Nigerian News: Morning Headlines – 23 September 2026

Kwankwaso Vows NDC Will Restore Fuel Subsidy If Elected

Vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said his party will bring back fuel subsidy “in its own way” if voted into power in 2027, arguing that Nigerians deserve affordable fuel prices.

Speaking in an interview with Arise Television on Tuesday, Kwankwaso criticised the manner in which President Bola Tinubu removed the subsidy on his first day in office, describing the move as having plunged the country into difficulty. He said an NDC administration would explore alternative ways of easing fuel costs without returning to the old subsidy regime, including expanding local refining capacity.

The former Kano State governor also took a swipe at sitting governors, saying many of them lack real power once in office and often stop listening to advice after assuming Government House.

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Babachir Lawal Dumps ADC, Joins NDC Ahead Of 2027 Polls

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), three months after leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over allegations of a rigged presidential primary.

Lawal announced his defection on Tuesday in Abuja, pledging full support for the NDC’s presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 general election.

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CBN Raises Monetary Policy Rate To 23 Percent

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has adjusted the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to 23 percent.

CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, disclosed this while briefing journalists on Tuesday after the committee’s 307th meeting held in Abuja.

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Tinubu Didn’t Give Me ₦50 Billion For Ibadan Airport – Makinde Replies Wike

Oyo State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, has denied claims that President Bola Tinubu approved ₦50 billion for the upgrade of the Ladoke Akintola International Airport in Ibadan.

Makinde made the denial on Tuesday while speaking at a North West Town Hall meeting in Katsina State, insisting the airport project is being fully funded by the Oyo State Government.

His response follows an earlier claim by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Monday, that the Tinubu administration had supported Oyo State with ₦50 billion for the project.

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Suspected Cultists Kill Man In Lagos’s Ikorodu Area

A man identified as Tosin has reportedly been killed by suspected cultists in the Egbin area of Ijede, Ikorodu, Lagos State, after allegedly being robbed.

The incident occurred on September 15, after Tosin travelled from Ondo State to attend an event in the community. A source said he briefly stepped outside the venue while the event was ongoing when he was accosted and attacked by suspected hoodlums.

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Schoolchild Missing As Flood Sweeps Through Anambra Road

A schoolchild remains missing after flooding swept through a section of the Nibo–Isiagu Road in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, with police now conducting a search operation.

Nine other people, comprising seven schoolchildren and two adults, were rescued from the flooded route following heavy rainfall that hit parts of the state between Monday and Tuesday.

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Troops Rescue Six Abducted Dutsin-Ma Varsity Students In Katsina

Troops of Sector 2, Operation Fansan Yamma, have rescued six female students of the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, along with their driver, after they were abducted along the Daye–Malumfashi Road in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The victims were seized after armed assailants attacked a commercial vehicle travelling from Kaduna to Katsina on Monday.

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You Won’t Return To Senate In 2027 – Wike Tells Kingibe

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has told the senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe, that she will not be re-elected to the Senate in 2027.

According to Vanguard, Wike made the remark on Tuesday while responding to journalists during an inspection of ongoing road projects in the FCT, where he also defended the administration’s borrowing for infrastructure development.

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FG Inaugurates Panel To Probe Deaths Of 37 Miners In NSCDC Custody

The Federal Government has inaugurated a 10-member independent panel to investigate the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, inaugurated the committee on Tuesday in Abuja, in line with a directive from President Bola Tinubu for a comprehensive and transparent investigation.

The panel is chaired by retired DSS Deputy Director-General Jonathan Kure, with former Nigerian Law School Director-General, Prof Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, as secretary. Other members include retired AIG Hosea Hassan Karma, Prof Olayinka Buhari, representatives of the Minna Emirate Council and Niger State Government, Miners Association National Secretary Liman Sulaiman, activist Deji Adeyanju, journalist Zainab Suleiman Okino, and analyst Dr George Agbakahi.

The 37 detainees died on September 17 while in NSCDC custody in Niger State; the cause of death is yet to be established.

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Tinubu Warns Council Chairmen Against Fuelling Political Violence Ahead Of 2027

President Bola Tinubu has charged chairmen of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas to ensure their councils do not become breeding grounds for political violence as the country approaches the 2027 general election.

The President urged the chairmen to adopt zero tolerance for political thuggery, intimidation, hate speech and violence, warning against the recruitment of young Nigerians for electoral violence.

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There’s No Absence In Aso Rock – Akpabio Clarifies Acting President Claims

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has dismissed speculation that he is acting on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, who is currently on a working vacation in Europe.

Vice President Kashim Shettima is meanwhile attending the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, a development that had sparked debate over the simultaneous absence of both the President and his deputy from Aso Rock.

Addressing the controversy on Tuesday in Akwa Ibom State, Akpabio said Tinubu remains on working leave and that there is no vacancy in the seat of power, adding that he himself remains Senate President and not acting president.

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Anambra Govt Asks Peter Obi To Quit 2027 Presidential Race

The Anambra State Government has challenged former governor and NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, accusing him of reneging on promises made over the state’s debt profile and payment of workers’ salaries.

In a post on its official X account on Tuesday, the state government asked when Obi would quit the campaign, recalling his past pledge to step aside if it were established he left Anambra in debt, and a separate promise to resign as governor if workers went unpaid. It alleged both promises were broken.

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P-Square: Peter Okoye Admits Receiving Over $800,000 In Royalties

Nigerian musician Peter Okoye has admitted to receiving more than $800,000 in royalties from French music rights organisation SACEM for songs recorded by defunct music duo P-Square.

Okoye made the admission while testifying virtually before Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Lagos, during cross-examination by Clement Onwuewunor, SAN, counsel to his twin brother, Jude Okoye.

Jude Okoye and his company, Northside Music Limited, are facing a seven-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged fraud amounting to ₦1.3 billion and $1 million. Jude has pleaded not guilty.

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I Was Mocked – Sophia Momodu Speaks On Having Child With Davido Outside Wedlock

Businesswoman Sophia Momodu has opened up about becoming pregnant for Afrobeats star Davido outside marriage, and the public criticism that followed.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Momodu, the daughter of a pastor, said the pregnancy attracted mockery given the expectations placed on women from religious families. She said that despite already being well known, she often felt unheard, as her own account was overshadowed by negative narratives surrounding her relationship with the singer.

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Mikel Arteta Agrees New Arsenal Contract Extension

Mikel Arteta has agreed a new contract extension with Premier League champions Arsenal, keeping him at the club beyond the end of the current season.

His existing deal, which expires at season’s end, had been the subject of months of negotiation. The exact length of the new contract has not been confirmed, but it is expected to take him past 10 years in charge following his December 2019 appointment. The agreement reportedly includes a pay rise from his current £10 million annual salary, with up to £5 million more available in bonuses. Arteta had previously reassured fans of his intention to stay at the club.

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Mbappe Reveals How Close He Came To Joining Liverpool

Kylian Mbappe has revealed he came close to signing for Liverpool in 2016 while still at Monaco, before opting to join Paris Saint-Germain instead.

Speaking to The Athletic, the France and Real Madrid striker, who was 18 at the time, said his mother was a strong admirer of then-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and had hoped he would move to Merseyside. Mbappe explained that he ultimately chose to stay in France, wanting to make his mark in his home city before eventually moving abroad.