Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has released the list of cleared and disqualified aspirants ahead of the party’s primaries for the 2027 general elections.

According to the list, 33 aspirants were cleared to participate in the primaries, while 65 others were not cleared.

Notably, all 32 aspirants believed to be aligned with the camp of Governor Siminalayi Fubara were disqualified from the exercise.

In contrast, incumbent members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, were cleared.

In a statement issued by the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Chibike Ikenga, members who purchased the House of Assembly Expression of Interest and Nomination forms were advised to verify their status on the notice board at the party’s state secretariat located at No. 268B Aba Road, Port Harcourt.

Ikenga further stated that appeals arising from the screening outcome should be submitted through the party secretariat.

He added that the appeal process is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, May 12, by 10 a.m. at the party secretariat.

Meanwhile, in a report released by the screening committee, it listed several reasons for the disqualification of affected aspirants.

Among the reasons are: “Nominations by persons who are not financially up to date members of the Party, contrary to Article 9.3 of the Party Constitution, inducement and attempted bribery of Committee members, submission of unsworn affidavits, failure to present voters cards, failure to present Party membership slips or cards, conflicting dates of birth, failure to confirm payment of membership dues by nominators, irregular party membership numbers of nominators, inconsistencies in names appearing in submitted documents, insufficient nominators with required numbers which fall short of three nominations per ward, invalid affidavits that failed to disclose material particulars relating to NECO certificates.”

The Federal Government has warned telecom operators to improve service quality or face regulatory sanctions, saying recent reforms have stabilised the sector and removed excuses for poor network performance.

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, issued the warning in a statement on Sunday, emphasising that Nigeria’s connectivity gaps were largely structural, driven by years of underinvestment and constraints on operators.

Tijani said the government had tackled the problem through long-term infrastructure planning and immediate sector-stabilisation measures aimed at restoring sustainability and investor confidence.

He said the long-term reforms are focused on expanding infrastructure through new fibre deployment and tower rollout initiatives designed to close critical gaps in Nigeria’s digital backbone.

The minister noted that funding has been secured with support from the World Bank for Project BRIDGE, alongside additional investments in satellite capacity to boost nationwide coverage.

He added that these interventions are expected to transform connectivity over the next two to five years, enabling businesses and households to access reliable high-speed internet beyond unstable mobile connections.

“When we assumed office, it was clear that Nigeria’s connectivity challenges were structural, driven by years of underinvestment in infrastructure and constraints that limited the ability of operators to deliver quality service.

“We have addressed this on two fronts. First, the long-term structural solution. We have secured funding, led by the World Bank, and established the framework for a special purpose vehicle with Project BRIDGE, to deliver nationwide open access fibre infrastructure. Deployment of fibre will commence, alongside new tower rollouts through NUCAP, before the end of the year even as we also expand our satellite capability.

“These investments will address the foundational gaps in our digital infrastructure over the next two to five years and permanently transform connectivity across Nigeria,” he said.

Speaking on immediate interventions, Tijani said that government has stabilised the sector through tariff adjustments, the designation of telecom infrastructure as critical national infrastructure, tax harmonisation efforts, and broader macroeconomic reforms.

According to him, the reforms have restored operator profitability and created a more transparent and market-driven environment, giving telcos the capacity to invest in network improvements.

“It is now the responsibility of telecom operators such as MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria, Globacom, and T2 to take all necessary steps to resolve network challenges and deliver the level of service Nigerians expect,” the minister insisted.

Tijani stressed that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been fully empowered to monitor performance, enforce standards, and ensure compliance, with sanctions expected for defaulting operators.

He said Nigerians should begin to see measurable improvements in call quality, data speed and network coverage, adding that the government will continue to rely on regulatory reports and user feedback to hold operators accountable and ensure consumers receive value for money.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested three persons with disability, including a 60-year-old man, for alleged drug trafficking during separate operations in Anambra and Kwara States.

The agency also said it uncovered a ₦5.8 billion cannabis stash house in Lekki, Lagos State, and dismantled a skuchies production factory in Lagos.

This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday(today) to the column.ng by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi.

According to the statement, Romanus Nwabara, 60, was arrested on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, after being traced to Akpaka Forest, Onitsha, Anambra State, where he was allegedly found with 250 grams of skunk packaged in retail sachets.

“In a different raid at Ogbunike area of the state, NDLEA officers on Thursday, May 7, arrested another PWD, Amos Kenneth, 25, with 160.3 grams of Tramadol (225mg and 100mg); 80 pills of Diazepam; 38.23 grams of Exol-5; and 176.93 grams of skunk.

“In Kwara, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bode Saadu on Friday, May 8, intercepted a commercial vehicle and, in the course of a search, one of the passengers, a PWD, Usman Salisu, was found with 6.3 kilograms of skunk concealed in a brown school bag,” the statement read.

In a separate operation, operatives of the NDLEA Special Operations Unit on Friday, May 8, raided a Lekki, Lagos, mansion allegedly used as a drug stash

house, where 4,000 parcels of Loud — a strong strain of cannabis — weighing 2,326 kilograms, with an estimated street value of over ₦5.815 billion, were recovered.

The agency said two Mercedes-Benz buses and designer sachets used for packaging illicit drugs were also seized from the building located at 36 African Lane, Lekki Phase 1.

Elsewhere, Babafemi said, “Emmanuel Osita Okeke, 38, was arrested with 129kg of skunk at Nyanya, Karu, Nasarawa State, on Monday, May 4, 2026.

“NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Okene–Lokoja highway, Kogi State, on Friday, May 8, intercepted a white commuter J5 bus heading to Abuja. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 76 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 766kg and the arrest of three suspects: Mathew Omohove, Ebuka Desmond, and Babangida Musa.”

He further stated that “in an operation at the Ijora Badia area of Lagos, NDLEA officers on Wednesday, May 6, raided a makeshift skuchies production factory where two suspects — Bose Jamiu and Gbenga Gege — were arrested.

“They were caught in the act of cooking cannabis and mixing same with other illicit substances. A total of 270 litres of already produced skuchies and 106 grams of Tramadol (225mg) were recovered from them.”

The statement added that NDLEA commands across the country continued War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities during the week.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain the agency’s drug supply reduction and sensitisation efforts.

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