Immediate-past governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has said that he would want another Nigerian from the South to replace President Bola Tinubu in 2027 election circle.

El-Rufai disclosed this on Tuesday night while speaking on Arise News Channel’s PrimeTime show.

The embattled chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) also said he was not sure of remaining in the party by 2027.

He addressed the alleged lop-sided appointments by President Tinubu in favour of the South-West, saying that the President was rather favouring his ‘boys’ in appointments but not the Yorubas.

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 23-year-old man, Gbolahan Adebayo, for allegedly beating his girlfriend to death at Ijedodo in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident occurred during the deceased’s visit to the suspect’s house on Friday.

A resident who identified himself simply as Akin told our correspondent on Monday that the 23-year-old victim was heard screaming for help around midnight while being beaten by her boyfriend.

Akin added that Adebayo later raised the alarm at daybreak after he found out she was no longer responsive after the assault.

He said, “The girl was a regular visitor to the suspect’s home and came around as usual on Friday night. But when it was about 2 am, neighbours started hearing someone screaming and later discovered it was the suspect who was beating her girlfriend in his room. The screaming lasted at intervals for about an hour.

“After that, the screaming stopped. It was in the morning that the boyfriend started shouting for help and when the neighbours who were around at that time went to attend to him, they saw the girl lying motionless on the bed.”

A police source, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak on the matter, said the incident was reported at the Isheri-Oshun Police Division by the suspect’s neighbour on Sunday.

The source said the girl was first taken to the hospital where she later succumbed to the injuries sustained during the incident before it was reported to the police.

“When the neighbour came, he explained that the incident happened two days ago and that efforts were first made to resuscitate the girl but she eventually passed away. As a result, a team of policemen were immediately drafted to the scene, leading to an ongoing investigation.”

When contacted, the spokesperson for the command, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident.

The image maker said visible marks of violence were found on the deceased’s body, adding that her corpse had been deposited in the morgue.

He said, “One neighbour reported at Isheri Osun Division that on 21/02/25 at about 2 am, he saw his neighbour, one Gbolahan Adebayo ‘m’ age 23 years beating his girlfriend aged 25 years in his home in Ijedodo for a yet-to-be-determined reason. However, at about 7 am the said Gbolahan Adebayo reportedly screamed for help and on getting to his apartment, the said girlfriend was met lying unconscious on the bed with visible marks of violence found on the body.

“She was immediately taken to a hospital in Ijegun where he was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty. Based on the report, a team of detectives visited the scene of the incident. The hospital was also visited, where the corpse was inspected and photographed. The corpse was evacuated and deposited at the IDH morgue, Yaba for autopsy. The suspect was promptly arrested and an investigation is in progress on the matter,” Hundeyin concluded.

A new investigation by the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa has uncovered that a former Nigerian National Security Adviser purchased a 127-acre horse farm in South Carolina in 2002 using questionable funds.

According to the report published on February 24, 2025, at the time of the purchase, the ex-NSA was the head of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, responsible for printing the nation’s currency.

The investigation, conducted in collaboration with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, The Post and Courier in South Carolina, and The Houston Chronicle* in Texas, reveals that the ex-NSA’s wife applied for an American investor visa using the farm purchase as a basis.

The report stated that in her application, she told U.S. officials that the funds came from a $1m lobbying contract the ex-NSA allegedly secured as head of Nigeria’s Mint to influence officials in Ghana on behalf of a Texas oil company.

The report added that the U.S. authorities rejected the visa application, citing concerns over the source of the funds, though no further action was taken against the farm.

The report partly read, “Former Nigerian National Security Adviser purchased a 127-acre horse farm in South Carolina in 2002.

“At the time, he served as the head of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting, which was charged with, among other duties, printing Nigeria’s currency.

“In an application for an American investor visa based on their million-dollar investment in the horse farm, the ex-NSA’s wife told the US government that her husband obtained the funds through a lobbying contract he had as head of Nigeria’s minting operation. She told US officials that the ex-NSA was paid USD 1 million to lobby officials in Ghana on behalf of a Texas-headquartered oil company that sought access to an offshore oil platform, which took place during the time when ex-NSA was the head of Nigeria’s Mint.

