Human rights activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju has said that President Bola Tinubu would not lose an election he conducts.

Reacting to the defection of key members of the People Democratic Party (PDP) including the governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, the lawyer said it is too late for Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar to win the 2027 election.

According to Adeyanju, it will still be impossible to oust Tinubu in 2027 with Obi and Atiku on a joint ticket.

In a post in X, Adeyanju said, “Even if Atiku & Obi are on a joint ticket now, it’s too late.

“Tinubu will not lose an election Tinubu conduct,” he wrote.

He also stated that the luckiest opportunity the duo ever had against Tinubu was in 2023.

His words, “They had their luckiest chance in 2023 but they kept playing to the gallery and entertaining their supporters. And Buhari was ready to work with them.”

Recall that Atiku have been championing a coalition plan with key political leaders across the country.

Some of these leaders include a foemer governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai who recently dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has appointed Nigerian music legend Innocent Idibia, popularly known as TuFace, as his Technical Adviser on Entertainment and Community Outreach.

In a viral video on Wednesday, Alia praised TuFace for all the support towards his administration.

The governor stated that TuFace can do more.

He stated, “On behalf of the Benue State government and our very good people, we want to give you some more responsibility plus the ones you have been doing because you have the capacity to do some more and help us chart a way forward to improve other people’s lives and to gain more from your wisdom and advise as well.

“So, I’m pleased to announce that we will make you a technical adviser to the governor on entertainment and community outreach.”

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, the immediate past governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and all members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State have defected to the All Progressives Congress.

The announcement was made on Wednesday in Asaba, the Delta State capital, by Senator James Manager, shortly after a meeting that lasted over six hours at Government House, Asaba.

Manager stated, “All PDP members in the state, including the governor, former Governor Okowa, the Speaker, the state party chairman, all the local government chairmen and others, have agreed to move to the APC.

“We cannot continue to be in a sinking boat,” he said.

The Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr Aniagwu Charles, officially confirmed the governor’s defection and the collective decision of Delta PDP leaders and stakeholders to join the APC.

“There is a need for us to adjust our drinking patterns. And in adjusting that drinking pattern, we needed to make a decision that would further help to cement the development in our state, to build the court of law that has existed in our state, to further advance the cause of security and the welfare of our people, and, to a large extent, ensure that development in Delta is not truncated,” Aniagwu stated.

He continued, “In taking that decision, we concluded that leaving the PDP was very necessary for us to be able to collaborate and build a state that every Deltan will be proud of. We believe that what is happening, and the state of the PDP, is akin to that palm wine whose taste has changed — and there was a need for us to change the drinking party.”

Charles added that the decision was unanimously made by party leaders and stakeholders, hinting at a formal public declaration soon.

“By the grace of God, on Monday next week, we will be able to make a very big statement confirming that we are moving into the APC,” he said.

The move marks a significant turning point in Delta State politics, signalling a broader political recalibration that could reshape party dominance in the South-South region.

The commissioner for information in Akwa Ibom State, Aniekan Umanah has explained the rationale behind Governor Uno Eno’s support for President Bola Tinubu.

Umanah said reports of possible defection of the governor from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) is not feasible.

According to Umanah, Governor Eno’s endorsement of the President and Senator Godswill Akpabio is a strategic act of enlightened interest for the state.

He added that such moves by the governor are aimed at unlocking the federal collaborations and all benefits due to the people of Akwa Ibom state.

“This growing synergy has already begun yielding visible benefits and will further facilitate key initiatives like the Ibom Deep Seaport, and Ecological Remediation, amongst others.”

“These leaders have shown clear goodwill toward our State and have publicly acknowledged the Governor’s exceptional performance. This is leadership with foresight,” Umanah said.

The 2023 presidential candidate for the Labour Party, Peter Obi on Wednesday announced that he visited Rome to pay his final respect to the late Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis.

In a post made on X, Obi said he joined Francis Cardinal Arinze and other global dignitaries and mourners at St. Peter’s Basilica.

Obi in the post titled, “Legacy of Light: What Pope Francis Taught the World” said the lying-in-state ceremony of the Pope was a moment of deep reflection.

