as political opportunists only increases their influence, urging citizens to focus instead on substantive national issues and credible public discourse.

The remarks add to the ongoing debate over the role of political commentators and influencers in shaping public opinion in Nigeria’s evolving democratic landscape.

Abuja – Nigeria,

A recent court judgment nullifying the recognition of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has triggered widespread debate over the role of the judiciary in Nigeria’s democratic process.

In a commentary titled “Judicial Rascality Taken Too Far? Reflections on the NDC Judgment,” former NDC aspirant for Onitsha South Constituency I, Hon. Nkemakonam Jideofor Nwonwu, argued that while courts have the constitutional duty to uphold the law, judicial decisions should not inadvertently restrict democratic participation.

The court reportedly ruled that the earlier recognition of the NDC was constitutionally flawed because all necessary parties were not joined in the proceedings, necessitating a fresh hearing. Although this is a recognized legal principle, the judgment has raised concerns among observers about its timing and its potential impact on the country’s political landscape.

Nwonwu stressed that justice must not only be legally sound but also inspire public confidence. He warned that frequent judicial interventions in political matters, particularly close to electoral processes, could weaken public trust in democratic institutions.

He further maintained that democracy is best strengthened through the ballot box rather than prolonged courtroom battles, urging that political parties meeting constitutional requirements should not be excluded over procedural issues.

The NDC has already indicated its intention to appeal the judgment, meaning the legal battle is far from over. As the case progresses, stakeholders continue to call for a judiciary that remains independent, impartial, and committed to reinforcing public confidence in the rule of law.

The development has once again brought renewed attention to the delicate balance between legal procedure and the preservation of democratic choice in Nigeria.

Hon. Nke Akonam OLMAN congratulatory message to His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi on His emergence as NDC Presidential candidate

Arise News anchor, Rufai Oseni, has reacted to the viral video of a policeman waving at ‘vigilante men’.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Morning Show’, Rufai insisted that Nigerians are not daft.

Recall that there was a viral video on Wednesday where a policeman was seen waving at large numbers of armed men previously tagged as
bandits.

However, the police, in a statement on Thursday, clarified that the said group of armed men riding on motorcycles were members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, VGN.

Airing his own opinion, Rufai said, “Do they think Nigerians are daft or we don’t have brains?

“I don’t know when the police started giving salutes to vigilantes, and they carry some sophisticated weapons. So, the vigilante will be passing on motorcycle. Police will see them, police will be waving. Oh, vigilante, go ahead, go ahead.

“You see, we live in a mess. And this mess has been largely caused by our political class because of their own selfishness,” he said.

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Dangote Refinery has again reduced its gantry petrol price nationwide to N1,125 per litre from N1,175 per litre.

The spokesperson of Dangote Group, Anthony Chijiena, confirmed the latest reduction on Thursday.

This means that the refinery dropped its petrol gantry price by N50 per litre.

“It is true our petrol gantry price was reduced by N50 per liter,” Chijiena disclosed.

Similarly, the coastal petrol supply price of Dangote
Refinery decreased from N1,495,215 per metric tonne to N1,428,165 per metric tonne.

The development comes as crude oil prices dropped
significantly to $69 and $73 per barrel, the same rates as pre-Middle East crisis times.

Recall that on June 16, the Dangote Refinery had reduced its gantry petrol price by N75 per litre, triggering a nationwide retail fuel reduction days later. This brought the total price reduction by Dangote Refinery in two weeks since global prices eased to N125 per litre.

Currently retail fuel prices stand at between N1,241 and N1,305 per litre in Abuja and its environs.

However, Nigerians are clamouring for a further drop in retail fuel to around N800 and N900 per litre, the rate before the Iran-United States-Israel war, which escalated on February 28, 2026.

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Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has stated that the Federal Government is working towards reviewing workers’ salary.

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives stated this on Thursday in Abuja at an event organized by Working People United.

He said that the N70,000 minimum wage which was approved by the President Bola Tinubu administration in 2024 is no longer in line with the
reality of things in the country.

