Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has raised alarm over the growing trend of transactional politics in Nigeria, where politicians allegedly bankroll young people to harass and discredit advocates of good governance on social media.

Speaking at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C. in a video which started trending on Thursday, Obi condemned the disturbing practice, describing it as a betrayal of the very youth whose future is at stake.

“In the transactional politics of Nigeria, some people pay them to cause confusion. Go to social media, those that are being paid ₦20,000, ₦40,000 monthly to abuse you are the same youths you’re fighting for their live because I am over 60 and I have few years to go,” he said.

Obi called the situation both tragic and ironic: the same young Nigerians who should be champions of reform are being weaponized against it—used to defend a broken system they suffer under.

He stressed the urgent need for a political awakening among the youth, urging them to reject crumbs from corrupt politicians and instead embrace knowledge, critical thinking, and civic responsibility.

“We must move away from politics driven by money and manipulation. Our youths must be empowered with knowledge, not stipends to insult those seeking change,” he added.

His remarks come against the backdrop of increasing online misinformation and targeted harassment in Nigeria’s digital political space, especially aimed at opposition voices and reform advocates.

Watch the video below:

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— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) April 25, 2025

The Sole Administrator of Rivers, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has requested more time from the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Rivers to properly brief the committee on the developments in the state.

He requested on Friday at a meeting with the committee in Abuja after failing to appear before the committee on Thursday, April 17 and 24.

Ibas, who expressed regret for his inability to attend earlier engagements explains that the absence was not out of disregard, but rather due to the weighty and urgent demands of stabilising governance in Rivers.

“I have always held the National Assembly in the highest regard. I recognise the importance of your oversight responsibilities and your interest in the progress being made in River, which is presently relatively calm, but still fragile. 

“It is important that any engagement with this committee is done with the depth, accuracy, and clarity it rightfully deserves.

“I remain fully committed to cooperating with the committee and to ensuring that all relevant information is made available in due course to support your important work,” he said.

“I only request the understanding and the indulgence of this committee to grant me additional time to adequately prepare and present a comprehensive and constructive briefing, given the complexities and sensitivities surrounding the current transitional period in Rivers. 

“It is important that any engagement with this committee is done with the depth, accuracy, and clarity it rightfully deserves.

“I remain fully committed to cooperating with the committee and to ensuring that all relevant information is made available in due course to support your important work,” he said.

Addressing newsmen after a close door meeting, the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Julius Ihonvbere (APC-Edo) said that the committee resolved to give a new date to the sole administrator.

Ihonvbere underscored the constitutional role of the National Assembly in legitimising and overseeing the state of emergency declared in Rivers.

According to the chairman, the federal legislature remains central to the state’s transitional process.

Ihonvbere reaffirmed the committee’s constitutional mandate and expressed satisfaction that the administrator had finally honored the invitation after earlier delays.

He emphasised that the committee’s mandate was rooted in constitutional authority and that some of its terms had already been communicated to the administrator in an earlier letter.

The chairman encouraged the administrator to feel at ease, stressing that the committee members had been carefully selected to ensure broad representation across geopolitical zones and legislative experience.

“I want you to feel relaxed because the members you see here were carefully selected based on zonal representation and membership of the House to advance the progress that Rivers needs to make to be part and parcel of the holistic structure of democracy that Nigeria represents today.

“We have demonstrated again and again our preparedness to do this job efficiently and effectively,” he assured.

NAN

The World Bank has projected that poverty will increase in Nigeria by three percentage points in five years to 2027. 

The World Bank made this projection in its Africa Pulse report released on the sidelines of the ongoing Spring Meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington DC. 

The report, among other information, painted a dire picture of poverty in Nigeria, noting that while economic activity has shown some positive signs, the underlying challenges associated with resource dependence and fragility are projected to escalate poverty levels, demanding focused and effective governance reforms and inclusive economic policies.

The report noted that while Nigeria saw higher-than-expected economic growth in the final quarter of 2024, particularly in its non-oil sector, the country’s status as a resource-rich and fragile nation means it faces a concerning outlook for poverty reduction.

The report indicates that poverty rates in resource-rich, fragile countries, including Nigeria, are expected to increase by 3.6 percentage points between 2022 and 2027, making it the only group in Sub-Saharan Africa with a projected rise in poverty.

