As the race to the 2027 general election heats up, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has expressed confidence in taking over the reins of power from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and other opposition parties, saying it is leaving no stone unturned to register new members across the country. 

The national vice chairman, North Central zonal caucus of the party, Abubakar Dogara, stated this during the SDP North-Central Zonal Caucus meeting, which was held on Thursday in Nasarawa State.

According to the party chieftain, efforts were already underway to increase the number of their members, as he stressed that the SDP has now become the bride of the Nigerian people.

He added that preparations are being made to take over in the 2027 elections, ranging from holding meetings to registering new members and lots more . 

He said, “We are holding meetings from zone, national level, ward level, state level and local government levels.

“It’s part of the preparation, and we have been registering new members across the country every now and then. 

“Our membership card has always been exhausted at the state level.

“So, we are making preparations to take over leadership of the country come 2027, by the grace of God. 

“And I want to believe that SDP is now the bride of the nation. 

“Everyone is coming into the SDP, and I want to believe, even you, the media will also be part of the members of the SDP any moment from now.

“It is in this direction that we want to appreciate Honourable Jonathan Gaza, Prince Adewale Adebayo and Honourable Femi Olaniyi Ferrari, the chairman of chairmen for their continued support to the party in the North Central.”

Dogara said one of the resolutions reached at the meeting was that the party would no longer surrender its structures to people but protect its image and members, as he urged Nigerians to join the party and support its candidates to change the country’s narratives.

‘’SDP is the alternative party in Nigeria now. Our message to Nigerians is to come en masse and join the party. 

“First of all, support the leadership of the party by abiding to the constitutional provision of the party which says all card carriers of the party must register from the ward to the state and national level which is stipulated in the party’s constitution.

‘’Because the constitution provided that the welfare of the people should be provided and their interests, their security should be provided for. 

“So, if the party in government have failed in that aspect, they fail because they are not respecting the provisions of the constitution of the party,” Dogara added. 

In his own submission, the chairman of SDP in Benue State, Idoko Idoto, expressed optimism that the party would emerge victorious in 2027 in Benue State and other parts of the country.

“Well, SDP has 100% chance in Benue State. In the time past, SDP once ruled Benue State as and we had a governor. 

“This is not the first time. And there are elections that SDP have showcased themselves and will produce credible candidates. 

“So come 2027, I assure you, SDP is coming with full force. 

“SDP is going to take over Benue State. SDP is going to take over the whole senatorial districts. 

“And I bet you, the House of Representatives and the State Assembly will not be left out,” he said.

Nigerian actor and comedian, Gbenga Adeyinka has disclosed how the publisher of Ovation magazine, Dele Momodu, supported him during a critical moment in his career.

In a lengthy Instagram post on Friday marking Momodu’s 65th birthday, the comedian recalled the impact the media icon has had on his personal and professional life.

Adeyinka spoke about a difficult period when he found himself stranded in London after a performance.

He said Momodu hosted him for dinner and also gave him “more than enough money” to sort out his stay “without asking for anything in return”.

The comedian praised Momodu’s generosity, adding that the businessman “opened doors I could have only dreamed of”.

“I am filled with immense gratitude for the profound impact he has had on my life and career,” he said.

“In my early days as a comedian, he believed in me when many others did not. He was the first person to take me abroad to perform for royalty and the upper echelons of society, opening doors I could have only dreamed of.

“Aare Bamidele embodies the true essence of Egbonism and the ethos of Omoluabi; he remains a reference point for these values.

“I can never forget his unwavering generosity, which he has shown me time and time again. There was a time l found myself stuck in London after a performance for a colleague, as my airline had unboarded me due to our tickets not being priority.

“In that challenging moment, Aare Bamidele invited me over for dinner and provided me with more than enough money to take care of my needs during my stay. What truly sets him apart is his selflessness — he never asks for anything in return.

“Your legacy is one of kindness, support, and excellence. Thank you for being an inspiration to us all, and for the countless lives you’ve touched.”

Human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has faulted the excuses given by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) that caused mass failure of candidates.
Naija News reported that over 300,000 candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), majorly from South East and Lagos State, failed.

