1. The Defence Headquarters has said the recent kidnap incident in Oyo State was carried out by terrorists displaced from other parts of the country following intensified military operations.
The military high command stated this on Thursday while reacting to what it described as “mischievous and misleading publications” surrounding comments credited to the Defence Headquarters on the classification of terrorists and criminal elements operating in the South-West.
2. Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, an ally of Nyesom Wike, Federal Capital Territory, FCT Minister, has been declared governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Rivers State. Bitrus Kwamoti, Chairman of the APC governorship primary election committee, declared Chinda the party flagbearer, on Thursday in Port Harcourt.
3. The Kwara State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Olusegun Olushola Adewara, was on Thursday remanded at the Oke-Kura Correctional Centre after a State High Court in Ilorin declined to grant him bail in a case involving alleged defamation of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
4. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Nigerians to actively support the fight against illicit drugs by remaining vigilant and reporting suspicious activities in their communities to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Tinubu, who described the recent dismantling by NDLEA of a Nigerian-Mexican drug network in Ogun State as a landmark, said combating drug trafficking should not be viewed as the responsibility of the agency alone.
5. Dr. Obafemi Hamzat has emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State ahead of the 2027 election, following the party’s direct primary held across the state on Thursday. Hamzat, who currently serves as deputy governor under Babajide Sanwo-Olu, praised the conduct of the exercise, describing the process as peaceful, transparent and reflective of internal democracy within the APC.
6. The Presidency has dismissed as false and misleading claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu plans to initiate constitutional amendments for the renaming of Nigeria to “United States of Nigeria.” It also dismissed viral reports of a plan by the President to abolish Sharia law in the North.
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7. The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency has raised an alarm over the circulation of adulterated palm oil in some markets across the state, warning consumers to be cautious and ensure they purchase from verified sources. The agency also sealed a shop on Lagos Island as part of enforcement actions aimed at protecting consumers from unsafe and substandard products.
8. The All Progressives Congress has rescheduled its governorship and State House of Assembly primary elections in Bauchi, Kwara and Zamfara states. The APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, announced in a statement on Thursday that the governorship primary elections in Bauchi and Kwara states had been rescheduled to Friday, May 22, 2026.
9. The Federal High Court in Abuja has voided the 2027 election timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Justice Mohammed Umar, in a judgment delivered on a suit brought by Youth Party, held that INEC’s action imposed restrictive timeframes on political parties for the conduct of primaries and other pre-election activities contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
10. First Lady Oluremi Tinubu yesterday launched the Inclusive Network for Supporting Progressive Leadership, Innovation, Reform and Equity for Women (INSPIRE Nigeria), urging deliberate mentorship, institutional reforms and inclusive policies to strengthen women’s leadership in the civil service. The First Lady said the initiative was designed to transform workplaces and create opportunities for women to rise from entry-level positions to the highest levels of public service.
