Category Nigeria News

President Bola Tinubu will return to Nigeria today from his work visit to France, the Presidency has said.

The President’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a post on his X handle on Monday.

Tinubu left Nigeria on April 2, 2025, for Paris, France, on a short work visit.

According to the Presidency, Tinubu used the retreat to review the progress of ongoing reforms and engage in strategic planning ahead of his administration’s second anniversary.

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The President’s latest trip had been faulted by major opposition leaders who criticised him for being away despite the rising insecurity in the country, especially in Benue and Plateau states, where scores of residents have been killed in attacks on several communities.

A former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, had asked President Bola Tinubu to end his trip to France and address the spate of insecurity in Nigeria.

Atiku questioned Tinubu’s continued stay in the European country despite the spate of killings across Nigeria.

“While Tinubu dines under chandeliers in the land of good governance, the country he governs is spiraling into chaos. Plateau has turned into a killing field — over 100 lives lost in relentless attacks,” his spokesman, Paul Ibe, said in a statement on April 17.

Tinubu Should Declare State Of Emergency On Plateau Killings – Cleric, Isa El-buba

Similarly, a former presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, urged Tinubu to suspend his France trip and urgently return to Nigeria to address the deteriorating security situation, particularly in Plateau and Benue states.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will return home today. pic. twitter. com/UVkPJDkUp8

He also said the primary duty of any government is securing the lives and property of its citizens, and one wondered why the type of retreat was going on in another country where peace had been secured by their leaders, “while blood continues to flow in our country”.

“I am compelled at this time in our lives as a nation to call on our retreating President’s attention to the security challenges at home, which entail that he immediately suspend his ongoing retreat in a foreign land and come home to address the overwhelming security situation across the country. ”

“In the two weeks you have been away, over 150 Nigerians have lost their lives to insecurity across Nigeria, especially in Plateau and Zamfara states.

“I therefore urge Mr President to quickly suspend whatever he is doing in France and rush home to take responsibility by addressing these disturbing issues. That is the new Nigeria the nation seeks,” he said.

President Bola Tinubu paid a heartfelt tribute to Pope Francis, joining Catholics and Christians around the world in mourning his passing.

In an emotional statement, President Tinubu described the pontiff as “a humble servant of God” and “a tireless champion of the poor,” highlighting his legacy of compassion and bridge-building across faiths.

The president reflected on the symbolic timing of the Pope’s death—just after Easter—as a sacred return to his Maker and called on Nigerians and the global community to honour the Pope not just in words, but through acts of mercy, justice, and unity.

READ ALSO:  World Leaders Mourn Pope Francis

STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT TINUBU’S STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS

Today, with a heavy heart, I join the Catholic faithful and Christians worldwide in mourning the passing of Pope Francis, a humble servant of God, tireless champion of the poor,… pic. twitter. com/L5R2FJJu26

STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT TINUBU’S STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS

Today, with a heavy heart, I join the Catholic faithful and Christians worldwide in mourning the passing of Pope Francis, a humble servant of God, tireless champion of the poor, and guiding light for millions. His passing, coming just after the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection, is a sacred return to his Maker at a time of renewed hope for Christians.

His Holiness served the Church and the Master of the Church until the end. In 2013, he stepped onto the global stage with a message of mercy, urging us to see the face of Christ in the marginalised, the refugees, the migrants, and the forgotten.

He challenged the powerful to act with justice, called nations to welcome the stranger, and reminded us that our common home—this Earth—is a gift we must protect for future generations.

He was an instrument of peace who deeply embodied the message of Christ: love for God and love for humanity. In a time of division, he built bridges between faiths and the rich and the poor.

He was a steadfast advocate for the developing world, where he consistently spoke against economic injustice and ceaselessly prayed for peace and stability in troubled regions.

His encyclicals were not only doctrinal and seminal but also timely and relevant. Through his pastoral letters, the Pope offered spiritual clarity and hope in an increasingly complex world. He charted a path of renewal for all humanity through his words and deeds.

In my 2025 Easter Message, I joined the Christian faithful in thanksgiving for the convalescing Pontiff. I was happy to watch his appearance to deliver the traditional Easter Sunday blessing in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Alas, the Lord called him home a day after, making the world lose its most trenchant voice for justice and action against climate change. May the good Lord, whom he served with all his might, receive him into His eternal bosom.

As we mourn the late Pontiff, let us also celebrate his legacy. Let us honour him not with words alone but with action: by lifting those who are down, healing our communities, and defending the dignity of every person.

On behalf of the government and the people of Nigeria, I extend condolences to the Catholic Church, the global Catholic community, and the Christian faithful.

May God Almighty grant His beloved servant eternal rest.

PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU,

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA,

ABUJA

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has fired back at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over accusations that he (Falana) misrepresented a Supreme Court ruling on the defection crisis rocking the Rivers State House of Assembly.

In a statement made available to Channels Television on Monday, Falana insisted he never lied about the apex court’s decision, describing Wike’s comments as a deliberate attempt to incite the judiciary against him.

“In a recent media outburst, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike, taunted me for losing a case which he won at the Supreme Court.

“He went as far as dubbing me ‘a television lawyer’. However, I did not respond at the time because Mr. Wike is the only Life Bencher in Nigeria who has never handled a case in any trial or appellate court,” Falana stated.

Falana noted that Wike renewed his attacks during a press conference in Abuja, accusing him of lying about the defection status of 27 lawmakers in Rivers State during a Channels Television interview.

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Wike’s Accusations

Wike had accused the SAN of misinformation regarding the alleged defection of the 27 Rivers lawmakers.

The minister further claimed that such misinformation from respected legal figures could destabilise the state and cause political unrest.

