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My Invitation Letter To Akpabio Is Senators’ Procedural, Not Personal – Natasha

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has clarified that her invitation to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other lawmakers for project inaugurations in Kogi State was in line with legislative protocol.

On Thursday, the senator extended the invitation to Akpabio and her colleagues to attend the project commissioning in her constituency, barely two months after she was reinstated from suspension.

Marking her second year in office this week, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she followed the proper parliamentary channel by sending her invitation through the presiding officer, in line with Senate procedure, and requested that the letter be officially read on the floor.

“Today, as is customary for announcements of such nature, I wrote a letter to the Senate through the presiding officer to the Senate President to read on the floor,” she said in a statement.

“I put out the invitation so it wouldn’t seem like I was celebrating in isolation. I’m a progressive person. Even with ongoing court cases, I continue to carry out my duties in the chamber and follow proper procedures.”

The senator said her decision demonstrated a commitment to due process and respect for institutional norms, stressing that the celebration of her achievements and project inaugurations was centered on public service rather than personal recognition.

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It Is Not A Right – United States Breaks Silence On Revocation of Wole Soyinka’s Visa

The United States Embassy in Lagos has opened up on its decision to revoke the visa of Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka.
Recall that the renowned writer had disclosed this during a media parley on Tuesday in Lagos.
The 91-year-old told journalists at Kongi’s Harvest, Freedom Park, that he should not be expected in the US by anyone, as he currently has no visa.
Speaking on the development, the US consulate explained that visas granted by the country to foreign nationals are based on privilege, not a right.
The consulate made the clarification on Thursday in response to an inquiry from Punch regarding the revocation of Soyinka’s visa.
In an email response to the aforementioned publication, the Consulate noted that it could not discuss the details of the particular visa for confidentiality reasons.
 
“Under U.S. law, visa records are generally confidential. We will not discuss the details of this individual visa case,” the Public Diplomacy Officer, US Department of State, US Consulate General, Lagos, Julia McKay, said.
McKay added that visas could be revoked at any time at the discretion of the US government, noting that they are a privilege.
“Visas are a privilege, not a right. Every country, including the United States, can determine who enters its borders. Visas may be revoked at any time, at the discretion of the U.S. government, whenever circumstances warrant,” she said.
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Elon Musk Becomes First Person in History To Be Worth $500 Billion

Elon Musk has made history by becoming the first person in the world to be worth $500 billion.
He hit the half-trillion mark following Tesla’s strong market rebound.
The Tesla and SpaceX boss, who also owns the social platform X and AI startup xAI, saw his fortune surge as Tesla’s stock value jumped roughly 14% this year, pushing his wealth to $499.1 billion after a brief peak at $500 billion.
The rise in Musk’s net worth is largely tied to Tesla’s strong market rebound. The company’s shares, which began the year at $427.90 before dipping to $220.67 amid controversy over Musk’s brief role in Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have since recovered sharply. After resigning from the government post in May, Musk returned full-time to leading Tesla, helping drive investor confidence.
Musk’s vast wealth is spread across multiple ventures including SpaceX, xAI, and Neuralink, all valued in the billions. On his current financial trajectory, experts suggest Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire within a few years.
To put his wealth in perspective, Musk’s $500 billion fortune would rank as the 31st largest economy in the world if it were a country, just below Austria and ahead of Norway, Malaysia, and his native South Africa. His net worth is 125 times greater than the estimated $4 billion value of Britain’s Crown Jewels, 20 times the cost of London’s Elizabeth Line, and ten times the estimated $45.5 billion value of the Louvre Museum and its contents.
Musk’s fortune is also 35 times greater than the combined market value of all Premier League football clubs, which stands at about $14 billion. With such immense wealth, analysts note he could theoretically buy the White House 1,250 times over, based on Zillow’s valuation of $398 million.
Meanwhile, the tech world continues to advance around him. A rival firm, Science Corporation, recently announced a breakthrough in neurotechnology,  developing an eye chip that can restore vision using a brain-computer interface called PRIMA. The technology, tested in a clinical trial involving 38 participants across 17 sites globally, including London’s Moorfields Eye Hospital, enabled 84% of patients to experience a significant improvement in visual function after 12 months.
As Musk’s financial empire grows through Tesla, SpaceX, and his AI ventures, the competition in technology and innovation continues to intensify; but for now, he stands alone at the top of the world’s wealth rankings.
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BREAKING: APC Gains Two-Third Majority In House Of Reps

The All Progressives Congress (APC) comfortably gained two third majority of the House of Representatives on Thursday with the defection of six members of the opposition.

