The North-Central All Progressives Congress, APC, Forum has thanked Plateau State governor, Caleb Mutfwang, for “heeding” its call to defect to the party from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Muftwang’s defection was officially confirmed on Thursday night by APC national chairman Prof Nentawe Yilwatda at the party’s 14th national caucus meeting, held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.

Reacting to the development on Friday in a statement by its Chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the North-Central APC Forum, which has for more than one year – since April 2024 – been campaigning for Muftwang to join the APC, welcomed the Plateau governor to the party and assured him of all needed support.

The Forum, in the statement, noted that Muftwang has instructed all his aides to move with him to the APC.

Describing the governor’s defection as “historic” and “strategic”, the Forum observed that the North-Central is now the only zone in the country that has six APC governors.

“We, the North-Central APC Forum, are happy to announce the successful culmination of our agitation and campaign for Governor Caleb Muftwang of Plateau State to join the APC. We thank Governor Muftwang for heeding our call, which was prompted by our commitment to the interests of Plateau State and the entire North-Central.

“Our campaign for Muftwang to join APC  was informed by his good works and achievements in office, and because we believe he has the capacity to even do more if he is in a stable political platform such as the one provided by the APC. We also believe that joining the APC will give Governor Mutfwang the opportunity to join hands with President Bola Tinubu to, more effectively, deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Plateau State.

“With this development, the North-Central is now the only zone with six APC governors as all the six states in the region are now APC. This is a historic development which has actualized our vision of delivering the entire North-Central to our great party.

“We are certain that this strategic move by Governor Muftwang will benefit the entire North-Central, not only the people of Plateau State. We assure Governor Muftwang of our full support and call on all stakeholders to rally round him as he contributes to move the party forward,” the statement said.

The APC Forum restated its pledge to deliver six million votes from the North-Central for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. The Forum had initially promised four million votes towards the President’s re-election but in April 2025, raised the figure to six million votes, while also announcing a goal to win all elective positions in the zone in 2027 “to show that in truth, the North-Central is for APC”.

“Our pledge to deliver six million votes for Mr President is on course, especially now that all the states in the zone are with APC. Mr President can rest assured concerning the votes of the North-Central when it is time for his re-election in 2027,” the statement said.

In the same vein, the Forum thanked Tinubu for providing the leadership that made it possible for Mutfwang to join the APC.

It would be recalled that the North-Central APC Forum had in April 2024 sent a letter to Mutfwang, formally inviting him to join the APC, shortly after the Supreme Court affirmed his election as governor of Plateau State.

The APC Forum also sent a letter to the party’s national secretariat notifying it of the decision to invite Mutfwang to join the party. As part of the push to draft Mutfwang into the APC, the North-Central APC Forum, in March 2024, held a meeting in Abuja with leaders and chieftains of the party in Plateau State, to strategize on the plan to poach Mutfwang from the PDP.

In December 2024, there were rumours that Mutfwang has defected to the APC. The rumours followed the circulation of Mutfwang’s photograph among those of APC governors during the September 2024 governorship election in Edo State.

Mutfwang, however, distanced himself from the rumours, and reaffirmed his membership of the PDP, in a statement released by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere.

However, the North-Central APC Forum continued to call on the governor to join the APC and take up the leadership of the party in Plateau State. And with the PDP continuously rocked by crisis, the Forum intensified the campaign to recruit Muftwang, advising the governor to join the party to avoid “drowning with the PDP”.

Muftwang’s defection to the APC was opposed by some leaders of the party in Plateau State, who at a stakeholders meeting in Jos on October 17, 2025, endorsed a motion, moved by former Deputy National Secretary, Barrister Festus Fuanter, which opposed Mutfwang’s possible defection to the APC.

“I move the motion against accepting Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang joining the APC,” Fuanter had said. The motion was also unanimously accepted by the stakeholders

But reacting to the position of the Plateau APC leaders, the North-Central APC Forum said those opposed to Mutfwang’s defection to the APC are doing so for selfish reasons, and not for the interest of the party.

Following protests and rallies against Muftwang’s defection, staged by some APC members, including the women chapter, in Jos, the Forum accused party national chairman, Yilwatda, of sponsoring moves to block the Plateau governor from joining the party, describing his alleged action as undemocratic.

Yilwatda was the APC governorship candidate in Plateau in the 2023 election but lost to Muftwang, then of the APC. The North-Central APC Forum said Yilwatda intends to contest the governorship election again in 2027, hence his opposition to Mutfwang’s coming.

