Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, is expected to appear before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on Tuesday, following a court summons.

Her lead counsel, West Idahosa (SAN), confirmed this on Sunday, although he stated it was unclear whether the Federal Government intended to formally arraign her on that day.

“We don’t know. We saw a notice of amended charges. We don’t know what they are trying to do. They’ve amended the charges once and could do so again, it’s their decision,” Idahosa said.

Regardless of the prosecution’s next move, he emphasized that Akpoti-Uduaghan would comply with the court’s directive, describing her as a responsible and law-abiding citizen.

“Our client is a law-abiding citizen. Why wouldn’t she be there? It’s a summons we have undertaken. Only disrespectful institutions that disregard court orders would fail to appear, and she is not in that category,” he stressed.

The Federal Government, through Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, has filed criminal charges against the senator, accusing her of making defamatory statements targeting Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.

According to the charge sheet dated May 16, 2025, and marked CR/297/25, Akpoti-Uduaghan is alleged to have made the statements during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television on April 3, 2025.

“It was part of the meeting, the discussions that Akpabio had with Yahaya Bello that night, to eliminate me… he then emphasised that I should be killed in Kogi,” the charge quotes her as saying.

She is also accused of making another defamatory remark during a private phone conversation on March 27, 2025, with one Dr Sandra Duru.

In that call, she allegedly linked Akpabio to organ harvesting involving the late Iniubong Umoren, claiming it was for the benefit of his ailing wife.

Akpabio, Bello, and four other individuals have been listed by the prosecution as key witnesses in the case.

Idahosa, when asked about possible protests or political motivations behind the case, said their team remained focused on the legal battle rather than public sentiment.

“If the case is called tomorrow, we will respond accordingly with our client,” he said.

“The issue of protest is irrelevant to us, we are lawyers, and our focus is on defending charges we believe can be contested. Protests are the domain of civil societies and others in that terrain,” Idahosa added.

Barrister Mohammed H. Abdullahi, who served as Minister of Environment under former President Muhammadu Buhari, has officially resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigeria’s ruling party.

In a resignation letter dated June 1, 2025, and addressed to the APC Chairman of Uke Ward in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi attributed his decision to “personal reasons.”

“I hereby tender my resignation as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) based on personal reasons,” the letter stated.

Copies of the letter were also sent to the APC Chairman in Karu LGA.

While Abdullahi did not elaborate further on the specific circumstances surrounding his exit, he expressed appreciation for the support he received during his time with the party.

“I thank you for the cooperation while I was in the APC where we made modest contributions in building the party in the state. I wish you and the party good luck,” he wrote.

Former Governor of Bayelsa State and current Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, has taken a swipe at some of Nigeria’s top political figures, labelling them “professional coalition builders and conspirators” as they gear up for the 2027 general elections.

Speaking at an event marking the 60th birthday of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Dickson did not mince words as he criticized the political maneuverings of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and Amaechi himself.

He accused them of perpetuating a culture of political conspiracies and alliances that he said have done little to improve the country’s condition.

“When I came in here and climbing up here, I have seen a lot of you. And as my brother El-Rufai earlier said, there are a number of you who are expert conspirators, who know how to assemble coalitions and then take over the government as you did to my party in 2015,” Dickson stated pointedly, referencing the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 elections.

He expressed disappointment in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a party that emerged from the coalition of various opposition forces in 2015, noting that despite high expectations, the nation remains plagued by poverty and insecurity.

“And when you did so, particularly to a clueless government, so-called, now 11 years down the line, we thought that there would have been no weaponisation of poverty and that all the challenges of Nigeria would be gone. But 11 years down the line, here we are, assembled to still bemoan the fate of our country,” he lamented.

Dickson’s remarks came amid visible political regroupings, with Atiku, Amaechi, and El-Rufai reportedly at the center of a new opposition alliance ahead of the 2027 elections.

El-Rufai recently defected from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), further fuelling speculation about a broad-based coalition.