“N70,000 wage, which was a milestone in 2024 must be honestly reassessed against today’s realities,” he said.

The former lawmaker added, “I can confirm to you that when the time comes to begin the process of reviewing the national minimum wage, this administration will approach that endeavor not as an adversary of Labour, but as a partner.

“President Tinubu has said time and again that the
custodians of the nation’s machinery deserve a fair and commensurate wage, and as you all well know by now, this is the president who means precisely what he says and does exactly what he means.

“It must be said that good governance is not a performance stage by government for the benefit of a passive audience, it’s a partnership between those who govern and those who are governed.

“No where is that partnership more vital than the
relationship between government and the working people of Nigeria.

“It is with this understanding in mind that I ask the
leaders of organized labour and the members of working people united to remain what you have so often been at your finest, partners in progress rather than antagonist in perpetuity, let us choose to dialog over disruption, because as we have proved again and again, we achieve far more when we visit together than when we retreat, retreat to our separate corners.”

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Chinedu Agbodike, a citizen, has initiated legal action against the federal government and the Nigerian Army over what he described as “indiscriminate proliferation” of military checkpoints in the south-east geopolitical zone.

The suit was filed at the High Court of Enugu State on June 17, 2026.

Agbodike is the applicant in the suit, filed on his behalf and on behalf of citizens of Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, and Abia states.

Counsel to the applicant are Aloy Ejimakor, P.N Agazie, B.C. Anys, B.K Agazie, Chinwe Agazie, Eguzoribe Ozioma, E.C Eze, and Iloanya
Florence.

The respondents are the chief of army staff (first
respondent), Nigerian army (second respondent), attorney-general of the federation (third respondent), and federal government (fourth respondent).

THE PRAYERS

The lawyer asked the court to declare that the
“indiscriminate deployment” of military checkpoints and roadblocks in the south-east zone, which according to them, have allegedly resulted in
harassment, extortion, and arbitrary arrests, constitute violations of the fundamental human rights of citizens.

The lawyer asked the court to declare illegal and
unconstitutional the “routine” deployment of military personnel for checkpoints duties and roadblock operations in the south-east.

“A DECLARATION that the assumption by the 1st and 2nd Respondents of internal policing functions constitutionally vested in the Nigeria Police Force under Section 214 of the Constitution amounts to an
unlawful usurpation of powers and is therefore unconstitutional and same constitutes abuse and violation of human rights of the people of South Eastern Nigeria,” part of the suit reads.

“A DECLARATION that the excessive militarization of Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo and Abia States amounts to an unjustifiable and disproportionate interference with the rights to freedom of movement, personal liberty, human dignity and freedom from discrimination guaranteed under Chapter IV of the Constitution, thereby violating the constitutional rights of the people of South Eastern Nigeria.

“A DECLARATION that the discriminatory profiling and targeting of citizens by the 1st and 2nd Respondents at various military checkpoints/roadblocks on the roads of Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra and Imo States on account of their ethnicity, age, mode of dressing, hairstyle,
tattoos, language, physical appearance or perceived affiliations is unconstitutional, illegal, oppressive and a violation of their Constitutional rights under Chapter IV of the Constitution, particularly Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.”

The lawyer sought an order directly the first to third
respondents to “immediately dismantle, remove and discontinue all military checkpoints and routine roadblocks operating on federal and state roads within Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo and Abia States except where such deployments are
specifically authorised by law and justified by exceptional security circumstances, in accordance with due process of law”.

The lawyer asked the court to order the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice to establish a panel to investigate human rights violations allegedly committed by military personnel at checkpoints in the south-east.

The lawyer sought N500 billion as “exemplary, aggravated and general damages against the Respondents jointly and severally for the
widespread and continuing violation of the fundamental rights of citizens of the South-East Region of Nigeria”.

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Political analyst and former ally of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Segun Sowunmi, has predicted that President Bola Tinubu may get a weak result during the 2027 presidential election.

Sowunmi insisted that the 2027 presidential election may be between Tinubu and Atiku.

