NEWS AFRICA

From: Sani Danaudi Mohammed  Bauchi is set to welcome a new force in grassroots football development as young philanthropist and youth advocate Lumana Halan Bayero* officially announces the launch of L.B HALAN Football Academy. The dream, Bayero revealed, was conceived three months ago during a trip to Switzerland and has now become a reality. The academy is positioned to provide a structured pathway for talented young players in Bauchi State, with a clear focus on discipline, education, and exposure to international opportunities. Speaking on the journey to establishing the academy, Bayero paid tribute to his longtime brother and friend Imma Kann, a Swedish citizen whom he has known for 17 years since their days sharing _Ekmek_ in Kuzey. According to Bayero, Imma believed in the vision from day one and hosted him and his family for nearly a week in Europe, promising to support the project. The two later embarked on a tour bus journey across Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein...

From: Mustapha Aminu  Bauchi city stood still on Thursday, 23rd July, 2026 as thousands of youths trooped out for the inauguration of 20 ICT Local Government Marshals of the City Boy Movement, CBM. The event, held at Yimmir Hotel and led by Robert Chenge, Chief of Staff to the Director-General of CBM, marked the first time every Local Government in Bauchi had a structured presence of the movement. From the venue to a one-million-man march that moved to the CBM state office, the energy was unprecedented. Youths who had only heard about the movement online now saw it, touched it, and walked with it. For many, it was proof that CBM was no longer an Abuja idea, but now a Bauchi reality that connects directly with people at the grassroots. At the center of it all was Lumana Halan Bayero, popularly known as El-Bee Halan, Bauchi State Coordinator of CBM. His rise was not accidental. From breaking out on social media as the “G-wagon guy” to featuring on Arise Television’s morning show, he ...

By: Adeyemi Adewole  The Independent National Electoral Commission was created to be the impartial umpire of our democracy, not a participant in intra-party disputes. Its duty under the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022 is clear: receive, publish, and defend nominations validly made by political parties. When INEC deviates from this, it invites chaos. The recent treatment of Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, is a textbook example of why INEC must retrace its steps and apologize to the Nigerian people and to Gabam himself. For an institution that prides itself on neutrality, the initial removal of his name amounted to yielding to pressure instead of upholding the law. On Wednesday, 24th June 2026, the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, presided over by Hon. Justice M.G. Umar in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/402/2026, delivered judgment in the matter between the SDP, Gabam, and INEC. The court granted an order of perpetual injunction re...

From: Mustapha Aminu  The National President of National Association of Nigerian Students NANS, Comrade Akinteye Babtee Babatunde, has constituted a high powered committee on north east development commission Nedc educational intervention projects verification and monitoring. The announcement comes at a critical time when the federal government has committed significant public investment to rebuild and expand educational infrastructure in the North East following years of disruption. With academic sessions resuming and new projects being rolled out across the region, Nans said the timing demands immediate oversight to ensure that resources translate into classrooms, laboratories, scholarships and learning materials for students. Given the scale of public investment committed to educational development in the North East, NANS said it has become necessary to establish an independent monitoring framework without delay. The association noted that students cannot afford another cycle of...

By: Sani Danaudi Mohammed  The City Boy Movement in Bauchi State has entered a new phase of organization, and at the center of it is L. B. Halan. Three weeks ago, the National Leadership appointed him as Acting State Director with a clear mandate: build a functional state structure and position Bauchi among the most active chapters in the federation. It was a task that required both experience and credibility, and the choice of Halan was deliberate. For over a year, Halan has been the quiet force coordinating Bauchi’s affairs from the National Headquarters. While the state lacked stable leadership, he kept the vision alive by engaging stakeholders, attending national meetings, and ensuring Bauchi was represented in key decisions. That consistency is why the National Leadership had no doubt entrusting him with this responsibility. What distinguishes Halan is his approach to leadership. He does not believe in politics of noise. He believes in structure, data, and delivery. This was e...

