Category Nigeria News

A former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar, Segun Sowunmi, has accused the Federal Government of mismanaging the conduct of the Federal Capital Territory minister, Nyesom Wike, following his recent altercation with a naval officer.

Sowunmi, who spoke in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, said public opinion showed rising concern about Wike’s behaviour in government.

“If you have listening tools, and I expect the government to have, listen to what’s happening on the radio, listen to what’s happening on television, filter the internet, and see the opinion of Nigerians.

“What you are going to find out is that the Federal Government of Bola Tinubu has a Wike problem,” he said.

He described the former Rivers State governor as “energetic, competent, goal-driven, with evidence of performance,” but accused him of being “a mismanaged, excessively irritating and garrulous aide”.

“The amount of invective you put out at people increases their ability for them to, first of all, dislike you, and then by inference begin to dislike your principal,” he said.

READ ALSO: Nigerians Must Respect Armed Forces, Lawan Reacts To Wike’s Clash With Naval Officer

The PDP chieftain said the minister mishandled the recent encounter with a naval officer.

He noted that Wike often disrespected senior national figures, adding that the minister’s media style worsened public frustration.

“In your ‘I’m bigger than everybody, I’m very strong, I’m this and that,’ you put yourself in a situation where a junior ranking officer is now forced to hold the line before you.

“You had a problem in Rivers (state), you were backed. People didn’t like that.

“You seem to have issues with almost all our revered leaders in the country. You are constantly in the media, screaming, shouting, bellowing, jumping, saying it anyhow you like,” he said.

Sowunmi warned that such displays embarrassed the government.

He also shared the advice he once received from former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He said, “I once asked Chief Obasanjo one day: ‘How do you get the army and the armed forces to behave in a civilian regime?’ He said… ‘the armed forces are well trained.

“They will not take orders from a person whom they see is a little bit not properly or professionally able to give them orders.”

Sowunmi said officials must demonstrate professionalism when dealing with the military.

“At the end of the day… look at the quantity of skits (which went viral from Wike’s altercation with the naval officer)… You can’t run a government like that.

“You cannot be an irritating, garrulous aide of a government. You are serving the citizens of Nigeria. You are serving at the behest of the president. You must control yourself and manage yourself better,” he added.

Clash, Defence 

Public debate intensified after a viral video showed Wike confronting a naval officer at a site in Gaduwa, Abuja.

Officials of the FCT administration had attempted to stop an alleged unauthorised construction, but soldiers reportedly blocked the officials from entering the disputed land.

The site was allegedly linked to a former Chief of Naval Staff.

Wike later arrived and accused the officers of impunity.

Defending his intervention on Thursday, the minister said he acted because officials were assaulted during a lawful assignment and condemned the deployment of soldiers for personal disputes.

“How can I sit as a minister when government officials are being attacked and beaten up… and I’ll just sit in my office doing what? You have no document. We cannot continue to act in impunity,” he said.

Wike said the FCTA had no record of legal allocation for the land, noting that retired officers must follow due process.

The Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs has endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s nominees for the Federal Character Commission(FCC).

It approved Ayo Omidiran as Executive Chairman, along with several others appointed as commissioners of the FCC.

READ ALSO: Senate Launches Probe Into Stamp Duty Revenue 

The committee gave its endorsement during a screening session held at the National Assembly.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Onyesoh Alwell, representing Rivers East, commended President Tinubu for what he described as high calibre, the quality of individuals nominated to serve in the agency.

In keeping with parliamentary tradition, nominees who previously served as lawmakers were permitted to take a bow and leave.

Tinubu’s nominee for Executive Chairman and a former member of the 8th House of Representatives was granted the privilege following a successful screening session.

The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has adjourned ruling on a preliminary objection challenging its jurisdiction in a suit filed by a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the party’s national convention.

The convention had been scheduled for Saturday, 15 November, and Sunday, 16 November 2025 in Ibadan.

