The Kebbi State Government has downplayed the political impact of former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), following his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Speaking to newsmen, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Nasir Idris, Ahmed Idris, said Malami’s move holds no political weight in the state and has no effect on the popularity or performance of the current administration.

“Well, the defection of the former Attorney General is not something that the people or the government of Kebbi State will be unhappy about. In fact, we are happy he left because he didn’t add any value to our administration,” he said.

He emphasized that Governor Idris enjoys strong grassroots support, reinforced by his performance in office.

“Our governor is already well-grounded in the minds of the people, and his achievements speak volumes. In fact, the people of Kebbi State are so impressed with him that they want him to continue after eight years or even go to Abuja to become the president of this country,” he added.

Dismissing Malami’s political relevance, Idris argued that the former AGF has never had a solid support base in Kebbi.

“As for Malami, he has no political integrity in Kebbi State. He has never even won his own polling unit in any election, let alone the majority of votes across the state. So, his defection means nothing to us. We are not worried because he has no impact or value.”

Commenting on recent opposition realignments, he said such coalitions are driven by self-interest, not service to the public.

“We’re not worried at all. They cannot defeat the APC not even at the top level. If you look at the caliber of people who defected whether from APC or PDP, they’re doing it purely for selfish interests, not for the people,” he said.

He also cited concerns raised by youths who felt abandoned after being engaged by Malami’s camp.

“Some youths were invited for a meeting by Malami’s people about a new movement. In the end, they were abandoned. He couldn’t even support them. Some of them came to me and complained,” Idris explained.

He highlighted Governor Idris’s inclusive governance style, pointing to appointments made across ethnic and regional lines.

“He doesn’t discriminate whether you’re Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Benin — it doesn’t matter. I’m not even from Kebbi State; I’m a Nupe man from Niger. Yet he picked me as his Chief Press Secretary. He gave appointments to Igbos, Yorubas, and others. That shows the inclusivity of his leadership,” he noted.

Listing key achievements of the administration, Idris mentioned the completion of the state secretariat, rural infrastructure development, and support for traditional institutions.

“He also supported the traditional institutions, renovated palaces of the four Emirs in Kebbi, bought them official vehicles, and didn’t just leave things to contractors.”

On security and agriculture, he added: “He created operational bases in volatile areas where people couldn’t farm or sleep peacefully. Today, areas like Shanga and Yauri are safer… He purchased over 200 trucks of fertilizer and distributed them for free.”

In closing, Idris advised Malami to reconsider his political direction and reflect on the support he once enjoyed under the APC.

“My advice to Malami is that he should rethink his decision. Leaving the APC is a wrong move. Malami benefited from this party and grew politically under APC. He should have stayed loyal.”

“No matter what anyone does in Kebbi today, they can’t win against the goodwill, the performance, and the legacy of my principal. He has touched the lives of the masses and that’s what truly counts,” he concluded.

The Senate on Thursday removed Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Chair of the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), replacing her with Senator Aniekan Bassey of Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.

The announcement was made by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary. No official reason was given for the decision.

“The new chairman is Distinguished Senator Aniekan Bassey, and it will take effect from today,” Akpabio stated.

While addressing the broader context of committee assignments, the Senate President hinted at an upcoming reshuffle of vice chairmanship positions to promote fairness in the distribution of roles.

“We will make some changes to our vice chairmanship positions next week. Some of the senators have two vice chairmanship positions. Every senator should either be a chairman or a vice chairman so we balance the situation,” he said.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, was initially appointed as Chair of the Local Content Committee but was removed earlier this year. On February 4, 2025, she was reassigned to head the Committee on Diaspora and NGOs.

Her removal from the Diaspora Committee comes amid ongoing tension between her and Senate leadership.

In March, Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended over allegations of gross misconduct following a confrontation with Akpabio, reportedly over seating arrangements on the Senate floor.

Despite a court ruling that nullified her suspension, she has not yet returned to active legislative duties.

Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was waiting for official court documentation before making her return.

“I am awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary,” she said, adding that she was acting on legal counsel and out of respect for the institution.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has announced its intention to pursue legal action against the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Asokoro, Abuja, following the abrupt cancellation of a high-profile political event scheduled to take place at the venue.

According to ADC’s legal counsel, Kabiru Abdullahi, the hotel not only failed to refund the ₦6 million already paid for the reservation but also left the party scrambling less than 24 hours before the event.

Speaking to The Peoples Gazette, Abdullahi disclosed that the party is now demanding ₦100 million in damages from the hotel for the “inconvenience and embarrassment” it caused.

DAILY GAZETTE had earlier reported that the unveiling event, which was meant to formally announce ADC as the political platform for Nigeria’s growing opposition coalition, was unexpectedly disrupted last Wednesday after the hotel abruptly withdrew its reservation agreement.