He wrote, “Pope Francis was more than a Pontiff; he was a moral light in a world darkened by inequality and indifference. His life was a testament to leadership as a sacred duty, one rooted in compassion, truth, and service to the poor and marginalised. He lived for others, spoke for the voiceless, and reminded us all that leadership must be about lifting others, not self-exaltation.

“I came to truly appreciate what he stood for after my appointment as a member of Scholars Occultantes – an international circle of thinkers he founded during his time as Archbishop,” he said.

He added that the organisation has been dedicated to truth, ethical leadership and social justice.

According to Obi, his meeting with the late Pope before his passing was a blessing to him and had lasting impressions on him.

“He radiated peace and inspired faith, and his presence was a quiet yet powerful reminder of the divine responsibility that leadership entails. His humility was infectious, his vision deeply human.

“As we mourn this great soul, I urge political, religious, and community leaders, especially across Africa, to reflect on his life and commit to the values he upheld: justice, peace, and human dignity. Let this moment not just be one of mourning, but a call to lead with conscience, walk with the people and govern with love,” Obi wrote.

Elizabeth Awhobiwom Ukah, a 23-year-old nursing student has been swept away by flood in Calabar, the Cross River State capital city.
 
It was gathered that the deceased was an indigene of Ohong community in Obudu local government area of northern Cross River State.
 
Ukah, a student of the Federal Nursing Science college Calabar was said to have been found in a drainage five days after the flood carried away on Good Friday.
 
Residents of the area said the state and position that her body was discovered showed that she was carried away by flood.
 
According to the residents, there was a heavy rainfall in the evening of Friday, April 18, at the time the nursing student was returning home from Good Friday mass at Cross at Holy Family Catholic Church Big-Qua Town.
 
The church which is located by the Eastern Secondary School is close to the popular Marian Market, Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
 
 Ukah’s body which which found on Tuesday has since been deposited in an undisclosed morgue in the city

The National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, has suggested that President Bola Tinubu and his administration inherited an extremely bad government, particularly insecurity.

Ribadu stated this on Tuesday when he visited Benue State to commiserate with the government and the people over the killing of over 72 people by terrorists masquerading as herdsmen.

The NSA, who condemned the killings, urged the people of Benue to give Tinubu government a chance and stop politicizing the killings.

According to him, this will help the federal government to restore peace in the state.

“Our Armed Forces are doing well. It is impossible to post soldiers or police to every hamlet. Give us a chance and stop politicizing the killings. This will help us to restore peace. Issue of security is relative,” Ribadu said.

“We inherited an extremely bad government and things have improved and we will address all these issues cropping up.

“It is a matter of time, to do the harm is easy but to solve it is difficult. We have reduced considerably the number of violence we met. This one too, we will confront it,” he added.

In his response, Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia said it was a sober moment for the state as it has come under intense siege with loss of lives of unimaginable figure since 2011.

DAILY POST reports that there has been a surge in attacks and killings in Benue and Plateau States in the last two weeks.

Just barely a week after suspected armed herders massacred over 50 farmers in parts of Benue State, fresh violence erupted in the early hours of Tuesday.

Gunmen stormed Afia community in Ukum Local Government Area, killing eleven residents and leaving several others injured

President Bola Tinubu has voiced concern over the wave of unconstitutional changes in West Africa, warning that they endanger the region’s democratic progress and overall stability.

According to the president, these changes threaten the democratic gains the region has “painstakingly built”. He spoke on Tuesday while speaking at the official launch of the ECOWAS Golden Jubilee in Accra, Ghana.

The president, who was represented by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, reaffirmed the country’s unwavering commitment to democratic principles.

“The fundamental principles that bind us: democracy, the rule of law, good governance, and regional solidarity. These are not just ideals; they are the foundations for peace, development, and the dignity of our people,” he said, referring to the resurgence of military rule in the region since 2021.

Between August 2020 and August 2024, West and Central Africa experienced about nine coup attempts, four of which led to the military successfully taking over power in four West African Countries. The countries are; Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic.

ECOWAS had condemned each coup, suspended offending members from the bloc’s institutions, and enforced targeted sanctions to pressure juntas back toward civilian rule.

