Category Nigeria News

The Progressive Governors Forum under the leadership of Hope Uzodimma IS currently meeting behind closed doors at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

Those in attendance include Governors Nasir Idris (Kebbi), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Monday Okpebholo (Edo), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi).

Others include Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Ahmad Aliyu (Sokoto), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom).

READ ALSO: Former Ondo Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi Returns To APC

However, Governors Dikko Radda (Katsina), Babagana Zulum (Borno) and Muhammad Yahaya (Gombe) were absent. They sent their deputies to represent them at the meeting.

Lere Olayinka, the spokesperson to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, says the problems of Rivers State is for Governor Siminalayi Fubara to address and not his principal.

Olayinka said this on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, saying Wike is not the governor of the coastal state.

“The problem of Rivers state is for the Governor to solve. He is the one that can solve his problem,” Olayinka said.

His comment followed an impeachment move on the governor by members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

According to him, Fubara should liaise with the lawmakers to resolve the political crisis.

“if I’m a governor, I will go to the house of those lawmakers, re-interact with them and talk to them as colleagues and don’t forget that some of this House of Assembly members are even his seniors politically,” he said.

“There are political seniors, so to relate with them, you have to bring yourself down. Like the former governor of Ekiti state, Ayo Fayose said, this person should bring himself down from his political horse of arrogance,” the media aide to Wike said.

However, he said “he (Wike) has to be involved. Is he not from Rivers state?”

READ ALSO: Rivers Impeachment Suit Put On Hold As Court Adjourns Indefinitely

Lingering Crisis

The political crisis in the oil-rich state has continued to linger despite the declaration of the end of the emergency rule by President Bola Tinubu in September, 2025.

A few weeks ago, the Rivers State House of Assembly began an impeachment process against Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, over alleged gross misconduct.

The lawmakers had passed a resolution calling on the Chief Judge of the state, Simeon Amadi, to constitute a panel to probe the allegations against the governor.

But Amadi declined, citing court orders.

Justice Amadi’s position was conveyed in a formal letter addressed to the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, acknowledging receipt of two separate requests from the legislature dated January 16, 2026.

The requests were made pursuant to Sections 188(4) and 188(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), following resolutions of the House to initiate impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy.

But said, “By the doctrine of ‘lis pendens’, parties and the court have to await the outcome of the appeal,” the letter read in part.

“In view of the foregoing, my hand is fettered, as there are subsisting interim orders of injunction and appeal against the said orders. I am therefore legally disabled at this point from exercising my duties under Section 188(5) of the Constitution in the instant.”

An Oyigbo High Court of Rivers State in Port Harcourt has adjourned indefinitely the suit filed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, challenging the impeachment process initiated against them by the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Justice Florence Fiberesima of the Oyigbo High Court took the decision after being informed that two separate appeals had been entered in respect of the matter.

The adjournment, the court held, would allow the Court of Appeal to first determine the issues before it.

At the resumed hearing, counsel to the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, and 27 lawmakers, S.I. Amen, (SAN), notified the court of the pending appeals and applied orally for a stay of proceedings.

The application was not opposed by counsel to the claimants, Paul Orikoro (SAN), nor by Lawrence Oko-Jaja (SAN), who represents Victor Oko-Jumbo, Orubienimigha Timothy, and Sokari Goodboy, the other defendants in the suit.

A former Deputy Governor of Ondo State and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the November 2024 governorship election, Agboola Ajayi, has returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ajayi formally rejoined the ruling party on Tuesday at his hometown, Apoi Ward 2, Kiribo, in Ese Odo Local Government Area.

A former member of the House of Representatives, Ajayi had, in June 2020, resigned his membership of the APC and defected to the PDP, citing irreconcilable differences between him and the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, under whom he served as deputy.

READ ALSO: Our Motive Is To Ensure Every Nigerian Becomes An APC Member— Nentawe Yilwatda

Speaking in Igbekebo, the headquarters of Ese Odo Local Government Area, Ajayi pledged full support for Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s “EASE” agenda and President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He described his return as a move back to his original political home, which would enable him to actively participate in the party’s affairs and contribute to progressive development in the state.

According to him, “In politics, there could be disagreements, campaigns, propaganda and blackmail, but at the end of the day, the bigger picture is the Nigeria project. We must come together to add value to the system.

“Myself and Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa have talked. We campaigned against each other, and during campaigns, blackmail and propaganda are not unusual. However, when we look beyond those things, we realise that the bigger picture is greater than all of us.

