The New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, says the dissolution of the Kano State executives of the party at all levels stands and cannot be reversed by a court order.

This is contained in a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, in Abuja on Thursday

Johnson said that the reaction followed media reports that a High Court in Kano State had reversed the dissolution of the party’s executive committees at the state, local government and ward levels in line with the NNPP Constitution.

He said the party National Working Committee, NWC, regards the purported reversal of its internal decisions by the court as “an ordinary street rumour” because it had not been served with any court process.

He said while media reported that the court, via an ex-parte order by Justice Nasiru Saminu on Tuesday, allegedly granted an interim injunction to this effect, the party leadership is yet to be served any court document.

Johnson said if the court order was in any way confirmed, such action would clearly be inconsistent with legal procedures and established legal precedents.

He said it was evidently a misnomer for a judge to purportedly grant such an over-reaching interim injunction against a completed action by the NWC of the party.

“We still regard the whole orchestration as a mere rumour. But if this is confirmed, we will take firm legal measures and ensure that the purported illegal injunction does not stand.

“Obviously, it can never stand because it is an illegality, a clear abuse of court process as the court lacks the jurisdiction to reverse a decision by the party, being an internal affair of the party.

“The dissolution of Kano State executives of the party at all levels therefore stands,” he said.

Johnson explained that the Supreme Court in a plethora of cases ruled that political party affairs were non-justiciable as such matters were the internal affairs of political parties.

“Therefore, the purported reversal by a Kano State High Court of the decision of the NWC of NNPP cannot be an exception.

“If the reported injunction of this nature is confirmed to be true, then it could only be described as an exercise in legal rascality,” he said.

Johnson added that in established instances of this nature, the NNPP would have no option than to take all necessary measures to ensure that the judicial officers involved were duly sanctioned by the National Judicial Council.

A former Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Austin Tam-George, has suggested that the defection of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, altered the political dynamics in the state, weakening the influence of the camp loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Tam-George said that political calculations in the state within the last three weeks has changed, noting that the development appeared to have unsettled Wike and his allies.

Speaking during the Arise Television’s Prime Time, the former commissioner stated it was why Wike in recent weeks embarked on visits to several local government areas in the state.

According to him, the governor’s defection eroded the leverage previously enjoyed by the Wike camp over the Rivers State Government, forcing them to seek new ways of reasserting their influence.

He, however, warned that the prolonged political tension and instability resulting from the rivalry would ultimately be detrimental to the state and its people.

Tam-George said: “The movement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to APC in the last 21 days has changed the political calculation in Rivers State.

“You know, in the past two weeks or so, the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has been going from local government area to another local government area, threatening the government of Rivers state, even insulting the leadership structures of the APC at some point.

“He even accused some senior leaders and the Tinubu administration of going to Rivers State to literally accept, take money or bribes, also from the Rivers state government.

“So what I think is happening is that the defection of the governor has obviously threatened the original leverage that the Wike’s camp had over the governor, and they are finding a way to look for a way of asserting what they thought might be a threat to their leverage.

“But the regret is that it is the state ultimately that suffers from this kind of instability.”

At least 16 vessels have docked at Lagos ports, including Lekki, Tincan Island, and Apapa, awaiting the discharge of petrol, diesel, and bulk gas, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, has confirmed.

According to the NPA’s latest publication, Shipping Position, a copy of which was made available to journalists on Thursday in Lagos, a total of 40 ships carrying petroleum products, food items, and other cargo are scheduled to arrive at the three ports between January 8 and January 16, 2026.

The authority noted that the incoming shipments include bulk diesel, petrol, crude oil, condensate, bulk gas, buckwheat, fresh fish, bulk urea, and various containerised goods.

Eight vessels are currently at the ports discharging containers, diesel, bulk urea, and crude oil.

A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Thursday admitted additional exhibits in the ongoing N5.78bn corruption trial of former Governor Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed and his former Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Ademola Banu.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting the duo for alleged diversion of funds, including Universal Basic Education Commission matching grants and counterpart funds meant for the provision of infrastructure in primary and junior secondary schools across the state.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar, the sixth prosecution witness, Ujilibo, testified that the EFCC obtained bank statements of the Kwara State Government from Polaris Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank, covering loans secured to pay teachers’ salaries under the State Universal Basic Education Board.

“My Lord, we wrote to the then Skye Bank, now Polaris Bank, and Guaranty Trust Bank requesting statements of SUBEB accounts and merging grants for 2013 and 2014,” Ujilibo said.

He added that the banks supplied all the requested documents, which were subsequently tendered and admitted as exhibits.

However, proceedings were briefly stalled following a dispute between the prosecution and the defence over the arrangement of the documents.

Defence counsel, Mr Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), argued that the bundle presented in court differed from what had been served on the defence and was neither paginated nor properly organised.

Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), countered that the documents were the same as those served on the defence and that it was not the prosecution’s responsibility to arrange them.

Justice Abdulgafar later adjourned the trial to February 16, 2026, to allow proper arrangement of the exhibits.

