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Airport Traffic Relief in Sight as Wike Targets June for Mega Road Completion

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Airport Traffic Relief in Sight as Wike Targets June for Mega Road Completion

Barr. Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has expressed delight over the Airport–Kuje–Gwagwalada road’s rapid progress and said that the project will be ready for inauguration by June.

Wike described the route as a crucial piece of infrastructure that will revolutionize transportation within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and expressed his admiration for the amount of work completed thus far during his inspection of the enormous road project on Wednesday.

“I’m pretty amazed. You are aware that one of the most important roads for us is the one connecting the airport to Kuje,” Wike stated during the visit.

The Minister remembered his previous trip to the Kuje–Gwagwalada axis, where he praised the contractors for their work and paused close to a mosque that was still under construction.

God willing, we will have started this project by the first week of June or the end of June, as the contractors have stated. You won’t have to go through the airport if you’re traveling to or from Gwagwalada to town because of this crucial initiative. We are quite pleased with what we have observed,” he said.

It’s anticipated that the new road will give drivers a significant alternate path, lowering travel times and the high traffic that frequently surrounds the airport area.

Wike provided a progress report, stating that the Airport–Kuje length is already more than 70% finished, and the Kuje–Gwagwalada section is over 65% finished.

“Well, if you take from the airport to Kuje, it is over 70%, and here (from Kuje to Gwagwalada), I can see it’s almost 65%, so I think they will meet up,” he declared with assurance.

The initiative is part of Wike’s vigorous campaign to expand satellite towns and decongest the city center, and it is anticipated to have a significant positive impact on residents of Kuje, Gwagwalada, and the adjacent districts.

Now that June is approaching, all eyes are on the contractors to complete the revolutionary road that would put an end to many commuters’ nightmares with airport gridlock.

Panic As Arik Air Plane Suffers Mid-air Engine Fault

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Panic As Arik Air Plane Suffers Mid-air Engine Fault

An in-flight engine issue occurred on Wednesday on a planned domestic flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt on an Arik Air Boeing 737-7GL, according to confirmation from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

The plane, registered 5N-MJF, was said to have been compelled to make a safe and incident-free landing at Benin Airport.

In a statement, Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, the NSIB’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, disclosed the information.

The agency claims that during the flight’s cruise phase, the flight crew noticed unusual signals coming from one of the aircraft’s engines.

As a precaution, the pilots turned down the faulty engine and decided to divert to the closest appropriate airfield, adhering to established safety procedures in the tight environment.

All passengers and crew disembarked normally after the plane made a safe landing at Benin Airport. There were no reported injured.

Based on an initial visual examination, the NSIB reported that first observations revealed considerable damage to the afflicted engine.

“Based on a preliminary visual evaluation, preliminary observations at Benin Airport indicate serious damage to the afflicted engine. According to the statement, the NSIB has started an inquiry in accordance with its statutory mission and international norms under ICAO Annex 13.

In order to secure the aircraft and collect pertinent evidence, it further stated that an assessment team had been sent to the location.

The statement continued, “The assessment team is on their way to Benin to secure the aircraft, document evidence, interview pertinent witnesses and personnel, and recover flight data and cockpit voice recorder information.”

The agency further revealed that in order to ascertain the chronology of events and pinpoint any contributing elements, it is collaborating closely with Arik Air, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and other important parties.

It is anticipated that the investigation’s findings will inform safety guidelines meant to stop future occurrences of the same kind.

2027 Elections: Cubana Chief Priest Says He’ll Campaign Against Peter Obi

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2027 Elections: Cubana Chief Priest Says He’ll Campaign Against Peter Obi

Known by his stage name Cubana Chief Priest, celebrity socialite and businessman Pascal Okechukwu has declared his intention to run against Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election.

The socialite declared his changing stance on Instagram amid a heated discussion with followers. The socialite had previously enthusiastically backed the Labour Party candidate in the 2023 elections.

The internet dispute was brought on by inquiries regarding his sudden political change and affiliation with the pro-Tinubu “City Boy Movement.”

