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The Senate on Wednesday formally received four lawmakers who defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), further consolidating the party’s majority in the upper legislative chamber.

The defecting senators are Ekong Samson (Akwa Ibom South), Etim Bassey (Akwa Ibom North East), Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), and Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central).

Following the announcement of their defections, the Senate suspended its rules to allow the presence of top APC officials, including the party’s National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru; Osun State APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal; members of the House of Representatives; and former Minister, Chris Ngige, who were in the chamber to witness the development.

With the new additions, the APC now holds 72 seats in the 10th Senate, a significant increase from the 50 it had at the start of the current legislative session in June 2023. Meanwhile, the PDP’s presence in the Senate has declined to 26 seats, following a string of defections, including from the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, hailed the defections as a reflection of democratic freedom and party growth.

“This is not just about numbers,” Bamidele said. “We have a duty to remain committed to our party’s ideals and to work towards moving Nigeria forward. We value this momentum and will continue to build on it.”

The Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s external borrowing plan of over $21 billion for the 2025–2026 fiscal cycle, clearing the path for the full implementation of the 2025 Appropriation Act.

The approved borrowing package includes $21.19 billion in direct foreign loans, €4 billion, ¥15 billion, a $65 million grant, and additional domestic borrowing through government bonds, bringing the total to approximately ₦757 billion.

The plan also makes provisions for raising up to $2 billion through a foreign-currency-denominated instrument in the domestic market.

The approval followed the presentation of a report by Senator Aliyu Wamako, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt. He explained that the proposal was initially submitted to the National Assembly on May 27 but experienced delays due to the legislative recess and documentation issues from the Debt Management Office.

Senator Olamilekan Adeola, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, noted that most of the loan requests had already been incorporated into the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and the 2025 national budget.

“The borrowing is already embedded in the 2025 Appropriation Act. With this approval, we now have all revenue sources, including loans, in place to fully fund the budget,” Adeola said.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has retained the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 27.5 percent, following the conclusion of its 301st Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday.

CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, announced the decision while addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, stating that all committee members voted unanimously to hold the rate steady in light of the sustained moderation in inflation, which declined to 22.22 percent in July.

In addition to maintaining the MPR, the MPC also retained the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at 50 percent for Deposit Money Banks and 16 percent for Merchant Banks.

The committee further kept the Liquidity Ratio at 30 percent and the asymmetric corridor around the MPR at +500/-100 basis points.

Cardoso emphasized that the decision reflects the committee’s commitment to consolidating recent gains in price stability while supporting ongoing economic recovery efforts.

The Senate holds a special session on Wednesday to honour Nigeria’s former President, Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on July 13 in London after a prolonged illness.

The session is dedicated to paying tribute to Buhari’s legacy and his contributions to national development. It follows a similar event held last week by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in Abuja.

During the FEC session, President Bola Tinubu praised Buhari’s leadership style, describing him as a leader who governed with dignity, showed restraint, and bore the burdens of office without complaint.

Buhari was laid to rest in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, in a ceremony attended by dignitaries from within and outside the country.

The late president, born in Katsina State, served as Nigeria’s elected leader from 2015 to 2023. He had earlier ruled as a military head of state from 1983 to 1985, making him the country’s second-longest-serving leader.

There was a dramatic scene at the entrance of the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Tuesday as security operatives barred the suspended senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, from accessing the premises.

Akpoti-Uduaghan arrived at the gate accompanied by activist Aisha Yesufu, rights advocate Mama P, activist Randy, and a crowd of supporters. However, security personnel stationed at the entrance refused to grant them entry.

Aisha Yesufu confronted the officers in an attempt to intervene, questioning the directive reportedly issued to prevent the senator’s access.

“National Assembly is meant to be for everyone. Why are you stopping us? We are not abiding doesn’t mean we are cowards,” Yesufu said.

Tensions escalated as some supporters began chanting “Push!” while attempting to force their way through the security blockade. The group was later seen marching toward the complex in protest.

Addressing journalists after being denied entry, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed frustration over the Senate’s refusal to allow her resume legislative duties, despite a recent court ruling in her favour.

“It’s about me, a duly elected senator walking into the chambers to resume my constitutional duties,” she said. “I had duly notified the Senate through two letters that I would be resuming functions today, July 22nd, 2025.”

She raised concerns about the Senate’s alleged disregard for the court ruling and the overwhelming police presence at the gate.

“The number of armed policemen we met outside, all well-kitted with guns, charging at an unarmed female senator, was shocking. We have people here—credible Nigerians—who witnessed this,” she stated.

Akpoti-Uduaghan also criticised attempts to misrepresent the court’s ruling in the media.

“There’s been some conversations in the media by their own team trying to twist a narrative that the judge did not order my reinstatement, and I’d like to clarify that,” she said.

Retired police officers under the aegis of the Kwara State Chapter of the Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria (ARPON) staged a peaceful protest in Ilorin on Monday, calling for their immediate exemption from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The retirees described the scheme as problematic since its inception and argued that police personnel on the CPS should be exited from it, just like senior officers who attained the rank of General-equivalent in the force and are currently exempt.