This, however, created tension and eventually led to the official exit of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. The three countries, after announcing their exit, formed an economic pact known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

The junta in all three nations had accused ECOWAS of failing to support them in their fight against terrorism and of imposing sanctions that they claim harmed their populations. They also rejected ECOWAS’ request to reconsider their decision to leave the bloc.

Room for Reconciliation
However, speaking at the jubilee event, which marked five decades since ECOWAS was founded in 1975, the Nigerian leader called for renewed commitment to fostering unity and solidarity among member states.

“It is a time to strengthen the bonds that tie us together through shared values, collective responsibility, and a common vision for a prosperous region.”

He described the jubilee celebrations as a new chapter for the bloc while noting that member states must be willing to reconcile with the junta-led countries that pulled out.

“In hopes of reconciliation and reintegration, we must remain open and willing to engage in sustained, constructive dialogue with our estranged brothers, those Member States currently outside our fold.

“At the same time, there is an urgent need to implement bold, comprehensive reforms that will enhance our institutions’ effectiveness, relevance, and credibility to meet the challenges of today and the future,” he said.

The body of late Pope Francis is lying in state in St. Peter’s Basilica, which will remain open for three days until his funeral on Saturday.

World leaders, including President Donald Trump, are expected to attend.

His body was transferred to the Basilica during a procession earlier Wednesday. It was followed by a service led by Camerlengo Kevin Joseph Farrell, the cardinal tasked with arranging Pope Francis’ funeral and the conclave in the weeks ahead.

Francis’ coffin was laid at the Altar of the Confessio, a sacred space in front of the main altar above the tomb of St. Peter, the first pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

Cardinals in the Basilica approached the coffin in pairs to pay their respects. Afterwards, the first members of the public entered to visit the coffin and pay their respects.

The Basilica opened to the public at 11am local time (5am ET) Wednesday and will remain open until midnight.

It will open at 7am and close at midnight on Thursday and Friday.

Thousands of mourners were waiting outside the Basilica in St. Peter’s Square, in clear skies and spring sunshine, for their turn to view the body of the late Pontiff.

Before the procession, Camerlengo Farrell held a brief service in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta with a short antiphon, or chant, of hope.

“Let us thank the Lord for countless gifts that he bestowed on the Christian people through His servant Pope Francis,” the Camerlengo said in prayer.

“Let us ask him in his mercy and kindness to grant the late pope an eternal home in the kingdom of heaven and to comfort with celestial hope, the papal family, the church in Rome and the faithful throughout the world.”

After lying-in-state for three days, Francis’ funeral will begin at 10am local time (4am ET) on Saturday, six days after his death.

The last papal funeral, for Pope Benedict XVI in 2023, was also held six days after his death.

The Vatican announced that Francis’ funeral would be held outside St. Peter’s Square.

A string of world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, have confirmed they will travel to the Vatican for the service. French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are among the major European leaders travelling to the Vatican for the funeral.

A deserter from the Niger Republic Armed Forces who reportedly joined the Boko Haram terrorist group has surrendered to local authorities in Kindjandi, located in the Diffa Region of southeastern part of the country.

The former soldier who is identified as Abba Ibrahim, had been serving with the Nigerien Armed Forces since 2022 before deserting his post in Bosso on March 8, 2025, according to military intelligence sources.

Ibrahim fled alongside a fellow soldier, Bandam Dala, and subsequently joined a Boko Haram faction operating in the Lake Chad area.

Security sources according to a counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad, Zagazola Makama, disclosed that Ibrahim surrendered on April 21, 2025, arriving in Kindjandi on horseback and in possession of a rifle.

He was accompanied by an unidentified young man, whose details are still under investigation.

Ibrahim was taken into custody by the Nigerien Armed Forces on the morning of April 22, 2025, and is currently undergoing debriefing and interrogation by military intelligence personnel.

The Diffa Region has been a focal point of insurgents’ activities due to its strategic proximity to Lake Chad and its shared borders with Nigeria.

This area has long been a stronghold for Boko Haram and other extremist groups.