He didn’t hesitate to answer a follower’s question about if he really planned to work against Obi in the upcoming election.

“Yes,” he answered, “I hope that it won’t be a crime because I worked for Obi previous election, including serving as a special adviser to an APC governor.

Critics of his remarks cited his prior problems with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or EFCC.

Aligning with the current administration, according to others, would not protect him from scrutiny in the future.

In response, he dismissed the issue and boasted that going to the anti-graft agency is almost a sign of accomplishment.

He remarked, “You never make am if you never go EFCC for Naija.”

During the 2023 election, the debate later turned to the South-East and the issue of regional union.

Some comments said that Obi may have done better if he had had more support from powerful people in the area. Cubana Chief Priest replied aggressively, encouraging detractors to back whoever they choose and asking what real progress such sentiments had made in the South-East.

Why You Pamper Fulani Terrorists But Went After Nnamdi Kanu – Ejimakor Challenges FG

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Why You Pamper Fulani Terrorists But Went After Nnamdi Kanu – Ejimakor Challenges FG

Eloy Ejimakor, the attorney representing Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has demanded that the Nigerian government answer for the way it handles the country’s security concerns.

Through his 𝕏 account, Ejimakor asked why Kanu is still being held in custody while Fulani terrorists are being granted carte blanche.

He demanded that the people who have controlled the nation since 2015 explain why suspected Fulani terrorists are given preferential treatment while IPOB and its leader, Kanu, are subjected to harsher measures.

Ejimakor stated that the United States had just addressed issues that, in his opinion, ought to have been resolved a long time ago.

Ejimakor expressed worries about what he called unfair treatment and questioned whether the government’s actions were influenced by ethnic factors.

He claimed that there are still a lot of unsolved questions about the incident.

“Those in power in Nigeria from 2015 to the present must explain why they shielded Fulani terrorists while targeting IPOB and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who didn’t even qualify, now that America has taken action that should have been taken years ago.

Is it because they’re Igbo? “So many questions,” Ejimakor wrote.

Bagudu Defends Tinubu, Warns Against Regional Bias in Assessment

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Bagudu Defends Tinubu, Warns Against Regional Bias in Assessment

According to Abubakar Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, it is unjust for any Nigerian to evaluate President Tinubu based on sentiments specific to the region.

In response to questioning during an interview on Arise Television’s “Morning Show,” the minister made this statement on Wednesday.

He claims that President Tinubu’s reforms are inclusive of the North and transformative.

He claimed that the president’s outlook on national affairs had always been patriotic.

Naturally, we are aware that Nigeria is plagued by numerous fault lines, and we hope that every action we take would enable us to pass the port line.

“Any Nigerian who judges President Tinubu based on sentiments from their region is being unfair. President Tinubu has always governed with a nationalist stance.

It is evident to all that President Tinubu has a history of backing Northern leaders, having backed President Buhari, Yar’Adua, Atiku, and Nuhu Ribadu.

“Every region of Nigeria has benefited from President Tinubu’s policies. In every region of Nigeria, President Tinubu is implementing revolutionary programs,” he declared.

Election Results: Senate Maintains Electronic, Manual Transmission System

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Election Results: Senate Maintains Electronic, Manual Transmission System

Amid the issue surrounding the transmission of election results, the Senate clarified its position on Section 60(3) of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in its modified Votes and Proceedings of Wednesday, February 4 plenary.

The Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, proposed the modification, which was later approved by the Red Chamber.

The Senate reiterated its adoption of electronic transmission of polling station election results, as stated in the amended resolution.

Lawmakers did, however, incorporate a safeguard to account for potential technical issues.

According to the latest clarification, the hard copy of Form EC8, which contains the results recorded at the polling station, will be the main source of collation in the event that a technical malfunction or communication error hinders the successful electronic transfer of results.

Party representatives at the polling station must counter-sign the form after it has been properly filled out, stamped, and signed by the presiding election officer.

