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APC, ADC Strengthen Ranks Following Defections in House of Reps

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A fresh wave of defections in the House of Representatives has given the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the All Progressives Congress (APC), and other parties more members as politicians intensify realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections. 

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, read the notices of defection during plenary on Tuesday.

Twenty-seven lawmakers defected in what is one of the major political realignments in the Green Chamber, just less than one year before Nigerians head to the polls to elect their next set of leaders.

Fourteen of the defectors came into the APC. The eight lawmakers who joined the ADC were made up of five reps from the PDP,  two from the Labour Party (LP), and one from the APC.

Meanwhile, the Action Peoples Party (APP) got two lawmakers, one each from the PDP and LP. It was a similar story with the Accord Party, with two new House of Representatives members from the PDP joining the party, which now rules Osun State.

The lawmakers said their defections were due to an internal crisis in their former parties.

House of Reps Defectors

Below is a list of the lawmakers, the parties they defected from, and where they are headed: 

# Member of Parliament Former Party New Party Constituency / State
1 Aliu Madaki (Deputy Minority Leader) NNPP APC Dala (Kano)
2 George Ozodinobi (Deputy Minority Whip) LP ADC Njikoka/Anaocha/Dunukofia (Anambra)
3 Philip Agbese APC LP Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo (Benue)
4 Ugochinyere Michael Ikeagwuonu PDP APP Ideato (Imo)
5 Abdussamad Dasuki PDP ADC Kebbe/Tambuwal (Sokoto)
6 Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe NNPP APC Tofa/Dawakin-Tofa/Rimingado (Kano)
7 Seyi Sowunmi LP ADC Ojo (Lagos)
8 Mohammed Bassi PDP APC Mayo Belwa/Ganye/Jada/Toungo (Adamawa)
9 Ghali Tijjani Mustapha NNPP APC Ajingi/Albasu/Gaya (Kano)
10 Shehu Bello NNPP APC Fagge (Kano)
11 Dankawu Idris NNPP APC Kumbotso (Kano)
12 Hussain Hassan Shehu NNPP APC Nassarawa (Kano)
13 Rabiu Yusuf NNPP APC Sumaila/Takai (Kano)
14 Garba Mohammed Chiroma NNPP APC Gezawa/Gabasawa (Kano)
15 Ibrahim Mohammed (Kano) NNPP APC Gwale (Kano)
16 Jaafaru Yakubu PDP APC Bali/Gassol (Taraba)
17 Sadiq Abbas Tafida PDP APC Jalingo/Yorro/Zing (Taraba)
18 Ibrahim Mohammed (Kebbi) PDP APC Birnin-Kebbi/Kalgo/Bunza (Kebbi)
19 Bello Shinkafi PDP APC Shinkafi/Zurmi (Zamfara)
20 Harris Okonkwo LP ADC Idemili North/South (Anambra)
21 Yaya Bauchi Tongo PDP ADC Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye (Gombe)
22 Mustapha Abdullahi APC ADC Ikara/Kubau (Kaduna)
23 Mani Maishinko Katami PDP ADC Binji/Silame (Sokoto)
24 Umar Yusuf Yabo PDP ADC Yabo/Shagari (Sokoto)
25 Nwogu Mathew LP APP Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Okpala (Imo)
26 Akanni Clement Ademola PDP Accord Boluwaduro/Ifedayo/Ila (Osun)
27 Oladebo Lanre Olomololaye PDP Accord Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan (Osun)

 

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NDLEA Nabs Two Grandfathers For Selling Drugs To Students

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two elderly men, aged 84 and 75, for allegedly supplying and selling illicit drugs to secondary school students in Umuahia, Abia State.

 

The suspects, identified as 84-year-old Godfrey Orji and 75-year-old Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora, were arrested in separate operations by operatives of the agency.

 

 

According to a statement released on Sunday by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Obiora was arrested on June 19 following intelligence reports that he was selling illicit substances to students and other users from his patent medicine store.

Babafemi said, “Pa Obiora was arrested by NDLEA operatives on Friday, 19th June 2026, following credible intelligence that he was selling illicit substances to young students and others in his patent medicine store located at 4 Club Road, Umuahia, where 4.64 kilograms of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam, were recovered from him during a search of his premises.