“ In rejecting the visa application, the US government raised serious questions about the source of the funds used to purchase the property. Still, there is no indication the government took any further action concerning the farm.”

The report noted that the property was transferred to the ex-NSA’s wife, adding that it is now rented out as an Airbnb and wedding venue.

“The farm, which the ex-NSA transferred into his wife’s name, includes an equestrian centre described as having 55 stalls, 16 paddocks ranging from small to large, a quarter mile track, stadium ring equipment with jumps, four horses, four barns, and trails throughout. It is now used as an Airbnb rental and wedding venue,” the report added.

Marketers of petroleum products have expressed concerns that the alleged harassment of tanker drivers by officials of the Lagos State Government could lead to fuel scarcity in a few days, as some filling stations were shut in various parts of the state on Monday

They also vowed to shut down operations in the South-West if the 30 tankers arrested by the Lagos State Government are not released.

This came as the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers has warned that the imposition of illegal levies on petroleum product trucks by agencies of the Lagos State Government could trigger a nationwide scarcity of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, commonly known as cooking gas.

The oil marketers berated the Lagos State Government for allegedly invading the park of the tanker drivers along the Dangote refinery road in the Lekki Free Trade Zone to tow away vehicles.

They said 30 tankers loaded with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit were towed out of the Dangote refinery at about 2 am on Saturday.

The PUNCH reports that tanker drivers have stopped fuel loading over alleged harassment by officials of the Lagos State Government and the Federal Ministry of Transportation.

The PUNCH learned that the truck drivers could not load fuel on Saturday and Sunday, creating fears of scarcity in Lagos and other states. They also did not load on Monday.

Our correspondent learned that the tanker drivers refused to load fuel on Monday because they feared being harassed or arrested by the government task force.

In an interview with our correspondent on Monday, the National Vice President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Hammed Fashola, said members of the association were affected by the situation because most of the trucks belong to marketers.

Fashola condemned the government’s action, advising that there should have been a dialogue with stakeholders in the midstream and downstream.

He alleged that the officials of the government stormed the area where the trailers were packed around 2 am last week and made away with many trucks, loaded and unloaded.

“This is really affecting us because most of these trucks belong to us, even the product belongs to some of the IPMAN members. So, it’s really affecting us and we are not happy with the action of the Lagos State Government. So, if there is anything, there is a need for dialogue.

“The task force went there at 2 am to arrest those trucks. And for most of our tankers, we gave them instructions that they should not be travelling at night. So, they all loaded and parked for them to take off, maybe as early as 5 am. But the task force went there and towed all the trucks along the Dangote refinery Road. We don’t know what the government’s complaints are. When they call for a meeting, we will know the motive behind the action,” Fashola stated.

He maintained that the inability of the truck drivers to transport fuel for days would result in scarcity unless something is done urgently. He said that though the filling stations are still selling, they will not have anything to sell when their tanks are empty in a few days.

“Of course, there could be fuel scarcity. Though we have not closed down our stations; if we run out of stocks, what do we do?” he asked.

The IPMAN leader maintained that the task force “would have done something more reasonable than going there to tow away all the trucks.”

He added, “If they have any complaints, they are challenged to make their complaints known instead of taking such an action. So, I’m sure they will call for a meeting and we will know why they do that.”

When told that the state government has insisted on enforcing its e-call-up system, Fashola asked the government to provide an alternative park for trucks.

“Have they shown you their own park where the tankers will go and park? A law without provisions will not work.

“When you say nobody should park trucks, maybe along the road or anywhere, you must find a modern park. All these things are not there. We don’t want to talk much, but when we see them or when they call for a meeting, then we will talk one-on-one because this action is uncalled for.

“The cost of a truck now is no less than N150m, regardless of the content. The content is no less than N50m. And the task force went there at midnight and towed them, without minding the safety; without minding that there could be an explosion. It’s very dangerous. But I don’t understand how government officials could behave this way, especially in Lagos,” he stated.

