Benue State House of Assembly has given its approval to a new bill establishing the Benue State Widows Commission, aimed at ending abusive cultural practices targeted at widows and shielding them from all forms of exploitation.

The legislation, officially titled “A law to establish the Benue State Widows Commission and for Related Purposes, 2025,” scaled through its final reading on Tuesday during plenary in Makurdi.

During deliberations, Beckie Orpin, who heads the Committee on Women Affairs and Social Welfare, stressed that the proposed commission is crucial because widows remain among the most at-risk groups in the state.

She noted that the assembly, through the passage of the bill, has reaffirmed its constitutional mandate to defend vulnerable citizens.

Thomas Dugeri, the majority leader, thereafter moved the motion for the adoption of the committee’s report, recommendations, and every clause contained in the bill. Following this, Speaker Alfred Emberga instructed the clerk, Bem Mela, to conduct the third reading, after which the bill was passed.

In another development, lawmakers reviewed the report of the standing committee on women affairs and social welfare after its assessment visit to the Benue State Rehabilitation Board in Apir.

Presenting the findings, Orpin disclosed that the law establishing the board is outdated and needs to be replaced. She further pointed out that the present monthly contribution of N100,000 from local government councils is insufficient for the board’s operations.

According to her, the facility is grappling with a lack of essential amenities, including a functional sick bay, learning materials, and operational vehicles.

Contributing to the discussion, Dugeri described the facility’s state as deplorable, lamenting the widespread structural decay and inadequate feeding of children as a result of poor funding.

McClinton Manger, representing Tarka constituency, added that the already meagre N100,000 contribution is often not released, calling on the government to urgently intervene to safeguard the welfare of the children housed at the centre.

After considering the submission, the speaker instructed the committees on women affairs, business and rules to initiate a new bill that will repeal the 1996 edict under which the rehabilitation board currently operates.

He also revealed that the assembly had approved an increase in the board’s monthly funding from N100,000 to N1.5 million.

Additionally, he directed the commissioner for finance to ensure prompt disbursement of funds and ordered the procurement of a Toyota bus for the students and a Hilux vehicle for official duties.

Emberga further emphasised the need for adequate instructional materials to enhance teaching and learning within the facility.

Arise Television host, Rufai Oseni, has urged President Bola Tinubu against allowing the planned impeachment of Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State to scale through.

Oseni disclosed that impeaching Fubara is an indictment on Tinubu’s inability to protect governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Posting on Facebook, Oseni wrote: “If Fubara is impeached, then it’s a big indictment on President Tinubu’s ability to protect APC governors.

“Also, for those government officials that say the state of emergency was to save Fubara, that argument has been nullified by this impeachment notice.

“Despite the state of emergency, no peace and settlement, President Tinubu’s state of emergency didn’t save Fubara because an impeachment is still going ahead.

“One thing is certain currently: Wike is leading in this fight. Wike 100, President Tinubu 50.

“Will President Tinubu be able to save Fubara from Wike? Will President Tinubu side with Fubara?

“Will the Chief Judge go ahead with the process? Will the court order hold?

“Will Wike work against Tinubu and probably join the opposition? Time will tell.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced March 11, 2026, as the official commencement date for political campaigns ahead of forthcoming governorship election in Osun State.

The Osun INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Mutiu Agboke, disclosed this while responding to questions from journalists during an expanded stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Commission to mark the start of the second phase of the Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, exercise in Osogbo on Monday.

According to Agboke, the campaign timeline would be formally communicated to political actors in line with existing Electoral Act and guidelines.

“By God’s grace, full campaign activities will commence on March 11, 2026. We will still meet with stakeholders, especially political parties, to brief them appropriately,” he said.

He explained that the Commission would outline campaign protocols to guide political parties throughout the process.

“We are going to roll out the protocols and conduct of political parties in line with the Electoral Act, as the relevant sections are there to guide everyone,” Agboke stated.

The Osun INEC boss emphasised the need for collective responsibility in achieving credible electoral processes in the state.

Reflecting on previous engagements, Agboke said collaboration played a major role in the success of the first phase of the CVR.

“We want cooperation, understanding and proper togetherness in the execution of INEC activities. The first phase was successful because INEC and stakeholders came together beforehand to identify grey areas,” he said.

He noted that a similar approach was being adopted for the second phase in order to consolidate earlier gains.

“As we commence the second phase of the CVR, we believe building on the progress already made will lead to another success,” he said.

Agboke also revealed plans to rotate registration equipment across communities to improve access for prospective voters.

“Now we are going to start rotation of the CVR, where the IVES will be taken to communities for the registrants to participate.

“The stakeholders agreed with us on this assuring that they will participate and they have also shown their readiness to cooperate and ensure the success of the exercise,” he concluded.

Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that nobody in the FCT Administration is being owed salary.

Olayinka disclosed this while reacting to the talks about non-payment of the outstanding 5-month wage award.

Featuring on Arise News Night Insight, Olayinka reaffirmed his earlier stance that the payment for FCTA workers has started.

He said: “Nobody in the FCT is owed salary, I have also received my December salary. Let’s not confuse the people, the issue you are talking about is about casual workers, casual workers in the sense that they are people that are engaged occasionally.

“You engage them when you need them, so they are not permanent workers. It’s just like you need bricklayers and you go to artisan market to pick two or three bricklayers to work with you, when they finish their job, they would go back home.

“The talk about non-payment of five months wage award, the payment has started, it’s already on. The talk about promotion allowance and elongation of tenure of Permanent Secretaries is not just the FCT.

“Things like that are done when you don’t want to disrupt a system that is running and somebody is there and you know that this person’s tenure of office has ended and there is no suitable person to replace him, it’s a normal thing that is done

“But the Minister has said if you don’t want it, I will not do it again, he has conceded.

“I know of a certain Director that should be retiring next month left to the Minister, because that Director has been very useful, very active, and very capable.

“Left to the Minister, he would say let me extend but he is not extending, it was discussed at the Exco meeting last week, there was no extension.”

Abia State government has given landlords in Umuahia four weeks to renovate their buildings or face the consequences of government actions.

It said the buildings were dirty and defacing the beauty of the city.

The State government also announced that shanties and other illegal projections in Umuahia are to be pulled down in the next few days by Umuahia Capital Development Authority, UCDA.

The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu announced this on Monday while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s executive council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.

He  lamented that many buildings in Umuahia have not been maintained or given facelift for many years by their owners, thereby defacing the beauty  of the Abia capital and sabotaging the efforts of the State government in urban beatification.

“The State government has observed with dismay that many landlords have not carried out routine maintenance or facelift on their buildings for years.

“These buildings currently deface the city thereby setting back the efforts of the State government to beautify Umuahia.

“Landlords that disregard this directive will face the consequences”, the Abia State government warned.

The Commissioner also announced that Abia State government has employed 649 medical personnel to work in the State’s healthcare system.

Kanu explained that the newly employed medical personnel included 432 nurses and one neurosurgeon.

Son of Oba Simeon Olanipekun, Oniwo of Afin, Olaolu, who was abducted by armed bandits on December 31, 2025 in Ile-Ere district of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, has regained freedom.

Olaolu, a serving National Youth Corps member, was abducted alongside the monarch and scores of residents of the community during the violent attack by the bandits on the monarch’s palace.

However, the monarch and others are still being held captive by the bandits who have insisted on ransom payment running into millions of naira for their release.

Authoritative security sources confirmed the release of the abducted youth corp member on Monday to DAILY POST in Ilorin, but did not reveal if ransom was paid by the community.

Recall that the bandits had threatened to kill either the monarch or the son if the community failed to pay the ransom demanded.

On December 31,2025, New Year eve, eight armed bandits invaded Aafin community in the Ile Ere district of Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state and abducted the traditional ruler, Oba Simeon Olaonipekun, alongside one of his sons, Olaolu, during a violent attack on the royal palace.

The attack, which occurred around 8:00pm on December 31, 2026, was said to have been carried out by about eight armed men who stormed the palace, shooting sporadically and forcing their way into the building.

A family source, who was present at the palace during the violent incident, told journalists that the assailants appeared to have come specifically for the monarch and his wife.

“I noticed some strange movements outside around 8:00pm and immediately alerted those inside. We began locking doors and switching off lights, but once they realised this, they started shooting,” the source said.

According to him, the gunmen broke down the palace doors with their weapons and demanded to see the Kabiyesi.

“They gained entrance and requested for the Kabiyesi, and he came out. They were also asking for his wife Felicia Olaonipekun, but she had already been hit by a bullet in the arm,” he said.

The source added that Olaolu, one of the monarch’s sons who is currently undergoing his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, was also abducted after coming out of hiding.

“There were about 10 of us in the palace at the time, as we had come to spend the holiday with Kabiyesi. Everyone was hiding during the attack. After they left, we rushed the Olori to the hospital that same night,” he said.

He noted that the community vigilante group could not repel the attackers, as only two members were on duty and were overpowered by the gunmen’s superior firepower.

“The vigilantes could not do much because they were just two on duty. The leader of the attackers spoke very good English and they came straight to the palace. They did not attack any other place in the town,” the source added.

He said the incident was reported to several police formations, including the Owu Isin and Ijara Isin divisions, as well as the joint local security network in Ikosin, while neighbouring traditional rulers were also alerted.

