Today’s News: Top 10 Headlines from Nigerian Newspapers – May 4, 2026

Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso officially join NDC

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, counterpart, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, have formally joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC.

The duo joined the NDC after Obi earlier on Sunday dumped the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

The two political heavyweights made their decisions with the aim to paving way for their aspirations for 2027 Presidency.

Earlier, they were received received by the National Leader of the NDC and former Governor of Bayelsa State, Henry Seriake Dickson and its National Chairman, Moses Cleopas, at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

The party leaders have described the new development as a growing wave of confidence in the NDC nationwide.

Blackout Hits Enugu as Rainstorm Wrecks Power Lines

A power outage has plunged several parts of Enugu metropolis into darkness.

The development followed a heavy rainfall and strong winds that damaged electricity infrastructure on Sunday.

This was confirmed on Monday by MainPower Electricity Distribution Limited, MEDL, in a public notice.

MEDL attributed the blackout to a wire cut on Emene Industrial Lines 1 and 2.

According to the notice, the incident also affected a distribution tower, disrupting supply to key 33kV feeders at the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, switch yard in New Haven.

Court Remands Blogger Justice Crack Over Claim Nigerian Soldiers Poorly Fed

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that a blogger, Chidiebere Justice Mark, be remanded in the custody of Department of State Services, DSS, following his arraignment for allegedly making a false claim that Nigerian military personnel are poorly fed.

Mark, said to be of Plot 88 Sabo Lugbe, Abuja, is charged by the DSS with making a viral video post on his X handle (Justice Crack) in which he made the claim about the Nigerian military.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge when it was read to him, following which the prosecuting lawyer, Emmanuel Orubo, applied for a date to enable the prosecution to open its case.

Orubo urged the court to remand the defendant in the custody of the DSS.

Defence lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, made an oral application for bail, which the court did not entertain, but ordered him to file a formal application for bail.

Kano–Maradi Rail Project 60% Completed – Federal Govt

The federal government has confirmed steady progress in the Kaduna-Kano-Jigawa-Katsina-Maradi Railway Project.

The resident engineer from the Federal Ministry of Transportation in charge of section two of the project, Ali Bukar, disclosed this when members of the Presidential Media Team led by the special adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, visited the site in Jigawa State to ascertain the level of work.

In a statement by the director (Information and Public Relations), State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye, expalined that the inspection was part of the ongoing visit to federal and state government projects in the Northwest region, initiated by the Governor Hope Uzodimma-led Renewed Hope Ambassadors.

Bukar said the project had reached 60 percent completion across its two key corridors with an expected delivery period of December 2027.

He explained that construction activities on the Kano to Dutse stretch have intensified, with major work currently focused on bridge construction across key waterways and challenging terrains.

Nigeria Issues Alert as Xenophobic Protests Loom in South Africa

The Consulate General of Nigeria in Johannesburg has issued a public notice warning Nigerians in South Africa about planned nationwide anti-foreigner protests today, May 4, 2026.

The Consul General, Ambassador Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, issued the notification yesterday ahead of the demonstrations.

According to the statement, the consulate received information that anti-foreigner groups had distributed invitations to South Africans to join in a nationwide shutdown across all nine provinces to compel the government to take action against foreigners in the country.

The organisers reportedly alleged that foreigners benefit more from South Africa than citizens and are demanding that all foreigners, whether documented or undocumented, leave the country urgently.

Nigeria’s Economy Rebounds Strongly, Report Shows

Nigeria’s economy is on a recovery path after years of stagnation, with strong gains in output and per capita income recorded over the past two years, a new report by Quartus Economics has revealed.

The report, obtained by The Nation at the weekend, concluded that “Nigeria is rising,” citing significant improvements in key macroeconomic indicators and relative performance against regional and global peers.

According to the study, Nigeria recorded cumulative Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 8.34 per cent between 2024 and 2025, the highest two-year expansion in more than a decade, outpacing population growth estimated at less than 4.4 per cent.

This marks a sharp reversal from the 2020–2023 period, when GDP growth stood at a modest 0.97 per cent against a population increase of 8.78 per cent, resulting in a steep decline in living standards.

US Resumes Visa Processing for Nigerian, others

The United States has reversed a policy that previously suspended visa processing for foreign-trained doctors, paving the way for physicians from Nigeria and about 38 other countries to continue their applications.

A report by The New York Times noted that the restriction, introduced in January, had halted decisions on visa extensions, work permits, and green card applications for citizens of nearly 39 countries under the US travel ban framework.

However, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services has now updated its guidelines, exempting medical doctors from the suspension and allowing their applications to proceed.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the development, stating that applications linked to medical physicians will continue to be processed.

Makinde-backed PDP Appoints Turaki as Interim National Chairman

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), backed by Seyi Makinde, Oyo governor, has appointed Kabiru Turaki as the chairman of the interim national working committee (NWC).

Turaki was appointed to lead the 13-member interim NWC on Monday at the party’s 103rd national executive committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja.

Nigeria to Discover Qualifying Rivals May 19 in Afcon 2027

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will find out their opponents for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on May 19, when the official draw takes place.

A total of 48 teams will compete for places in the tournament, which will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The teams will be divided into 12 groups of four. Only the top two teams in each group will qualify for the main tournament. The matches will be played during FIFA international windows in September, October, and November.

Nigeria is going into the draw with confidence after finishing third at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The team remains one of the strongest sides in Africa.

Court Remands Former Skye Bank chairman Tunde Ayeni

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on Monday remanded a former Skye Bank chairman, Tunde Ayeni, to Kuje Correctional Facility pending the determination of his bail application.

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie gave the order after Mr Ayeni’s counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN, asked for a short date for the defence to move the bail application.

The judge adjourned the case until May 13 for the hearing of the defendant’s bail application.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed 17 charges against Mr Ayeni over alleged money laundering involving about N8 billion.