Compilations of top 10 key happenings that you might have missed this Tuesday evening, 23rd December, 2025
(UPDATED) PDP crisis: INEC rejects Turaki-led NWC, cites court judgments
The Independent National Electoral Commission has said it will not recognise the Kabiru Turaki-led National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, citing subsisting court judgments and unresolved legal processes.
INEC stated this in a letter dated December 22, 2025, and signed by its Secretary, Dr Rose Oriaran-Anthony, which was made available to our correspondent.
The commission said it had received several requests from legal representatives of the PDP asking it to recognise and update on its website the list of national officers said to have been elected at the party’s National Convention held on November 15 and 16, 2025, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
According to the commission,
the requests were reviewed “in the light of all material facts, extant laws, and subsisting court judgments touching directly on the subject matter.”
Wike had just left law school when I made $1m – Makinde
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has revealed why he will not support President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, highlighting a growing political divergence within the Peoples Democratic Party.
Speaking during a media chat on Tuesday in Ibadan, the state capital, Makinde reflected on his early career, recalling that at the age of 29, he secured his first major contract with Mobil worth $1 million.
The governor stated that at a time when the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had probably just left law school.
Makinde described the deal as a pivotal moment that shaped his rise in both business and politics.
“Within one year, I made $1 million in my pocket.
I was 29 in 1997. Wike, perhaps at that time, had just left law school, and his next job was as a local government chairman, he said.
On his political differences with Wike, the governor said tensions with the FCT minister surfaced during a meeting with him (Wike), Tinubu, the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other officials.
Police recover two stolen vehicles, arrest suspected car thief in Kano
The Police Command in Kano State has recorded a significant breakthrough in its efforts to combat vehicle theft, with the recovery of two stolen vehicles and the arrest of a suspected car thief.
This is contained in a statement issued by the command spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Kiyawa, in Kano on Tuesday.
Kiyawa said on December 16, at about 20:00 hours, operatives of the command’s Special Intervention Squad (SIS), acting on credible intelligence, arrested one Ibrahim Abubakar of Hotoro Tishama Quarters in possession of a stolen Toyota Hilux with registration KUJ 757 MH.
He explained that investigations also led to the recovery of another Toyota Camry with registration GWA 401 MA.
Kiyawa said the suspect confessed that the vehicles were stolen from Abuja, and further investigations were ongoing to apprehend other syndicate members and recover additional exhibits.
The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, commended the operatives for their diligence, commitment and selfless service.
He called on the residents of the state to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station or through the command’s emergency numbers
Yuletide: NCDC warns against Lassa fever, meningitis, others
As Nigerians prepare for the festive season, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday urged citizens to celebrate responsibly and prioritise their health.
The NCDC also warned that the combination of increased travel, crowded gatherings, and the dry season could heighten the risk of infectious diseases.
In a public health advisory signed by the Director-General of the centre, Dr Jide Idris, the agency highlighted Lassa fever, Cerebrospinal Meningitis and diarrhoeal diseases as major concerns during this period.
This advisory follows concerns that increased travel, crowded celebrations, and the dry season may fuel a surge in infections, particularly Lassa fever, meningitis, and foodborne illnesses.
Idris stated,
“This period of increased travel, large gatherings, and food sharing, coupled with the dry season, increases the risk of infectious disease transmission.“
Key public health risks during this period are Lassa fever, Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM), diarrhoeal diseases and foodborne illnesses (linked to poor food handling, storage, and hygiene), and Antimicrobial Resistance.
Oyo police command gets new spokesperson
The Oyo State Police Command has announced the appointment of a new Police Public Relations Officer, with Deputy Superintendent of Police Ayanlade Olayinka, taking over as the official spokesman of the Command.
The announcement was made in an official statement titled “Oyo State Police Command Gets New Spokesman”, issued on 23rd December, 2025 by the Police Public Relations Office, Oyo State Command, Eleyele, Ibadan.
The release said,
“A new spokesman has been appointed for Oyo State Police Command,” adding that “He is DSP Ayanlade Olushola Olayinka, enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet ASP on 19th December, 2019.”
