Kebbi State House of Assembly has passed four Executive Bills into law following the consideration and adoption of reports submitted by relevant House committees.

The bills are the Kebbi State Geographic Information Services Agency, KEBGIS, Amendment Bill, 2024; Kauran Gwandu College of Midwifery Sciences Law No. 013 of 2025; Abdullahi Fodiyo University of Science and Technology Law No. 009 of 2024; and the Kebbi State Scholarship Board Amendment Bill, 2025.

The KEBGIS Amendment Bill was considered by the House Committee on Lands and Housing, while the remaining three bills were considered by the House Committee on Higher Education.

The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Salihu Maikasuwa Dangoje, formally passed the bills after the respective committees presented their reports for consideration and adoption by the House.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Lands and Housing, Hon. Nuraddeen Usman Kangiwa, and his counterpart on Higher Education, Hon. Dr. Suleiman Abubakar Fana, said the bills were carefully scrutinised and thoroughly deliberated upon.

They said the review was aimed at strengthening the relevant institutions and ensuring that they were better positioned to deliver on their mandates.

The lawmakers expressed confidence that the laws, once assented to and fully implemented, would benefit residents and contribute to the development of education, human capital and land administration in the state.

Subtle political tensions are emerging within the Kebbi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the 2027 governorship election following Governor Nasir Idris’ decision to replace his deputy, Umar Abubakar-Tafida, with a former commissioner for finance, Ibrahim Muhammad Augie as his running mate.

The development has placed Governor Idris, his deputy, Umar Abubakar-Tafida, and Augie at the centre of a fresh political controversy.

The announcement of Augie as the governor’s running mate was made on Sunday at the Presidential Lodge in Birnin Kebbi by the APC National Organising Secretary, Suleiman Muhammad Argungu, during a visit by stakeholders from the Argungu Emirate to the governor.

Argungu said the decision followed professional legal advice concerning Tafida’s eligibility to continue as the governor’s running mate for the 2027 election.

He said the party had considered the legal issues arising from the 2023 governorship election and subsequently settled for Augie as Idris’ new running mate.

Argungu also said the decision was taken with Tafida’s understanding and consent, insisting that there was no disagreement between the governor and his deputy.

However, the circumstances surrounding the deputy governor’s replacement became a subject of controversy after his aide, Yahaya Danjadda, disputed the claim that Tafida had been consulted before Augie was presented as the new running mate.

Danjadda, Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor on New Media, said nobody had consulted Tafida before the announcement, describing the suggestion otherwise as an attempt to tarnish his principal’s image.

The conflicting accounts initially raised questions over whether Tafida had personally agreed to step aside from the governor’s 2027 ticket.

Why Idris chose a new running mate

The decision was linked to legal concerns arising from the 2023 governorship litigation involving Idris and Tafida.

Following the 2023 election, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Aminu Bande, challenged the victory of the APC ticket in court.

One of the issues raised in the litigation involved an allegation that Tafida presented a forged secondary school testimonial.

The Court of Appeal rejected the allegation in November 2023 while affirming Idris’ election.

The case subsequently reached the Supreme Court, which affirmed Idris’ election on January 19, 2024.

Argungu said the party’s decision to replace Tafida followed professional legal advice concerning his eligibility to remain on the 2027 ticket.

Despite citing the concluded litigation as the reason for replacing Tafida, the APC has not publicly identified the specific legal finding that would prevent the deputy governor from contesting again.

Tafida has now personally reacted to the development, dismissing claims that the Supreme Court judgment on the 2023 governorship election was responsible for his replacement.

The deputy governor spoke on Wednesday in Argungu when supporters, political associates and well-wishers visited him following the APC’s decision to replace him with Augie, a former Commissioner for Finance in the state.

Tafida said attempts to link his replacement directly to the outcome of the 2023 election litigation were aimed at damaging his political reputation.

He said he had accepted the development as part of the realities of politics but rejected what he described as a false narrative connecting his replacement to the Supreme Court judgment.

“But to capitalise on the technicality presented to the Election Tribunal by the opposition party and later ruled upon by the Supreme Court, and now say that I should be replaced, was totally unbecoming and bogus,” he said.

Tafida said those promoting the narrative were seeking to tarnish his political image, adding that he would continue to explain his side of what transpired.

The deputy governor, however, said he had no objection to the political change if it was aimed at strengthening the party and improving its chances in the 2027 election.

He urged his supporters to remain calm, stressing that political positions were temporary and subject to change.