LASG reacts

In a statement by the Deputy Director of Public Affairs in the Ministry of Transport, Lagos State, Bolanle Ogunlola, the government stated that it arrested 11 trucks, alleging that its officials were attacked.

According to the statement, the government said enforcement of the e-call-up system commenced on January 24, 2025, with 10 trucks apprehended but were later released as an act of goodwill by the state government with assurance from the stakeholders to adjust by coming onboard the e-call up system.

“However, on Friday, February 21, 2025, 11 trucks were apprehended again for non-compliance, which led to the attack of the enforcement officers and the arrest of some suspects connected with the attack, though, the suspects and trucks have all been released as further indication of government’s support for willful compliance.

“The state government warns that these acts of clemency should not be seen as weakness on the part of the government. Stakeholders on the axis are cautioned that a total enforcement process will commence from March 1, 2025. All violators will be apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law.

“The Lagos State Government remains committed to providing a conducive environment for the success of all stakeholders situated and operating along the Lekki-Epe axis, and, by extension, the state as a whole,” the statement concluded.

Cooking gas scarcity

The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers has warned that Lagos State Government agencies’ imposition of illegal levies on petroleum product trucks could trigger a nationwide scarcity of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, commonly known as cooking gas.

NALPGAM President Abideen Olatunbosun, raised the alarm in a statement on Monday, cautioning that continued harassment of truck drivers and levying by government officials could cripple LPG distribution, leading to severe consequences for households and businesses.

According to the association, truck drivers have boycotted loading at Dangote Refinery since February 22, 2025, in protest against commuting levies they described as “extortion” by regulatory agencies.

Olatunbosun warned that the commuting levies imposed on petrol product truck drivers may result in LPG scarcity, asserting “There is an imminent scarcity of cooking gas looming in the country. Agencies of the Lagos State Government’s drive for revenue have imposed commuting levies on petroleum products trucks including LPG trucks moving in and out of the State.

“Their activities have led to the paralysis of loading activities at Dangote Refinery since Saturday 22nd February 2025. The boycott of the Refinery by truck drivers as a result of the extortion by these agencies will result in a mass scarcity of cooking gas if the government does not address the situation immediately.”

The association called on Lagos State authorities, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) to intervene urgently to avert a crisis.

“It is imperative that these agencies cease their harassment of tanker drivers and put an end to the collection of illegal fees. The current strike action that is affecting loadings at all the terminals in Lagos, if allowed to continue, may spread to other states of the Federation, the overall effect of which will have far-reaching consequences on the economy and the well-being of Nigerians,” the NAPGALM president remarked.

NALPGAM explained that since December 2024 cooking gas prices have been on a downward trend. This follows an earlier surge that saw a 20-metric-tonne truck of LPG peak at over N24m, pushing the retail price to nearly N2,000 per kilogram.

According to Olatunbosun, Ekpo’s intervention and Dangote refinery’s entry into the domestic LPG market contributed to a price drop to around N16m per 20MT truck, significantly improving affordability for Nigerian households.

However, the association warned that the ongoing strike action by truck drivers could erase these gains and reverse the current stability in the cooking gas market.

South-West stations

The South-West Zone of IPMAN threatened to shut down operations across the region if the tankers seized were not released, as some filling stations were shut in the region on Monday.

IPMAN Western Zone Chairman, Joseph Akanni, made this known on Monday, during an interview with newsmen in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Akanni declared the association’s support for the Petroleum Tanker Drivers and other stakeholders in the industry over the issue, saying “An injury to one is an injury to all.”

Similarly, the National President of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, Yusuf Othman, expressed dissatisfaction that the Lagos State officials and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority were allegedly extorting tanker owners and drivers.

He said the e-call-up system would not commence until March 1, wondering why about 20 trucks were seized.

The All Progressives Congress on Monday slammed a former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, for attacking President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The National Vice Chairman of the APC (South East), Dr Ijeoma Arodiogbu, described El-Rufai’s criticism of the President and the NSA during a Monday night interview on Arise TV as pathetic.

El-Rufai, in the interview, criticised the president’s economic reforms, saying the sequencing was wrong.

