Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has appointed Mr. Li Zhensheng, a Chinese national, as the state’s new Economic Adviser.

The announcement came during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the China Global Promotion Cooperation Research Centre in Bauchi on Thursday.

Governor Mohammed explained that the appointment and partnership aim to position Bauchi as a growing centre for international collaboration.

The long-term alliance is expected to accelerate investments and development across sectors such as agriculture, education, healthcare, manufacturing, mining, oil and gas, and trade facilitation.

The MoU sets the stage for cooperative projects to be negotiated individually, with the establishment of a Bauchi State Representative Office in China to supervise project execution and ensure timely delivery, the governor added.

“This agreement is not just about infrastructure—it’s about transforming lives. We are opening Bauchi to the world,” Mohammed said, noting that the collaboration aligns with the diplomatic ties between President Xi Jinping of China and President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria.

He emphasised that the partnership will attract foreign direct investment, create jobs, enhance skills, modernise vital sectors and boost Bauchi’s profile on the global stage.

Mr. Li Zhensheng, Chairman of the China Global Promotion Cooperation Research Centre, expressed the Centre’s dedication to supporting Bauchi’s economic growth.

“We are committed to helping Bauchi achieve sustainable growth, modern infrastructure, and improved livelihoods,” he said.

Lawmakers from the Labour Party (LP) representing Anambra State in the National Assembly have raised alarm over an alleged plot by Governor Chukwuma Soludo to influence Saturday’s bye-elections through the deployment of thugs and non-state security operatives.

The lawmakers claimed that the governor, alongside the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), is planning to use state-backed security groups and enforcers to intimidate voters and skew the electoral process in favour of APGA candidates.

The bye-elections for the Onitsha North 1 State Constituency and the Anambra South Senatorial District are expected to be tightly contested.

In a joint statement signed by Senators Victor Umeh and Tony Nwoye, along with six House of Representatives members; George Ozodinobi, Afam Ogene, Emeka Idu, Prof. Lilian Orogbu, Peter Anekwe, and Uchenna Okonkwo, the LP lawmakers accused Soludo of coordinating efforts to undermine the integrity of the elections.

“Information at our disposal indicates that Governor Chukwuma Soludo and his All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have concluded plans to deploy men of the state’s security outfit, Udogachi, crude revenue enforcers, popularly known as Ndi Aka Odo, and other non-state actors to take over various voting points for the bye-elections,” the lawmakers alleged.

They warned that allowing the governor to control security operations during the elections would hand his party an unfair advantage.

“In an election where APGA candidates are major contenders, it would be foolhardy to allow the governor to take charge of security arrangements,” the lawmakers argued.

They called on top national security agencies to intervene and take over security responsibilities to ensure a free, fair, and peaceful electoral process. Their appeal was directed to the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Chief of Army Staff, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division in Enugu, the Commanding Officer of the Field Artillery in Onitsha, the Directors of the Department of State Services (DSS) at both national and state levels, and the Corps Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

“The whole essence of democratic governance revolves around freedom of choice, made possible by free and fair elections,” the LP legislators said, describing the Anambra bye-elections as a “litmus test” for Nigeria’s commitment to credible electoral outcomes.

Referring specifically to the Onitsha North Constituency 1 race, the lawmakers condemned what they described as excessive desperation by Governor Soludo’s administration to defeat the ADC candidate, who is the widow of the late former representative, allegedly kidnapped and killed during his tenure.

“We are shocked to the bone marrow by the level of desperation of Governor Soludo and the APGA-led state government against a widow whose husband was kidnapped and killed while representing the constituency,” they stated.

They stressed that as an off-cycle election, the Anambra polls would attract close attention from both domestic and international observers, political stakeholders, and the media.

“As a people, we must therefore strive to ensure that everyone plays by the rules,” the statement concluded.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, has credited President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda with making cancer treatment accessible within Nigeria.

According to the minister, the administration’s health sector reforms have led to the establishment of world-class treatment facilities across the country.

Idris made this known during a courtesy visit to the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, on Thursday as part of a federal government delegation touring projects and initiatives across the South-East region.

“Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, in policies and programmes, has revolutionised the health sector that treatment of cancer can now be done here in Nigeria,” Idris stated.

He revealed that six cancer treatment centres, one in each geopolitical zone, are now operational, equipped with modern machines comparable to those abroad and staffed with trained experts.

“There are six treatment facilities in the six zones of the country, including Enugu, with similar machines found in other parts of the world, and experts have been trained to handle them,” he explained.

Idris noted that any Nigerian still seeking cancer treatment abroad is doing so by personal choice, not out of necessity.

“So, anyone who wants to go out of the country to treat cancer is doing so based on choice, and not that we don’t have facilities and experts to treat the person”

“We must give credit to President Tinubu for the people he put in place to revamp the health sector.” he added.

The minister also commended the synergy among Nigeria’s security agencies under the current administration, which he said has resulted in noticeable improvements in national security.

While acknowledging that more work still lies ahead, Idris praised Tinubu’s performance in office so far.

“Tinubu has done so well that one will wonder if he is in his second term,” the minister said.

He further lauded Governor Mbah’s achievements in Enugu State, describing the state as “the heart of the South-East” and highlighting the continuation and expansion of impactful policies.

“We have seen what the governor has done, from the policies and programmes of his predecessor. Also, we are here to show that President Tinubu is working and to see what his policies and programmes are achieving positively across the region,” Idris added.

Julius Abure, the National Chairman of a faction of the Labour Party (LP), has taken a swipe at the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, labelling him an “Uber politician” who lacks firm political direction.

In a strongly worded statement he personally signed on Friday, Abure accused Obi of political inconsistency and accused him of undermining the party. He criticized the former Anambra State governor for allegedly shifting political loyalties to suit personal ambitions.

“It is unfortunate that Obi has turned himself to an irony and a paradox in the Nigerian political space. He has turned himself into an ‘Uber’ politician, not willing to take a position and stand by his decision,” Abure said.

The statement comes in the wake of Obi’s recent call for his supporters to vote for African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidates in the upcoming August 16 by-elections in some states.

This move, Abure said, reflects Obi’s lack of loyalty to the Labour Party.

According to Abure, the former presidential candidate now appears to be playing politics by convenience and has earned a place “in the Guinness book of records” for his affiliations with multiple political platforms.

“Obi has booked a place for himself in the Guinness book of records as a person affiliated to many political parties pari passu, all in his desperation to preside over Nigeria,” he stated.

He also accused Obi of political theatrics, saying the LP flagbearer has lately been “crying wolf where there is none” and employing subterfuge to mask his true intentions.

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has extended his congratulations to Hon. Obinna Oriaku, recently appointed as the Abia State representative on the Federal Character Commission (FCC), along with other commissioners from the Southeast region.

Oriaku, a former Commissioner for Finance during the administration of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, was among the newly appointed chairman, secretary, and 36 state representatives announced by President Bola Tinubu earlier in the week.

In a statement released on Wednesday by Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Governor Otti described the appointment as a call to selfless and impactful public service.

“The Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has felicitated with the newly appointed Commissioner representing Abia State in the Federal Character Commission, Hon. Obinna Oriaku,” the statement read.

Otti expressed gratitude to the President for the appointment and urged Oriaku to uphold the values of equity and fairness in line with the FCC’s mandate.

“The governor thanked the President for the appointment and tasked Hon. Oriaku to use the opportunity to serve selflessly.”

He reiterated the importance of the FCC in maintaining balance and inclusivity in public sector appointments and distribution of resources, urging Oriaku to approach the role with integrity and commitment.

Governor Otti also pledged the full support of his administration to help Oriaku and other appointees from the region succeed in their duties.

In addition to Oriaku, Otti extended congratulations to other newly appointed FCC commissioners from the Southeast, including:

Peter Eze (Enugu State)

Jerry Alagbaoso (Imo State)

Nnoli Nkechi Gloria (Anambra State)

Barr. Nwokpor Vincent Nduka (Ebonyi State)

He noted that the appointments offer a unique opportunity to advance the collective interests of the Southeast and foster national unity.

“He urged them to justify the confidence reposed in them by their appointment,” the statement added.