The change essentially indicates that, although if electronic transmission is still the preferred method, Form EC8 manual documentation will be used as a fallback in the event of a technical malfunction.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe made a counter-motion after the motion was adopted, requesting a division. This would necessitate separate votes on Section 60(3) in order to clearly define each senator’s stance.

However, Abaribe retracted the motion after Senate President Godswill Akpabio encouraged him to move on with the proposal formally.

The clarification follows increased public scrutiny of the Senate’s previous discussions, which provoked demonstrations and debate across the country due to worries that the findings’ real-time electronic transmission had been compromised.

The Senate currently maintains that, subject to practical circumstances, electronic transmission is still a component of the law with the amendment to the Votes and Proceedings.

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‘You Said You Have 31 Governors’ — Amaechi Challenges APC on E-Transmission

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‘You Said You Have 31 Governors’ — Amaechi Challenges APC on E-Transmission

Rotimi Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State, has urged opposition members to publicly oppose the Senate’s decision to reject the obligation to transmit election results electronically.

It was said that Amaechi participated in Tuesday morning’s demonstration at the National Assembly.

Speaking to reporters, he said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was obstructing the broadcast because it was worried about losing the next election.

Amaechi stated that the opposition parties need to stick together and oppose what he called a single party’s attempt to control the election process.

According to Amaechi, “I think that the opposition parties should come out PDP, ADC, everybody should be out to protest against the attempt of one party.”

He cast doubt on the APC’s own conduct and rejected allegations that opposition forces could take control of such demonstrations.

“What is the APC doing if we show up and they claim the opposition has taken over the protest? Are they not stealing? Of what do they fear? They mentioned having 31 governors, I believe. David is not Tinubu. “Only the people can tell a good politician that he has done well,” he remarked.

Even though the ruling party boasted of having multiple governors and prominent opposition party defectors joining it, Amaechi questioned why the party would feel threatened.

He also said he was skeptical that either President Bola Tinubu or Senate President Godswill Akpabio would listen to Nigerians’ concerns, emphasizing that opposition parties and civil society organizations would keep pushing back until the ruling was reversed.

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Bugaje Alleges Senate Plot to Manipulate Elections, Says E-Transmission Evidence Is Clear

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Bugaje Alleges Senate Plot to Manipulate Elections, Says E-Transmission Evidence Is Clear

Dr. Usman Bugaje, a political activist and Islamic scholar, has said that efforts to prevent the mandated electronic transmission of election results are intended to create the conditions for electoral tampering and provide some political actors with an unfair advantage.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Bugaje made the accusation while addressing criticism of those who oppose the electronic transmission of results in real time.

He asserts that the nation’s inability to electronically transmit election results is only a pretext meant to undermine the political process.

“All of these are alibis to get ready for rigging.” It’s really obvious. Even in the most isolated villages, you have POS. People are chatting and sending messages on WhatsApp, working, and having phones,” Bugaje remarked.

He contended that since INEC had already demonstrated its preparedness, it was not the duty of legislators to assess the Independent National Electoral Commission’s operational capability.

“In any event, INEC has the right to state that we are unable to deliver. Legislators are not supposed to do that. Additionally, as I mentioned earlier, INEC itself suggested in its response at the public hearing that this is the stance,” he continued.

Bugaje asked why the Senate would conjecture about INEC’s purported incapacity to transmit in real time when, in his view, experts had confirmed that the nation’s network coverage was sufficient.

“The Senate is very clear on his own position, so what is the point of speculating about INEC’s incapacity to do that?” he asked.

“And in recent days, experts have publicly stated that INEC can provide the necessary level of coverage.”

He insisted that once network access was established, findings could still be uploaded, even in places with poor connectivity.

“Keep in mind that the message will reach the portal by the time you enter an area of coverage, even if you post at a faraway location. Therefore, it’s not an impossible thing,” he continued.

According to reports, the activist went on to claim that electronic transmission of election results has been effectively adopted in a number of nations with less developed internet infrastructure.

This is exactly what many nations across the world that have much less established internet access have done. In actuality, these aren’t any justifications,” Bugaje said.

