News Rider

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) has unveiled its revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Elections. This is contained in the revised schedule of activities signed by the Party’s National Organising Secretary, His Excellency Sulaiman Muhammad Argungu.  The revision includes changes to timelines, screening, appeals, and primary elections, as well as directives on the sale of forms and the party’s bank accounts approved to receive all payments relating to the purchase of Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms.

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed a supermarket in Guzape area of Abuja, following consumer complaints about irregular pricing practices. While inspecting the supermarket, the enforcement team of FCCPC identified several potential consumer protection violations, including differences between shelf prices and checkout prices, products displayed without price tags, expired products offered for sale, improper storage of perishable items, and suspected counterfeit products, including rice, which were confiscated. Following the findings, the supermarket was sealed pending further regulatory action. The FCCPC reminded businesses that consumers are entitled to transparent pricing, safe products, and fair treatment at all times. News Rider reports that the commission will take appropriate regulatory action after a full review of the findings. However, members of the public were encouraged to continue reporting suspi...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sworn-in Dr Muttaqha Rabe Darma from Katsina State, as the new minister of housing and urban development following clearance by the Senate.  He replaced Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, who recently resigned. During the short ceremony at the State House on Friday, Tinubu congratulated Dr Darma for coming on board at a very challenging time of national development.  "You have a very rich and interesting background. As a leader, we need competent hands like yours.  "There is no doubt that you have rendered valuable services in all the assignments you have embarked upon; You are a fitting peg in the right position," he said. Tinubu informed him to be ready to serve in any capacity in which he is called upon. Briefly Darma is a distinguished Nigerian scholar, administrator, and development expert who holds a Doctor of Business Administration degree from the University of Liverpool and a PhD in Industrial Engineering from A...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja Vice President Kashim Shettima Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima has demanded aggressive expansion of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to drive Nigeria’s economic ambitions. Speaking on Thursday during the first 2026 meeting of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Shettima said that the administration is focused on attracting investment and ensuring that such capital is strategically aligned with national development priorities. "The task before us is not only to ensure that Nigeria emerges as a safe destination for private investment, but to align that investment with the governing purpose of this administration and the larger destiny of our nation," he said. VP Shettima stressed that Nigeria’s long-standing ambition of becoming a trillion-dollar economy would remain out of reach without a deliberate balance between public enterprise and private sector dynamism, noting that economic prosperity ...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja President Bola Tinubu has hailed Nigeria's impressive 91.45 per cent aviation safety rating from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The ICAO is a United Nations agency that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation. It fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. Through the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP), ICAO assesses countries to ensure they manage safety risks effectively, ensuring that no country is left behind and directly influencing international confidence in that nation's airspace. Nigeria, as an ICAO member state, is obligated to comply with applicable international standards and to establish and implement these safety-critical oversight elements. Since the inception of the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme in 1999, Nigeria has undergone four USOAP safety audits conducted by ICAO auditors, with res...

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) has condemned the death of Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil, who died after an Israeli strike hit the house where she was seeking shelter. Khalil, along with her colleague Zeinab Faraj, was trapped and alive for hours under rubble as Red Cross teams came under fire while attempting rescue efforts. IWMF is the only global organisation built to serve the holistic needs of women and nonbinary journalists.  President of IWMF, Elisa Lees Muñoz lamented that the horrific incident occurred during a truce between Israel and Lebanon, when any deliberate attack on civilians, or interference with rescue efforts, would violate the agreement. She said that journalists should never be the object of military operations, yet there is mounting evidence that Israel is targeting reporters.  "We demand clarity into the circumstances around these strikes and accountability for Khalil’s death. "Journalists are our e...