New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) chieftain, Buba Galadima, has asserted that the character of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is to destroy the opposition party.

Galadima, while fielding questions on Arise Television’s Morning Show programme on Tuesday, described the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as a factionalized extension of the APC.

Galadima specifically questioned how many non-APC members have defected to the party.

Galadima’s statement comes amid the recent defection of former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, from the ruling APC to the SDP.

Before his resignation, El-Rufai had become increasingly critical of the APC-led government under President Bola Tinubu.

He also cited a widening disconnect between his personal values and the party’s current direction as his reason for defecting.

The former Governor has urged notable politicians to join the SDP to defeat Tinubu in 2027.

However, Galadima insisted that the NNPP is a party of principle and will not enter into coalitions for their own sake.

He said: “The SDP is simply a factionalized branch of the APC. How many non-APC members have defected to the SDP?

“The APC’s character is to decimate the opposition. We must start opposing based on principles, even if it means standing alone. The NNPP is a party of principle and will not enter into coalitions for their own sake.”

Two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Naija News reports that their defection was announced by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas during plenary on Tuesday.

The Speaker announced the defection of Hon. Jallo Hussaini Mohammed, the Representative for Igabi Federal Constituency of Kaduna State; and Hon. Adamu Tanko, the member representing Gurara/Suleja/Tafa Federal Constituency of Niger State.

More to come…

Suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central in the Senate, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has asserted that the Nigerian Senate is like a cult.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, who spoke in an interview with the BBC, stressed that senators do not express contrary views in the upper chamber for fear of retaliation and that her 6 months suspension due to gross misconduct was only an attempt to silence her.

“I am being victimised. My suspension is a means of silencing me,” she said.

“It was episode after episode, moment after moment. We were at his country home. He was taking me around his house. My husband was walking behind us. He held my hand.

“He then squeezed my hands in a very suggestive way. We women, we know what it means when a man squeezes our hands in a suggestive way.

“And he went, ‘now that you’re in the Senate, I’ll make an opportunity for us to come here and have a good moment’, you know, along that line.”

LEADERSHIP recalls that Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her after a faceoff during plenary last month.

On March 6, she was issued a six-month suspension from the Senate for “gross misconduct” after failing to appear before the Ethics and Privilege committee.

When asked if Akpabio ever made any advances towards her in the chamber or the senate, she said, “There was a time when I rushed to work forgetting to wear my ring, there were about five senators there. He said, ‘Oh Natasha, you are not wearing your ring. Is this an invitation to treat?’ You know, statements like this.”

Reacting to the interview, the Senate’s Deputy Chief Whip, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, told the BBC that Akpabio never made sexual advances or inappropriate comments toward Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Nwaebonyi also rejected the Kogi Central Senator’s claim that the senate was trying to silence her.

“Senator Natasha’s legislative activities show this claim is not true,” he said.

Controversial Nigerian cross-dresser Idris Okuneye who is popularly called Bobrisky disclosed that he has had romantic relationships with seven celebrities in the country.

In a recent video posted on Snapchat, the crossdresser revealed that he had intimate relationships with seven Nigerian celebrities while discussing the betrayals that led him into exile.

While announcing plans to expose and name those celebrities, Bobrisky, in his heated rant, described them as fake individuals in the Nigerian entertainment industry.

Reflecting on the condemnation from some Nigerian celebrities and politicians during his ordeal with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), he detached himself from the country’s expectations.

“The time is coming when I will list seven celebrities I have dated in Nigeria. The time is coming when I will expose fake people in that country.

“I never knew I was so special until last year when ministers and senators started discussing me. Imagine a minister leaving work to focus on Bobrisky. Am I that important?

“If I lived in Nigeria for 100 years, they would never put ‘female’ on my passport or driver’s license. But here, I’m respected for who I am,” Bobrisky said.

An explosion has rocked a major oil pipeline, the Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP), at Bodo, Gokana local government area of Rivers State.

Although the incident occurred on Monday night, the affected section of the major pipeline was on fire on Tuesday morning.

Thick black smoke was seen billowing into the atmosphere, with a raging fire spreading fast into the mangrove from a video that emerged on Tuesday morning.

Authorities were yet to determine whether the incident resulted from human interference, especially amid recent threats by militant groups to attack oil installations in response to the federal government’s withholding of Rivers State’s monthly allocations due to the ongoing political crisis in the state.

The TNP is a federal transport line that supplies oil to the Bonny Export Terminal in Rivers State.

When contacted, the Rivers State Police Command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she did not have the full details of the incident yet.

Details Later…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday strongly refuted former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s accusations of betrayal against Nigerian workers in the wake of the ₦70,000 minimum wage settlement offered by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

In a statement titled “Under Saint Matthew of Owu,” NLC President Joe Ajaero criticized Obasanjo’s comments, calling them uncharitable and misleading, particularly the claim that labour leaders had prioritised personal interests over the welfare of workers during negotiations.

Ajaero took aim at Obasanjo’s assertions in his new book, Nigeria: Past and Future, where the former president argued that labour leaders had allowed themselves to be bought off, causing them to fail in defending workers’ rights.