The North-Central Forum APC went ahead to declare that the national chairman has no role to play in Muftwang’s defection, and cannot stop the Plateau governor from joining any time he makes up his mind to join the APC. It noted that only the APC executives at the governor’s ward in Mangu have the authority to admit him into the party. The Forum equally urged the Mangu Ward executives to openly invite Muftwang to join the APC.

In the same vein, the North-Central APC Forum called on President Bola Tinubu and APC governors, under the umbrella of the Progressive Governors Forum, to intervene and pave the way for Muftwang’s defection.

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has openly restated his commitment to the creation of state police, as pressure mounts over worsening insecurity across the country.

The President said the reform remains a top priority of his administration and is central to tackling crimes such as banditry, kidnapping and insurgency.

Tinubu spoke on Thursday night during the 14th National Caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.

The closed-door meeting was attended by APC governors and top party leaders from across the country.

While addressing party stakeholders, the President disclosed that he had already discussed the state police plan with foreign partners and expressed strong confidence in its success.

He revealed that Nigeria’s governing structure and political alignment give the ruling party the advantage needed to push through the reform.

“I had a very long discussion with the US and European leaders. I was bragging to them that definitely we will pass a state police to improve security,” Tinubu said.

“They asked me if I’m confident, and I said, ‘Yes, I have a party to depend on.’”

The President pointed to the APC’s numerical strength in the National Assembly and its control of 28 states as a major factor that would ease the constitutional amendment process required to establish state police.

He urged party leaders to remain united and flexible, stressing that leadership requires constant engagement and accommodation at all levels.

Tinubu also charged governors to take governance beyond state capitals by paying closer attention to local councils.

He insisted that security reforms would be incomplete without strong and functional local governments.

On local government autonomy, the President demanded full compliance with the recent Supreme Court judgment. He made it clear that councils must receive their allocations directly to function effectively.

“To me, the local government autonomy is and must be effective. There is no autonomy without a funded mandate. We give them their money directly. That’s the truth. That’s compliance with the Supreme Court.”

The meeting was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, and several state governors, including those who recently defected from opposition parties. The gathering was also used to strengthen party unity ahead of the National Executive Committee meeting.

Vice President Shettima, in his remarks, said the APC is steadily expanding its influence across the country.

He expressed confidence that the party’s growing dominance across geopolitical zones positions it strongly ahead of the 2027 general elections.

APC Chairman Yilwatda praised the wave of defections and ongoing membership mobilisation, describing them as signs of public trust in the ruling party.

Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, who spoke on behalf of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, said Tinubu’s economic and political reforms are already improving investor confidence.

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Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has expressed his administration’s commitment to uphold accountable, data-based governance to spread development to every nook and cranny of the state.

Speaking at the opening of the 2025 second bi-annual meeting of the National Consultative Committee on Statistics with the theme: ‘Harnessing the Power of Statistics for Nigeria’s Sustainable Development and Economic Transformation’, in Port Harcourt yesterday.

Governor Fubara, represented by the state Head of Service, Inyingi S.I. Brown, noted that statistics are critical for the inclusive socio-economic growth of a country like Nigeria with a vast population and diverse ethnicities.

The governor explained that statistics provide the empirical foundation upon which sound policies are built, stressing that they enable governments to identify development gaps, allocate resources efficiently, measure progress, and assess impact.

“For a country like Nigeria, with its vast population and diverse socio-economic realities, the effective use of statistics is critical to achieving inclusive growth, reducing poverty, and fostering economic transformation.

“I am encouraged by the deliberate and purposeful efforts being made by the federal government under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to reposition statistics as a critical driver of national development.

“The present administration has continued to emphasise the importance of credible data in policy formulation, fiscal planning, economic management, and the effective implementation of social and economic reform programmes under the Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.

The state governor pledged his administration’s readiness to key into the data-based governance revolution sparked by the federal government for sustainable development.

“At the sub-national level, we in Rivers State fully align with this national vision. Our administration is firmly committed to evidence-based governance. We believe that policies must be guided by facts, not assumptions, and by data, not conjecture.

Consequently, we continue to support initiatives aimed at strengthening statistical capacity, improving data collection systems, and promoting inter-agency collaboration for data harmonisation and utilisation,” he said.

