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JUST IN: Arewa Consultative Forum Distances self from Endorsing Kalu for Senate Presidency
The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has distanced itself from claims that it endorsed former Abia State Governor, Sen.Orji Uzor Kalu for the Senate Presidency of the 10th National Assembly, following a statement credited to the leader of the Arewa Youth Conservative Forum, AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima, claiming that Kalu was the preferred candidate of ACF.
In a statement on Monday, one of its members, Alhaji Musa Saidu, said the claim was false, adding that the Forum had no youth wing.
The full statement reads:
“I want to say without fear of contradiction, that the ACF has no youth wing and there was no time that we sat to make Shettima the AYCF leader. The whole thing is false.
“The ACF has not endorsed Kalu as the next Senate President, because we have our own ways of doing things.
“It is shocking to hear Shettima asking Sen. Abdulaziz Yari to step down for Kalu in the race for Senate Presidency,” he said.
Saidu further said rather than support Kalu, ACF would prefer a candidate from the North because of its contribution to the victory of President Bola Tinubu at the presidential polls.
“The North contributed the highest votes for Tinubu in the presidential election, so we can’t just endorse candidates from other zones for the Senate Presidency.
“How can we work for Tinubu to become president and then turn around to start campaigning for other zones to become Senate President?
“In fact the Vice-President slot given to the North is just like a spare tyre, everybody in Nigeria knows that the position has not much value.
“Since the North West gave Tinubu the highest votes, then it should be given the Senate Presidency, the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives is too small for the zone,” he said.
According to Saidu, ”It is a payback time for the North, so it should be given the
Senate Presidency of the 10th National Assembly.
“For fairness and justice, the North should be considered for the Senate Presidency and Sen. Abdulaziz Yari should be endorsed for the position.”
News
US Declares 23 Nigerian States High-Risk for Citizens
Southern and Southeastern states were not spared. The Department urged caution in Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers (excluding Port Harcourt), citing crime, kidnapping, and violent protests.
Photo: President Donald Trump; President Bola Tinubu
The United States Department of State has classified 23 Nigerian states “High Insecurity Risks” for its citizens to go , work and live.
In an updated travel advisory issued on Wednesday, the Embassy in Nigeria urged Americans to reconsider travel to Nigeria, with certain states classified under “Level 4: Do Not Travel” due to heightened security risks.
Plateau, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger, and Taraba were added to the list, bringing the total to 23 states where travel is strongly discouraged.
In Northern Nigeria, the advisory highlighted Borno, Jigawa, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe, and northern Adamawa as particularly high-risk, citing terrorism, kidnapping, and violent crime.Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara were also flagged due to civil unrest, widespread crime, and kidnappings.
“The security situation in these states is unstable and uncertain due to civil unrest. Widespread violence between communities and armed crime, including kidnapping and roadside banditry.
“Security operations to counter these threats may occur without warning,” the advisory warned.
Southern and Southeastern states were not spared. The Department urged caution in Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo, and Rivers (excluding Port Harcourt), citing crime, kidnapping, and violent protests.
“Crime is widespread in Southern Nigeria. There is a high risk of kidnapping, violent protests, and armed gangs,” the advisory stated.
News
INEC releases updated voters registration figure nationwide
Youth participation remained dominant, with citizens aged between 18 and 34 accounting for 2,354,768 registrants, representing 68.43 per cent of the total figure.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has recorded over 3.4 million new voters in the ongoing second phase of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise nationwide.
The figure is disclosed by the Commission in its week 13 update released on Wednesday in Abuja.
” A total of 3,441,121 registrations have been completed as of April 3, covering both online pre-registrations and physical walk-ins,” said INEC .
Given the breakdown, INEC explained that 2,068,384 citizens completed their registration online, while 1,372,737 others registered physically at designated centres across the country.
State-by-state data showed that Jigawa recorded the highest number of registrants with 201,047, representing 5.84 percent of the total.
Lagos followed with 181,095, while Kano ranked third with 177,681 registrations.Youth participation remained dominant, with citizens aged between 18 and 34 accounting for 2,354,768 registrants, representing 68.43 per cent of the total figure.
Gender distribution indicated a higher turnout among women, with females accounting for 1,922,143 registrations (55.86 percent), compared to 1,518,978 males (44.14 percent).
The Lagos State Government has unveiled a comprehensive traffic diversion plan for Wednesday, April 8, and Thursday, April 9, 2026, in preparation for the commissioning of several key infrastructure projects by President Bola Tinubu.
According to the state Ministry of Transportation, partial road closures and diversions will be implemented in affected areas to ensure smooth movement during the events, which include the inauguration of the Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge and other major projects such as the Lagos State Geographic Information Service building in Alausa and the Tolu Schools Complex.
On Wednesday, April 8, diversions will be enforced around venues for the commissioning ceremonies, while on Thursday, April 9, restrictions will apply between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. during the Tolu Schools Complex event and additional project unveilings.
Motorists have been advised to use alternative routes and plan their journeys accordingly to avoid delays. The government urged residents and commuters to cooperate with traffic management officials and security personnel deployed to the areas.
The projects form part of ongoing efforts to improve infrastructure and education facilities across the state. Further details on specific diversion routes are expected to be released by the Ministry of Transportation in the coming hours.
Commuters are encouraged to monitor official announcements via Lagos State traffic radio and social media handles for real-time updates.
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