A devastating bomb blast struck a mosque in the Gamboru Market area of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, Wednesday evening, leaving scores of worshippers feared dead and many others injured.

The explosion occurred at the Gambarou Jumu’at Mosque during the Maghrib congregational prayer.

Reports noted that survivors said the attacker sneaked into the mosque and detonated the explosive as worshippers were observing the first raka’at of the prayer.

“The bomber detonated when the first raka’at of the Maghrib prayer was observed. Many worshippers died, others sustained various injuries,” Daily Trust quoted an eyewitness to have said.

As of the time of filing this report, the exact number of casualties and those injured from the attack remained unconfirmed.

However, reports indicated that the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals for urgent medical attention.

Security operatives have cordoned off the area, while emergency responders continue rescue and evacuation efforts.

HumAngle, which said its reporter was on the ground in the community, also confirmed the blast.

Efforts to obtain an official response from the police were unsuccessful, as the Borno State Police Public Relations Officer did not pick calls placed to his phone and had yet to respond to text messages sent as of the time of filing this report.

The latest attack adds to a long list of violent incidents linked to insurgency in Borno State. In June 2025, at least 10 people were killed when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive at a local food joint in Konduga Local Government Area.

The Borno State Police Command confirmed that the explosion occurred around 10 p.m., with several others sustaining injuries. Police said Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) experts, alongside the military and other security agencies, were deployed to restore order and investigate the attack.

ICIR

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has revealed that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in a meeting promised to “hold the PDP” to ease President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

“I was in a meeting with President Tinubu, Nyesom Wike, and others when Wike volunteered to hold the PDP for Tinubu against 2027, and I was in shock. Wike can support the president in 2027, but I will not,” Mr Makinde said.

Affirming his loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Makinde explained that he informed President Tinubu of his inability to work with the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress.

“I said, no, sir, I can never help you organise the APC in Oyo State because I am of the PDP,” Mr Makinde stated.

The governor noted that the feud between him and the FCT minister stemmed from his refusal to join forces with Mr Wike, despite being in an opposition party, to support President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

He stated, “The real issue is that Wike would like to support the President for 2027. That’s fine. It is within his rights. But some of us want to ensure that democracy survives in Nigeria, and that PDP survives as well. He should allow us to make our own choices.

“I tried to engage him through a mutual friend, but when he did not back off, I confronted him directly. From that day, I made it clear I would never be part of this. Wike can support him, but it is also within my right to decide who I will support or what I will do in 2027. This explains the current conflict within the PDP.

“It is within his right to do that. But also, it is within my own right to decide within the political space who I will support or what I will do in 2027,” Makinde said.

The governor noted that his efforts, alongside others, towards preserving the existence of the Peoples Democratic Party, were to ensure that the country’s political landscape does not become a one-party system.

“Some of us want to ensure that democracy survives in Nigeria, we don’t drift into a one-party state. And we want to ensure that PDP survives. He should also allow us to do our own thing,” Mr Makinde said.

Emphasising on the need for a multi-party system, the governor stated that Mr Tinubu has the constitutional ability to restrain the minister if necessary.

“The President has the power to call his minister to order and allow democracy to survive in Nigeria,” he said.

Commenting on the state of the PDP, Mr Makinde insisted that there was no faction in the party.

He stated, “Where PDP is today, there is no faction. We held a convention here in Ibadan, we gave adequate notice to INEC, which is all that we are required to do under the law.”

Source: PeoplesGazette

Six members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the house of representatives have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The lawmakers include Dumnamere Dekor (Khana/Gokana federal constituency), Solomon Bob (Abua/Odual and Ahoada east federal constituncy), Hart Cyril (Degema/Bonny federal constituency), Victor Obuzor (Ahoada west/Ogba-Egbema/Ndoni federal constituency), Blessing Amadi (Port Harcourt II federal constituency) and Felix Nweke (Eleme/Oyigbo/Tai federal constituency).

Their defection follows that of Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state, who swapped the PDP for the APC on December 5, 2025.

A week before the governor’s defection, 15 members of the Rivers state house of assembly, including Martin Amaewhule, the speaker, had dumped the PDP for the APC.

Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, read the letters of the lawmaker’s defection during plenary on Wednesday.

APC national officers, including Victor Gaidam, national vice-chairman (south south), Felix Morka, national spokesperson; Dayo Israel, national youth leader; and Ajibola Basiru, national secretary, witnessed the defection.

After the defection, Abbas invited the lawmakers to the dais for photographs.

Ali Isa protested the defection, asking Abbas to declare their seats vacant.

Kingsley Chinda, the minority leader, kicked against the brief defection ceremony.

He said the ceremony should be expunged from the vote and proceedings of the day’s plenary, noting that no laws require lawmakers to announce their defection on the floor of parliament.

“Go to your ward and defect,” he said.

Abbas declined to rule on the objections.

“Your observations are noted,” he said.

Last week, four Rivers members defected to the APC.

The lawmakers are Umezuruike Manuchim (Port Harcourt I federal constituency), who defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the APC, while Boniface Emerengwa (Ikwerre/Emohua federal constituency), Awaji-Inombek Abiante (Opobo/Nkoro/Andoni federal constituency), and Boma Goodhead (Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru federal constituency).

With the defection, the PDP now has only three members from Rivers in the house of representatives: Chinda; Kenneth Chikere (Port Harcourt I); and Kelechi Nwogu (Etche/Omuma).