The report stated: “Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest extreme poverty rate globally, and a large share of the poor is concentrated in a few countries. About 80 percent of the world’s estimated 695 million extreme poor resided in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, compared to 8 percent in South Asia, 2 percent in East Asia and the Pacific, 5 percent in the Middle East and North Africa, and 3 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean.”Within Sub-Saharan Africa, half of the 560 million extreme poor in 2024 resided in four countries. Non-resource-rich countries are expected to continue reducing poverty faster than resource-rich countries. “Thanks to higher prices of agricultural commodities, non-

resource-rich countries will see higher growth overall, despite fiscal pressures. Conversely, resource-rich countries are not expected to grow at the same rate given decelerating oil prices. As a result, resource-rich countries are expected to see less progress in terms of poverty reduction.”Importantly, poverty in resource-rich, fragile countries (which include large countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria) is expected to increase by 3.6 percentage points over 2022–27, being the only group in the region with increasing poverty rates.

“This follows a well-established pattern: resource wealth combined with fragility or conflict is associated with the highest poverty rates—an average poverty rate of 46 per cent in 2024, 13 percentage points above non-fragile, resource-rich countries.

“Meanwhile, non-resource-rich, non-fragile countries saw the biggest gains in poverty reduction since 2000 and fully closed the gap in poverty with other non-resource-rich countries by 2010.”

Consequently, the report suggests that for resource-rich countries like Nigeria, improving fiscal management and developing a stronger fiscal contract with citizens is crucial.

A former presidential adviser and ex-member of the House of Representatives, Usman Bugaje, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of using financial inducements to orchestrate the defection of key figures from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

Bugaje made the statement during a televised interview on Arise TV on Thursday.

He expressed concern over what he described as the monetisation of politics and its implications for Nigeria’s democracy.

“For what I know—and I don’t claim to know everything—the APC is basically using money to buy off PDP,” he said. 

He further noted that in some cases, individuals facing investigations might also be pressured through threats.

“Of course, if there are people with records in the EFCC, they might threaten them. They might do these kinds of things, and this has been the practice right from the time of President Obasanjo,” he added.

Bugaje stressed that the deeper issue lies in how money has become a central factor in political allegiance, warning that such trends could signal the demise of democracy. 

“For as long as money is going to be the determining factor, then that’s the end of democracy and that’s the end of politics. We would be heading towards something completely different, maybe on the path of Peru and Fujimori,” he said.

Reacting to recent mass defections in Delta State, the PDP’s acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, had said the party was not expecting the wave of departures but insisted that the next election would be a contest between Nigerians and the APC.

Bugaje, however, described the PDP’s response as weak. He argued that the PDP had already lost its ability to function as an opposition party, citing internal failures and a lack of resolve.

“There has not been opposition right from the time the Minister Wike did what he did. PDP has lost that opportunity to become an opposition party,” he stated.

He cited poor conduct by PDP members in national matters such as emergency rule debates and budget sessions, claiming that the party had failed to hold government to account.

Bugaje also pointed to structural flaws within Nigeria’s political parties, recalling his own experience during the merger that formed the APC. He said efforts to introduce merit-based criteria for party leadership were thwarted.

“We should develop a criteria for people who are going to hold responsibilities of the party. They all opposed it, except a few of us,” Bugaje said, adding that personal political interests had overshadowed institutional development.

He warned that the dominance of transactional relationships in party politics, where loyalty is exchanged for money or influence, has eroded the values of political engagement.

“People who don’t have the character to hold a party, people who don’t have sufficient education to understand the implication of some of the things they do—these are the people now in charge,” he said.

Bugaje concluded by affirming his long-standing opposition to these practices.

“I fought this as much as I could. I pulled back when I realised that, but I made my point. If you have people who are qualified, who have character, who have got the passion for the party, you can be sure one thing: that party is going to remain intact,” he said.

A former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has said that the weakness of the National Assembly opened the door for President Bola Tinubu’s constitutional breach in the country.

The ex-minister of transportation disclosed this on Thursday while condemning the suspension of Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and lawmakers of the state assembly.

He spoke at the ninth edition of the Akinjide Adeosun Foundation’s Annual Leadership Discourse, themed “Fearless Leadership: A Panacea for Sustainable Development,” organised in Lagos.

