There are moments in Lagos’ social calendar when everything seems to shimmer with a kind of predictable glamour: the same familiar faces, curated opulence, and December rituals that have become as iconic as the city itself. And then, without warning, something happens that disrupts the rhythm. Something sobering. Something that forces the glitterati to pause and confront the fragility behind their glitter. This week, that disruption came from an unexpected place: the home of Tony Elumelu.

Yes, that Tony Elumelu—banking titan, Africa’s entrepreneurship patron saint, consummate host, and the unofficial mayor of December festivities. His TOE All-White Christmas Party is not merely an event; it is an institution, a social pilgrimage for those who float through Lagos’ upper crust. You haven’t “done December” if you haven’t done TOE. It is the night of immaculate linen, curated glamour, imported performers, and a gathering of the city’s most admired, envied, whispered-about, and photographed personalities.

And this year, for the first time in recent memory, the gates will not open. The music will not start. The cameras will not flash. The immaculate lawns of the Elumelu residence will not witness the parade of Lagos’ most extravagant fashion instincts.

The party is cancelled.

Not postponed. Not downsized. Not “reimagined.” Cancelled.

And in the billionaire class, where parties are rarely inconvenienced by things as mundane as human grief, this decision felt almost radical.

Elumelu’s announcement was delivered in the most understated of formats, an Instagram story, with a tone as gentle as it was devastating. He acknowledged the tradition, the expectation, the genuine excitement that people hold for his annual gathering. Then he said something Lagos society is not used to hearing from its billionaires: “However, due to the recent tragic fire incident that claimed precious lives, Awele and I have made the decision to cancel the party this year.”

For a city that sometimes struggles to slow down long enough to mourn, this felt like a whisper that carried the weight of a sermon.

Because behind this decision lies a story more sombre than the cancellation itself—the Afriland Towers fire, a tragedy that claimed the lives of staff members from UBA, Heirs Holdings, and the Federal Inland Revenue Service. A fire that began in the basement inverter room and quickly transformed an ordinary Tuesday into a nightmare. Many escaped; some were rescued; a few were revived. But several did not return to their families.

It is easy, especially in corporate Nigeria, for tragedies to be wrapped in polite silence. Press releases are drafted, condolences are issued, and the wheels of business grind on. But this fire shook something much deeper. The victims were not faceless. They were colleagues, friends, and parents. Human beings whose mornings began like any other, and who had no idea that it would be their last.

Tony Elumelu was not in Lagos when the fire happened. He was in the United States, preparing to participate in the United Nations General Assembly, a space where he often champions African entrepreneurship and thought leadership. But the moment the news reached him, he abandoned the UNGA stage and returned home. Not symbolically, physically. He didn’t delegate the grief. He didn’t send a polished statement through a corporate communications officer. He showed up.

And when he spoke, he did not sound like a billionaire addressing an unfortunate corporate incident; he sounded like a man in mourning. “I am shattered,” he wrote to his staff. “No words can capture this loss. Yesterday was a stark reminder of what truly matters: our irreplaceable people.”

How often do we hear billionaires speak like that in this country?

How often do we see them prioritize sorrow over spectacle? How often do they allow the death of staff—not executives, not directors, not the famous, but everyday people—to interrupt their global engagements, their leisurely rituals, and their seasonal traditions?

This is why Elumelu’s cancellation of the All-White Party is far deeper than a calendar adjustment. It is an act of uncommon emotional intelligence. A reminder that leadership, at its core, is not defined by what one builds but by what one values.

Lagos’ elite understand the power of a party. December is their annual theatre of self-expression, their runway of dominance, their festive parliament. It is the one time when social hierarchy is both displayed and negotiated. And in this arena, the TOE party holds a place of pride. It is an honour to be invited. It is a privilege to attend. It is a badge of relevance.

To cancel it is to puncture the December ego of the city. Yet Elumelu cancelled it with a simplicity that felt almost disarming. In doing so, he told the world that mourning should not be rushed; that celebration should not be loud when hearts are broken; that empathy is not a performance but a responsibility.