At the same event, Atiku himself appeared to embrace the “conspirator” label.

“The only advice I can give, not being a professional coalition builder and conspirator, as some of you are, is that this time, shine your eyes. As you build a coalition and conspire, shine your eyes,” he warned, making an apparent dig at ongoing alliance talks while highlighting the need for vigilance.

Dickson didn’t limit his criticism to coalition politics alone.

He also took aim at the way state governors prioritize physical infrastructure over pressing social needs.

“It is good for governors to build roads and flyovers but then, you must identify priorities,” he said.

“Security, investing in education, investing in healthcare and showing and demonstrating democratic temper in the way you handle and manage things underline the truth.”

Dickson, who governed Bayelsa from 2012 to 2020 before moving to the Senate under the PDP banner, has remained a vocal critic of the APC’s trajectory since 2015.

His latest comments highlight the lingering rifts between former PDP members and those who defected to build the APC coalition that ended the PDP’s 16-year rule.

Amaechi, a central figure in that historic political realignment, served as Director-General of Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaign and later as a minister in his cabinet.

El-Rufai, meanwhile, was often seen as a key ideologue behind APC’s formation and policy direction.

Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retired), has openly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of accelerating the impoverishment of Nigerians through what he described as “massive and radical” economic policies.

Speaking on Saturday at the 60th birthday lecture of former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Buratai contrasted the gradual economic hardship Nigerians experienced under previous governments with what he claimed is the sudden and intensified suffering under Mr Tinubu’s leadership.

“During the time of IBB, the Structural Adjustment Programme and the belt-tightening policies, the foreign exchange and deregulation started fully during IBB’s period. It went on to fuel deregulation,” Buratai said.

Citing administrations from the Second Republic to the Buhari era, he continued, “Under the Shagari era, Obasanjo’s presidency, Jonathan’s presidency and of course Buhari’s presidency, we saw gradual pauperisation of Nigerians. The poverty level continuously increased gradually.”

However, Buratai asserted that Tinubu’s government has taken a far more aggressive approach, worsening the economic conditions for millions in a very short time.

“The only difference with this Tinubu-led administration is that it came more radical. It is massive and sudden. It’s poverty was not gradual like the previous administrations,” he said.

Despite the severity of the situation, Buratai offered a nuanced view of the government’s strategy, suggesting that its radicalism could mark a break from a history of incremental decline.

“It has its own advantages. It shows a change from what we have been doing. We have been suffering gradually and smiling. But this time around, it came fully to show that we must get it right,” he added.

Still, he did not hide his discontent with the government’s response to the widespread hardship triggered by its policy decisions.

“The main challenge is the seeming insensitivity to the massive impact of government policies, poverty insecurity are real.”

“We all know. We believe probably the second half of this administration will make a difference. Otherwise, I can see the coalition working hard,” Buratai said.

His comments arrive amid growing criticism of Tinubu’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira, moves that have led to inflation and a spike in the cost of living.

Buratai’s statements also carry additional weight given his own controversial past as a senior figure in the Buhari administration.

He was the Chief of Army Staff during the 2020 #EndSARS protests, when soldiers opened fire on demonstrators, and he has faced scrutiny for alleged human rights abuses and corruption.

In 2015, he was linked to the military crackdown on Shiite Muslims in Zaria, and in later years, investigations by anti-graft bodies uncovered significant cash and luxury items in his Abuja residence.

According to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), over ₦1 billion in cash, Rolex watches, and other valuables were recovered.

Reports also revealed how Buratai allegedly cornered contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) while still in office, and how former National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno accused him of being unable to account for funds allocated for weapons procurement during his tenure.

As Nigeria braces for deeper political realignments and the public continues to feel the pinch of austerity-style reforms, Buratai’s public rebuke adds another voice of discontent from within the establishment.

