All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Joe Igbokwe, has pleaded with the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai and his son to desist from making inflammatory statements.

Speaking via his Facebook page, Igbokwe commended the former governor for the efforts made towards placing the APC in power in the 2023 elections. He, however, condemned El-Rufai’s vituperations, insisting that they were too low for a politician of his calibre.

According to Igbokwe: “I want my good friend , HE El Rufai to stop all these not-too-good statements I see everyday. He is bigger than this. His sons should also maintain a grave silence at least for now.

“I am not unmindful of the risky efforts Malam made for APC to triumph in 2023. He drilled the deepest well for APC. However, this street dance is totally negative and consequently too low. I CALL HIM THE STORMY PETRELDazzol.”

Igbokwe’s reaction follows the former Kaduna Governor’s defection from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

El-Rufai defected after criticizing the APC’s failure to ensure internal democracy within the party.

Naija News reports that in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation, El-Rufai also accused the APC government of deviating from its founding principles.

The former governor further alleged that positions in the present administration, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are now distributed based on favoritism rather than merit.

As part of its preparations for the 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the formulation of its Election Project Plan (EPP), incorporating lessons learned from the 2023 general elections to enhance efficiency and credibility.

A senior official at the commission, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH, revealed that the new election framework aims to address logistical shortcomings and improve technical processes to ensure seamless electoral operations in 2027.

According to the INEC source, the 2027-2031 Strategic Plan is also in development to replace the current 2022-2026 framework, which is set to expire in December 2026.

“An important aspect of the current effort is the preparation of another critical document that will act as a bridge between 2026 and 2027—the general election year—which the current 2022-2026 plan does not cover.

“This document will provide the foundation for the 2027 EPP, ensuring continuity and seamless transition into the next election cycle,” the official said

While the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan focused on institutionalizing INEC’s processes, improving capacity building, professionalism, synergy among departments, and resource management, the EPP will be a more comprehensive election-specific plan designed to tackle specific challenges observed in previous elections.

Investigations by Saturday PUNCH revealed that the Election Project Plan (EPP) was first introduced for the 2015 general election and has since been utilized for the 2019 and 2023 elections.

However, following challenges encountered during the 2023 polls, INEC is fine-tuning its operations to ensure a more seamless voting process in 2027.

“We are updating our election templates to improve efficiency and reliability. The lessons from 2023 are shaping our approach to 2027,” the source added.

The 2023 general elections, which had 93,469,008 registered voters across 176,846 polling units, required an extensive logistical operation involving over 1.5 million electoral personnel, including polling staff, supervisors, and security officials and 182,491 vehicles deployed across Nigeria’s diverse terrains.

Despite these preparations, INEC encountered logistical and technical issues, particularly with the upload of presidential election results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

While the National Assembly election results were successfully uploaded, the presidential election results faced delays due to technical glitches.

A post-election review traced the problem to a configuration error, which prevented the system from properly mapping the presidential results, which are national, as opposed to state-specific elections.

Naija News understands that INEC later resolved the issue with software updates, successfully uploading the first presidential election result sheet later on election day.

The family of Afrobeats superstar, Asake, has finally spoken out amid the ongoing controversy involving the singer and a man, Fatai Odunsi, who claims to be his father.

The controversy erupted after a viral video surfaced showing Odunsi appealing to the public for financial assistance, citing serious health issues.

He said he has been battling stroke since 2022 and that Asake has ignored his calls despite his deteriorating condition.

In response, Asake addressed the issue in a cryptic yet emotional message shared on TikTok. 

Singing in Yoruba, he said, “You can’t please everyone, you can’t please the world. But anything you are doing, just do it for God.

“My own father wants to cajole me, and I have sent so much money to him. I have struggled for so many years, but they want to make life tire me.”

Amid the ongoing drama, Asake’s family has now broken their silence, not only addressing the allegations but also accusing the singer of neglecting his daughter, Zeenat, and her mother.

They urged Asake to take responsibility for his father’s welfare and expressed willingness to conduct a DNA test to determine the paternity of 11-year-old Zeenat.

A woman featured in the video made a direct appeal to the singer, saying, “I am begging you, Ololade Mr Money, he shoild come and do the needful.

“I’m begging you, Ololade Mr. Money. Even if Nigerians donate ₦10bn to this man, just ₦1m from Asake would make him happier.