His reaction adds a new dimension to the controversy, as the deputy governor has rejected the Supreme Court explanation while accepting the political decision to replace him on the 2027 ticket.

The development does not remove Tafida from his current office as Deputy Governor of Kebbi State. It concerns the APC’s 2027 governorship ticket and his replacement as Idris’ running mate for the election.

​Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has alerted security agencies to an alleged plan by purported Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, local government executives to invade council secretariats across the state.

The APC, in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, alleged that the purported PDP chairmen and councillors planned to take over the 30 local government council secretariats and the Area Office today, Thursday.

According to the statement, “the alleged invasion was expected to be carried out with the assistance of political hoodlums allegedly recruited from within and outside Osun State.”

The party said the purported council executives had concluded arrangements to deploy the alleged hoodlums to execute the planned takeover of the council secretariats.

The APC alleged that the re-election of Governor Ademola Adeleke had emboldened the purported PDP council executives to regroup and proceed with the alleged invasion plan.

It alleged that the plan was developed in conjunction with officials of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, accusing the union of being willing tools of the state government.

The party also referred to a Supreme Court judgment concerning one of the suits instituted by the purported PDP council executives, claiming that the court had described them as persons unknown to the law.

The APC urged the Osun State Police Command, Department of State Services, DSS, and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, to take proactive measures to prevent any alleged attempt to disrupt public peace.

“There is no tact and diplomacy in a set of hoodlums teaming up to promote disruption of public peace in the state on a matter that is still very much alive in the Court of Appeal,” the statement said.

The party urged the purported PDP council chairmen to allow the ongoing legal process to run its course, arguing that all parties to the dispute should await the determination of the courts.

“Any step that the aggrieved purported PDP local government council chairmen may take other than recourse to the court has no other name than a monumental illegality,” the APC said.

The party also recalled the killing of one of the reinstated APC council chairmen, Honourable Remi Abass of Irewole Local Government Area, who it said was killed by suspected PDP thugs currently facing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The APC said the dispute over the tenure of the reinstated APC council executives remained pending before the Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State, and urged security agencies to beam their searchlight on the purported PDP council executives and NULGE officials should there be any breakdown of law and order.

As of the time of filing this report, the state chapter of the PDP and the state government are yet to react to the allegation.

Security has been stepped up along the Rivers-Bayelsa boundary as the police commands in the two states launched joint patrols and bush-clearing operations to frustrate criminal activities.

The exercise, led by the Rivers and Bayelsa Commissioners of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju and CP Ajao Adewale, is aimed at denying criminals access to secluded areas that could serve as hideouts.

The operation is also in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, for police commands to intensify security operations and identify and clear locations suspected to be used by criminal elements.

Speaking during the exercise, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, said the bush-clearing operation was necessary to “eliminate potential security threats along the boundary.”

Adepoju assured residents that the police were taking proactive measures to ensure a safe Ember period, stressing that the two commands would continue to work together to protect lives and property.

His Bayelsa counterpart, Adewale, said the joint operation would make it difficult for criminals to exploit the bushy areas separating the two states.

The exercise further strengthens security cooperation between the Rivers and Bayelsa commands, particularly in preventing criminals from using the interstate boundary to evade law enforcement.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has recalled how the Nigerian Air Force assisted the Nigeria Police Force in bringing down a notorious criminal in Rivers State known as 2Baba.

The IGP spoke on Wednesday when he received the Chief of the Air Staff, Nigerian Air Force, Air Marshal S.K. Aneke, on a courtesy visit to the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The visit was aimed at strengthening cooperation between the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Air Force in addressing evolving security challenges.

Speaking earlier, the Chief of the Air Staff commended the longstanding professional relationship between both institutions and acknowledged the support of the NPF Air Wing to the Nigerian Air Force.

He emphasised the need for sustained collaboration, particularly in joint operations, intelligence sharing and enhanced air support for police operations.

Key areas discussed included aerial surveillance and reconnaissance, tactical deployment, medical evacuation, joint training and improved operational coordination in confronting terrorism, banditry, insurgency and other violent crimes.

The IGP further highlighted the need for enhanced protection of critical national infrastructure, improved logistics and response capabilities, as well as regular reviews of joint operational engagements to ensure greater effectiveness.

The IGP, addressing the Chief of the Air Staff, said: “You mentioned that the Nigeria Police assisted you at a particular time during a crisis. It is their duty to do that.

“We do almost the same work, though at different levels. I want to mention that when I was the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, a particular police officer was killed by a criminal known as 2Baba.

“They killed the policeman, cut him to pieces, spread the body parts around, showed them on social media and ran into the thickest parts of the bush.