Nobel Laureate and literary icon, Professor Wole Soyinka, has commended former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, for his defiance and principle during the 2022 All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primaries, describing it as a moment where President Bola Tinubu got “a taste of his own medicine.”

Soyinka delivered the remarks while serving as Chairman at Amaechi’s 60th birthday celebration, held over the weekend in Abuja.

In a speech that blended political commentary with sharp historical recollection, Soyinka lauded Amaechi’s resolve to remain in the presidential race despite pressure from political heavyweights to step down in favour of Tinubu.

“The main reason I had to be here is because I admire Rotimi’s fighting spirit, and it’s a very consistent one,” Soyinka said.

The Nobel laureate recalled watching the APC primary live from Abu Dhabi, expressing satisfaction at Amaechi’s refusal to withdraw, a decision he likened to Tinubu’s own past resistance during Nigeria’s democratic struggles.

“I watched the entire primary election live on TV. It gave me great, rascally pleasure to see the incumbent president receive a taste of his own medicine,” Soyinka noted.

Drawing a parallel with the early 2000s, Soyinka referred to Tinubu’s defiance of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s alleged third-term agenda, saying:

“Back then, Tinubu was the last man standing when others had been cowed by unconstitutional withholding of their allocations. He resisted. And now, Amaechi played that same role during the primaries.”

Unlike many aspirants who bowed out to back Tinubu, Amaechi, alongside a few notable figures such as former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Pastor Tunde Bakare, and Rochas Okorocha, remained in the race until the final vote.

Amaechi eventually emerged as the runner-up behind Tinubu, who clinched the APC ticket and later won the 2023 presidential election.

Since that time, Amaechi had remained largely under the radar until recently, amid growing speculation about his involvement in an emerging political coalition.

Observers believe Amaechi and a group of dissident leaders within and outside the APC are preparing to challenge Tinubu’s hold on power in the 2027 general election.

Soyinka concluded his tribute by emphasizing the value of political courage in a thriving democracy:

“That is what democracy is all about—standing firm for your beliefs. Amaechi exemplified that spirit, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it unfold.”

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has addressed a trending video allegedly involving a member of his family in connection with the death of his wife, firmly asserting that his family remains united.

Speaking to Government House correspondents on Saturday at the Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort in Uyo, where he attended the 60th birthday celebration of former Deputy Governor Obong Nsima Ekere, Governor Eno dismissed the video as a politically motivated attempt to distract him from his duties.

“We are in political times, so you can expect more of that. My family is intact, and you can see everyone here with me,” he stated.

Referring to the timing of the video’s resurfacing, Eno questioned the motives behind its circulation.

“The event we are talking about happened immediately after my wife passed on, and that was last year. So why is it surfacing and trending now? Why is it on the eve of the second anniversary, when we are celebrating the milestones we have achieved?”

He suggested that the video was part of a broader attempt by detractors to derail his administration’s focus on governance and development under the ARISE Agenda.

“This teaches me that there are detractors around. My family is intact. You can see that Jane herself is here; that’s Helen and her husband. So, we have a good family.”

Eno also reflected on the emotional toll his wife’s death had on the family, particularly the children.

“The pressure on the children when they lose a loved one can be traumatic, and we must recognise that.”

Appealing for public empathy and respect, the Governor urged people not to resurface painful memories.

“All I can appeal to the public is that it should not bring back sad memories. It is enough that I have lost my wife, and I pray that they allow her peaceful soul to rest in peace.”

Reaffirming his commitment to his role as governor, Eno emphasized his resolve to remain undistracted.

“I cannot be distracted. I remain focused, and I will continue to serve the people of Akwa Ibom. I do not wish what happened to me on anyone. So, to those spreading these rumours, if that is what they wish for themselves, I wish them luck.”

At the event, Governor Eno also extended warm wishes to Obong Nsima Ekere, congratulating him on his 60th birthday.

He prayed that “God would continue to strengthen him, bless him with long life, good health, and wisdom to continue contributing to the development of the State and the Nation.”