Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Benibo Anabraba, has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

This was contained in a letter dated January 5, 2026, and addressed to the PDP Chairman, Ward 1, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state.

According to the letter, Benibo Anabrab’s decision to quit the main opposition party is “personal”.

He appreciated the “political leverage gained from the party during the period of my membership”.

Although Anabrab failed to state his next political party, it was gathered that he had joined the ruling All Progressives Congress APC.

DAILY POST reports that there has been a mass defection from PDP to the ruling party since the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara left the opposition party.

The state is currently facing another shot of political crisis as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike and his estranged political son Governor Fubara resumed their face-off.

While Fubara apparently joined the ruling party in a bid to return to the government house in 2027, Wike vowed to terminate the dream.

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, on Saturday, received 5,000 members in Abia State, barely one week after the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi joined the party.

The 2023 governorship candidate of the Accord Party, Bishop Emeka Nwankpa on Sunday, led the mass defection in his country home, Umuaku, Ntigha, Isiala Ngwa North LGA of Abia State.

The supporters, who followed him into the ADC, while speaking at the event, said they left their former political parties and structures, including the South East Mandate for Good Governance, before decamping to the ADC, together with their leader.

Speaking at the event, Nwankpa said his decision to pitch his tent with the ADC was borne out of deep conviction, explaining that ADC’s manifesto aligned  closely with his personal political philosophy, which according to him was anchored on people-oriented governance, social justice, and sustainable development.

He described the ADC as a credible and progressive platform capable of driving the kind of inclusive and people-centred governance Nigerians yearn for, adding that the party offers a fresh opportunity to rebuild public trust in politics.

Bishop  Nwankpa  and his supporters were welcomed to the ADC by Abia State Chairman,  Don Norman Obinna.

The Chairman said that the political direction of the country is heading towards ADC.

As schools across Taraba State prepare to reopen on Monday, the familiar early morning rush will no doubt take an unfamiliar shape for thousands of families.

Students who once woke to the clang of hostel bells and the predictability of supervised routines, will now rise before dawn scrambling onto buses, trekking long distances or navigating unreliable transport networks just to arrive in school on time.
This new reality, as observed  by DAILY POST, follows recent directive bygovernor Agbu Kefas for the immediate closure of all boarding hostels in public and private secondary schools across the state.

Weeks after the announcement, the policy is noticed to have begun to reshape daily life for students, parents and educators alike, effectively converting all secondary schools into day schools.

The government insists the move was unavoidable. According to the Commissioner for Education, Augustina Godwin, the directive was prompted by a nationwide surge in kidnappings, including attacks on schools in several states. In Taraba, she said, boarding hostels had become particularly vulnerable, with recent insecurity incidents heightening fears for students’ safety.

For many students, boarding school represented far more than a place to sleep. It offered structure set study hours, close supervision and a stable learning environment that was often lacking at home. Teachers who spoke to our reporter said that stability has been abruptly replaced by long commutes, irregular attendance and mounting distractions.

Learning time has been cut. Some of them travel for hours every day. By the time they get here, they are already worn out,” one teacher said.

Parents are feeling the pressure. Those who live far from schools, particularly in rural communities, describe daily attendance as exhausting and expensive. Transport fares, meals and constant supervision must now be juggled alongside work and other responsibilities.

“What used to be a full-time school solution is now an exhausting daily obligation. You have to rush to work, rush back, and worry about food, transport and safety all at once,” one parent said.

Low income families, parents confessed that they are bearing the heaviest burden. In some households, the financial and emotional strain is already forcing difficult choices. Our reporter observed rising absenteeism in several schools, while some families are considering withdrawing their children altogether.

Education stakeholders warn that the policy could deepen inequality within the system. For decades, boarding schools served as a critical bridge for students from remote communities, providing access to education that geography would otherwise deny them. Without hostels, school heads fear that only families in urban centres or with better resources will be able to sustain regular attendance.

A secondary school principal, who requested anonymity, expressed particular concern for girls and other marginalised groups. Daily travel, he said, raises safety and cultural concerns that could make them the first to drop out.

“This decision affects everyone, but not equally. Some children will simply disappear from the classroom,’ he said

Teachers also point to longstanding challenges within Taraba’s education sector, including dilapidated infrastructure, overcrowded classrooms and shortages of basic facilities such as water and toilets. Removing boarding options, they argue, has compounded these problems, leaving already vulnerable students with even fewer pathways to learning.

The concern was also observed to have extends beyond the state,as the Christian Reformed Church–Nigeria (CRC-N), in a recent communiqué issued after its 161st General Church Council in Takum, acknowledged the reality of insecurity in schools but warned that shutting down boarding facilities could undermine national development.