Featuring on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Sowunmi predicted that Tinubu might win 22 states in the 2027 presidential election.

He said: “The election is between Tinubu and Atiku no doubt about it and I believe that he’s going to win significantly better numbers in the Southeast because those are not places they usually get better numbers before.

“Of course, he is going to get good numbers in the
Southwest. I even suspect that the South South may even bring in more good numbers than the Southeast, the way I’m looking at things.

“The president is going to do very well in the Northcentral, and he will do significantly better than he did the last time in the Northwest.

“For the Northwest, you have to look at where the big players are, the big boys that control the election and the big money.

“And when it comes to the Northeast, the vice president will have to pull his weight a little bit more and their governors would try more.

“Where I expect the president to be weak is probably in the North but in that North where the president may be weak, I have looked at all
the governors and big players there.

“Let me give you an example of Katsina, the last time PDP won, one of the persons that worked very hard there was the then Director General of Atiku Campaign, we won Katsina though we lost the election, I went back to go and thank them and I have looked now Shema is no longer there, Isa
Kenta is going to the APC, I have seen what Rabi is doing there.

“Take Kano for instance, they now have Shekarau over and above Ganduje, I have also looked at the big money people in Kano, I have looked at Dangote, BUA owner, you see these things don’t yield that way.”

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Abuja, Nigeria

Distinguished Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife, CON, has reaffirmed her commitment to national development, youth empowerment, and inclusive leadership as she joined top political leaders, stakeholders, party faithful, women, and youth groups at the commissioning of the Tinubu Torch Bearers (TTB) National Secretariat in Asokoro, Abuja.

The event brought together prominent figures within the political space to celebrate the establishment of the TTB National Secretariat, a platform aimed at promoting grassroots mobilization, leadership development, and citizen engagement in support of Nigeria’s development agenda.

Speaking during the ceremony, Senator Ekwunife commended the APC National Woman Leader and Convener of the Tinubu Torch Bearers, Hon. Dr. Mary Alile Idele, PhD, for her dedication to women empowerment, youth inclusion, and the advancement of the Renewed Hope Agenda. She described the initiative as a significant step toward strengthening political participation and fostering greater engagement among Nigerians.

The former senator emphasized the need for unity, purposeful leadership, and active citizen participation in building a stronger and more prosperous nation. According to her, the commissioning of the secretariat represents more than the opening of a physical structure; it symbolizes a strategic platform for nurturing future leaders and driving national transformation.

Senator Ekwunife further urged Nigerians, particularly women and young people, to remain committed to the collective responsibility of nation-building by promoting peace, strengthening democratic institutions, and supporting initiatives that encourage sustainable development across the country.

She reiterated her resolve to continue championing policies and programmes that uplift communities, empower citizens, and create opportunities for growth and development.

As stakeholders gathered in solidarity and shared a common vision for progress, Senator Ekwunife’s message underscored the importance of hope, collaboration, and collective action in shaping a brighter future for Nigeria.

The commissioning of the Tinubu Torch Bearers National Secretariat marks another milestone in efforts to deepen grassroots engagement and strengthen support structures aimed at advancing national development and inclusive governance.

See her full speech below

The trial of former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, and seven others over alleged misappropriation of public funds has been adjourned until October 14 by the Kano State High Court.

Ganduje, alongside his wife Hafsat Umar, faces an 11-count charge bordering on bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation, and diversion of billions of naira.

Other defendants include Abubakar Bawuro, Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Ltd, Safari Textiles Ltd, and Lasage General Enterprises Ltd.

At Wednesday’s hearing, prosecution counsel Victor Oni informed the court that the state was ready to proceed and sought to withdraw an earlier motion filed on March 31, substituting it with a fresh application dated May 15.

The defence, represented by Mrs Lydia Oluwakemi-Oyewo and other counsels, raised no objections.Counsel to the sixth defendant, however, filed a preliminary objection and requested a date for hearing.

Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu subsequently struck out the prosecution’s earlier motion and adjourned the matter to October 14 for consideration of the objection.

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