“I support some of (Tinubu) policies; most of the economic policies are the right orthodox policies, but the sequencing is wrong, and the quality of the people implementing the reforms leaves much to be desired. And I think that some of the reforms are just wrong.

“You don’t address food inflation by destroying domestic agriculture. Food prices may be going down, but farmers are being impoverished because they are being made to compete with subsidised agricultural products from Europe and other countries.

“So, I have issues with many of them, and I’m in touch with many senior officials of the administration, and I give them my opinion privately.”

He accused the President of rejecting him as a ministerial nominee and not the National Assembly, as previously reported.

The ex-governor said the President changed his mind on the cabinet appointment offer after asking him publicly not to be far from him after he concluded his second term in Kaduna State.

He said, “Since I left office and the President begged me publicly to come and serve in his government, I had my plans and told President Tinubu from day one when he asked me to support him, I said would, but I don’t want anything because politics in Nigeria is always about what do I get for giving you support.

“I’m not in politics for that reason. I’m not in politics to get anything. I have a surname, and I’m a self-made man. I’ve made money before coming into public office.

‘’I don’t need anything. After eight years in Kaduna, I was nearly burnt out. I was struggling for eight years, and I wanted to take a break, and I had my private plans.

“The President publicly appealed to me to put my plans on hold and through two months of negotiations, we finally agreed that he would nominate me as minister and there were certain conditions I attached to that.’’

“I think along the line, either the President changed his mind or something else. Please don’t believe the story that the National Assembly rejected me. The National Assembly had nothing to do with this, the President didn’t want me in his cabinet, he changed his mind. Whatever it is, I don’t care and I’ve moved on,’’ the APC chieftain stated.

El-Rufai thumbed down Ribadu’s appointment as NSA, saying he was not qualified for the task.

He accused the NSA of leading a plot to tarnish his reputation because of his 2031 Presidential ambition.

El-Rufai alleged that Ribadu is collaborating with Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to destroy his image.

According to him, Ribadu is nursing a presidential ambition in 2031 and he is ready to eliminate every northerner that he thinks is on the radar.

“This project of destroying Nasir el-Rufai is Nuhu Ribadu’s conception. He is the architect and builder of that project. He is the one working with Uba Sani to implement it. So far, it has been frustrating for them.

“Somebody wants to destroy my reputation. Why? Nuhu Ribadu wants to be president in 2031. He has to eliminate every northerner that he thinks is on the radar,” El-Rufai further berated Ribadu.

But reacting to the attack on Tinubu, Arodiogbu described the ex-governor as a grudging man whose selfish expectations were not met by the Tinubu administration.

He stated, “El-Rufai is a grudging man. I think his personal expectations and selfish needs of the government were not met. So, he’s grudging for that.  Nothing less than this is expected. That could also define what he meant by that the party left him. He didn’t leave the party.”

When asked if the APC was worried about losing such a heavyweight politician to the opposition camp, the APC vice chairman said the former governor wouldn’t pose any form of threat to the party.

“It is not a threat at all. I’ll tell you, in the past couple of weeks, almost any politician of note, whether Senators,  House of Reps members, former candidates of Labour Party in House of Reps and Senate, former or current PDP serving lawmakers and other parties have come to the APC.

“So, you can see the optics are very clear. So, if everybody, if every politician of note in the states is defecting to the APC, what do you expect? So, El-Rufai’s support amounts to nothing.

‘’It’s just like seeing the lizard every day on the wall doing press-ups. It doesn’t matter the press-up it does, the biceps can’t grow to that of a crocodile. That is how I see it.’’

Speaking further, the APC chief said El-Rufai was pained because he was losing his loyalists to the APC.

“What is the right thing he was asking the APC to do? Is it for his selfish expectations or needs? I don’t think that the party is missing him so much because we have harvested so many people in Kaduna State. He is only pained because people are leaving him and joining the APC.

“That’s why he could muster up the courage to come and grant what he termed his first interview. He is only yearning for attention after discovering he was lost,” he asserted.

In his interview, the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory hinted at leaving the ruling APC, saying the party had already abandoned him.

