Author: Tribune Online

A Kaduna State High Court has ordered the remand of businessman Vincent Timothy over the alleged issuance of dud cheques worth N20 million. Justice Darius Khobo gave the order on Monday as the defendant was arraigned before the court to face trial. EFCC counsel, E.K Garba, had told the court that the defendant committed the […]

New research suggests that the widespread use of spray disinfectants in kitchens, bathrooms, schools, and hospitals—often without a second thought—could cause far more lung damage…

The Chairman of the Kano North Political Stakeholders Forum, Aliyu Abbas Gumawa Gabasawa, has said that Kano North Senatorial District is not open to political experimentation or imposed candidates.

In a statement issued on Monday, Gumawa said recent political activities in the district, particularly the declaration by former Minister of State for Housing, Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo, have raised serious concern.

He said after consultations and assessment of the political situation, the ambition does not reflect the aspirations of the people of Kano North.

According to him, it is a misplaced ambition, lacking grassroots backing and relevance to the aspirations of the people of Kano North.

Gumawa also pointed to the nature of the declaration event, noting that it was attended mostly by people from outside the constituency.

“It is our considered view that the event was dominated by political actors whose influence does not reflect the realities of electoral strength within Kano North, and therefore, cannot be used as a measure of popular support. We also observe with concern the increasing trend of external interference in the political affairs of Kano North Senatorial District, particularly attempts by non-indigenes of the constituency to impose or promote candidates without due regard to the will of the people.

He added that such a gathering cannot be used as a measure of popular support.

He further warned against what he described as increasing external interference in the political affairs of Kano North.

“We observe with concern attempts by non-indigenes of the constituency to impose or promote candidates without due regard to the will of the people,” he said.

Gumawa stressed that Kano North will not accept such moves.

“Kano North is not available for political experimentation or imposed candidacies,” he said.

“Such actions, if left unchecked, risk undermining the unity, stability, and democratic integrity of our constituency, which has consistently demonstrated loyalty to credible and effective representation.”

He called on political actors to respect the wishes of the people and avoid creating unnecessary tension.

He urged that the electorate be allowed to decide their future based on performance and trust.

He also reaffirmed confidence in the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau I. Jibrin, describing him as a tested, trusted, and result-oriented representative whose performance continues to earn support across the district.

We won’t gamble with Kano north – Gumawa

When Abdullahi Tijjani Mohammed Gwarzo stepped before a crowd of supporters in Kano recently and formally accepted calls to contest the Kano North senatorial seat in 2027, few in Nigeria’s political circles were entirely surprised.

The declaration was long anticipated. What it has done, however, is crystallise what promises to be one of the most consequential intra-party battles in northern Nigeria ahead of the next general elections — a contest that pits a former deputy governor and minister against one of the most powerful men in Nigeria’s legislature.

The opponent Gwarzo will most likely face is no ordinary incumbent. Senator Barau Ibrahima Jibrin is the deputy president of the Nigerian Senate, the second-highest-ranking official in the upper chamber, currently on his third consecutive term representing Kano North. In the rarefied and often treacherous terrain of Nigerian politics, challenging a sitting Deputy Senate President for his constituency ticket is either an act of supreme political confidence — or a very high-risk gamble.

An Ambitious Challenger with Deep Roots

Gwarzo’s political credentials are not insignificant. His career in public life spans multiple decades and levels of government, beginning with his tenure as chairman of Gwarzo Local Government Area — the district after which he is named — serving multiple terms.

He rose through the ranks to serve as deputy governor of Kano State before being appointed Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development by President Bola Tinubu in 2023, a post he held until 2024.

At his declaration event, Gwarzo framed his candidacy around a narrative of experience and grassroots service. He pointed to a vocational training programme he has established, currently supporting about 100 youths with skills acquisition and monthly stipends, pledging to expand it across the district’s 18 local government areas as a flagship anti-unemployment initiative.

He also cited contributions to rural electrification and skills acquisition centres during his years in office and invoked his ministerial record, including involvement in the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates housing initiative under the Tinubu administration.

“His long record in public service positions him as the most experienced candidate for the seat,” his camp maintained — a claim that, while legitimate on its face, will be tested rigorously by political reality in Kano North.

The Incumbent’s Formidable Position

Barau Jibrin’s grip on Kano North politics has been built steadily over a decade. First elected to represent the senatorial district in 2015 on the APC platform, he was re-elected in 2019 and again in 2023 — his third consecutive term.

On June 13, 2023, when the 10th National Assembly was inaugurated, he emerged as Deputy Senate President unopposed, following endorsement by all his colleagues.