What struck me most was the sincerity. He did not attempt to convert the tragedy into a branding moment. He did not use the language of corporate distancing. He said the names of no departments. He offered no cold, bureaucratic phrase like “unfortunate incident.” Instead, he and his wife chose a different vocabulary: one of honour, remembrance, and emotional presence.

That is not how many in his class behave. And this is where the real lesson begins.

Because Tony Elumelu, intentionally or not, has delivered a sobering masterclass to Nigeria’s billionaire elite, a class that often floats several feet above the real world, insulated by its own mythology.

His behaviour in this moment highlights a counter-culture in leadership that desperately needs amplification. At its essence, it challenges the performative empathy many corporate titans deploy when tragedy strikes. In too many boardrooms, grief is acknowledged only long enough for the headlines to settle. Staff are remembered only in abbreviations. The machinery of power rarely pauses.

But Elumelu paused. And by doing so, he disrupts the culture of emotional impunity that has long plagued Nigeria’s corporate aristocracy. He reminds his peers that employees are not expendable units of production; they are people with names, children, ambitions, and dreams. He reinforces the idea that leadership must be felt, not simply declared.

Some might dismiss the cancellation as symbolic. But symbols matter, especially in a city that watches the behaviour of its wealthy with the curiosity of anthropologists and the precision of critics. And this symbol carries a layered significance.

It signals that no amount of champagne is worth uncorking when your people are mourning. It signals that humanity must never be subordinated to spectacle, that grief is not an inconvenience, and compassion is not a disruption. It signals that wealth does not absolve one of duty.

In a quieter, more reflective sense, the cancellation redefines what it means to be a modern African business leader. It suggests that power must be accompanied by empathy, success must be grounded in conscience, and influence must be exercised with humility.

Imagine, for a moment, if more billionaires behaved this way. Imagine if more CEOs cut short international trips to mourn staff rather than delegating condolences to mid-level managers. Imagine if more tycoons cancelled private jets and lavish celebrations to stand beside grieving families. Imagine if our corporate leaders acknowledged tragedies with the full weight of their presence instead of perfumed statements.

Nigeria would feel different. Corporate culture would feel more human. Workplaces would feel safer and the gap between those who have and those who serve would feel less brutal.

And yet, perhaps the most moving aspect of Elumelu’s gesture is that it does not seek applause. It is not a public relations exercise. It is a private family decision that became public only because the event itself is public. It is a quiet kind of leadership, the kind that speaks through action rather than advertorials.

It is also, in its own subtle way, a recognition that even the powerful are not immune to sorrow. Elumelu’s message reveals a man who understands that success does not insulate one from tragedy, nor does wealth diminish the responsibility to feel deeply when others hurt.

In cancelling the All-White Party, he made space for grief in a city that often rushes past it. He allowed the memory of the deceased to be dignified rather than overshadowed. Elumelu aligned his personal choices with his corporate values, and modelled a kind of leadership that is both rare and necessary.

For those who have ever walked through the illuminated gates of the Elumelu residence in December, the significance of this year’s silence becomes even more profound. Because Tony Elumelu does not merely host a party; he orchestrates a carnival. His affluence is wielded with the finesse of a maestro: every detail measured, every moment well sculpted, and every guest fully immersed into the night’s rhythm. His annual All-White Party is a cultural ritual, a concerto of class and charisma that no other magnate in Nigeria, old money or nouveau riche, has managed to replicate.

Where others throw parties, Elumelu curates experiences. Lagos’ high society may flutter from one December event to another, but they arrive at the Elumelu party. It is the one night where everyone, from titans of industry to political heavyweights, from entertainment royalty to fashion’s most flamboyant divas, answers his summons without hesitation.

In a jungle of competing egos and noisy displays of wealth, Elumelu is the lion who does not need to roar. His invitation alone shifts the city’s centre of gravity. Last year’s Yuletide White Party stands as testament. The 2024 edition was carved in splendour so elegant it felt almost unreal: glowing lawns, translucent décor, a crisp palette of immaculate white eased into golden warmth.

