Category: Featured

Thousands of culture enthusiasts, scholars, and traditionalists stormed the ancient city of Ile-Ife on Thursday for the 2025 edition of the Ayangalu Drum Festival, as the Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, led the celebration with powerful drumming to promote peace, unity, and cultural continuity.

The colourful festival, held at the courtyard of the Palace of Ile Oodua, drew an impressive gathering, including professors from the Departments of Linguistics and Music at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), 250 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), students from OAU, and contingents from other institutions across the South-West region.

In a show of support for indigenous creativity, the Ooni gifted a total sum of N4.95 million to winners of the drumming competition and cultural performers. The first-place winner walked away with N1 million, second place received N750,000, and third position got N500,000.

The revered monarch also presented N2 million to performers from the Moremi Ensemble, N500,000 to ace drummer Akande Onilu, while two other drummers received N100,000 each.

Addressing journalists at the event, the Ooni emphasised the sacredness of the drum in Yoruba cosmology.

He said, “We believe the drum holds great significance in our daily lives. In the olden days, drums were used for virtually everything be it good news or times of war, the drum was the medium of communication.

“The drum is deeply symbolic to us, the Yoruba people. Ayangalu, the originator of the drum, is venerated among the 201 deities of Ile-Ife and shares a spiritual link with Orunmila. He began his journey in Atiba here in Ile-Ife, and although some of his descendants later migrated to Oyo and Nupe lands, many still reside in Ife. Every year, we honour his legacy through this festival.

“To us, Ayangalu is synonymous with the drum. I drum today for peace, for joy, and for abundant blessings. Since childhood, I have found fulfilment in promoting and preserving this sacred tradition.”

Also speaking at the event, Olori Ronke Ogunwusi lauded the Ooni for his consistent moral and financial support, not only for the festival but also for cultural renaissance efforts in Ile-Ife and beyond. She praised key stakeholders such as Seamans, university professors, NYSC members, OAU students, traditional chiefs, and guests for gracing the occasion.

“We have gathered here to celebrate our rich cultural heritage. Ayangalu represents excellence in creativity, and I urge every Yoruba person to value their roots and continue learning from one another. As the competition captivates us, let it also remind us to uphold unity and the enduring power of our tradition,” she noted

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the former Governor of Kano State and a presidential hopeful in 2023, has called out President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for showing favoritism in his administration.

He argues that while the South is seeing significant development, the North is being left behind.

Kwankwaso insists that this growing disparity is becoming more evident every day, and the people of northern Nigeria are fed up with being overlooked.

“This isn’t the kind of unity we voted for,” he expressed.

This recent backlash is coming few days after the duo of Kwankwaso and Tinubu reportedly met behind closed door in Aso Villa, Abuja.

The chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Tony Elumelu has donated ₦25bn to a Lagos State food security initiative.

Elumelu made this public on Wednesday during the launch of the Produce for Lagos Programme, an initiative of the Lagos Food Systems Infrastructure Company.

“We support this initiative with ₦25 billion,” Elumelu said.

“In a few years time, it will help us face the challenge of joblessness of our young ones.

“We believe that joblessness is a great problem of our young people. They shouldn’t be jobless, we have arable lands,” the chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA) said in Lagos.

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to pay ₦10 million in damages for violating the fundamental rights of peaceful protesters during the 2024 #EndSARS memorial.

Delivering the landmark judgment on Thursday, Justice M. Kakaki ruled that the actions of the police against the applicants during the October 20, 2024 protest were unlawful and a clear breach of constitutional rights.

“The applicants were unjustly harassed and their rights infringed upon,” the judge stated. He emphasized that while security agencies are empowered to enforce the law, such powers must be exercised within the bounds of democratic principles and the rule of law.

Citing Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Justice Kakaki reaffirmed the right of citizens to freely assemble and associate, particularly for peaceful protests.

The applicants in the suit include 22 individuals such as Hassan Taiwo Soweto, Uadiale Kingsley, Ilesanmi Kehinde, Osopale Adeseye, and Aisha Omolara, among others. The court also recognised the roles of three civic organisations: the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), the Take It Back Movement (TIB), and the Campaign for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR).

The ruling has been widely hailed by human rights groups and activists as a major legal victory for civic freedom and accountability. Many see it as a strong message against police impunity and a step forward in protecting democratic rights in Nigeria.

Renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has lashed out at British Conservative politician Kemi Badenoch over her claim that she cannot pass Nigerian citizenship to her children because she is a woman.

Badenoch, the former UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade and a leading figure in the Conservative Party, made the controversial remark during an interview with Fareed Zakaria on CNN on Sunday. Speaking about immigration and citizenship laws, she claimed Nigerian legislation does not allow women to confer nationality on their children.

“It’s virtually impossible, for example, to get Nigerian citizenship. I have that citizenship by virtue of my parents. I can’t give it to my children because I’m a woman,” Badenoch said. “Yet loads of Nigerians come to the UK and stay for a relatively free period of time, acquire British citizenship. We need to stop being naive.”

In a strongly worded response on Monday, Falana described Badenoch’s statement as “a display of utter ignorance” and accused her of misinforming the British public to score political points.

“In her desperate attempt to impress the British electorate, Kemi Badenoch keeps running down Nigeria,” Falana said in a statement issued in Lagos.

He cited Section 25(b) and (c) of the Nigerian Constitution to debunk her claims, stating clearly that a child born outside Nigeria to a Nigerian parent regardless of gender is entitled to citizenship.

“Contrary to her misleading claim, your children are Nigerians because you are a Nigerian,” Falana stated. “Her assertion that she cannot give Nigerian citizenship to her children because she is a woman is not in consonance with Nigerian law.”