He said, “Do you agree that there is nothing like a fearless leader and there is nothing like courageous leadership? Do you (Nigerians) need a courageous leader where the system works? Just push the button, and everything will give you the answer. It is only when there is a failed leadership that you begin to look at who is the courageous leader. There are different types of leadership traits, and fearless leadership is not one of them. There is the authoritarian leadership trait, which is one who knows it all. Such leaders tell you what to do without consulting and expect you to obey. 

“You can either have a fearless followership or a docile followership. Does Nigeria resonate here as per the docility of followership? Does it resonate here? Yes. Good governance is about constitutionality and the rule of law. It is also about the concept of the separation of powers. The absence of good governance and the rule of law breeds arbitrariness in governance. Arbitrariness here has to do with the non-observance of the basic principles of law.

“For a governor or a president, who subscribes to such a concept, it is what he or she does that is law. It is not what is in the book that is the law. There is also the non-observance of the basic principles of law. This is where government is not by law, but by the whims and caprices of an individual leader, like the current pronouncement of an illegal and unconstitutional state of emergency in Rivers State, aided by weak institutions like the National Assembly, which is very weak.”

The former governor also urged Nigerians to be proactive in reacting to poor governance, saying docility was an enabler of bad leadership.

“What is even more alarming is that the breach in the situation is not even about the law. The president didn’t break any law. He broke the Constitution. Now, this breach of the Constitution is a breach of the sacredness and sanctity of the Constitution.

“The constitution of a country is the Bible of that country. And its sanctity must be protected. Can we say the same in Nigeria? Obviously, the response would be a resounding no. The president looked at the whole of Nigeria and removed an elected governor in Rivers State and appointed a military man, yet the country continued. Nothing happened.”

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has put the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a precarious position in Delta State.

The defection happened three months after the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Festus Ahon, dismissed the rumour about his alleged plan to join the APC as speculations concocted by some APC elements. 

Reacting to the speculation in January, Ahon said that given Oborevwori’s popularity and acceptance in Delta, the governor has no reason to dump the PDP for any other party.

According to him, the speculation was pushed because the APC — the opposition party at the time — was threatened by the rising acceptance and bridge-building efforts of the governor across political divides.

However, despite Ahon’s denial, Oborevwori’s rumoured plan to join the APC continued to swell.

To further dispel the speculation, the Delta State Commissioner for Works, Rural Roads and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, while speaking on Arise TV on Friday, January 17, 2025, explained that the PDP remains a strong party in Delta State, adding that Governor Oborevwori doesn’t jump ship like other politicians.

“Oborevwori is not only a proud member of the PDP, and remains a proud leader of the PDP both in Delta and in Nigeria, he is also a performing governor, who has also been able to show that he can be regarded as the poster governor for the PDP. So, those who are wishing that he’s jumping ship, we want to tell them that Oborevwori is not in the business of jumping ship,” he said.

Also, when the defection rumour started, the PDP described it as a baseless and sinister speculation by jobless political hirelings and their ignoble sponsors.

The party, therefore, advised “members of the public to disregard the dubious speculation, assuring them that all that nothing can distract the governor.”

However, in a surprising twist, the governor, alongside his commissioners and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, announced their defection to the APC.

Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, cited the lingering crisis in the PDP as one reason for their defection.

“This move is aimed at ensuring that Delta State continues on the path of development, security, and progress. Remaining in the PDP, given the current circumstances, would only truncate that journey,” he said.

Meanwhile, Governor Oborevwori had somehow validated his rumoured defection when he ascribed his administration’s success to President Bola Tinubu’s performance.

The governor, while addressing Deltans in December 2024, declared his support for President Tinubu’s administration and also asked his people to support the president, noting that his administration would fail if Tinubu failed. 

“Whether you like it or not, I will say it here, Mr. President, that you see, he is supporting this administration. God has made him president, as God has made me the Governor. So, as you are supporting me, support him,” Governor Oborevwori said.

While the APC rejoices over the defection of key political stakeholders in Delta State, the development puts the PDP in a precarious situation, as the party loses its over 25-year grip on the oil-rich state.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has not yet made a decision regarding the leadership of the Labour Party following a recent Supreme Court ruling.

Multiple sources in the commission confirmed to The PUNCH on Thursday that the commission was still reviewing the court’s judgment.

“No decision has been made yet on the Supreme Court judgment of the Labour Party,” an official said anonymously for lack of authorisation to speak to the press.

Another official said a decision would only be taken after INEC had studied the Certified True Copy of the jugdment.