Five members of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) from the South East and one member of the Labour Party (LP) from Plateau State defected to the APC at Thursday’s plenary.

Those who defected are Daniel Asama Ado (Plateau); Chidi Mark Obetta (Enugu); Phillips Anayo Owuegbu (Enugu); Nnaji Nnolim (Enugu);  Denis Agbo (Enugu) and Matthew Nwogu (Imo).

The defection of the six members brings the number or APC members in the House to 242 members, leaving the PDP with 74 members.

In their separate letters read on the floor of the House by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, they all alluded to lingering leadership crisis in the two parties as reasons for their defections.

National Chairman of the APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda; Enugu Governor, Peter Mbah and former Minister of Defence, Fedelia Njeze among others witnessed the defection.

Details shortly…

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BREAKING: All Enugu Reps Defect To APC

The entire Enugu State caucus in the House of Representatives has officially defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defection was announced on Thursday by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, who read the lawmakers’ letters of resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party during plenary.

The event was witnessed by the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah.

The defectors said they decided to dump their former political platforms due to what they described as unresolved internal crises threatening the stability of the opposition parties.
After the 2023 general election, the Labour Party won seven of the eight House of Representatives seats in Enugu State, while the PDP secured one.

With this development, the APC now controls the entire Enugu caucus in the House of Representatives.

Addressing journalists after their defection, the spokesman of the defectors and member representing Nkanu East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency, Nnolim Nnaji, said their decision was influenced by the need to align with the project-oriented administration of Governor Mbah.

He said, “Just come to Enugu and see what is happening there. The governor is doing a lot for our people. We also want to bring our state to the centre. 

“This is not just a political move — it is a bold step into the future! A step borne out of courage, clarity, and our shared determination to reposition Nkanu East and West for greatness.

“For too long, our dear Enugu State has remained in opposition, watching from the sidelines as others shaped the destiny of our nation and accessed opportunities that could have transformed our people’s lives. That era is over! We refuse to remain spectators when we can be key players in Nigeria’s progress.

“By aligning with the APC — the party steering national transformation — we are connecting our constituency to the heartbeat of national development. This alignment will bring more projects, more jobs, better infrastructure, and greater empowerment for our youths, women, and communities.

“This decision wasn’t made on impulse. It comes from deep reflection and a burning desire to see our people rise above limits and take their rightful place in the national spotlight.”

The six defectors at Thursday’s plenary include Martins Oke, Anayo Onwuegbu, Nnamdi Agbo, Nnolim Nnaji, and Mark Obetta.

In a related development, the member representing Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency, Daniel Asama, also dumped the Labour Party for the APC.

Details later…

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ASUU: FG Releases N2.3bn to Pay Arrears of University Lecturers

The Federal Government has announced it has released N2.3bn to clear the salary and promotion arrears of university lecturers.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa confirmed this on Wednesday.
Alausa revealed this while providing updates on ongoing engagements with ASUU and other tertiary institution unions.
He stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains resolute in his determination to resolve all lingering welfare and funding issues in a transparent, fair, and sustainable manner, according to a statement by the Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo.
Alausa announced that the Federal Government has released ₦2.3 billion to universities across the country, representing Batch 8 salary and promotion arrears.
The disbursements, processed through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, reflect the Tinubu Administration’s resolve to clear inherited backlogs and enhance the welfare of academic and non-academic staff in the tertiary education sector.
According to him, “A total of ₦2.311 billion, representing Batch 8 salary and promotion arrears, has been released through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to universities. Benefiting institutions should begin to receive payment alerts anytime from now.”
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We’ll Eliminate Chalkboard by 2027 – FG

The Federal Government has vowed that it will eliminate chalkboards from Nigerian schools by 2027.
This was made public by the Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa during a ministerial roundtable meeting in Abuja.
According to him, the Tinubu-led administration is working towards the digitalization of the education sector in Nigeria. He also disclosed that beginning from 2026; the annual school census would be fully digitalised.
The minister also revealed that over 60,000 tablets have been distributed to schoolchildren in Adamawa, Oyo, and Katsina states under the Airtech (Amazon Web Services) and BESDA programmes, with an additional 30,000 devices expected soon.
“We’ve also launched a smart board, two weeks ago.  goal is that by 2027, every school in Nigeria will have a smart board. This is how we can cascade high-quality education to every child, irrespective of where they live, their background, or their parents’ social status.”
Alausa explained that the deployment of interactive smart boards would gradually replace traditional chalkboards in public schools, enabling a more dynamic, engaging, and technology-driven classroom experience.
He noted that the devices would allow teachers to integrate multimedia, digital textbooks, and real-time interactions into lessons, helping students to not only listen but also explore, engage, and participate actively in the learning process.
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Tinubu Approves 15% Import Duty On Petrol, Diesel