The suit was filed by a member of the PDP, Mr. Folahan Adelabi.

READ ALSO: Court Issues Final Order Stopping PDP National Convention

At the hearing on Friday, counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), O. Adeyemi, argued that INEC, being a Federal Government agency, was only subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.

He urged the court to strike out the case for lack of jurisdiction.

However, counsel to the claimant, Musibau Adetumbi, SAN, opposed the objection, stating that the argument infringed on the claimant’s fundamental rights.

He said the 1999 Constitution guaranteed the right to lawful assembly and convention.

Quoting Section 251 of the Constitution, Adetumbi contended that INEC did not fall within the category of agencies that place the case exclusively before the Federal High Court.

He asked the court to dismiss the objection and proceed with the substantive suit.

After listening to both sides, the presiding judge, Justice Ladiran Akintola, adjourned the ruling to December 8, 2025.

He also reaffirmed that the interim order earlier granted, which restrained the defendants from disrupting or interfering with preparations for the PDP national convention, remained in force.

The defendants in the suit are the PDP (first defendant), its acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun (second defendant), and the Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, who chairs the PDP Convention Organising Committee (third defendant).

INEC is the fourth defendant.

Recall that the same court had extended its interim order restraining any interference with the planned convention until further hearing, ensuring that the event proceeds as scheduled.

Abuja Court Judgment

The adjournment came as Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a final order stopping the PDP from proceeding with the convention.

Delivering judgment in a suit filed by former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, Justice Lifu barred the PDP from proceeding with the convention until it complies with its constitution and guidelines on the convention.

He also ordered that the convention must be put on hold until Lamido is allowed to purchase a nomination form for the office of the national chairman.

The controversy over the planned convention to elect national officers of the PDP has further deepened the crisis in the party.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has apologised to passengers on the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service (AKTS) for delays experienced on Wednesday, stating no passenger was stranded.

The delay, which affected the afternoon service, occurred after a procedural safety decision was made when the train’s backup engine began losing power shortly after departure.

The train returned to Rigasa, Kaduna, as a precaution, before resuming its journey at 4:00 pm and arriving at Idu Station at 6:52 pm, approximately 80 minutes behind schedule.

Responding in a statement on Thursday, NRC Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa dismissed reports suggesting that passengers were stranded, describing them as misleading. He stressed that the Corporation prioritizes safety above all else, which informed the decision to return the train to Rigasa, Kaduna.

READ ALSO: NRC Announces Resumption Of Warri–Itakpe Train Service

“Though the train could have continued, for security reasons along the route and considering it was less than 30 minutes into the journey, it was advisable to pull back to Rigasa, Kaduna, for safety reasons,” Opeifa explained.

The train resumed its journey at 4:00 pm, an hour after the delay, and arrived at Idu at 6:52 pm—80 minutes behind schedule. Passengers were kept updated throughout via the Public Address System on the train and at Rigasa Station.

“Although the train could have continued, safety on the route was paramount. Since the train was less than 30 minutes into its journey, it was advisable to return to Rigasa,” Opeifa said.

He added that if the trip had been during the morning schedule, the train would have continued and shunted at the nearest stations.

According to the NRC boss, the evening timing warranted a more cautious approach, adding that passengers were regularly updated via Public Address Systems both on the train and at Rigasa Station.

Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said Cristiano Ronaldo was wrong to blame him for the red card he suffered as Portugal fell to a World Cup qualifying defeat on Thursday.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner exchanged words with Hallgrimsson after being sent off during Portugal’s 2-0 defeat in Dublin.

Ronaldo said before the game the Ireland coach had tried to put pressure on the referee by telling the officials not to be influenced by the superstar striker.

With his team trailing by two goals in the second half, the 40-year-old was frustrated and elbowed Dara O’Shea in the back as the Ireland player marked him in the box.