His home, expansive and breathlessly tasteful, became a sanctuary of style rather than a billboard of wealth. It is this understatement, this measured grace, that differentiates him from the gauche carnival of Lagos opulence. With Elumelu, wealth is worn lightly, like an expensive fragrance that whispers rather than suffocates.

And the crowd responded. The guest list was a constellation: corporate titans, media barons, senators, governors, fashion sirens, music gods. Then the performances began—Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, a trifecta of global Afrobeats royalty—each taking the stage as though the night itself were a crown to be adorned. The atmosphere rose and swelled, a river of sound and champagne and shared delight. Elumelu and his wife, Dr. Awele, danced through it all, embodying the soft-life sophistication that even rapper M.I Abaga once immortalized in “Soft Life Tony.”

By dawn, the party had entered social legend, its images ricocheting across timelines as the final shimmering chapter of the year. It is precisely this memory—of beauty, joy, communion—that makes this year’s cancellation deeply symbolic. The louder the revelry once was, the more powerful the silence now feels.

When the TOE All-White Party returns in 2026, as he promised, it will most likely feel different. Not because the music will change or the décor will transform, but because this moment will linger as part of its legacy, an unspoken reminder of the year the lights were dimmed in honour of lost lives.

And perhaps, in that pause, Lagos will remember that humanity is the true luxury, empathy the true elegance, and compassion the true measure of power.

This Christmas, Tony Elumelu chose silence over spectacle. Not because he lacked the resources to celebrate, but because he had the heart not to.

And that, in a city obsessed with noise, may be the most powerful statement of all.

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If it seems like only yesterday when the founder of LEADERSHIP, Sam Nda-Isaiah, passed away, it’s because he is still here in the present tense. Yet you might disagree if you are looking for him in the wrong place. Let me lessen your confusion.

If, for example, you still hope he’d call at 2.30 am to wake you up and ask why you’re asleep at that time, which he did without a hint of irony, and such calls have stopped since, then you may consider him part of the past. 

There are other footprints. His hearty laughter, or the echo of his stuttering voice as he marshalled facts in a heated argument. These idiosyncrasies, now silenced since that December 11 Friday night five years ago, may also seem like a distant part of the past. 

Yet, these recollections, like memories from the Magdalenean scene at the Talpiot tomb in Jerusalem centuries ago, are mistaken because they imagine Sam outside the realm where he made his most significant impact. 

He’s not in his study at his house or on his way back from Hawaii, Beijing, Singapore, or any of those exotic destinations he loved to visit. Nor is he sitting in the corner of his favourite brown leather chair in his office, passionately debating the trouble with Nigeria with his friends.

Another realm

Sam lives on in another realm, the realm of words, where he made his most tremendous impact. And in that realm, there is no past tense, only a constant, unrelenting conversation with the present in the hope that if we heed, we might yet have a better future. Sam’s platform was his weekly Monday column, “The Last Word.”

I’ve been reading many of them recently, and you might be forgiven for thinking they were written yesterday. I’m not talking about the collection of articles he wrote and published under the title ‘Nigeria: Full Disclosure’, as a columnist with Daily TRUST before founding LEADERSHIP in 2004. That was quite something. 

Yet, between the publication of ‘Full Disclosure’ and 10 years later, when, literally speaking, Sam suspended his column at gunpoint to contest the presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC, he wrote many more thrilling pieces about many things, from politics to governance, and from corruption to the judiciary and international affairs.

Bosom of his words

Many of the articles are fresh and poignant. Take the one entitled, “The PDP Civil War,” for example. Sam, being Sam, he believed former President Olusegun Obasanjo was perhaps Nigeria’s biggest problem and hardly spared him. On the eve of that party’s presidential primaries in 2010, Sam examined the various forces at play, tracing the absence of internal democracy in the PDP to its militaristic roots and the hijack of the party by Obasanjo. 

