The recap of top 10 key latest stories that you might have missed this Friday evening, 23rd January, 2026
Kano gov dumps NNPP with lawmakers, LG chairmen
Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has resigned from the New Nigeria People’s Party, alongside 21 members of the State House of Assembly, eight members of the House of Representatives and 44 local government chairmen in the state.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Tofa.
Yusuf, in a letter addressed to the Chairman of Diso-Chiranchi Ward of the NNPP in Gwale Local Government Area, formally communicated his decision to leave the party with effect from Friday, January 23, 2026, the statement said.
“I write with a deep sense of gratitude to formally notify the leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party of my decision to resign my membership of the party, with effect from Friday, 23rd January 2026,” he said.
He expressed appreciation to the party for providing him the platform to pursue his political career since 2022 and for the support he received from its leadership and members across Kano State
National grid collapses again, power generation drops to 24MW
The National Power Grid collapsed once again, leaving parts of the country in darkness and disrupting electricity supply to millions of households and businesses.
Checks by our correspondent revealed that electricity generation dropped sharply from over 4,500 megawatts to as low as 24 megawatts as of 1:30 pm.
All 23 power generation plants connected to the grid reportedly lost output during the incident, resulting in zero power allocation to each of the 11 electricity distribution companies.
The cause of the collapse could not be immediately determined, and officials of the Transmission Company of Nigeria had yet to issue a detailed statement at the time of filing this report.
This is the first grid collapse recorded in 2026, coming barely weeks after a similar incident on December 29, 2025, which had also caused widespread power outages across the country.
PUNCH Online reports that in recent years, grid collapses have been attributed to a combination of technical faults, inadequate maintenance of transmission lines, and fluctuations in generation capacity.
Stakeholders have continued to call on the government and power operators to implement robust contingency measures to prevent recurring failures.
Stop addressing me as bro or blood, 22-year-old Ondo monarch warns public
The palace of the Arujale-Ojime of Okeluse Kingdom, Ondo State, has issued a stern warning to the general public against what it described as disrespectful modes of address directed at the 22-year-old traditional ruler, Oba Oloyede Adekoya Akinghare II.
In a statement issued on behalf of the palace on Friday, the Chief of Staff to the monarch, Prince Adefemi Olorunfemi, stressed that the king must be addressed strictly as His Royal Majesty at all times, noting that any deviation from this would no longer be tolerated.
According to him, some people are hiding under the guise of addressing the monarch as “bro or blood” particularly to disrespect him.
The statement read,
“I write in my capacity as Amb. Prince Adefemi Michael Olorunfemi, Chief of Staff to the Arujale-Ojima of Okeluse Kingdom, Ondo State, to address an important matter that requires the attention of the general public.
Kindly note that Alayeluwa Oba Oloyede Adekoya Akinghare II is to be addressed strictly as His Royal Majesty at all times“Any other form of address is unacceptable.
The fact that His Royal Majesty is the youngest king in Yoruba land does not give room for disrespect in any form.
Contribute to Abia’s growth, Otti tells corps members
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has urged members of the 2026 Batch A, Stream 1 of the National Youth Service Corps to contribute meaningfully to the holistic development of the state during their service year.
Otti gave the charge on Friday at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Umunna, in Bende Local Government Area, during the swearing-in of 1,820 corps members deployed to the state.
The governor reminded the corps members that the essence of the NYSC programme is to expose young Nigerians to the country’s opportunities and encouraged them to serve diligently, regardless of their postings.
He said,
“You will be shortchanging yourself if you fail to make the most of the opportunities that the National Youth Service Programme offers.“
The true essence of the programme is to expose you to the great promise that Nigeria holds by using the vehicle of service.
So, wherever you find yourself, all that is expected of you is to serve with devotion and a genuine sense of patriotism.
PDP will shock critics in 2027, says Makinde
The governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party remains strong and prepared to surprise its critics ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Makinde spoke at the Southwest PDP Stakeholders’ Meeting held in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital on Friday
The governor debunked the claims that the party is dead, assuring members that the PDP is “well and alive.”
The Southwest PDP stakeholders’ meeting attracted PDP leaders and political office holders across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti States.
Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Debo Ogundoyin; PDP House of Representatives members from Oyo State; former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; National Secretary of PDP, Taofeek Arapaja; Chairman of PDP in the Southwest, Kamorudeen Ajisafe; former governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, among others, attended the meeting.
The party leaders also received two groups of defectors from the All Progressives Congress and the New Nigeria Peoples Party into the party
NSCDC intercepts truck with stolen railway tracks in Bauchi, arrests five
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Bauchi State Command, has intercepted a truck carrying vandalised railway tracks and arrested five suspects in connection with the crime.
The command disclosed this in a statement on its Facebook page on Friday.
The statement, signed by its spokesperson, Saminu Yusuf, said the interception followed credible intelligence.
According to Yusuf, NSCDC operatives on patrol along the Miri–Jos Road on January 12, 2026, around Gital town in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, stopped a long vehicle truck with registration number MDB 360 XA.
He explained that the truck, allegedly heading to the eastern part of the country, was loaded with vandalised railway tracks and slippers, concealed with bags of chicken feed to evade detection.
COAS charges 1,126 warriors to intensify offensive against terrorists
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu has charged the 1,126 special Forces (Warriors) that graduated to decisively scale up the aggressive pursuit of terrorists.
He also charged them with dealing with the insurgents and other criminal elements threatening national security, while upholding ethical soldiering, discipline, and respect for human rights.
Shaibu made the call on Friday at the graduation ceremony of the Advanced Infantry Training, tagged Exercise RESTORE HOPE IX, held at the Nigerian Army Training Centre , Kachia, Kaduna State.
He also urged the officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army to sustain professionalism, discipline and combat-readiness in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.
He described the exercise as a flagship post-basic training programme aimed at instilling battle ethos, sharpening combat skills and preparing officers and young soldiers for the realities of modern warfare
TUC, NLC issue 14-Day ultimatum over health workers’ pay, threaten nationwide strike
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, and the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Friday issued a final 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Ministry of Health and relevant government agencies to immediately implement the long-delayed adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure, CONHESS, warning that failure to comply will trigger a nationwide industrial action.
In a joint press statement, signed on behalf of Nigerian workers, Comrade General NA Toro, Secretary General of the TUC, and Comrade Benson Upah, Acting General Secretary of the NLC, the two labour centres condemned what they described as the “persistent, deliberate and provocative refusal” of the government to implement the report of the Technical Committee on CONHESS, submitted since 2021 and chaired by the Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
“This continued delay is no longer an administrative lapse; it is a conscious act of injustice, bad faith, and institutional disrespect to health workers and organised labour,” the unions said.
Olubadan to Tinubu: Intensify efforts in addressing food security, insecurity
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasheed Ladoja has advised President Bola Tinubu to intensify efforts in addressing food security, healthcare, and insecurity, which he described as the most pressing concern in the country.
Oba Ladoja, who gave the advice on Friday after a courtesy visit to President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the essence of his visit was primarily to thank the President for attending his coronation last September
Fielding questions from journalists on his expectations from the government, the former governor of Oyo state said,
“We expect the government to work more on food and health. We should have standard hospitals where we can treat our people.
But the major problem we really have now is insecurity.
CBN calls for inclusive cash, digital payments system
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says Nigeria must strike a balance between cash and digital payments to ensure rural communities, informal traders and small businesses are not left behind.
CBN Governor, Mr Olayemi Cardoso, made this known on Friday at the 2026 Committee of Heads of Bank Operations (CHBO) Conference in Lagos.
They also said that cash remained essential to economic inclusion despite the rapid growth in electronic transactions.
