Journalists Against Poverty

@Nairametrics This is an unnecessary distraction & irrelevant digression. The fundamental issue is how did the so-called "fake agency" get into the budget?

The Budget Office of the Federation has said the N1.3 billion appropriation for the Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PEAC/PFIPC) never became actual government expenditure because the required payroll, cash release and procurement processes were not completed. nairametrics.com/2026/07/24/bud…

@OfficialPDPNig Let @GEJonathan breathe.

Fair winds have never made a skilled sailor. Victory ahead, by God’s grace.

A section of Osogbo’s LAMECO flyover has sunk and cracked just three weeks after commissioning.

@atiku must prepare for more attacks as the forthcoming 2027 elections gather momentum. He has visited @OluObasanjo several times for support, but to no avail. When an elderly person is blinded by his selfish ambition, he must be ready to face criticisms. There are several allegations on corruption against him.

Obasanjo fabricated allegations against me to favour his kinsman in 2027, says Atiku Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has accused ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo of fabricating allegations against him to favour his kinsman ahead of the 2027 general election. On Thursday, Obasanjo alleged that Atiku gave the late Ghali Umar Na’Abba, former speaker of the house of representatives, N5 million to begin impeachment proceedings against him during his first term in office. thecable.ng/obasanjo-fabri…

@NigAffairs @woye1 Let @GEJonathan breathe.

BREAKING: The Turaki PDP faction today visited its presidential candidate, former President Goodluck Jonathan, in Abuja Despite being the faction's presidential candidate, the former president has not publicly declared interest in running for the presidency in 2027. On May 7, the former president said he would consult widely before deciding whether to run in the 2027 election, after a group of protesters stormed his Abuja office and urged him to declare for the presidency. He has not addressed the press since then.

The two flyovers in LAMECO,Osogbo & LAGERE, Ile-Ife should be CLOSED for now until proper construction work is carried out. Quality job should NOT be given to amateur contractors. The flyovers constructed in Lagos during the tenure of General Yakubu Gowon (1966-1975) have remained very strong over the years. What is worth doing is worth doing well. @AAdeleke_01, @DrDejiAdeleke @osunaffairs @inside_osun @YeyeluwaDupeAdelekeSanni @iwogoke @osunupdate

Governor Adeleke Inspects Sabotaged Section of LAMECO Bridge Area, Condemns Anti-Development Politics OSOGBO- 24/07/2026 Governor Ademola Adeleke, this evening inspected the sabotaged section of LAMECO bridge area at Osogbo and condemned the incident and similar reported

"The Judicial Party of Nigeria " has hijacked the power of the electorate in choosing winners of elections. This is an aberration. It is against the principles of democracy. The judiciary should NOT be a short-cut to power. Where irregularities are clearly proven, there should be fresh election to resolve the issue. It is precisely because of this anomaly that rogue politicians are desperate to capture the judiciary for favourable judgement. We cannot continue like this.

Alex Otti would have become a governor earlier if his case had ended at the Court of Appeal in 2015. Let me tell you an interesting story of the conflicting judgments of the courts. On April 11 and 25, 2015, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted the Abia State Governorship Election. Alex Otti contested under APGA, while Okezie Ikpeazu contested under PDP. After the election, INEC declared Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the winner. According to INEC, Ikpeazu polled 264,713 votes against the 180,882 votes scored by Dr. Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Dr. Alex Otti was not satisfied with the declaration, so he filed a petition before the Election Petition Tribunal to nullify Ikpeazu's victory and declare him the rightful winner. But what was the reason for the petition? According to Dr. Alex Otti, there was substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act, including violence, ballot box snatching, and corrupt malpractices. Alex Otti tried to convince the court that there was massive over-voting in three major Local Government Areas (LGAs): Obingwa, Osisioma Ngwa, and Isiala Ngwa North. He told the court that the State Returning Officer had initially announced the cancellation of results from those three crucial LGAs due to irregularities, only to later reverse his decision after consulting with INEC officials. Otti argued that once those results had been cancelled, only a tribunal possessed the power to restore them. He also relied on data downloaded from INEC's Smart Card Readers to demonstrate that the total votes cast exceeded the number of accredited voters. Justice Usman Bwala, who was the Election Petition Tribunal judge, heard the matter and dismissed Otti's petition for lack of proof. So, he appealed to the Court of Appeal. And then came the twist. On December 31, 2015, the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri upturned that decision and declared Otti the winner. Why? According to the Court of Appeal, the Returning Officer's original cancellation of results in Obingwa, Osisioma Ngwa, and Isiala Ngwa North was justified because the uploaded records revealed severe over-voting. So, the Court of Appeal subtracted 114,444 votes credited to Ikpeazu from those local governments. With those votes removed, the court ruled that Otti secured the majority of lawful votes, with 164,444 votes, and fulfilled the constitutional threshold. The court therefore ordered INEC to issue Otti a Certificate of Return. At this point, it appeared that Alex Otti had finally won. But Ikpeazu didn't wait a minute before he appealed to the Supreme Court. On February 3, 2016, the Supreme Court of Nigeria unanimously set aside the Court of Appeal's decision and affirmed Okezie Ikpeazu as the duly elected governor of Abia State. But what was its reason this time? According to Justice Galadima, who read the judgment, to prove over-voting, a petitioner must present the Voter Register, the Form EC8A (polling unit results), and systematically tie them to the testimony of witnesses. The Supreme Court ruled that Otti failed to tender the voter register and simply "dumped" electronic card reader spreadsheets on the court without calling witnesses to link them to specific polling units. The court concluded by saying that under the Electoral Act of 2010, the Smart Card Reader was an auxiliary innovation for verification, not a replacement for the statutory Voter Register. And that a discrepancy between the card reader data and final votes does not automatically establish illegal over-voting. So, in the end, Otti lost, and Ikpeazu was affirmed as the winner of the election. That case is cited today as Ikpeazu v. Otti (2016) 8 NWLR (Pt. 1513) 38. Ironically, if the matter had ended at the Court of Appeal, Alex Otti would have become governor of Abia State in 2015, almost eight years before he eventually became governor in 2023. I am Ekene Aninze, Esq.