The PDP primary of that year was like no other. It featured the party’s biggest heavyweights from military president General Ibrahim Babangida to General Aliyu Gusau and, of course, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The line-up was the surest sign that the Northern political establishment had parted ways with former President Goodluck Jonathan and would give him a fight to the finish for “betraying” a gentleman’s agreement to do only one term after completing the late President Umaru Yar’Adua’s term.

The coming war

For personal and political reasons, Sam, a founding member of Muhammadu Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, disliked the PDP. He said it was a criminal organisation, with only a few good people. His article, published before the party’s 2010 primary, was fascinating.

“I think the coming war in PDP,” he wrote, “will not be fought with machetes, cutlasses and guns. It’s going to be fought with weapons of mass destruction, WMD. And, ultimately, it is in the interest of the nation that the party breaks. In its present form, it is an ogre that does no one any good.”

If Sam exaggerated the death of the PDP, perhaps he was more mistaken about its speed than about whether it would happen at all. A number of the actors have changed, but the party, still desperate to commit suicide, now hangs by a thread. 

Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of which Sam was a founding member, has grown so large and prosperous that it would be fortunate to escape the disease that infected and killed the PDP. 

Reality of terror

Then there was another piece he wrote in December 2010, entitled “The Reality of Terrorism in Nigeria.” That was when Boko Haram, though still in its infancy, showed that it was only a matter of time before it would progress into unimaginable, deadly mutations.

Around this time in 2009, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian, tried to blow up a plane heading to Detroit, US. A year later, bombs were detonating in Jos, Plateau State, and elsewhere in Nigeria, killing many people – something which, in Sam’s words, evoked the spectre of places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“If after all the killings of the past several years in Jos,” he wrote, “the October 1 mass murder in Abuja and the several Boko Haram murders in Maiduguri, not a single criminal has been sentenced to death and executed, I wonder…they will happen again and again until we start punishing those who commit crimes.” 

Sadly, 14 years on, with thousands dead, millions wounded or displaced, and many more living in fear, some still believe that negotiating and paying ransom to criminal gangs is the best form of punishment. 

Worth dying for?

Sam hated injustice, a situation often worsened by impunity and corruption. After months of writing in vain to get President Yar’Adua’s government to do something about it, Sam wrote an article in 2008 calling on the government to declare a “National Rogues Week.” 

The point of the article, entitled “Is Nigeria Worth Dying For?”, was what Sam considered a grave injustice that had been done to Nuhu Ribadu, who was not only removed as the Chairman of the EFCC at the time but also demoted in his police rank.

Ribadu had trampled so many big toes in the fight against corruption that corruption was not just fighting back; it was fighting big, led by forces that had taken Yar’Adua hostage.

Since Ribadu’s crime was tackling the sacred cows, for which he was fired instead of promoted, Sam suggested that the government should designate a week when rogues could receive their flowers and even be inducted into a hall of fame. “Crooks have benefitted more (from the system) than honest men,” he wrote.  

The situation has changed for Ribadu today, and he might in fact argue that Nigeria is worth risking one’s life for. However, Ribadu’s story hardly reflects the suffering of millions of citizens, terrified by fear and poverty and denied the sense that honest, hard work means anything. 

Finished or not?

Looking back, it appears that Sam wrote “Political Decline of the North,” or “Atiku is Finished,” in a glorious era. Of course, there are great Northern minds terrified by poor, crooked leadership that has wrecked the region. Yet, Northerners who helped to hasten the decline Sam wrote about now have children and grandchildren who have joined the business of not only killing the North, but also doing so quickly.

As for Atiku being finished, his philandering is legendary, with his wild oats scattered across the major political parties, except those that have yet to be formed. Perhaps Atiku still has something left in the tank?

I can hear Sam saying, “Dam’bura…!” as he rocks with laughter. And then, pausing: “You’re very stupid, Azu!” as he explodes again in laughter that even Atiku can’t resist joining!

The post Sam after five, by Azu Ishiekwene appeared first on Vanguard News.

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Protesters stormed the Lagos House Assembly to demand the reinstatement of five lecturers at the Lagos State University (LASU) who were allegedly wrongly dismissed from service.
 
