Category Nigeria News

Jake Epelle, the chief executive officer of TAF Africa, claims that he is unsure whether President Bola Tinubu was given the right advice before recommending Mahmood Yakubu as the ambassador to represent the nation.

Epelle criticized the political process that led to such an appointment and questioned the decision-making process in a speech on Monday during Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily breakfast program.

Read more: Tinubu chooses his best ambassador nominees for his administration, Aide.

Given the controversy surrounding Nigeria’s electoral process and the need to resuscitate confidence in national institutions, he argued that this action would increase public distrust.

Epelle argued that Yakubu’s nomination, which came so soon after his time at INEC, was a matter of legitimate concern and ought to have been approached with more thoughtfulness given public opinion.

“I don’t know who gave Mr. President advice about Mahmood, who is also a good friend of mine, in fact.

“I believed that Professor ought to have sat down and sat in his country home before returning to the university to teach.

He may still be interested in running for office, but that’s up to him, I don’t know. However, I do take one appointment with a dash of salt. The rights advocate claimed that the President wasn’t given the proper advice.

He claims that Nigeria’s political appointments are frequently motivated by a small clique of influencers in front of the President rather than by concerns for public opinion or national interest.

“Remember that these appointments are made by cabals, just a few people who are very close to the President, who will advise him,” he continued.

Nominees who were “Expired” were

He claimed that the majority of the candidates on the president’s list had expired.

“Those names, in my opinion, are no longer relevant. There are too many people who have contributed little to politics and all other kinds of settings, Epelle claimed.

He added that Nigerians hoped for better-quality advice on sensitive appointments, particularly those involving former electoral officials, as well as clearer vetting, more consultation, and better-quality advice.

In this context, he continued during the program, “Federal character was not respected; it was more political tokenism and favoring those who had done something for them.”

He therefore urged the President to ensure that future nominations were handled without relying on the opinions of a select few and with greater transparency and consideration of public confidence.

32 people were nominated to serve as ambassadors in Nigeria’s foreign missions, according to Tinubu’s list released last Saturday.

Additionally present were former governors of Enugu and Abia, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Okezie Ikpeazu, Femi Fani-Kayode, and Reno Omokri, a former presidential aide.

Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers State, has stated that his administration’s top priority is to improve Rivers State’s underperforming education, announcing that the sector will receive the most funding from the budget for 2026.

Governor Fubara made the announcement Monday that the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers’ 123/124 meeting would be open.

He acknowledged that many state-wide schools are in disrepair, but he also stressed that the state’s schools did not degrade overnight.

He claims that opponents’ main concern was the deterioration, which predated his government, in the 2023 election campaigns.

The governor noted that his approach to planning and reform is guided by his background in public administration, noting that his team is strategically attempting to reverse the decline.

The governor cited the ongoing improvement of zonal hospitals and other welfare-related initiatives as evidence of better service delivery in the sector.

Governor Fubara spoke about employment, stating that while the government is still working to create jobs, there will be a focus on state needs during recruitment, including the anticipated 10,000 openings.

He assured us that there won’t be any political bias in the exercise.

Governor Fubara had a chance to thank traditional rulers for their efforts to break the political impasse that had once threatened stability at the state during his third and fourth combined sessions of the year and the fourth since he assumed office.

He claimed that their intervention had a positive impact on maintaining harmony in their respective domains and that it had contributed to the largely calm environment that exists today.

Governor Fubara’s remarks on the state of education follow a viral video that featured Martin Amaewhule, the governor’s representative from the Rivers State House of Assembly, criticizing the administration’s handling of the sector.

In Katsina State’s Matazu and Charanchi local government areas, two separate accidents have claimed the lives of four people.

Ten others were hurt in addition to the incidents that took place on Sunday.

Governor Dikko Radda was driving along the Daura-Katsina Road in violation of his official duties just four months prior.

READ MORE:   Governor Radda of Katsina Signs the $899.9 billion 2026 Budget

The governor, who was returning from his statewide tour in the Funtua zone, witnessed the four women who were also deceased in the Matazu accident.

