City Pulse News

 Federal Government Drops Death Penalty Appeal in Nnamdi Kanu Case By City Pulse News   August 23, 2026   Category: Law & Judiciary / National News The Federal Government has formally withdrawn its cross-appeal seeking the death penalty against detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, marking a significant shift in one of Nigeria’s most prolonged and politically sensitive legal battles. Special Counsel to Kanu, Aloy Ejimakor, confirmed the development earlier this week. According to him, the government has officially communicated that it no longer intends to pursue capital punishment in the case. The notice effectively closes the chapter on the state’s attempt to secure the death sentence, which had been a major point of contention since the trial court’s judgment last year. Background to the Case Nnamdi Kanu was convicted on seven terrorism-related charges by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 20, 2025. The ch...

Anambra Local Government Elections Set for August 29 Despite Legal Challenge By City Pulse News August 23, 2026 Category: Politics / Anambra The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) has reaffirmed that local government elections will hold as scheduled on August 29, 2026, across the state’s 21 local government areas. The decision comes despite an ongoing lawsuit filed by 56 serving councillors who are challenging the two-year tenure limit for elected local government officials. The councillors argue that the provision in the state’s electoral law conflicts with Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees a democratically elected local government system. They are asking the court to declare the two-year tenure unconstitutional and to stop the planned elections until their full four-year term is completed. ANSIEC Chairman Genevieve Osakwe stated that the commission has not received any court order suspending the electoral process. She confirmed that preparation...

 Legal Storm Grows Over Justice Omotosho’s Handling of Nnamdi Kanu Terrorism Trial By City Pulse News August 23, 2026 Category: Law & Judiciary A major legal controversy continues to surround Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja over his conduct of the high-profile terrorism trial of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu. At the centre of the dispute is a fundamental constitutional question: whether a Nigerian court can convict a person using a law that has already been repealed. During the trial, Kanu and his defence team repeatedly asked the court a direct question that has now become the focus of intense public debate: “Show me the written law currently in force that authorises this conviction.” They argued that Section 36(12) of the 1999 Constitution makes it clear that no one can be found guilty of a criminal offence unless that offence is defined and the punishment prescribed in a written law that is still valid at the time of the tria...

  Sowore Joins Forces with Other Candidates to Challenge Tinubu Ahead of 2027 By City Pulse News August 23, 2026 Category: Politics / Elections African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has aligned with two other opposition aspirants in a fresh bid to present a stronger alternative to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election. Sowore, Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim of the Accord Party reached the understanding after a meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The three candidates said they would work together to mobilise Nigerians against what they described as growing threats to democracy, economic hardship, and insecurity. In a joint position, they warned that the country risked moving toward “a coronation disguised as an election” if the opposition remained fragmented. They also called for the release of certain political detainees and an end to what they termed the persecution of Sowore over his political...

 Atiku and Obi Camps Reject Single Opposition Candidate as 2027 Race Intensifies By City Pulse News August 23, 2026 Category: Politics / Elections The push for a united opposition front ahead of the 2027 presidential election has suffered a setback, as the camps of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra Governor Peter Obi have both rejected the idea of fielding a single candidate against President Bola Tinubu. The development comes just days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially opened the campaign period on August 19. While a pressure group known as G-100 has been urging opposition parties to present one strong challenger to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), neither Atiku’s African Democratic Congress (ADC) nor Obi’s Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is willing to step aside. Sources close to both camps say they recognise the need for greater cooperation but remain committed to their individual presidential ambitions. Atik...

 Opposition Unity Remains Elusive as 2027 Presidential Campaigns Gain Momentum By City Pulse News August 23, 2026 Category: Politics Nigeria’s 2027 presidential race has entered a decisive early phase following the official lifting of the campaign ban by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on August 19. With just five months to the January 16, 2027 election, the contest is shaping up as a three-way battle between incumbent President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). The opening days have already highlighted deep divisions within the opposition. While Tinubu’s campaign is leveraging the advantages of incumbency and focusing on the long-term benefits of his economic reforms — including subsidy removal and exchange-rate adjustments — both Atiku and Obi have centred their messages on the i...