1. Opposition parties have raised concerns over campaign funding ahead of the 2027 general elections, alleging that the ruling All Progressives Congress enjoys a financial advantage while economic hardship and fear of political reprisals are discouraging potential donors from supporting rival parties.
In separate interviews with Sunday PUNCH, officials of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, the Tanimu Turaki-led interim National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, the Peoples Redemption Party, the Young Progressives Party and the Obidient Movement Worldwide said the funding gap could undermine their ability to compete effectively with the ruling party.
2. The release of the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission has sparked mixed reactions following the omission of prominent opposition figures, including a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu; and the Nigeria Democratic Congress governorship candidate in Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo. While the Ogun PDP accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of mounting pressure on INEC to exclude its candidate, Pantami’s camp urged supporters to remain calm. Gwarzo, a former Deputy Governor of Kano, is yet to react.
3. Some United Kingdom universities have withdrawn the admissions of Nigerian students due to an ongoing visa crackdown by the British government impacting international applicants. The universities revoked admissions given mostly to Nigerian and Pakistani applicants in the first half of 2026, driven by tightening rules from the Home Office regarding visas for international students. According to a Financial Times report on Saturday, a study showed that 10.5 per cent of study visa applications to the UK ended up being withdrawn, up from 2.3 per cent in the same period last year and 0.4 per cent in 2023
4. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume yesterday went down the memory lane on the evolution of the rotation of the presidency between the North and the South at the return of democracy in 1999. Akume, governor of Benue State between 1999 and 2007, said the two sides reached an agreement back then in Kaduna to share power at an interval of eight years. The SGF spoke in Lafia,the Nasarawa State capital during the North Central All Progressives Congress (APC) grand rally for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu next year.
5. The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested 23 suspected cultists in connection with cult-related violence, attempted murder and breaches of public peace in Yenagoa and its environs. The Commissioner of Police, Ajao Saka Adewale, disclosed this during a press briefing in Yenagoa on Saturday, saying four people had been killed in recent cult-related attacks and reprisals involving rival groups.
6. The National Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, has dismissed claims that the party is unprepared for the 2027 general elections. He declared that it has begun mobilising structures and recruiting agents to protect its votes.
Zuwoghe said the party would take all lawful measures to ensure that votes cast for its candidates were accurately counted and reflected in the final results.
7. First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has assured Nigerians that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will consolidate his administration’s economic reforms and deliver greater prosperity, stronger economic growth and improved security if re-elected for a second term in the 2027 general elections. The First Lady, who gave the assurance on Saturday at the North-Central Grassroots Mobilisation Network Grand Rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State, declared that the country was already witnessing the positive effects of the President’s difficult economic decisions, particularly in exchange rate stability, renewed investor confidence and infrastructure development.
8. Dangote Refinery has increased the price of its gantry Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), also known as diesel, a few days after reducing the cost of the commodity. A market survey on Saturday showed that the refinery had increased its diesel price to N1,800 per litre from N1,700. This represents an increase of N100 per litre.
9. The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has pledged to establish an all-inclusive transitional government of national unity that will not last beyond four years if elected president in 2027.
Makinde made the pledge on Saturday while addressing the party’s North-East Zonal Town Hall Meeting in Yola, Adamawa State, as part of his consultations with Nigerians ahead of the general elections. He said his proposed administration, which would begin on May 29, 2027, would prioritise national unity, inclusiveness, honesty and practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges, rather than concentrating political power in one part of the country
10. Nollywood actress, Regina Daniels has revealed that she has been battling severe pain and mobility challenges for months, disclosing that her condition forced her to rely on a wheelchair. Daniels shared the development in a video posted on her Instagram page on Saturday to mark her 25th birthday, while explaining her prolonged absence from social media.