He further referenced Section 42(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which prohibits discrimination based on gender, birth, or class, saying, “Therefore, her two children are Nigerian citizens. The fact that she may not want them to claim it is irrelevant. For now, they are dual citizens of Britain and Nigeria.”

Falana also challenged Badenoch’s statement that Nigerian citizenship is “virtually impossible” for foreigners to obtain. He pointed out that Sections 26 and 27 of the Constitution allow foreigners to acquire Nigerian nationality through registration or naturalisation, once the legal requirements are met.

However, the senior advocate did acknowledge an area of concern in the law where gender inequality still exists.

“A woman married to a Nigerian man can be registered as a citizen, but the same privilege is not extended to a man married to a Nigerian woman. This reflects the patriarchal nature of the law. It should be urgently amended,” Falana said.

The debate has triggered reactions on both sides of the Atlantic, as Nigerians at home and abroad continue to challenge outdated gender provisions in legal frameworks.

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has issued a fresh flood alert, warning that 28 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) face a high risk of flooding between Tuesday and August 5.

In a statement on Monday, NIHSA’s Director General, Mr. Umar Mohammad, said over 739 communities and 162 Local Government Areas are expected to be affected during this period.

The warning, he explained, is consistent with the agency’s 2025 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) released on April 10.

States on the red alert list include Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, FCT, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, and Yobe.

NIHSA also warned that flooding could disrupt more than 100 major transportation routes, including critical economic corridors such as the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja Road, Birnin Kebbi-Bunza Road, Ibi-Wukari Road, and several key routes in Lagos, FCT, and the Niger Delta.

“There is an increased risk of property damage to homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone areas,” the statement read. “In addition, agricultural lands are under serious threat, which could impact food security in several regions.”

The agency urged emergency management stakeholders to activate their preparedness and response mechanisms, adding that at-risk communities should not delay in implementing evacuation plans.

NIHSA further advised Nigerians to monitor its weekly updates and forecasts through its Flood Dashboard at www.nihsa.gov.ng and other official social media platforms.

Tension has gripped the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Aro, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, following an incident involving a post-basic nursing student who allegedly attempted suicide after being suspended by the institution’s medical director and provost, Dr. Paul Agboola, amid claims of verbal threats and institutional intimidation.

The student, identified as Seyi Ogunjobi, was said to be preparing for his final hospital examinations at the School of Mental Health Nursing/Post-Basic Psychiatry when he was suddenly suspended under controversial circumstances.

Seyi was on the verge of becoming a certified psychiatric nurse — until this heartbreaking twist.

The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state have officially endorsed President Bola Tinubu for re-election in the 2027 presidential election.

This decision comes despite recent speculation that Governor Adeleke was considering defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that was reportedly met with strong opposition from within the Osun State APC.

The Adeleke and PDP’s decision to endorse Tinubu was formalised at a stakeholders’ meeting held on Monday at the Government House in Oke-Fia, Osogbo.

A communiqué issued after the meeting was signed by Governor Adeleke, his deputy Kola Adewusi, Speaker of the House of Assembly Adewale Egbedun, former governor Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and 24 other prominent party leaders.

The communiqué emphasised the importance of local politics and the sentiments of grassroots supporters in shaping their political decisions.

It noted that the rumored defection plan did not originate from Governor Adeleke himself and had faced “stiff opposition” from APC members in Osun, who had openly criticized him on social media and national platforms.

The communiqué also stated that while PDP members were initially uncomfortable with the defection idea, they had agreed to stand by the governor out of loyalty.

The party leaders reaffirmed that Governor Adeleke, his administration, and the PDP remain the most popular political force in the state.

The party leaders stressed that Adeleke, his administration, and the PDP remain the most popular and widely accepted political force in the state.

“That the majority of the members of the APC in Osun State are opposed to the idea of the defection of Governor Adeleke to the APC, which did not originate from the governor in the first instance. Some APC leaders based on entrenched interests, have demonstrated hostility and resentment towards Governor Ademola Adeleke. Some went on social media and national television to call Governor Adeleke all kinds of unprintable names.

“That the majority of PDP members in Osun State are not happy about the idea of the defection of Governor Adeleke to APC, but only reluctantly agreed to follow Governor Adeleke to wherever he goes to show their love, support and loyalty to his leadership.

“That the state governor, the state government, and the PDP as a political party remain very popular and acceptable above all other political parties in Osun State.

“Consequently, the leaders hereby resolve that the PDP in Osun State recognises the fact that Osun State is the ancestral home of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which makes the President the son of Osun State. Therefore, the PDP in Osun State hereby adopts and endorses President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for re-election in the 2027 presidential election.

“That PDP in Osun State reaffirms its adoption and endorsement of Governor Ademola Adeleke for re-election in the 2026 governorship election on the platform of the PDP.

“That Governor Ademola Adeleke and all members of the PDP in Osun State should remain in the PDP. That the leadership of the PDP in Osun State is directed to disseminate the resolution to all structures of the party in the state.

Former Kano State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, on Monday made a surprise appearance at the Presidential Villa in Abuja reigniting speculation about his possible defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Kwankwaso was sighted at the Banquet Hall of the State House during the Nigeria Forest Economy Summit 2025, an event organised by the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI).

While the opposition leader kept a low profile at the summit and declined media interviews, his presence in such a high-level government gathering has added fuel to ongoing rumours of political realignment.

In recent months, political insiders have suggested that Kwankwaso has held closed-door meetings with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other APC stalwarts. Speculations point toward ongoing negotiations for his defection, with talks of political compensation reportedly on the table.

Though no official statement has been made by either side, the former NNPP presidential flagbearer’s visit to Aso Rock comes at a time when Tinubu’s administration is consolidating support across party lines ahead of the 2027 general elections.