“The commission needs to obtain a Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgement, study it carefully to determine what the court intended, before arriving at an informed decision,” the official said.

The Supreme Court had on April 4, 2025 overturned an earlier ruling by the Court of Appeal that had recognised Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the party.

The apex court held that the appeal court lacked jurisdiction over internal party matters.

But the apex court verdict was subjected to different interpretations, with Abure contending that the Supreme Court did not remove him from office, while the LP Caretaker Committee, led by Nenadi Usman, argued that Abure had been sacked.

At the same time a factional leader of the party, Lamidi Apapa, surfaced to lay claim to the party’s leadership.

In a move to clarify the leadership situation, an LP delegation led by Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti and the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, visited INEC headquarters in Abuja on April 9.

During the visit, Otti submitted a Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court’s judgment to the electoral body.

The visit aimed to provide clarity on the party’s leadership and ensure effective communication with INEC.

The delegation was received by the INEC National Commissioner, Sam Olumekun, and other senior officials of the commission.

Discussions during the meeting also covered ways to strengthen collaboration between INEC and the Labour Party, with an emphasis on upholding democratic values.

Olumekun reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to neutrality, transparency, and the rule of law in carrying out its responsibilities.

Meanwhile, Abure, on Thursday, insisted he remained the authentic LP National Chairman.

Abure warned Governor Otti and Obi to heed the Supreme Court judgment.

Speaking through LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh at a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, he said, “The position of the Labour Party after critically reviewing the Supreme Court judgment delivered on the 4th of April 2025 stated as follows: The Supreme Court, contrary to speculations, actually reaffirmed the National Convention of the Party held on the 27th of March 2024 at Nnewi.

“The reason for the non-justiciability of internal disputes of a political party is simple, and in the eyes of the law, a political party is a corporate entity with its constitution, rules, regulations, and guidelines which are binding on members who had joined freely have consented to be so bound (See Abegunde Vs. Ondo State House of Assembly & Ors. (2015) LPELR-24588 (SC).

“Consequently, we admonished Alex Otti, the Governor of Abia State, and Peter Obi, former presidential Candidate of our party in the 2023 General Election, who are the protagonists of the current division in the Party, to hear the Supreme Court loud and clear.”

Continuing, Abure insisted that before the contentious National Convention, the Labour Party fulfilled all legal requirements in line with the LP Constitution, Electoral Act, and the 1999 Constitution.

According to him, those insisting their tenure has expired probably misinterpreted the judgment.

 “The Supreme Court admonished party members to respect the Constitution of their party when it stated thus; Political Parties have put in place diverse kinds of internal dispute resolution mechanisms to handle any matter arising from disputes among members.

 “Political parties and their members should, therefore, have faith in the internal dispute resolution mechanisms prescribed in their party constitution,” he urged.

Abure’s press conference comes two weeks after Obi and Otti supporters presented the 48-page Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment at a parallel meeting of the LP National Executive Committee with several stakeholders in attendance in Abuja.

Otti had announced that the document had put an end to the debate of misinterpretation of the verdict.

In attendance were Obi; the lawmaker representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Senator Victor Umeh; Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission, Prof Theophilus Ndubuaku; and the National Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Senator Darlington Nwokocha.

Others include former LP chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo, members of the National Assembly, Abia State Assembly and chieftains of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, among others.

When contacted for reaction, the spokesman of the Usman-led caretaker committee, Tony Akeni appealed for time, saying he was indisposed at the moment.

He, however, promised to call back.

As of the time of filing this story, his lime could not be reached.

Efforts to get the reaction of Obi’s media aide, Umar Ibrahim, were also unsuccessful.

Flight operations will now resume fully at the nation’s airports as workers of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have called off their strike action after the intervention of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Thursday.

LEADERSHIP reports that NiMet staff had commenced an indefinite strike over poor salary packages and welfare.

Speaking to journalists, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Tunde Moshood, said that the NiMET unions suspended the strike after intervention by the minister.

He hinted that the workers suspended the strike until May 13, 2025, pending the outcome of the minister’s intervention on the issues raised.

At the meeting with the minister were the leaderships of the unions – the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP). 

Speaking after the meeting, the general secretary of NUATE, Comrade Aba Ocheme,
said that the unions resolved to suspend the ongoing strike till May 13, 2025, in recognition of the Minister’s sincere intervention.