While noting what it described as improvements in security under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Church urged authorities to strengthen school protection rather than restrict access to education.

School administrators  who also echoed the call said without additional safeguards or a review of the policy, many children especially those from rural and low income communities risk being pushed permanently out of the education system.

“For many students, boarding schools offered stability and support.  Losing that environment is more damaging than many people realise,” one of the school principal said.

As classrooms across Taraba reopen, educationists who spoke to DAILY POST believe the challenge is not only about security but about balancing how to protect students without closing the very doors that give them a chance to be future leaders.

The Nigeria Revenue Service, NRS, has disclosed the main beneficiaries of the new tax law instituted by President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking in an interview on Sunday on Arise Television monitored by DAILY POST, the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacchaeus Adedeji, said the poor are the main beneficiaries of the new tax reforms.

Adedeji said the government is not taxing more, adding that looking at all the exemptions, more than 95% of the poor are totally exempted.

The NRS boss stressed that removing Value Added Tax, VAT, on all food item is still to the advantage of the poor because 90% of disposable income for poor is for food.

“We remove VAT totally from those ones. The same thing on transportation, which is also in the poor.

“So if you look at the total and the net benefit, the poor are the most beneficiary of this tax reform,” he said.

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have killed five terrorists and rescued three kidnapped civilians during a coordinated operation in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.

Also, troops of the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Lokoja, killed three bandits during operations in parts of Kabba Bunu and Yagba West Local Government Areas of Kogi State.

The Borno operation, carried out in the early hours of Sunday, was disclosed in a statement by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Uba Sani.

According to the statement, the troops, working alongside members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, engaged the terrorists at a known crossing point along the Sojiri axis of Konduga LGA.

“Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have recorded another operational success following a well-coordinated offensive against terrorist elements in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State, leading to the rescue of kidnapped civilians,” the statement read.

Sani said the encounter resulted in the neutralisation of five terrorists without any casualty on the side of the troops.

“Five terrorists were neutralised without any casualty to own troops, underscoring the professionalism, precision and combat effectiveness of the security forces,” he said.

He added that three civilians abducted by the terrorists were successfully rescued during the operation, while items recovered included AK-47 rifles and other sundry materials.

“The successful operation highlights OPHK’s sustained commitment to aggressive offensive actions against terrorist elements while prioritising the protection of civilians. Troops’ morale remains high, and security forces continue to dominate the operational environment across the theatre,” the statement added.

Also, in a statement on Sunday, the spokesman for the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Lokoja, Lt. Hassan Abdullahi, said the troops recorded significant operational successes in parts of Kabba Bunu and Yagba West Local Government Areas of Kogi State, neutralising three bandits during separate operations.

He said the operations were conducted on January 3, 2026, following credible intelligence on the movement of bandits.

“Acting on credible intelligence on the movement of bandits from the Adankolo general area towards Agbadu Bunu in Kabba Bunu LGA, troops swiftly deployed and laid a deliberate ambush at an identified crossing point,” Abdullahi said.

He explained that the bandits ran into the ambush and were engaged, forcing them to withdraw with casualties. “During the encounter, troops neutralised two bandits and recovered one AK-47 rifle, one magazine, 99 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, one locally fabricated gun and 11 cartridges,” he said.

In a related development, further intelligence revealed the movement of bandits around Saminaka village in Yagba West LGA. Abdullahi said troops, working with local vigilantes, conducted a fighting patrol in the area.

“Troops made contact with an unconfirmed number of bandits and engaged them, leading to their withdrawal through the forest. During exploitation, troops discovered one neutralised bandit, one AK-47 rifle and 17 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition,” he added.

During the same operation, the troops arrested a suspected bandit logistics supplier, identified as Sunday Adedotun, from Odo Eri village in Yagba West LGA.

The suspect was apprehended on farmland within Saminaka village. Items recovered included cartons of energy drinks, bottled water and harvested farm produce. He is currently in custody undergoing investigation.

The Commander of 12 Brigade, Brigadier General Kasim Sidi, commended the troops for their professionalism and timely response to intelligence, assuring that aggressive patrols and intelligence-driven operations would be sustained to deny criminal elements freedom of action.

Reacting, the Kogi State Government reaffirmed its commitment to a sustained crackdown on criminal elements across the state.

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said security agencies were actively tracking criminals, with major operations underway to rescue abducted victims.

Fanwo spoke amid recent protests by residents of Kabba Bunu communities over persistent banditry, which they said had forced many villagers to abandon their homes.

“We understand the trauma faced by families of kidnapped victims and are deeply concerned about their well-being. The Governor has invested heavily in ensuring the state possesses the capacity to crush criminal elements,” Fanwo said.