The protest began on Wednesday at Ikeja Under Bridge and proceeded to the Lagos House Assembly to submit their petition for the reinstatement of the five lecturers.
 
The demonstrators called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to reinstate the lecturers and put an end to their suffering. They carried placards with the inscriptions such as “The unjust dismissal of ASUU-LASU 5 is academic terrorism. Let scholars breathe!!!”, “We say no to academic terrorism at LASU,” “Union’s rights are human rights”, and “Sanwo-Olu — Intimidation is not Leadership. Recall LASU 5 now.”

The dismissed lecturers are executives of LASU’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and were sacked between 2017 and 2019.
 
They are Akinloye Isaac Oyewumi (ASUU-LASU chairman), Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu (vice-chairman), Anthony Dansu (secretary), Adeolu Oluwaseyi Oyekan (assistant secretary), and Oluwakemi Aboderin-Shonibare (treasurer).
 
An activist, Abudu Akinlola Olumayowa, told newsmen during the protest that the Lagos State Government must respect human rights by reinstating the dismissed lecturers. According to him, the dismissed lecturers are scholars who have valuable knowledge to offer and positively impact members of the society.

“We are joining others today to demand protection of human rights,” he said.

“Violations of fundamental human rights must stop. We are here for one of our agitations since 2019. We are calling for the reinstatement of LASU Five.”
 
It would be recalled the management of LASU sanctioned the lecturers for “unauthorised removal, retention, dissemination, or publication of official documents.”
 
In February 2022, the David Sunmoni-led Governing Council of Lagos State University reinstated the sacked lecturers. The reinstatement came after an appeal committee headed by Adenike Boyo, then deputy vice-chancellor, cleared the lecturers of all offences and recommended their reinstatement.
 
However, 48 hours later, the same governing council reversed itself and put the lecturers’ recall on hold, leaving the affected staff still pursuing justice.

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December 12, 2025December 12, 2025

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*Awards N3m Compensation

The Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has directed the immediate release of three individuals arrested in June 2025 for their alleged involvement in banditry and kidnapping.

The DG also approved that N3 million be paid as compensation to the trioka of Umar Ibrahim, Alhaji Bello Rabiu, and Jaja Sarki Bamo whose cases were among the many reviewed by a DSS panel, and found to have been arrested in error.

Credible security sources disclosed that investigations failed to establish any link between the suspects and their alleged crimes.

The release of the three men, and the accompanying compensation, noted the source, is part of efforts by the DSS leadership to ensure that justice is served to victims of the agency’s mistakes

The detailed investigations, ongoing for months across DSS cases, have led to the release of several suspects who were found to be innocent, while those found culpable are facing prosecution.

“The DG DSS is a honorable man who acknowledges errors and rectifies them swiftly. He attempts to ensure due process is followed to ensure the right thing is done. This is why he has sustained efforts in reviewing cases under the agency’s jurisdiction,” offered one of the sources.

Another source described payment of compensation as an established practice under Ajayi’s leadership and expressed confidence in the Agency.

“When the DG DSS paid double compensation to the Jos based businessman who was erroneously shot many years ago, who knew he would continue compensating other victims?” quizzed another source.

“His approach to accountability and humanity should be studied. I am confident that, with the payment of such compensation, officers of the agency will be more vigilant to ensure they take the right actions, ” he added.

Expressing gratitude to the DG DSS, the suspects revealed that they were humanely treated throughout their stay.

“We were properly fed and we were not abused in any way. The officers ensured that our needs were met and we cooperated throughout the investigation till we were finally released,” remarked Ibrahim, even as they prayed for God’s mercy on the DG.

It would be recalled that, as part of the agency’s proactive security measures amid raging security threats, it had, in June 2025, intercepted some suspects, who had just returned from the 2025 Hajj exercise at the Tunde Idiagbon International Airport, Ilorin, Kwara State on allegations of their involvement in kidnapping and banditry.

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By Dickson Omobola

No fewer than 100 passengers scheduled to fly from Abuja to Owerri were left stranded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, earlier today.