@EkeneAninze Brilliant jurisprudence by the Supreme Court. What of the famous Godwin Daboh versus Joseph Sarwan Tarka case ? It was another landmark case on corruption.

I just randomly remembered how Bode George was convicted and how the case later turned out to become one of our landmark decisions in criminal law today. Between 2001 and 2003, Chief Olabode George, a retired Naval Commodore and chieftain of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), had the privilege to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). Following an executive committee review ordered by President Olusegun Obasanjo, Bode George and five of his board members were accused of systemic contract inflation and structural splitting within the NPA. The Federal Government alleged that Bode George and his board members achieved this by breaking large contracts down into smaller units to bring them artificially within the Board's approval threshold instead of sending them to Abuja. Bode George and his five board members were also accused of inflating contracts. In August 2008, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Chief George alongside five other board members, including the former NPA Managing Director, Arc. Aminu Dabo. Before Justice Joseph Olubunmi Oyewole of the Lagos State High Court, the EFCC argued that the board deliberately bypassed federal guidelines limiting their financial contract-awarding powers. They further argued that contract splitting violated administrative ministry circulars and guidelines. The prosecution maintained that ignoring these directives constituted "disobedience to lawful orders" and "abuse of office" under the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State. But Bode George and his legal team, led by Mr. Joseph Bodunrin Daudu, SAN, argued that ministry guidelines and circulars did not amount to written penal laws. Therefore, violating them could not constitute a criminal offence. They invoked Section 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that no one can be convicted for an offence that is not defined in a written law. Furthermore, they argued that no financial gain accrued to Chief Bode George, thereby defeating any claim of an "intent to defraud." But after the conclusion of the trial, the trial court chose to believe the prosecution's case and convicted Bode George, sentencing him to 30 months imprisonment. Bode George appealed to the Court of Appeal, but the Court affirmed his conviction. So, his legal team headed straight to the Supreme Court. And this was where the story changed forever. At the Supreme Court, the Apex Court, through Justice John Afolabi Fabiyi, held that under Section 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, an offence must be defined and its penalty prescribed in a written law. The Court noted that administrative "guidelines" and "circulars" are not written laws passed by a legislature. The Court further explained that although contract splitting became criminalised later under the Public Procurement Act of 2007, it was not an offence between 2001 and 2003 when the alleged actions took place. The Supreme Court finally concluded that no extra element of fraud was proven beyond reasonable doubt and that Chief Bode George derived zero financial gain from the split contracts. So, in the end, his conviction and that of his board members were set aside. That case later became a leading authority that decisively established a fundamental principle of criminal law which is to the effect that public officers cannot be convicted for offences that were not explicitly written in law at the time of the alleged action. It is usually cited by lawyers as Bode George v. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2014) 5 NWLR (Pt. 1399). I am Ekene Aninze, Esq.

It is not clear if the Nigerian Society of Engineers was involved in the engineering design & construction work. The Permanent Secretary of Osun State Ministry of Works is a member of two professional bodies : the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) & the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE). His professional licence is at stake.

According to reports, this is Osun’s newly opened LAMECO flyover and it was just commisioned three weeks ago. As at today, this is its present state. I hope Governor Adeleke will bring the contractor that did this kind of job to book? Because how do you do this kind of job as flyover knowing fully well that heavy duty cars will ply on it? Haba!!!!

Nigerian politicians can be very cunning & deceptive. What matters to them is personal interest & political survival. The interests of the people (the electorate) are often ignored &trampled upon. This is why political parties have lost their relevance. No principles & no ideology. They have become mere "special purpose vehicles" (SPVs) to "grab" power & "run away with it" for selfish interests & stomach infrastructure. As far as they are concerned, politics is for self-aggrandizement. The electorate is of no significance & no accountability to anyone. We cannot continue like this. @JibrinIbrahim17 .