DSP Ayanlade is described as “an Alumnus of Nigeria Police Academy Wudil Kano State, member of Regular Course Two (RC2), where he bagged B.sc in Sociology in 2019.”
The statement further highlights his professional experience, noting that “The Police Public Relations Officer is a seasoned detective and has served in various capacities as; Operation Officer, Departmental team leader.
”Until his latest deployment to Oyo State, the statement disclosed that DSP Ayanlade “was the Police Public Relations Officer, Ondo State Command.”
The release also detailed his professional affiliations, stating that he is “a member of numerous professional bodies amongst which are: International Association of Chiefs of Police, USA; International Association of Crime Analyst, USA (Kansas); Member of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, FCT Abuja.”
Two die, 19 injured in Kogi road crash
Two people have lost their lives while 19 people sustained injuries in an accident along the Lokoja-Okene road on Tuesday.
The sector commander, Kogi State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Tenimu Etuku, confirmed this in a statement in Lokoja.
Etuku stated that four out of the 19 survivors sustained various degrees of injuries ranging from bruises to fractures and have been rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
He attributed the cause of the lone accident to excessive speeding
He said,
“From the manifest, the ill-fated bus reportedly left Kano on Monday evening, heading to Auchi/Benin before the unfortunate incident that happened at 9:40 am on Tuesday.
The cause of the lone accident was excessive speeding.
The FRSC personnel, who carried out the rescue, have deposited the two corpses in the morgue of the Kogi Specialist hospital in Lokoja.”
2023 Election: I regret supporting Tinubu — Makinde
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said he regrets supporting President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, admitting that the decision did not produce the outcome he had hoped for.
Makinde made the disclosure on Tuesday while speaking with journalists at the Government House in Ibadan.
The governor was one of five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors — popularly known as the G5 — who openly worked against their party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 polls.
The group, led by then Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, opposed Atiku’s candidacy over zoning concerns, arguing that the PDP should have presented a southern presidential candidate following the eight-year tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner.
Makinde said his decision to back Tinubu, who was then the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was based on the belief that he would act in the national interest if elected.
‘My marriage is over’ – Anita Joseph confirms split from husband MC Fish
Nollywood actress Anita Joseph has confirmed the end of her marriage to Fisayo ‘MC Fish’ Michael, putting an end to months of speculation about their relationship.
The actress, in a post on Instagram on Monday night, said the decision followed a period of deep personal reflection, adding that the separation was not taken lightly.
She, however, did not disclose the specific reasons for the split.
“Life has a way of testing our strength in ways we never expect, especially in marriage.
Lately, I’ve been walking through a season of deep reflection, pain and healing,” she wrote.
“I may not have all the answers, but I’m choosing grace, growth, and faith— one step at a time. Calling a spade a spade, my marriage is over.
Ogbugianyi! Omere ka Anyi Mara ihe! Shalom!!”
NIN, CAC numbers to become tax IDs from 2026, says FIRS
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has announced that the National Identification Number (NIN) will automatically serve as the Tax Identification Number (TIN) for individual Nigerians beginning in 2026.
The clarification was issued on Monday through a public awareness campaign on the new tax laws shared by the Service on X.
According to the FIRS, registered businesses will also no longer need a separate Tax Identification Number, as their Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration numbers will now function as their official tax identifiers under the revised tax framework.
The announcement follows public concerns over aspects of the new tax laws that require a Tax ID for certain transactions, including the operation and ownership of bank accounts
Actress Olayinka Solomon passionately prays for twins for colleagues, Lateef Adedimeji and Mo Bimpe on their 4th wedding anniversary
Nollywood actress Olayinka Solomon has said a word of prayer for Lateef Adedimeji and Mo Bimpe as they celebrate their 4th wedding anniversary.
While wishing them a happy anniversary, she declared that next year, they shall be called Baba and Mama Ibeji and made them know that her prayers are with them.Sweet happy wedding anniversary.
This time next year, we shall call you Baba Ibeji and your wife Iya Ibeji. Insha Allah. My prayers are with you”.