A commercial golf vehicle with the registration number (DDM 339 XA) involved in a fatal accident was discovered by Radda’s convoy.

On its way from Jibia to Dandume, the car, which had several passengers inside, suffered severe damage.

The governor immediately notified the governor’s convoy that it was going to stop, and he personally oversaw the victims’ evacuation.

While the convoy was in need of additional responders, medical teams attached to it offered emergency assistance.

Gov. mourns

No leader should have to drive past such a tragedy, Radda said while speaking at the scene.

Because these victims are our brothers and sisters, we stopped. Their lives matter, he continued, and it is our duty to act with urgency and compassion.

This agonizing loss serves as a reminder of how fragile life really is. We will continue to help those who have lost their lives, he added, and my heart is with the families of the deceased.

The governor noted that his entourage encountered another accident along the Kafinsoli–Koda Road as he continued his journey back to Katsina in a statement from his chief press secretary, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed.

He continued, adding that he once more gave the order to stop the convoy without hesitating.

Two vehicles from the governor’s motorcade were dispatched to a hospital in Charanchi for urgent treatment, and rescue efforts were immediately coordinated.

In a related development, the governor spoke with the deputy governor’s convoy, which was involved in a collision along the Kaduna–Zaria Road that left six people injured.

He prayed for their quick and complete recovery.

May Jannatul Firdausi be granted and the departed be forgiven by Allah. He prayed that He could also heal the injured and bring them home in peace.

After gunmen allegedly abducted a resident of Eruku, a community in Kwara State’s Ekiti Local Government Area, on Sunday, tension resurfaced there.

Following a kidnapping incident in the same town, 38 worshippers were freed just one week later.

Around noon, it was discovered that the attackers had taken control of a farmland along the Eruku–Koro Road.

The attackers, who are reportedly four in number, had cutlasses and AK-47s on them.

Under the condition of anonymity, a community leader explained that the attackers attacked during regular work hours and escorted away Eruku native Annas Aasanru.

According to the source, “They entered the farmland with cutlasses and AK-47 rifles, kidnapped a man named Annas Aasanru, then fled into the bush.”

Read more about Abduct 11 Residents, Bandits Strike Kwara Community, and Read More.

In recent weeks, there have been two significant kidnappings in Kwara State that have occurred within a week.

A Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) branch in Eruku was attacked on November 18 by gunmen during its midweek service, killing three worshipers, abducting 38 members, including the pastor, and cause chaos and panic in the congregation.

The bandits initially demanded $3 billion for the victims’ release, but later reduced the ransom to $760 million.

Bandits abducted 11 residents in the same local government area a few days after the Eruku attack.

More than 20 gunmen stormed the neighborhood while firing indiscriminately at a large herd of cattle. A stray bullet reportedly struck the elderly woman during the attack.

Seven of the abducted people belong to the same family, according to a community leader who spoke under the guise of anonymity. A pregnant woman, two nursing mothers, and several young children are among the victims.

Two suspected car thieves have been detained by the Rivers State Police Command, and two have been recovered.

Grace Iringe-Koko, the police public relations officer, released a statement on Sunday disclosing this.

The suspects, 43-year-old Abubakar Abdulsalam and 35-year-old Shagari Shehu, were apprehended on November 20, 2025, around 6 p.m., according to a statement from the Command on Sunday.

According to the police, the arrests were made in response to reliable information that alerted authorities to the suspects’ locations.

Read more about the police officer’s investigation into the controversial arrest of the Lagos bus conductor.

Police recovered two stolen vehicles during the operation: a white Toyota Hilux with a fake registration number, GWA 453 GR, and an ash-colored Toyota Corolla with an fake number plate, LSD 420 BT.

Both vehicles have been taken into custody by the police for further investigation.

According to The Command, detectives are looking into the suspects’ level of involvement as well as potential connections to other state-based car theft syndicates.

As the investigation gets going, according to the police, additional arrests might come along.

Olugbenga Adepoju, the commissioner of police for Rivers, applauded the officers’ swift action and thanked the public for their assistance.

He reiterated the Command’s commitment to preventing crime and ensuring residents’ and visitors’ safety.