The agency said Orji, a pensioner, was arrested after he was caught supplying illicit drugs to students of Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia.

“In his case, Pa Orji, who is a pensioner and also into the illicit drug trade, was nabbed by security guards at Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia, for supplying illicit drugs to two teenage students in the school. The guards thereafter handed them over to the police, who in turn transferred them to NDLEA on Thursday, 18th June,” Babafemi stated.

He disclosed that one of the teenagers, a 15-year-old Senior Secondary School Two student, admitted during interrogation that the suspect regularly supplied him with drugs.

“In his statement, one of the two teenagers, a 15-year-old SS2 student, claimed the 84-year-old grandpa supplies him the drugs, which he takes and also sells to fellow students,” the statement added.

The NDLEA said while the two elderly suspects would be prosecuted, the students had been placed on counselling and rehabilitation programmes.

Meanwhile, the agency also announced a series of drug seizures and arrests across the country.

In Lagos, operatives intercepted a consignment of ADB-Chminaca, a synthetic cannabinoid classified as a dangerous new psychoactive substance, at a courier company. The 9.5kg shipment, which originated from China, was concealed in a carton.

Babafemi said another operation on June 16 led to the seizure of 300 grams of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, hidden inside ladies’ handbags at a logistics company in Lagos.

The agency also raided the residence of a wanted drug dealer, Lukman Badmus, popularly known as Lukman Ogombo, in the Ogombo area of Ajah, Lagos.

“In another interdiction operation in Lagos, NDLEA officers on Friday, 19th June, raided the home of a wanted drug dealer, Lukman Badmus (a.k.a. Lukman Ogombo), in Ogombo area of Ajah, where nine bottles of codeine syrup and 30 grams of skunk were recovered,” Babafemi said.

He added that a follow-up operation at the suspect’s wife’s shop on Lagos Island led to additional recoveries.

“A swift follow-up operation at Lukman’s wife’s shop in Patey area of Lagos Island led to the recovery of additional two bottles of codeine and drug paraphernalia, while 42 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 22.5kg were also recovered from a mini-bus parked in front of her shop. Attempt by the wife, Aisha Saraki, to flush some of the drug exhibits in the toilet during the raid was thwarted by operatives,” he said.

In Kogi State, NDLEA officers intercepted a 33-year-old suspect, Tochukwu Onah, along the Okene–Lokoja Highway with 1.030kg of methamphetamine concealed in custard containers while travelling from Lagos to Abuja.

The agency also confirmed the arrest of two suspects, James Tony Chukwudi, 48, and James Kehinde, 35, who had been wanted in connection with the seizure of 117kg of skunk in Ekiti State in March.

In Oyo State, a 75-year-old suspect, Tudun Olubiyi, alongside Nasiru Buhari, 22, and Buba Musa, 47, was arrested during a raid on a residence in the Dangote area of Elekara, Oyo Town.

Babafemi said operatives recovered “118 jumbo bags containing 1,416kg of skunk covered with sawdust” during the operation.

Similarly, in Edo State, NDLEA officers raided cannabis farms in Khagba Forest, Ikao, Owan East Local Government Area, where 1,744.075kg of skunk was destroyed and 169kg of processed cannabis recovered.

The agency said another operation at Ebora Camp, Ilushi, in Esan South Local Government Area, resulted in the destruction of 2,424.945kg of cannabis, while a suspect, Augustine Anyamone, 45, was arrested with 395kg of skunk.

Commending officers involved in the operations, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised commands in Abia, Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, Kogi and Edo States for the arrests and seizures.

Marwa noted that their efforts in reducing drug supply were being effectively balanced with the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign.

He charged officers across the country “not to rest on their laurels” in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.

 

 

 

 

 

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‎GOS, Olorunfunmi,Ojuko Bag Awards As Sunday Dare Delivers Gazelle  News Lecture 

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TheGazelleNews, popular Lagos based online newspaper is set to honour the trio of Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon, Asiwaju Olorunfumi Bashorun and Chief Waliu Ojuko for their contribution to democracy and governance in Nigeria.

 

‎Solomon, Bashorun and Ojuko will be honoured with the flagship award of the online newspaper, the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Annual Public Lecture and Award of the newspaper scheduled to hold on Wednesday, 15 July, 2026.