The nation’s Statistician-General, Adeyemi Adeniran, in his keynote address, said the bi-annual meeting was a necessary ingredient for the realisation of the vision for a well-coordinated statistical system capable of sharpening analytical tools for development planning.

“We just launched the power of data high-impact initiative as well as the national strategy for the development of statistics (NSDS) in the country. The NSDS is the framework that will guide the way and manner in which data will be produced in the country’s data systems in the next four to five years.

“In that framework, we have put together all the impetus that is required to produce data in a modernised way, to encourage synergy within the system,” he said.

Adeniran called on all stakeholders within the data development ecosystem to work towards strengthening the nation’s data system for sustainable development.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Imaoyani George, said hosting the bi-annual meeting in the state attests to the high premium that Governor Fubara places on statistics and data-based governance, adding that:  “No statistics, no development.”

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Gov. Dauda Lawal, has signed into law, ₦871.3 billion, 2026 appropriation, following approval of the Bill by the Zamfara legislature.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lawal signed the 2026 bill on Thursday, shortly after it was approved by the State House of Assembly.

NAN recalls that on December 4, the governor presented a proposed budget of ₦861.3 billion for the 2026 fiscal year to the Zamfara house of assembly for approval.

Earlier, the Zamfara House of Assembly had passed the 2026 appropriation bill into law following the presentation of a report by the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation.

The committee had presented the report of the bill with a total estimate of ₦871.337 billion for the 2026 fiscal year before the house plenary.

Presenting the committee’s report, its  Chairman, Rilwanu Na-Gambo, explained that all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the state appeared before the committee and defended their proposals.

Na-Gambo noted that there was a significant improvement in the revenue profile of most MDAs.

He said the committee recommended an additional N8 billion for capital expenditure in the Ministry of Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, and N2 billion for recurrent expenditure for the Zamfara house of assembly.

While passing the bill, the Speaker, Bilyaminu Isma’il said that the legislators considered the strategic priorities of Lawal’s administration, including security, agriculture, health, education, and infrastructure.

The speaker said the budget was designed to reflect the needs and aspirations of the people at the local government level and across other sectors, while ensuring balanced budgeting with a strong focus on equity and inclusion.

NAN reports that the state Deputy Governor, Mani Malam Mumini and the Speaker of the Zamfara House of Assembly, Bilyaminu Isma’il were among top government officials present when Gov. Lawal signed the bill into law. (NAN)

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China will impose a 13% value-added tax (VAT) on condoms and other contraceptives from January 1, ending an exemption in place since the nationwide VAT system was introduced in 1993.

The change, included in a VAT law passed in 2024 to modernise the tax regime, comes as Beijing intensifies efforts to raise its declining birthrate. VAT accounts for nearly 40% of China’s total tax revenue.

The move follows years of policy “carrots” after China abandoned its one-child policy, including allowing up to three children per couple, IVF discounts, cash subsidies, and extra paid leave for newlyweds. Still, the prospect of pricier contraceptives has drawn online ridicule. “What is wrong with modern society? They are truly going to extreme lengths just to make us have children,” one Weibo user wrote.

The new law also offers tax breaks for childcare and “marriage introduction services.” This year, the government earmarked 90bn yuan ($12.7bn) for its first nationwide childcare subsidy—3,600 yuan annually for each child under three—and announced plans to expand national health insurance to cover all childbirth-related expenses.

Despite incentives, demographic pressures persist. The birthrate in 2024 edged up to 6.77 per 1,000 people but remains far below historical levels, while an ageing population has driven overall population decline for at least three years. Reports of officials contacting women about menstrual cycles have heightened concerns that authorities may be shifting from incentives to “sticks.”

Experts say the tax is largely symbolic. “Now that China’s birth policy has shifted to encouraging births and no longer promotes contraception, it is reasonable to resume taxing contraceptives,” said He Yafu, an independent demographer in Guangdong. “However, this measure is unlikely to have a significant effect on increasing the fertility rate.”

Yun Zhou, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan, said the tax signals “what desirable family behaviour should be,” warning that if access to contraception became harder, “the brunt of the negative effects will be borne by women, particularly by disadvantaged women.”

Revenue gains are expected to be modest. Lee Ding of Dezan Shira & Associates estimates the measure will raise about 5bn yuan annually—tiny against China’s 22tn yuan public budget. “We do not believe revenue generation is the primary motivation behind extending VAT to contraceptives,” Ding said.

