General News
Tinubu Mourns Renowned Scholar, Former ASUU President Biodun Jeyifo
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed deep sorrow over the death of renowned literary scholar and former President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Emeritus Biodun Jeyifo, who passed away on Wednesday.
In a condolence message issued on Thursday, the President described Professor Jeyifo as a towering intellectual figure whose contributions to African literature, postcolonial studies, cultural theory, and literary criticism earned him global recognition. He particularly noted the late scholar’s mastery in interpreting the works of Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.
Tinubu recalled Jeyifo’s years of service in ASUU leadership, highlighting what he called the professor’s temperance, foresight, and wisdom in guiding negotiations with government authorities to improve working conditions for university staff and strengthen Nigeria’s academic environment.
The President also praised Jeyifo’s lifelong advocacy for academic freedom, social justice, and intellectual engagement, noting that his impact extended beyond academia into political and cultural journalism, where he mentored generations of scholars, writers, and activists.
He condoled with the late scholar’s family, ASUU, the Nigerian Academy of Letters, the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, Oberlin College, Cornell University, and Harvard University—institutions where Jeyifo studied, taught, or influenced research in African literary studies.
“Nigeria and the global academic community have lost a towering figure and outstanding global citizen. Professor Biodun Jeyifo was an intellectual giant who dedicated his entire life to knowledge production and the promotion of human dignity,” Tinubu said, adding that he shared a strong personal relationship with the late academic.
Professor Jeyifo, widely regarded as one of Africa’s most influential literary critics and public intellectuals, received numerous honours during his lifetime, including the prestigious W.E.B. Du Bois Medal in 2019.
The President prayed for the peaceful repose of his soul and urged the academic community to sustain the values and ideals he championed.
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, of authorizing arrests without proper investigations and interfering in judicial processes.
Speaking in an interview with DCL Hausa, El-Rufai alleged that Ribadu often bypasses due process by directly contacting security agencies to effect arrests before thorough investigations are conducted.
He further claimed that the NSA sometimes attempts to influence court proceedings, alleging that Ribadu pressures judicial officials to deny bail to certain suspects, including individuals he said were detained without sufficient investigative groundwork.
“I feel ashamed when I remember he was once my friend. Nobody is as wicked as Nuhu Ribadu in Tinubu’s administration,” El-Rufai said.
The former governor cited the alleged arrest of former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Bashir Jamoh, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Kaduna State as an example.
“He is lying, they have not stopped. Even last week, they arrested Bashir Jamoh. What did he do?” El-Rufai said, alleging that Jamoh was still being held in custody.
He described the situation as a violation of constitutional provisions requiring that a detained person be brought before a court within 48 hours.
El-Rufai also expressed concern about his own safety, suggesting that he might be the next target of arrest
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed a budget of ₦873.778 billion for the conduct of Nigeria’s 2027 general election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this while presenting the Commission’s 2026 budget estimates and projections for the 2027 polls before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters.
He clarified that the ₦873.778 billion election budget is separate from the Commission’s proposed ₦171 billion operational budget for 2026, which is intended to cover routine activities, including off-cycle elections and by-elections.
According to the INEC chairman, the projected cost for the 2027 polls does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), which is seeking an upward review of allowances for corps members deployed as ad-hoc staff during elections.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Lalong, assured the Commission of the National Assembly’s support, pledging collaboration to ensure the successful conduct of the 2027 general election.
Similarly, Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Bayo Balogun, promised legislative backing for INEC but cautioned the Commission against making commitments it may be unable to fulfil.
The lawmakers reiterated the importance of adequate planning, transparency and accountability in election funding as preparations gradually begin for the next general election cycle.
There was mild tension at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday following reports that security operatives attempted to detain former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, shortly after he arrived from Cairo, Egypt.
Eyewitnesses at the airport claimed that the officers approached the former governor upon arrival, but some bystanders reportedly objected, insisting that any request for his appearance should be conveyed through a formal invitation rather than an on-the-spot arrest.
As of the time of filing this report, the reason for the attempted detention had not been officially disclosed, and relevant authorities had yet to issue a formal statement clarifying the situation.
Earlier, El-Rufai had indicated in a statement that there were moves to arrest him.
Meanwhile, his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, confirmed the incident in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, alleging that security agents tried to take the former governor into custody at the airport. According to him, El-Rufai declined to accompany the officers without a written invitation, after which they allegedly seized his passport from an aide.
“Security agents today attempted to arrest Malam Nasir El-Rufai as he arrived on a flight from Cairo. Malam El-Rufai declined to follow them without a formal invitation. They however snatched his passport from an aide,” Adekeye wrote.
No official response had been issued by security agencies at press time, and further details surrounding the development remain unclear.