They called for the establishment of a dedicated Police Pension Board to manage the pensions and gratuities of police personnel, similar to structures in place for other security agencies.

During the protest, the former officers carried placards with various inscriptions, including: “President, NASS and IGP should honourably exempt the police from the CPS,” “Establish Police Pension Board to manage gratuity and pensions,” and “Mr President: Improve Police Welfare for Effective Service Delivery.” One of the placards also read: “If CPS is so good, why did AIGs, DIGs, and IGs exempt themselves from the scheme?”

The group also urged the federal government and the National Assembly to fast-track the legislative process for the disbursement of the N758 billion pension shortfall owed to security agencies. According to them, payment had earlier been scheduled for June 2025, but there has been no update, causing further distress to retirees.

They appealed to the National Assembly to expedite action to ease the hardship faced by retired police officers and enhance welfare for both serving and retired personnel.

The Federal Government has announced a 30-day emergency repair timeline for the damaged Keffi flyover in Nasarawa State, following the collapse of one of its beams caused by a collision with an overloaded trailer.

Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this during an inspection of the site on Sunday. According to the minister, the incident occurred on Thursday, July 17, 2025, when a trailer transporting an excavator struck the structure, dislodging one of the flyover’s beams and severely damaging two others.

A statement issued by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mohammed Ahmed, confirmed that the accident resulted in the deaths of two persons, while two others sustained serious injuries.

Following a preliminary assessment conducted by officials of the Ministry of Works, including the Permanent Secretary, Olufunso Adebiyi, and senior engineers, a section of the bridge was immediately closed to traffic to prevent further damage and ensure public safety.

Umahi said CGC Nigeria Limited, the contractor handling federal road projects in the Federal Capital Territory, has been directed to commence the redesign and casting of a new beam to replace the damaged component.

“The process is expected to take approximately 30 days, after which a strength test will be conducted before reinstallation,” he stated.

The minister assured that all necessary measures would be taken to restore the structural integrity of the flyover and reopen it to the public as soon as possible.

Former presidential aide and media personality, Dr. Reuben Abati, has criticised British Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, describing her as a hypocrite over her recent comments on Nigerian citizenship.

Badenoch, who currently serves as a senior UK government official, had stated during an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Sunday that she is unable to pass her Nigerian citizenship to her children due to her gender. She used the example to highlight what she described as restrictive immigration laws in countries like Nigeria, compared to the UK, which she said immigrants often exploit.

Reacting to her comments on Arise TV’s The Morning Show, Abati said Badenoch was attempting to be politically correct while benefiting from hard-right rhetoric in the UK.

“She has positioned herself as an ultra-Conservative figure, often using anti-immigration rhetoric to appear more British than the British,” Abati said.

He questioned Badenoch’s sincerity, noting that her criticism of Nigeria was inconsistent with her desire for her children to acquire Nigerian citizenship.

“It is the height of hypocrisy that she wants her children to be Nigerian citizens while simultaneously denigrating the country,” he added.

Badenoch’s remarks have sparked widespread debate, particularly among Nigerians in the diaspora, with many questioning the motivations behind her comments and her stance on dual citizenship and immigration.

Scores of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in support of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The mass defection took place in Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area, where Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan formally received the new members into the PDP fold.

Among the defectors were former Okehi Local Government Chairman, Hassan Yusuf; Special Adviser to the Council Chairman, Hajia Rafatu Haruna; and a prominent APC stalwart, Omuya Longman. They were joined by their supporters across various wards in the area.

Addressing the gathering, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan emphasized that grassroots engagement remains central to her political approach. She stated that the ongoing mobilisation efforts are aimed at strengthening the PDP in Kogi Central and positioning it as an unbeatable force in credible elections nationwide.

“My responsibility is to strengthen the PDP and bring more people into our fold,” she said. “We are not just building a party in Kogi Central; we are contributing to the national strength of the PDP.”

The senator also expressed optimism for a future where political parties in Nigeria are clearly defined by ideology. She warned that the absence of such principles often leads to the use of violence and intimidation in the political space.

Kogi State PDP Chairman, Enemona Anyebe, hailed the development as a strong vote of confidence in Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s leadership and described the defections as a significant boost for the party in the state.

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has issued a warning to the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, stating that the former Anambra governor must obtain security clearance before any future visits to the state.

Governor Okpebholo made the remarks on Friday while receiving Marcus Onobun, the last opposition federal lawmaker in Edo, into the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He criticised Obi’s recent visit to Benin City on July 7, during which the former presidential candidate donated ₦15 million to St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing Sciences for ongoing projects.

“That man who says he has no ‘shishi’ came and dropped ₦15 million. Where did he get it from? After he left, three people were killed. For this reason, Obi must not come to Edo without security clearance,” the governor stated.

Okpebholo linked Obi’s visit to a reported resurgence of violence in the state and warned that such developments would not be tolerated.