“And they were very strategic about it. They chose a dense area of the forest as their habitat. Before you could get to where they were, you needed to cross two rivers. So, you were in the middle of it. The moment you attempted to cross the river, they were picking you off. So, they chose a very difficult terrain.

“We did a lot of intelligence gathering on them and approached the Nigerian Air Force. They told us they were surprised at how we got that amount of intelligence. They looked at it, worked on it on their own and came back to us with feedback. That was actually the biggest job.

“They did their reconnaissance over the place. We were able to identify them moving around the area, and they told us the day they would strike. And behold, the Nigerian Air Force struck. Though 2Baba was not killed in that operation, they [the criminals] lost about five of their men, and it caused disarray in their camp.

“From that moment, they could not stop looking into the sky. They were frightened, and it gave us the opportunity to strike them and assault their camp, which eventually led to the death of 2Baba and the arrest of the others. I will continue to thank the Nigerian Air Force for its support.

“We are going to explore ways of working together.”

The national leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has said it has taken note of the recent comments by Precious Oruche, popularly known as Mama Pee, in which she referenced Jesus Christ while making a political point about Peter Obi and the 2027 elections.

President of CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said that while the association recognises that political discourse can be passionate and that such remarks may be intended to make a point, it believes this is an appropriate moment to remind all Nigerians, especially Christians, to exercise restraint in the way they invoke the name of Jesus Christ in political debates.

“Jesus Christ is not a political candidate, a campaign slogan or a weapon to advance one politician against another,” the apex Christian association said.

“His name is sacred and should not be dragged into partisan contests in ways that elevate human beings, however popular or admired, to a place that belongs to God alone.

“We are free to support Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu or any other candidate. We are equally free to criticise them. But our political loyalty must never become so intense that we begin to speak of politicians in terms that diminish the reverence due to Christ.

“Let us argue about competence, character, policies, performance and the future of Nigeria. Let us disagree passionately if necessary, but let us leave Jesus Christ out of our partisan quarrels.

“No politician is the Messiah. No political party represents the salvation of the human spirit that Christ epitomises. And no electoral victory is worth compromising the honour due to His name.

“As we approach another crucial electoral season, I urge politicians, their supporters and all Nigerians to conduct our political conversations with responsibility, restraint and respect for what we hold sacred.”

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, has promised to implement the Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to Nigeria’s 774 local government areas if he becomes president.

Atiku said his government would ensure that money meant for local governments from the Federation Account was paid directly to the councils instead of passing through state governments.

His position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo.

The Supreme Court ruled on July 11, 2024, that funds meant for local government councils should be paid directly to them. The decision followed a case brought by the Federal Government against the 36 state governors over the control and funding of local governments.

However, some states have not fully implemented the judgment.

Atiku said he would ensure that the ruling was strictly followed and make local government autonomy a major part of his administration’s efforts to improve development at the grassroots.

“My administration will respect court judgments, protect local government autonomy, ensure that public funds reach the people for whom they are meant, and restore true federalism,” he said.

He said direct access to funds would give local governments more capacity to provide basic services and carry out development projects.

According to him, stronger local governments could also improve security at the grassroots by helping to tackle crime and terrorism while reducing poverty.

Atiku also accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of failing to enforce the Supreme Court ruling.

He claimed that the government had avoided confronting some state governors over the issue because local government funds were allegedly being used as an enticement to secure their support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

“Atiku acknowledges that the Supreme Court had ruled on July 2024 that local government funds should be paid directly to local governments,” the statement said.

“Yet, the current administration of President Tinubu has failed to enforce this judgment, seemingly to avoid confronting the gluttonous APC state governors who previously controlled these funds, as an enticement to them to use the local government funds to buy votes for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.”

Atiku said giving local governments control of their statutory allocations would improve accountability and ensure that money meant for grassroots development was used for its intended purpose.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has declared that the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in Rivers State, Honourable Kingsley Chinda, will emerge as the next governor of the state in 2027.

The former governor of Rivers State made the remark on Tuesday during a warm reception organised in his honour by Ogbakor Ikwerre, the socio-cultural organisation of the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, at Obiri-Ehie.

Acknowledging the presence of dignitaries at the event, Wike introduced Chinda as the “former Minority Leader in the House of Representatives and, by the grace of God, the next governor of Rivers State.”

If elected, Chinda, a member of the House of Representatives, will take over from Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who declined to run for a second term.

Chinda, a long-time political ally of Wike, has been widely regarded as the former governor’s preferred successor following the political realignments in the state.