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The operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad of the Lagos State Police Command on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at about 1 p.m., arrested five suspects in connection with a fake and stage-managed kidnapping in the state.
The incident involved a schoolboy pleading for mercy in the fake kidnappers’ den.

The suspects are 20-year-old Anyabike Kingsley; 17-year-old Kosiko Patrick; 15-year-old Victor Aligwo; 19-year-old David Odudu; and 19-year-old Umeh Victor. The suspects, who faked the kidnapping incident, were arrested and are now in police custody.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the incident, which initially generated widespread public concern, was first reported as a case of a missing person at Ago Palace Division on November 26, 2025. Subsequent to the investigation, it was established that the alleged kidnap was deliberately orchestrated by the victim himself, one Victor Aligwo, in collaboration with four of his friends, using the room of his cohort, Umeh Victor, to carry out the fake kidnapping act.
Following diligent, intelligence-led and discreet investigation, the suspects were apprehended on the 17th and 18th of December, 2025, at Volkswagen Roundabout and the Ago Palace area, respectively.

Further investigation revealed that the suspects allegedly conspired to stage the fake kidnapping with the intent of extorting money from the mother of the suspected victim, Victor Aligwo, who had recently received the sum of N4 million from a contribution.

To actualise and make the fake kidnapping real, the suspects recorded and circulated a distress video showing Victor Aligwo pleading for help, thereby creating fear and panic in the mind of his mother and his family to pay ransom to the alleged kidnappers.

A ransom of N1.7 million was paid and later transferred to the account of one of the fake kidnappers by the mother to get him freed. The money was later shared amongst them. Following the payment, the police operatives traced the Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal used for the ransom transaction, leading to the arrest of all suspects involved.
Spokesperson for the Command, Abimbola Adebisi, said that investigation into the matter is ongoing, and all the suspects will be charged to court for their prosecution.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Olohundare Jimoh, has warned all criminal elements to desist from any form of crime and to curtail any form of criminal activities within the state, assuring that the Command will not relent in ensuring the safety of lives and property.

The Command reassured residents that this incident was not a case of kidnapping and that there is no cause for panic. Members of the public are encouraged to continue their lawful activities and promptly report any suspicious acts or movements to the Police through the Command’s emergency numbers: 0706 101 9374, 0806 515 4338, 0806 329 9264, 0803 934 4870.

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With beautiful decorations and lighting already taking over homes, streets and cities ahead of the Christmas celebration, millions of Americans are anticipating gathering with family and friends to celebrate the holiday.

While most grocery, retail and restaurant chains will remain open on Christmas Eve, many of them have adjusted their hours. 

READ ALSO: US: Popular retail stores not opening on Christmas Day

Also, many stores will shut their doors on Christmas Day. In case you’re planning a last-minute Christmas shopping at Walmart stores, knowing its opening and closing hours is essential.

Walmart is an option for anyone making a last-minute run for groceries ahead of the holiday. According to USA TODAY, the company said their stores will be open on Dec. 24 but will close at 6 p.m. local time.

READ ALSO: US: Key retail hours for last-minute Christmas shopping

However, Walmart stores will be closed on Dec. 25, the company confirmed. 

ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Classic canvas wall art photo prints

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For the first time, maritime traffic heading into Calabar and the proposed Bakassi Deep Seaport will now operate using newly issued Nigerian Electronic Nautical Charts (ENCs) as part of measures to strengthen safety along the country’s eastern coastal approaches.

The development followed the release of three IC-ENC-validated chart cells — NG455150 (Jamestown), NG525190 (Queenstown to Ikot Abasi), and NG542550 (Ports of Calabar) — produced by the National Hydrographic Agency (NHA) for mandatory use by mariners navigating through the eastern channel up to the inner port limits.

After the successful validation by NHA, the newly released ENCs will enhance safety of navigation, improve situational awareness for mariners, and supports more efficient port operations and maritime trade.

According to the Hydrographer of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of NHA, Rear Admiral Ayo Olugbode (Rtd), it also reflected Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the country’s continued commitment to delivering accurate, modern, and internationally compliant hydrographic services in line with #SOLAS, #IMO, and #IHO standards, strengthening the country’s maritime safety architecture and advancing the blue economy.

Olugbode said the charts provided digital navigational coverage that brought together current information on water depths, seabed conditions, navigational hazards, aids to navigation, and harbour facilities.