“Please take care of your father. If you don’t want to support him directly, buy him a house in Isale Eko where he can earn rent to survive.

“In this Isale Eko, you can see house of ₦40m, ₦50m that you can build that this man can be collecting rent. Also, if you are in doubt about Zeenat, the mother has agreed to a DNA test.”

Click the link below to watch the video:

The United States Congress has authorized President Donald Trump to impose severe sanctions on Nigeria following alarming reports that the country accounts for 90 percent of Christians killed globally each year. The decision, announced by Chris Smith, Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, came after a congressional hearing on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The hearing featured testimonies, including that of Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi, who described militant Fulani herdsmen as terrorists operating with impunity.

Smith criticized the Nigerian government for failing to protect Christians, citing a report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, which documented over 55,000 killings and 21,000 abductions linked to religious violence between 2019 and 2023. He also blamed the previous Biden administration for removing Nigeria from the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list, a designation Trump had initially placed on the country. Smith urged Trump to take decisive action, reintroducing a resolution calling for renewed CPC designation and potential sanctions if the violence continues.

“This hearing should be a catalyst for action,” Smith stated, emphasizing that sanctions have historically driven change. He expressed confidence that Trump would engage Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on the crisis and take necessary steps to address what he termed “religious cleansing.”

In response, the Nigerian Presidency rejected the US Congress’s findings, describing the report as lacking context and timelines. Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, defended the Tinubu administration, stating that it promotes religious tolerance and has significantly reduced cases of Christian persecution since taking office on May 29, 2023.

“While we are in no way admitting or authenticating the report of the US foreign relations committee, it is noteworthy to state that the committee’s report falls short of context and timelines,” Bwala said. “President Bola Tinubu remains committed to promoting peace and religious tolerance.”

Order parties to await Supreme Court verdict

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Friday, suspended the execution of its judgement that reinstated a former Governor of the Central Bank, CBN, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, as the 16th Emir of Kano.

The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel led by Justice Okon Abang, halted the implementation of the judgement, to await the outcome of an appeal that is pending before the Supreme Court.
The court held that it found merit in applications marked: CA/KN/27M/2025 and CA/KN/28M/2025, which were brought before it in respect of the Kano Emirate tussle.

Specifically, the appellate court held that: “An injunction is hereby granted restraining the respondents (Kano State House of Assembly, Kano State Government, etc.), either by themselves, their agents, privies, servants, or personal representatives, from enforcing the judgment of this Court in Appeal No.

CA/KN/126/2024 – Kano State House of Assembly & Anor Vs Alhaji Aminu Babba-Dan’Agundi & Others, delivered on 10/1/2025, pending the hearing and determination of the Applicant’s appeal filed on 24/1/2025 before the Supreme Court of Nigeria.”

The panel further directed the parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum, pending the judgement of the apex court, even as it gave the Applicant 48 hours to file an undertaking to indemnify the Respondents in damages, in the event that the orders ought not to have been made.

It will be recalled that the appellate court had on January 10, voided the June 20, 2024, decision of Justice Abubakar Liman of the Federal High Court, which invalidated the Kano State Emirates Council (Repeal) Law 2024 that facilitated Sanusi’s reappointment.

According to the appellate court, Justice Liman was bereft of the jurisdiction to nullify the steps the Kano State Government took pursuant to the 2024 Emirates Council Law.

It held that a fundamental rights enforcement suit that was filed by an aggrieved kingmaker in the state, Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan Agundi, which the high court judge relied upon to issue the order, was incompetent.

There are strong indications that some former ministers of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari will move en masse to the Social Democratic Party.

A senator in the ninth Assembly, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, said at least 10 former members of the Buhari cabinet were moving to the SDP.

“What they’re waiting for is the finalisation of the party structure in their respective states,” the source said.

Our correspondents gathered that leading Buhari’s loyalists in the defections are the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Adamu; ex-Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; and former Senate President, Ahmed Lawan. 

El-Rufai makes first move

One of Buhari’s loyalists and former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, on Monday, defected to the SDP, citing a growing misalignment between his personal values and the current direction of the APC as the primary reason for his decision.

“Developments in the last two years confirm that those who currently control and run the APC do not desire to acknowledge, much less address, the party’s unhealthy situation.