Ajaero responded by clarifying that the NLC’s demand had always been a minimum of ₦610,000, but the government and the Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) countered with a significantly lower offer of ₦50,000, leading to a deadlock.

“We had asked for ₦610,000, which we had described as the barest acceptable minimum, complete with a breakdown. The government’s counteroffer of ₦50,000 was made without an explanation of how it would be distributed,” Ajaero said.

The deadlock led to strike action, which was suspended only after President Tinubu intervened and offered the ₦70,000 wage.

Ajaero pointed out that while the ₦70,000 was still insufficient, it was accepted to minimise the pain of the workers, considering that other alternatives would have imposed greater hardship on Nigerians.

Obasanjo’s Criticism Of Labour Leaders’ Political Ambitions
In his book, Naija News reports that Obasanjo suggested that many union leaders were motivated by personal political ambitions and had become ineffective compared to the expectations of the founding fathers of the labour movement.

Ajaero, however, rejected this, explaining that the NLC’s decision to accept the ₦70,000 offer was a necessary compromise given the circumstances.

He said, “It was a difficult decision, but we opted for the ₦70,000 to avoid greater hardship. It came with promises of incentives, such as the introduction of CNG buses for workers and free conversion kits for workers’ vehicles, among others.”

Ajaero took issue with Obasanjo’s critique of labour leaders, urging the former president to reflect on his own past actions, which included suppressing union activities during his time in office.

He accused Obasanjo of being part of the system that undermined labour unions, citing instances where Obasanjo’s administration had attacked union leaders, imprisoned them, and even attempted to proscribe the NLC.

“If Chief Obasanjo has noticed an erosion in the powers of the trade unions, he should do a soul search. Who knows, he might find himself culpable right from arrest and detention of union leaders, killing of protesting workers, and his national broadcast wherein he accused the unions ‘of conducting themselves like a parallel government,” Ajaero said.

He further recalled how Obasanjo’s government attempted to create a parallel labour centre after failing to dissolve the NLC.

The NLC President said, “And above all, his vengeful plan and mission to proscribe the Nigeria Labour Congress. When the plot failed, he created a parallel labour centre. We recall the punishment he meted out to parliamentarians like Honourable Obete Obete for not playing his script

“Given this historical fact, it is uncharitable of Chief Obasanjo to turn on the unions. But then, we respect our elders here.”

Ajaero concluded by calling for governments to stop undermining the unions for selfish political reasons. He urged the public to recognize the historical struggles of the unions and their leaders who have endured attacks while fighting for workers’ rights.

He said, “Governments should stop undermining the unions for their selfish interests. We have faced harassment, intimidation, and litigation, but we will continue to fight for workers’ rights.”

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused his successor, Governor Uba Sani, of diverting local government funds to purchase properties in Seychelles, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

Speaking in an interview with Freedom Radio Kaduna over the weekend, El-Rufai alleged that Sani converted local government allocations into foreign currency to acquire these assets abroad.

El-Rufai insisted that during his tenure, he never tampered with local government allocations, allowing the councils to operate independently after deductions for primary education, healthcare, and other statutory obligations.

“When I was the governor, I never took a kobo from local government funds. We gave them their funds to operate. Once we set aside SUBEB, primary healthcare, and other allocations, we gave them their money. Both the PDP and APC chairmen are alive to bear witness,” he stated.

He further alleged that under the current administration, no local government in Kaduna receives more than ₦50 million per month, claiming that the rest of the funds are diverted and exchanged into dollars for property acquisitions abroad.

He said: “As I speak, no local government in Kaduna receives more than N50 million per month. Once the allocation arrives, they siphon it, exchange it into dollars, and use it to buy properties in Seychelles, South Africa, London, and other places.

“They thought when we keep silent, we are ignorant of what is happening. But we know everything. We know how they divert the money, we know the bureau de change… Those who accuse us of stealing are doing worse than what they accuse us of doing.”

El-Rufai also accused Governor Sani of demanding kickbacks from contractors before awarding contracts, alleging that the governor takes 40% of contract sums as bribes.

“Uba goes to Abuja with contract documents to offer contractors and get 40 percent in kickbacks. We know what is happening. They thought that was how we ran the government, but they are wrong,” he alleged.

He challenged anyone who had ever given him a bribe to come forward, asserting that, unlike his successor, he never personally dealt with contractors but delegated such responsibilities to commissioners and permanent secretaries.

El-Rufai said: “I have never stolen a kobo from anybody. If there is any contractor who had given me a bribe, I challenge him to come forward. When ICPC invited many of the contractors, many of them said they had never met me. You could execute contracts worth billions without seeing me as a governor.”

Canada has updated its Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) regulations, enabling international students who graduate from college degree programs to be free from the limitation of a specific field of study requirement.

This requirement applied to graduates from colleges and universities. 

According to ‘The Economic Times’, this adjustment was part of the Canadian government’s efforts to simplify the international education sector.

The previous requirement, which was introduced in 2024, applied only to college graduates and excluded those from universities.

Reports stated that it was part of a larger move by the Canadian government to place more scrutiny on international education, as outlined in a report by ICEF Monitor.

