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Nigerian News: Morning Headlines – 20 September 2026
NDC: Obi Will Beat Tinubu By Wider Margin In Lagos Come 2027
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) says it is confident that its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, will defeat President Bola Tinubu in Lagos State during the 2027 presidential election, and by a wider margin than his 2023 showing.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said Obi’s 2023 victory over Tinubu in Lagos was no fluke, insisting it mirrored the true political mood of the state and that the trend would only deepen ahead of the next poll.
PDP Chieftains, Oluyede’s Camp Clash Over Ekiti Campaign Funds
Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ado-Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti State have clashed with the campaign team of its governorship candidate in the June 20 election, Dr Wole Oluyede, over how campaign funds were managed.
The party leaders demanded that Oluyede publicly disclose his total campaign expenditure, while also defending his running mate, Deji Ogunsakin, against allegations of financial impropriety levelled by members of his camp.
47 Arrested With Guns, Cutlasses During Bauchi Bye-Election
No fewer than 47 suspects were arrested on Saturday during the bye-election in Disina State Constituency, Shira Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
The suspects were allegedly armed with guns, cutlasses and sticks, and were reportedly posing as operatives of a state-owned security outfit at the time of their arrest.
Gunmen Kill Father Of Four In Rivers Community, Police Investigate
Police in Rivers State have opened an investigation into the killing of a father of four, Kamadioye Krama, by gunmen in Emulation community, Abua/Odual Local Government Area.
The spokesperson for the State Police Command, Blessing Agabe, confirmed the incident, stating that investigations were ongoing to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
Delta Police Nab Suspect Over Fake Military Uniforms, Tramadol Haul
The Delta State Police Command has arrested a suspect after operatives intercepted a vehicle conveying military camouflage uniforms, boots and hats, alongside cartons of suspected Tramadol and other illicit drugs.
The vehicle, a green Toyota Sienna with registration number KP 527 AAA, was intercepted by the command’s Anti-Cult Unit, Asaba, along the Onitsha–Ondo route on Friday.
Aggrieved APC Chieftains Flock To Wike’s Rainbow Coalition — Report
A growing number of disgruntled All Progressives Congress (APC) members and former party leaders are reportedly aligning with the Rainbow Coalition led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The development is said to be sharpening internal tensions within the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
President Tinubu Unveils Major Plan Ahead Of October 1
President Bola Tinubu says commuters across Nigeria must begin to see measurable reductions in transport fares from October 1, as he has directed all 36 states to accelerate the National Affordable CNG Transit Programme.
In a statement personally signed and released on Saturday, September 19, the President said the push followed his August 27 meeting with state governors, where they agreed on measures to ease the pressure of rising living costs on Nigerians.
He said an implementation committee for the programme had since been established under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, working alongside the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles, the states and other stakeholders to identify priority transport routes and needed interventions.
Tinubu said the plan had become more urgent given the current global energy crisis and its impact on petrol, diesel and transportation costs, pointing to states where CNG-powered and electric transport services had already brought fares down.
NSCDC Names New Niger Commandant After 37 Miners’ Deaths In Custody
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed Abdulhamid Kabara as the new commandant of its Niger State Command, following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in custody.
Kabara replaces Suberu Aniviye, who was suspended as Niger NSCDC commandant after the 37 suspects died in Minna, the state capital, on Thursday.
APC Wins Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Bye-Election In Kano
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa State Constituency bye-election in Kano State, with its candidate, Hussaini Yusuf Datti, polling 22,890 votes.
Results showed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got 180 votes, while the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) received 270 votes.
Northern Senators Demand Probe Into Deaths Of 37 Suspects In NSCDC Custody
The Northern Senators Forum has called for an immediate, transparent and independent investigation into the deaths of 37 young Nigerians in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.
The forum described the circumstances surrounding the deaths as “deeply disturbing and unacceptable.”
2027: If INEC Does What Is Right, APC Will Not Win Up To 10 States — NDC Spokesperson
The National Publicity Secretary of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Osa Director, has predicted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will lose the 2027 election.
According to him, Nigerians are frustrated and suffering under the APC administration because of the rising cost of living, high rent and increasing petrol prices.
Speaking during an interview with Symfoni, Director said he sees no pathway for an APC victory in 2027. He, however, challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a free and fair poll, insisting that if the commission operates above board, the APC would not win up to ten states.
Peter Obi Left ₦86.6 Billion In Anambra Coffers — Ex-SSG
A former Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Oseloka Obaze, has claimed that former governor Peter Obi left ₦86.6 billion in the state’s coffers when he handed over power in 2014.
Obaze, who served as SSG during Obi’s administration between 2006 and 2014, made the claim in a post on X on Thursday, amid ongoing controversy over the financial records successive administrations inherited in the state.
He said he was present on March 17, 2014, when Obi formally handed over documents detailing the state’s finances to his successor, Willie Obiano, who he said received and acknowledged a copy of the handover letter, including certified bank statements and other supporting documents. Obaze also shared a copy of the letter, saying it detailed the state’s assets and liabilities.
‘Forward Ever, Backward Never’ — Showunmi Rejects Atiku’s Petrol Subsidy Plan
The Chief Promoter of the Alternative Movement, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has kicked against former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s plan to bring back petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027, saying it would amount to taking Nigeria “back to Egypt.”
