President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. Instead, the President has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the annual global gathering.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

This decision, announced in a statement on Sunday by the Vice President’s spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, resolves weeks of uncertainty regarding President Tinubu’s attendance. Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Jimoh Ibrahim, had previously indicated that arrangements were being made for the President to attend, including a planned seating arrangement near U.S. President Donald Trump.

The high-level delegation to be led by Vice President Shettima will include Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, various ministers, and other senior government officials.

Agenda in New York

The 81st UNGA General Debate is scheduled to take place from September 22 to September 28, 2026, under the theme, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.”

According to the Presidency’s statement, Vice President Shettima will represent President Tinubu at the summit. His engagements will include:

• Delivering Nigeria’s National Statement: Outlining the country’s position on major global issues affecting development, peace, security, and international cooperation.

• High-Level Meetings: Participating in discussions on critical topics such as the Right to Development and climate action.

• Bilateral Engagements: Joining the traditional reception for Heads of Delegation and holding a series of meetings with world leaders, heads of international organizations, and development partners.

Through these engagements, the delegation aims to advance President Tinubu’s economic diplomacy, deepen strategic partnerships, and strengthen Nigeria’s advocacy for reform of the global financial architecture, sustainable development, and multilateral cooperation.

This marks the third consecutive UNGA session President Tinubu has missed since assuming office. Vice President Shettima is expected to return to Nigeria at the conclusion of his engagements in New York.

 ....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized over 1.3 million pills of tramadol and other opioids, alongside approximately 6,000kg of cannabis, carrying a combined street value exceeding ₦3.4 billion across multiple states and the Federal Capital Territory.

• Tin-Can Island Port, Lagos: Operatives intercepted 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud (a potent strain of cannabis) weighing 603.75kg and valued at ₦1.81 billion. The shipment arrived from Montreal on September 12 and was discovered hidden inside 31 black jumbo bags loaded in two Toyota Sienna vehicles within a 40-foot container.

• Delta State: Operatives arrested 49-year-old Innocent Ekpe and his accomplice, 39-year-old Nduka Joseph, along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba. Ekpe was transporting 292.48kg of skunk in a silver Toyota Sienna bus and had been using a forged police ID card to pose as a Deputy Superintendent of Police named Godwin Emeka to bypass security checkpoints.

• Edo State: Acting on intelligence, operatives raided an auto-repair workshop on Agbor Road, Benin City, arresting 45-year-old Matthew Ossai and recovering 48kg of Canadian Loud and 152g of methamphetamine used as a front for storage.

• Niger State: Three suspects—Bashir Usman (20), Abubakar Nuhu (18), and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab (18)—were arrested along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway. They were found with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, a pistol, magazines, and 9mm ammunition concealed in a travel bag.

• Abaji-Abuja Highway: Authorities arrested Aminu Isyaku (23) and Jamilu Habibu (25), recovering over 1.1 million assorted tramadol pills, codeine syrup, methamphetamine, and Exol tablets hidden in eight sacks while traveling from Onitsha to Mararaba.

• Lagos (Surulere & Apongbo): Onyeka Ofor was arrested in Aguda with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg, Luke Ugokwe was nabbed after 59kg of cannabis was intercepted at a logistics company, and Ibrahim Hudu (43) was arrested with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.

• Gombe State: 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from Sabi’u Umar (27) and Hassana Muhammad (19) in separate arrests at Barunde and the Gombe Main Market.

Agency Commendation

Following the operations, the NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers and men across the affected commands, urging them to maintain intelligence-driven strategies and a balanced approach to drug control nationwide.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has described the All Progressives Congress (APC) victories in recent legislative bye-elections as a major indicator ahead of the 2027 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Reacting to the polls held across three geopolitical zones—where the APC secured four out of five contested seats—Keyamo highlighted the national spread of the party’s success.

Key Highlights of the Bye-Election Results:

• Regional Spread: The APC claimed victory in Kano State (North-West), Bauchi and Gombe states (North-East), and Delta State (South-South).

• Specific Constituency Wins: Notable winners included Hussaini Yusuf Datti in Dawakin Kudu (Kano), Yakubu Ali in Disina (Bauchi), Kallamu Usman MaiJama’a in Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye (Gombe), and Okolosi Ator in Udu (Delta). The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) secured the Sakwa State Constituency seat in Bauchi.

• Strategic Implication for 2027: Keyamo noted that the geographic spread is highly significant when considering the constitutional requirement for presidential candidates to secure at least 25% of the votes in two-thirds of the states and the FCT.

Promising a deeper political analysis as the electoral roadmap progresses, Keyamo remarked, “A fuller analysis of this significant factor in Presidential elections will follow.”