From: Musa Muhammad  KADUNA — A gubernatorial aspirant of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, in Kaduna State, Zariyi Yusuf Madaki, has formally petitioned the National Working Committee of the party over what he described as “arbitrary and inconsistent actions” by both the state and national leadership in the process of producing the party’s flag bearer for the 2027 governorship election. In the petition dated July 15, 2026 and addressed to the National Chairman of the NDC, Madaki alleged that no primary election was conducted on May 29, 2026, nor was any consensus reached among the three screened aspirants. He further rejected the unilateral declaration of Sen. Danjuma La'ah as the party’s candidate and the separate claim by the National Chairman recognizing Barr. Sani Abbas, saying both actions violate the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act 2026.  The full petition is reproduced below. 15th of July, 2026 The National Chairman Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)...

By: Joy Emmanuel  Barr. K. Kezekwelu PhD is a name Idemili North and South Federal Constituency cannot afford to miss in the next election. His depth of connection with the people, simplicity, and passion to uplift the vulnerable, women and youths through jobs and empowerment for self-sufficiency set him apart. He is not presenting himself as just another option on the ballot. He is presenting himself as a leader with the required experience, network and capacity to deliver the change the constituency deserves. He is the current candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for Idemili North and South Federal Constituency. While political platforms matter, this election is about more than party symbols. It is about a man with proven capacity, relationships across communities, and a clear understanding of the challenges facing families, markets, schools and small businesses in Idemili. The task ahead requires representation that translates federal opportunities into tangible resu...

From: Mustapha Aminu  NIGER STATE - The Association of Fulbe Scholars and Intellectuals, ASOFSI, has launched a new school in Rugan Alhaji Auta Maku, a Fulani settlement in Agaie Local Government Area of Niger State. The initiative was led by the National President of ASOFSI, Sheikh Fatihi Dahiru Usman Bauchi PhD, on 11th July, 2026, with members of the National Executive Council including the National Secretary, Sani Danaudi Mohammed, and the National Director of Education, Abdullahi Adamu Jugudo PhD, in attendance. The project is aimed at providing immediate access to both Islamic and Western education for children in the community. Rugan Alhaji Auta Maku has existed for decades, yet it remains without a hospital, a school, social amenities, or even a motorable road. A journey that should take 30 minutes lasted nearly 1 hour 30 minutes due to the poor state of access routes. Addressing the gathering, the National President said the condition of the hub reflects a pain...

By: Sani Mohammed  Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi was born on 23 March 1975. He is a Nigerian politician from Bauchi State whose journey in public service has been defined by consistency, accessibility, and results. From the grassroots to the green chamber, his story is one of a man who rose not by noise, but by service. For the people of Bauchi, his name has become synonymous with youth empowerment, women inclusion, and practical politics that touches real lives. Between 2015 and 2019, he served as a member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly. It was there he learned representation at close range — listening to ward concerns, defending local budgets, and pushing for policies that reached ordinary families. From 2019 to 2023, he took that same energy to the National Assembly as the member representing Bauchi Federal Constituency. Across two levels of government, the pattern was clear: he showed up for the people, and he delivered without making empty promises. Since leaving the House of ...

Faith Johnson  Abuja — The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has affirmed *Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam* as the authentic and legally recognized National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in a judgment that lays to rest months of internal contestation over the party’s leadership. According to the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the judgment obtained and made available to newsmen, the court held that the processes leading to Gabam’s emergence and the constitution of the current National Working Committee, NWC, were in full compliance with the SDP Constitution, the Electoral Act, and relevant party guidelines. In its reasoning contained in the CTC, the court emphasized the supremacy of party supremacy documents and due process in internal party democracy. The judge ruled that the Gabam-led NWC remains the only body with the legal authority to speak for, act on behalf of, and bind the SDP in all political and administrative matters. The judgment further declared null...

From: Mustapha Aminu  Bauchi, There was excitement in APC circles in Bauchi as the National Chairman of Tinubu Lungu-Lungu 2.0, Hon. Abdullahi Saidu Gumau, Dan Amanan Wunti, donated a brand new branded campaign vehicle to the party’s gubernatorial candidate, His Excellency Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, SAN.   The presentation was held in Bauchi and drew party stakeholders, supporters, and members of the Tinubu Lungu-Lungu 2.0 structure across the state. The atmosphere was charged with enthusiasm as the group reaffirmed its commitment to mobilizing grassroots support ahead of the next election cycle.   Speaking during the handover, Dan Amanan Wunti said the donation is part of his personal contribution to enhance the campaign and outreach of the APC candidate across Bauchi State and beyond. He noted that adequate logistics remain critical to reaching voters in every local government and ward.   He further stated that Tinubu Lungu-Lungu 2.0 is a support p...

