Politics

Venezuelan lawmakers have approved a sweeping reform that opens the country’s oil industry to greater foreign participation, a move widely seen as an effort by Caracas to meet the demands of US President Donald Trump.  The new law, backed by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, loosens state control over the sector and allows foreign companies to manage oilfields at their own risk and expense. Until now, Venezuela’s oil industry has been largely dominated by the state-owned firm Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). Since the US captured President Nicolás Maduro at the beginning of January, Washington has repeatedly made clear its desire for American companies to invest in Venezuela’s vast oil sector. Venezuela holds the largest proven oil reserves in the world, and Rodríguez said the re...

As preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Farouq Aliyu, has argued that demographic considerations—particularly in northern Nigeria—make a Muslim–Muslim presidential ticket the most viable option for the ruling party. Aliyu made the remarks on Friday while appearing on Arise Television’s Morning Show, noting that electoral outcomes are often shaped by numbers and strategic calculations rather than emotions. He stressed that decisions regarding the party’s presidential ticket lie solely with the APC and its candidate, adding that individual preferences must align with the party’s broader interests. “I stand with my party because these decisions belong to the party and the candidate,” Aliyu said. “If, in the w...

A Federal High Court in Ibadan has set aside the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention held in the Oyo State capital on November 15, 2025, ruling that the exercise was invalid. In its judgment, the court also restrained members of the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Tanimu Turaki from presenting themselves as national officers of the party. Delivering the ruling on Friday, the court held that the Caretaker Committee headed by Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Samuel Anyanwu remains the only legitimate leadership of the PDP until a properly conducted national convention is held. The verdict represents a major twist in the prolonged internal crisis within the opposition party, which has been embroiled in months of legal disputes and political struggles over contr...

Screenshot Internet personality Isaac Fayose has declared that the 2027 presidential election will be defined by former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, insisting that he remains the only viable option for Nigerians. Fayose made the assertion on Thursday while reacting to the large crowd that turned out for Obi during the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election campaign. In a post shared on his Facebook page, Fayose described the turnout as a clear indication of Obi’s rising political influence, arguing that the former governor is the central figure in the build-up to the next general election. “Massive crowd shows up for Peter Obi at the FCT council election campaign. It’s Peter Obi or nothing. It will be loud,” Fayose wrote. Naija News reports that Obi ...

The Accord Party in Osun State has officially confirmed that Governor Ademola Adeleke has been successfully registered as its nominated candidate for the August 8, 2026, governorship election. In a statement on Thursday in Osogbo, party chairman Pastor Victor Akande said the confirmation came after all documentation and submission procedures with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were completed. INEC now officially lists Adeleke as the Accord Party’s candidate for the upcoming election. Akande described the milestone as a key step in the party’s election preparations. “We are pleased to formally inform the good people of Osun State that His Excellency, Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, has been successfully uploaded into INEC’s records as the Accord Par...

The All Progressives Grand Alliance has unveiled its provisional timetable for the 2026 local government primary elections scheduled to hold across Anambra State’s 21 local government areas on Saturday, August 29, 2026. In a statement issued on Thursday, APGA’s National Publicity Secretary, Ejimofor Opara, said the timetable was approved in line with the party’s constitution and the schedule of the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission. According to the timetable, the sale and submission of Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms will take place at APGA’s Awka Regional Secretariat from January 27 to February 6. Opara said the screening of chairmanship and councillorship aspirants would be conducted from February 7 to 11, across the state’s 21 local government areas an...

The Accord Party in Osun State has officially confirmed that Governor Ademola Adeleke has been successfully registered as its nominated candidate for the August 8, 2026, governorship election. In a statement on Thursday in Osogbo, party chairman Pastor Victor Akande said the confirmation came after all documentation and submission procedures with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were completed. INEC now officially lists Adeleke as the Accord Party’s candidate for the upcoming election. Akande described the milestone as a key step in the party’s election preparations. “We are pleased to formally inform the good people of Osun State that His Excellency, Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, has been successfully uploaded into INEC’s records as the Accord Par...

The lawmaker representing Borno South in the National Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s inner circle. Ndume has claimed that Tinubu is surrounded by advisers who lack political understanding and grassroots connection. He stated this while speaking on Wednesday during an interview on ARISE Television’s Prime Time. Ndume said growing dissatisfaction in the North could have electoral consequences if urgent steps are not taken to address prevailing concerns. “Anybody that tells you that the North is not grumbling now is not telling the truth,” Ndume said. “It will be loud in their votes if nothing is done about it. The good thing about it is that the President can turn things around.” The lawmaker said northern leaders had made efforts to eng...

The All Progressives Congress (APC) will begin electing party officials from the ward to national level starting next Monday as part of early preparations for the 2027 general elections. The exercise will cover ward, local government, state, and zonal congresses, concluding with a national convention at the end of March. This follows the completion of the party’s nationwide digital membership e-registration, which ends tomorrow, January 30, 2026. Naija News reports that the e-registration, launched in December 2025 under the National Working Committee (NWC), integrates National Identity Number (NIN) verification and digital data capture to enhance membership records, demographic insights, and grassroots mobilisation. The commencement of the congresses was confirmed late Wednesday ...

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that 10 political parties will participate in the upcoming Kano State House of Assembly by-elections scheduled for February 21. Naija News reports that Kano State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ambassador Abdu Zango, made the announcement on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting in Kano. Zango stated that the commission has received nominations from 10 registered parties contesting the polls in Kano Municipal and Ungogo Local Government Areas. The parties cleared to participate include: All Progressives Congress (APC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), African Action Congress (AAC), People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Good Party, Action Allianc...