News
FG: Mokwa Flood Not From Dam Release
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, has dismissed claims that the devastating flood in Mokwa, Niger State, on May 29, 2025, was triggered by the release of water from the Kainji or Jebba dams.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, Utsev assured the public that both dams remain intact and safe, debunking widespread speculation linking them to the disaster, which claimed lives and displaced many residents.
“The flood was primarily due to heavy rainfall driven by extreme weather conditions associated with climate change, which overwhelmed Mokwa’s drainage capacity,” the Minister explained.
He further noted that unregulated construction had obstructed a seasonal tributary of River Dingi—an offshoot of the River Niger—intensifying the flood’s impact.
Prof. Utsev praised the rapid intervention by the Niger State Government, local authorities, and emergency responders, and extended the federal government’s condolences and support to the affected communities.
He also revealed that the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), under his ministry, had previously issued warnings about potential flooding in Mokwa and 18 other local government areas in Niger State in its 2025 Annual Flood Outlook released on April 10.
According to the forecast, 1,249 communities in 176 local government areas across 33 states and the FCT fall within high flood risk zones, while 2,187 communities in 293 LGAs face moderate flood risk. High-risk states include Niger, Lagos, Kogi, Bayelsa, Jigawa, Benue, Kebbi, and Rivers, among others.
Reiterating the ministry’s earlier warnings, Utsev urged states and local governments to urgently strengthen their drainage infrastructure, relocate communities from flood-prone areas, increase public awareness campaigns, and enforce land-use regulations to stop encroachments.
“The AFO not only predicts flood risks at LGA and community levels but also provides recommendations for adaptation and mitigation. We urge stakeholders to use the NIHSA flood forecast dashboard to guide proactive measures,” he said.
He described the Mokwa flood as a “stark reminder” of the growing impacts of climate change on Nigeria’s water systems and emphasized the ministry’s commitment to managing water resources sustainably and building climate-resilient communities.
Utsev disclosed that technical teams from NIHSA, the Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority, and the National Water Resources Institute are already in Mokwa assessing the disaster and will provide a detailed report soon.
Meanwhile, a top official in the ministry who spoke off the record told The Nation that the Federal Government had already disbursed funds to states for the maintenance, upgrade, and expansion of drainage systems in flood-prone areas.
She claimed many state governors failed to utilize the funds, which she blamed for the scale of the devastation in Mokwa.
“The truth is that these deaths are not because of dam releases or federal inaction. It is the negligence of some governors who did not deploy the funds released to them for flood control,” she said.
The ministry restated its condolence to the people and Government of Niger State, calling for nationwide collaboration across all levels of government, civil society, and the private sector to address what it described not just as a natural disaster, but a developmental challenge.
Thenationonlineng.ng
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged winner of the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary election in Kano state
The returning officer, Professor Muhammad Waziri of Bayero University, declared Garba Ya’u Gwarmai of the APC winner with 31,472 votes
Waziri defeated the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Yusuf Ali Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has secured victory in the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary election held in Kano state.
Announcing the results on Sunday morning, August 17, the returning officer (RO), Professor Muhammad Waziri from Bayero University, declared APC candidate Garba Gwarmai the winner with a total of 31,472 votes.
He defeated the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Yusuf Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes, according to The Punch.
The supplementary poll was conducted after the initial election in the constituency was declared inconclusive. With a margin of 3,541 votes, Gwarmai’s victory marks a key win for the APC as the party continues to reinforce its influence across the state.
Meanwhile, the NNPP won the Bagwai/Shanono state assembly by-election in Kano state.
Daily Trust and Vanguard noted this update.
Announcing the result at 12:36 a.m. on Sunday, August 17, the RO for the election, Prof. Hassan Adamu Shitu, declared the NNPP candidate, Ali Hassan Kiyawa, winner with 16,198 votes, defeating the APC candidate, Ahmad Muhammad Kadamu, who polled 5,347 votes.
Former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, has said that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is performing well but lacks an effective communication strategy to relay its achievements to Nigerians.
Aliyu made the statement on the Thursday edition of Arise Television’s ‘The Morning Show’, while reacting to the outcome of a recent public accountability session held in Kaduna.
Aliyu, reflecting on the discussions at the Kaduna Forum, said the government is facing public dissatisfaction not because it hasn’t delivered, but because it is failing to tell its own story effectively.
The ex-governor said it is proper for political leaders in the North to make demands from Tinubu’s administration since the bulk of the votes that took power came from the region.
“Let the people understand what is happening on the ground. If by what we say that 63/64 percent of the vote came from the north, it is only logical that the north will be expecting so much from the government.
“But from what we have seen so far is that the government is doing well but they do not know how to communicate very well,” he said.
News
New Twist As El-Rufai Snubs ADC, Announces Another Party To Vote In Kaduna Bye-Election [ Video Trends]
Former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai, appeared to have taken a reverse from the coalition’s adopted political platform, ADC
This is as the former governor took to social media and asked the people of Zaria, Chikun to vote for another party in the Saturday, August 16 (today), bye-elections in the constituencies in Kaduna
Recall that the former governor recently visited Sokoto to canvass support for the ADC, while criticising President Bola Tinubu and the APC government.
Click to watch El-Rufai’s video here
— Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai (@elrufai) August 14, 2025
Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna, has fueled speculations that he dumped the recently adopted coalition political platform, African Democratic Congress (ADC), as he called on the people of Chikun/Kajuru federal constituency and Zaria Kewaye and Basawa state constituency to vote for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
However, in a dramatic turn, the former governor urged the people of Zaria and Chikun to vote for the SDP in the Saturday, August 16, by-election, a poll which was meant to test the opposition’s strength ahead of the 2027 general election.
Recall that El-Rufai defected to the SDP after dumping the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), but soon after joining the party, the SDP fell into a leadership crisis, and the former governor has been silent on his membership and allegations against him.
El-Rufai recently visited Sokoto on a mission to gather support for the ADC. He described his action as a patriotic one to rescue Nigeria from the grip of ‘nepotism’ and ‘incompetence’.
During his visit to Sokoto, the former governor attended two important events meant to sensitise the people and political stakeholders working to achieve the agenda of sacking President Tinubu and the APC in the next general election.
During his address at the event, the former governor lambasted the ruling party and called them ‘a failed, clannish, and visionless administration that has plunged Nigeria into deeper socio-economic misery’.
He declared that it was time for Nigerians to rise against the APC and accused the party of ‘broken promises and elite conspiracy’. He warned that any move to vote for the APC beyond 2027 would be a greater doom for the country.
However, in a sharp turn, the former governor, in a video posted on his social media page ahead of the by-election, urged the people in the constituencies where the poll will be held in Kaduna on Saturday, August 16, to vote for the SDP rather than the ADC he went to Sokoto to canvass for.
“I Don’t Pray My Prophecies Come To Pass” – Primate Ayodele Drops Shocking Message [VIDEO]
BREAKING: Winner Emerges In Kano Bye-Election As APC, NNPP Lock Horns
BREAKING: ADC Claims Victory Against APC In Kaduna Bye-Election
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