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has given approval for a 15 percent import duty on diesel and petrol.
As a result, the price of petrol is expected to increase in the country.
The implementation of the import duty will increase a litre of petrol by an estimated N99.72 kobo.
The Guardian reported that this was announced in a letter dated October 21, 2025, where the private secretary to the president, Damilotun Aderemi, conveyed Tinubu’s approval to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Tinubu gave his approval, following a request by the FIRS to apply the 15 percent duty on the cost, insurance and freight (CIF) to align import costs to domestic realities.
The latest development has led to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) announcing that it has begun a detailed review of the country’s three petroleum refineries, with a view to bringing them back online.
NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Bayo Ojulari, made the announcement in a post on his official X handle on Wednesday night.
According to Ojulari, one of the options being explored by the NNPCL is to search for technical equity partners to ‘high-grade or repurpose’ the facilities.
Tagged: “Update on Our Refineries”, Ojulari said: “The NNPCL continues to remain optimistic that the refineries will operate efficiently, despite current setbacks.”
It can be recalled that despite spending about $3 billion on revamping the refineries, only the 60,000 barrels per day portion of the facility worked skeletally for just a few months before packing up.
The Warri refinery has remained ineffective weeks after it was gleefully announced to have returned to production, while the one situated in Kaduna State never took off at all.
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US Government Permanently Revokes Wole Soyinka’s Visa

The US visa of Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has been permanently revoked.
Accoording to Leadership, ‎Soyinka disclosed this at a media parley held in Lagos on Tuesday, October 28.
He said that he received the letter of Visa revocation last Thursday, October 23, and that the development seemed like being witch-hunted because of his stance against the policies of US President Donald Trump.
‎Recall that in December 2016, the renowned author, poet and playwright tore his Green Card after Trump’s electoral triumph for his first term in office.
‎Speaking at the media parley held at the Freedom Park, Lagos, with the theme ‘Unending Saga: Idi Amin In Whiteface!’, Soyinka, who now resides in Nigeria, read the letter from the US Consulate In Lagos.
The letter reads;
‎”Dear Mr Soyinka, this letter serves as official notification of the United States Consulate that the non-immigrant visa listed below has been revoked in pursuant to the Department of State Regulations 22 CFR 41.122 and is no longer valid for application into the United States. Additional ‎information became available after the below visa was issued. This revocation refers only to the visa listed below.
 
‎Name of visa holder: SOYINKA, WOLE
 
 Date and place of birth: 13-JUL-1934, NIGERIA
 
‎ Visa classification(symbol): B1/B2
 
‎ Date and place of visa issuance: 02-APR-2024, Lagos,” the letter read partly
He stated that there was no hard feelings as a result of the development and that he will continue to welcome Americans to his house in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as he has no issues with the people or the nation.
He added that, as a global citizen, he will continue to speak against racism and what he feels wrong with policies of governments, including that of Donald Trump.
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183 million Gmail Passwords Reportedly Stolen in Data Breach

It has been reported that at least 180 million Gmail passwords have been compromised in a new data breach.
Following the breach, Gmail users have been urged to check their accounts.
Australian cyber expert Troy Hunt, who revealed the incident, called it a ‘vast corpus’of breached data, which totals 3.5 terrabytes.  He explained that’s the equivalent of 875 full-length HD movies.
According to Mr Hunt, ‘all the major providers have email addresses in there’ – so not just Gmail, but Outlook, Yahoo and others too.
‘They’re from everywhere you could imagine, but Gmail always features heavily,’ Hunt told the Daily Mail.
The incident occurred in April but has only just been disclosed on Mr Hunt’s Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) website.
According to the expert, breached data contained 183 million unique email addresses alongside the websites they were entered into and the passwords used.
Mr Hunt added that the incident is not a single breach but a collection of ‘stealer logs’ – a series of data files generated and compiled by ‘malware’ (malicious software).
‘Stealer logs are more of a firehose of data that’s just constantly spewing personal info all over the place,’ Mr Hunt explained in his blog post.
‘Once the bad guys have your data, it often replicates over and over again via numerous channels and platforms.’ 
Mr. Hunt urged people to check if they’ve been compromised, by heading to the Have I Been Pwned website and entering their email address in the search bar.
Next, tap on the button marked ‘Check’ and the site will show you the list of data breaches affecting your email address.

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