“They are making excuses and alibis in order to get ready for rigging.” Otherwise, given all the developments in the twenty-first century, why should it be blocked? In any event, we have enough time to increase INEC’s capacity. One month is enough time to do this.

Electoral Manipulation Allegations
Resistance to real-time transmission, according to Bugaje, is suspicious and intended to undermine the election system.

Therefore, I believe that making excuses is a dubious concept. And it’s obvious that the goal is to figure out how to weaken the voting process so that some individuals may take advantage of it to rig our elections the way they have,” he said.

He also brought up previous election disputes, raising concerns about why some of them were not looked at in detail.

You may easily remember what happened even last year. After they turned off, a variety of pictures began to appear, and as of right now, no one has really given us a satisfactory explanation of what transpired,” he stated.

“I mean, why didn’t it occur with other outcomes if it was a glitch? Why just the presidential outcomes? And in a serious nation, this is something that has to have been looked into. If anyone was found to be at fault, they would have faced consequences, but many of these crooks are getting away with it.

Federal Government Increases ASUU Academic Allowance by 40%

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Federal Government Increases ASUU Academic Allowance by 40%

A 40 percent increase in the Consolidated Academic Allowance (CAA) for lecturers at federal universities is one of the major welfare provisions that the Federal Government has started implementing as part of the recently renegotiated 2025 agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

In an official statement and directive sent to vice-chancellors of federal universities on Monday, Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa revealed this information.

The most recent event comes after the updated agreement was signed on January 14, 2026, after months of talks to prevent more strikes and enhance working conditions in the nation’s public higher education institutions.

“By approving the 40% consolidated academic allowance (CAA) increase for ASUU members, with effect from January 1, 2026, the Federal Government has fulfilled its obligation under the agreement,” Alausa said.

The Minister affirmed that while certain federal universities have already started to make compensation changes in line with the allowance rise, others are anticipated to do the same.

To guarantee that qualified academic staff members receive the increased salaries on time, vice-chancellors nationwide have now been explicitly instructed to incorporate the increase into their payroll systems.

“We are trying to guarantee consistent application across the country. All VCs have been informed, and they must cooperate right away,” Alausa continued.

The Minister also emphasized the need to implement the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA), which he stated is already included in the federal budget for 2026 and is non-taxable.

He asserts that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) has also issued a circular about the allowance and that it has been handled via the required statutory channels.

Alausa declared, “The academic environment will be strengthened, staff morale will be raised, and teaching, research, and learning outcomes across Nigerian universities will be improved with the timely implementation of both the CAA and CATA.”

The education minister emphasized that the action is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to upholding agreements made with education sector stakeholders.

“Transparency, industrial harmony, and quantifiable improvements in the quality of higher education are our priorities,” Alausa stated.

Since ASUU had repeatedly blamed inadequate financing and unfulfilled agreements for its repeated strikes, the introduction of the updated allowances represents a major step in resolving long-standing issues within the university system.

In addition to promoting industrial harmony, the government hopes that the actions would boost academic output at all of the country’s higher education institutions.

Rotimi Amaechi Claims Buhari’s Tenure Offered a Better Life for Nigerians

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Rotimi Amaechi Claims Buhari’s Tenure Offered a Better Life for Nigerians

According to former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, Nigerians fared better under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration than they do under the present one.

Amaechi said that, in contrast to Buhari’s administration, living standards for Nigerians have substantially worsened under the current administration.

He said this while protesting electoral reform at the National Assembly in Abuja.

Known as “Occupy the National Assembly,” the demonstration drew a sizable crowd of young Nigerians who came to voice their concerns about what they see to be dangers to democratic accountability and fair elections.

“Is life easier now than it was in the APC?” Amaechi asked. Compared to former President Buhari’s administration, life is worse today. Despite our intention to eliminate the subsidy.

Demands for real-time electronic transmission of election results, which have caused a great deal of public ire since the Senate rejected the plan as part of the ongoing electoral reform efforts, were the main reason Amaechi participated in the demonstration.

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