“Graduates of college degree programs will no longer be required to meet the PGWP field of study requirement,” said CEO of the Canadian Bureau for International Education, Larissa Bezo.

The updated guidelines specify that students graduating from Canadian bachelor’s or master’s degree programs, whether from colleges or universities, were eligible for the PGWP, provided they meet the language requirements.

However, experts suggested that it may take time for colleges to regain their position in key international markets, especially as previous immigration policies have caused disruptions, with universities being less affected.

The PGWP program remains well-known and appreciated by international students, and the upcoming changes are anticipated to boost recruitment efforts at Canadian colleges.

With the field-of-study restriction lifted, colleges can now target a broader pool of international degree graduates, strengthening their recruitment capabilities in the competitive global education market.

Men in Lagos State spent an estimated ₦661billion on transactional sex in 2024, according to a survey report.

The findings, published by MO Africa Co, an advisory firm that leverages data to provide solutions across businesses and governments in Africa, shed light on the scale and complexity of a largely underground industry that thrives despite legal and societal constraints.

According to the report, ₦329 billion went directly into the hands of sex workers. Men spent ₦117 billion on gifts alone, ₦83.6 billion on entertainment, and ₦66.9 billion on hotels and short-lets.

The demand for sexual enhancers and stimulants also created a ₦16.7 billion market, with another ₦16.7 billion spent on substances and social vices.

The study surveyed 20 local government areas (LGAs) of Lagos State, capturing insights into spending patterns, social dynamics, and the market’s ripple effects on other industries.

With approximately 3.1 million sexually active men aged 20 to 69 in Lagos, the report estimated that 1.86 million of them engaged in transactional sex throughout the year.

On average, each man spent ₦36,750 per encounter, though prices varied significantly across different areas, ranging from ₦20,000 in Alimosho LGA to ₦100,000 in the affluent Eti-Osa LGA.

The study showed that transactional sex isn’t limited to traditional street prostitution. It also includes services from brothels, high-end escort services, and a growing online market where sex workers use social media and content-sharing sites to find clients.

The reasons for this vast spending stemmed from significant social and economic issues, and many men are said to seek paid sexual services for their convenience, to avoid emotional connections, and to relieve stress, steering clear of the complications that come with regular relationships.

Factors like financial struggles, city growth, and changing views on relationships are also crucial in keeping this industry alive.

Approximately 70% of sex workers identified financial necessity as their primary motivation for engaging in transactional sex, which has become a survival strategy in Lagos due to high living costs and scarce job opportunities.

Their earnings were reinvested in personal upkeep, family support, education, and small businesses.

Nigeria’s Opposition Lawmakers Coalition has flayed the impeachment plan against Governor Siminalayi Fubara by members of the Rivers State Assembly, saying that it’s invalid as the lawmakers who are loyal to FCT minister Nyesom Wike were only trying to dodge the State’s 2025 budget presentation.

Recall that the Rivers State House of Assembly earlier on Monday served a notice of alleged misconduct against Governor Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.

This comes amid rising tensions between the governor and the State Assembly over the presentation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill.

In a letter dated March 13, 2025, and addressed to Speaker Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, Governor Fubara had expressed his intention to present the budget on March 19, 2025, or any other day within the month after being allegedly locked out of the Assembly earlier last week.

The opposition federal lawmakers in a statement by their spokesperson, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, knocked the state lawmakers, urging Rivers people to ignore their latest antics.

Ugochinyere said the latest move of the pro-Wike lawmakers was aimed at causing crisis and raising tension in the state with the antics of commencing an illegal impeachment move.

The Federal lawmakers said there was no valid impeachment notice against the governor but a desperate strategy to divert attention from their constitutional violation of refusing to accept budget because of ‘their evil interest’ to see Rivers people suffer.

The Coalition said, “There is still a valid court judgement barring them from commencing any impeachment move and as long as that order remains, they can only dream of removing Fubara to help their political masturbation but in reality Fubara is above their dreams. These guys are local political blackmailers and propagandist , they suffered Rivers state up to Supreme court and when they won on the budget, the governor compiled and presented the budget and they ran away from receiving him meaning their interest is not the budget but to ensure the people of Rivers their own people suffer and die from hunger.

“The Governor wrote another letter to them and they claimed to have gone on recess on Friday evening and now suddenly the people who went on recess on Friday wakes up on Monday to claim they have commenced a purported impeachment, just to distract the slated budget presentation billed for this week.

“They suddenly fabricated allegations of age falsification to the same Chief Judge they once cleared just to see if they can intimidate him into joining their anti rivers plot, a move that have failed already hence their attempt to undermine the state judiciary for not supporting their plots against their own people.

“How can you fail to receive budget, run away on the agreed date and claimed to have gone on recess and suddenly in your hideout claimed to have commenced non existing impeachment on the same grounds of refusal to present budget, when you are the one running away from receiving the budget, so those allegations of imaginary offences are the desperate Abuja conceited offence for their dream of installing speaker who is Wike errand boy as governor, a move that is dead on arrival, we wish to urge rivers people to go about their business as this latest kindergarten blackmail is dead on arrival and will amount to nothing.”