By: Tayo Olaoluwa  The leadership crisis that has gripped the Social Democratic Party for months has now been settled with finality by the highest court in the land. On the 22nd day of May, 2026, the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered a unanimous judgment that reaffirmed Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam as the authentic National Chairman of the SDP. The apex court faulted and set aside Federal High Court Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2497/2025, which INEC had erroneously relied upon to recognize one Sadiq Umar Gombe as Chairman. In clear terms, the Supreme Court held that the Federal High Court ought not to have entertained the matter in the first instance, being an internal party affair. This judgment puts to rest all controversies and confirms that Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam has been, is, and remains the legally recognized National Chairman of the SDP. This Supreme Court pronouncement did not emerge in a vacuum. Earlier, on 27th March, 2026, the Court of Appeal in Appeal Nos. CA/ABJ/CV/126/2026 and CA...

By: Ukkasha Hamza Rahama  In just 100 days, Comrade Ben Nwoye has ushered in a new era of renewal for the APC in the South-East. Through strategic grassroots engagement, party reorganization, and inclusive leadership, he has restored confidence among members and repositioned the party for growth. These first 100 days mark the beginning of a stronger, more united, and people-focused APC in the region. For decades, the South-East has been regarded as a PDP stronghold, with the party maintaining deep-rooted structures, electoral dominance, and cultural influence across the five states of the region. That political identity shaped national conversations, limited APC’s penetration, and left many stakeholders in the zone feeling politically sidelined. The result was a perception of the South-East as largely out of reach for APC’s expansion plans, regardless of the party’s performance at the national level.  The entry of figures like Dr. Ben Nwoye into the APC fold is changing that c...

Information is power in Bauchi politics, and no one has demonstrated that more deliberately ahead of 2027 than former Commissioner of Information Ibrahim Umar Sade. As the APC gubernatorial candidate and former Governor M.A. Abubakar, SAN, builds his structure, Umar Sade has consistently worked to shape the campaign in the areas of public enlightenment and narrative control. His focus is not only on spreading messages, but on changing the stories targeted at M.A. Abubakar before they harden into public opinion. That effort rests on decades of experience. Umar Sade is leveraging his background as a media consultant and his network across the media industry to promote the candidacy of M.A. Abubakar, SAN, with precision. He understands how information moves, who controls the channels, and where falsehoods enter. In a race that will be fought on perception as much as structure, that institutional memory gives the campaign an early advantage. Part of what he has done and continues to do is ...

From: John Faith  Abuja, The National Chairman of the Tinubu Lungu-Lungu 2.0 Movement, Hon. Abdullahi Saidu Gumau, Dan Amanan Wunti, has paid a strategic visit to the National Office of the Asuwaju Beyond Project 2027 in Abuja. He was received by the National Acting Director-General of the group, Hon. Buhari Buhari. The visit is part of ongoing consultations to strengthen the All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the 2027 general elections.  During the meeting, both leaders discussed critical issues bordering on the success of the APC at the national level and across the states. The talks centered on party cohesion, grassroots mobilization, and strategies to consolidate the gains recorded by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. They also reviewed plans to expand the party’s reach and deepen its connection with Nigerians at the base.  Hon. Gumau, who doubles as Dan Amanan Wunti, reaffirmed his commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda and the continued growth ...

Abuja,Tinubu Lungu Lungu 2.0, a northern political structure supportive of President Bola Tinubu, says it has transitioned from 2023 campaign operations to a permanent, data-based mobilisation system built around ward and polling-unit coordinators ahead of the 2027 general elections. National Chairman Abdullahi Sa’idu Gumau said the change is deliberate. “Tinubu Lungu Lungu is not a campaign slogan. It is a command structure built for results. “In 2023 we mobilised as a campaign. In 2027 we are mobilising as an institution. The difference is depth and permanence", he said. According to Gumau, the group now operates in all 36 states, the FCT and 774 local government areas through a chain of command that runs from National Secretariat to State Coordinators, Local Government Coordinators, Ward Representatives and Polling Unit Commanders. He said the organisation has named Ward Representatives and Polling Unit Commanders in all 8,809 wards nationwide. “We are built on coordinators, da...