Politics

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has turned down a request by the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, seeking the release of his international passport, saying that the medical report attached to the application was not signed by its maker. Delivering the ruling, Justice Nwite, however, held that contrary to the submission of the prosecution team, the application was not an abuse of the court process. The defendant had applied for the release of his travel document to enable him to travel to the United Kingdom for medical attention.  The judge said counsel to the defendant argued that the applicant was a known hypertensive patient for about 15 years. The lawyer, Joseph Daudu, SAN, was also said to have presented Exhibits A and B, which constituted an expert report on the health status of the applicant, saying that sufficient materials had been placed before the court to exercise its discretion in favour of the applicant.

Air Peace Limited has announced direct international flight services from Abuja to both London Heathrow and London Gatwick airports, effective October 26, 2025.  The airline stated in a press release by its spokesperson, Efe Osifo-Whiskey, that Air Peace had become the first Nigerian carrier to offer direct services from Abuja to both of London’s major international airports. “Travellers originating from any of Air Peace’s domestic destinations across Nigeria can now book throughfares via Abuja to either Heathrow or Gatwick using a single ticket, eliminating the need for multiple bookings or baggage re-checks. “Travellers from London can access multiple destinations across Nigeria using a single Air Peace ticket through Abuja every morning. These destinations are Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Benin, Warri, Owerri, Kano, Yola, Gombe, and Asaba, for now. Other destinations will be added later,” Osifo-Whiskey stated. It said that with a proven track record of challenging the status quo and pioneering transformative routes in African aviation, Air Peace continued to raise the bar with the announcement of the Abuja–London service.

The Edo State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Paul Ohonbamu, has accused the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, of hypocrisy and disregard for lawful protocol. He also cited a past incident in 2013 where the former Anambra State governor allegedly detained former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, for 48 hours in Anambra State. Ohonbamu’s remarks come after Obi’s recent visit to Edo State, which the commissioner claimed violated security protocols and stirred unnecessary controversy. “Protocol is standard practice, and Peter Obi knows this. He enforced it with brutal efficiency when he was governor. El-Rufai himself admitted that he was detained for 48 hours in 2013. That wasn’t just an abuse of power—it reflected a pathological fixation with the use of raw authority,” he said on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday said the blessings of the late Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Adetona, were instrumental to his emergence as president in 2023. Tinubu stated this when he joined family members and other distinguished personalities on the 8th day of Fidau prayers for the late monarch. At the event, Tinubu referred to the late Awujale as a moral compass, emphasising that his leadership significantly contributed to the socio-economic and political growth of Yoruba land and Nigeria as a whole.

Akpoti-Uduaghan had maintained her stance to return to the Senate on Tuesday despite an appeal filed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio challenging the Federal High Court ruling that nullified her suspension. Yesufu, on Monday, stated that she and others would accompany Akpoti-Uduaghan to the National Assembly, asserting that the embattled senator had every right to resume office following a court judgement. “I think Senator Natasha has every right to resume office, and by tomorrow — she is not going to resume alone. There are people who are going to go with her, and I’ll be one of them. “We’ll be with her and stand with her. And if the Senate decides they are going to kill us, let them kill us,” Yesufu said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily. The activist further condemned what she described as systemic discrimination against women in Nigerian politics.