Governor Otti called for collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure the appointees contribute meaningfully to national development and uphold the principles of equity in governance.

Former Sokoto State Governor and current Senator, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has publicly addressed his recent questioning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), insisting that neither the agency nor any political force can intimidate him.

Speaking in Sokoto after his release, Tambuwal described his interaction with the anti-graft agency as a “brief visit,” saying he voluntarily appeared before the EFCC on August 6 for questioning.

Following the initial interrogation, he was allowed to leave but was required to return on August 10 and 11 for further questioning.

After several hours of interrogation during his second visit, Tambuwal requested to go home.

However, EFCC officials demanded that he produce two sureties specifically directors in the Federal Civil Service with letters of introduction from their employers before his release could be granted.

Tambuwal stood firm, telling the officials,

“Tell the EFCC chairman that I am a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, a two-term Governor of Sokoto State, a serving Senator and a Commander of the Order of the Niger. I should be released on self-recognition.”

Despite appeals from his legal team, which included three Senior Advocates of Nigeria, the EFCC refused to alter the bail conditions, leading to Tambuwal’s overnight detention.

He was finally released the following morning after fulfilling the bail requirements.

The Senator questioned the timing of the EFCC’s actions, suggesting a political motive behind the probe.

He referred to a “kangaroo commission of inquiry” set up by the current Sokoto State administration to investigate his tenure, which he believes was politically driven.

“Why now?” Tambuwal asked, hinting at efforts to discredit him and silence critics of President Bola Tinubu’s government.

He contrasted two political sides in Nigeria today:

“There are those with Bola Tinubu and his government and those who stand with the people of Nigeria. We have chosen to stand with the people.”

Tambuwal also criticized the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), referencing the popular saying: “Once you join the APC, whatever your sins, they are forgiven.”

He rejected any notion of switching political allegiance and reaffirmed his commitment to the coalition for national rescue.

“I cannot be intimidated. I cannot be blackmailed. No one can tarnish my record,” Tambuwal declared.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that all preparations for the bye-elections scheduled for Saturday, August 16, 2025, have been finalized.

This update came via a statement issued on Thursday by Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, following the commission’s weekly meeting in Abuja.

Elections will be held across 16 constituencies in 12 states, comprising:

Ssenatorial seats in Anambra and Edo

Federal constituencies in Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Ogun, and Oyo

State assembly seats in Adamawa, Anambra, Kaduna (2), Kano, Kogi, Niger, Taraba, and Zamfara

Additionally, court-directed re-runs are scheduled to take place simultaneously in Enugu South I (Enugu State) and Ghari/Tsanyawa (Kano State).

Olumekun assured that all non-sensitive election materials have been dispatched to respective states and that election technology, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has been set up and tested.

Recruitment and training of ad hoc personnel, along with security and logistical arrangements have also been completed.

The final shipment of sensitive materials is expected to arrive as planned.

INEC is urging political parties, candidates, voters, media, observers and other stakeholders to comply strictly with election regulations to ensure a smooth process.

Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, has thrown his full support behind Mrs. Justina Amaka Azuka, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for the Onitsha North I Constituency seat in the Anambra State House of Assembly.

Senator Umeh made the endorsement on Thursday. He urged the people of Onitsha North I to honour the memory of Mrs. Azuka’s late husband, Hon. Justice Chukwunenye Azuka, who was kidnapped and brutally murdered in 2024.

“This is not just about politics. This is about justice, continuity, and honouring a legacy,” Umeh said.

“I call on all voters in Onitsha North I to come out en masse and vote for Mrs. Justina Amaka Azuka, the wife of our murdered colleague, so she can continue the selfless service her husband began.”

Late Hon. Justice Azuka had been a dedicated public servant and a respected lawmaker in the Anambra State House of Assembly before his untimely death.

Mrs. Azuka, now contesting under the ADC banner, has pledged to uphold her husband’s vision and projects for the constituency, focusing on community development, youth empowerment and justice reform.

Senator Umeh praised her courage in stepping forward despite personal tragedy, describing her candidacy as a symbol of resilience and a unifying cause for the people of Onitsha.