“I have raised concerns in private and, more recently, in public regarding the party’s capricious trajectory. Therefore, at this point in my political journey, I have come to the conclusion that I must seek another political platform to pursue the progressive values I cherish,” he said.

El-Rufai, who is a vocal critic of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, disclosed on Wednesday that he sought Buhari’s approval before leaving the APC.

“I left the APC with his (Buhari’s) full knowledge. I visited him on a Friday and informed him of my decision to leave the party because I involve and consult with him on all my matters.

“I have those I consult with in everything I do. I inform them of anything I intend to do, and when they demand that I keep off, I do. My first godfather is Muhammadu Buhari.

“For the rest, I will not mention them because if I do, they’ll be pressured,” El-Rufai told the BBC Hausa service in an interview.

CPC bloc to work against Tinubu

El-Rufai’s defection and Buhari’s purported approval opened a floodgate of defections as some other members of the APC in the North, especially those of CPC extraction, have also been dumping the party.

Buhari, El-Rufai, Malami, and Lawan were leaders of the Congress for Progress Change until the party joined the Action Congress of Nigeria, a part of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, and members of the New Peoples Democratic Party to form the APC in 2013.

The former Kaduna governor’s statement also revealed the long-talked-about coalition involving some aggrieved leaders of the APC.

Following El-Rufai’s defection, a chieftain of the APC, Ahmad Kaita, who is a former senator, and member of the House of Representatives from Katsina, also joined the SDP.

Kaita is also a former member of the CPC.

Similarly, former Kaduna State commissioners for Agriculture, Ibrahim Hussaini; Justice, Aisha Dikko; Health, Amina Baloni; and Education, Halima Lawal; as well as former Head of Service, Hajiya Bari’atu Mohammed, also dumped the APC for the SDP.

Also, the Campaign Secretary of the APC in Gombe State during the 2015 general elections, Adamu Modibbo, has left the party. Modibbo is now the chairman of the SDP in the state.

A former Publicity Secretary of the APC in Borno State, Abdulaziz Galadima, while confirming his defection to the SDP to our correspondent, said he left the party because it deviated from the principles and ideology on which it was founded.

Galadima also confirmed that many original CPC members would leave the APC for “SDP or another party.”

Other politicians leaving

Saturday PUNCH reached out to Malami for comments on the matter, but the SAN neither answered calls nor responded to messages sent to his mobile phone.

However, one of his closest aides confirmed his involvement in the coalition move.

The aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “It is not about ousting Tinubu in 2027 but about our conviction that we have better and more credible constitutional alternatives to offer Nigerians in governance, particularly with regard to institutionalising a human-centred approach to governance.

“We collectively abhor the prevailing order in which governance is commercialised to the detriment of Nigerians and their welfare. It seems to be a marriage of tendencies that cut across the existing political parties with high-profile politicians from PDP, defunct CPC, ACN and APC among others.

“In personality sense, those involved across the geographical zones include serving and former governors and senators, former ministers, and past and present party officials.”

 
The highly credible source mentioned former governors of Rivers, Imo, Cross Rivers, Sokoto and Osun states, Rotimi Amaechi, Emeka Ihedioha, Liyel Imoke, Aminu Tambuwal and Rauf Aregbesola, respectively, as part of the stakeholders in the coalition movement.

A former Senate President, David Mark; ex-national chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; a former Buhari’s Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, and the senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, among others, were also involved in the coalition.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, a chieftain of the APC in Imo State confirmed that the CPC extraction in the APC had concluded plans to leave the party for a coalition.

“That some ministers who served under Buhari are leaving or will leave the APC is confirmed. However, they may not join the SDP, but I know they are part of the coalition movement,” said the chieftain, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

According to him, no fewer than 10 ministers and many senators in the ninth National Assembly were leaving the APC.

He said, “President Tinubu has mismanaged the success of our party, and it is painful that things are going awry every day. APC bigwigs, both in the North and South, are not happy, and the President doesn’t care. You don’t grow by reducing in size. The APC is reducing in size.

“The CPC bloc of the party has also been leaving. You will agree with me that the CPC is a strong bloc in the APC, and if it is gone, I doubt if the APC will remain the same.

 
“Those leaving the APC are foundation members who have genuine followers. Apart from El-Rufai, other former governors are also involved in the political movement. These are not paperweight politicians.”

