Hello and welcome! In today’s trending news stories;
1. Nigeria’s Labour Party (LP) is facing a deepening leadership crisis following an April 4, 2025, Supreme Court ruling that nullified a Court of Appeal judgment recognizing Julius Abure as national chairman. Lamidi Apapa, citing this ruling and his position as the most senior deputy national chairman, declared himself acting chairman and announced a National Working Committee (NWC) meeting for April 14, 2025.
Meanwhile, Peter Obi and Governor Alex Otti, backed by the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment, reaffirmed their support for a 29-member caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman, elected on September 4, 2024. They presented the CTC to INEC on April 9, 2025, seeking formal recognition of the new leadership.
Abure’s faction, however, maintains that he remains the legitimate leader, having been elected at the party’s March 2024 convention, and dismissed the rival claims as misinterpretations. The crisis has sparked internal clashes, with both factions holding parallel NEC meetings. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened nationwide action against Abure’s leadership, raising fears of further political instability.
2. The Federal Government has officially received a legal challenge filed by 11 PDP governors at the Supreme Court against President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. The governors contest the President’s constitutional authority to suspend elected officials and replace them with an unelected Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday and marked SC/CV/329/2025, questions the legality of the emergency rule imposed on March 18, which ousted Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the entire state House of Assembly for six months. The Supreme Court is being asked to interpret multiple constitutional provisions regarding federal overreach and the autonomy of state governments.
3. Meanwhile, former Rivers State Governor Ada George blamed FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for orchestrating the crisis, accusing him of dominating the state’s politics and destabilizing democratic institutions. George and the Rivers Elders Forum condemned the appointment of sole administrators in the state’s 23 LGAs as unconstitutional and vowed to pursue peaceful legal redress. The Federal Government has 14 days to respond to the suit.
4. The Federal Executive Council has officially ordered the full reinstatement of the Naira-for-Crude policy, a move aimed at strengthening local refining and reducing reliance on foreign exchange. Previously suspended by the former NNPCL leadership, the policy directs the sale of crude oil to local refineries, like Dangote Refinery, in naira instead of U.S. dollars. Finance Minister Wale Edun reaffirmed the policy’s continuation, calling it a “key directive” rather than a temporary measure.
The decision follows a high-level meeting involving top government agencies, the NNPCL, Dangote Refinery, and the Central Bank. According to the Ministry of Finance, the policy will remain active if it aligns with national economic goals.
The initial pause in March 2025 had triggered a sharp rise in petrol prices—from ₦860 to about ₦1,000 per litre—after Dangote halted local sales, citing currency mismatches. With the resumption of Naira-based crude supplies, fuel prices are expected to stabilize, offering some relief to consumers. This policy shift is also seen as part of President Tinubu’s broader economic reforms, following the dismissal of Mele Kyari and the restructuring of the NNPC’s board.
5. Miss Isioma Nwosu, the best graduating student of Lagos State University (LASU) for the 2023/2024 academic session, revealed during her valedictory speech that she once felt like a failure after missing out on studying medicine.
Nwosu, who graduated with a 4.93 CGPA in Biochemistry, said her journey began with disappointment. “In 2019, after graduating as my secondary school’s valedictorian, I had to rewrite the UTME. I thought I had failed in life,” she said. She initially aimed for medicine at the University of Ibadan but missed the cut-off by two points. When she tried again, applying to LASU, she was offered biochemistry instead. “My heart broke the second time,” she admitted, adding that she had never heard of the course before.
Though discouraged at first, support from lecturers and friends helped her thrive. Now at the top of her class, Nwosu encouraged others to stay confident and dream big. “Never be afraid of having big dreams. Your dreams are the seeds of greatness,” she said. LASU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello congratulated over 11,000 graduates and urged them to “chart their own paths with precision” and use their knowledge to create impact.
6. At LASU’s 28th Convocation, renowned music executive Tolulope Solomon Ogunleye, aka Drtonez, graduated with Distinction (CGPA 4.57) in a Master of Arts in Music Economy, Management, and Digital Culture. Despite a packed career leading Hillcross Records and other ventures, he returned to academia over a decade after earning his first degree—also in music—from LASU.
“Graduating with a distinction proves that with vision, it’s possible to do both,” he said, balancing executive duties with rigorous studies. With a long list of professional certifications—from the British Council to Berklee and Google—he plans to pursue a PhD, expand into global markets, and champion policies that elevate Nigeria’s creative sector.