He stated, “A few days ago, the Supreme Court settled this matter of defection. If someone of Femi Falana’s calibre can go on national television and lie, it’s very serious. Lies can cause a lot of crises. ”

However, Falana maintained that his commentary was a factual and constitutional analysis of the situation.

“Contrary to Mr Wike’s assertion, I did not lie against the Supreme Court,” he said.

“All I said was that the matter of the defection of the 27 legislators was raised suo motu and determined by the eminent Justices of the apex court,” he added

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He emphasised that his comments were rooted in the fact that the issue of defection was already pending before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt at the time.

He also pointed out that the defectors had publicly confirmed their switch from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) through affidavits and video recordings.

“It is public knowledge that Mr Wike praised the Supreme Court to high heavens and held a thanksgiving service to celebrate the decision. However, he has decided to attack me for commenting on the same judgment — without any legal justification,” the SAN said.

Legal Right To Criticise

Citing Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Falana insisted he had a legal right to criticise court judgments.

VIDEO: Rivers Administrator Not Recognised By Constitution – Falana

He challenged Wike to petition the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee if he believed there had been professional misconduct.

The human rights lawyer said, “I would have ignored the minister’s latest gratuitous attack, but he recently urged the Body of Benchers to sanction lawyers who criticise judgements of Nigerian courts,” Falana continued.

“Unlike Mr Wike, who calls judges names when they disagree with his politics of opportunism, I have always criticised judicial decisions with utmost decorum and in good faith,” he said.

Referencing the landmark case of Adegoke Motors Ltd v Adesanya (1989) 3 NWLR (Pt 109) 250, Falana reminded Wike that even the Supreme Court acknowledges the fallibility of its judgements.

“As Justice Oputa famously stated, ‘We are final not because we are infallible; we are infallible because we are final,’” he noted.

Falana also cited former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, who once encouraged legal practitioners to criticise court decisions constructively to ensure accountability and improve the justice delivery system.

“It may interest Mr Wike to know that from time to time, many respected Justices commend my critique of court decisions and my defence of the judiciary. At a recent valedictory session, a retiring Supreme Court Justice referred positively to one of my critical remarks,” he said.

He concluded by warning that the Supreme Court’s recent interpretation of defection laws could be weaponised by unprincipled politicians.

“No doubt, the decision of the Supreme Court is final on defection. Their Lordships said it must be proved by producing the membership register of political parties. But my fear is that this ruling could be used by unpatriotic politicians to justify political prostitution,” Falana said.

Alleged Defection Saga

The political turmoil in Rivers State began in late 2024 when 27 lawmakers, elected under the PDP and aligned with Wike, allegedly defected to the APC.

The move was widely interpreted as an attempt to undermine Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration.

The alleged defectors, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, initiated impeachment proceedings against the governor.

Amid mounting tensions, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers on 18 March 2025.

This led to the suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy, and all lawmakers for six months, with retired Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas appointed as Sole Administrator.

The Supreme Court had ruled on 28 February 2025 that no lawful evidence was presented to confirm the lawmakers’ defection, especially after Governor Fubara withdrew his claims without substantiating them. The court held that, in law, the defectors remained PDP members.

More than 20 communities in the Federal Capital Territory have been hit with power outages as Christians all over the world celebrate Easter.

The Federal Government declared Monday and Tuesday as public holidays to celebrate the season.

A Sunday statement by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) attributed the cause of the outages to a technical fault and explosion on some feeders.

The areas affected include Keffi Garage, Bank Road, Angwan Rama, Tsohon Kasuwa, CRDP, Makwala, Low-cost, Dadin Kowa, Angwan Ninzo, Tudun Amama, Angwan Kwano, Angwan Tsarin Mada, Gunduma, Gitata, Gangaren Tudun, Angwan Wake, and the surrounding environs.

The outage is due to an explosion on the 11kv incomer CT, which the DisCo said impacted the feeders supplying these locations.

In addition, customers in Pyegl, Kurudu, Gidan Mango, Orozo, Karshi, and neighbouring communities are currently experiencing power outages due to a technical fault.

The power distribution firm, however, said its technical teams are working diligently to resolve both issues and restore supply as quickly as possible.

The development comes as the Power Minister, Adebayo Adelabu, said the Federal Government was working to boost Nigeria’s grid capacity by an additional 4,000 megawatts (MW) by the end of 2026.

The country currently generates about 5000 MW for its over 200 million population. Experts have said the country needs at least 30,000mw MW to reach sufficiency.

A statement by Bolaji Tunji, Special Adviser on Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the minister, disclosed that the FG has engaged reputable Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) companies to expedite the process under a new strategic direction approved by President Bola Tinubu.

He said the president approved the distribution scope to be delivered by other reputable engineering procurement and construction (EPC) companies with the requisite technical, financial, and financing capacity.

“The strategic decisions aim to increase grid capacity by an additional 4,000mw by the end of 2026, with an aspirational target of an additional 2,000mw, as directed by the Economic Management Team in 2024.

“Noteworthy is the fact that the implementation of the PPI commenced with the installation and inauguration of 10 power transformers and 10 mobile substations across the country under the Pilot Phase of the PPI, which was manufactured and delivered in October 2023. ”

Adelabu noted that the current administration’s commitment has not only reinvigorated the Siemens Power Project, officially known as the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), but also created a pathway for improved power supply to key sectors of the Nigerian economy.

READ ALSO: FG Targets 4,000MW Grid Expansion By 2026, Says Adelabu

“The inception of the present administration in 2023 brought about renewed vigour to the Siemens Power Project as an accelerated contract was signed to ensure visible progress in the project,” Adelabu said.

He emphasised that “no significant progress was made on the project until the present administration came into office,” adding that the achievements recorded since May 29, 2023, are testaments to a focused and determined government agenda.