Gombe State’s 2023 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial candidate, Mohammad Barde, has formally joined the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

Barde, who came second in Gombe State’s 2023 governorship election behind Governor Inuwa Yahaya, said he joined the ADC as part of his preparations for the 2027 general elections.

In an interview after validating his ADC membership, Barde criticised the current state of insecurity and poor infrastructure in Gombe and across the country, asserting that the ADC is committed to addressing these challenges.

He expressed confidence in the party’s ability to bring positive change, highlighting its focus on inclusive leadership and equal opportunities for all.

Barde also outlined ADC’s plan to hold state congresses and a national convention in February 2026, urging members to participate in membership revalidation and mobilise new supporters ahead of the events.

Supporters of former Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, under the banner of the Bafarawa Akida Movement, have formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.

The decision was announced on Wednesday following a consultative meeting of elders and leaders of the movement from all 23 local government areas of Sokoto State.

Speaking after the meeting, the movement’s chairman, Prof. Hamza Maishanu, said the defection followed extensive consultations and reflected the collective decision of members.

He added that the elders resolved to support the administration of Governor Ahmed Aliyu, citing its performance and cordial relationship with Bafarawa.

Maishanu confirmed that the decision to join the APC was formal and would be followed by further consultations to complete necessary procedures.

He dismissed claims linking the move to 2027 elections or external political pressure.

Meanwhile, Bafarawa reiterated that he had quit active politics and had not personally joined the APC, but said he supported the decision of his followers.

The High Court of Lagos State has officially declared its 2025 Christmas vacation, with regular court sessions suspended from Wednesday, December 24, 2025, through Friday, January 2, 2026.

Court proceedings are scheduled to resume on Monday, January 5, 2026.

The vacation period was approved by the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba, under the authority of Order 49, Rules 4(c) and 5 of the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019, which grants the Chief Judge power to determine court vacation dates and make provisions for urgent judicial matters.

This was communicated in a public notice issued by the Chief Registrar of the High Court, Mr. T. A. Elias, and dated November 26, 2025.

The notice confirms that the vacation period includes all dates between December 24, 2025, and January 2, 2026, in line with established court practice.

While regular hearings will be suspended during the Christmas break, the court clarified that urgent judicial matters will still be addressed.

Judges are authorised to hear and determine urgent applications relating to substantive cases already assigned to them.

For new urgent applications not connected to existing cases, a judge will be designated specifically to handle such matters during the vacation.

The notice also emphasised that any matter certified as urgent may be entertained during this period, provided it complies strictly with the requirements set out in Order 49, Rule 5 of the Lagos High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019.

As Nigeria targets 2.06 million barrels per day crude oil production in 2026, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited said it is building synergy with surveillance companies like Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited to achieve the feat.

NNPCL Head, Field Operations, Eastern Corridor, Project Monitoring Office, Akponime Omojevwhe, stated this at the PINL December meeting with stakeholders in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

Omojevwhe said in a statement on Monday that the cordial partnership between the host communities and PINL has resulted in unhindered production on the Trans Niger Pipeline.

He revealed that the company’s projection for 2026 is 2.06 million barrels per day with a budgeted benchmark of 1.84 million barrels per day.

“Our projection for 2026 is 2.06mbpd while the budget is 1.84mbpd and with the kind of synergy we are seeing here in Bayelsa and other PINL coordinated areas, we can do it. If everybody comes together, it’s achievable and it’s realistic.”

Meanwhile, PINL promised to advocate for more development from government and international oil companies operating in the host communities of the TNP.

The surveillance company which operates on the eastern corridor of the TNP argued that siting development projects in host communities would help reduce the temptations of vandalism and oil theft by community people.

PINL General Manager, Community Relations and Stakeholder Engagement, Dr. Akpos Mezeh, said the decision to canvass for more development in the host communities followed several communities’ requests.

Mezeh said, “We have become one of the closest interfaces with the communities and those communities may not even understand that we don’t have the capacity to provide most of those things they are asking for, but for the fact that we have been able to create that platform to air their grievance. We have complaints of lack of basic amenities, so in 2026, we’ll advocate for more government attention in our communities.”

He said the meeting afforded the company the opportunity to review its progress in the fight against pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft, and also celebrate, fellowship and appreciate critical stakeholders, especially leaders of host communities for their support and commitment which he said have sustained the economic stability of the country.

The Chairman of Ijaw National Congress,  Central Zone, Chief Moses Theophilus, commended the company for its impactful services in the region on the outgoing year, noting that PINL’s services have greatly reduced vandalism, oil theft and environmental pollution in the area.