He stated, “They are designed to support safe passage into Calabar Port and the planned Bakassi Deep Seaport and were derived from a high-resolution survey of the Calabar–Bakassi axis conducted to international standards comparable to IHO S-44 Order 1 for busy approaches and harbour entrances.”

The NHA chief executive said the expanded chart output was the result of increased deployment of specialised naval survey vessels and the expertise of its trained personnel.
Olugbode stated, “The sea is our largest unexplored resource, and if we don’t map it, we can’t manage it.”

He said beyond improving navigational safety, the charts were essential to unlocking the productive exploitation and development of Nigeria’s blue economy.

Olugbode also stated that the focus on charting strategic maritime corridors, such as Lagos, Calabar and the Bonny axis, reflected their importance within NHA’s phased mapping programme.
He disclosed that the efforts contributed to the more than 85,325 square kilometres of Nigeria’s maritime domain already mapped, describing the Calabar sector as a key component in a wider ENC framework intended to minimise navigational risks for vessels bound for Nigerian ports.
The hydrographic survey that informed the new charts formally began on December 21, 2024, with intensive data acquisition starting on January 6, 2025.

The exercise involved combined hydrographic, geophysical and geotechnical measurements, supported by advanced NHA survey and data-processing systems.
The resulting ENCs replaced older chart products with modern digital versions integrated into global ENC networks, providing current seabed, depth and navigational data for access to Calabar and the future Bakassi Deep Seaport.

He said the charting initiative aligned with Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and strengthened Nigeria’s standing as a hydrographic leader in the region, while offering direct support to Calabar Port operations and the Bakassi Deep Seaport project.

At the twin events marking the 2025 World Hydrography Day and the maiden West African Hydrographic Summit in Abuja, Olugbode identified the Lagos–Calabar corridor and the Bonny axis survey as central elements of Tinubu’s blue economy agenda, which linked hydrography with safe navigation, economic growth, regional leadership and sustainability.

Through the release of the ENCs, Nigeria reinforced its position as West Africa’s hydrographic powerhouse.

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Armed men have attacked the family of Iorwa Tersen Lawrence of Amafu – Katsina Ala Road community, Katsina -Ala Local Government Area of Benue to demand money contributed for the burial of their mother.

The incident occurred five days after laying their mother to rest.

According to the family’s account, three unidentified gunmen stormed the compound, with two of them armed with firearms.

The attackers reportedly beat and tortured members of the household while demanding money contributed during the burial of their late mother, who died in a motor accident along the Amaafu–Katsina Road.

The attack left several family members injured and Lawrence’s father reportedly sustained a badly swollen leg, while Lawrence himself suffered a swollen hand.

An aunt and the wife of Lawrence’s uncle, who were present at the time, were also beaten and robbed.

Despite resistance from the victims, the assailants made away with all available cash and looted valuables from the house.

Items stolen include smartphones, a power bank, a shuttle bag, clothes, and other personal belongings.

The attackers also allegedly took away the late mother’s clothes.

The gunmen further worsened the family’s situation by stealing their motorcycle, their only means of transportation, leaving them stranded.

Speaking after the incident, Lawrence said the family is now grappling with trauma and uncertainty.

He disclosed that he recently reactivated a new Airtel SIM card after losing his phone during the attack.

The family is appealing to the public and relevant authorities for assistance and justice as they struggle to rebuild their lives following the devastating attack.

The Spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, DSP, Udeme Edet could not be reached to confirm the incident at the time of filing this report.

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The Yobe State Police Command has said its operatives successfully repelled a coordinated attack by suspected Boko Haram terrorists on the Gujba Police Division in Gujba Local Government Area of the state.

Sources told security analyst Zagazola Makama that the attack occurred late on Thursday night and was promptly resisted by officers on duty at the division.

According to the source, no police personnel were killed or injured during the incident, while no arms were lost and no patrol vehicles were damaged.

“The hoodlums were repelled promptly. There was no casualty on our personnel, no arm was lost, and no patrol vehicle was damaged,” the source said.

Naija News reports that the source added that the Divisional Police Officer of the Gujba Division was already carrying out a detailed assessment of the incident and would submit a comprehensive report to the state command.

It was further noted that Gujba and the surrounding communities remain among the notorious flashpoints for insurgent activities in Yobe State.

As of the time of filing this report, the Yobe State Police Command had not yet issued an official statement on the incident, although security presence in the area has been reinforced to prevent further attacks.

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