Similarly, a former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, said he was aware that many Nigerians, including former ministers, were involved in some political discussions.

Dalung, who left the APC for the SDP in 2022, said, “We are in discussions with many people across the country, including former ministers and senators. But because it is at the level of discussion, I will have to protect their identities.

“However, I can assure you that, from what is going on, a large number of the political class from across the political parties in Nigeria are coming together to have a common front.

“This problem Tinubu found himself in is self-inflicted. It is caused by his ego. He is an egoistic personality who sees himself as an emperor. He thinks he has conquered Nigeria. But I’m telling you that unless he changes his method of governance, we will soon know who Nigerians are.”

Dalung also accused President Tinubu of not treating Buhari fairly.

“The two of them aligned in 2014 to form the APC, which won the election. Buhari conceded the vice president to Tinubu and five other ministers, and he supported his presidential ambition.

 
“Currently, Tinubu cannot mention a single special adviser he considered for Buhari in his administration. The President is not treating Buhari fairly,” he added.

Aregbesola’s media adviser, Sola Fasure, declined to comment on the purported plan by the former Minister of Interior to join the SDP.

“We will talk about our political movement at the right time,” he said.

But one of Aregbesola’s loyalists, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, said the former governor had been invited to join the SDP.

According to the insider, Aregbesola is part of a political movement involving some of his colleagues from the Buhari administration and other prominent politicians in the country.

He said, “I can’t confirm whether it is the SDP we are joining, but I know there is an ongoing political movement. Some ministers and former APC officials are involved.

“The movement is even bigger than any single political party. From my understanding, even if we join the SDP, the African Democratic Congress, or any other party, it will only serve as a structure. Eventually, all these smaller parties will collapse into a coalition in 2027. A coalition is the main game.”

 
Aregbesola’s group, Omoluabi Progressives, left the APC a few months ago, citing ostracism, suspension, and expulsion of members without fair hearing, as well as the perceived neglect and marginalisation of the group within the APC structure.

When contacted, Buhari’s media aide, Garba Shehu, said he would have to reach the former president before commenting on the reported defection plan of his ministers.

But Buhari has reiterated that he is a loyal member of the APC and would like to be addressed as such.

President Bola Tinubu has reassured the nation of better days ahead, affirming his administration’s commitment to listening to the needs of the people and implementing policies for sustainable growth.
Speaking on Friday while receiving members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the State House in Abuja, Tinubu defended his decision to remove the fuel subsidy, describing it as a tough but necessary step to prevent Nigeria from financial collapse.

 
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President explained that the reforms, though painful, were already yielding positive results.

“Yes, removing the fuel subsidy was hard, tough for me, but it was a choice that Nigeria had to face. We are not going to bankrupt our country,” he said.

 
According to Tinubu, the reforms have led to increased competition in the petroleum sector, improved agricultural yields, and a decline in commodity prices, signaling a gradual economic recovery.

“There is hope; people are coming in to invest. They are saying good things about Nigeria. I am very proud of that. What seemed like a very difficult beginning is now showing us hope. And we are not even at half-time yet. I am happy to see this period alive and healthy, and I am thankful to all of you for your prayers,” he added.

Addressing the nation’s security concerns, Naija News reports that Tinubu acknowledged the challenges affecting all Nigerians, irrespective of religion or ethnicity, stressing that security agencies were making significant progress in curbing threats.

“This insecurity affects everyone—Christians, Muslims alike. I have no religious bias; I won’t be a bigot. My wife is a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church,” he stated.

The President emphasized the need for national unity beyond religious and ethnic divisions, saying, “This country must develop and must stand beyond religious bigotry. And I’m here, open to you, ready to listen.”

Tinubu expressed gratitude to religious leaders for their continued prayers and support, noting that the country is already experiencing renewed optimism.

He reiterated that Nigeria’s economic outlook is improving, citing increased foreign investments, stabilizing fuel supply, and boosting agricultural production.

“We are witnessing a better deal, and there is renewed hope,” the President assured.

A 24-year-old Point of Sale (POS) machine operator from Lagos, named Shamsudeen Ishiaka, has been charged with defrauding five of his coworkers out of ₦17 million.