The Nigeria Labour Congress and its affiliates on Wednesday protested nationwide against rising insecurity in the country.

The union had declared a nationwide protest for December 17, citing what it described as the country’s “degenerating security situation.”

In a notice issued to all state councils on December 10, after its National Executive Committee-in-session meeting on December 4, the union condemned the rampant activities of bandits and kidnappers across the country.

It singled out the November 17 abduction of female students from a boarding school in Kebbi State and expressed outrage over the withdrawal of security personnel from the school shortly before the incident.

The union directed all its affiliates and state councils to “fully mobilise” workers and civil society for the protest.

In last-minute efforts to halt the protest, President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday night, met with the NLC leadership and some state governors, led by the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma.

The President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, told journalists on Wednesday that the leadership of the Congress would meet with the President again by January to address the issue of financial insecurity of Nigerian workers.

Ajaero said that the engagement the Labour had with the Federal Government was aimed at cancelling the planned protest, adding that the workers who were poorly paid and inadequately fed were more likely to face deeper challenges.

“The action continued this morning (Wednesday). We are rounding off now. We will take back whatever we discussed with them to our members.

“The attitude of meeting on the day or eve of any action is not rocket science.

“However, Mr President was emphatic that the issue of insecurity will be a thing of the past very soon. He said he’s taking extra steps to take care of it.

“We equally talked about financial insecurity because a worker who is not well fed and not well paid will have even more problems than those who are well fed and well paid.

“Mr President said he has put Nigeria on the map of prosperity, and we agreed that we’re going to meet in January to look at some grey areas where we need to touch.

“It will equally translate into the prosperity of the working people of Nigeria,” he said.

On whether the protest had been cancelled, Ajaero said: “We are going back to our members now, and then we will get back to them.

“But today (Wednesday) is gone, and our action is not an indefinite one. It’s a protest. The issue of suspension is not there because the action was taken off this morning,” Ajaero said.

Uzodimma, who is Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, said the President’s intervention played a key role in resolving the matter, adding that a channel had been opened for increased communication with Labour.

“President Bola Tinubu met last night with the leadership of NLC. They discussed issues of the Nigerian economy, workers’ welfare, ongoing reforms, national security and other developments in the country, and all of them agreed.

“National unity is very critical, and our national interest is also very important. And the march towards economic prosperity by the president is a welcome idea.

“At the end of the meeting, we also discovered that there is a need for regular engagements with the Nigeria Labour Congress.

“For now, both the government and labour are on the same page to ensure that Nigeria is better protected, and more investments in the areas of security should be encouraged.”

The governor expressed appreciation to Tinubu for the way he came out to explain to the labour leaders his programmes and activities for improved security arrangements in the country.

“We are also very grateful to the NLC for the maturity they exhibited; for the interest they also displayed for national security and better security for Nigerians and the welfare of Nigerian workers,” he said.

On Wednesday, workers gathered across states and the Federal Capital Territory in obedience to the directive of the NLC leadership to protest against insecurity.

Demonstrations in Lagos, Abuja, Anambra and some other parts of the country underscored how fear, violence and restricted movement have become part of daily life for millions of Nigerians.

In Abuja, the workers converged on the NLC national secretariat, with security personnel, including police, civil defence, and officials from the Department of State Services, deployed to ensure orderliness.

Ajaero, addressing the workers, said the planned protest remained firm and was intended to draw attention to the country’s worsening insecurity.

“The protest is to help this country – to call attention to the effect of insecurity,” he said.

He warned that insecurity was affecting Nigeria’s economy and discouraging investors.

Ajaero also highlighted the human cost, noting that workers and their families were often victims of kidnappings.

“Many workers are being kidnapped daily. People are killed. In Kebbi, a teacher was killed. Children of workers are kidnapped. The government must act to find the perpetrators,” he said.

Ajaero described banditry and kidnappings for ransom as alien to Nigerian values and called for a national response to end the trend.

He also suggested the idea of an “insecurity allowance” to support workers who are kidnapped and often need to raise money for ransom.

“This protest is our way of telling Nigerians and the international community that insecurity must stop.

“This is not the culture of Nigerians, and we must condemn it and strengthen the hands of those in authority to make sure it does not continue,” he said.

In Lagos, the march started at 9:10 am from the historic Ikeja Under Bridge and concluded at the Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa.

Workers in union colours and civil society activists waved Nigeria Labour Congress flags and chanted labour songs and freedom anthems.

They criticised escalating banditry, kidnappings and violent crime, saying insecurity has eroded both safety and freedom of movement across the country.