At the time of filing this report, there was no official information on contact with the abductors, while the community appealed to the state government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the safe release of the monarch and others still in captivity of the bandits.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s planned defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has become one of Kano’s most talked about political puzzles following the uncertainty surrounding the move.

DAILY POST reports that the defection, which was hitherto slated for the first week of January 2026, was pushed to January 12, 2026.

The much anticipated event was again stalled as the governor continued his consultations with National Assembly members, state legislators and key figures in the ruling party amid warnings from his political godfather and 2023 presidential candidate of the NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The delay, however, has been ascribed to the split in NNPP and the governor’s tough demand from his prospective new party.

Governor Yusuf’s tough demand

An insider source familiar with the unfolding political occurrences in Kano State told DAILY POST that the governor has insisted on an automatic ticket for the 2027 election as a condition to join the ruling party.

According to the source, the top leadership of the ruling party has been unable to grant the request, placing it on hold waiting for President Bola Tinubu’s return from his foreign trip.

“The governor does not want to blindly join the APC and then later have people like the former national chairman of APC, Abdullahi Ganduje coming up with their own anointed candidate.

“You know that immediately he joins the party, he will stop enjoying the support he gets from His Excellency Rabiu Kwankwaso so if he doesn’t have the support of people like Ganduje or Kwankwaso, 2027 is going to be very tough for him.

“But if Kwankwaso had agreed to also follow the governor to APC, the whole thing would have been easier for the governor but Kwankwaso himself is not ready to move to APC, at least not yet.

“Now that Mr President is back to Nigeria, things will become clearer in the coming days, hopefully, the governor’s request will be granted but mind you, he is not the only governor seeking re-election”, he said.

Split in NNPP

Prior to the governor’s move to dump the perceived fastest-growing political platforms in the country, there has been a cold war among leadership of the party.

According to reports, the internal wrangling birthed the decision of the governor to shift his alliance to the ruling party.

The crisis reportedly began with a contentious change of the party’s logo, as the Kwankwaso-led faction replaced the basket of fruits with a book and graduation cap.

But the governor’s camp insisted that the previous logo must be maintained.

The development, DAILY POST gathered, sparked legal battles that have since thrown the party into uncertainty, deepening internal fragmentation.

While the governor has the Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Hon Jibril Ismail Falgore, some Local Government Chairmen in his camp, the deputy governor, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo and some members of the state cabinet remain loyal to Kwankwaso.

Remain in our party, no clear road in APC – NNPP former Chairman

In an exclusive interview with DAILY POST on Sunday, the immediate past Chairman of NNPP in Kano State, Hashimu Dungurawa urged the governor to shelve his planned defection.

Dungurawa pointed out that while Governor Yusuf’s re-election under NNPP is sure, the road is not clear for him if he defects to APC.

He said, “It is still my prayer that the governor doesn’t leave our party because leaving the party will cause a lot of vacuum that will be difficult to fill.

“Staying with NNPP will help him because where he is going is a camp of his enemies.

“We are here supporting him in the NNPP, nobody is fighting him and there is nobody that is not wishing him well.

“If he remains in our party, he will automatically return as governor for his second term. There is no clear road in where he is going so the best thing for him is to remain with us.

“Definitely, we will all work for his victory in 2027 if he remains in our party. I don’t see any reason why he should be jumping to another when he is comfortable where he is.

“In 2027, NNPP is going to defeat the so-called APC and PDP in Kano State”.

Governor Yusuf under pressure to remain in NNPP

There has been intense pressure from Kwankwaso’s supporters known as the Kwankwassiyya Movement, aiming to stop the governor’s alliance with APC.

This comes with the threat that the governor will be asked in 2027 if he ignores the warnings.

It was gathered that Hon Mustapha Kwankwaso, the first son of the NNPP leader and other Yusuf’s cabinet members loyal to Kwankwaso, will immediately quit their jobs when the governor officially joins APC.

Former South-East Spokesman to President Bola Tinubu, Denge Josef Onoh, has asked the All Progressives Congress (APC) to immediately suspend all its lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly allegedly involved in moves to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.

Onoh made the call in a statement issued to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.

The Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly described the renewed impeachment attempt by the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, as legislative rascality and a calculated, self-serving coup against constitutional order and democratic governance.

He added that the impeachment move, reportedly based on allegations of gross misconduct, including the non-presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill, fails to acknowledge the existence of a nationally approved budget running until August 2026 under earlier emergency provisions.

According to him, the current effort marks the third attempt to impeach Governor Fubara since 2023, with the latest escalation occurring in January 2026.

He stated that the lawmakers involved defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC on December 5, 2025, just days before Governor Fubara’s own defection to the ruling party.

“The simultaneous targeting of the governor and his deputy exposes a clear agenda to seize power through the back door. The APC should suspend all its lawmakers involved in this act of legislative rascality,” Onoh said.