Let American Federal Bureau of Investigation @FBI , Drug Enforcement Authority @DEA & Dept. of Justice @DOJ release the classified files once & for all. Enough of endless throwing of brickbats & shenanigans. This issue has been lingering since 1993. It must be laid to rest. @realDonaldTrump .

'If Atiku were Chinese, he would be rotting in jail' — presidency tackles ex-VP over move on Tinubu's US forfeiture case The presidency says former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s attempt to revive President Bola Tinubu’s US forfeiture case through foreign lobbyists is self-defeating. In a statement issued on Thursday, Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson, said Atiku’s “dismal record” as a public servant shows that he has no reason to ask Nigerians for their votes. thecable.ng/if-atiku-were-…

Obasanjo rejects Osoba’s alleged deceit claim, defends 2003 political decisions premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/…

Nigeria is a paradox. The higher the FAAC allocations, the higher the level of corruption & misery. Despite the trillions of Naira allocated every month, currency devaluation, hyperinflation & graft have rendered the allocations meaningless. In several states, pensioners on contributory pension scheme (CPS) are suffering due to non-remittance of pension contributions. In Osun State, the seizure of LG funds for over 2 years has plunged retirees into hunger & deprivation. The situation is very deplorable.

UN: 191m Nigerians couldn’t afford healthy diet in 2025 over high food costs A new United Nations (UN) report says about 191.2 million Nigerians could not afford a healthy diet in 2025 as rising food costs continued to put adequate nutrition beyond the reach of many. According to the report, the number of Nigerians unable to afford a healthy diet rose sharply from 137.5 million in 2017 to 191.2 million in 2025. thecable.ng/un-191m-nigeri…

Charity begins at home. While the anti-corruption fight is a welcome development especially in a corruption- prone environment, this must be done in line with constitutional provisions. @officialEFCC should beam its searchlight on monumental corruption at the federal level (MDAs) before focusing attention on the sub-national governments. We remain committed to transparency and accountability based on the rule of law. Corruption at all levels has destroyed the country.

BREAKING: The Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, has restrained the EFCC from proceeding with its planned investigation into the finances of the Oyo State Government. Delivering judgment in a suit filed by the Oyo State Government, Justice Nkeonye Maha acknowledged the EFCC’s statutory powers to investigate financial infractions and crimes but emphasized that such powers must be exercised strictly in line with the Constitution and the Rule of Law. According to the judge, the EFCC’s proposed investigation into Oyo State’s finances, particularly the demands contained in its letter of 2 June 2025, was speculative and amounted to a fishing expedition. The judge noted that the constitutional rights of the plaintiffs to fair hearing could not be trampled upon under the guise of investigation. The EFCC had on 2 June 2025 written to the Oyo State Accountant-General, demanding, among other things, copies of all contracts involving the state and details of all transactions and payments made to contractors from 2021 to the date of the letter. The Oyo State Government argued through its counsel, led by the Attorney General, Barrister Abiodun Aikomo, that the EFCC’s request, covering several years, was oppressive, unduly burdensome, and unreasonable given the volume of contracts entered into during the period. In defence, EFCC counsel I.G. Ojibor, leading S. Adamu, relied on Section 38 of the EFCC Act (2004), which empowers the Commission to demand and receive information from any person, authority, corporation, or company without hindrance. He argued that this provision entitled the EFCC to conduct a blanket investigation into the state’s finances. In conclusion, Justice Maha ruled in favour of the Oyo State Government, set aside the EFCC’s letter dated 2 June 2025, and declared that any request by the Commission must be reasonable and tied to specific allegations. The judge emphasized that Section 38 of the EFCC Act empowers the Commission to demand information only for the investigation of offences under the Act, not for speculative or roving inquiries.

Dangote Refinery has resumed gantry loading in Naira. The new price is now ₦1,215 per litre an increase of ₦140 from the previous price of ₦1,075 per litre.

If your community still needs better roads, schools or healthcare, this conversation concerns you. Between January and June 2026, Nigeria’s Federation Account generated N18.72 trillion in gross revenue. N13.95 trillion came from statutory revenue, while N4.77 trillion came from VAT. June generated the highest gross revenue at N4.50 trillion, yet only 57% was available for distribution to the Federal Government, states and local governments. February generated the least revenue at N2.23 trillion, but 85% was available for sharing. Every month, states and local governments receive allocations from the Federation Account to provide public services. Your state and local government received their share too. Do you know how much they received? You can find out on me.BudgIT: me.budgit.org/login Your state received a share of N18.72 trillion in the first half of 2026. What has that money been used for in your community? #AskQuestions #GetInvolved #DataofTheDay