Speaking after the proceedings, Ajibade described the situation as “unacceptable in a criminal trial,” saying the defence must have an adequate opportunity to review evidence. Jacobs, however, maintained that the EFCC had fulfilled its duty.

The EFCC alleges that Ahmed and Banu approved the use of UBEC matching grant funds to pay civil servants’ salaries, contrary to the purpose for which the funds were released.

At a previous hearing, former Kwara State Accountant-General Suleiman Oluwadare Ishola testified that N1bn of UBEC matching grants was borrowed in 2015 to pay salaries and pensions.

The spokesperson for the Rivers State House of Assembly, Enemi George, has said lawmakers will see the impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Oduh, to the end, dismissing suggestions for a political solution.

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Thursday, George dismissed suggestions that the impeachment was a political move designed to pressure the governor.

“Very sincerely, I doubt that because we’ve had one too many political solutions… It demeans, diminishes the institution of the Rivers House of Assembly if you say that everything that we do is because of politics… Right now, what we’re talking about is the law.”

On allegations of repeated misconduct by the governor, George described Fubara as a recidivist, explaining: “A recidivist is somebody who commits the same crime over and over again. He’s punished or forgiven, he comes back, he commits the same crime.

He cited instances where the governor allegedly mismanaged public funds, including appointing relatives to positions without proper screening.

George also addressed recent controversies over public funds, including the December 30th, 2025, rejection of a N100,000 “Christmas gift” credited to lawmakers’ accounts on the orders of the governor.

“Within that principle, there is no constitutional provision for that. We didn’t reject it because the money is too small, we rejected it because I don’t want to go to prison.

“These funds do not belong to my father, mother, or sister; they belong to the people of Rivers State, in the nooks and crannies, who will pay for it.”

He further argued that intervention from party leaders would not override the Assembly’s legal mandate.

“The first time the president intervened, he was insulted. They said it was a political solution that was not binding. The second time, the president went through hell to assemble stakeholders, to broker this peace, and then somebody goes back and reneges.

“You can’t keep breaking the law and expecting the president to come to your rescue,” George said, referring to previous efforts by President Bola Tinubu to mediate between the governor and lawmakers.

PUNCH Online reported that the Rivers State House of Assembly had begun impeachment proceedings against Fubara and Oduh.

During a plenary session presided over by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, Majority Leader Major Jack read out a notice of allegations of gross misconduct signed by 26 lawmakers, citing breaches of the Nigerian Constitution.

Amaewhule said the notice would be formally served to the governor within seven days. This is the second attempt by the Assembly to remove Fubara and his deputy, following a similar attempt in March 2025.

At that time, tensions in the state prompted intervention by President Tinubu, who brokered a reconciliation between Fubara, the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, and the lawmakers, allowing the governor to return after six months.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State who is believed to be planning to defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC, on January 12, has for the first time since the controversy erupted made some comments on the matter.

The Governor seen in a viral video talking to a group said that, ” I have never commented on the discussions that follow the issues at stake, because I don’t believes in talking too much.”

DAILY POST is unable to confirm the date and time of the comment, but it generally referred to the current controversy over his planned defection.

He added that, “What started small has been magnified as said by a Hausa Singer, Karamar Magana Tazama Babba. As everyone knows, I  don’t believe in talking too much.

“I’m always an action man; the actions that will help my people as seen by everyone, that is what I believed in, not too much talk,” he said.

Kano was recently agog with news of the Governor’s planned move to the APC.

While a faction in the state believe his decision was coming at the right time as it will help the state to align with the centre, others in the New Nigeria’s People’s Party, NNPP, see his decision as nothing but a betrayal of trust given to him by the leader of the Kwankwasiyya group, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

The political camp of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has been thrown into disarray following his ongoing legal battle with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, a development widely seen as a major setback to his 2027 governorship ambition in Kebbi State.

Recall that in July 2025, Malami dumped the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 Kebbi governorship election, promising to “restore hope” to the state.

His declaration was greeted with mixed reactions across Kebbi.

While many of his supporters applauded the move and described it as a bold and welcome development, critics insisted that his ambition was “dead on arrival.”

Among the most vocal critics was Yahya Sarki, Chief Press Secretary to Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, who openly questioned Malami’s eligibility to contest for any elective office.

Saraki argued that the former AGF “lacks the integrity” to seek public office, citing the pending 16-count charges against him.

Barely four months after declaring his ambition, Malami was arrested by the EFCC on December 8, 2025, over allegations bordering on money laundering and abuse of office.

The EFCC is prosecuting Malami alongside his son, Abdulaziz Malami, and an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, Hajia Asabe Bashir, over allegations of conspiracy and concealment of proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to billions of naira.

The alleged offences are said to have been committed between November 2015 and June 2025. Malami has consistently denied all the allegations, including claims involving N12 billion allegedly laundered.

However, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja recently ordered the interim forfeiture of 57 properties suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities allegedly linked to the former AGF.

The order was granted by Justice Emeka Nwite following an ex parte application filed by the EFCC through its counsel, Ekele Iheanacho.

The court development has further unsettled Malami’s political camp.

DAILY POST gathered that Malami’s supporters in Kebbi State have been left in confusion following his arrest and detention.

