News
JUST IN: El-Rufai resigns from APC, joins SDP
Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna state, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and has joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The development lays to rest months of speculation regarding el-Rufai’s immediate political plans.
The former minister of the federal capital territory (FCT) has paid visits to political party chieftains, including Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday.
In January, el-Rufai met with Hamza Al-Mustapha, ex-aide to late Sani Abacha; Shehu Gabam, national chairman of the SDP; and other politicians in the nation’s capital.
Segun Sowunmi, a former spokesperson of the Atiku Abubakar campaign organisation, said the meeting was to strategise ahead of the 2027 elections.
In February, el-Rufai said the distance between himself and the All Progressives Congress (APC) had “widened”.
He also criticised the party for not holding meetings regularly, adding that the leadership is running the APC like a “one-man show”.
El-Rufai has been critical of President Bola Tinubu’s administration since the senate declined to confirm him as minister.
In February, el-Rufai said Nigerians should not believe the narrative that the national assembly rejected him as a ministerial nominee, noting that Tinubu did not want him in his cabinet.
“The president publicly appealed to me to put my plans on hold, and through two months of negotiation, we finally agreed that he would nominate me as minister,” he said.
“Please don’t believe the story that the national assembly rejected me. The president did not want me in his cabinet. He changed his mind.”
El-Rufai was governor of Kaduna from 2015 to 2023.
More to follow…
Gov. Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom has approved an increment in the monthly state allowance for corps members serving in the state from N5,000 to N20,000.
Mr Eno made the announcement on Friday during the state delivery meeting, held at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Uyo.The increment will take effect from Aug. 1st.
The governor said that the increment was to support the Federal Government’s N77,000 monthly allowance, toward helping corps members meet their basic needs.“
More than 10, 000 corps members are posted to Akwa Ibom annually. We must continue to encourage and support them,” Mr Eno said.
It would be recalled that the governor, last week, approved the reconstruction of the NYSC orientation camp at Ikot Itie Idung, as part of efforts to improve the welfare of corps members in the state.
(NAN)
Troops of the 3 Division of the Nigerian Army in conjunction with the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) under Operation Lafiyan Jama’a have neutralized several bandits during joint operations in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.
A statement issued on Friday by the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) stated that the clearance operation which took place on Thursday, July 3, led to the killing of scores of bandits.
The statement reads: “In continuation of ongoing efforts to rid the Joint Operations Area (JOA) of criminal elements, troops of 3 Division/Operation SAFE HAVEN under Operation LAFIYAN JAMA’A have sustained aggressive kinetic operations in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, yielding commendable outcomes.
“On 3 July, 2025, troops carried out a clearance operation in the rugged terrains of Tulus and Hokk Communities, located along the Plateau–Nasarawa State border.
“During the mission, contact was made with armed militias in Hokk, leading to a brief but decisive firefight. Several bandits were neutralised, while others fled into surrounding forests.
“Troops conducted a thorough exploitation of the area and, though no further contact was established, have maintained control through mobile and static patrols to disrupt any regrouping attempts.
“These successful actions reaffirm the resolve of security forces to dismantle criminal syndicates and prevent the proliferation of illicit weapons threatening peace and security within the Joint Operations Area.”
After 13 days in captivity, Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro, a Bayelsa State High Court Judge, who was kidnapped by gunmen, has been released.
The judge was abducted on June 21, 2025, around 7pm by gunmen dressed in combat fatigue in front of a popular eatery at the Ekeki suburb of Yenagoa.
It was gathered that Justice Omukoro was released on Thursday evening and is still with security operatives.
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