The aggrieved politician stated that unless the ruling party retraced its step back to the vision and ideology of the founding founders, he may move to another party that shares the same values as him

He stated, “First of all, I didn’t say I have no intention of leaving the APC. I said that the APC is my party, I found it. Now, I’m not leaving the APC. The APC has left me. We founded that party based on certain values. The party has left. I am stranded. The APC is there. I’m here.

“So, to be very accurate, I’m not leaving the APC. The APC has already left me. Well, I’m not ready to retire from politics. So, sooner or later, I may have to find another platform to pursue those progressive values that I believe in, if I can’t find them in the APC.

“I hope that the APC will meet and correct its journey, and then maybe some of us can look at it again. But for now, there are many of us who cannot recognize the party. It is not what we worked hard to create.”

When asked if he would be supporting the President’s re-election bid in 2027, the Kaduna politician dodged the question, saying he wasn’t even certain if he would still be in the APC by then.

El-Rufai, who has been hobnobbing with various opposition figures, including the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, said he may need to consult again with his people in Kaduna to decide a viable candidate that would represent their interest and has the chances of winning the next presidential election just as they did during the 2023 poll where Tinubu was favoured to dust his opponents.

  When asked if he had plans to defect to the PDP, the former minister dismissed the notion.

 According to him, he did not consider the PDP as a possible destination.

 “It should be clear that the fact that I’m in the APC doesn’t mean that I cannot visit a friend of mine who is in the PDP or SDP. So anytime I visit anyone that is not in APC, they say, ‘Oh, he’s thinking of leaving the party.

 “In fact, about two months ago, one character in Kaduna posted on his Facebook page that I’ve collected a PDP membership card in my ward. It was totally untrue. I don’t know where I will end up if the APC doesn’t come back to where we started.

 “But one thing I can tell you for sure is that PDP is not a party that I will go to, ever. I have thought about that. I’ve decided that long ago, and nothing has changed. In fact, if anything, the PDP has gotten worse; rule out the PDP. Other parties, possibly, if the APC doesn’t sort itself out,” he said.

 El-Rufai also announced that he would not be attending the National Caucus and the National Executive Committee meetings of the APC, which were slated to start on Tuesday (today).

 According to him, he wasn’t served any notice of invitation and would be flying out to Egypt on the same day.

 He said, “Unfortunately, I will not be. I will be on my way back to Cairo where I spend most of my time. I didn’t get adequate notice. The constitution of our party requires 21 days, I think, or 14 days’ notice for this kind of national organ meeting. I don’t think that notice has been given.

 “If it has been, I have not received the invitation two weeks to three weeks ago. So I have my plans, and I’m leaving tomorrow. But many of my friends will attend, so I will not miss anything. I will get to know what was discussed.”

The Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has approved the appointment of Taiwo Fasoranti as Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

The new SSG is the son of the leader of Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, and the former chairman of the Ondo State Health Management Board.

A statement on Monday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, said the appointment came as the Governor resumed work in office a few minutes after he was sworn in as the seventh democratically elected Governor of the state.

Adeniyan said Governor Aiyedatiwa also approved the reappointment of Kayode Ajulo as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac as Commissioner for Finance.

According to the CPS, Johnson Alabi has been reappointed as Special Adviser on Power, Seun Osamaye, Women Affairs, Bola Taiwo, Union Matters and Special Duties, and Simidele Odimayo, Health.

“Also, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Infrastructure, Lands and Housing, Engr. Abiola Olawoye has been elevated to the position of Special Adviser, Infrastructure, Lands and Housing.

“Until his appointment as SSG, Dr Fasoranti, who hails from the Akure South local government area, was the Chairman of the Ondo State Hospitals Management Board.

“All the appointments take immediate effect.

“Governor Aiyedatiwa urged the new appointees to hit the ground running in providing effective and efficient services to the people of Ondo State,” Adeniyan said.

The Abia State Government has announced that out of the 29,797 applications received in the ongoing online teachers’ recruitment exercise, 9,371 applicants have been shortlisted.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the Government House on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council meeting, chaired by Governor Alex Otti. He stated that the shortlisted applicants would undergo a computer-based test as earlier announced.