He spoke on Saturday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while addressing supporters at a mobilization event in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had said he would restore petrol subsidy if elected, arguing that Nigerians should benefit from the country’s resources and that its removal had made life harder for citizens.
Showunmi dismissed the proposal, saying Nigeria had spent decades running a subsidy regime without achieving the desired results, and described those pushing for its return as “overtly and inordinately ambitious.”
₦250 Million Was Offered To Me For Obasanjo’s Third-Term Bid — Aliyu
Former House of Representatives Minority Leader, Farouq Aliyu, has alleged that he was offered ₦250 million to support former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s controversial third-term bid.
Aliyu made the claim during an appearance on the Naija Unfiltered podcast, published on YouTube on Friday. The third-term proposal was one of the major controversies of the Obasanjo administration; in May 2006, the National Assembly rejected constitutional amendments that would have paved the way for a third consecutive term. Obasanjo has repeatedly denied pursuing one, most recently in September 2025.
Aliyu, however, insisted the agenda was genuine, claiming the then EFCC Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, contacted him to meet Obasanjo in Abuja. He said he initially declined but later agreed, and during the meeting maintained that the plan would not succeed. He alleged he was subsequently offered ₦250 million by an individual Ribadu directed him to meet, adding that other senior lawmakers were offered similar sums — with then-Speaker Aminu Masari allegedly offered ₦400 million and then-Majority Leader Abdul Ningi allegedly offered the same.
NMDPRA Breaks Silence On Rising Petrol Prices, Cites PIA
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) says it does not determine the price Nigerians pay for petrol at filling stations.
The clarification comes amid another increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), with the regulator acknowledging the pressure rising costs are putting on households, transport workers and businesses.
In a statement on Saturday, September 19, 2026, the NMDPRA said the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 leaves wholesale and retail pricing to market forces, citing Section 205(1), which states that prices should be determined under unrestricted free-market conditions. It said government intervention is only permitted under exceptional circumstances backed by formal evidence of market failure.
The Authority added that deregulation does not mean operators can engage in unfair or anti-competitive practices, noting that Section 216 of the PIA empowers it to tackle price fixing and abuse of market dominance. It said it was working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies to boost surveillance along border routes against the illegal diversion of petroleum products.
Jehovah’s Witnesses Announce New Rules On Blood Transfusion For Members
Jehovah’s Witnesses have changed their position on four major blood components, now allowing individual members to decide according to personal conscience whether to accept or donate them.
The adjustment was announced by the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses in a statement from its World Headquarters in Warwick, New York, published on the organization’s website on Friday. Under the revised policy, members can personally decide whether to accept red cells, white cells, plasma or platelets from another person’s blood.
“The decision to accept red cells, white cells, plasma or platelets from another person’s blood is a matter of personal conscience,” the organization said.
Members may also decide whether to donate blood specifically to provide components or fractions for another person’s use. The organization stressed, however, that the change does not affect its long-standing refusal of whole-blood transfusions on religious grounds.
Young Jonn Rejects Blaqbonez’s Collaboration Request Over 2015 Tweet
Young Jonn has turned down Blaqbonez’s offer to work together after digging up an old post in which the rapper picked DJ Coublon ahead of him.
The exchange began after Young Jonn, a producer-turned-singer, shared a post about wanting five close friends to move together as a group: “I need like 5 bad friends way we go dey move in bulk!”
Blaqbonez responded with interest, writing: “Oya, make we dey together, sing as one.” Young Jonn hit back by resurfacing a 2015 tweet attributed to Blaqbonez in which he allegedly said he preferred DJ Coublon to Young Jonn. Sharing a screenshot, Young Jonn told him: “Go sing as one with Coublon.”
Blaqbonez denied making the post himself, claiming it was made by his social media handler in 2015.
NFF Denies Falconets Training Boycott Ahead Of Colombia Clash
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed reports that the Falconets are planning to boycott training ahead of their 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup quarter-final against Colombia.
“Reports in a section of the media that the Falconets are planning to boycott training are an absolute falsehood,” the NFF said, insisting the team remained focused on their campaign in Poland. “The girls are now heading to training for their last session before tomorrow’s match against Colombia.”
The Falconets reached the quarter-finals after defeating England 3-0 in the Round of 16. They face Colombia at Stadion Miejski ŁKS in Łódź at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 20, with a place in the semi-finals at stake.
Manchester United Muslim Supporters Demand Ratcliffe, Glazers Leave Club
The Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club (MUMSC) has called for co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family to leave the club, after Ratcliffe said Britain was in decline due to a combination of high taxes and high immigration.
Ratcliffe, one of the UK’s richest people and founder of petrochemical company Ineos, made the remarks in a BBC interview on September 19. The comments have drawn renewed criticism from MUMSC, which previously condemned him in February after he said the UK had been “colonized by immigrants” — remarks he later apologized for.
In a statement of no confidence in the club’s ownership, MUMSC said it had hoped Ratcliffe’s earlier apology would mark a change in approach. The group stressed the importance of diversity at Manchester United, citing the range of nationalities, cultures, ethnicities and religions among its players, staff and supporters. Manchester United had previously responded to Ratcliffe’s February remarks by saying the club “prides itself” on being “inclusive.”