According to JAMB’s Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, the failure was caused by a system glitch. He apologized for the errors.

“We appreciate all those who have lent their voices to the strident complaints on the results we released because you all did so out of concern. I appreciate our critics immensely because they could have chosen to be indifferent. I agree with the person who said that the opposite of love isn’t hate, it is indifference; the opposite of art is not ugliness, it is indifference; the opposite of faith is not heresy, it is indifference; and the opposite of life is not death, it is indifference. By not being indifferent to JAMB, we are grateful,” he stated.

Reacting to JAMB’s apology, the Organizing Secretary of Afenifere, Farotimi, stated that if Nigeria were a nation governed by laws, Oloyede and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, would have been fired.

He, however, regretted that Oloyede would not face consequences for the failures.

“In a place governed with vision, inhabited by the rational, and ruled by law, Yakubu would be resident in a prison cell, Oloyede fired, and public hearings would have been scheduled by the government at multiple levels. But this is Nigeria. Nothing will happen. We are different,” he wrote on ? handle.

Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State has sentenced a 27-year-old fashion designer, Haruna Tolani to 12 months imprisonment.

Tolani was sentenced for impersonating and defrauding Callitus Egwuonwu, an investigating officer with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ilorin Zonal Directorate. 

The convicted tailor was initially arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on impersonation and cybercrime on January 28, 2025 and pleaded not guilty, but later changed his plea to guilty after overwhelming evidence was presented by counsel to the EFCC, Sesan Ola.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you Haruna Musa Tolani in August, 2024 at Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, misrepresented yourself via electronic message sent through unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) to Access Bank Plc.

“With respect to account number 0022643389, property of Mr Callistus Egwuonwu, with which you purchased N20,000 worth of MTN data which resulted into loss to the owner of the account and you thereby commit an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 14(2) of the cybercrime (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2015”

Similarly, count two reads: “That you Haruna Musa Tolani sometime in August, 2024 at Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently impersonated one Callistus Egwuonwu via electronic message sent through unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) to Access Bank Plc with respect to account number 0022643389, property of Callistus Egwuonwu with intention to purchase MTN data worth 20,000.00 which you did purchase and thereby committed offence contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(ii) of the cybercrime (Prohibition and Prevention) Act,2015 and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)(iv) of the same Act. 

In his judgment, Justice Awogboro imposed a 12-month custodial sentence on Tolani with an option of a fine of N200,000 .

The court also ordered the forfeiture of a First Bank manager’s cheque of N200,000 in favour of the victim and directed the convict to restitute the sum of N20,000, the amount he fraudulently obtained.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has defended its decision to urgently reschedule the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for 379,997 candidates.

The exam body cited unavoidable clashes with other national examinations and the need to maintain the academic calendar.

The rescheduled exam will start on Friday, May 16, 2025, for 379,997 candidates in five states of the South East and Lagos.

Speaking with THE WHISTLER, the JAMB spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, explained that if the examination were not scheduled at this time, it would conflict with other academic activities.

“If we don’t do it now, it will be in August. The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) are writing their exams. After that, the National Examinations Council (NECO) would start, and then the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB),” Benjamin stated in a response to THE WHISTLER’s enquiry.

THE WHISTLER reported that Nigerians condemned the short notice given to candidates, citing concerns about the candidates’ ability to prepare for the exam adequately.

Some suggested that the exam should have been suspended until after the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to give candidates more time to prepare.

Others expressed concerns about Nigeria’s economic hardship, as some students might have to travel to different locations to take the examination.

The Aguleri community in Anambra State was thrown into shock on Thursday after gunmen ambushed and shot dead a lawyer, Rolex Iloakasia, who also served as the community’s president general.

Iloakasia and his client were attacked by armed assailants on motorcycles shortly after winning their case at High Court II in Ekwulobia.

The attack occurred at Egbebelu village in Orumba North Local Government Area as the victims were leaving the court.

The timing of the attack, after Iloakasia’s court victory, has raised questions about the motives of the assailants.