He thanked President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, Service Chiefs, the DSS, the Inspector-General of Police and the NSCDC for their support, adding that the government remained determined to rescue every abducted resident.

“We will make sure every Kogite in their hands is rescued. We also sympathise with families that have lost loved ones. The security situation has improved significantly,” he said, while cautioning that protests must remain peaceful and free of political motives.

Fanwo also commended the lawmaker representing Yagba Federal Constituency, Leke Abejide, for providing logistics to support security operations, warning that anyone disturbing public peace under the guise of protest would face the full weight of the law.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, National Chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, has declared Governor Sim Fubara as the leader of the party in Rivers State.

This comes amid the renewed hostilities between Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike over leadership postion in the state.

Following his defection to the APC, Fubara had declared himself as the 001 of APC in the state.

But, Wike had dismissed the governor’s stance, stressing that he controls the political structure in the state, since APC and the Peoples Democratic Party have teamed up to support President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Reacting, the APC National Chairman, however, said he would support Fubara for a second term if he wins the party’s primaries.

In an interview on Channels Television’s Hard Copy, Yilwatda said: “Governor Fubara is the leader of the APC in Rivers State, but he would need to coordinate with every other person in the state.

“I don’t choose who to support in the state’s primary election. If Fubara emerges as the APC candidate, I’ll support him.

“If he loses the primary, I’ll sympathise with him and go with the person who wins the primary election.”

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has reacted to comment by Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State that some supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar are now backing President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking at a new year banquet on Thursday in Port Harcourt, Fubara said Prince Uche Secondus, Rt. Hon. Austin Opara, Alabo Abiye Sekibo, and former Governor, Sir Celestine Omehia are now supporting him and Tinubu.

Reacting, Wike said these men failed to give Atiku 10 percent votes during the 2023 presidential election.

Speaking in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA) Local Government Area of Rivers yesterday, Wike assured Tinubu of the required support to win the 2027 presidential election.

He said: “I heard somebody (Fubara) say, ‘Oh, those who want Atiku are back.’ they couldn’t give Atiku 10% in 2023, so what is the political advantage?

“I won’t call their names but you all know them, we will do all we can to see that we give Tinubu the total support that is required.”

He also lambasted the Ohanaeze President-General, John Mbata for referring to him as a semi-illiterate.

Wike said: “Ordinarily, I won’t have bothered myself but I will say it. Somebody who was a former senator said the FCT Minister is a semi-illiterate but the same person dropped out from Rivers State University when he was reading law, he could not make it.

“I meant to University of Port Harcourt, finished, went to the same university he dropped out and went to the law school, today, I’m life bencher.

“The semi-illiterate has the fourth highest national award in Nigeria.”

The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, has assured Nigerians that the Federal Government’s priority in 2026 is reliable, accessible and sustainable electricity supply.

The assurance is contained in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations, Mr Bolaji Tunji.

Tunji said Adelabu gave the assurance in his New Year message to Nigerians and the people of Oyo State.

“Looking ahead, our focus remains unshakable: to deliver reliable, accessible and sustainable electricity to power our homes, industries and dreams,” Adelabu said.

He said the path forward would be driven by continuity and renewed vigour, with efforts to enhance grid stability and expand transmission infrastructure.

Adelabu said collaboration with Electricity Distribution Companies would be intensified to improve service delivery and ensure metering initiatives reach every community.

“Our Light Up Nigeria initiative remains a priority, focusing on industrial clusters and agricultural hubs to stimulate economic growth and job creation,” he said.

The minister said renewable energy development would also be prioritised, with solar and hydropower deployed to serve underserved communities.

He described 2025 as a year of focused groundwork and deliberate strides in the power sector, despite prevailing challenges.

According to him, progress was recorded in strengthening the national grid and improving overall stability during the year.

Adelabu said the Presidential Power Initiative, known as the Siemens deal, had helped curb frequent grid collapses experienced in previous years.

“As Phase One of the PPI continues, we assure Nigerians of a strengthened grid that will make disturbances a thing of the past,” he said.

The minister thanked Nigerians for their resilience, saying their support remained critical to building a robust energy future.

“The journey ahead requires a united front,” Adelabu said, calling on governments, communities, the private sector and citizens to partner in reforms.

He urged Nigerians to protect power infrastructure and adopt energy-efficient practices, describing them as vital national contributions.

Extending greetings to Oyo State residents, Adelabu said the new year would usher in measurable progress in the power sector.

“To my kinsmen and women in Oyo State, your unwavering support continues to fuel my dedication at the national level,” he said.