He explained that the unions awaited the progress of the actions the minister had committed to take.

Also, National President of ANAP, Comrade Alale Adedayo, said that as a mark of respect for the minister, the unions had decided to “temporarily call off the strike” while the process of resolution was ongoing.

The unions had downed tools over several unresolved grievances relating to poor working conditions, including salary relativity with other aviation agencies, non-implementation of the 2019 consequential adjustment to the national minimum wage (affecting at least 30 omitted staff), demands for a 25 – 35 per cent salary increase, 40 per cent hardship/peculiar allowances, annual staff training, among others.

In his response, Keyamo expressed empathy with the affected workers and pledged his commitment to finding lasting solutions to their concerns.

As part of immediate steps, Keyamo said that he would personally intervene through formal communications to both Pesident Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Finance, aimed at fast-tracking the resolution of pressing financial concerns.

He also promised to establish a ministerial committee, which would be headed by Dr Ibrahim Kana, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, to interface with the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to clarify issues surrounding subsistence allowances and related matters.

The minister further reiterated the importance of industrial harmony in the aviation sector and commended the union leaders for their maturity, patriotism, and willingness to dialogue in the national interest.

In his comment, Kana assured all stakeholders that tangible progress would be made before the May 13 deadline and called for continued cooperation as the ministry works to ensure improved welfare and working conditions for NIiET staff and all aviation personnel.

MTN Group, Africa’s largest mobile operator, said on Thursday it suffered a cybersecurity breach that exposed personal data of some customers in certain markets, but its core networks, billing systems, and financial platforms remain secure.

An unidentified third party claimed to have accessed parts of MTN’s systems, the company said in a statement posted on its website.

While the scope of the breach is still under investigation, MTN reassured stakeholders that there is no indication that customer accounts or digital wallets were directly compromised.

“No evidence of compromise to any of our critical infrastructure, core MTN platforms, or services,” MTN stated, adding that its “core network, billing systems, and financial services infrastructure remain secure and fully operational.”

The Johannesburg-based telecom giant, which serves 280 million customers across 19 countries, has notified the South African Police Service and the Hawks, a specialised crime unit, and is coordinating with authorities in affected markets.

MTN is also reaching out to impacted customers to meet local regulatory requirements.

“We have informed the relevant country authorities and will continue to update them on an ongoing basis while working closely with them and law enforcement agencies to support their investigations,” the operator noted.

As part of its ongoing efforts to mitigate potential risks, MTN is in the process of notifying affected customers in accordance with local legal and regulatory requirements.

The company advised its customers to take preventive steps to safeguard their information.

Among the recommended measures are placing fraud alerts on credit reports, regularly updating apps, using strong and unique passwords, and exercising caution with unsolicited messages containing suspicious links.

MTN further urged customers to avoid sharing sensitive information, such as passwords, PINs, and one-time passwords, over the phone, text, or email.

Where available, the company also recommends enabling multi-factor authentication for added security.

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has opened up about the episode which resulted in the inability of the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to visit the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in the state.

Speaking on Thursday during an interview with TVC, Governor Alia said he didn’t know the intention Obi had for the planned visit, as there was no prior information on the visit.

While debunking any political colouration of the denial, the Benue State Governor added that there are protocols for such high-profile visits that need to be vetted before approval can be given.

Naija News recalls that following the denial, Peter Obi had lamented the treatment meted out to him by the Benue State Government over his planned visit to camps housing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state and called for a need to change his approach in responding to issues in politics.

Sharing his own side of the story, Alia said the denial wasn’t a political move but more of a security approach and protection for the people in the IDP camp.

He said, “I can never politicize that. I am the one bearing the brunt and the pains and the sorrows of the IDPs in my state.

“The very respected Peter Obi was a Governor and if you are coming into someone’s state, there are protocols. A very high personality you are coming into someone’s state and you party does not even know you are coming and I the sitting Governor do not know you are coming and then you are going to where I’m protecting even most, the IDP camp. It’s my duty to protect them, they have been disbalanced and I need to protect them even some more.

“So I don’t know the intent you have. Is it not courteous enough just for me to know as a sitting Governor and even to provide more security to you and to prepare the mind of the IDPs.”

Governor Alia also denied claims by Obi that he couldn’t be reached, adding that if he couldn’t be reached directly, other senior members of his government could have been reached.