Today’s Headlines:Nnamdi Kanu tried like someone already marked for prison – Defence team;NLC, TUC crisis deepens

The defence team of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has alleged that the Abuja Federal High Court presided over by Justice James Omotosho treated him as someone already marked for prison.

The Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Defence Consortium made the claim through a lawyer, Onyedikachi Ifedi, while speaking on the delay in the hearing of the appeal filed by the IPOB leader to challenge his conviction.

Kanu’s lawyers and family members have cried out that the appeal is yet to be listed for hearing at the Court of Appeal. The development had prompted IPOB to order its members to boycott the activities of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the 2027 elections.

There are clear indications that the discussions regarding the fresh negotiation on minimum wage, which has already started, may have faltered following deep divisions between the leaderships of both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), Daily Trust reports.

It was gathered that workers in different sectors, particularly those in the civil service, were beginning to express worries about the implications such sharp disagreement over N70,000 transport allowance for workers could cause for the organised labour movement.

Checks showed that both labour centres have started instigating their respective affiliated unions against each other, with some unions loyal to the NLC supporting the allowance while other unions affiliated to the TUC have continued to reject the offer.

On Sunday, the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) threw its weight behind the NLC against TUC, saying the N70,000 acceptance was in order.

Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has said that Nigeria was heading for economic collapse before the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Sanusi made this statement on Tuesday at the Oxford Global Think Tank conference, where he said President Tinubu’s government needs to listen more.

He said President Tinubu should not always issue statements from the Villa whenever people complain of hardship.

“People need to understand that we were on the brink of economic collapse in 2023. It’s something I’ve been saying since I was Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor. It’s not every time people talk about poverty that you just issue a statement from the Villa and condemn them as enemies of the government or an attack on the President.

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has directed ministers, political appointees and members of its 2027 campaign council to attend only rallies organised in their respective home states.

The directive was contained in a circular dated Tuesday which was signed by the Director-General of the council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar.

The circular, addressed to all directors and heads of directorates, outlined guidelines for participation in the party’s presidential campaign rallies across the states and geopolitical zones.

Explaining the rationale for the directive, the council said, “As the 2027 Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) intensifies its campaign activities across the states and geopolitical zones, it is imperative to provide clear guidelines on participation at campaign rallies for strict compliance.”

The Department of State Services has ordered an investigation into an allegation by former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, that the agency is planning to organise protests in Sokoto State.

The secret police said the investigation was ordered by its Director-General, Oluwatosin Ajayi, despite describing the allegation as inconsistent with its operations to protect political actors across party lines.

Multiple reports had noted on Tuesday that Atiku while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja accused the leadership of the DSS, of recruiting protesters to create disorder in Sokoto and provide a pretext for imposing a curfew to stop the party’s campaign rally.

However, in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Deputy Director, Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Favour Dozie, the DSS said its “operatives rescued the ADC governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Mannir Daniya, during an attack on October 31, 2026.”