The event was set to draw notable figures from across Nigeria’s political spectrum, positioning the ADC as a unifying vehicle to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.

However, on the morning of the scheduled event, organizers received a message from the hotel stating it could no longer accommodate them, citing a vague “internal compliance matter.”

A screenshot of the message, shared online by media personality and politician Dele Momodu, read:

“Dear Esteemed Patron, Thank you once again for choosing the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments.
We sincerely regret to inform you that due to an internal compliance matter that has just come to our attention, we are unable to proceed with hosting your scheduled event.”

Commenting on the short notice, Mr Abdullahi expressed frustration at the hotel’s handling of the situation.

“A guarantee was given to us on the venue’s availability, with an invoice of the payment made, but they waited until less than 24 hours before notifying us of the cancellation,” he said.

“Giving us ‘internal compliance’ as the reason for the cancellation without any further explanation. We paid you and you and gave us an invoice, then we went back to our businesses, preparing for the event, only for them to call some minutes before midnight, less than 24 hours to the event which was supposed to take place at 2 p.m. the next day stating that it’s because of internal compliance.”

He emphasized that the last-minute cancellation was not only disruptive but a breach of contract, especially considering the party had already finalized payments and logistics.

“They sent us into a frantic moment to look for alternatives to prepare for the event and had to pay extra money for refreshments for the event,” Abdullahi said.

“The venue couldn’t contain the participants, they caused us so much inconvenience and they also caused us embarrassment.”

The ADC lawyer elaborated that the party had paid ₦6,063,000 to the Wells Carlton Hotel, which included the venue reservation and catering for guests.

A formal letter has since been sent to the hotel, demanding immediate reimbursement, a public apology, and compensation for damages amounting to ₦100 million.

“We sent them a letter demanding refund of our money, an apology and the sum of ₦100 million as damages and if they don’t, we will meet in court; it’s as simple as that,” Abdullahi said.

As at the time of this report, the hotel has not publicly responded to the allegations.

The Supreme Court has validated the election of Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected governor of Edo State, putting an end to the legal challenge filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, a five-member panel of justices, headed by Justice Mohammed Garba Lawal, dismissed the PDP’s appeal for lack of merit.

The apex court held that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of electoral malpractice, including non-compliance with electoral laws, unlawful voting, and claims that Okpebholo was not lawfully declared winner.

The ruling affirms earlier decisions by the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which had also thrown out the opposition’s case on similar grounds.

Police authorities in Lagos State have declared a total restriction of movement across the state on Saturday, July 12, in connection with the upcoming local government elections.

The Lagos State Police Command, in a statement released on Wednesday, said the restriction will begin early on election day.

According to the command, there will be a “total restriction of vehicular movement throughout Lagos State” from 3:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday, July 12, 2025.

“The restriction of vehicular movement will apply to all roads and waterways within Lagos State jurisdiction,” the statement added.

Despite the restrictions, certain categories of individuals will be exempt.

“Essential services such as those on medical emergency, and other emergency responders and their workers, the duly accredited officials of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), and accredited election observers and media practitioners on election coverage accredited by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC),” the police clarified.

Additionally, the police emphasized that:

“All the security agencies personnel and other stakeholders, including the media and election observers accredited by LASEIC for the election, will be in possession of and wear their identification tags certified by LASEIC throughout the election.”

The Command confirmed that security arrangements had been finalized to ensure the safety and peaceful conduct of the elections across all 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

“The Lagos State Police Command wishes to inform the general public in Lagos State, that an elaborate security arrangement and comprehensive security measures have been put in place to ensure security, safety, peaceful and orderly conduct of the Local Government Elections scheduled for Saturday, July 12, 2025 in the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs.”

The statement added that the decision was made in conjunction with other agencies:

“To this end, the Lagos State Police Command in full agreement with the other security and safety agencies complimenting the Police under the Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Lagos State and other critical stakeholders in the election… hereby wishes to announce and inform the general public in Lagos State of total restriction of vehicular movement throughout Lagos State from 3 am on Saturday, 12th July, 2025 till 3 pm of same Saturday, 12th July, 2025.”

The Command outlined further enforcement provisions in line with the Electoral Act, including:

(i) Prohibition of armed escorts and security aides at polling units and collation centres:

“Police escorts and Armed Security aides are strictly prohibited from accompanying their principals to polling units or collation centers. This measure is to prevent any undue influence or intimidation during the election.”

(ii) Ban on the indiscriminate use of sirens and covered number plates:

“The use of sirens at or in the vicinity of polling units and collation centers is prohibited. Furthermore, only vehicles designated for essential services such as ambulances…”

The Command urged the public to comply fully with the measures to support a free, fair, and peaceful election process across Lagos State.