Day: May 3, 2026

Osun 2026: Hard Logic, Not Loudspeakers By Afees Adelabu

Emporium Reporters

The August 15, 2026, race for Osun’s Government House has officially moved past the era of colorful posters and noisy rallies. It has gone beyond the celebration of campaign caps and billboards. We are now in a fundamental battle for the very soul of our state. On one side stands Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, aka AMBO. This is a man who cut his teeth in the high-pressure environments of boardrooms and the finance ministry, bringing a ‘get-it-done’ corporate discipline to public service. His manifesto, ‘My Pact With Osun People’, isn’t…

PDP BoT Takes Charge After Supreme Court Ruling, Convenes Crucial NEC Meeting

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has announced that the party’s BoT has assumed administrative leadership following a Supreme Court judgment that nullified the National Working Committee (NWC). Addressing members at the opening of the 84th BoT meeting on Sunday in Abuja, Wabara said the decision was in line with the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), and was necessary to avert a leadership vacuum after the court ruling delivered on April 30, 2026. The Supreme…

Consensus Fraud: When Governors Usurp the Voter’s Mandate By Yushau A. Shuaib

Emporium Reporters

A single word has quietly colonised Nigeria’s pre-election vocabulary — consensus. It is deployed with confidence, knowing they will not be challenged. Yet what is being paraded as consensus in many states today is nothing of the sort. It is imposition — laundered, repackaged, and dressed in democratic clothing.   With the 2027 elections only months away, at least 22 governors have already endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as their “consensus” presidential candidate. At the state level, these same governors are replicating the model downward — anointing successors, selecting senators,…

To Wike: It Is Wickedly Wicked to Convert Wuye’s Public Hospital into a Private Estate By Yushau A. Shuaib

Emporium Reporters

After watching a viral video by activist lawyer, Barrister A. A. Askira, on the alleged conversion of a public health facility into a private estate in Wuye District, Abuja, I felt compelled to write this open memo to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike arguably one of the most powerful figures in the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.   Plot 546 in Cadastral Zone B03, Wuye District—3.171 hectares directly opposite the Wuye Ultra‑Modern Market, behind a public secondary school and beside the Wuye Police Station—has now been…

Troops Foil Terror Plot in Zamfara, Katsina, Neutralise 9 Including Two Kingpins

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Troops of Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA have thwarted a planned terrorist attack across parts of Zamfara and Katsina states, neutralised nine insurgents including two key kingpins in coordinated operations conducted between May 1 and 3, 2026. The disclosure was made by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, who said troops also recovered four AK-47 rifles, several magazines, ammunition, nine motorcycles, mobile phones, and cash during the operations. According to Osoba, in Katsina State, troops from the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Fudma, while…

Igbo Professor Blasts Orji Kalu Over Alleged Smear Campaign Against Deputy Speaker

Lukman Laleye Babalola

A Professor of Political Science, Onyekachi Osuagwu, has launched a scathing criticism of former Abia State Governor and serving senator, Orji Uzor Kalu, accused him of orchestrating a sustained media smear campaign against the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu. In a strongly worded statement during an engagement with journalists, Prof. Osuagwu described Senator Kalu’s alleged actions as “deceitful, envious, boastful and greedy,” warned that such conduct fell short of expected statesmanship. The professor alleged that Senator Kalu has, over the years, deployed media platforms and…

NUJ, NAWOJ Inaugurate Planning Committee for Maiden Women in Security Summit 2026, Promise Bold Shift in Security Discourse

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) have jointly inaugurated a planning committee for the maiden Women in Security Summit 2026 (WINSEC) and Women in Security Awards, describing the initiative as a strategic intervention to reposition women at the center of Nigeria’s security architecture. The virtual inauguration meeting, held on Friday, brought together key stakeholders from the media and security sectors and formally signaled the commencement of preparations for the landmark summit scheduled for June 2026. Speaking at the session, NAWOJ National Chairperson,…

Police Confirm Dismissal of ASP Nuhu Usman, 3 Others Over Fatal Delta Shooting

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the dismissal of ASP Nuhu Usman and three other officers over the fatal shooting of a 28-year-old man, Mene Ogidi, in Effurun, Delta State. Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Okon Placid, disclosed this while addressing journalists on the outcome of investigations into the April 26, 2026 incident. According to him, the deceased had received a parcel from a friend in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, which he later attempted to waybill to Sapele. The parcel was reportedly searched by bystanders and found to contain a fabricated…

Stronger Homes, Stronger Nation: Foursquare Gospel Church Launches ‘Family Month’ to Restore the Godly Home

Emporium Reporters

By Afolabi Olajuwon At a time when nations grapple with social fragmentation and moral uncertainty, a prominent congregation in Nigeria’s capital has turned attention to what it describes as the most enduring institution of reform, the home. The first Sunday of May, 2026 at the Wuse District Headquarters, Abuja, unfolded as both a spiritual convocation and a civic reflection, anchored on the theme: “Godly Homes, Godly Nation.” The service began with a vibrant and soul-stirring worship session led by the Adison Family, followed by a rich choral ministration from the…

WPFD 2026: NUJ Hails Improved DSS–Media Relations, Urges Sustained Press Freedom

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has reaffirmed the critical role of a free, independent, and responsible press in promoting democracy, human rights, and national development, as the world marks World Press Freedom Day 2026. In a statement issued on Sunday, May 3, and signed by its National President, Comrade Alhassan Yahya Abdullahi, the union said this year’s theme, “Shaping a Future at Peace: Promoting Press Freedom for Human Rights, Development, and Security,” resonates strongly with Nigeria’s current realities. The NUJ expressed cautious optimism over what it described as a…