A visit to his residence at Gesse Phase II, Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday, showed an unusual calm, as the once-busy mansion was almost deserted.

A few individuals seen around the premises spoke in hushed tones, apparently discussing the former AGF’s ordeal. Attempts to speak with them were declined.

Similarly, a visit to the ADC secretariat along Emir Haruna Rasheed Road in Birnin Kebbi revealed minimal activity, a sharp contrast to the usual political bustle since Malami joined the party.

Many attributed the lull to the uncertainty surrounding Malami’s legal trouble.

Malami has remained in the eye of the storm since declaring his intention to govern the state.

DAILY POST recalls that in September 2025, he narrowly escaped death when his convoy was attacked by suspected political thugs in Birnin Kebbi.

The attack occurred shortly after he returned from a condolence visit, with about 10 vehicles destroyed and several supporters injured.

Many political observers linked the incident to opponents allegedly bent on weakening and frustrating his ambition.

Clearing the field for the incumbent?

With the unfolding developments, Malami is widely believed to be facing serious distractions ahead of the 2027 polls, a situation some analysts said could clear the path for the incumbent governor, Nasir Idris.

Before Malami’s defection to the ADC, Idris was believed to have no serious challenger in the state.

The hitherto leading opposition PDP had largely weakened following the defection of key figures in May 2025, including: Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North) and Senator Garba Musa Maidoki (Kebbi South) to the APC.

Malami’s entry into the race initially changed the political equation, but the ongoing court case now appears to have stalled the momentum.

Malami camp cries foul

However, supporters of the former AGF have remained unperturbed over the developments, dismissing it  as a media trial and political persecution.

Mohammed Bello Doka, Special Assistant on Media to Malami, alleged that his principal was only being witch-hunted.

He said, “It is therefore disturbing that the EFCC chose to weaponise a routine judicial admonition and spin it into a sensational narrative aimed at tarnishing Malami’s image in the court of public opinion.

“This approach further reinforces our long-held position that the EFCC is persisting in a media trial, rather than allowing the case to be determined strictly on the basis of evidence and due process before the court,” he said in a statement.

The case has also attracted criticisms from opposition figures both in the state and the country.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar accused the EFCC of turning the fight against corruption into “a full-blown political witch-hunt,” alleging selective prosecution of opposition figures.

“The politicisation of corruption investigations has rendered the EFCC’s credibility suspect and rubbished the ideals that inspired its establishment,” Atiku said.

He added that the agency became “suddenly hyperactive” following the emergence of the ADC as a strong opposition platform, allegedly targeting figures such as Malami and former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

The Kebbi State chapter of the ADC also condemned Malami’s prosecution, describing it as politically motivated and aimed at undermining his governorship ambition.

“From all available evidence, Malami did not violate any of the legal conditions attached to his initial bail.

“As a senior lawyer and former number one law officer in the country, he understands what it means to violate bail conditions.

“However, what he probably did not understand was that attending a political gathering in furtherance of his governorship ambition in his home state of Kebbi could be the basis for revoking his bail by the EFCC, even though he has cooperated fully with the agency’s investigators,” the party said.

2027 outlook

Political observers have said the outcome of Malami’s trial could significantly influence the dynamics of the 2027 Kebbi governorship race.

While constitutional provisions allow him to contest as long as he is not convicted, analysts have noted that his 2026 political trajectory will largely be shaped by two factors: his ability to secure bail and sustain grassroots mobilisation and his capacity to manage what many describe as a “trial by public opinion.”

The central question remains whether Malami can maintain political relevance while defending himself in what is shaping up to be one of the most consequential corruption trials in recent Nigerian history.

Amnesty International has condemned the arrest of Abubakar Salim Musa by the police in Abuja.

The group warned against what it described as a growing attempt to silence young Nigerians for expressing their opinions online.
The rights group made this known in a statement shared on X on Wednesday.

They described Salim’s arrest as arbitrary and unlawful.

Amnesty said the arrest was linked to Salim’s use of social media to criticise government officials, an action it said falls within his fundamental right to freedom of expression.

“Salim had been tracked and monitored by police officers attached to the Gusau Central Police Command before his arrest. No formal invitation, complaint, or allegation was ever communicated to him,” the group said.

Amnesty stated that despite efforts by Salim’s lawyers to seek clarification from the police, he was later tracked to a hotel in the Apo Legislative Quarters area of Abuja, where he was arrested by heavily armed security personnel.

“He was detained at Abbatoir, a notorious police detention centre,” Amnesty said.

They added that when his family and lawyers went there to ask about his arrest, the police denied that he was in custody.

The human rights organisation said Salim committed no crime and should not be punished for criticising public officials.

“No one should be punished for criticising a government official. It is perfectly within his right to criticise any public office holder, no matter their position or status.”

Amnesty described Salim’s detention as a clear abuse of power and a violation of the rule of law.

He stressed that under international human rights law, criticism on social media cannot justify arrest or detention.

Amnesty called on Nigerian authorities to release Abubakar Salim immediately and unconditionally.

The organisation also raised concern about what it called increasing threats to young people’s freedom of expression in Nigeria.