Headline

Akpabio’s Defection: Four Lawmakers, Two Commissioners Follow

Published

7 years ago

August 9, 2018

Eric

Four lawmakers consisting two from the House of Representatives and two from the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly also defected to the All Progressives Congress from the People’s Democratic Party in solidarity with the Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West in the National Assembly, Godswill Akpabio, who officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress on Wednesday.

The legislators include a member from Abak Federal Constituency, Mr Emmanuel Ikon; a member from Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency,

Emmanuel Akpan; a member from the Essien Udim State Constituency, Mr Nse Ntuen; and a member representing Etim Ekpo State Constituency, Mr Gabriel Toby.

The two commissioners, who also defected from the PDP, included the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Victor Antai and Commissioner for Labour, Productivity and Manpower Planning, Mr Ibanga Akpabio.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Udom Ekpo-Udom (retd.), among others, also defected.

Commenting on his defection, Akpabio said, “People are saying why the APC, you need to know I am a nationalist. In troubled times like this when the country is at war, all hands must be on deck to salvage the situation. This is a difficult moment for Nigeria. In a period of national emergency, everybody should put hands together to support this government to bring peace to the people.

“I will like to be a conspirator, who joins hands to conspire to put food on the table of Nigerians, to bring peace to Benue State, to stop the killings in our country, to ensure employment for our children, who bring about uncommon transformation for Nigerians.

“This is the moment of uncommon change, uncommon change has come to Akwa Ibom, South-South, uncommon change has come to the Niger Delta.

The National Chairman of the APC, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, who received Akpabio into the party, eulogised him (Akpabio) for the courage he had shown by leaving the PDP.

He said, “When I was Governor of Edo State and even now, my successor, Godwin Obaseki, we have always treaded quite lonely that in the whole of the South-South, it is only in Edo State that we have a state governor.

“We have been anxious to find another state to join forces with us in our determination to sustain the changes that Nigeria badly requires.”

The Punch

Headline

Defence Gulps Lion Share As Tinubu Presents N58.47trn 2026 Budget to NASS

Published

4 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Eric

President Bola Tinubu has presented a budget of N58.47 trillion for the 2026 fiscal year to a joint session of the National Assembly, with capital recurrent (non‑debt) expenditure standing at N15.25 trillion.

Tinubu presented the budget on Friday, pegging the capital expenditure at N26.08 trillion and putting the crude oil benchmark at US$64.85 per barrel.

He said the expected total revenue is N34.33 trillion, projected total expenditure: N58.18 trillion, including N15.52 trillion for debt servicing. The budget is N23.85 trillion, representing 4.28% of GDP.

The budget was anchored on a crude oil production of 1.84 million barrels per day, and an exchange rate of N1,400 to the US Dollar for the 2026 fiscal year.

In terms of sectoral allocation, defence and security took the lion’s share with N 5.41 trillion, followed by infrastructure at N3.56 trillion.

Headline

Mike Adenuga, Emmanuel Macron Hold High-Powered Meeting in Paris

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Accomplished billionaire businessman and Commander of the French Légion d’Honneur, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., GCON, CdrLH, has held a private meeting with the French President, Emmanuel Macron.

The two powerful citizens of the world held the meeting on Wednesday at the historic Élysée Palace in Paris.

The high-level engagement underscores the longstanding relationship between Dr. Adenuga and the French Republic, as well as his continued relevance in global business and diplomatic circles.

A respected industrialist and philanthropist, Adenuga has been widely acknowledged for his contributions to economic development, telecommunications, energy, and humanitarian causes across Africa and beyond.

The meeting adds to Dr. Adenuga’s growing profile as a bridge between African enterprise and international leadership.

Headline

Free at Last: Burkina Faso Releases 11 Nigerian Soldiers, Aircraft

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2025

Eric

Burkina Faso has released Nigerian soldiers who were detained after their aircraft made a forced landing in the Sahelian country earlier this month, Nigerian officials said.

The release followed a diplomatic intervention by President Bola Tinubu, who dispatched a high-level delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, to meet Burkina Faso’s Military Leader, Ibrahim Traoré, on Wednesday.

In a statement, Alkasim Abdulkadir, Tuggar’s spokesperson, said both sides resolved the matter amicably and secured the release of the Nigerian Air Force pilots and crew.

The soldiers had been held for nearly two weeks after the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) described the aircraft’s landing as an “unfriendly act” carried out in defiance of international law.

The Nigerian Air Force, however, said the crew encountered a technical issue that required a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, the nearest available airfield. It said the landing complied with standard safety procedures and international aviation protocols.