His rise to the second-highest office in the Senate did not happen by accident. In the Senate, Barau has chaired influential committees, including Petroleum (Downstream) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), contributing to legislative oversight in energy and education sectors.

His contributions include championing the North West Development Commission, sponsoring bills to establish federal universities and polytechnics, and implementing constituency empowerment programmes.

On the ground in Kano North, Barau has invested heavily in his political structure. As recently as February 2026, he donated 26 cars and 141 motorcycles to chairmen, vice-chairmen, councillors, and secretaries across all 13 LGAs of the Kano North Senatorial District — a calculated act of grassroots infrastructure-building ahead of 2027 that money and titles alone cannot easily counter.

APC stakeholders across Kano North have pledged total commitment to delivering votes for Barau in 2027, with a stakeholders meeting convened by the Deputy Senate President drawing party leaders, elected officials, and grassroots politicians to consolidate unity ahead of the elections.

At the same gathering, the Deputy Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Muhammad Bello Butu-Butu, declared that Kano North had never had a senator who performed as well as

The Governorship Variable

What makes the political calculus around Kano North’s 2027 Senate race even more complex is a question Barau himself has not yet publicly resolved: does he want the Senate seat at all?

A group of over 200 serving and former members of the Kano State House of Assembly has endorsed the Deputy Senate President for the 2027 governorship race, describing him as the most marketable candidate for the APC in Kano State. Their endorsement is based on what they call his long track record at the National Assembly and the fact that his influence cuts across all three senatorial zones of Kano.

Beyond the governorship, some voices have gone even further. A northern youth group has publicly urged President Tinubu to consider Barau Jibrin as his vice-presidential running mate in 2027, arguing that his pervasive political influence — particularly in delivering APC votes in Kano North — makes him a uniquely valuable asset at the presidential ticket level.

This ambiguity is politically significant. If Barau eventually opts for the Kano governorship or a higher office, the senatorial ticket he leaves behind becomes a far more open contest — and Gwarzo’s declaration suddenly looks less like a long shot and more like a well-timed positioning.

A Contest Within the Party

It is important to note that, as matters stand, both Gwarzo and Barau are members of the All Progressives Congress. This means the primary battle — should it come to that — will be fought within the APC’s internal machinery, a terrain notoriously susceptible to godfather influence, delegate manipulation, and federal executive pressure.

Gwarzo is not without allies in the corridors of power; his stint as minister places him within the patronage network of the Tinubu administration.

Yet Barau’s proximity to power is arguably closer and more entrenched. President Tinubu conferred on him the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on October 1, 2024.

Critics, however, have raised accountability questions about the incumbent’s record. Investigative reports have revealed that over one billion naira in constituency projects in Kano North between 2015 and 2021 were awarded to Sinti Nigeria Limited, a company linked to Barau and his children, raising conflict-of-interest concerns under Nigeria’s Code of Conduct laws.

Barau has not publicly addressed these allegations in detail. They remain, nonetheless, a potential line of attack for any challenger willing to press the point.

Analyst Chip-in

In an interview with THE WHISTLER, Abdullahi Usman, a Political analysts said the emerging contest in Kano North reflects a broader tension within the APC between entrenched legislative power and the aspirations of a new generation of returnee politicians seeking to leverage federal connections. “Barau has spent a decade building a formidable political machine in that district, and his elevation to Deputy Senate President has only deepened his structural advantage,” said one Kano-based political analyst who asked not to be named. “But Gwarzo is not a frivolous candidate — he brings name recognition, gubernatorial-level experience, and a ministerial record that gives him credibility among a section of the electorate that values executive pedigree over legislative tenure. The real question is whether this contest is ultimately decided by the wishes of the grassroots or by the calculations of party stakeholders at the top. In Nigerian politics, those are rarely the same thing.” The analyst, however, cautioned against reading the race as settled for either side, noting that Barau’s own unresolved ambitions — whether for the governorship or a higher federal office — could yet redraw the entire political landscape in Kano North before campaigns formally begin.

What Kano North Needs

Kano North, spanning 13 local government areas across one of Nigeria’s most densely populated states, is a region marked by the paradox common to much of northern Nigeria: high political mobilisation coupled with persistent underdevelopment. Youth unemployment, limited industrial activity, and inadequate infrastructure remain pressing concerns.

Both Gwarzo and Barau have framed their respective political offers around these realities, though observers will note that the district has been sending senators to Abuja for decades with mixed results in translating federal allocations into transformational development.

The 2027 contest, whenever it fully crystallises, will ultimately be decided not only on the floor of a party primary but in the calculations of a political elite weighing the costs and rewards of loyalty, ambition, and alignment with the prevailing federal power structure.