“Those who pass the exams will be invited for an oral interview, after which the successful candidates will be hired. The recruitment process has been designed to be transparent and merit-based,” Kanu assured.

Prince Kanu also announced that Governor Otti has approved the upgrading of Umunnato General Hospital to a specialist hospital after undergoing retrofitting and re-equipping. This brings the number of specialist hospitals in the state to three.

“After this upgrade, which will include renovations and retrofitting, the facility will now be referred to as Abia Specialist Hospital, Umunnato. This ensures that each of the three senatorial zones in the state has a specialist hospital, aligning with the administration’s strategic infrastructural development agenda,” Kanu explained.

The commissioner further noted that the ongoing retrofitting of 200 primary health centres under the state’s “Project Ekwueme” initiative has reached 55 per cent completion, with about 10 centres ready for commissioning.

Additionally, he announced that work has commenced in most of the 67 primary health centres across the state under the World Bank Impact Project. He clarified that the World Bank initiative is distinct from “Project Ekwueme,” which aims to impact all 184 wards in Abia State.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) says Zuriel Oduwole, a 22-year-old Nigerian, has been nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.

In a statement issued on Monday, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, NIDCOM’s spokesperson, said three personalities nominated Oduwole, an education advocate, including a professor of clinical education engineering on behalf of the University of Southern California, an emeritus professor of social science for the University of Missouri, and a Nigerian senator.

Odowole is said to have played an active role in global diplomacy, shaping conversations on education and peace, while striving to create opportunities for marginalised communities and drive meaningful change.

Born in Los Angeles to Nigerian grandparents, Oduwole has met with 36 world leaders, including presidents and prime ministers, to discuss policy and development issues.

At the age of 13, Oduwole mediated a territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela, meeting with then-President David Granger at the United Nations, and stressed the importance of peaceful dialogue.

In 2020, she advised Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on global peace strategies amid the Arab blockade of Qatar, which was peacefully resolved in 2021.

In 2017, at just 14, she met with John Kerry, then-US secretary of state, to push for reward-based education programmes in developing nations.

In 2022, Oduwole received the 8th UN secretary-general leadership award in New York, in recognition of her decade-long mediation efforts and advocacy for gender parity.

Balogun said Abike Dabiri-Erewa, NIDCOM chairperson, congratulated Oduwole for the nomination.

Dabiri-Erewa said the nomination was not a surprise due to the tireless work of Oduwole in advocating for girls’ education over the last 12 years across Africa and the Caribbean and for her peace mediating work between nations in South America and the Middle East.

Dabiri-Erewa urged youths to emulate the impactful spirit of Oduwole and shun any acts capable of denigrating the image of Nigeria.

“It is the culmination of a dedication to making a measurable difference in the world that has seen her receive, among others, a Forbes Leadership Award, the CARE Global Impact Award, and the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon Award,” the statement reads.

“Her recognition and nomination for arguably the most prestigious award known to man is another evidence of that resilient and hardworking Nigerian spirit, warmly coded in Nigerians DNA, and simply waiting for the slightest opportunity to not just express the innate abilities, but to lead and dominate wherever Nigerians find themselves across the globe.”

Michael Oduwole, her grandfather, left Nigeria in 1954 for Scotland to train as a medical doctor, where her father, Ademola Oduwole, was born.

Ademola then emigrated to Los Angeles in 1991, where Zuriel was born in 2002.

MultiChoice Nigeria has announced an increase in the cost of subscriptions for its DStv and GOtv packages.

The increase comes nearly one year after MultiChoice hiked its subscription rates.

In an email to customers seen by TheCable on Monday, the pay-TV firm said the new rates would take effect from March 1.

MultiChoice said its rationale behind the price increase is due to the rise in the cost of business operations.

“Due to prevalent economic factors leading to increased operational costs, we have unavoidably had to adjust the prices of our DStv and GOtv subscription packages,” MultiChoice said.

“We understand the impact this change may have on our valued partners, and we have only taken this step after careful consideration and in-depth analysis.