At the forefront of the march were the chairperson of the NLC Lagos chapter, Funmi Sessi, and human rights lawyer and Labour Ambassador, Femi Falana (SAN).

A member of the Abia State House of Assembly, representing Ukwa East constituency, Lewis Chinemerem Obianyi, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the Labour Party, LP.

The lawmaker announced his defection on Tuesday at the floor of the House during the plenary session.

While tendering his official resignation from the PDP, Obianyi declared   his new political affiliation with the Labour Party.

Obianyi is regarded as one of the most outspoken lawmakers in the Abia State House of Assembly, in addition to the number of bills he sponsored.

A close associate of the lawmaker, who spoke on the development on Tuesday, said the crises rocking the PDP was one of the reasons that influenced the defection.

Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has vowed not to deputize any presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.

There has been speculation that the former governor would deputize ex-vice president, Atiku Abubakar, who is likely emerging as the flagbearer of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

But speaking at an event in Abuja, Amaechi clarified that he is too presidential to be anybody’s vice.

“I will not be vice president to anybody. There are too many reasons why I won’t be vice president to anybody.

“The first reason is that I’m too presidential to be vice”, he said.

According to Amaechi, who is also eyeing the presidential ticket of the ADC, the problem with the office of vice president is not ceremonial, it is structural.

The former governor of Rivers State claimed that in Nigeria, the office of the vice president is designed to be subordinate, often powerless, and depend entirely on the temperament of the president.

“We will quarrel, instead of that, I would rather be a minister than be a vice president”, Amaechi said.

A coalition of Concerned Civil Society Organisations has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to remain resolute in its war against corruption.

This comes amid allegations against the commission, with opposition politicians accusing it of doing the bidding of the presidency.

A former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has gone as far as asking the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede to recuse himself from ongoing investigation involving him, accusing the EFCC helmsman of bias.https://dailypost.ng/2025/12/15/recuse-yourself-its-personal-vendetta-malami-tells-efcc-chairman-to-step-aside-from-probe/

However, a press statement obtained on Wednesday, signed Hon. Comrade Gloria Okolugbo, Coordinator, Coalition of Concerned Civil Society Organisations, accused politicians of throwing up allegations against the commission in order to evade lawful investigation.

It declared that Nigerians would not allow “unsubstantiated allegations, media grandstanding, or claims of personal vendetta to undermine an ongoing anti-corruption process.”

The coalition clearly affirmed that “Section 6 of the Act expressly mandates the EFCC to investigate economic and financial crimes, enforce all laws relating to corruption and illicit financial conduct, and trace, freeze, seize, and confiscate proceeds of crime.

“These powers apply to all persons, without exception, and without immunity for former public office holders, including former Attorneys-General.”

It rejected calls for Olukayode’s resignation, insisting that the present EFCC Chairman must continue to preside over the matter.

“There is no legal or moral basis for calls for his recusal. Under Section 7(1)(a)–(c) of the Act, the Commission is empowered to cause investigations to be conducted into the properties and financial activities of any person where reasonable suspicion exists, to obtain information from any individual or institution, and to initiate and supervise prosecutions arising from such investigations.

“Nowhere in the Act is a suspect granted the right to dictate who leads or supervises an investigation into their conduct.

“Allowing a person under investigation to demand the removal of the head of an anti-corruption agency would set a dangerous precedent and amount to institutional capitulation. Such a demand is alien to the law and represents a clear attempt to obstruct justice.

“The extraordinary level of noise, threats, and preemptive accusations being deployed by Mr. Malami only reinforces the public interest in a thorough and transparent investigation.

“If there is nothing to hide, there should be no fear of lawful inquiry. Those who once exercised prosecutorial authority over others should be the first to submit themselves calmly to the same legal processes they once enforced.

“For years, Nigerians have witnessed a disturbing contrast between the immense personal wealth openly displayed by some former public officials and the daily hardship endured by ordinary citizens.

“Assets, lifestyles, and financial flows that raise legitimate questions must be accounted for. This investigation is not persecution; it is accountability.

“We therefore reaffirm our full and unambiguous support for the EFCC in the discharge of its statutory duties.

“Under Section 38 of the EFCC Act, the Commission is empowered to investigate and prosecute offences relating to economic and financial crimes.

“Its mandate is simple and lawful: to follow the money and allow the courts to determine the outcome.

“No amount of intimidation, political posturing, or media theatrics should be allowed to derail this process.

“Nigeria must seize this moment to reaffirm a fundamental democratic principle: no one is above the law, and no individual may bully anti-corruption institutions into retreat,” the coalition declared.