For now, Gwarzo has fired the opening shot. Whether Barau will be on the ballot to receive it — or whether he will have moved his ambitions further up the ladder — remains the defining uncertainty shaping Kano North’s political horizon.

Kano: Former Minister Challenges Deputy Senate President For APC Ticket is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Nigerians in the United Kingdom staged a protest at the UK Parliament, calling for the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, as they demanded credible and transparent elections ahead of 2027.

The protesters made up of members of the Nigerians in Diaspora community, voiced concerns over the Nigeria electoral system.

Speaking during the protest, one of the protesters said, “If we must save our democracy, we need to save it today. We must enjoy a better country tomorrow, and it starts now. It starts by asking Amupitan to resign from that office,” he emphasized.

“We don’t want him to bury it. That’s why we are here to speak out. We need to give maximum support. All we are fighting for is a free and fair election,” he said.

DAILY POST also gathers that members of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, youths have also mobilised for protests across Nigeria.

Demonstrations are scheduled to take place at INEC offices in Lagos, Ogun, and Jigawa States, with participants demanding the removal of the INEC chairman.

Watch video of UK protest

2027: Nigerians protest at UK parliament, demand removal of INEC Chairman

Nollywood actress Toyin Abraham on Monday appealed to her supporters, known as “Toyin Titans,” to stop attacking her former protégé, Pelumi Olawuni, popularly known as

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, dismissed the suit filed by Air Peace Limited seeking to restrain the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) from issuing summons over numerous alleged complaints from passengers nationwide regarding unrefunded ticket fares, canceled flights among others.   The trial judge, Justice James Omotosho dismissed the […]

Senator Sunday Marshall Katung has wrapped up a strategic week-long tour of all eight Local Government Areas of the Kaduna South Senatorial District. This was even as he urged the people to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Gov Uba Sani re-election in 2027 general elections. This was contained in a statement issued by the […]

Malaria remains one of Nigeria’s most serious public health challenges. The combination of warm weather and seasonal rains creates ideal breeding conditions for Female Anopheles mosquitoes, the insects responsible for spreading malaria. Fortunately, most malaria cases are preventable through consistent, simple measures.

The push to curb crime in Rivers State has taken a sharper, more strategic turn, as the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) declared that only sustained intelligence-sharing between residents and law enforcement can decisively check rising security threats—particularly the resurgence of kidnapping.

Marking its 42nd anniversary in Port Harcourt, the PCRC noted that without real-time community cooperation, efforts to combat evolving criminal networks could falter.

Speaking at the Rivers State Police Headquarters on Moscow Road, the State Chairman of PCRC, Dr Voke Emore, said crime prevention must move beyond routine policing to a model anchored on active civilian participation and timely intelligence.

“We cannot secure our communities in isolation,” Emore stated. “Criminals are becoming more sophisticated. If residents do not provide credible and timely information, the police will always be a step behind.”

While noting a significant drop in crime rates across parts of the state, Emore noted that renewed kidnapping attempts as a growing concern, stressing that early reporting and vigilance at the grassroots remain critical to neutralising threats before they escalate.

He further revealed that the Inspector-General of Police has ranked the Rivers PCRC as the most effective in the country—a recognition he attributed to consistent engagement between the police and the public.

“Our responsibility is clear—bridge the gap between the people and the police. That is what guarantees safety and creates an environment where businesses can thrive,” he added.

Echoing the urgency, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, described the PCRC as a central pillar in the command’s ongoing reforms aimed at restoring public trust and enforcing accountability within the force.

Adepoju disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force is recalibrating its operational framework to prioritise transparency, warning that officers found culpable of misconduct will be decisively sanctioned.

“Reforming the police is not optional—it is ongoing,” he said. “But we cannot achieve it without the community. PCRC has not only supported us but has also held us accountable, and that is critical.”

In a significant policy shift, the CP announced the introduction of a new Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU)—a tactical formation that will integrate community stakeholders, including PCRC members, into frontline crime-fighting efforts.

The unit, he explained, is designed to strengthen intelligence gathering, improve rapid response to violent crimes, and deepen civilian oversight of police operations.

“You will remain watchdogs,” Adepoju told PCRC members. “Help us identify officers who undermine public trust while working with us to confront criminal elements.”

The anniversary event featured a symbolic solidarity walk by PCRC members from the Police Officers’ Mess in Old GRA to the command headquarters, underscoring a unified front in the fight against crime.

The procession drew participation from transport and civic groups, including the Commercial Drivers Welfare Association, the Bikers Association, and the PCRC youth wing.

Rivers PCRC Urges Public To Share Intelligence With Police is first published on The Whistler Newspaper