The Anambra police spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident in an official statement, saying it involved “the murder of two individuals, one of whom has been identified as a legal practitioner who had earlier secured the bail of an accused person in a pending murder case at High Court II, Ekwulobia.“

Police preliminary investigation disclosed that the victims were “trailed and double-crossed by the assailants.”

The command said that “one of the victims survived the attack and is currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital.”

The statement noted that “The escapee has been debriefed by the Police and has provided crucial information that is aiding ongoing investigations and manhunt operations.

“The bodies of the deceased have been recovered and positively identified by their respective families.”

The statement revealed that a red Toyota Camry vehicle, believed to belong to one of the deceased, was recovered from the scene.

The command plans to deploy “tactical and intelligence teams to track down the perpetrators and ensure justice is served.”

It further pledged to inform the public on developments as the investigation progresses.

Economist and political activist Professor Pat Utomi has reacted to the legal action initiated against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) following his decision to form a shadow government.

Vanguard had earlier reported that on May 5, Utomi launched the ‘Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government’, designed to serve as a credible opposition to President Bola Tinubu’s administration. 

According to Utomi, the new body draws its membership from a cross-section of Nigeria’s opposition parties and is tasked with regularly scrutinising government actions, identifying policy failures, and proposing alternative solutions in key areas including the economy, education, healthcare, infrastructure, law and order, and constitutional reform.

In response, the DSS dragged Utomi to court, and accused the candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in the 2007 presidential election, of attempting to illegally usurp the executive powers of President Bola Tinubu.

It told the court that Prof. Utomi’s action was capable of destabilising the country as it was intended to create chaos.

In a post shared on his X account on Friday, Utomi dismissed the allegations and said he remains resolute in his commitment to democratic ideals.

“I am heartened by messages of solidarity from across Nigeria on this shadowy business of chasing shadows of shadow cabinets. Reminds me of the Nigeria I used to know. I want to thank all. It’s energizing some want to put together 500 lawyers to defend me against the DSS.

“To worship money and power at the expense of the future all our children will live in, with no care for the peace and progress of those times is condemnable by all of decent conscience. They have a moral obligation to push back on such darkness.

“It’s amazing that we are chasing shadows while our constitution is unraveling aided by those in power. The constitution holds that those who defect from parties they were elected from MUST have their seats declared vacant. If DSS enjoys going to court, it should prosecute such.”

In earlier posts, Utomi, referencing his past involvement in pro-democracy efforts during the Sani Abacha regime, recalled chairing a conference on Nigeria’s democratic future at St. Leo’s in Ikeja, Lagos.

He wrote, “It was put as a question: Is this how democracy dies in Nigeria. The answer is in the affirmative. This is how democracy died in Nigeria. Where citizens cannot organize themselves to ask questions of their agents.

“Under Abacha we brought Nigerians together at St. Leo in Ikeja for a conference on the future of Nigeria. I chaired the planning which came out of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria on the watch of then Fr. Kukah and Ehusani. Now for shadowing democracy hell comes.

“Where am I? Will arrive on June 12 and head to Abiola’s residence. My hands are primed for handcuffs and if the Aquino treatment from Marcos, bullet at the Airport is preferred, I submit willing like a lamb led to slaughter. Death is no big deal. 4 of my friends are in the morgue.

“What is certain is that Tinubu will not escape that same fate. He may have been in London when I faced the assassins under Abacha and been the supplier to Chief Enahoro and NADECO abroad of reports of my position on matters of the struggle but we all ultimately go the way of man.”

Utomi compared his stance to that of global freedom icons like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King Jr., insisting he would continue to fight for democratic accountability.

“To the Spirit of Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jnr, Nelson Mandela and the holy watch of St. Thomas Moore I raise the meaning of being for what is left of my time on this stage,” he wrote.

“I remember the showman of Science, Carl Sagan, as the NASA orbiter turned its camera to earth for the final time. A spec of dust, home to tyrants who have threatened Rivers of Blood; and also to all those we have loved. I am emboldened to chant Freedom now, if we die we die.”

A socio-political group, Abia Concerned Citizens, ACC, has accused the Julius Abure faction of the Labour Party, LP, of playing a script written for it by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to destabilize opposition parties in order to enjoy a free reign 

The group specifically accused the factional chairman of playing the role of an “APC mole.” 