“This is about the Nigeria project. We should come together to see how we can add value to the system. I also want to commend Mr President for the bold steps and reforms he has introduced in the country.

Former Labour Party governorship candidate in Anambra State, George Moghalu, has resigned his membership of the party.

Moghalu announced his resignation in a letter shared on his X handle on Tuesday.

In the letter, dated January 26, 2026 and  addressed to the Chairman of Ward 1, Labour Party, Uruagu, Nnewi, Moghalu said his decision took immediate effect.

“I bring you the good wishes of my family and to formally inform you of my resignation from the Labour Party, effective today, the 26th of January, 2026,” the letter read.

He thanked the party for the opportunity to contest the 2025 Anambra State governorship election on its platform.

READ ALSO: Anambra Election: Why I Lost In My Polling Unit – LP Candidate

Moghalu also requested that his regards be conveyed to party members, signing off the letter as “Ohamadike Na Nnewi.”

Before joining the Labour Party in October 2024, Moghalu was a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he served as National Auditor.

The former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), a position he held between 2019 and 2023, resigned from the APC in August 2024. He cited personal reasons and the need for a “better platform” to pursue his governorship ambition.

Moghalu later secured the Labour Party governorship ticket in April 2025 ahead of the Anambra State governorship election.

However, in the November 8, 2025, election, Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), defeated him and others to pick a return ticket as Anambra governor.

Trader frustration over the government’s strategy and strict control over Onitsha Main Market in Anambra State have expressed their dissatisfaction with the closure of the market.

Some traders questioned the fairness of the shutdown, claiming that many business owners who had traveled abroad and to larger markets had purchased goods and were prepared to launch sales following the yuletide period. However, others claimed that the directive would cause hardship for many who depend on daily income to survive.

Some traders, on the other hand, praised Governor Chukwuma Soludo for the action, noting that compliance with an order issued by a recognized state authority outweighs compliance with an order issued by unknown actors.

Some people said they are prepared to resume business after the governor appealed to maintain the same level of security for Monday.

READ MORE: Soludo shuts down Onitsha Main Market for a Week Over Sit-At-Home.

Employees from the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigerian Police Force were immediately dispatched to help block entrances and obstruct traders from gaining access to their stores. To turn back those attempting to enter the market, additional operatives were stationed at crucial locations.

Police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga responded to the development by stating that the state government’s directive requires the government to maintain law and order.

In order to protect public safety, security, and economic stability, he urged traders to abide by the directives, adding that security forces would keep Onitsha and other Anambra State’s calm and orderly.

Following an unscheduled inspection on Monday, Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s order to close Onitsha Main Market resulted in the closure of the business. Most traders had not yet opened their stores in accordance with the sit-at-home rule put in place by non-state actors.

The government has stressed that Mondays are now routine working days and warned against imposing stricter sanctions on any contravention.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, says the ruling party’s objective is to expand its membership across the country by showcasing what he described as effective governance.

Yilwatda stated this on Tuesday in Jos, Plateau State, during an official welcome rally organised by the APC for Governor Caleb Mutfwang.

“I can proudly say that the APC currently has 29 governors, and we are expecting more. We are not tired of welcoming everybody,” Yilwatda said.

“Our intention, our motive, our objective is to ensure that everybody in Nigeria becomes a member of the APC because we are providing the best form of governance,” he said.

He explained that the party’s growing influence was driven by performance at both federal and state levels, insisting that APC-led states were benefiting from improved revenue and economic recovery.

According to him, state governments are receiving increased revenues without excessive borrowing due to better economic management under the APC-led Federal Government.

“Every governor knows that the revenue coming to states today, without collecting loans, is a result of good governance.

“The economy is reviving. State governments are investing in infrastructure, and that is what we want across the country,” he said.

Yilwatda urged governors, lawmakers and citizens to align with President Bola Tinubu to accelerate national development.

“We want all governors, all senators and all Nigerians to partner with President Bola Tinubu to move Nigeria forward,” he stated.

The APC chairman also expressed confidence that Plateau State would eventually become a one-party state, beginning from the State House of Assembly.

“Everybody on the Plateau knows that those who are not in the APC are already a minority. The majority of local governments across the state are APC-controlled,” he said.

In a direct appeal to members of the opposition, Yilwatda described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a sinking ship and urged its members to defect.

“The PDP is drowning. We have thrown a life jacket to rescue those who want to be saved before the ship finally sinks,” he said.