“He complimented me with putting pressure on the referee but listen, it had nothing to do with me, it was his action on the pitch that cost him a red card,” Hallgrimsson told reporters.

READ ALSO: DR Congo Beat Cameroon 1-0 To Set Up W’Cup Play-Off Final With Nigeria

“It had nothing to do with me unless I got into his head.”

He added: “This was just a moment of a little silliness for him I would say.”

Ronaldo could potentially miss the start of the World Cup if Portugal qualify, depending on how long his ban is.

After his first red card while playing for his country Ronaldo will not be available for Sunday’s match against Armenia, where Portugal aim to seal passage to next summer’s tournament.

“It’s difficult for a player like Cristiano to be in the penalty area,” said Portugal coach Roberto Martinez.

“He had constant contact with the defenders, who were grabbing him. There was no violence — he tried to push them away.”

An explosion from a faulty transformer located near the Akwa Ibom State Custodial Centre has reportedly killed two inmates awaiting trial and injured two others.

The incident, which occurred a fortnight ago, caused a blackout throughout the period and damaged electrical appliances in the centre.

According to reports, the high-voltage wire snapped and dropped directly on a portion of the custodial facility, causing an electrocution that led to the death of the inmates.

Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom State Controller of Corrections, Frank Okonkwo, who confirmed the tragic passing of the two awaiting-trial inmates of the Uyo Custodial Centre on Thursday, described the incident as unfortunate.

Okonkwo, who regretted that the explosion also damaged all electrical appliances at the centre, disclosed that the victims were thrown up from where they were sitting and were later rushed to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital by the facility’s doctor, where they were pronounced dead.

READ ALSO: ‘I Can’t Sit In Office While Govt Officials Are Attacked’, Wike Defends Clash With Naval Officer

He disclosed that the victims were awaiting trial for conspiracy, kidnapping, and armed robbery, noting, however, that they were presumed innocent until proven otherwise by the court.

He said the families had been contacted and that one of them had concluded the process for the retrieval of the corpse, adding that the command would only release the corpses upon completion of investigations.

According to him, “It was very unfortunate, because the thing caused a lot of damage, both to our facility and the families of the deceased.

“When that explosion occurred at the transformer, officials of PHEDC came and said the explosion was a result of too much voltage. The thing affected us in that it actually destroyed or damaged all electrical appliances, computers, etc., in our facility.

“It affected our barracks as well, and even the official residence of the officer in charge. But the most painful aspect of it was that it affected two of our inmates, who finally lost their lives as they were rushed to the hospital.

“They were thrown off from where they were staying, and immediately our medical personnel administered first aid, and rushed them to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, where they were later confirmed dead.

“It was a big loss, both to themselves and to the inmates, especially when they were just awaiting trial. One of them was standing trial for conspiracy and kidnapping, the other one for armed robbery.”

The controller, who recalled that the same transformer was faulty a few years back, called on the relevant authorities to address the issue to forestall a recurrence.

He added that the legal department was investigating the matter and would present a comprehensive report accordingly.

He also disclosed plans by the Command to organise a rehabilitation and empowerment programme for inmates who had gone through rehabilitation, saying such inmates had acquired some skills and would be given start-up packs to enable them to be fully integrated when they were eventually discharged into the larger society.

According to him, the programme would enable them to be useful to themselves as well as to the community, so that they would not have any cause to reoffend and return to the custodial centre again.

“We are looking at 30 for now because the financing is going to be huge, because we relying mainly on the goodwill of our donors and organisations, those who have acquired various skills while in our custody, different skills like tailoring, carpentry, barbing and welding, and we intend to draw the beneficiaries from various custodial centres — Uyo, Ikot Abasi, Ikot Ekpene and Eket.

“Those who are serving terms but are on the verge of being discharged between now and December are convicts who have successfully accepted our treatment regime by getting themselves usefully engaged when they were in our custody. Those are the ones we want to show appreciation to by organising this programme.”