Director General of the ACC, Rose Ugoh, said this in Abuja, yesterday.

She explained that evidence of Abure’s treachery is contained in virtually every line of a statement by the factional National Secretary, Alhaji Umar Ibrahim, wherein he begged President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the LP crisis.

Ugoh  argued that all genuine LP members had accepted the Supreme Court’s judgment and were working towards reconciliation but that Abure and his cohorts were working towards destroying the party by externalizing the conflict.

She said: “What steps did he (Abure) take when Labour Party National Assembly members defected to the APC?

“Is it not this the same Abure who had the audacity to claim the party suspended the best performing governor in Nigeria, the best governor in the history of the South Est?

“Governor Alex Otti has transformed Abia State, leading in key sectors such as energy, security, and education.

“Otti has become a model for good governance in Nigeria, transforming Abia State across the energy sector, economy, industrialization, security, education, and more.

“We Abians can no longer allow these APC agents to continue to denigrate the people’s governor with their unguarded statements.”

She raised concerns about Abure’s declaration that his National Working Committee, NWC, has suspended key figures of the party, including the female Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Senator Ireti Kingibe.

Officers of the Delta State Police Command have nabbed a 49-year-old woman accused of drugging a nursing mother and absconding with her two-month-old baby boy.

The Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olufemi Abaniwonda, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Command headquarters in Asaba on Thursday.

He confirmed that the baby had been rescued and reunited with his family.

According to Abaniwonda, the incident occurred on February 16, 2025, when the victim, a 20-year-old mother, embarked on a business trip from Koko to Warri with a woman identified as Mrs. Joy.

"On 7th April 2025 at about 10:00 hours, the DPO of Ekpan Police Station received a complaint that a young mother who travelled with one Mrs. Joy had been drugged with juice laced with sedatives. The suspect then absconded with her two-month-old son while she was unconscious," the police chief stated.

Acting on credible intelligence, the Ekpan Police Division launched an investigation that led to the arrest of the suspect.

Abaniwonda said the woman confessed during interrogation to kidnapping the infant.

"The baby, now five months old, was found in good health and has been handed back to his parents," he added.

The suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue.

New details have emerged about the technical error that affected the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has revealed that the issue was caused by a service provider’s mistake, not by ethnicity or sabotage.

Speaking during an X Spaces session, JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin dismissed claims that the error was aimed at candidates from the Southeast.

“It’s unfortunate. It’s something that we never envisaged,” he said.

Benjamin explained that the technical glitch was the result of a simple but serious mistake by a service provider hired by the board.

“What really happened? Let me just put it this way. Somebody was supposed to upload something, just as you send an email with your laptop and you see a sign that says sent and then you closed the laptop. The person just sent without waiting for it to deliver and then he shut down and left. This person, technically, is not even a staff of the board, but he’s a service provider that the board had hired, paid huge sum of money to do what he was supposed to do. I’m not supposed to go deep because it’s as if one is shifting responsibility,” he explained.

Benjamin stressed that the incident was not deliberate, but simply due to lack of caution.

“It was just carelessness, he didn’t understand the responsibility that was placed on his shoulder. It’s unfortunate that this thing happened and a section of the country was involved. It’s unfortunate that, to some extent, it will begin to cast some aspersion on our area of operation,” he added.

He also rejected claims that the issue reflected poorly on the leadership of JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede.

According to Benjamin, Professor Oloyede is known for being extremely involved in all aspects of the board’s operations.

“Someone of us feel like he’s too involved. He’s somebody that would want to know who even comes in at the gate. He’s involved in every aspect of the board. So the issue of whether incompetence or carelessness is not there. It’s just that no matter how involving you are, no matter how competent you are and no matter how engaging you are, as long as you cannot do the whole thing alone, certainly, somebody somewhere will let you down out of negligence,” he said.

Recall that in the 2025 JAMB UTME released last week Friday, over 1.5 million candidates scored below 200. This represents over 75% of the total number of candidates who sat for the exam. Following a review of the results, it was discovered that a technical error affected approximately 379,997 candidates, who will now have to retake the exam.