The incident, which saw irate passengers destroy United Nigeria Airlines’ laptops, assault its staff and injure a Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, AVSEC officer, happened after the airline’s aircraft suffered a bird strike, leading to the disruption of their flight.

Spokesperson for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Mr Mike Achimugu, who confirmed the incident, said the airline did not provide timely information to the passengers, leading to the chaos.

Achimugu, however, said the passengers had been rescheduled for their Owerri-bound travel for 10am tomorrow and would receive a 15 per cent discount on their next flight as compensation for the lack of timely and proper communication.

He stated on X, formerly Twitter: “To avert further disaster at the domestic wing of the Abuja airport, my team and I needed to rush down to the terminal where I addressed the over one hundred passengers scheduled to fly Abuja-Owerri via United Nigeria Airline.

“On receipt of reports about the chaos, we investigated and confirmed that the aircraft had experienced a bird strike, leading to a cancellation of the flight.“Passengers became irate, and, some of them, violent. One of them destroyed laptops belonging to the airline, assaulted their staff, and injured a FAAN AVSEC personnel.

The fact: The airline did not provide timely information to the passengers. I had to address the passengers and help them understand why they could not fly today, and the possible remedies.

“For the lack of timely and proper communication, the airline has agreed to give the passengers 15 per cent compensation on their next flight.”

while rescheduling their Owerri-bound travel to 10am tomorrow.

“We have instructed that an email to that effect be sent to the passengers latest, 4pm today (yesterday).

“While taking questions from the obviously aggravated but now calm passengers, we did not deny the fault of the airline, even though the disruption was due to force majeure. Having successfully handled this situation and restoring order at the terminal, we will monitor United Nigeria’s compliance with the regulations until their customers have safely been brought to their destination.”

Meanwhile, United Nigeria Airlines, in a statement, pleaded with passengers over the disruption, saying: “United Nigeria Airlines wishes to inform our valued passengers and the travelling public that, due to a bird strike on one of our operating aircraft, some flights across our network will not operate as scheduled.

“As a result, and in strict adherence to our safety standards, the affected aircraft has been withdrawn from service for comprehensive inspection before returning it to service.”

The post Bird strike grounds flight, triggers passenger riot at Abuja Airport appeared first on Vanguard News.

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The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) are collaborating to ensure that government procurement complies with the Nigeria First Policy in a bid to encourage patronage of made-in-Nigeria products.

While signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the application of Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS), Dr Adebowale A. Adedokun of BPP and Dr Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke emphasised the need for support of the Federal Government’s Nigeria First policy.

According to a statement by Zira Zakka Nagga, the MoU establishes a cooperation framework to ensure that goods, works, and services procured by the government comply with relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards and encourages the adoption of local content and the use of Made-in-Nigeria products that meet approved quality benchmarks.

The statement noted that “with the signing of the MoU, both institutions reaffirm their commitment to improving quality outcomes in Government projects and advancing transparency, competitiveness, and value-for-money in line with the Nigeria First policy”

ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

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The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, is dead.

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State announced the development in a statement on Thursday night.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Mr Ewhrudjakpo slumped on Thursday afternoon while he was working in his office, and was immediately rushed to a hospital in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

Mr Abiodun, who is also the chairperson of Southern Governors’ Forum, said in the statement that Mr Ewhrudjakpo died at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, where he was rushed to after he slumped on Thursday afternoon.

“I received news of the demise of the deputy governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency, Mr Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, with deep sorrow.

“The incident came as a profound shock to all of us, but we submit to the will of the Almighty God, who has chosen to call him home at this time,” the Ogun governor said.

He commiserated with the Governor of Bayelsa State, Duoye Diri, the people of the state and the deputy governor’s family and friends over the incident.

“No doubt, Bayelsa State and Nigeria as a whole have lost a gem, but we shall take comfort in the knowledge that he lived a life of service to humanity and made profound change in the lives of people,” he said.

PDP confirms death

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also confirmed the death of Mr Ewhrudjakpo, who is a member of the party.