Naija News reports that Ishiaka appeared before the Ogudu Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where it was alleged that he committed the offenses in November 2024 at Mile 12 Market in Ketu, Lagos.

The specific address of Ishiaka’s residence was not disclosed. He faces two charges, fraud and theft, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutor Insp Bassey Sunday informed the court that Ishiaka received the ₦17 million from his colleagues on different occasions through bank transfers, promising to repay them in cash.

According to the prosecutor, the complainants transferred funds to Ishiaka in exchange for cash, which he subsequently failed to provide.

The amounts involved included ₦7 million from Oluwakemi Dada, ₦4 million from Nuhu Hassan, ₦2.7 million from Ahmed Didat, ₦1.8 million from David Chibuzor, and ₦1.5 million from Dare Oyegoke.

Sunday further alleged that Ishiaka fled with the money until he was located and apprehended by the police.

He stated that these actions violated Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Magistrate O.A. Daodu granted bail to the defendant in the amount of ₦1 million, requiring two sureties of equal value, and scheduled the next court appearance for April 15 for further proceedings.

The auxiliary nurse who attended to the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, widely known as Mohbad, Feyisayo Ogedengbe, has revealed that the rapper experienced a reaction and began vomiting after receiving a tetanus injection.
Testifying before Justice C.A. Shotobi at the Coroner’s Court in Ikorodu, Lagos, on Friday, Ogedengbe recounted that she had stepped out to get additional medical supplies when she received a call informing her that Mohbad had started convulsing.

 
She explained that after administering the tetanus shot, Mohbad developed goosebumps, a reaction his wife, Omowunmi, reportedly described as a “normal response” for him.

 
Ogedengbe stated that on September 12, 2024, she was contacted by Ayobami Sodiq, also known as Spending, to provide treatment for Mohbad.

Upon arriving at his Lekki residence around 2:30 pm, she observed a swollen cut on his right hand. She proceeded to administer the tetanus injection to his upper arm and, after confirming that he had an ulcer, opted to give him paracetamol instead of diclofenac.

She further explained that she injected him with 4ml of paracetamol diluted with 1ml of water, along with a slow 10ml dose of ceftriaxone for bacterial infection treatment.

As she administered the ceftriaxone, Mohbad began feeling discomfort and got up to vomit.

“After vomiting in the toilet, he returned to the room and sat on the floor, where I noticed the goosebumps on his body.
I showed his wife (Omowunmi) the reaction, and she said it was his normal response to injections,” Ogedengbe stated.

She mentioned that four people were in the room at the time: Mohbad, his wife, Ayobami, and herself.

Ogedengbe then asked Omowunmi why she had not mentioned that Mohbad usually reacted that way to injections.

“Omowunmi then took Mohbad to the bathroom and began pouring water on his head,” she narrated.

Realizing the severity of the situation, Ogedengbe and Ayobami rushed to a pharmacy to get medication for the allergic reaction, but delays at the first pharmacy slowed them down.

She said: “After visiting another pharmacy and obtaining the necessary hydrocortisone injection and normal saline infusion, we returned to find Mohbad outside the house. By then, preparations were underway to take him to the hospital.

 
“Due to a lack of available vehicles and heavy traffic, Mohbad was transported to the hospital on a motorcycle, where he was later declared dead on arrival by the medical team.”

She recalled that upon arriving at the hospital, the medical personnel initially hesitated to treat him, causing further confusion.

Ogedengbe added that Mohbad’s body was taken back home around 8 pm, after which they proceeded to the Orchid Lekki Police Station to obtain a death certificate. After making inquiries, the police directed them to Ajiwe Police Station in Ajah for further reporting.

Following cross-examinations by Dr. Wahab Shittu, SAN, representing Mohbad’s family; Kabir Akingbolu, representing Omowunmi; and the state’s counsel, the case was adjourned to Friday, March 21, 2024, for further hearing.

Meanwhile, in February 2025, the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions at a Magistrate Court in Sabo, Yaba, Lagos, stated that Ogedengbe and Sodiq would be prosecuted for reckless and negligent acts under Section 251 (e) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

At the same time, the court acquitted popular music artist Abdulazeez Fashola, known as Naira Marley, music promoter Samson Balogun, also known as Sam Larry, Owodunni Ibrahim (Primeboy), and Mohbad’s former manager, Opere Babatunde.