“It has always been our mission to offer the best entertainment to our esteemed customers and we are committed to continue delivering high quality content and unparalleled service to our viewers across Nigeria.”

According to the pay-TV firm, from March 1, customers on the DStv premium bouquet will no longer pay N37,000 but N44,500 and those on Compact+ would pay N30,000 – up from N25,000.

Customers on Compact bouquet will pay N19,000 — up from N17,000.

To subscribe to Confam, Yanga, and Padi packages, customers will pay N11,000, N6,000, and N4,000 – up from N9,300, N5,100, and N3,600 respectively

MultiChoice also said GOtv Supa+ subscribers will pay N16,800 as against the old price of N15,700.

Similarly, subscribers on the GOtv Supa package are expected to pay N11,400 contrast to the N9,600; while customers on the GOtv Max bouquet will pay N8,500 instead of N7,200.

The company added that GOtv Jolli package will now cost N5,800 and no longer N4,850.

MultiChoice said the price of the GOtv Jinja and Smallie packages would rise from N3,300 and N1,575 to N3,900 and N1,900, respectively.

Nuhu Ribadu wants to be president in 2031

Nasir el-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna, says Nigerians should not believe the narrative that the national assembly rejected him as a ministerial nominee.

Speaking in an interview with Arise TV on Monday, el-Rufai said President Bola Tinubu did not want him in his cabinet.

The former Kaduna governor said the president begged him publicly for him to suspend his plans for ministerial appointment.

“The president publicly appealed to me to put my plans on hold, and through two months of negotiation, we finally agreed that he will nominate me as minister,” he said.

“There were certain conditions I attached to that. I think along the line either the president changed his mind or something else.

“Please don’t believe the story that the national assembly rejected me. The president did not want me in his cabinet. He changed his mind.”

In July 2024, Tinubu sent the list of ministerial nominees, including el-Rufai, to the senate for screening and confirmation.

In August 2024, the senate withheld the nomination of el-Rufai, Stella Okotete (Delta), and Danladi Abubakar (Taraba), citing security clearance.

The development was interpreted by political analysts as a move to whittle down the influence of the former Kaduna governor in the presidency.

Reacting to the senate’s refusal to screen him, el-Rufai said Tinubu changed his mind, noting that the security clearance cited by the upper chamber was a smokescreen.

The former Kaduna governor questioned what security concerns could have prevented his confirmation, given that he had spent over two decades in public service.

He added ministerial nominees who are “less qualified” were confirmed by the senate because the president made a call.

El-Rufai said the president publicly pleaded with him to delay his plans for a ministerial appointment to help address the country’s electricity challenge.

“The president publicly appealed to me to put my plans on hold, and through two months of negotiation, we finally agreed that he will nominate me as minister,” he said.

“There were certain conditions I attached to that. I think along the line either the president changed his mind or something else.

“Please don’t believe the story that the national assembly rejected me. The president did not want me in his cabinet. He changed his mind. “

“What was the security issue? I had been a governor for eight years in one of the most difficult states in the country. I had been a minister twenty years earlier. I have been in public life for the last 25 years.

“Where is the report? What about other ministers who are far less qualified, less experienced with huge controversies around them, but they scaled through because the president made a call?”

‘RIBADU WANTS TO DESTROY MY REPUTATION BECAUSE OF HIS 2031 AMBITION’

El-Rufai also accused Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA), of attempts to destroy his reputation because of his (Ribadu’s) 2031 presidential ambition.

He alleged that Ribadu is collaborating with Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to destroy his image.

“This project of destroy Nasir el-Rufai is Nuhu Ribadu’s conception. He is the architect and builder of that project. He is the one working with Uba Sani to implement it. So far, it has been frustrating for them,” el-Rufai said.

“Somebody wants to destroy my reputation. Why? Nuhu Ribadu wants to be president in 2031. He has to eliminate every northerner that he thinks is on the radar.

“In fact, what they have resorted to doing is to call low level people and some of my officials to say, ‘implicate el-Rufai and your problems will go away’. This is what ICPC has become.

“Uba Sani and Nuhu Ribadu are not my friends. They were my friends at some point but not anymore.”