In a statement on Thursday night, the national spokesperson for the PDP, Ini Ememobong, described the death of the deputy governor as “devastating and an inexplicable loss.”

“This devastating news has left the National Working Committee led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, and indeed the entire membership of our great party, especially our faithful members in Bayelsa State, in profound grief,” Mr Ememobong said.

The PDP spokesperson said Mr Ewhrudjakpo was “a faithful party man” and “consistent politician” who believed in and practised politics with principle.

Mr Ewhrudjakpo chose to remain in the PDP, when his boss, Governor Diri, dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC) last month. Mr Ewhrudjakpo’s decision to break with the governor and his camp on the defection fuelled speculations of a plot to remove him from office and replace him with a compliant candidate that will share the same party with the governor.

PDP, on Thursday, described Mr Ewhrudjakpo as a hero of political integrity and expressed regrets over his death.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of this hero of political integrity, and we pray that God grants his soul eternal rest,” he stated.

READ ALSO: Reps seek modernisation of workplace safety laws to protect millions of workers

Bayelsa govt remains silent

The Bayelsa State Government has yet to speak on the death of the deputy governor.

The Commissioner for Information in the state, Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, did not respond when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday night.

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A video making the rounds on social media has captured the moment a Nigerian lady captured her elder brother praying fervently at all night. Netizens reacted.



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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in Ogun State, recording a total of 85,739 new registrations as of December 5, 2025.

The figure includes 57,598 completed online pre-registrations and 28,141 physical registrations, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ogun State, Mrs. Feyijimi Saseyi, disclosed on Thursday.

Mrs. Saseyi stated that the exercise began on August 18 and 25, 2025, for online and physical registrations, respectively, and concluded on December 10.

She added that the second phase of the CVR exercise is scheduled to commence on January 5, 2026.

She further announced that the voter register will be displayed at INEC offices across the state’s 20 local government areas from Monday, December 15, to Sunday, December 31, to allow for claims and objections in line with Section 19 of the Electoral Act 2022.

According to Mrs. Saseyi, this display phase enables eligible citizens to verify their information, report errors, and identify ineligible or deceased persons, ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the voters’ register.

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused Nigeria’s anti-corruption institutions of abandoning their core responsibilities and converting the anti-graft campaign into what he termed a “full-blown political witch-hunt.”

In a statement released by his media office and circulated by his adviser, Paul Ibe, on Thursday, Atiku cautioned that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other agencies risk losing public confidence unless they “purge themselves of partisan contamination.”

His remarks follow the arrest and continued detention of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

Atiku argued “that the nation’s anti-corruption war is dangerously sliding off course and mutating into a brazen political witch-hunt.”

He claimed the EFCC is “straying far from the noble principles” on which it was founded, alleging that the agency is now “weaponising its powers to serve narrow political agendas.”

According to him, “The politicisation of corruption investigations has rendered the EFCC’s credibility suspect and rubbished the very ideals that inspired its establishment.”

He also condemned what he called a “selective pursuit” of opposition leaders like Malami, warning that such moves cast the EFCC as “an overzealous appendage” determined to entrench a one-party state.

Atiku said, “EFCC suddenly became hyperactive the moment the African Democratic Congress (ADC) emerged as an opposition force, launching coordinated attacks on key figures such as Malami and Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, while conveniently ignoring glaring corruption cases involving allies of the ruling party.

“We expected the EFCC to voice its objection to the appointment of former governors with unresolved corruption allegations. But partisan loyalty prevailed over integrity.”

The former vice president also claimed that had Malami defected to the APC, “the EFCC would have left him untouched, even if he had looted the entire CBN vault.”

Atiku stressed that no responsible nation undermines the autonomy of its anti-corruption bodies in pursuit of political objectives. He urged EFCC leadership to insulate itself from partisan pressure, insisting that its institutional reputation must not be bartered “for the fleeting interests of any political party.”

The post ‘Political witch-hunt’ – Atiku condemns Malami’s arrest appeared first on Vanguard News.

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