News
Aggrieved policemen block Tinubu’s residence
The Presidential Villa in Abuja witnessed some rowdy situations on Monday as some retirees of the Nigeria Police Force under the aegis of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF) staged a protest to demand that President Bola Tinubu sign the Police Exit Bill passed by the National Assembly in December 2025.
The bill seeks to withdraw the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme.
The protesters, under the scorching sun, walked from the Three Arms Zone in Abuja through the street in front of the Police Headquarters.
They carried placards with various inscriptions, in addition to the Nigerian flag and the flag of the Nigeria Police Force.
Led by its National Coordinator, CSP Raphael Irowainu, the protesters described the retention of the NPF in the Contributory Pension Scheme as fraudulent and illegal.
They also said the CPS is inhumane and obnoxious.
According to them, the protest seeks to prevail on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give assent to the Police Exit Bill passed by the National Assembly on 4th December 2025 and transmitted to the President on 16th March 2026.
They said that when signed into law, the Act will totally exempt the police from what they called a “slavery and untimely death-inducing pension scheme.”
The protesters, accompanied by some of their spouses and children, also blocked Gate 8 leading into the Presidential Villa, causing obstruction to vehicular movement.
Efforts by Villa security personnel to dissuade them from the protest proved abortive as they insisted on seeing the President.
They laid their mats in front of the gate, singing songs of solidarity, while some of them lay on the floor.
As of the time of filing this report, no one from the Villa had addressed the protesters.
Speaking to reporters, CSP Irowainu said that their main purpose is to prevail on President Tinubu to sign the bill exiting the Nigeria Police Force from the CPS, which he said has been passed and transmitted to him by the National Assembly.
He lamented that while other security agencies in the country such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, SSS and others have all been exited from the scheme, the police remain trapped in it.
“Our major aim here is to prevail on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign our bill—the bill exiting the police from the Contributory Pension Scheme—passed by the National Assembly on 4th December 2025 and transmitted to him on 16th March, 2026, into law, nothing more than that.
“The soldiers have been exited, the SSS has been exited, the Air Force has been exited, the Navy has been exited, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has been exited. The police, who are the father of them all, are trapped in this obnoxious Contributory Pension Scheme,” CSP Irowainu said.
It is not the first time retired officers are staging a protest over the CPS. In July last year, they demonstrated at the National Assembly to demand their removal from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
The demonstrators, mostly elderly, stood in the rain holding placards and chanting anti-government songs.
Some of the retired police officers also besieged the Force Headquarters in Abuja to protest against the CPS.
Addressing the protesters at the time, the then Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, said the welfare of retired police officers was being addressed, but that the exit of the Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme was not something that could be implemented immediately.
He, however, advised the leaders of the protest to refrain from spreading misinformation, stressing that the Force could not abandon its own.
News
Two APC states reschedule governorship primaries
PRESS STATEMENT
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the rescheduling of its Governorship Primary Elections in Bauchi State and Kwara State to Friday, May 22, 2026.
In the same vein, the party has approved a new date for the State House of Assembly Primary Elections in Maradun I and Maradun II constituencies of Zamfara State, which will now hold on Sunday, May 24, 2026.
The decision was ratified by the National Working Committee (NWC) after consultations with critical stakeholders as part of efforts to guarantee a transparent, peaceful, orderly, and credible primary election process.
The party reiterated its commitment to upholding internal democracy and ensuring the successful conduct of all primary elections ahead of the forthcoming polls.
Signed:
Felix Morka
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
News
Abia moves closer to energy independence
The Governor of Abia State has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to achieving energy independence and expanding access to reliable electricity across the state following a high-level meeting with the leadership of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).
The governor disclosed this after receiving the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NDPHC, Jennifer Adighije, alongside members of her management team during a courtesy visit to his office.
During the meeting, the governor praised the successful revival of the Alaoji Power Plant in Aba, describing the development as a major breakthrough in ongoing efforts to guarantee stable and uninterrupted electricity supply in the state.
According to him, the restoration of operations at the plant represents a critical milestone in strengthening power generation and supporting industrial growth, particularly within the Aba economic corridor.
He revealed that the Alaoji Power Plant currently dispatches approximately 375 megawatts of electricity to the national grid, while expansion plans are already underway to increase output capacity to nearly 800 megawatts, with long-term projections targeting up to 1,100 megawatts.
The governor noted that electricity remains central to his administration’s broader economic transformation agenda, stressing that sustainable power supply is essential for industrialization, job creation, healthcare delivery, education, and overall social development.
He explained that since assuming office, his government has implemented strategic reforms aimed at repositioning the power sector within the state. These reforms include the ring-fencing of the Aba industrial cluster to ensure more efficient electricity management and the ongoing process to acquire the Umuahia electricity axis of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC).
According to the governor, the measures are designed to place electricity generation, regulation, and distribution substantially under the control of the state government, thereby enabling faster decision-making and improved service delivery.
He expressed optimism that deeper collaboration between Abia State and NDPHC would make it possible to wheel electricity directly from the Alaoji facility to the remaining eight local government areas outside the Aba corridor.
The planned expansion, he said, would ensure that homes, schools, hospitals, and industries across the state gain access to reliable and affordable power supply.
The governor further emphasized that improved electricity infrastructure would significantly boost economic productivity, attract investors, strengthen small and medium-scale enterprises, and enhance the quality of life for residents.
Reaffirming his administration’s vision, he declared that Abia State is prepared to lead Nigeria’s push toward subnational energy independence through strategic partnerships, infrastructure investments, and sector reforms.
He added that the state government remains committed to building a power ecosystem capable of driving industrial production, supporting innovation, and sustaining long-term prosperity for the people of Abia.
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