‎The lecture with the theme: Driving Grassroots Governance with Public-Private Partnership: The Gains, the Pains, the Prospects will be delivered by Chief Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication

 

‎According to a statement by the Chairperson of the Organising Committee for the event, Mrs Adetutu Audu-Adebisi, the Lifetime Achievement Award is the flagship award for politicians who have distinguished themselves and contribute immensely to the democracy and governance in the country.

‎”Our President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu won the maiden award in 2022 while the Chairman of the influential Governance Advisory Council (GAC), Prince Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi won it in 2024.

‎”This year we are honouring three distinguished Nigerians who have played major roles in governance and sustenance of democracy in the country,” Mrs Audu-Adebisi said.

‎Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon popularly called GOS by many is a deeply rooted grassroots politician.

‎Senator Solomon has developed a political career that has made him a man of the people.

‎He was former Executive Chairman of Mushin Local Government, was a member of the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2007 where he represented Mushin Federal Constituency I.

‎Between 2007 and 2015, Senator Solomon represented Nigeria’s biggest Senatorial District, Lagos West where he rose to become the Minority Whip of the Upper Chamber.

‎A Rotarian, Solomon is very popular among the people particularly those at the grassroots.

‎Presently, he is a member of the very influential Governance Advisory Council (GAC) and is the APC Apex Leader for Mushin combining the two Federal and State Constituencies.

‎Elder Statesman, Asiwaju Reuben Olorunfumi Bashorun is the first Secretary to the State Government (SSG) when he served the administration of the late Lateef Kayode Jakande between 1979 and 1983.

‎A former banker and highly referred politician, Asiwaju Olorunfumi Bashorun was an active player in the aborted Third Republic.

‎A member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Bashorun was one of the leaders who contributed to the success of late MKO Abiola in the SDP presidential primary in Jos.

‎The Igbogbo-born politician was in the forefront of the struggle for the actualisation of the June 12 election.

‎Presently, he is a member of the GAC.

‎Chief Waliu Olajide Ojuko is a highly respected Awori politician.

 

‎Born in Ota, Ogun State, Chief Ojuko had a highly distinguished civil service life in both state and federal civil service in Lagos and Ogun states before venturing into politics.

‎He was a director at Gateway Hotels during the administration of late Chief Olabisi Onabanjo

‎He was Ogun state Secretary of the Social Democratic Party where he played key role in delivering Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola at the Jos Convention and his electoral victory alongside former Governor Olusegun Osoba.

‎He was Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperative & Tourism under Olusegun Osoba;

‎Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs under Senator Ibikunle Amosun; and

‎Senior Special Adviser Political Affairs under Gov. Dapo Abiodun

‎Chief Ojuko is the

‎Olotu of Ota Aworiland;

‎Balogun Ojokoro, Lagos;

‎President, Iganmode Club, Ota;

‎Member, Abeokuta Sports Club;

‎Member, Lagos Island Club; and

‎National President, Iganmode Grammar School Old Students Association

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Spotify Rating Snub:Rapper Odumodublvck Declares Hip-Hop Dead

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Nigerian rapper Odumodublvck has come under heavy fire after making a controversial claim about hip-hop.

 

The ‘Declan Rice’ crooner sparked fresh controversy after re-echoing Wizkid’s infamous claim that hip-hop music is no longer relevant.

While reacting to a list of Nigerian artists with the most monthly listeners on Spotify currently via X, Odumodublvck boldly declared, “Hip Hop is dead,” alluding to the conspicuous absence of Nigerian rappers from the list.

His post elicited mixed reactions, with many berating him for disrespecting the genre while arguing that hip-hop is still much relevant outside Nigeria.

Despite Nigeria having both veteran and thriving rappers, hip-hop artists are absent from the list of Nigerian artists with the most monthly listeners on Spotify currently, with singers occupying the entire top 10.

Burna Boy leads with 40.68 million listeners, closely followed by Tems with 40.64 million listeners.

Rema ranks number 3 with 29.43 million listeners, while Ayra Starr and Wizkid take the numbers 4 and 5 spots with 16.84 and 16.81 million listeners, respectively.

Omah Lay (11.24m), Davido (10.83m), CKay (10.71m), Fireboy DML (9.23m), and Asake (8.69m) complete the top 10.

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